John Bunyan’s Bible, a true copy

John Bunyan is best known as the author of The Pilgrim’s Progress. He was born in 1628 (baptized Nov. 28, 1628) and died August 31, 1688, at age 59.

To these years before the Restoration [pre-1660, the restoration of the monarchy, rlv] belongs also the story of Bunyan’s encounter on the road near Cambridge with the university man, who asked him how he, not having the original Scriptures, dared to preach. To this he gave answer by asking this scholar, in turn, if he himself had the originals, the actual copies written by prophets and apostles. No, but he had what he knew to be true copies of the originals. “And I,” said Bunyan, “believe the English Bible to be a true copy also,” upon which the university man went his way.

As recorded by John Brown, in John Bunyan: His Life, Times, and Work, London: Wm. Isbister Limited, 1885, p. 120

As recorded by Charles Doe in The Struggler, p. 767.

Mr. Bunyan’s dispute with a scholar to this effect.

As Mr. Bunyan was upon the road near Cambridge, there overtakes him a scholar that had observed him a preacher, and said to him, How dare you preach, seeing you have not the original, being not a scholar?
 
Then said Mr. Bunyan, Have you the original?
 
Yes, said the scholar.
 
Nay, but, said Mr. Bunyan, have you the very self-same original copies that were written by the penmen of the scriptures, prophets and apostles?
 
No, said the scholar, but we have the true copies of those originals.
 
How do you know that? said Mr. Bunyan.
 
How? said the scholar. Why, we believe what we have is a true copy of the original.
 
Then, said Mr. Bunyan, so do I believe our English Bible is a true copy of the original.
 
Then away rid the scholar.