the life of john bunyan-第26部分

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controversialist。　　It　is　true　that　his　zeal　for　what　he　deemed　to

be　truth　led　him　into　vehemence　of　language　in　dealing　with　those

whom　he　regarded　as　its　perverters。　　But　this　intensity　of　speech

was　coupled　with　the　utmost　charity　of　spirit　towards　those　who

differed　from　him。　　Few　ever　had　less　of　the　sectarian　temper　which

lays　greater　stress　on　the　infinitely　small　points　on　which　all

true　Christians　differ　than　on　the　infinitely　great　truths　on　which

they　are　agreed。　　Bunyan　inherited　from　his　spiritual　father；　John

Gifford；　a　truly　catholic　spirit。　　External　differences　he　regarded

as　insignificant　where　he　found　real　Christian　faith　and　love。　　〃I

would　be；〃　he　writes；　〃as　I　hope　I　am；　a　Christian。　　But　for　those

factious　titles　of　Anabaptist；　Independent；　Presbyterian；　and　the

like；　I　conclude　that　they　come　neither　from　Jerusalem　nor　from

Antioch；　but　from　Hell　or　from　Babylon。〃　　〃He　was；〃　writes　one　of

his　early　biographers；　〃a　true　lover　of　all　that　love　our　Lord

Jesus；　and　did　often　bewail　the　different　and　distinguishing

appellations　that　are　among　the　godly；　saying　he　did　believe　a　time

would　come　when　they　should　be　all　buried。〃　　The　only　persons　he

scrupled　to　hold　communion　with　were　those　whose　lives　were　openly

immoral。　　〃Divisions　about　non…essentials；〃　he　said；　〃were　to

churches　what　wars　were　to　countries。　　Those　who　talked　most　about

religion　cared　least　for　it；　and　controversies　about　doubtful

things　and　things　of　little　moment；　ate　up　all　zeal　for　things

which　were　practical　and　indisputable。〃　　His　last　sermon　breathed

the　same　catholic　spirit；　free　from　the　trammels　of　narrow

sectarianism。　　〃If　you　are　the　children　of　God　live　together

lovingly。　　If　the　world　quarrel　with　you　it　is　no　matter；　but　it　is

sad　if　you　quarrel　together。　　If　this　be　among　you　it　is　a　sign　of

ill…breeding。　　Dost　thou　see　a　soul　that　has　the　image　of　God　in

him？　　Love　him；　love　him。　　Say；　'This　man　and　I　must　go　to　heaven

one　day。'　　Serve　one　another。　　Do　good　for　one　another。　　If　any

wrong　you　pray　to　God　to　right　you；　and　love　the　brotherhood。〃　　The

closing　words　of　this　his　final　testimony　are　such　as　deserve　to　be

written　in　letters　of　gold　as　the　sum　of　all　true　Christian

teaching：　　〃Be　ye　holy　in　all　manner　of　conversation：　　Consider

that　the　holy　God　is　your　Father；　and　let　this　oblige　you　to　live

like　the　children　of　God；　that　you　may　look　your　Father　in　the　face

with　comfort　another　day。〃　　〃There　is；〃　writes　Dean　Stanley；　〃no

compromise　in　his　words；　no　faltering　in　his　convictions；　but　his

love　and　admiration　are　reserved　on　the　whole　for　that　which　all

good　men　love；　and　his　detestation　on　the　whole　is　reserved　for

that　which　all　good　men　detest。〃　　By　the　catholic　spirit　which

breathes　through　his　writings；　especially　through　〃The　Pilgrim's

Progress；〃　the　tinker　of　Elstow　〃has　become　the　teacher　not　of　any

particular　sect；　but　of　the　Universal　Church。〃







CHAPTER　IX。







We　have；　in　this　concluding　chapter；　to　take　a　review　of　Bunyan's

merits　as　a　writer；　with　especial　reference　to　the　works　on　which

his　fame　mainly　rests；　and；　above　all；　to　that　which　has　given　him

his　chief　title　to　be　included　in　a　series　of　Great　Writers；　〃The

Pilgrim's　Progress。〃　　Bunyan；　as　we　have　seen；　was　a　very　copious

author。　　His　works；　as　collected　by　the　late　industrious　Mr。　Offor；

fill　three　bulky　quarto　volumes；　each　of　nearly　eight　hundred

double…columned　pages　in　small　type。　　And　this　copiousness　of

production　is　combined　with　a　general　excellence　in　the　matter

produced。　　While　few　of　his　books　approach　the　high　standard　of

〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress〃　or　〃Holy　War；〃　none；　it　may　be　truly　said；

