the life of john bunyan-第21部分

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God；　been　made　the　mouth　to　the　people　…　men　of　debauched　lives　who

for　the　love　of　filthy　lucre　and　the　pampering　of　their　idle

carcases　had　made　shipwreck　of　their　former　faith；〃　but　he　does

know　that　having　been　ejected　as　a　Nonconformist　in　1662；　he　had

afterwards　gone　over　to　the　winning　side；　and　he　fears　that　〃such

an　unstable　weathercock　spirit　as　he　had　manifested　would　stumble

the　work　and　give　advantage　to　the　adversary　to　speak　vilifyingly

of　religion。〃　　No　excuse　can　be　offered　for　the　coarse　violence　of

Bunyan's　language　in　this　book；　but　it　was　too　much　the　habit　of

the　time　to　load　a　theological　opponent　with　vituperation；　to　push

his　assertions　to　the　furthest　extreme；　and　make　the　most

unwarrantable　deductions　from　them。　　It　must　be　acknowledged　that

Bunyan　does　not　treat　Fowler　and　his　doctrines　with　fairness；　and

that；　if　the　latter　may　be　thought　to　depreciate　unduly　the

sacrifice　of　the　Death　of　Christ　as　an　expiation　for　man's　guilt；

and　to　lay　too　great　a　stress　on　the　moral　faculties　remaining　in

the　soul　after　the　Fall；　Bunyan　errs　still　more　widely　on　the　other

side　in　asserting　the　absolute；　irredeemable　corruption　of　human

nature；　leaving　nothing　for　grace　to　work　upon；　but　demanding　an

absolutely　fresh　creation；　not　a　revivification　of　the　Divine

nature　grievously　marred　but　not　annihilated　by　Adam's　sin。



A　reply　to　Bunyan's　severe　strictures　was　not　slow　to　appear。　　The

book　bears　the　title；　characteristic　of　the　tone　and　language　of

its　contents；　of　〃DIRT　WIP'T　OFF；　or；　a　manifest　discovery　of　the

Gross　Ignorance；　Erroneousness；　and　most　Unchristian　and　Wicked

Spirit　of　one　John　Bunyan；　Lay…preacher　in　Bedford。〃　　It　professes

to　be　written　by　a　friend　of　Fowler's；　but　Fowler　was　generally

accredited　with　it。　　Its　violent　tirades　against　one　who；　he　says；

had　been　〃near　these　twenty　years　or　longer　very　infamous　in　the

Town　and　County　of　Bedford　as　a　very　Pestilent　Schismatick；〃　and

whom　he　suggests　the　authorities　have　done　wrong　in　letting　out　of

prison；　and　had　better　clap　in　gaol　again　as　〃an　impudent　and

malicious　Firebrand；〃　have　long　since　been　consigned　to　a　merciful

oblivion；　where　we　may　safely　leave　them。







CHAPTER　VIII。







Bunyan's　protracted　imprisonment　came　to　an　end　in　1672。　　The　exact

date　of　his　actual　liberation　is　uncertain。　　His　pardon　under　the

Great　Seal　bears　date　September　13th。　　But　we　find　from　the　church

books　that　he　had　been　appointed　pastor　of　the　congregation　to

which　he　belonged　as　early　as　the　21st　of　January　of　that　year；　and

on　the　9th　of　May　his　ministerial　position　was　duly　recognized　by

the　Government；　and　a　license　was　granted　to　him　to　act　〃as

preacher　in　the　house　of　Josias　Roughead；〃　for　those　〃of　the

Persuasion　commonly　called　Congregational。〃　　His　release　would

therefore　seem　to　have　anticipated　the　formal　issue　of　his　pardon

by　four　months。　　Bunyan　was　now　half　way　through　his　forty…fourth

year。　　Sixteen　years　still　remained　to　him　before　his　career　of

indefatigable　service　in　the　Master's　work　was　brought　to　a　close。

Of　these　sixteen　years；　as　has　already　been　remarked；　we　have　only

a　very　general　knowledge。　　Details　are　entirely　wanting；　nor　is

there　any　known　source　from　which　they　can　be　recovered。　　If　he

