Books: The Holy War

J >> John Bunyan >> The Holy War

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So he took it, and looked upon it, and considered it, and took
notice also of that short petition that the men of Mansoul had
written at the bottom of it, and called to him the noble Captain
Credence, and bid him go and take Captain Patience with him, and go
and take care of that side of Mansoul that was beleaguered by the
blood-men. So they went and did as they were commanded: the
Captain Credence went and took Captain Patience, and they both
secured that side of Mansoul that was besieged by the blood-men.

Then he commanded that Captain Good-hope and Captain Charity, and
my Lord Willbewill, should take charge of the other side of the
town. 'And I,' said the Prince, 'will set my standard upon the
battlements of your castle, and do you three watch against the
doubters.' This done, he again commanded that the brave captain,
the Captain Experience, should draw up his men in the market-place,
and that there he should exercise them day by day before the people
of the town of Mansoul. Now this siege was long, and many a fierce
attempt did the enemy, especially those called the blood-men, make
upon the town of Mansoul; and many a shrewd brush did some of the
townsmen meet with from them, especially Captain Self-Denial, who,
I should have told you before, was commanded to take the care of
Ear-gate and Eye-gate now against the blood-men. This Captain
Self-Denial was a young man, but stout, and a townsman in Mansoul,
as Captain Experience also was. And Emmanuel, at his second return
to Mansoul, made him a captain over a thousand of the Mansoulians,
for the good of the corporation. This captain, therefore, being an
hardy man, and a man of great courage, and willing to venture
himself for the good of the town of Mansoul, would now and then
sally out upon the blood-men, and give them many notable alarms,
and entered several brisk skirmishes with them, and also did some
execution upon them; but you must think that this could not easily
be done, but he must meet with brushes himself, for he carried
several of their marks in his face; yea, and some in some other
parts of his body.

So, after some time spent for the trial of the faith, and hope, and
love of the town of Mansoul, the Prince Emmanuel upon a day calls
his captains and men of war together, and divides them into two
companies; this done, he commands them at a time appointed, and
that in the morning very early, to sally out upon the enemy,
saying: 'Let half of you fall upon the doubters, and half of you
fall upon the blood-men. Those of you that go out against the
doubters, kill and slay, and cause to perish so many of them as by
any means you can lay hands on; but for you that go out against the
blood-men, slay them not, but take them alive.'

So, at the time appointed, betimes in the morning, the captains
went out as they were commanded, against the enemies. Captain
Good-Hope, Captain Charity, and those that were joined with them,
as Captain Innocent and Captain Experience, went out against the
doubters; and Captain Credence, and Captain Patience, with Captain
Self-Denial, and the rest that were to join with them, went out
against the blood-men.

Now, those that went out against the doubters drew up into a body
before the plain, and marched on to bid them battle. But the
doubters, remembering their last success, made a retreat, not
daring to stand the shock, but fled from the Prince's men;
wherefore they pursued them, and in their pursuit slew many, but
they could not catch them all. Now those that escaped went some of
them home; and the rest by fives, nines, and seventeens, like
wanderers, went straggling up and down the country, where they upon
the barbarous people showed and exercised many of their Diabolonian
actions: nor did these people rise up in arms against them, but
suffered themselves to be enslaved by them. They would also after
this show themselves in companies before the town of Mansoul, but
never to abide in it; for if Captain Credence, Captain Good-Hope,
or Captain Experience did but show themselves, they fled.

Those that went out against the blood-men did as they were
commanded: they forbore to slay any, but sought to compass them
about. But the blood-men, when they saw that no Emmanuel was in
the field, concluded also that no Emmanuel was in Mansoul;
wherefore they, looking upon what the captains did to be, as they
called it, a fruit of the extravagancy of their wild and foolish
fancies, rather despised them than feared them. But the captains,
minding their business, at last did compass them round; they also
that had routed the doubters came in amain to their aid: so, in
fine, after some little struggling, (for the blood-men also would
have run for it, only now it was too late; for though they are
mischievous and cruel, where they can overcome, yet all blood-men
are chicken-hearted men, when they once come to see themselves
matched and equalled,)--so the captains took them, and brought them
to the Prince.

Now when they were taken, had before the Prince, and examined, he
found them to be of three several counties, though they all came
out of one land.

1. One sort of them came out of Blind-man-shire, and they were such
as did ignorantly what they did.

2. Another sort of them came out of Blind-zeal-shire, and they did
superstitiously what they did.

3. The third sort of them came out of the town of Malice, in the
county of Envy, and they did what they did out of spite and
implacableness.

