the life of john bunyan-第22部分

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

found　the　contents　of　his　study　hardly　larger　than　those　of　his

prison　cell。　　They　were　limited　to　a　Bible；　and　copies　of　〃The

Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　and　a　few　other　books；　chiefly　his　own　works；

〃all　lying　on　a　shelf　or　shelves。〃　　Slight　as　this　sketch　is；　it

puts　us　more　in　touch　with　the　immortal　dreamer　than　many　longer

and　more　elaborate　paragraphs。



Bunyan's　celebrity　as　a　preacher；　great　before　he　was　shut　up　in

gaol；　was　naturally　enhanced　by　the　circumstance　of　his

imprisonment。　　The　barn　in　Josias　Roughead's　orchard；　where　he　was

licensed　as　a　preacher；　was　〃so　thronged　the　first　time　he　appeared

there　to　edify；　that　many　were　constrained　to　stay　without；　every

one　that　was　of　his　persuasion　striving　to　partake　of　his

instructions。〃　　Wherever　he　ministered；　sometimes；　when　troublous

days　returned；　in　woods；　and　in　dells；　and　other　hiding…places；　the

announcement　that　John　Bunyan　was　to　preach　gathered　a　large　and

attentive　auditory；　hanging　on　his　lips　and　drinking　from　them　the

word　of　life。　　His　fame　grew　the　more　he　was　known　and　reached　its

climax　when　his　work　was　nearest　its　end。　　His　biographer　Charles

Doe　tells　us　that　just　before　his　death；　〃when　Mr。　Bunyan　preached

in　London；　if　there　were　but　one　day's　notice　given；　there　would　be

more　people　come　together　than　the　meeting…house　could　hold。　　I

have　seen；　by　my　computation；　about　twelve　hundred　at　a　morning

lecture　by　seven　o'clock　on　a　working　day；　in　the　dark　winter　time。

I　also　computed　about　three　thousand　that　came　to　hear　him　one

Lord's　Day　in　London；　at　a　town's…end　meeting…house；　so　that　half

were　fain　to　go　back　again　for　want　of　room；　and　then　himself　was

fain　at　a　back　door　to　be　pulled　almost　over　people　to　get　upstairs

to　his　pulpit。〃　　This　〃town's…end　meeting　house〃　has　been

identified　by　some　with　a　quaint　straggling　long　building　which

once　stood　in　Queen　Street；　Southwark；　of　which　there　is　an

engraving　in　Wilkinson's　〃Londina　Illustrata。〃　　Doe's　account；

however；　probably　points　to　another　building；　as　the　Zoar　Street

meeting…house　was　not　opened　for　worship　till　about　six　months

before　Bunyan's　death；　and　then　for　Presbyterian　service。　　Other

places　in　London　connected　with　his　preaching　are　Pinners'　Hall　in

Old　Broad　Street；　where；　on　one　of　his　occasional　visits；　he

delivered　his　striking　sermon　on　〃The　Greatness　of　the　Soul　and　the

Unspeakableness　of　the　Loss　thereof；〃　first　published　in　1683；　and

Dr。　Owen's　meeting…house　in　White's　Alley；　Moorfields；　which　was

the　gathering…place　for　titled　folk；　city　merchants；　and　other

Nonconformists　of　position　and　degree。　　At　earlier　times；　when　the

penal　laws　against　Nonconformists　were　in　vigorous　exercise；　Bunyan

had　to　hold　his　meetings　by　stealth　in　private　houses　and　other

places　where　he　might　hope　to　escape　the　lynx…eyed　informer。　　It

was　at　one　of　these　furtive　meetings　that　his　earliest　biographer；

the　honest　combmaker　at　the　foot　of　London　Bridge；　Charles　Doe；

first　heard　him　preach。　　His　choice　of　an　Old　Testament　text　at

first　offended　Doe；　who　had　lately　come　into　New　Testament　light

and　had　had　enough　of　the　〃historical　and　doing…for…favour　of　the

Old　Testament。〃　　But　as　he　went　on　he　preached　〃so　New　Testament

