the life of john bunyan-第14部分

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severity；　and；　as　Mr。　Froude　has　said；　〃it　is　unlikely　that　at　any

time　he　was　made　to　suffer　any　greater　hardships　than　were

absolutely　inevitable。〃



The　arrest　of　one　whose　work　as　a　preacher　had　been　a　blessing　to

so　many；　was　not　at　once　tamely　acquiesced　in　by　the　religious　body

to　which　he　belonged。　　A　few　days　after　Bunyan's　committal　to　gaol；

some　of　〃the　brethren〃　applied　to　Mr。　Crompton；　a　young　magistrate

at　Elstow；　to　bail　him　out；　offering　the　required　security　for　his

appearance　at　the　Quarter　Sessions。　　The　magistrate　was　at　first

disposed　to　accept　the　bail；　but　being　a　young　man；　new　in　his

office；　and　thinking　it　possible　that　there　might　be　more　against

Bunyan　than　the　〃mittimus〃　expressed；　he　was　afraid　of　compromising

himself　by　letting　him　go　at　large。　　His　refusal；　though　it　sent

him　back　to　prison；　was　received　by　Bunyan　with　his　usual　calm

trust　in　God's　overruling　providence。　　〃I　was　not　at　all　daunted；

but　rather　glad；　and　saw　evidently　that　the　Lord　had　heard　me。〃

Before　he　set　out　for　the　justice's　house；　he　tells　us　he　had

committed　the　whole　event　to　God's　ordering；　with　the　prayer　that

〃if　he　might　do　more　good　by　being　at　liberty　than　in　prison；〃　the

bail　might　be　accepted；　〃but　if　not；　that　His　will　might　be　done。〃

In　the　failure　of　his　friends'　good　offices　he　saw　an　answer　to　his

prayer；　encouraging　the　hope　that　the　untoward　event；　which

deprived　them　of　his　personal　ministrations；　〃might　be　an　awaking

to　the　saints　in　the　country；〃　and　while　〃the　slender　answer　of　the

justice；〃　which　sent　him　back　to　his　prison；　stirred　something　akin

to　contempt；　his　soul　was　full　of　gladness。　　〃Verily　I　did　meet　my

God　sweetly　again；　comforting　of　me；　and　satisfying　of　me；　that　it

was　His　will　and　mind　that　I　should　be　there。〃　　The　sense　that　he

was　being　conformed　to　the　image　of　his　great　Master　was　a　stay　to

his　soul。　　〃This　word；〃　he　continues；　〃did　drop　in　upon　my　heart

with　some　life；　for　he　knew　that　'for　envy　they　had　delivered

him。'〃



Seven　weeds　after　his　committal；　early　in　January；　1661；　the

Quarter　Sessions　came　on；　and　〃John　Bunyan；　of　the　town　of　Bedford；

labourer；〃　was　indicted　in　the　customary　form　for　having

〃devilishly　and　perniciously　abstained　from　coming　to　church　to

hear　Divine　Service；〃　and　as　〃a　common　upholder　of　several　unlawful

meetings　and　conventions；　to　the　great　disturbance　and　distraction

of　the　good　subjects　of　the　kingdom。〃　　The　chairman　of　the　bench

was　the　brutal　and　blustering　Sir　John　Keeling；　the　prototype　of

Bunyan's　Lord　Hategood　in　Faithful's　trial　at　Vanity　Fair；　who

afterwards；　by　his　base　subserviency　to　an　infamous　government；

climbed　to　the　Lord　Chief　Justice's　seat；　over　the　head　of　Sir

Matthew　Hale。　　Keeling　had　suffered　much　from　the　Puritans　during

the　great　Rebellion；　when；　according　to　Clarendon；　he　was　〃always

in　gaol；〃　and　was　by　no　means　disposed　to　deal　leniently　with　an

offender　of　that　persuasion。　　His　brethren　of　the　bench　were

country　gentlemen　hating　Puritanism　from　their　heart；　and　eager　for

retaliation　for　the　wrongs　it　had　wrought　them。　　From　such　a　bench；

even　if　Bunyan　had　been　less　uncompromising；　no　leniency　was　to　be

anticipated。　　But　Bunyan's　attitude　forbade　any　leniency。　　As　the