For the first of these, namely, they that came out of Blind-man-
shire, when they saw where they were, and against whom they had
fought, they trembled and cried, as they stood before him; and as
many of these as asked him mercy, he touched their lips with his
golden sceptre.

They that came out of Blind-zeal-shire, they did not as their
fellows did; for they pleaded that they had a right to do what they
did, because Mansoul was a town whose laws and customs were diverse
from all that dwelt thereabouts. Very few of these could be
brought to see their evil; but those that did, and asked mercy,
they also obtained favour.

Now, they that came out of the town of Malice, that is in the
county of Envy, they neither wept, nor disputed, nor repented, but
stood gnawing their tongues before him for anguish and madness,
because they could not have their will upon Mansoul. Now these
last, with all those of the other two sorts that did not
unfeignedly ask pardon for their faults,--those he made to enter
into sufficient bond to answer for what they had done against
Mansoul, and against her King, at the great and general assizes to
be holden for our Lord the King, where he himself should appoint
for the country and kingdom of Universe. So they became bound each
man for himself, to come in, when called upon, to answer before our
Lord the King for what they had done as before.

And thus much concerning this second army that was sent by Diabolus
to overthrow Mansoul.

But there were three of those that came from the land of Doubting,
who, after they had wandered and ranged the country a while, and
perceived that they had escaped, were so hardy as to thrust
themselves, knowing that yet there were in the town Diabolonians,--
I say, they were so hardy as to thrust themselves into Mansoul
among them. (Three, did I say? I think there were four.) Now, to
whose house should these Diabolonian doubters go, but to the house
of an old Diabolonian in Mansoul, whose name was Evil-Questioning,
a very great enemy he was to Mansoul, and a great doer among the
Diabolonians there. Well, to this Evil-Questioning's house, as was
said, did these Diabolonians come (you may be sure that they had
directions how to find the way thither), so he made them welcome,
pitied their misfortune, and succoured them with the best that he
had in his house. Now, after a little acquaintance (and it was not
long before they had that), this old Evil-Questioning asked the
doubters if they were all of a town (he knew that they were all of
one kingdom), and they answered: 'No, nor not of one shire
neither; for I,' said one, 'am an election doubter:' 'I,' said
another, 'am a vocation doubter:' then said the third, 'I am a
salvation doubter:' and the fourth said he was a grace doubter.
'Well,' quoth the old gentleman, 'be of what shire you will, I am
persuaded that you are down, boys: you have the very length of my
foot, are one with my heart, and shall be welcome to me.' So they
thanked him, and were glad that they had found themselves an
harbour in Mansoul.

Then said Evil-Questioning to them: 'How many of your company
might there be that came with you to the siege of Mansoul?' and
they answered: 'There were but ten thousand doubters in all, for
the rest of the army consisted of fifteen thousand blood-men.
These blood-men,' quoth they, 'border upon our country; but, poor
men! as we hear, they were every one taken by Emmanuel's forces.'
'Ten thousand!' quoth the old gentleman; 'I will promise you, that
is a round company. But how came it to pass, since you were so
mighty a number, that you fainted, and durst not fight your foes?'
'Our general,' said they, 'was the first man that did run for it.'
'Pray,' quoth their landlord, 'who was that, your cowardly
general?' 'He was once the Lord Mayor of Mansoul,' said they:
'but pray call him not a cowardly general; for whether any from the
east to the west has done more service for our prince Diabolus,
than has my Lord Incredulity, will be a hard question for you to
answer. But had they catched him, they would for certain have
hanged him; and we promise you, hanging is but a bad business.'
Then said the old gentleman, 'I would that all the ten thousand
doubters were now well armed in Mansoul, and myself at the head of
them; I would see what I could do.' 'Ay,' said they, 'that would
be well if we could see that; but wishes, alas! what are they?' and
these words were spoken aloud. 'Well,' said old Evil-Questioning,
'take heed that you talk not too loud; you must be quat and close,
and must take care of yourselves while you are here, or, I will
assure you, you will be snapped.' 'Why?' quoth the doubters.
'Why!' quoth the old gentleman; 'why! because both the Prince and
Lord Secretary, and their captains and soldiers, are all at present
in town; yea, the town is as full of them as ever it can hold. And
besides, there is one whose name is Willbewill, a most cruel enemy
of ours, and him the Prince has made keeper of the gates, and has
commanded him that, with all the diligence he can, he should look
for, search out, and destroy all, and all manner of Diabolonians.
And if he lighteth upon you, down you go, though your heads were
made of gold.'

