He had so great an authority
among the Baptists that he was popularly called Bishop Bunyan. His
episcopal visitations were annual. From Bedford he rode every year to
London, and preached there to large and attentive congregations. From
London he went his circuit through the country, animating the zeal of
his brethren, collecting and distributing alms, and making up quarrels.
The magistrates seem in general to have given him little trouble. But
there is reason to believe that, in the year 1685, he was in some danger
of again occupying his old quarters in Bedford jail. In that year, the
rash and wicked enterprise of Monmouth gave the government a pretext for
prosecuting the Non-conformists; and scarcely one eminent divine of the
Presbyterian, Independent, or Baptist persuasion remained unmolested.
Baxter was in prison; Howe was driven into exile; Henry was arrested.
Two eminent Baptists, with whom Bunyan had been engaged in controversy,
were in great peril and distress. Danvers was in danger of being hanged,
and Kiffin's grandsons were actually hanged. The tradition is, that
during those evil days, Bunyan was forced to disguise himself as a
wagoner, and that he preached to his congregation at Bedford in a
smock-frock, with a cart-whip in his hand. But soon a great change took
place. James the Second was at open war with the Church, and found it
necessary to court the Dissenters. Some of the creatures of the
government tried to secure the aid of Bunyan.
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