Banyan, John

John Banyan was born in Harrowden (a mile southeast of Bedford ), Elstow County in the family of Thomas Banyan and Margaret Bentley; Margaret was from Elstow, and, like her husband, was born in 1603. They married on May 27, 1627, and in 1628 Margaret's sister, Rose Bentley, married Edward Banyan, half-brother of Thomas. (Thomas married for the first time in 1623, and, like his father, married two more times). They were working-class people; Thomas worked as a tinsmith or a brazier, that is, he fixed kettles and boilers ^[7] . Banyan wrote of his humble roots: “My origin is from a generation low and worthless, my father’s house is the most miserable and despicable among all the families of the country.”

Banyan studied quite a bit (2-4 years). He studied at his father's house, along with other poor rural boys, and the fact that he received very little education was beneficial for his father and his future trade. He followed his father, selling tin products, which at that time was considered a low occupation and was historically associated with the nomadic lifestyle of gypsies.

In 1644, at the age of 16, Banyan lost his mother and two sisters, and his father married for the third time. Perhaps it was the arrival of the stepmother that led to his alienation and subsequent entry into the ranks of the parliamentary army. He served in the Newport Pagnell garrison (1644–1647) when the civil war was approaching the end of the first stage. He was saved from death by a comrade in arms, who volunteered to fight in his place and was killed while on guard duty.

When the supporters of parliament won the civil war, Banyan returned to his old occupation, that is, trade, and eventually met his wife. In 1649 (when he was about 21 years old), he married a young girl, Mary, whose only dowry was two books: “The Way to the Paradise of a Common Man” by Arthur Dent and “The Practice of Piety” by Lewis Bailey, who influenced him, bowing to a devout lifestyle. Mary was an orphan, inherited from her father only these two books, and, to put it mildly, they led a modest life. Banyan wrote that they were "as poor as you can be poor at all" and that "they had neither a cup nor a spoon."

In his autobiographical book, “The Grace of God,” Banyan describes how he led a dissolute life in his youth, and how he criticized the lack of morality in him. Nevertheless, there seems to be no evidence that outwardly he was worse than his usual neighbors.

Examples of sins in which he confesses to the "Grace of God" are blasphemy, dancing. A growing awareness of his immoral and unbiblical life led him to reflect on wickedness and blasphemy, in particular he was concerned about “unforgivable sins” and the conviction that he had already committed them. He was a notorious blasphemer, and even the most skilful crooks said that Banyan was "the most godless foul language they have ever seen." Banyan said that while playing a siskin on a rural square, he heard a voice that asked: “Will you renounce your sins and go to heaven, or will you continue to sin and go to hell?” He realized that this was the voice of God, unhappy with that what Banyan did, as the Puritans considered Sunday a holy day and did not allow any games on that day. Banyan spiritually revived and fought both with a sense of guilt and self-doubt, and with his faith in the biblical promise of condemnation to eternal torment and the salvation of Christians.

Struggling with his newfound faith, Banyan became more and more depressed, leading to mental and physical distress. During this period of his struggle, Banyan began his four-year discussion and wandering with several poor women members of a dissident religious group who attended St. John's Church. More and more, Banyan compared himself to St. Paul , who called himself “the head of all sinners,” and believed that he belonged to the spiritual elite chosen by the Lord. Banyan was baptized, and he became a member of Bedford's Baptist Church in 1653. Entering Bedford’s church, Banyan began to follow the teachings of his pastor, John Gifford.

The banyan tree was open to all who have biblical faith in Jesus Christ and are struggling with those who disagree on the issue of time and form of baptism. The first written evidence that Banyan was a Baptist appears much later, presumably around 1690, after the death of Banyan. There are church records of the baptism of John the Baby in 1628, as well as the baptism of his newborn children: Mary in 1650, Elizabeth in 1654 and Joseph in 1672. Banyan again claims to have heard voices and that he had visions, as did St. Teresa and William Blake . Back in Elstow, Mary gave birth to a blind daughter, also named Mary, and a second daughter, Elizabeth, shortly after whom two more were born, Joseph and Thomas. In 1655, after moving to Bedford, his wife and his mentor John Gifford died. Banyan was heartbroken, and his health was greatly weakened, although in the same 1655 he became deacon of St. Paul's Church in Bedford and began to preach with success.

