the life of john bunyan-第10部分

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not　whether　there　is　such　a　thing　as　a　woman　breathing　under　the

copes　of　the　whole　heaven　but　by　their　apparel；　their　children；　or

by　common　fame；　except　my　wife。〃　　He　calls　not　only　men；　but

angels；　nay；　even　God　Himself；　to　bear　testimony　to　his　innocence

in　this　respect。　　But　though　they　were　so　absolutely　baseless；　nay；

the　rather　because　they　were　so　baseless；　the　grossness　of　these

charges　evidently　stung　Bunyan　very　deeply。



So　bitter　was　the　feeling　aroused　against　him　by　the　marvellous

success　of　his　irregular　ministry；　that　his　enemies；　even　before

the　restoration　of　the　Church　and　Crown；　endeavoured　to　put　the　arm

of　the　law　in　motion　to　restrain　him。　　We　learn　from　the　church

books　that　in　March；　1658；　the　little　Bedford　church　was　in　trouble

for　〃Brother　Bunyan；〃　against　whom　an　indictment　had　been　laid　at

the　Assizes　for　〃preaching　at　Eaton　Socon。〃　　Of　this　indictment　we

hear　no　more；　so　it　was　probably　dropped。　　But　it　is　an　instructive

fact　that；　even　during　the　boasted　religious　liberty　of　the

Protectorate；　irregular　preaching；　especially　that　of　the　much

dreaded　Anabaptists；　was　an　indictable　offence。　　But；　as　Dr。　Brown

observes；　〃religious　liberty　had　not　yet　come　to　mean　liberty　all

round；　but　only　liberty　for　a　certain　recognized　section　of

Christians。〃　　That　there　was　no　lack　of　persecution　during　the

Commonwealth　is　clear　from　the　cruel　treatment　to　which　Quakers

were　subjected；　to　say　nothing　of　the　intolerance　shown　to

Episcopalians　and　Roman　Catholics。　　In　Bunyan's　own　county　of

Bedford；　Quakeresses　were　sentenced　to　be　whipped　and　sent　to

Bridewell　for　reproving　a　parish　priest；　perhaps　well　deserving　of

it；　and　exhorting　the　folks　on　a　market　day　to　repentance　and

amendment　of　life。　　〃The　simple　truth　is；〃　writes　Robert　Southey；

〃all　parties　were　agreed　on　the　one　catholic　opinion　that　certain

doctrines　were　not　to　be　tolerated：〃　the　only　points　of　difference

between　them　were　〃what　those　doctrines　were；〃　and　how　far

intolerance　might　be　carried。　　The　withering　lines　are　familiar　to

us；　in　which　Milton　denounces　the　〃New　Forcers　of　Conscience；〃　who

by　their　intolerance　and　〃super…metropolitan　and

hyperarchiepiscopal　tyranny；〃　proved　that　in　his　proverbial　words；

〃New　Presbyter　is　but　old　Priest　writ　large〃　…





〃Because　you　have　thrown　off　your　prelate　lord；

And　with　stiff　vows　renounce　his　liturgy

Dare　ye　for　this　adjure　the　civil　sword

To　force　our　consciences　that　Christ　set　free！〃





How　Bunyan　came　to　escape　we　know　not。　　But　the　danger　he　was　in

was　imminent　enough　for　the　church　at　Bedford　to　meet　to　pray　〃for

counsail　what　to　doe〃　in　respect　of　it。



It　was　in　these　closing　years　of　the　Protectorate　that　Bunyan　made

his　first　essay　at　authorship。　　He　was　led　to　it　by　a　long　and

tiresome　controversy　with　the　Quakers；　who　had　recently　found　their

way　to　Bedford。　　The　foundations　of　the　faith；　he　thought；　were

being　undermined。　　The　Quakers'　teaching　as　to　the　inward　light

seemed　to　him　a　serious　disparagement　of　the　Holy　Scriptures；　while

their　mystical　view　of　the　spiritual　Christ　revealed　to　the　soul

and　dwelling　in　the　heart；　came　perilously　near　to　a　denial　of　the

historic　reality　of　the　personal　Christ。　　He　had　had　public