And now, to see how it happened, one of the Lord Willbewill's
faithful soldiers, whose name was Mr. Diligence, stood all this
while listening under old Evil-Questioning's eaves, and heard all
the talk that had been betwixt him and the doubters that he
entertained under his roof.

The soldier was a man that my lord had much confidence in, and that
he loved dearly; and that both because he was a man of courage, and
also a man that was unwearied in seeking after Diabolonians to
apprehend them.

Now this man, as I told you, heard all the talk that was between
old Evil-Questioning and these Diabolonians; wherefore what does he
but goes to his lord, and tells him what he had heard. 'And sayest
thou so, my trusty?' quoth my lord. 'Ay,' quoth Diligence, 'that I
do; and if your lordship will be pleased to go with me, you shall
find it as I have said.' 'And are they there?' quoth my lord. 'I
know Evil-Questioning well, for he and I were great in the time of
our apostasy: but I know not now where he dwells.' 'But I do,'
said his man, 'and if your lordship will go, I will lead you the
way to his den.' 'Go!' quoth my lord, 'that I will. Come, my
Diligence, let us go find them out.'

So my lord and his man went together the direct way to his house.
Now his man went before to show him his way, and they went till
they came even under old Mr. Evil-Questioning's wall. Then said
Diligence, 'Hark! my lord, do you know the old gentleman's tongue
when you hear it?' 'Yes,' said my lord, 'I know it well, but I
have not seen him many a day. This I know, he is cunning; I wish
he doth not give us the slip.' 'Let me alone for that,' said his
servant Diligence. 'But how shall we find the door?' quoth my
lord. 'Let me alone for that, too,' said his man. So he had my
Lord Willbewill about, and showed him the way to the door. Then my
lord, without more ado, broke open the door, rushed into the house,
and caught them all five together, even as Diligence his man had
told him. So my lord apprehended them, and led them away, and
committed them to the hand of Mr. Trueman, the gaoler, and
commanded, and he did put them in ward. This done, my Lord Mayor
was acquainted in the morning with what my Lord Willbewill had done
over night, and his lordship rejoiced much at the news, not only
because there were doubters apprehended, but because that old Evil-
Questioning was taken; for he had been a very great trouble to
Mansoul, and much affliction to my Lord Mayor himself. He had also
been sought for often, but no hand could ever be laid upon him till
now.

Well, the next thing was to make preparation to try these five that
by my lord had been apprehended, and that were in the hands of Mr.
Trueman, the gaoler. So the day was set, and the court called and
come together, and the prisoners brought to the bar. My Lord
Willbewill had power to have slain them when at first he took them,
and that without any more ado; but he thought it at this time more
for the honour of the Prince, the comfort of Mansoul, and the
discouragement of the enemy, to bring them forth to public
judgment.

But, I say, Mr. Trueman brought them in chains to the bar; to the
town-hall, for that was the place of judgment. So, to be short,
the jury was panelled, the witnesses sworn, and the prisoners tried
for their lives: the jury was the same that tried Mr. No-Truth,
Pitiless, Haughty, and the rest of their companions.

And, first, old Questioning himself was set to the bar for he was
the receiver, the entertainer, and comforter of these doubters,
that by nation were outlandish men: then he was bid to hearken to
his charge, and was told that he had liberty to object, if he had
ought to say for himself. So his indictment was read: the manner
and form here follows.

'Mr. Questioning, Thou art here indicted by the name of Evil-
Questioning, an intruder upon the town of Mansoul, for that thou
art a Diabolonian by nature, and also a hater of the Prince
Emmanuel, and one that hast studied the ruin of the town of
Mansoul. Thou art also here indicted for countenancing the King's
enemies, after wholesome laws made to the contrary: for, 1. Thou
hast questioned the truth of her doctrine and state: 2. In wishing
that ten thousand doubters were in her: 3. In receiving, in
entertaining, and encouraging of her enemies, that came from their
army unto thee. What sayest thou to this indictment? art thou
guilty or not guilty?'

'My lord,' quoth he, 'I know not the meaning of this indictment,
forasmuch as I am not the man concerned in it; the man that
standeth by this charge accused before this bench is called by the
name of Evil-Questioning, which name I deny to be mine, mine being
Honest-Inquiry. The one indeed sounds like the other; but, I trow,
your lordships know that between these two there is a wide
difference; for I hope that a man, even in the worst of times, and
that, too, amongst the worst of men, may make an honest inquiry
after things, without running the danger of death.'