kept　any　diary　it　has　not　been　preserved。　　If　he　wrote　letters　…

and　one　who　was　looked　up　to　by　so　large　a　circle　of　disciples　as　a

spiritual　father　and　guide；　and　whose　pen　was　so　ready　of　exercise；

cannot　fail　to　have　written　many　…　not　one　has　come　down　to　us。

The　pages　of　the　church　books　during　his　pastorate　are　also

provokingly　barren　of　record；　and　little　that　they　contain　is　in

Bunyan's　handwriting。　　As　Dr。　Brown　has　said；　〃he　seems　to　have

been　too　busy　to　keep　any　records　of　his　busy　life。〃　　Nor　can　we

fill　up　the　blank　from　external　authorities。　　The　references　to

Bunyan　in　contemporary　biographies　are　far　fewer　than　we　might　have

expected；　certainly　far　fewer　than　we　could　have　desired。　　But　the

little　that　is　recorded　is　eminently　characteristic。　　We　see　him

constantly　engaged　in　the　great　work　to　which　he　felt　God　had

called　him；　and　for　which；　〃with　much　content　through　grace；〃　he

had　suffered　twelve　years'　incarceration。　　In　addition　to　the

regular　discharge　of　his　pastoral　duties　to　his　own　congregation；

he　took　a　general　oversight　of　the　villages　far　and　near　which　had

been　the　scene　of　his　earlier　ministry；　preaching　whenever

opportunity　offered；　and；　ever　unsparing　of　his　own　personal

labour；　making　long　journeys　into　distant　parts　of　the　country　for

the　furtherance　of　the　gospel。　　We　find　him　preaching　at　Leicester

in　the　year　of　his　release。　　Reading　also　is　mentioned　as　receiving

occasional　visits　from　him；　and　that　not　without　peril　after　the

revival　of　persecution；　while　the　congregations　in　London　had　the

benefit　of　his　exhortations　at　stated　intervals。　　Almost　the　first

thing　Bunyan　did；　after　his　liberation　from　gaol；　was　to　make

others　sharers　in　his　hardly　won　〃liberty　of　prophesying；〃　by

applying　to　the　Government　for　licenses　for　preachers　and　preaching

places　in　Bedfordshire　and　the　neighbouring　counties；　under　the

Declaration　of　Indulgence。　　The　still　existing　list　sent　in　to　the

authorities　by　him；　in　his　own　handwriting；　contains　the　names　of

twenty…five　preachers　and　thirty　buildings；　besides　〃Josias

Roughead's　House　in　his　orchard　at　Bedford。〃　　Nineteen　of　these

were　in　his　own　native　county；　three　in　Northamptonshire；　three　in

Buckinghamshire；　two　in　Cambridgeshire；　two　in　Huntingdonshire；　and

one　in　Hertfordshire。　　The　places　sought　to　be　licensed　were　very

various；　barns；　malthouses；　halls　belonging　to　public　companies；

&c。；　but　more　usually　private　houses。　　Over　these　religious

communities；　bound　together　by　a　common　faith　and　common　suffering；

Bunyan　exercised　a　quasi…episcopal　superintendence；　which　gained

for　him　the　playful　title　of　〃Bishop　Bunyan。〃　　In　his　regular

circuits；　…　〃visitations〃　we　may　not　improperly　term　them；　…　we　are

told　that　he　exerted　himself　to　relieve　the　temporal　wants　of　the

sufferers　under　the　penal　laws；　…　so　soon　and　so　cruelly　revived；　…

ministered　diligently　to　the　sick　and　afflicted；　and　used　his

influence　in　reconciling　differences　between　〃professors　of　the

gospel；〃　and　thus　prevented　the　scandal　of　litigation　among

Christians。　　The　closing　period　of　Bunyan's　life　was　laborious　but

happy；　spent　〃honourably　and　innocently〃　in　writing；　preaching；

visiting　his　congregations；　and　planting　daughter　churches。

〃Happy；〃　writes　Mr。　Froude；　〃in　his　work；　happy　in　the　sense　that

