A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

Bunyan, John, 1628-1688 • SECTION 59

Part 59

← 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

Then he called unto him the Lord Understanding, who was the old Lord Mayor, he that was put out of place when Diabolus took the town, and put him into his former office again, and it became his place for his lifetime. He bid him also that he should build him a palace near Eye-gate; and that he should build it in fashion like a tower for defence. He bid him also that he should read in the Revelation of Mysteries all the days of his life, that he might know how to perform his office aright.

He also made Mr. Knowledge the Recorder, not of contempt to old Mr. Conscience, who had been Recorder before, but for that it was in his princely mind to confer upon Mr. Conscience another employ, of which he told the old gentleman he should know more hereafter.

Then he commanded that the image of Diabolus should be taken down from the place where it was set up, and that they should destroy it utterly, beating it into powder, and casting it into the wind without the town wall; and that the image of Shaddai, his Father, should be set up again, with his own, upon the castle gates; and that it should be more fairly drawn than ever, forasmuch as both his Father and himself were come to Mansoul in more grace and mercy than heretofore. He would also that his name should be fairly engraven upon the front of the town, and that it should be done in the best of gold, for the honour of the town of Mansoul.

After this was done, Emmanuel gave out a commandment that those three great Diabolonians should be apprehended, namely, the two late Lord Mayors, to wit, Mr. Incredulity, Mr. Lustings, and Mr. Forget-Good, the Recorder. Besides these, there were some of them that Diabolus made burgesses and aldermen in Mansoul, that were committed to ward by the hand of the now valiant and now right noble, the brave Lord Willbewill.

And these were their names: Alderman Atheism, Alderman Hard-Heart, and Alderman False-Peace. The burgesses were, Mr. No-Truth, Mr. Pitiless, Mr. Haughty, with the like. These were committed to close custody, and the gaoler’s name was Mr. True-Man. This True-Man was one of those that Emmanuel brought with him from his Father’s court when at the first he made a war upon Diabolus in the town or Mansoul.

After this, the Prince gave a charge that the three strongholds that, at the command of Diabolus, the Diabolonians built in Mansoul, should be demolished and utterly pulled down; of which holds and their names, with their captains and governors, you read a little before. But this was long in doing, because of the largeness of the places, and because the stones, the timber, the iron, and all rubbish, was to be carried without the town.

When this was done, the Prince gave order that the Lord Mayor and aldermen of Mansoul should call a court of judicature for the trial and execution of the Diabolonians in the corporation now under the charge of Mr. True-Man, the gaoler.

Now, when the time was come, and the court set, commandment was sent to Mr. True-Man, the gaoler, to bring the prisoners down to the bar. Then were the prisoners brought down, pinioned and chained together, as the custom of the town of Mansoul was. So, when they were presented before the Lord Mayor, the Recorder, and the rest of the honourable bench, first, the jury was empannelled, and then the witnesses sworn. The names of the jury were these: Mr. Belief, Mr. True-Heart, Mr. Upright, Mr. Hate-Bad, Mr. Love-God, Mr. See-Truth, Mr. Heavenly-Mind, Mr. Moderate, Mr. Thankful, Mr. Good-Work, Mr. Zeal-for-God, and Mr. Humble.

The names of the witnesses were—Mr. Know-All, Mr. Tell-True, Mr. Hate-Lies, with my Lord Willbewill and his man, if need were.

So the prisoners were set to the bar. Then said Mr. Do-Right, (for he was the Town-Clerk,) ‘Set Atheism to the bar, gaoler.’ So he was set to the bar. Then said the Clerk, ‘Atheism, hold up thy hand. Thou art here indicted by the name of Atheism, (an intruder upon the town of Mansoul,) for that thou hast perniciously and doltishly taught and maintained that there is no God, and so no heed to be taken to religion. This thou hast done against the being, honour, and glory of the King, and against the peace and safety of the town of Mansoul. What sayest thou? Art thou guilty of this indictment, or not?

_Atheism_. Not guilty.

_Crier_. Call Mr. Know-All, Mr. Tell-True, and Mr. Hate-Lies into the court.

So they were called, and they appeared.

Then said the Clerk, ‘You, the witnesses for the King, look upon the prisoner at the bar; do you know him?’

Then said Mr. Know-All, ‘Yes, my lord, we know him; his name is Atheism; he has been a very pestilent fellow for many years in the miserable town of Mansoul.’

_Clerk_. You are sure you know him?

_Know_. Know him! Yes my lord; I have heretofore too often been in his company to be at this time ignorant of him. He is a Diabolonian, the son of a Diabolonian: I knew his grandfather and his father.

Public domain in the USA; original historical text digitized by Project Gutenberg.

Project Gutenberg source record →