章节正文
should have the justice's favour, and be acquitted presently.
BUN. To whom I said, that I could follow my calling, and that too,
namely, preaching the Word: and I did look upon it as my duty to
do them both, as I had an opportunity.
FOST. He said, To have any such meetings was against the law; and,
therefore, he would have me leave off, and say, I would call the
people no more together.
BUN. To whom I said, that I durst not make any further promise;
for my conscience would not suffer me to do it. And again, I did
look upon it as my duty to do as much good as I could, not only in
my trade, but also in communicating to all people wheresoever I
came the best knowledge I had in the Word.
FOST. He told me that I was the nearest the Papists of any, and
that he would convince me of immediately.
BUN. I asked him, Wherein?
FOST. He said, In that we understood the Scriptures literally.
BUN. I told him that those that were to be understood literally,
we understood them so; but for those that was to be understood
otherwise, we endeavoured so to understand them.
FOST. He said, Which of the Scriptures do you understand
literally?
BUN. I said this, HE THAT BELIEVES SHALL BE SAVED. This was to be
understood just as it is spoken; that whosoever believeth in Christ
shall, according to the plain and simple words of the text, be
saved.
FOST. He said that I was ignorant, and did not understand the
Scriptures; for how, said he, can you understand them when you know
not the original Greek? etc.
BUN. To whom I said, that if that was his opinion, that none could
understand the Scriptures but those that had the original Greek,
etc., then but a very few of the poorest sort should be saved (this
is harsh); yet the Scripture saith, THAT GOD HIDES THESE THINGS
FROM THE WISE AND PRUDENT (that is, from the learned of the world),
AND REVEALS THEM TO BABES AND SUCKLINGS.
FOST. He said there were none that heard me but a company of
foolish people.
BUN. I told him that there was the wise as well as the foolish
that do hear me; and again, those that were most commonly counted
foolish by the world are the wisest before God; also, that God had
rejected the wise, and mighty, and noble, and chosen the foolish,
and the base.
FOST. He told me that I made people neglect their calling; and
that God had commanded people to work six days, and serve Him on
the seventh.
BUN. I told him that it was the duty of people, (both rich and
poor), to look out for their souls on them days as well as for
their bodies; and that God would have His people exhort one another
daily, while it is called to-day.
FOST. He said again that there were none but a company of poor,
simple, ignorant people that come to hear me.
BUN. I told him that the foolish and the ignorant had most need of
teaching and information; and, therefore, it would be profitable
for me to go on in that work.
FOST. Well, said he, to conclude, but will you promise that you
will not call the people together any more? and then you may be
released and go home.
BUN. I told him that I durst say no more than I had said; for I
durst not leave off that work which God had called me to.
So he withdrew from me, and then came several of the justice's
servants to me, and told me that I stood so much upon a nicety.
Their master, they said, was willing to let me go; and if I would
but say I would call the people no more together, I might have my
liberty, etc.
BUN. I told them there were more ways than one in which a man
might be said to call the people together. As for instance, if a
man get upon the market-place, and there read a book, or the like,
though he do not say to the people, Sirs, come hither and hear; yet
if they come to him because he reads, he, by his very reading, may
be said to call them together; because they would not have been
there to hear if he had not been there to read. And seeing this
might be termed a calling the people together; I durst not say, I
would not call them together; for then, by the same argument, my
preaching might be said to call them together.
WING. AND FOST. Then came the justice and Mr Foster to me again;
(we had a little more discourse about preaching, but because the
method of it is out of my mind, I pass it); and when they saw that
I was at a point, and would not be moved nor persuaded, Mr Foster,
the man that did at first express so much love to me, told the
justice that then he must send me away to prison. And that he
would do well, also, if he would present all those that were the
cause of my coming among them to meetings. Thus we parted.
And, verily, as I was going forth of the doors, I had much ado to
forbear saying to them that I carried the peace of God along with
me; but I held my peace, and, blessed be the Lord, went away to
prison, with God's comfort in my poor soul.
After I had lain in the jail five or six days, the brethren sought
means, again, to get me out by bondsmen; (for so ran my mittimus,
that I should lie there till I could find sureties). They went to
a justice at Elstow, one Mr Crumpton, to desire him to take bond
for my appearing at the quarter sessions. At the first he told
them he would; but afterwards he made a demur at the business, and
desired first to see my mittimus, which ran to this purpose: That
I went about to several conventicles in the county, to the great
disparagement of the government of the church of England, etc.