law　stood　he　had　indisputably　broken　it；　and　he　expressed　his

determination；　respectfully　but　firmly；　to　take　the　first

opportunity　of　breaking　it　again。　　〃I　told　them　that　if　I　was　let

out　of　prison　today　I　would　preach　the　gospel　again　to…morrow　by

the　help　of　God。〃　　We　may　dislike　the　tone　adopted　by　the

magistrates　towards　the　prisoner；　we　may　condemn　it　as　overbearing

and　contemptuous；　we　may　smile　at　Keeling's　expositions　of

Scripture　and　his　stock　arguments　against　unauthorized　prayer　and

preaching；　though　we　may　charitably　believe　that　Bunyan

misunderstood　him　when　he　makes　him　say　that　〃the　Book　of　Common

Prayer　had　been　ever　since　the　apostles'　time〃；　we　may　think　that

the　prisoner；　in　his　〃canting　pedlar's　French；〃　as　Keeling　called

it；　had　the　better　of　his　judges　in　knowledge　of　the　Bible；　in

Christian　charity；　as　well　as　in　dignity　and　in　common　sense；　and

that　they　showed　their　wisdom　in　silencing　him　in　court　…　〃Let　him

speak　no　further；〃　said　one　of　them；　〃he　will　do　harm；〃　…　since

they　could　not　answer　him　more　convincingly：　　but　his　legal　offence

was　clear。　　He　confessed　to　the　indictment；　if　not　in　express

terms；　yet　virtually。　　He　and　his　friends　had　held　〃many　meetings

together；　both　to　pray　to　God　and　to　exhort　one　another。　　I

confessed　myself　guilty　no　otherwise。〃　　Such　meetings　were

forbidden　by　the　law；　which　it　was　the　duty　of　the　justices　to

administer；　and　they　had　no　choice　whether　they　would　convict　or

no。　　Perhaps　they　were　not　sorry　they　had　no　such　choice。　　Bunyan

was　a　most　〃impracticable〃　prisoner；　and　as　Mr。　Froude　says；　the

〃magistrates　being　but　unregenerate　mortals　may　be　pardoned　if　they

found　him　provoking。〃　　The　sentence　necessarily　followed。　　It　was

pronounced；　not；　we　are　sure　reluctantly；　by　Keeling；　in　the　terms

of　the　Act。　　〃He　was　to　go　back　to　prison　for　three　months。　　If　at

three　months'　end　he　still　refused　to　go　to　church　to　hear　Divine

service　and　leave　his　preaching；　he　was　to　be　banished　the　realm；〃

…　in　modern　language　〃transported；〃　and　if　〃he　came　back　again

without　special　royal　license；〃　he　must　〃stretch　by　the　neck　for

it。〃



〃This；〃　said　Keeling；　〃I　tell　you　plainly。〃　　Bunyan's　reply　that

〃as　to　that　matter　he　was　at　a　point　with　the　judge；〃　for　〃that　he

would　repeat　the　offence　the　first　time　he　could；〃　provoked　a

rejoinder　from　one　of　the　bench；　and　the　unseemly　wrangling　might

have　been　still　further　prolonged；　had　it　not　been　stopped　by　the

gaoler；　who　〃pulling　him　away　to　be　gone；〃　had　him　back　to　prison；

where　he　says；　and　〃blesses　the　Lord　Jesus　Christ　for　it；〃　his

heart　was　as　〃sweetly　refreshed〃　in　returning　to　it　as　it　had　〃been

during　his　examination。　　So　that　I　find　Christ's　words　more　than

bare　trifles；　where　He　saith；　He　will　give　a　mouth　and　wisdom；　even

such　as　all　the　adversaries　shall　not　gainsay　or　resist。　　And　that

His　peace　no　man　can　take　from　us。〃



The　magistrates；　however；　though　not　unnaturally　irritated　by　what

seemed　to　them　Bunyan's　unreasonable　obstinacy；　were　not　desirous

to　push　matters　to　extremity。　　The　three　months　named　in　his

sentence；　at　the　expiration　of　which　he　was　either　to　conform　or　be

banished　the　realm；　were　fast　drawing　to　an　end；　without　any　sign

of　submission　on　his　part。　　As　a　last　resort　Mr。　Cobb；　the　Clerk　of