sink　very　far　below　that　standard。　　It　may　indeed　be　affirmed　that

it　was　impossible　for　Bunyan　to　write　badly。　　His　genius　was　a

native　genius。　　As　soon　as　he　began　to　write　at　all；　he　wrote　well。

Without　any　training；　is　he　says；　in　the　school　of　Aristotle　or

Plato；　or　any　study　of　the　great　masters　of　literature；　at　one

bound　he　leapt　to　a　high　level　of　thought　and　composition。　　His

earliest　book；　〃Some　Gospel　Truths　Opened；〃　〃thrown　off；〃　writes

Dr。　Brown；　〃at　a　heat；〃　displays　the　same　ease　of　style　and

directness　of　speech　and　absence　of　stilted　phraseology　which　he

maintained　to　the　end。　　The　great　charm　which　pervades　all　Bunyan's

writings　is　their　naturalness。　　You　never　feel　that　he　is　writing

for　effect；　still　less　to　perform　an　uncongenial　piece　of　task…

work。　　He　writes　because　he　had　something　to　say　which　was　worth

saying；　a　message　to　deliver　on　which　the　highest　interests　of

others　were　at　stake；　which　demanded　nothing　more　than　a

straightforward　earnestness　and　plainness　of　speech；　such　as　coming

from　the　heart　might　best　reach　the　hearts　of　others。　　He　wrote　as

he　spoke；　because　a　necessity　was　laid　upon　him　which　he　dared　not

evade。　　As　he　says　in　a　passage　quoted　in　a　former　chapter；　he

might　have　stepped　into　a　much　higher　style；　and　have　employed　more

literary　ornament。　　But　to　attempt　this　would　be；　to　one　of　his

intense　earnestness；　to　degrade　his　calling。　　He　dared　not　do　it。

Like　the　great　Apostle；　〃his　speech　and　preaching　was　not　with

enticing　words　of　man's　wisdom；　but　in　demonstration　of　the　Spirit

and　in　power。〃　　God　had　not　played　with　him；　and　he　dared　not　play

with　others。　　His　errand　was　much　too　serious；　and　their　need　and

danger　too　urgent　to　waste　time　in　tricking　out　his　words　with

human　skill。　　And　it　is　just　this　which；　with　all　their　rudeness；

their　occasional　bad　grammar；　and　homely　colloquialisms；　gives　to

Bunyan's　writings　a　power　of　riveting　the　attention　and　stirring

the　affections　which　few　writers　have　attained　to。　　The　pent…up

fire　glows　in　every　line；　and　kindles　the　hearts　of　his　readers。

〃Beautiful　images；　vivid　expressions；　forcible　arguments　all　aglow

with　passion；　tender　pleadings；　solemn　warnings；　make　those　who

read　him　all　eye；　all　ear；　all　soul。〃　　This　native　vigour　is

attributable；　in　no　small　degree；　to　the　manner　in　which　for　the

most　part　Bunyan's　works　came　into　being。　　He　did　not　set　himself

to　compose　theological　treatises　upon　stated　subjects；　but　after　he

had　preached　with　satisfaction　to　himself　and　acceptance　with　his

audience；　he　usually　wrote　out　the　substance　of　his　discourse　from

memory；　with　the　enlargements　and　additions　it　might　seem　to

require。　　And　thus　his　religious　works　have　all　the　glow　and

fervour　of　the　unwritten　utterances　of　a　practised　orator；　united

with　the　orderliness　and　precision　of　a　theologian；　and　are　no　less

admirable　for　the　excellence　of　their　arrangement　than　for　their

evangelical　spirit　and　scriptural　doctrine。　　Originally　meant　to　be

heard；　they　lose　somewhat　by　being　read。　　But　few　can　read　them

without　being　delighted　with　the　opulence　of　his　imagination　and