When he had seen it, he said that there might be something more
against me than was expressed in my mittimus; and that he was but a
young man, therefore he durst not do it. This my jailor told me;
and, whereat I was not at all daunted but rather glad, and saw
evidently that the Lord had heard me; for before I went down to the
justice, I begged of God that if I might do more good by being at
liberty than in prison, that then I might be set at liberty; but if
not, His will be done; for I was not altogether without hopes but
that my imprisonment might be an awakening to the saints in the
country, therefore I could not tell well which to choose; only I,
in that manner, did commit the thing to God. And verily, at my
return, I did meet my God sweetly in the prison again, comforting
of me and satisfying of me that it was His will and mind that I
should be there.
When I came back again to prison, as I was musing at the slender
answer of the justice, this word dropt in upon my heart with some
life, FOR HE KNEW THAT FOR ENVY THEY HAD DELIVERED HIM.
Thus have I, in short, declared the manner and occasion of my being
in prison; where I lie waiting the good will of God, to do with me
as He pleaseth; knowing that not one hair of my head can fall to
the ground without the will of my Father, which is in heaven. Let
the rage and malice of men be never so great, they can do no more,
nor go any further, than God permits them; but when they have done
their worst, We know all things shall work together for good to
them that love God.
Farewell.
HERE IS THE SUM OF MY EXAMINATION BEFORE JUSTICE KEELIN, JUSTICE
CHESTER, JUSTICE BLUNDALE, JUSTICE BEECHER, JUSTICE SNAGG, ETC.
AFTER I had lain in prison above seven weeks, the quarter-sessions
were to be kept in Bedford, for the county thereof, unto which I
was to be brought; and when my jailor had set me before those
justices, there was a bill of indictment preferred against me. The
extent thereof was as followeth: That John Bunyan, of the town of
Bedford, labourer, being a person of such and such conditions, he
hath (since such a time) devilishly and perniciously abstained from
coming to church to hear Divine service, and is a common upholder
of several unlawful meetings and conventicles, to the great
disturbance and distraction of the good subjects of this kingdom,
contrary to the laws of our sovereign lord the King, etc.
THE CLERK. When this was read, the clerk of the sessions said unto
me, What say you to this?
BUN. I said, that as to the first part of it, I was a common
frequenter of the Church of God. And was also, by grace, a member
with the people, over whom Christ is the Head.
KEELIN. But, saith Justice KEELIN (who was the judge in that
court), do you come to church (you know what I mean); to the parish
church, to hear Divine service?
BUN. I answered, No, I did not.
KEEL. He asked me, Why?
BUN. I said, Because I did not find it commanded in the Word of
God.
KEEL. He said, We were commanded to pray.
BUN. I said, But not by the Common Prayer-Book.
KEEL. He said, How then?
BUN. I said, With the Spirit. As the apostle saith, I WILL PRAY
WITH THE SPIRIT, AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING. 1 Cor. xiv. 15.
KEEL. He said, We might pray with the Spirit, and with the
understanding, and with the Common Prayer-Book also.
BUN. I said, that the prayers in the Common Prayer-Book were such
as was made by other men, and not by the motions of the Holy Ghost,
within our hearts; and as I said, the apostle saith, he will pray
with the Spirit, and with the understanding; not with the Spirit
and the Common Prayer-Book.
ANOTHER JUSTICE. What do you count prayer? Do you think it is to
say a few words over before or among a people?
BUN. I said, No, not so; for men might have many elegant, or
excellent words, and yet not pray at all; but when a man prayeth,
he doth, through a sense of those things which he wants (which
sense is begotten by the Spirit), pour out his heart before God
through Christ; though his words be not so many and so excellent as
others are.
JUSTICES. They said, That was true.
BUN. I said, This might be done without the Common Prayer-Book.
ANOTHER. One of them said (I think it was Justice BLUNDALE, or
Justice SNAGG), How should we know that you do not write out your
prayers first, and then read them afterwards to the people? This
he spake in a laughing way.
BUN. I said, it is not our use, to take a pen and paper, and write
a few words thereon, and then go and read it over to a company of
people.
But how should we know it, said he?
BUN. Sir, it is none of our custom, said I.
KEEL. But said Justice KEELIN, It is lawful to use the Common
Prayer, and such like forms: for Christ taught His disciples to
pray, as John also taught his disciples. And further, said he,
Cannot one man teach another to pray? Faith comes by hearing; and
one man may convince another of sin, and therefore prayers made by
men, and read over, are good to teach, and help men to pray.