like〃　that　his　hearer's　prejudices　vanished；　and　he　could　only

〃admire；　weep　for　joy；　and　give　the　preacher　his　affections。〃



Bunyan　was　more　than　once　urged　to　leave　Bedford　and　settle　in　the

metropolis。　　But　to　all　these　solicitations　he　turned　a　deaf　ear。

Bedford　was　the　home　of　his　deepest　affections。　　It　was　there　the

holy　words　of　the　poor　women　〃sitting　in　the　sun；〃　speaking　〃as　if

joy　did　make　them　speak；〃　had　first　〃made　his　heart　shake；〃　and

shown　him　that　he　was　still　a　stranger　to　vital　godliness。　　It　was

there　he　had　been　brought　out　of　darkness　into　light　himself；　and

there　too　he　had　been　the　means　of　imparting　the　same　blessing　to

others。　　The　very　fact　of　his　long　imprisonment　had　identified　him

with　the　town　and　its　inhabitants。　　There　he　had　a　large　and　loving

congregation；　to　whom　he　was　bound　by　the　ties　of　a　common　faith

and　common　sufferings。　　Many　of　these　recognized　in　Bunyan　their

spiritual　father；　all；　save　a　few　〃of　the　baser　sort；〃　reverenced

him　as　their　teacher　and　guide。　　No　prospect　of　a　wider　field　of

usefulness；　still　less　of　a　larger　income；　could　tempt　him　to

desert　his　〃few　sheep　in　the　wilderness。〃　　Some　of　them；　it　is

true；　were　wayward　sheep；　who　wounded　the　heart　of　their　pastor　by

breaking　from　the　fold；　and　displaying　very　un…lamb…like　behaviour。

He　had　sometimes　to　realize　painfully　that　no　pale　is　so　close　but

that　the　enemy　will　creep　in　somewhere　and　seduce　the　flock；　and

that　no　rules　of　communion；　however　strict；　can　effectually　exclude

unworthy　members。　　Brother　John　Stanton　had　to　be　admonished　〃for

abusing　his　wife　and　beating　her　often　for　very　light　matters〃　（if

the　matters　had　been　less　light；　would　the　beating　in　these　days

have　been　thought　justifiable？）；　and　Sister　Mary　Foskett；　for

〃privately　whispering　of　a　horrid　scandal；　'without　culler　of

truth；'　against　Brother　Honeylove。〃　　Evil…speaking　and　backbiting

set　brother　against　brother。　　Dissensions　and　heartburnings　grieved

Bunyan's　spirit。　　He　himself　was　not　always　spared。　　A　letter　had

to　be　written　to　Sister　Hawthorn　〃by　way　of　reproof　for　her

unseemly　language　against　Brother　Scot　and　the　whole　Church。〃　　John

Wildman　was　had　up　before　the　Church　and　convicted　of　being　〃an

abominable　liar　and　slanderer；〃　〃extraordinary　guilty〃　against　〃our

beloved　Brother　Bunyan　himself。〃　　And　though　Sister　Hawthorn

satisfied　the　Church　by　〃humble　acknowledgment　of　her　miscariag；〃

the　bolder　misdoer　only　made　matters　worse　by　〃a　frothy　letter；〃

which　left　no　alternative　but　a　sentence　of　expulsion。　　But　though

Bunyan's　flock　contained　some　whose　fleeces　were　not　as　white　as　he

desired；　these　were　the　exception。　　The　congregation　meeting　in

Josias　Roughead's　barn　must　have　been；　take　them　as　a　whole；　a

quiet；　God…fearing；　spiritually…minded　folk；　of　whom　their　pastor

could　think　with　thankfulness　and　satisfaction　as　〃his　hope　and　joy

and　crown　of　rejoicing。〃　　From　such　he　could　not　be　severed

lightly。　　Inducements　which　would　have　been　powerful　to　a　meaner

nature　fell　dead　on　his　independent　spirit。　　He　was　not　〃a　man　that

preached　by　way　of　bargain　for　money；〃　and；　writes　Doe；　〃more　than

once　he　refused　a　more　plentiful　income　to　keep　his　station。〃　　As

Dr。　Brown　says：　　〃He　was　too　deeply　rooted　on　the　scene　of　his

lifelong　labours　and　sufferings　to　think　of　striking　his　tent　till