impressed　with　the　solemn　earnestness　of　his　convictions。　　Like　the

subject　of　the　portrait　described　by　him　in　the　House　of　the

Interpreter；　he　stands　〃like　one　who　pleads　with　men；　the　law　of

truth　written　upon　his　lips；　the　world　behind　his　back；　and　a　crown

of　gold　above　his　head。〃



These　characteristics；　which　distinguish　Bunyan　as　a　writer　from

most　of　his　Puritan　contemporaries；　are　most　conspicuous　in　the

works　by　which　he　is　chiefly　known；　〃The　Pilgrim's　Progress；〃　the

〃Holy　War；〃　the　〃Grace　Abounding；〃　and　we　may　add；　though　from　the

repulsiveness　of　the　subject　the　book　is　now　scarcely　read　at　all；

the　〃Life　and　Death　of　Mr。　Badman。〃



One　great　charm　of　these　works；　especially　of　〃The　Pilgrim's

Progress；〃　lies　in　the　pure　Saxon　English　in　which　they　are

written；　which　render　them　models　of　the　English　speech；　plain　but

never　vulgar；　homely　but　never　coarse；　and　still　less　unclean；　full

of　imagery　but　never　obscure；　always　intelligible；　always　forcible；

going　straight　to　the　point　in　the　fewest　and　simplest　words；

〃powerful　and　picturesque；〃　writes　Hallam；　〃from　concise

simplicity。〃　　Bunyan's　style　is　recommended　by　Lord　Macaulay　as　an

invaluable　study　to　every　person　who　wishes　to　gain　a　wide　command

over　his　mother　tongue。　　Its　vocabulary　is　the　vocabulary　of　the

common　people。　　〃There　is　not；〃　he　truly　says；　〃in　'The　Pilgrim's

Progress'　a　single　expression；　if　we　except　a　few　technical　terms

of　theology；　that　would　puzzle　the　rudest　peasant。〃　　We　may；　look

through　whole　pages；　and　not　find　a　word　of　more　than　two

syllables。　　Nor　is　the　source　of　this　pellucid　clearness　and

imaginative　power　far　to　seek。　　Bunyan　was　essentially　a　man　of　one

book；　and　that　book　the　very　best；　not　only　for　its　spiritual

teaching　but　for　the　purity　of　its　style；　the　English　Bible。　　〃In

no　book；〃　writes　Mr。　J。　R。　Green；　〃do　we　see　more　clearly　than　in

'The　Pilgrim's　Progress'　the　new　imaginative　force　which　had　been

given　to　the　common　life　of　Englishmen　by　their　study　of　the　Bible。

Bunyan's　English　is　the　simplest　and　homeliest　English　that　has

ever　been　used　by　any　great　English　writer；　but　it　is　the　English

of　the　Bible。　　His　images　are　the　images　of　prophet　and　evangelist。

So　completely　had　the　Bible　become　Bunyan's　life　that　one　feels　its

phrases　as　the　natural　expression　of　his　thoughts。　　He　had　lived　in

the　Bible　till　its　words　became　his　own。〃



All　who　have　undertaken　to　take　an　estimate　of　Bunyan's　literary

genius　call　special　attention　to　the　richness　of　his　imaginative

power。　　Few　writers　indeed　have　possessed　this　power　in　so　high　a

degree。　　In　nothing；　perhaps；　is　its　vividness　more　displayed　than

in　the　reality　of　its　impersonations。　　The　DRAMATIS　PERSONS　are　not

shadowy　abstractions；　moving　far　above　us　in　a　mystical　world；　or

lay　figures　ticketed　with　certain　names；　but　solid　men　and　women　of

our　own　flesh　and　blood；　living　in　our　own　everyday　world；　and　of

like　passions　with　ourselves。　　Many　of　them　we　know　familiarly；

there　is　hardly　one　we　should　be　surprised　to　meet　any　day。　　This

life…like　power　of　characterizati