Then spake my Lord Willbewill, for he was one of the witnesses:
'My lord, and you the honourable bench and magistrates of the town
of Mansoul, you all have heard with your ears that the prisoner at
the bar has denied his name, and so thinks to shift from the charge
of the indictment. But I know him to be the man concerned, and
that his proper name is Evil-Questioning. I have known him, my
lord, above these thirty years, for he and I (a shame it is for me
to speak it) were great acquaintance, when Diabolus, that tyrant,
had the government of Mansoul; and I testify that he is a
Diabolonian by nature, an enemy to our Prince, and a hater of the
blessed town of Mansoul. He has, in times of rebellion, been at
and lain in my house, my lord, not so little as twenty nights
together, and we did use to talk then, for the substance of talk,
as he and his doubters have talked of late: true, I have not seen
him many a day. I suppose that the coming of Emmanuel to Mansoul
has made him change his lodgings, as this indictment has driven him
to change his name; but this is the man, my lord.'

Then said the court unto him, 'Hast thou any more to say?'

'Yes,' quoth the old gentleman, 'that I have; for all that as yet
has been said against me, is but by the mouth of one witness; and
it is not lawful for the famous town of Mansoul, at the mouth of
one witness, to put any man to death.'

Then stood forth Mr. Diligence, and said, 'My lord, as I was upon
my watch such a night at the head of Bad Street, in this town, I
chanced to hear a muttering within this gentleman's house. Then,
thought I, what is to do here? So I went up close, but very
softly, to the side of the house to listen, thinking, as indeed it
fell out, that there I might light upon some Diabolonian
conventicle. So, as I said, I drew nearer and nearer; and when I
was got up close to the wall, it was but a while before I perceived
that there were outlandish men in the house; but I did well
understand their speech, for I have been a traveller myself. Now,
hearing such language in such a tottering cottage as this old
gentleman dwelt in, I clapped mine ear to a hole in the window, and
there heard them talk as followeth. This old Mr. Questioning asked
these doubters what they were, whence they came, and what was their
business in these parts; and they told him to all these questions,
yet he did entertain them. He also asked what numbers there were
of them; and they told him ten thousand men. He then asked them,
why they made no more manly assault upon Mansoul; and they told
him: so he called their general coward, for marching off when he
should have fought for his prince. Further, this old Evil-
Questioning wished, and I heard him wish, would all the ten
thousand doubters were now in Mansoul, and himself at the head of
them. He bid them also to take heed and lie quat; for if they were
taken they must die, although they had heads of gold.' Then said
the court: 'Mr. Evil-Questioning, here is now another witness
against you, and his testimony is full: 1. He swears that you did
receive these men into your house, and that you did nourish them
there, though you knew that they were Diabolonians, and the King's
enemies. 2. He swears that you did wish ten thousand of them in
Mansoul. 3. He swears that you did give them advice to be quat and
close, lest they were taken by the King's servants. All which
manifesteth that thou art a Diabolonian; but hadst thou been a
friend to the King, thou wouldst have apprehended them.'

Then said Evil-Questioning: 'To the first of these I answer, The
men that came into mine house were strangers, and I took them in;
and is it now become a crime in Mansoul for a man to entertain
strangers? That I did also nourish them is true; and why should my
charity be blamed? As for the reason why I wished ten thousand of
them in Mansoul, I never told it to the witnesses, nor to
themselves. I might wish them to be taken, and so my wish might
mean well to Mansoul, for aught that any yet knows. I did also bid
them take heed that they fell not into the captains' hands; but
that might be because I am unwilling that any man should be slain,
and not because I would have the King's enemies as such escape.'

My Lord Mayor then replied: 'That though it was a virtue to
entertain strangers, yet it was treason to entertain the King's
enemies. And for what else thou hast said, thou dost by words but
labour to evade and defer the execution of judgment. But could
there be no more proved against thee but that thou art a
Diabolonian, thou must for that die the death by the law; but to be
a receiver, a nourisher, a countenancer, and a harbourer of others
of them, yea, of outlandish Diabolonians, yea, of them that came
from far on purpose to cut off and destroy our Mansoul--this must
not be borne.'

Then said Evil-Questioning: 'I see how the game will go: I must
die for my name, and for my charity.' And so he held his peace.