While he was speaking these words, God brought that word into my
mind, in the eighth of the Romans, at the 26th verse. I say, God
brought it, for I thought not on it before: but as he was
speaking, it came so fresh into my mind, and was set so evidently
before me, as if the scripture had said, Take me, take me; so when
he had done speaking,
BUN. I said, Sir, the scripture saith, that IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT
HELPETH OUR INFIRMITIES; for we know not what we should pray for as
we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with
sighs and groanings which cannot be uttered. Mark, said I, it doth
not say the Common Prayer-Book teacheth us how to pray, but the
Spirit. And it is THE SPIRIT THAT HELPETH OUR INFIRMITIES, saith
the apostle; he doth not say it is the Common Prayer-Book.
And as to the Lord's prayer, although it be an easy thing to say,
OUR FATHER, etc., with the mouth; yet there is very few that can,
in the Spirit, say the two first words in that prayer; that is,
that can call God their Father, as knowing what it is to be born
again, and as having experience, that they are begotten of the
Spirit of God: which if they do not, all is but babbling, etc.
BUN. To whom I said, that I could follow my calling, and that too,
namely, preaching the Word: and I did look upon it as my duty to
do them both, as I had an opportunity.
FOST. He said, To have any such meetings was against the law; and,
therefore, he would have me leave off, and say, I would call the
people no more together.
BUN. To whom I said, that I durst not make any further promise;
for my conscience would not suffer me to do it. And again, I did
look upon it as my duty to do as much good as I could, not only in
my trade, but also in communicating to all people wheresoever I
came the best knowledge I had in the Word.
FOST. He told me that I was the nearest the Papists of any, and
that he would convince me of immediately.
BUN. I asked him, Wherein?
FOST. He said, In that we understood the Scriptures literally.
BUN. I told him that those that were to be understood literally,
we understood them so; but for those that was to be understood
otherwise, we endeavoured so to understand them.
FOST. He said, Which of the Scriptures do you understand
literally?
BUN. I said this, HE THAT BELIEVES SHALL BE SAVED. This was to be
understood just as it is spoken; that whosoever believeth in Christ
shall, according to the plain and simple words of the text, be
saved.
FOST. He said that I was ignorant, and did not understand the
Scriptures; for how, said he, can you understand them when you know
not the original Greek? etc.
BUN. To whom I said, that if that was his opinion, that none could
understand the Scriptures but those that had the original Greek,
etc., then but a very few of the poorest sort should be saved (this
is harsh); yet the Scripture saith, THAT GOD HIDES THESE THINGS
FROM THE WISE AND PRUDENT (that is, from the learned of the world),
AND REVEALS THEM TO BABES AND SUCKLINGS.
FOST. He said there were none that heard me but a company of
foolish people.
BUN. I told him that there was the wise as well as the foolish
that do hear me; and again, those that were most commonly counted
foolish by the world are the wisest before God; also, that God had
rejected the wise, and mighty, and noble, and chosen the foolish,
and the base.
FOST. He told me that I made people neglect their calling; and
that God had commanded people to work six days, and serve Him on
the seventh.
BUN. I told him that it was the duty of people, (both rich and
poor), to look out for their souls on them days as well as for
their bodies; and that God would have His people exhort one another
daily, while it is called to-day.
FOST. He said again that there were none but a company of poor,
simple, ignorant people that come to hear me.
BUN. I told him that the foolish and the ignorant had most need of
teaching and information; and, therefore, it would be profitable
for me to go on in that work.
FOST. Well, said he, to conclude, but will you promise that you
will not call the people together any more? and then you may be
released and go home.
BUN. I told him that I durst say no more than I had said; for I
durst not leave off that work which God had called me to.
So he withdrew from me, and then came several of the justice's
servants to me, and told me that I stood so much upon a nicety.
Their master, they said, was willing to let me go; and if I would
but say I would call the people no more together, I might have my
liberty, etc.
BUN. I told them there were more ways than one in which a man
might be said to call the people together. As for instance, if a
man get upon the market-place, and there read a book, or the like,
though he do not say to the people, Sirs, come hither and hear; yet
if they come to him because he reads, he, by his very reading, may
be said to call them together; because they would not have been
there to hear if he had not been there to read. And seeing this
might be termed a calling the people together; I durst not say, I
would not call them together; for then, by the same argument, my
preaching might be said to call them together.
WING. AND FOST. Then came the justice and Mr Foster to me again;
(we had a little more discourse about preaching, but because the
method of it is out of my mind, I pass it); and when they saw that
I was at a point, and would not be moved nor persuaded, Mr Foster,
the man that did at first express so much love to me, told the
justice that then he must send me away to prison. And that he
would do well, also, if he would present all those that were the
cause of my coming among them to meetings. Thus we parted.