the　command　came　from　the　Master　to　come　up　to　the　higher　service

for　which　he　had　been　ripening　so　long。〃　　At　Bedford；　therefore；　he

remained；　quietly　staying　on　in　his　cottage　in　St。　Cuthbert's；　and

ministering　to　his　humble　flock；　loving　and　beloved；　as　Mr。　Froude

writes；　〃through　changes　of　ministry；　Popish　plots；　and　Monmouth

rebellions；　while　the　terror　of　a　restoration　of　Popery　was

bringing　on　the　Revolution；　careless　of　kings　and　cabinets；　and

confident　that　Giant　Pope　had　lost　his　power　for　harm；　and

thenceforward　could　only　bite　his　nails　at　the　passing　pilgrims。〃



Bunyan's　peace　was　not；　however；　altogether　undisturbed。　　Once　it

received　a　shock　in　a　renewal　of　his　imprisonment；　though　only　for

a　brief　period；　in　1675；　to　which　we　owe　the　world…famous

〃Pilgrim's　Progress〃；　and　it　was　again　threatened；　though　not

actually　disturbed　ten　years　later；　when　the　renewal　of　the

persecution　of　the　Nonconformists　induced　him　to　make　over　all　his

property　…　little　enough　in　good　sooth　…　to　his　wife　by　deed　of

gift。



The　former　of　these　events　demands　our　attention；　not　so　much　for

itself　as　for　its　connection　with　Bishop　Barlow's　interference　in

Bunyan's　behalf；　and；　still　more；　for　its　results　in　the　production

of　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress。〃　　Until　very　recently　the　bare　fact　of

this　later　imprisonment；　briefly　mentioned　by　Charles　Doe　and

another　of　his　early　biographers；　was　all　that　was　known　to　us。

They　even　leave　the　date　to　be　gathered；　though　both　agree　in

limiting　its　duration　to　six　months　or　thereabouts。　　The　recent

discovery；　among　the　Chauncey　papers；　by　Mr。　W。　G。　Thorpe；　of　the

original　warrant　under　which　Bunyan　was　at　this　time　sent　to　gaol；

supplies　the　missing　information。　　It　has　been　already　noticed　that

the　Declaration　of　Indulgence；　under　which　Bunyan　was　liberated　in

1672；　was　very　short…lived。　　Indeed　it　barely　lasted　in　force　a

twelvemonth。　　Granted　on　the　15th　of　March　of　that　year；　it　was

withdrawn　on　the　9th　of　March　of　the　following　year；　at　the

instance　of　the　House　of　Commons；　who　had　taken　alarm　at　a

suspension　of　the　laws　of　the　realm　by　the　〃inherent　power〃　of　the

sovereign；　without　the　advice　or　sanction　of　Parliament。　　The

Declaration　was　cancelled　by　Charles　II。；　the　monarch；　it　is　said；

tearing　off　the　Great　Seal　with　his　own　hands；　a　subsidy　being

promised　to　the　royal　spendthrift　as　a　reward　for　his　complaisance。

The　same　year　the　Test　Act　became　law。　　Bunyan　therefore　and　his

fellow　Nonconformists　were　in　a　position　of　greater　peril；　as　far

as　the　letter　of　the　law　was　concerned；　than　they　had　ever　been。

But；　as　Dr。　Stoughton　has　remarked；　〃the　letter　of　the　law　is　not

to　be　taken　as　an　accurate　index　of　the　Nonconformists'　condition。

The　pressure　of　a　bad　law　depends　very　much　upon　the　hands　employed

in　its　administration。〃　　Unhappily　for　Bunyan；　the　parties　in　whose

hands　the　execution　of　the　penal　statutes　against　Nonconformists

rested　in　Bedfordshire　were　his　bitter　personal　enemies；　who　were

not　likely　to　let　them　lie　inactive。　　The　prime　mover　in　the　matter

was　doubtless　Dr。　William　Foster；　that　〃right　Judas〃　whom　we　shall

remember　holding　the　candle　in　Bunyan's　face　in　the　hall　of

Harlington　House　at　his　first　apprehension；　and　showing　such

fei