Banyan strongly disagreed with the teachings of the Quakers , and in 1657-1658 he took part in written debates with some of their leaders. Banyan first published Some Open Holy Truths, where he sharply criticizes Quaker beliefs. Quaker Edward Burrow answered him with "True Faith in the Teaching of the World." Banyan met Burrow's pamphlet “The Proof of Some Open Holy Truths,” to which Burrow answered “The Truth (Most Powerful of All) Testifying Next.” Later, Quaker leader George Fox entered into a verbal skirmish with Banyan, publishing a rebuttal of his essay, The Unveiled Great Secret of the Great Whore. The Bedford Baptists were moderate in their views, they were considered more liberal in church governance than the Presbyterians , and more conservative in matters of church dogma than antinomian sects such as Quakers. Banyan criticized the Quakers for their confidence in their own “ inner light, ” not in the literal word of the Bible. The Puritans were diligent biographers of their own spiritual lives and tried to find evidence of religious significance both in their own lives and in literature.

Banyan's popularity and fame grew, and he became an increasingly favorite target for slander and slander; he was accused of being “a sorcerer, a Jesuit, a robber,” and that he has mistresses and many wives. In 1658, at the age of 30, he was arrested for preaching in the town of Eaton Socon and was accused of preaching without a license. Despite this, he continued to preach until November 1660, when he was sent to Silver County County Bedford Prison. Banyan married a second time, to Elizabeth, with whom he had two more children, Sarah and Joseph. In the same year, with the Restoration of the monarchy by Charles II, the persecution of Banyan began, as the country returned to Anglicanism . Prayer houses were closed, and all citizens were required to attend Anglican parish churches. The punishable law was “holding holy services in accordance with the rituals of the church or not by order of the Bishop to appeal to the flock.” Banyan could no longer preach freely; he lost the right that he enjoyed during the Puritan Republic, and was arrested on November 12, 1660 during a private sermon in Lower Samsell, south of Bedford.

He was initially deprived of his liberty for three months, but since he refused to adapt his sermons to Anglican standards or completely quit preaching, this period was extended to about twelve months. Prosecutor Banyan, Mr. Wingate, had no desire to put Banyan in prison, but Banyan’s absolute rejection of his proposals and his conviction “If you release me today, then I will read the sermons tomorrow,” left Wingate with no choice. In January 1661, he was imprisoned for his stubborn reluctance to attend compulsory services in Anglican churches and for preaching at illegal meetings. At this time, he had the idea of ​​writing an allegory novel, The Pilgrim's Journey (Although many researchers believe that he began this work during the second and shorter prison term of 1675, which is described below). Banyan’s wife Elizabeth tried in vain to secure his release, but his firm rejection of the laws and the determination to preach to the flock awaiting him prevented his release. During the detention, there were periods of relative freedom when lax prison guards allowed Banyan to attend church meetings and conduct services.

In 1666, Banyan was briefly released for just a few weeks before being arrested again for preaching and sent back to Bedford Prison for another six years. During this period, he weaves shoelaces and preaches to six imprisoned parishioners in order to support his family. His property was composed of two books, the Book of Martyrs by John Fox and the Bible, a tin violin, a flute that he made from the legs of a chair, and an unlimited number of feathers and paper. Both music and the desire to write were integral parts of his Puritan faith. Banyan was released in January 1672 when Charles II issued the Declaration of Tolerance. In the same month, Banyan became the pastor of St. Paul's Church. On May 9, 1679, he received one of the first licenses to preach under the new law. He built a new house of worship and formed a dissident community from his surviving parishioners and increased the number of his flock to four thousand Christians in Bedford. He founded more than thirty religious communities, and his parishioners gave him the affectionate title of “Bishop Banyan.”

In March 1675, Banyan was again imprisoned for preaching (since Charles II abolished the Declaration of Tolerance), this time he was sent to Bedford City Prison, which was located on a stone bridge over the Ouse River. Oddly enough, it was the Quakers who secured the release of Banyan. When the king asked for a surname sheet for pardon, they gave the name Banyan as a member of their community. Six months later, he was free, and since he was very popular, he was no longer arrested. At this time, it was said that Banyan dressed like a tramp, with a stick in his hand, when he visited his various parishes in order to avoid another arrest. When King James II invited Banyan to monitor royal interests in Bedford, he refused, as James did not want to repeal the torture and laws that were used to persecute dissidents. In 1688, he served as a priest with the Lord Mayor of London, Sir John Shorter. Banyan died before Jacob II abdicated, that is, before the start of the Glorious Revolution.