his　influence　was　daily　extending　…　spreading　over　his　own　country

and　to　the　far…off　settlements　of　America；　…　he　spent　his　last

years　in　his　own　land　of　Beulah；　Doubting　Castle　out　of　sight；　and

the　towers　and　minarets　of　Immanuel's　Land　growing　nearer　and

clearer　as　the　days　went　on。〃



With　his　time　so　largely　occupied　in　his　spiritual　functions；　he

could　have　had　but　small　leisure　to　devote　to　his　worldly　calling。

This；　however；　one　of　so　honest　and　independent　a　spirit　is　sure

not　to　have　neglected；　it　was　indeed　necessary　that　to　a　certain

extent　he　should　work　for　his　living。　　He　had　a　family　to　maintain。

His　congregation　were　mostly　of　the　poorer　sort；　unable　to

contribute　much　to　their　pastor's　support。　　Had　it　been　otherwise；

Bunyan　was　the　last　man　in　the　world　to　make　a　trade　of　the　gospel；

and　though　never　hesitating　to　avail　himself　of　the　apostolic

privilege　to　〃live　of　the　gospel；〃　he；　like　the　apostle　of　the

Gentiles；　would　never　be　ashamed　to　〃work　with　his　own　hands；〃　that

he　might　〃minister　to　his　own　necessities；〃　and　those　of　his

family。　　But　from　the　time　of　his　release　he　regarded　his

ministerial　work　as　the　chief　work　of　his　life。　　〃When　he　came

abroad；〃　says　one　who　knew　him；　〃he　found　his　temporal　affairs　were

gone　to　wreck；　and　he　had　as　to　them　to　begin　again　as　if　he　had

newly　come　into　the　world。　　But　yet　he　was　not　destitute　of

friends；　who　had　all　along　supported　him　with　necessaries　and　had

been　very　good　to　his　family；　so　that　by　their　assistance　getting

things　a　little　about　him　again；　he　resolved　as　much　as　possible　to

decline　worldly　business；　and　give　himself　wholly　up　to　the　service

of　God。〃　　The　anonymous　writer　to　whom　we　are　indebted　for

information　concerning　his　imprisonment　and　his　subsequent　life；

says　that　Bunyan；　〃contenting　himself　with　that　little　God　had

bestowed　upon　him；　sequestered　himself　from　all　secular　employments

to　follow　that　of　his　call　to　the　ministry。〃　　The　fact；　however；

that　in　the　〃deed　of　gift〃　of　all　his　property　to　his　wife　in　1685；

he　still　describes　himself　as　a　〃brazier；〃　puts　it　beyond　all　doubt

that　though　his　ministerial　duties　were　his　chief　concern；　he

prudently　kept　fast　hold　of　his　handicraft　as　a　certain　means　of

support　for　himself　and　those　dependent　on　him。　　On　the　whole；

Bunyan's　outward　circumstances　were　probably　easy。　　His　wants　were

few　and　easily　supplied。　　〃Having　food　and　raiment〃　for　himself；

his　wife；　and　his　children；　he　was　〃therewith　content。〃　　The　house

in　the　parish　of　St。　Cuthbert's　which　was　his　home　from　his　release

to　his　death　（unhappily　demolished　fifty　years　back）；　shows　the

humble　character　of　his　daily　life。　　It　was　a　small　cottage；　such

as　labourers　now　occupy；　with　three　small　rooms　on　the　ground

floor；　and　a　garret　with　a　diminutive　dormer　window　under　the　high…

pitched　tiled　roof。　　Behind　stood　an　outbuilding　which　served　as

his　workshop。　　We　have　a　passing　glimpse　of　this　cottage　home　in

the　diary　of　Thomas　Hearne；　the　Oxford　antiquary。　　One　Mr。　Bagford；

otherwise　unknown　to　us；　had　once　〃walked　into　the　country〃　on

purpose　to　see　〃the　study　of　John　Bunyan；〃　and　the　student　who　made

it　famous。　　On　his　arrival　the　interviewer　…　as　we　should　now　call

him　…　met　with　a　civil　and　courteous　reception　from　Bunyan；　but　he

found　the　contents