the life of john bunyan-第4部分

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Pathway　to　Heaven；〃　the　work　of　Arthur　Dent；　the　puritan　incumbent

of　Shoebury；　in　Essex　…　〃wearisomely　heavy　and　theologically

narrow；〃　writes　Dr。　Brown　…　and　〃The　Practise　of　Piety；〃　by　Dr。

Lewis　Bayley；　Bishop　of　Bangor；　and　previously　chaplain　to　Prince

Henry；　which　enjoyed　a　wide　reputation　with　puritans　as　well　as

with　churchmen。　　Together　with　these　books；　the　young　wife　brought

the　still　more　powerful　influence　of　a　religious　training；　and　the

memory　of　a　holy　example；　often　telling　her　young　graceless　husband

〃what　a　godly　man　her　father　was；　and　how　he　would　reprove　and

correct　vice　both　in　his　house　and　amongst　his　neighbours；　and　what

a　strict　and　holy　life　he　lived　in　his　days　both　in　word　and　deed。〃

Much　as　Bunyan　tells　us　he　had　lost　of　the　〃little　he　had　learnt〃

at　school；　he　had　not　lost　it　〃utterly。〃　　He　was　still　able　to　read

intelligently。　　His　wife's　gentle　influence　prevailed　on　him　to

begin　〃sometimes　to　read〃　her　father's　legacy　〃with　her。〃　　This

must　have　been　entirely　new　reading　for　Bunyan；　and　certainly　at

first　not　much　to　his　taste。　　What　his　favourite　reading　had　been

up　to　this　time；　his　own　nervous　words　tell　us；　〃Give　me　a　ballad；

a　news…book；　George　on　Horseback；　or　Bevis　of　Southampton；　give　me

some　book　that　teaches　curious　arts；　that　tells　of　old　fables。〃

But　as　he　and　his　young　wife　read　these　books　together　at　their

fireside；　a　higher　taste　was　gradually　awakened　in　Bunyan's　mind；

〃some　things〃　in　them　he　〃found　somewhat　pleasing〃　to　him；　and　they

〃begot〃　within　him　〃some　desires　to　religion；〃　producing　a　degree

of　outward　reformation。　　The　spiritual　instinct　was　aroused。　　He

would　be　a　godly　man　like　his　wife's　father。　　He　began　to　〃go　to

church　twice　a　day；　and　that　too　with　the　foremost。〃　　Nor　was　it　a

mere　formal　attendance；　for　when　there　he　tells　us　he　took　his　part

with　all　outward　devotion　in　the　service；　〃both　singing　and　saying

as　others　did；　yet；〃　as　he　penitently　confesses；　〃retaining　his

wicked　life；〃　the　wickedness　of　which；　however；　did　not　amount　to

more　than　a　liking　for　the　sports　and　games　of　the　lads　of　the

village；　bell…ringing；　dancing；　and　the　like。　　The　prohibition　of

all　liturgical　forms　issued　in　1645；　the　observance　of　which　varied

with　the　strictness　or　laxity　of　the　local　authorities；　would　not

seem　to　have　been　put　in　force　very　rigidly　at　Elstow。　　The　vicar；

Christopher　Hall；　was　an　Episcopalian；　who；　like　Bishop　Sanderson；

retained　his　benefice　unchallenged　all　through　the　Protectorate；

and　held　it　some　years　after　the　Restoration　and　the　passing　of　the

Act　of　Uniformity。　　He　seems；　like　Sanderson；　to　have　kept　himself

within　the　letter　of　the　law　by　making　trifling　variations　in　the

Prayer　Book　formularies；　consistent　with　a　general　conformity　to

the　old　order　of　the　Church；　〃without　persisting　to　his　own

destruction　in　the　usage　of　the　entire　liturgy。〃　　The　decent

dignity　of　the　ceremonial　of　his　parish　church　had　a　powerful

effect　on　Bunyan's　freshly　awakened　religious　susceptibility　…　a

〃spirit　of　superstition〃　he　called　it　afterwards　…　and　helped　to

its　fuller　development。　　〃I　adored；〃　he　says；　〃with　great　devotion；

even　all　things；　both　the　High　Place〃　…　altars　then　had　not　been