When Banyan was traveling from London to Reading to resolve a quarrel between father and son, he caught a cold and fell ill with a fever. He died at the home of his friend John Strudwick, a grocery and candle merchant, on August 31, 1688. Banyan’s grave is located at the Banhill Fields Cemetery in London. The dying will of many Puritans, for whom worship of the graves and relics was considered a terrible sin, was the desire to be buried as close as possible to the grave of Banyan. In 1682, a recumbent statue was created that adorned the grave of Banyan. The writer rests alongside other prominent dissidents, including George Fox , William Blake, and Daniel Defoe .

Banyan wrote The Pilgrim 's Journey (also translated “The Way of the Pilgrim”) in two parts, the first of which was published in London in 1678, and the second in 1684. He began work on this work during his first imprisonment, and completed, possibly, during the second imprisonment. The very first edition, in which the two parts were combined, came out in 1728. The third part, erroneously attributed to Banyan, appeared in 1693 and was reprinted in 1852. The full name is "The Pilgrim's Journey from This World to the One That Must Come."

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Pilgrim's Journey is probably one of the most widely known allegories ever written; the book has been translated into many languages. Protestant missionaries often translated this book as the second after the Bible.

The other two successful works of Banyan are lesser known - this is “The Life and Death of Mr. Badman” (1680), an imaginary biography, and “Spiritual War” (1682), an allegory. The third book, revealing the inner world of Banyan and preparing for the mission intended for him, is “The Grace of God, which descended upon the chief sinner.” This is a classic example of a spiritual autobiography, meaning Banyan focuses on his own spiritual path. The reason for writing this work was a desire to openly praise the Christian concept of mercy and to reassure those who go through the same thing that Banyan himself went through.

The works listed above have appeared in numerous publications. There are several noteworthy collections of Pilgrim's Travel editions, such as the British Museum and the New York Public Library , compiled by James Lenox.

Banyan became both a famous preacher and a prolific author, although most of his works consist of widespread sermons and teachings. Despite being a Baptist preacher, Banyan was a Puritan in his religious beliefs. The portrait of the writer, painted by his friend Robert White, which was often reproduced, shows the attractiveness of the true character of Banyan. He was tall, with reddish hair, a rather large nose and mouth, and sparkling eyes.

Banyan was not a scientist, but he knew the scriptures completely. Huge influence on Banyan had the works of Martin Luther .

At one time, Pilgrim's Journey was considered the most widely read book in English, not counting the Bible. The charm of this work, which makes it so attractive to the reader, lies in the fact that the author’s wide imagination creates such heroes, events and scenes that appear in the reader’s imagination as something that he himself experienced, knows and remembers. The work is also full of kindness, tenderness and unusual humor, full of breathtaking eloquence and pure, idiomatic English. Macaulay wrote: “In England in the second half of the 17th century there were only two minds possessing the gift of imagination of the highest level. One of these minds created Paradise Lost, and the second - Pilgrim's Journey. ”

The images used by Banyan in Pilgrim's Journey are nothing more than images taken from the real world of the author. The Closed Gate is a version of the gate with a gate in the Elstow Church, the Quagmire of Despair is a reflection of the wet and marshy place near the writer’s house in Harrowden, the Joyous Mountains are the image of the Chiltern Hills surrounding Bedfordshire. Even the heroes, such as the Evangelist, whose prototype was John Gifford, were real people. This pilgrimage was not only real for Banyan, as he went through it, but his description reveals this reality to the reader. Rudyard Kipling once said of Banyan that he is "the father of the novel, the first Defoe of Salvation."

In total, Banyan wrote about 60 works, among which “Spiritual War” takes second place after “Pilgrim's Travel” in popularity.

• Spiritual Warfare
• Pilgrim 's Journey
• "Christian and her children"
• “Christ is the perfect Savior”

• "Spiritual war" on the site Lib.ru
• Pilgrim's Journey on JesusChrist.ru
• The life of John Banyan on the site MIR-VAM.narod.ru