The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His WorksBunyan, John
Religion
The Riches of Bunyan: Selected from His Works
Bunyan, John
Theology, Doctrinal
There is the wilfully ignorant professor, or he that is afraid to
know more for fear of the cross. He is for picking and choosing of
truth, and loveth not to hazard his all for that worthy name by
which he would be called. When he is at any time overset by
arguments or awakenings of conscience, he uses to heal all by, "I
was not brought up in this faith;" as if it were unlawful for
Christians to know more than hath been taught them at first
conversion. There are many scriptures that lie against this man, as
the mouths of great guns.
There is another professor; and he is for God and for Baal too: he
can be any thing for any company; he can throw stones with both
hands; his religion alters as fast as his company; he is a frog of
Egypt, and can live in the water and out of the water; he can live
in religious company, and again as well out. Nothing that is
disorderly comes amiss to him; he can hold with the hare and run
with the hound; he carries fire in one hand and water in the other;
he is a very, any thing but what he should be. This is also one of
the many that "will seek to enter in, and will not be able."
Christian and Hopeful, after their headstrong manner, (said Mr.
By-ends,) conclude that it is their duty to rush on their journey
all weathers; and I am for waiting for wind and tide. They are for
hazarding all for God at a clap; and I am for taking all advantages
to secure my life and estate. They are for holding their notions,
though all other men be against them; but I am for religion in what
and so far as the times and any safety will bear it. They are for
religion when in rags and contempt; but I am for him when he walks
in golden slippers, in the sunshine, and with applause.
Then I saw in my dream that Christian and Hopeful forsook him, and
kept their distance before him; but one of them looking back, saw
three men following Mr. By-ends; and behold, as they came up with
him he made them a very low congee, and they also gave him a
compliment. The men's names were, Mr. Hold-the-world, Mr,
Money-love, and Mr. Save-all; men that Mr. By-ends had formerly been
acquainted with, for in their minority they were schoolfellows, and
were taught by one Mr. Gripe-man, a schoolmaster in Love-gain, which
is a market-town in the county of Coveting, in the North. This
schoolmaster taught them the art of getting, either by violence,
cozenage, flattery, lying, or by putting on a guise of religion; and
these four gentlemen had attained much of the art of their master,
so that they could each of them have kept such a school themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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