the　Peace；　was　sent　to　try　what　calm　and　friendly　reasoning　might

effect。　　Cobb；　who　evidently　knew　Bunyan　personally；　did　his　best；

as　a　kind…hearted；　sensible　man；　to　bring　him　to　reason。　　Cobb　did

not　profess　to　be　〃a　man　that　could　dispute；〃　and　Bunyan　had　the

better　of　him　in　argument。　　His　position；　however；　was

unassailable。　　The　recent　insurrection　of　Venner　and　his　Fifth

Monarchy　men；　he　said；　had　shown　the　danger　to　the　public　peace

there　was　in　allowing　fanatical　gatherings　to　assemble　unchecked。

Bunyan；　whose　loyalty　was　unquestioned；　must　acknowledge　the

prudence　of　suppressing　meetings　which；　however　good　their

ostensible　aim；　might　issue　in　nothing　less　than　the　ruin　of　the

kingdom　and　commonwealth。　　Bunyan　had　confessed　his　readiness　to

obey　the　apostolic　precept　by　submitting　himself　to　the　king　as

supreme。　　The　king　forbade　the　holding　of　private　meetings；　which；

under　colour　of　religion；　might　be　prejudicial　to　the　State。　　Why

then　did　he　not　submit？　　This　need　not　hinder　him　from　doing　good

in　a　neighbourly　way。　　He　might　continue　to　use　his　gifts　and

exhort　his　neighbours　in　private　discourse；　provided　he　did　not

bring　people　together　in　public　assemblies。　　The　law　did　not

abridge　him　of　this　liberty。　　Why　should　he　stand　so　strictly　on

public　meetings？　　Or　why　should　he　not　come　to　church　and　hear？

Was　his　gift　so　far　above　that　of　others　that　he　could　learn　of　no

one？　　If　he　could　not　be　persuaded；　the　judges　were　resolved　to

prosecute　the　law　against　him。　　He　would　be　sent　away　beyond　the

seas　to　Spain　or　Constantinople　…　either　Cobb's　or　Bunyan's

colonial　geography　was　rather　at　fault　here　…　or　some　other　remote

part　of　the　world；　and　what　good　could　he　do　to　his　friends　then？

〃Neighbour　Bunyan〃　had　better　consider　these　things　seriously

before　the　Quarter　Session；　and　be　ruled　by　good　advice。　　The

gaoler　here　put　in　his　word　in　support　of　Cobb's　arguments：

〃Indeed；　sir；　I　hope　he　will　be　ruled。〃　　But　all　Cobb's　friendly

reasonings　and　expostulations　were　ineffectual　to　bend　Bunyan's

sturdy　will。　　He　would　yield　to　no…one　in　his　loyalty　to　his

sovereign；　and　his　readiness　to　obey　the　law。　　But；　he　said；　with　a

hairsplitting　casuistry　he　would　have　indignantly　condemned　in

others；　the　law　provided　two　ways　of　obeying；　〃one　to　obey

actively；　and　if　his　conscience　forbad　that；　then　to　obey

passively；　to　lie　down　and　suffer　whatever　they　might　do　to　him。〃

The　Clerk　of　the　Peace　saw　that　it　was　no　use　to　prolong　the

argument　any　further。　　〃At　this；〃　writes　Bunyan；　〃he　sat　down；　and

said　no　more；　which；　when　he　had　done；　I　did　thank　him　for　his

civil　and　meek　discoursing　with　me；　and　so　we　parted：　　O　that　we

might　meet　in　heaven！〃



The　Coronation　which　took　place　very　soon　after　this　interview；

April　13；　1661；　afforded　a　prospect　of　release　without　unworthy

submission。　　The　customary　proclamation；　which　allowed　prisoners

under　sentence　for　any　offence　short　of　felony　to　sue　out　a　pardon

for　twelve　months　from　that　date；　suspended　the　execution　of　the

sentence　of　banishment　and　gave　a　hope　that　the　prison　doors　might

be　opened　for　him。　　The　local　authorities　taking　no　steps　to　enable

him　to　profit　by　the　royal　clemency；　by　inserting　his　name　in　the

list　of　pardonable　offenders；　his　second　wife；　Elizabeth；　travelled

up　to　London；　…　no　slight　venture　for　a　young　woman