And, verily, as I was going forth of the doors, I had much ado to
forbear saying to them that I carried the peace of God along with
me; but I held my peace, and, blessed be the Lord, went away to
prison, with God's comfort in my poor soul.
After I had lain in the jail five or six days, the brethren sought
means, again, to get me out by bondsmen; (for so ran my mittimus,
that I should lie there till I could find sureties). They went to
a justice at Elstow, one Mr Crumpton, to desire him to take bond
for my appearing at the quarter sessions. At the first he told
them he would; but afterwards he made a demur at the business, and
desired first to see my mittimus, which ran to this purpose: That
I went about to several conventicles in the county, to the great
disparagement of the government of the church of England, etc.
When he had seen it, he said that there might be something more
against me than was expressed in my mittimus; and that he was but a
young man, therefore he durst not do it. This my jailor told me;
and, whereat I was not at all daunted but rather glad, and saw
evidently that the Lord had heard me; for before I went down to the
justice, I begged of God that if I might do more good by being at
liberty than in prison, that then I might be set at liberty; but if
not, His will be done; for I was not altogether without hopes but
that my imprisonment might be an awakening to the saints in the
country, therefore I could not tell well which to choose; only I,
in that manner, did commit the thing to God. And verily, at my
return, I did meet my God sweetly in the prison again, comforting
of me and satisfying of me that it was His will and mind that I
should be there.
When I came back again to prison, as I was musing at the slender
answer of the justice, this word dropt in upon my heart with some
life, FOR HE KNEW THAT FOR ENVY THEY HAD DELIVERED HIM.
Thus have I, in short, declared the manner and occasion of my being
in prison; where I lie waiting the good will of God, to do with me
as He pleaseth; knowing that not one hair of my head can fall to
the ground without the will of my Father, which is in heaven. Let
the rage and malice of men be never so great, they can do no more,
nor go any further, than God permits them; but when they have done
their worst, We know all things shall work together for good to
them that love God.
Farewell.
HERE IS THE SUM OF MY EXAMINATION BEFORE JUSTICE KEELIN, JUSTICE
CHESTER, JUSTICE BLUNDALE, JUSTICE BEECHER, JUSTICE SNAGG, ETC.
AFTER I had lain in prison above seven weeks, the quarter-sessions
were to be kept in Bedford, for the county thereof, unto which I
was to be brought; and when my jailor had set me before those
justices, there was a bill of indictment preferred against me. The
extent thereof was as followeth: That John Bunyan, of the town of
Bedford, labourer, being a person of such and such conditions, he
hath (since such a time) devilishly and perniciously abstained from
coming to church to hear Divine service, and is a common upholder
of several unlawful meetings and conventicles, to the great
disturbance and distraction of the good subjects of this kingdom,
contrary to the laws of our sovereign lord the King, etc.
THE CLERK. When this was read, the clerk of the sessions said unto
me, What say you to this?
BUN. I said, that as to the first part of it, I was a common
frequenter of the Church of God. And was also, by grace, a member
with the people, over whom Christ is the Head.
KEELIN. But, saith Justice KEELIN (who was the judge in that
court), do you come to church (you know what I mean); to the parish
church, to hear Divine service?
BUN. I answered, No, I did not.
KEEL. He asked me, Why?
BUN. I said, Because I did not find it commanded in the Word of
God.
KEEL. He said, We were commanded to pray.
BUN. I said, But not by the Common Prayer-Book.
KEEL. He said, How then?
BUN. I said, With the Spirit. As the apostle saith, I WILL PRAY
WITH THE SPIRIT, AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING. 1 Cor. xiv. 15.
KEEL. He said, We might pray with the Spirit, and with the
understanding, and with the Common Prayer-Book also.
BUN. I said, that the prayers in the Common Prayer-Book were such
as was made by other men, and not by the motions of the Holy Ghost,
within our hearts; and as I said, the apostle saith, he will pray
with the Spirit, and with the understanding; not with the Spirit
and the Common Prayer-Book.
ANOTHER JUSTICE. What do you count prayer? Do you think it is to
say a few words over before or among a people?
BUN. I said, No, not so; for men might have many elegant, or
excellent words, and yet not pray at all; but when a man prayeth,
he doth, through a sense of those things which he wants (which
sense is begotten by the Spirit), pour out his heart before God
through Christ; though his words be not so many and so excellent as
others are.
JUSTICES. They said, That was true.
BUN. I said, This might be done without the Common Prayer-Book.