entirely　broken　down　and　levelled　in　Bedfordshire　…　〃Priest；　Clerk；

Vestment；　Service；　and　what　else　belonging　to　the　church；　counting

all　things　holy　that　were　therein　contained；　and　especially　the

Priest　and　Clerk　most　happy；　and　without　doubt　greatly　blessed

because　they　were　the　servants　of　God　and　were　principal　in　the

Holy　Temple；　to　do　His　work　therein；　。　。　。　their　name；　their　garb；

and　work；　did　so　intoxicate　and　bewitch　me。〃　　If　it　is　questionable

whether　the　Act　forbidding　the　use　of　the　Book　of　Common　Prayer　was

strictly　observed　at　Elstow；　it　is　certain　that　the　prohibition　of

Sunday　sports　was　not。　　Bunyan's　narrative　shows　that　the　aspect　of

a　village　green　in　Bedfordshire　during　the　Protectorate　did　not

differ　much　from　what　Baxter　tells　us　it　had　been　in　Shropshire

before　the　civil　troubles　began；　where；　〃after　the　Common　Prayer

had　been　read　briefly；　the　rest　of　the　day　even　till　dark　night

almost；　except　eating　time；　was　spent　in　dancing　under　a　maypole

and　a　great　tree；　when　all　the　town　did　meet　together。〃　　These

Sunday　sports　proved　the　battle…ground　of　Bunyan's　spiritual

experience；　the　scene　of　the　fierce　inward　struggles　which　he　has

described　so　vividly；　through　which　he　ultimately　reached　the　firm

ground　of　solid　peace　and　hope。　　As　a　high…spirited　healthy

athletic　young　fellow；　all　kinds　of　manly　sports　were　Bunyan's

delight。　　On　week　days　his　tinker's　business；　which　he　evidently

pursued　industriously；　left　him　small　leisure　for　such　amusements。

Sunday　therefore　was　the　day　on　which　he　〃did　especially　solace

himself〃　with　them。　　He　had　yet　to　learn　the　identification　of

diversions　with　〃all　manner　of　vice。〃　　The　teaching　came　in　this

way。　　One　Sunday；　Vicar　Hall　preached　a　sermon　on　the　sin　of

Sabbath…breaking；　and　like　many　hearers　before　and　since；　he

imagined　that　it　was　aimed　expressly　at　him。　　Sermon　ended；　he　went

home　〃with　a　great　burden　upon　his　spirit；〃　〃sermon…stricken〃　and

〃sermon　sick〃　as　he　expresses　it　elsewhere。　　But　his　Sunday's

dinner　speedily　drove　away　his　self…condemning　thoughts。　　He　〃shook

the　sermon　out　of　his　mind；〃　and　went　out　to　his　sports　with　the

Elstow　lads　on　the　village　green；　with　as　〃great　delight〃　as　ever。

But　in　the　midst　of　his　game　of　tip…cat　or　〃sly；〃　just　as　he　had

struck　the　〃cat〃　from　its　hole；　and　was　going　to　give　it　a　second

blow　…　the　minuteness　of　the　detail　shows　the　unforgetable　reality

of　the　crisis　…　he　seemed　to　hear　a　voice　from　heaven　asking　him

whether　〃he　would　leave　his　sins　and　go　to　heaven；　or　keep　his　sins

and　go　to　hell。〃　　He　thought　also　that　he　saw　Jesus　Christ　looking

down　on　him　with　threatening　countenance。　　But　like　his　own　Hopeful

he　〃shut　his　eyes　against　the　light；〃　and　silenced　the　condemning

voice　with　the　feeling　that　repentance　was　hopeless。　　〃It　was　too

late　for　him　to　look　after　heaven；　he　was　past　pardon。〃　　If　his

condemnation　was　already　sealed　and　he　was　eternally　lost；　it　would

not　matter　whether　he　was　condemned　for　many　sins　or　for　few。

Heaven　was　gone　already。　　The　only　happiness　he　could　look　for　was

what　he　could　get　out　of　his　sins　…　his　morbidly　sensitive

conscience　perversely　identifying　sports　with　sin　…　so　he　returned

desperately　to　his　games；　resolved；　he　says；　to　〃take　my　fill　of

sin；　still　studying　what　sin　was　yet　to　be　committed　that　I　might

taste　the　sweetness　of　it。〃



