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
The Recorder was one whose name was Forget-Good, and a very sorry fellow
he was. He could remember nothing but mischief, and to do it with
delight. He was naturally prone to do things that were hurtful, even
hurtful to the town of Mansoul, and to all the dwellers there. These
two, therefore, by their power and practice, examples, and smiles upon
evil, did much more grammar and settle the common people in hurtful ways.
For who doth not perceive that when those that sit aloft are vile and
corrupt themselves, they corrupt the whole region and country where they
are?
Besides these, Diabolus made several burgesses and aldermen in Mansoul,
such as out of whom the town, when it needed, might choose them officers,
governors, and magistrates. And these are the names of the chief of
them: Mr. Incredulity, Mr. Haughty, Mr. Swearing, Mr. Whoring, Mr.
Hard-Heart, Mr. Pitiless, Mr. Fury, Mr. No-Truth, Mr. Stand-to-Lies, Mr.
False-Peace, Mr. Drunkenness, Mr. Cheating, Mr. Atheism—thirteen in all.
Mr. Incredulity is the eldest, and Mr. Atheism the youngest of the
company.
There was also an election of common councilmen and others, as bailiffs,
sergeants, constables, and others; but all of them like to those
afore-named, being either fathers, brothers, cousins, or nephews to them,
whose names, for brevity’s sake, I omit to mention.
When the giant had thus far proceeded in his work, in the next place, he
betook him to build some strongholds in the town, and he built three that
seemed to be impregnable. The first he called the Hold of Defiance,
because it was made to command the whole town, and to keep it from the
knowledge of its ancient King. The second he called Midnight Hold,
because it was built on purpose to keep Mansoul from the true knowledge
of itself. The third was called Sweet-Sin Hold, because by that he
fortified Mansoul against all desires of good. The first of these holds
stood close by Eye-gate, that, as much might be, light might be darkened
there; the second was built hard by the old castle, to the end that that
might be made more blind, if possible; and the third stood in the
market-place.
He that Diabolus made governor over the first of these was one Spite-God,
a most blasphemous wretch: he came with the whole rabble of them that
came against Mansoul at first, and was himself one of themselves. He
that was made the governor of Midnight Hold was one Love-no-Light; he was
also of them that came first against the town. And he that was made the
governor of the hold called Sweet-Sin Hold was one whose name was
Love-Flesh: he was also a very lewd fellow, but not of that country where
the other are bound. This fellow could find more sweetness when he stood
sucking of a lust than he did in all the paradise of God.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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