Then they called the outlandish doubters to the bar, and the first
of them that was arraigned was the election doubter. So his
indictment was read; and because he was an outlandish man, the
substance of it was told him by an interpreter; namely, 'That he
was there charged with being an enemy of Emmanuel the Prince, a
hater of the town of Mansoul, and an opposer of her most wholesome
doctrine.'

Then the judge asked him if he would plead? but he said only this--
That he confessed that he was an election doubter, and that that
was the religion that he had ever been brought up in. And said,
moreover, 'If I must die for my religion, I trow, I shall die a
martyr, and so I care the less.'

Judge. Then it was replied: 'To question election, is to
overthrow a great doctrine of the gospel, namely, the omnisciency,
and power, and will of God; to take away the liberty of God with
his creature, to stumble the faith of the town of Mansoul, and to
make salvation to depend upon works, and not upon grace. It also
belied the word, and disquieted the minds of the men of Mansoul;
therefore by the best of laws he must die.'

Then was the vocation doubter called, and set to the bar; and his
indictment for substance was the same with the other, only he was
particularly charged with denying the calling of Mansoul.

The judge asked him also what he had to say for himself?

So he replied: 'That he never believed that there was any such
thing as a distinct and powerful call of God to Mansoul; otherwise
than by the general voice of the word, nor by that neither,
otherwise than as it exhorted them to forbear evil, and to do that
which is good, and in so doing a promise of happiness is annexed.'

Then said the judge: 'Thou art a Diabolonian, and hast denied a
great part of one of the most experimental truths of the Prince of
the town of Mansoul; for he has called, and she has heard a most
distinct and powerful call of her Emmanuel, by which she has been
quickened, awakened, and possessed with heavenly grace to desire to
have communion with her Prince, to serve him, and to do his will,
and to look for her happiness merely of his good pleasure. And for
thine abhorrence of this good doctrine, thou must die the death.'

Then the grace doubter was called, and his indictment was read and
he replied thereto: 'That though he was of the land of doubting,
his father was the offspring of a Pharisee, and lived in good
fashion among his neighbours, and that he taught him to believe,
and believe it I do, and will, that Mansoul shall never be saved
freely by grace.'

Then said the judge: 'Why, the law of the Prince is plain: 1.
Negatively, "not of works:" 2. Positively, "by grace you are
saved." And thy religion settleth in and upon the works of the
flesh; for the works of the law are the works of the flesh.
Besides, in saying as thou hast done, thou hast robbed God of His
glory, and given it to a sinful man; thou hast robbed Christ of the
necessity of His undertaking, and the sufficiency thereof, and hast
given both these to the works of the flesh. Thou hast despised the
work of the Holy Ghost, and hast magnified the will of the flesh,
and of the legal mind. Thou art a Diabolonian, the son of a
Diabolonian; and for thy Diabolonian principles thou must die.'

The court then, having proceeded thus far with them, sent out the
jury, who forthwith brought them in guilty of death. Then stood up
the Recorder, and addressed himself to the prisoners: 'You, the
prisoners at the bar, you have been here indicted, and proved
guilty of high crimes against Emmanuel our Prince, and against the
welfare of the famous town of Mansoul, crimes for which you must be
put to death, and die ye accordingly.' So they were sentenced to
the death of the cross. The place assigned them for execution, was
that where Diabolus drew up his last army against Mansoul; save
only that old Evil-Questioning was hanged at the top of Bad Street,
just over against his own door.

When the town of Mansoul had thus far rid themselves of their
enemies, and of the troublers of their peace, in the next place a
strict commandment was given out, that yet my Lord Willbewill
should, with Diligence his man, search for, and do his best to
apprehend what town Diabolonians were yet left alive in Mansoul.
The names of several of them were, Mr. Fooling, Mr. Let-Good-Slip,
Mr. Slavish-Fear, Mr. No-Love, Mr. Mistrust, Mr. Flesh, and Mr.
Sloth. It was also commanded, that he should apprehend Mr. Evil-
Questioning's children, that he left behind him, and that they
should demolish his house. The children that he left behind him
were these: Mr. Doubt, and he was his eldest son; the next to him
was Legal-Life, Unbelief, Wrong-Thoughts-of-Christ, Clip-Promise,
Carnal-Sense, Live-by-Feeling, Self-Love. All these he had by one
wife, and her name was No-Hope; she was the kinswoman of old
Incredulity, for he was her uncle; and when her father, old Dark,
was dead, he took her and brought her up, and when she was
marriageable, he gave her to this old Evil-Questioning to wife.

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