A Confession of My Faith

Bunyan was imprisoned for nearly twelve years for, among other things, his views on communion and baptism. In this book, he offers a defense of his beliefs on the subject. The editor introduces Bunyan's thesis as follows, "His first inquiry is, Who are to be admitted to the Lord's table; and his reply is, Those whom God has received: they have become his children, and are entitled to sit at their Father's table: such only as have examined themselves, and by their conduct lead the church to hope that they have passed from death unto life. The practice of those who admit ungodly persons because they have submitted to some outward ceremonies, he severely condemns. The mixture of the church and the world he deems to be spiritual adultery, the prolific source of sin, and one of the causes of the deluge."