disputations　with　male　and　female　Quakers　from　time　to　time；　at　the

Market　Cross　at　Bedford；　at　〃Paul's　Steeple…house　in　Bedford　town；〃

and　other　places。　　One　of　them；　Anne　Blackley　by　name；　openly　bade

him　throw　away　the　Scriptures；　to　which　Bunyan　replied；　〃No；　for

then　the　devil　would　be　too　hard　for　me。〃　　The　same　enthusiast

charged　him　with　〃preaching　up　an　idol；　and　using　conjuration　and

witchcraft；〃　because　of　his　assertion　of　the　bodily　presence　of

Christ　in　heaven。



The　first　work　of　one　who　was　to　prove　himself　so　voluminous　an

author；　cannot　but　be　viewed　with　much　interest。　　It　was　a　little

volume　in　duodecimo；　of　about　two　hundred　pages；　entitled　〃Some

Gospel　Truths　Opened；　by　that　unworthy　servant　of　Christ；　John

Bunyan；　of　Bedford；　by　the　Grace　of　God；　preacher　of　the　Gospel　of

His　dear　Son；〃　published　in　1656。　　The　little　book；　which；　as　Dr。

Brown　says；　was　〃evidently　thrown　off　at　a　heat；〃　was　printed　in

London　and　published　at　Newport　Pagnel。　　Bunyan　being　entirely

unknown　to　the　world；　his　first　literary　venture　was　introduced　by

a　commendatory　〃Epistle〃　written　by　Gifford's　successor；　John

Burton。　　In　this　Burton　speaks　of　the　young　author　…　Bunyan　was

only　in　his　twenty…ninth　year　…　as　one　who　had　〃neither　the

greatness　nor　the　wisdom　of　the　world　to　commend　him；〃　〃not　being

chosen　out　of　an　earthly　but　out　of　a　heavenly　university；　the

Church　of　Christ；〃　where　〃through　grace　he　had　taken　three　heavenly

degrees；　to　wit；　union　with　Christ；　the　anointing　of　the　Spirit；

and　experience　of　the　temptations　of　Satan；〃　and　as　one　of　whose

〃soundness　in　the　faith；　godly　conversation；　and　his　ability　to

preach　the　Gospel；　not　by　human　aid；　but　by　the　Spirit　of　the

Lord；〃　he　〃with　many　other　saints　had　had　experience。〃　　This　book

must　be　pronounced　a　very　remarkable　production　for　a　young

travelling　tinker；　under　thirty；　and　without　any　literary　or

theological　training　but　such　as　he　had　gained　for　himself　after

attaining　to　manhood。　　Its　arrangement　is　excellent；　the　arguments

are　ably　marshalled；　the　style　is　clear；　the　language　pure　and　well

chosen。　　It　is；　in　the　main；　a　well…reasoned　defence　of　the

historical　truth　of　the　Articles　of　the　Creed　relating　to　the

Second　Person　of　the　Trinity；　against　the　mystical　teaching　of　the

followers　of　George　Fox；　who；　by　a　false　spiritualism；　sublimated

the　whole　Gospel　narrative　into　a　vehicle　for　the　representation　of

truths　relating　to　the　inner　life　of　the　believer。　　No　one　ever　had

a　firmer　grasp　than　Bunyan　of　the　spiritual　bearing　of　the　facts　of

the　recorded　life　of　Christ　on　the　souls　of　men。　　But　he　would　not

suffer　their　〃subjectivity〃　…　to　adopt　modern　terms　…　to　destroy

their　〃objectivity。〃　　If　the　Son　of　God　was　not　actually　born　of

the　Virgin　Mary；　if　He　did　not　live　in　a　real　human　body；　and　in

that　body　die；　lie　in　the　grave；　rise　again；　and　ascend　up　into

heaven；　whence　He　would　return　…　and　that　Bunyan　believed　shortly　…

in　the　same　Body　He　took　of　His　mortal　mother；　His　preaching　was

vain；　their　faith　was　vain；　they　were　yet　in　their　sins。　　Those　who

〃cried　up　a　Christ　within；　IN　OPPOSITION　to　a　Christ　without；〃　who

asserted　that　Christ　had　no　other　Body　but　the　Church；　that　the

only　Crucifixion；　rising　again；　and　ascension　of　Christ　was　that

WITHIN　the　believer；　and　that　every　man　had；　as　an　inner　light；　a

