the life of john bunyan-第24部分

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counselled　one　thing　and　some　another；　after　some　perplexity；　he

took　the　matter　into　his　own　hands。





〃Now　was　I　in　a　strait；　and　did　not　see

Which　was　the　best　thing　to　be　done　by　me；

At　last　I　thought；　Since　you　are　so　divided；

I　print　it　will；　and　so　the　case　decided。〃





We　must　agree　with　Dr。　Brown　that　〃there　is　a　briskness　about　this

which；　to　say　the　least；　is　not　suggestive　of　a　six　years'　interval

before　publication。〃　　The　break　which　occurs　in　the　narrative　after

the　visit　of　the　Pilgrims　to　the　Delectable　Mountains；　which　so

unnecessarily　interrupts　the　course　of　the　story　…　〃So　I　awoke　from

my　dream；　and　I　slept　and　dreamed　again〃　…　has　been　not

unreasonably　thought　by　Dr。　Brown　to　indicate　the　point　Bunyan　had

reached　when　his　six　months'　imprisonment　ended；　and　from　which　he

continued　the　book　after　his　release。



The　First　Part　of　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress〃　issued　from　the　press　in

1678。　　A　second　edition　followed　in　the　same　year；　and　a　third　with

large　and　important　additions　in　1679。　　The　Second　Part；　after　an

interval　of　seven　years；　followed　early　in　1685。　　Between　the　two

parts　appeared　two　of　his　most　celebrated　works　…　the　〃Life　and

Death　of　Mr。　Badman；〃　published　in　1680；　originally　intended　to

supply　a　contrast　and　a　foil　to　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　by

depicting　a　life　which　was　scandalously　bad；　and；　in　1682；　that

which　Macaulay；　with　perhaps　exaggerated　eulogy；　has　said；　〃would

have　been　our　greatest　allegory　if　the　earlier　allegory　had　never

been　written；〃　the　〃Holy　War　made　by　Shaddai　upon　Diabolus。〃

Superior　to　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress〃　as　a　literary　composition；

this　last　work　must　be　pronounced　decidedly　inferior　to　it　in

attractive　power。　　For　one　who　reads　the　〃Holy　War；〃　five　hundred

read　the　〃Pilgrim。〃　　And　those　who　read　it　once　return　to　it　again

and　again；　with　ever　fresh　delight。　　It　is　a　book　that　never　tires。

One　or　two　perusals　of　the　〃Holy　War〃　satisfy：　　and　even　these　are

not　without　weariness。　　As　Mr。　Froude　has　said；　〃The　'Holy　War'