This　desperate　recklessness　lasted　with　him　〃about　a　month　or

more；〃　till　〃one　day　as　he　was　standing　at　a　neighbour's　shop…

window；　cursing　and　swearing　and　playing　the　madman　after　his

wonted　manner；　the　woman　of　the　house；　though　a　very　loose　and

ungodly　wretch；〃　rebuked　him　so　severely　as　〃the　ungodliest　fellow

for　swearing　that　ever　she　heard；　able　to　spoil　all　the　youth　in　a

whole　town；〃　that；　self…convicted；　he　hung　down　his　head　in　silent

shame；　wishing　himself　a　little　child　again　that　he　might　unlearn

the　wicked　habit　of　which　he　thought　it　impossible　to　break

himself。　　Hopeless　as　the　effort　seemed　to　him；　it　proved

effectual。　　He　did　〃leave　off　his　swearing〃　to　his　own　〃great

wonder；〃　and　found　that　he　〃could　speak　better　and　with　more

pleasantness〃　than　when　he　〃put　an　oath　before　and　another　behind；

to　give　his　words　authority。〃　　Thus　was　one　step　in　his　reformation

taken；　and　never　retraced；　but；　he　adds　sorrowfully；　〃all　this

while　I　knew　not　Jesus　Christ；　neither　did　I　leave　my　sports　and

plays。〃　　We　might　be　inclined　to　ask；　why　should　he　leave　them？

But　indifferent　and　innocent　in　themselves；　an　overstrained

spirituality　had　taught　him　to　regard　them　as　sinful。　　To　indulge

in　them　wounded　his　morbidly　sensitive　conscience；　and　so　they　were

sin　to　him。



The　next　step　onward　in　this　religious　progress　was　the　study　of

the　Bible；　to　which　he　was　led　by　the　conversation　of　a　poor　godly

neighbour。　　Naturally　he　first　betook　himself　to　the　historical

books；　which；　he　tells　us；　he　read　〃with　great　pleasure；〃　but；　like

Baxter　who；　beginning　his　Bible　reading　in　the　same　course；　writes；

〃I　neither　understood　nor　relished　much　the　doctrinal　part；〃　he

frankly　confesses；　〃Paul's　Epistles　and　such　like　Scriptures　I

could　not　away　with。〃　　His　Bible　reading　helped　forward　the　outward

reformation　he　had　begun。　　He　set　the　keeping　the　Ten　Commandments

before　him　as　his　〃way　to　Heaven〃；　much　comforted　〃sometimes〃　when；

as　he　thought；　〃he　kept　them　pretty　well；〃　but　humbled　in

conscience　when　〃now　and　then　he　broke　one。〃　　〃But　then；〃　he　says；

〃I　should　repent　and　say　I　was　sorry　for　it；　and　promise　God　to　do

better　next　time；　and　then　get　help　again；　for　then　I　thought　I

pleased　God　as　well　as　any　man　in　England。〃　　His　progress　was　slow；

for　each　step　involved　a　battle；　but　it　was　steadily　onwards。　　He

had　a　very　hard　struggle　in　relinquishing　his　favourite　amusements。

But　though　he　had　much　yet　to　learn；　his　feet　were　set　on　the

upward　way；　and　he　had　no　mind　to　go　back；　great　as　the　temptation

often　was。　　He　had　once　delighted　in　bell…ringing；　but　〃his

conscience　beginning　to　be　tender〃　…　morbid　we　should　rather　say　…

〃he　thought　such　practise　to　be　vain；　and　therefore　forced　himself

to　leave　it。〃　　But　〃hankering　after　it　still；〃　he　continued　to　go

while　his　old　companions　rang；　and　look　on　at　what　he　〃durst　not〃

join　in；　until　the　fear　that　if　he　thus　winked　at　what　his

conscience　condemned；　a　bell；　or　even　the　tower　itself；　might　fall

and　kill　him；　put　a　stop　even　to　that　compromise。　　Dancing；　which

from　his　boyhood　he　had　practised　on　the　village　green；　or　in　the

old　Moot　Hall；　was　still　harder　to　give　up。　　〃It　was　a　full　year

before　I　could　quite　leave　that。〃　　But　this　too　was　at　last

renounced；　and　finally。　　The　power　of　Bunyan's　indomitable