measure　of　Christ's　Spirit　within　him　sufficient　to　guide　him　to

salvation；　he　asserted　were　〃possessed　with　a　spirit　of　delusion；〃

deceived　themselves；　they　were　deceiving　others　to　their　eternal

ruin。　　To　the　refutation　of　such　fundamental　errors；　substituting　a

mystical　for　an　historical　faith；　Bunyan's　little　treatise　is

addressed；　and　it　may　be　truly　said　the　work　is　done　effectually。

To　adopt　Coleridge's　expression　concerning　Bunyan's　greater　and

world…famous　work；　it　is　an　admirable　〃SUMMA　THEOLOIAE

EVANGELICAE；〃　which；　notwithstanding　its　obsolete　style　and　old…

fashioned　arrangement；　may　be　read　even　now　with　advantage。



Bunyan's　denunciation　of　the　tenets　of　the　Quakers　speedily

elicited　a　reply。　　This　was　written　by　a　certain　Edward　Burrough；　a

young　man　of　three　and　twenty；　fearless；　devoted；　and　ardent　in　the

propagation　of　the　tenets　of　his　sect。　　Being　subsequently　thrown

into　Newgate　with　hundreds　of　his　co…religionists；　at　the　same　time

that　his　former　antagonist　was　imprisoned　in　Bedford　Gaol；　Burrough

met　the　fate　Bunyan's　stronger　constitution　enabled　him　to　escape；

and　in　the　language　of　the　times；　〃rotted　in　prison；〃　a　victim　to

the　loathsome　foulness　of　his　place　of　incarceration；　in　the　year

of　the　〃Bartholomew　Act；〃　1662。



Burrough　entitled　his　reply；　〃The　Gospel　of　Peace；　contended　for　in

the　Spirit　of　Meekness　and　Love　against　the　secret　opposition　of

John　Bunyan；　a　professed　minister　in　Bedfordshire。〃　　His　opening

words；　too　characteristic　of　the　entire　treatise；　display　but

little　of　the　meekness　professed。　　〃How　long；　ye　crafty　fowlers；

will　ye　prey　upon　the　innocent？　　How　long　shall　the　righteous　be　a

prey　to　your　teeth；　ye　subtle　foxes！　　Your　dens　are　in　darkness；

and　your　mischief　is　hatched　upon　your　beds　of　secret　whoredoms？〃

Of　John　Burton　and　the　others　who　recommended　Bunyan's　treatise；　he

says；　〃They　have　joined　themselves　with　the　broken　army　of　Magog；

and　have　showed　themselves　in　the　defence　of　the　dragon　against　the

Lamb　in　the　day　of　war　betwixt　them。〃　　We　may　well　echo　Dr。　Brown's

wish　that　〃these　two　good　men　could　have　had　a　little　free　and

friendly　talk　face　to　face。　　There　would　probably　have　been　better

understanding；　and　fewer　hard　words；　for　they　were　really　not　so

far　apart　as　they　thought。　　Bunyan　believed　in　the　inward　light；

and　Burrough　surely　accepted　an　objective　Christ。　　But　failing　to

see　each　other's　exact　point　of　view；　Burrough　thunders　at　Bunyan；

and　Bunyan　swiftly　returns　the　shot。〃



The　rapidity　of　Bunyan's　literary　work　is　amazing；　especially　when

we　take　his　antecedents　into　account。　　Within　a　few　weeks　he

published　his　rejoinder　to　Friend　Burrough；　under　the　title　of　〃A

Vindication　of　Gospel　Truths　Opened。〃　　In　this　work；　which　appeared

in　1667；　Bunyan　repays　Burrough　in　his　own　coin；　styling　him　〃a

proved　enemy　to　the　truth；〃　a　〃grossly　railing　Rabshakeh；　who

breaks　out　with　a　taunt　and　a　jeer；〃　is　very　〃censorious　and　utters

many　words　without　knowledge。〃　　In　vigorous；　nervous　language；

which　does　not　spare　his　opponent；　he　defends　himself　from

Burrough's　charges；　and　proves　that　the　Quakers　are　〃deceivers。〃

〃As　for　you　thinking　that　to　drink　water；　and　wear　no　hatbands　is

not　walking　after　your　own　lusts；　I　say　that　whatsoever　man　do　make

a　religion　out　of；