would　have　entitled　Bunyan　to　a　place　among　the　masters　of　English

literature。　　It　would　never　have　made　his　name　a　household　word　in

every　English…speaking　family　on　the　globe。〃



Leaving　the　further　notice　of　these　and　his　other　chief　literary

productions　to　another　chapter；　there　is　little　more　to　record　in

Bunyan's　life。　　Though　never　again　seriously　troubled　for　his

nonconformity；　his　preaching　journeys　were　not　always　without　risk。

There　is　a　tradition　that　when　he　visited　Reading　to　preach；　he

disguised　himself　as　a　waggoner　carrying　a　long　whip　in　his　hand　to

escape　detection。　　The　name　of　〃Bunyan's　Dell；〃　in　a　wood　not　very

far　from　Hitchin；　tells　of　the　time　when　he　and　his　hearers　had　to

conceal　their　meetings　from　their　enemies'　quest；　with　scouts

planted　on　every　side　to　warn　them　of　the　approach　of　the　spies　and

informers；　who　for　reward　were　actively　plying　their　odious　trade。

Reference　has　already　been　made　to　Bunyan's　〃deed　of　gift〃　of　all

that　he　possessed　in　the　world　…　his　〃goods；　chattels；　debts；　ready

money；　plate；　rings；　household　stuff；　apparel；　utensils；　brass；

pewter；　bedding；　and　all　other　his　substance　whatsoever　…　to　his

well…beloved　wife　Elizabeth　Bunyan。〃　　Towards　the　close　of　the

first　year　of　James　the　Second；　1685；　the　apprehensions　under　which

Bunyan　executed　this　document　were　far　from　groundless。　　At　no　time

did　the　persecution　of　Nonconformists　rage　with　greater　fierceness。

Never；　not　even　under　the　tyranny　of　Laud；　as　Lord　Macaulay　records

had　the　condition　of　the　Puritans　been　so　deplorable。　　Never　had

spies　been　so　actively　employed　in　detecting　congregations。　　Never

had　magistrates；　grand…jurors；　rectors；　and　churchwardens　been　so

much　on　the　alert。　　Many　Nonconformists　were　cited　before　the

ecclesiastical　courts。　　Others　found　it　necessary　to　purchase　the

connivance　of　the　agents　of　the　Government　by　bribes。　　It　was

impossible　for　the　sectaries　to　pray　together　without　precautions

such　as　are　employed　by　coiners　and　receivers　of　stolen　goods。

Dissenting　ministers；　however　blameless　in　life；　however　eminent　in

learning；　could　not　venture　to　walk　the　streets　for　fear　of

outrages　which　were　not　only　not　repressed；　but　encouraged　by　those

whose　duty　it　was　to　preserve　the　peace。　　Richard　Baxter　was　in

prison。　　Howe　was　afraid　to　show　himself　in　London　for　fear　of

insult；　and　had　been　driven　to　Utrecht。　　Not　a　few　who　up　to　that

time　had　borne　up　boldly　lost　heart　and　fled　the　kingdom。　　Other

weaker　spirits　were　terrified　into　a　show　of　conformity。　　Through

many　subsequent　years　the　autumn　of　1685　was　remembered　as　a　time

of　misery　and　terror。　　There　is；　however；　no　indication　of　Bunyan

having　been　molested。　　The　〃deed　of　gift〃　by　which　he　sought　to

avoid　the　confiscation　of　his　goods　was　never　called　into　exercise。

Indeed　its　very　existence　was　forgotten　by　his　wife　in　whose　behalf

it　had　been　executed。　　Hidden　away　in　a　recess　in　his　house　in　St。

Cuthbert's；　this　interesting　document　was　accidentally　discovered

at　the　beginning　of　the　present　century；　and　is　preserved　among　the

most　valued　treasures　of　the　congregation　which　bears　his　name。



Quieter　times　for　Nonconformists　were　however　at　hand。　　Active

persecution　was　soon　to　cease　for　them；　and　happily　never　to　be

renewed　in　England。　　The　autumn　of　1685　showed　the　first

indications　of　a　great　turn　of　fortune；　and　before　eighteen　months

had　elapsed；　the　intolerant　king　and　the　intolerant　Church　were

eagerly　bidding　against　each　other　for　the　support　of　the　party

which　both　had　so　deeply　injured。　　A　new　form　of　trial　now　awaited

the　Nonconformists。　　Peril　to　their　personal　liberty　was　succeeded

by　a　still　greater　peril　to　their　honesty　and　consistency　of

spirit。　　James　the　Second；　despairing　of　employing　the　Tories　and

the　Churchmen　as　his　tools；　turned；　as　his　brother　had　turned

before　him；　to　the　Dissenters。　　The　snare　was　craftily　baited　with