ANOTHER. One of them said (I think it was Justice BLUNDALE, or
Justice SNAGG), How should we know that you do not write out your
prayers first, and then read them afterwards to the people? This
he spake in a laughing way.
BUN. I said, it is not our use, to take a pen and paper, and write
a few words thereon, and then go and read it over to a company of
people.
But how should we know it, said he?
BUN. Sir, it is none of our custom, said I.
KEEL. But said Justice KEELIN, It is lawful to use the Common
Prayer, and such like forms: for Christ taught His disciples to
pray, as John also taught his disciples. And further, said he,
Cannot one man teach another to pray? Faith comes by hearing; and
one man may convince another of sin, and therefore prayers made by
men, and read over, are good to teach, and help men to pray.
While he was speaking these words, God brought that word into my
mind, in the eighth of the Romans, at the 26th verse. I say, God
brought it, for I thought not on it before: but as he was
speaking, it came so fresh into my mind, and was set so evidently
before me, as if the scripture had said, Take me, take me; so when
he had done speaking,
BUN. I said, Sir, the scripture saith, that IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT
HELPETH OUR INFIRMITIES; for we know not what we should pray for as
we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with
sighs and groanings which cannot be uttered. Mark, said I, it doth
not say the Common Prayer-Book teacheth us how to pray, but the
Spirit. And it is THE SPIRIT THAT HELPETH OUR INFIRMITIES, saith
the apostle; he doth not say it is the Common Prayer-Book.
And as to the Lord's prayer, although it be an easy thing to say,
OUR FATHER, etc., with the mouth; yet there is very few that can,
in the Spirit, say the two first words in that prayer; that is,
that can call God their Father, as knowing what it is to be born
again, and as having experience, that they are begotten of the
Spirit of God: which if they do not, all is but babbling, etc.
- conscience [´kɔnʃəns]
n.良心；道德心 (初中英语单词) - convince [kən´vins] vt.使确信；使认识错误 (初中英语单词)
- spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- ignorant [´ignərənt] a.无知的，愚昧的 (初中英语单词)
- neglect [ni´glekt] vt.&n.疏忽；忽视；忽略 (初中英语单词)
- therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)
- willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)
- instance [´instəns] n.例子，实例，例证 (初中英语单词)
- hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)
- reading [´ri:diŋ] n.(阅)读；朗读；读物 (初中英语单词)
- argument [´ɑ:gjumənt] n.辩论；争论；论证 (初中英语单词)
- altogether [,ɔ:ltə´geðə] ad.完全；总而言之 (初中英语单词)
- commit [kə´mit] vt.犯(罪)；把...判处 (初中英语单词)
- waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
- knowing [´nəuiŋ] a.会意的，心照不宣的 (初中英语单词)
- examination [ig,zæmi´neiʃən] n.检查；考试；检验 (初中英语单词)
- divine [di´vain] a.神圣的 v.预言 (初中英语单词)
- sovereign [´sɔvrin] a.至高无上的 n.君主 (初中英语单词)
- christ [kraist] n.基督 int.天啊! (初中英语单词)
- prudent [´pru:dənt] a.谨慎的；精明的 (高中英语单词)
- learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)
- commonly [´kɔmənli] ad.一般地；通常 (高中英语单词)
- mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
- withdrew [wið´dru:] withdraw的过去式 (高中英语单词)
- seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
- foster [´fɔstə] vt.促进；推动；鼓励 (高中英语单词)
- discourse [´diskɔ:s] n.论文；演说；说教 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- imprisonment [im´priznmənt] n.监禁，下狱 (高中英语单词)
- sweetly [´swi:tli] ad.甜蜜地；美妙地 (高中英语单词)
- malice [´mælis] n.恶意；怨恨；预谋 (高中英语单词)
- elegant [´eligənt] a.文雅的；优美的 (高中英语单词)
- hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)
- scripture [´skriptʃə] n.手稿；文件；经典 (英语四级单词)
- verily [´verili] ad.真实的；肯定地 (英语四级单词)
- blessed [´blesid] a.享福的；神圣的 (英语四级单词)
- whereat [weər´æt] ad.对于...；在这里 (英语四级单词)
- apostle [ə´pɔsəl] n.传道者 (英语四级单词)
- lawful [´lɔ:fəl] a.合法的，守法的 (英语四级单词)
- calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)
- preaching [´pri:tʃiŋ] n.说教 a.说教的 (英语六级单词)
- awakening [ə´weikəniŋ] n.&a.觉醒(中的) (英语六级单词)
- indictment [in´daitmənt] n.控诉，告发；起诉书 (英语六级单词)
- speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
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