The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-15
@THE BAYARD PRESENTS.
The Bunyan Relics Received by Whining
Baptists With Great Pleasure.

hoi. l uoHlHS Il I1aydfu lasU evening III
Second Baptist church presented to the
Baptist Demon hers, a reproduc.
ton OF tho chair in which John Bunyan
sat while imprisoned: copy Of the writ
for his arrest and facsimile Of the first
copy of Pilgrims Progress" 1t was n
most delightful occasion and one which
will long be remembered
The exercises attending the presenta-
ton began at o'clock.
Rev. f. r. Briggs and Mr. Bayard sat
in tho pulpit The former presided and
PRODUCED and told of visiting the town of
Bedford where John Bunyan preached
and was imprisoned. There he met DR..
John NJ. Blown, pastor of the Baptist
Church, in whose church Bunyan's name
was enrolled. There Is but little left of
Bunyan in the town. The houge cannot
readily be distinguished and the jail in
which he was confined has long since been
demolished, nothing being left but tho
subterranean cells. The building is re.
placed by peaceful establishment.
Continuing, Mr. Bayard said that DR..
Brown had preserved the original chair in
which Bunyau sat "That chair 1 sat
upon" said Mr.. Bayard. DR.. Brown also
had manuscript of the small daily at-
fairs of Bunyan. 81 was also taken to the
church OF which Bunyan was member"
stated the former ambassador, land in the
vestry room l saw the rude iron, barred
gate which guarded the entrance to the
Jail. l don't know how the expression Of
those bars could betbcr be told than in the
language of Bunyan himself They ex-
press The pathos that surrounded every
thing he wrote"
The other thing Mr. Bayard said he saw
was the warrant issued for Bunyan's ar.
rest in 1914 Although Bunyan had under.
gone II good deal of annoyance and perse.
cuti0n in former years, in the days of
Charles H., he was imprisoned for his re.
ligious belief which was in conflict with
tlc liturgy of the established church.
"This remarkable document" said Mr..
Bayard, holding up the writ in walnut
frame, was purchased at an auction. 1t
was in book and was folded up Bun.
yam was an illiterate man, explained tho
speaker, bat he went to prison for consCi.
ence sake, with his Biblo and his book of
mott 1es."
There he preached to the other prisoners,
probably there for the same otfense as his.
1T is not surprising that he became I'M.
bued with the language of the Bible but
the sentiment which the language ex.
presses" declared Mr., Bayard, Bunyans
"Pilgrim's Progress" is tho most popular
book, and has reached more minds than
any book written, he continued: Tne
reason is he wrote the language of the
Bible itself
Mr.. Bayard then hold up the writ. He
said that The paper is genuine, cannot DO
doubled, rs it was reproduced with Also.
lutte accuracy, and it Is impossible to de.
tect it from the original After I had
seen tho original Of the chair and the writ
had great interest in Them" said Mr..
Rayard, land | thought my fellow.peOple
A. he, MIGHT hnun thn INF
He said he was able to get the chair from
Il cabinet maker in Bedford. and he was
sure it could bo placed in no better and
safer hands than those into which be was
about to place IL.
Mr.. Buyard explained that but five copies
of the writ now exist. lie also held up q
csimile OF tho original of the 'Pilgrim's
Progress" which he obtained from friend
in Bedford Ho placed the b ok with tho
other articles, and asked his Baptist frieuds
in the city tic accept them.
He then made q few IT marks in which
he stated that by such articles rs those
presented 1t is realized how the world pro-
crossed. such things AS tho imprson-
mcnt of this man for such things as he
was charged with, are now absolutely i'm
possible in any country III which our Ian.
guago is spoken" added the speaker. He
dwGlt AT length on men being guarded by
thtlr cOnblltnCcS IN lillS DAY or grace as
well us in tho DAYS Of John Bunyan.
The avenues Of conscience and intellect
are given to each being with an imposs.-
billy to transfer assorted Mr., Bayard
God made HIS creations to think as indi.
viduals, and not mechanical masses. It
was because Bunyan was opposed that
that which was placed in him by God was
brought out
The chair is of plain walnut and two
rounds are missing from the back Tho
writ is on stained paper and has thirteen
seals of ConsiabIes and justices attached
ltContains the named spelled "Bunyan
and BunuiOn."
Rev, r. b. Cook accepted the gifts on
behalf Of the Baptists Of the city, after DR.,
Briggs had made it plain thar they bo.
longed to no particular church. D.. Cook
believed the gifts could not have been
given to Il more deserving populaCo and
thanked the donator heartily Rev Henry
G, Nedder, professor Of church history in
CroAtr Theological Seminary then mttlo
few remarks on the life of Bunyan, whom
he said WAS imprisoned under the Cuuyen.
ticnl Act Of King Charles II, that not
more than five persons should meet in
houses and conduct services
He said that tho BunYan Bapt!5ts were
the only ones In those times to say that all
should worship according to the dictates of
their own conscience Mr.. NoddCr con.
"ratuatoi he people of this city upon
their Treasures. He ,Concl ID ii by saying
mat john BunyaL as more than BaE-
tjSt-h0 was Christian. The exercises
C uculed with the congregation singing
America.