a　Declaration　of　Indulgence；　by　which　the　king；　by　his　sole

authority；　annulled　a　long　series　of　statutes　and　suspended　all

penal　laws　against　Nonconformists　of　every　sort。　　These　lately

political　Pariahs　now　held　the　balance　of　power。　　The　future

fortunes　of　England　depended　mainly　on　the　course　they　would　adopt。

James　was　resolved　to　convert　the　House　of　Commons　from　a　free

deliberative　assembly　into　a　body　subservient　to　his　wishes；　and

ready　to　give　parliamentary　sanction　to　any　edict　he　might　issue。

To　obtain　this　end　the　electors　must　be　manipulated。　　Leaving　the

county　constituencies　to　be　dealt　with　by　the　lords…lieutenants；

half　of　whom　preferred　dismissal　to　carrying　out　the　odious　service

peremptorily　demanded　of　them；　James's　next　concern　was　to

〃regulate〃　the　Corporations。　　In　those　days　of　narrowly　restricted

franchise；　the　municipalities　virtually　returned　the　town　members。

To　obtain　an　obedient　parliament；　he　must　secure　a　roll　of　electors

pledged　to　return　the　royal　nominees。　　A　committee　of　seven　privy

councillors；　all　Roman　Catholics　but　the　infamous　Jeffreys；

presided　over　the　business；　with　local　sub…committees　scattered

over　the　country　to　carry　out　the　details。　　Bedford　was　dealt　with

in　its　turn。　　Under　James's　policy　of　courting　the　Puritans；　the

leading　Dissenters　were　the　first　persons　to　be　approached。　　Two

are　specially　named；　a　Mr。　Margetts；　formerly　Judge…Advocate…

General　of　the　Army　under　General　Monk；　and　John　Bunyan。　　It　is　no

matter　of　surprise　that　Bunyan；　who　had　been　so　severe　a　sufferer

under　the　old　penal　statutes；　should　desire　their　abrogation；　and

express　his　readiness　to　〃steer　his　friends　and　followers〃　to

support　candidates　who　would　pledge　themselves　to　vote　for　their

repeal。　　But　no　further　would　he　go。　　The　Bedford　Corporation　was

〃regulated；〃　which　means　that　nearly　the　whole　of　its　members　were

removed　and　others　substituted　by　royal　order。　　Of　these　new

members　some　six　or　seven　were　leading　persons　of　Bunyan's

congregation。　　But；　with　all　his　ardent　desire　for　religious

liberty；　Bunyan　was　too　keen…witted　not　to　see　through　James's

policy；　and　too　honest　to　give　it　any　direct　insidious　support。

〃In　vain　is　the　net　spread　in　the　sight　of　any　bird。〃　　He　clearly

saw　that　it　was　not　for　any　love　of　the　Dissenters　that　they　were

so　suddenly　delivered　from　their　persecutions；　and　placed　on　a　kind

of　equality　with　the　Church。　　The　king's　object　was　the

establishment　of　Popery。　　To　this　the　Church　was　the　chief

obstacle。　　That　must　be　undermined　and　subverted　first。　　That　done；

all　other　religious　denominations　would　follow。　　All　that　the

Nonconformists　would　gain　by　yielding；　was　the　favour　Polyphemus

promised　Ulysses；　to　be　devoured　last。　　Zealous　as　he　was　for　the

〃liberty　of　prophesying；〃　even　that　might　be　purchased　at　too　high

a　price。　　The　boon　offered　by　the　king　was　〃good　in　itself；〃　but

not　〃so　intended。〃　　So；　as　his　biographer　describes；　when　the

regulators　came；　〃he　expressed　his　zeal　with　some　weariness　as

perceiving　the　bad　consequences　that　would　ensue；　and　laboured　with

his　congregation〃　to　prevent　their　being　imposed　on　by　the　fair

promises　of　those　who　were　at　heart　the　bitterest　enemies　of　the

cause　they　professed　to　advocate。　　The　newly…modelled　corporation

of　Bedford　seems　like　the　other　corporations　through　the　country；

to　have　proved　as　unmanageable　as　the　old。　　As　Macaulay　says；　〃The

sectaries　who　had　declared　in　favour　of　the　Indulgence　had　become

generally　ashamed　of　their　error；　and　were　desirous　to　make

atonement。〃　　Not　knowing　the　man　they　had　to　deal　with；　the

〃regulators〃　are　said　to　have　endeavoured　to　buy　Bunyan's　support

by　the　offer　of　some　place　under　government。　　The　bribe　was

indignantly　rejected。　　Bunyan　even　refused　to　see　the　government

agent　who　offered　it；　…　〃he　would；　by　no　means　come　to　him；　but

sent　his　excuse。〃　　Behind　the　treacherous　sunshine　he　saw　a　black

cloud；　ready　to