The Holy War, Made by King Shaddai Upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World; Or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of MansoulBunyan, John
ReligionChristian
The Holy War, Made by King Shaddai Upon Diabolus, for the Regaining of the Metropolis of the World; Or, The Losing and Taking Again of the Town of Mansoul
Bunyan, John
Christian fiction; Soul; Spiritual warfare -- Fiction
First, he maligned Mr. Recorder to death; he would neither endure to see
him, nor hear the words of his mouth; he would shut his eyes when he saw
him, and stop his ears when he heard him speak. Also he could not endure
that so much as a fragment of the law of Shaddai should be anywhere seen
in the town. For example, his clerk, Mr. Mind, had some old, rent, and
torn parchments of the law of Shaddai in his house, but when Willbewill
saw them, he cast them behind his back. True, Mr. Recorder had some of
the laws in his study; but my lord could by no means come at them. He
also thought and said, that the windows of my old Lord Mayor’s house were
always too light for the profit of the town of Mansoul. The light of a
candle he could not endure. Now nothing at all pleased Willbewill but
what pleased Diabolus his lord.
There was none like him to trumpet about the streets the brave nature,
the wise conduct, and great glory of the king Diabolus. He would range
and rove throughout all the streets of Mansoul to cry up his illustrious
lord, and would make himself even as an abject, among the base and rascal
crew, to cry up his valiant prince. And I say, when and wheresoever he
found these vassals, he would even make himself as one of them. In all
ill courses he would act without bidding, and do mischief without
commandment.
The Lord Willbewill also had a deputy under him, and his name was Mr.
Affection, one that was also greatly debauched in his principles, and
answerable thereto in his life: he was wholly given to the flesh, and
therefore they called him Vile-Affection. Now there was he and one
Carnal-Lust, the daughter of Mr. Mind, (like to like,) that fell in love,
and made a match, and were married; and, as I take it, they had several
children, as Impudent, Blackmouth, and Hate-Reproof. These three were
black boys. And besides these they had three daughters, as Scorn-Truth
and Slight-God, and the name of the youngest was Revenge. These were all
married in the town, and also begot and yielded many bad brats, too many
to be here inserted. But to pass by this.
When the giant had thus engarrisoned himself in the town of Mansoul, and
had put down and set up whom he thought good, he betakes himself to
defacing. Now there was in the market-place in Mansoul, and also upon
the gates of the castle, an image of the blessed King Shaddai. This
image was so exactly engraven, (and it was engraven in gold,) that it did
the most resemble Shaddai himself of anything that then was extant in the
world. This he basely commanded to be defaced, and it was as basely done
by the hand of Mr. No-Truth. Now you must know that, as Diabolus had
commanded, and that by the hand of Mr. No-Truth, the image of Shaddai was
defaced, he likewise gave order that the same Mr. No-Truth should set up
in its stead the horrid and formidable image of Diabolus, to the great
contempt of the former King, and debasing of his town of Mansoul.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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