This also was answered in the negative, because of the weight that was in their former reasons, to wit, for that Mansoul were a strong people, a strong people in a strong town, whose wall and gates were impregnable (to say nothing of their castles), nor can they by any means be won but by their own consent. Besides, said Legion, (for he gave answer to this), a discovery of our intentions may make them send to their King for aid; and if that be done, I know what time of the day it will be with us: therefore let us assault them in all pretended fairness, covering our intentions Legion advises with all manner of lies, flatteries, dedissimulation lusive words: feigning things that and craft. will never be, and promising that to them which they shall never find: this is the way to win Mansoul, and to make them willingly open their gates to us; yea, and desire us also to come in to them. And the reason why I think that this project will do, is, because the people of Mansoul are now every one simple and innocent: all honest and true: nor do they as yet know what it is to be assaulted with fraud, guile, and hypocrisy. They are strangers to lying and dissembling lips; wherefore we cannot, if thus we be disguised, by them at all be discerned; our lies shall go for true sayings, and our dissimulation for upright dealings. What we promise them, they will in that believe us; especially if in all our lies and feigned words we pretend great love to them, and that our design is only their advantage and honour. Now there was not one bit of a reply against this, for it went as current down as doth the water down a steep descent: wherefore they go to consider of the last proposal, which was, IV. Whether they had not best to give out or ders to some of their company, to shoot some one or more of the principal of the townsmen; if they judge that their cause might be promoted thereby? Of Captain This was carried in the affirmative; and the man that was designed by this stratagem to be destroyed, was one Mr. Resistance, otherwise called Captain Resistance, and a great man in Mansoul this Captain Resistance was; and a man that the giant Diabolus, and his band, more feared, than they feared the whole town of Mansoul besides. Now who should be the actor to do the murder; that was the next: and they appointed one Tisiphone, a fury of the lake, to do it. Thus they having ended the council of war, rose up, and assayed to do as they had deThe result of termined" : they marched towards Mantheir council. soul, but all in a manner invisible, save only one; nor did he approach the town in his own likeness, but under the shape and in the body of the dragon. So they drew up, and sat down before Ear-gate; for that was the place of hearing for all without Diabolus the town, as Eye-gate was the place of marches up perception. So, as I said, he came up to the town. with his train to the gate, and laid his ambuscade for Captain Resistance, within bowshot 14 The enemies of our souls are, in this council, represented as full of all subtilty, agreeable to the scripture account; for Satan is called "the Deceiver, who deceiveth the whole world," believers are said to be acquainted with "his devices," and are exhorted to "watch and pray, lest they enter into temptation." It was justly observed," that none could enter the soul without its own consent." Satan may tempt, but cannot force the soul to sin: but "every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed," James i. 4. We are there of the town. This done, the giant ascended up close to the gate, and called to the town of Mansoul for audience. Nor took he any with him but one Ill-pause, who was his orator in all difficult matters. Now, as I said, he being come up to the gate (as the manner of those times was), sounded his trumpet for audience; at which the chief of The lords of the town of Mansoul, such as my Lord Mansoul ap- Innocent, my Lord Will-be-will, my peared. Lord-mayor, Mr. Recorder, and Captain Resistance, came down to the wall, to see who was there, and what was the matter. And my Lord Will-be-will, when he looked over, and saw who stood at the gate, demanded what he was, and wherefore he was come, and why he roused the town of Mansoul with so unusual a sound? Diabolus then, as if he had been a lamb, began his oration, and said, "Gentlemen of Diabolus's the famous town of Mansoul, I am, as you may perceive, no far dweller from you, but near, and one that is bound by the King to do you my homage, and what service I can; wherefore, that I may be faithful to myself and to you, I have somewhat of concern to impart unto you; wherefore grant me your audience, and hear me patiently. And, first, I will assure oration. fore commanded to resist the devil, that he may fly from us. To destroy this necessary resistance, therefore, must be a great point with the enemy. 15 My Lord Will-be-will signifies that power of the mind called the will, by which we determine for or against an action. 16 The Recorder is Conscience. By this faculty we judge of an action as good or bad, according to the light we enjoy, whether of the law of nature only, or of the written law, Rom.ii. 15. Conscience records our actions; and in the great day of judgment, the book of conscience is one of those which shall be opened. Mansoul engaged. Diabolus's sub tilty made up of lies. you, it is not myself but you, not mine but your advantage, that I seek by what I now do; as will full well be made manifest, by that I have opened my mind to you. For, Gentlemen, I am (to tell you the truth) come to shew you how you may obtain great and ample deliverance from a bondage that unawares to yourselves you are captivated and enslaved under." At this the town of Mansoul began to prick up its ears. "And what is it, pray? what is it?" thought they. And he said, "I have something to say to you concerning your King, concerning his law, and also touching yourselves. Touching your King, I know he is great and potent; but yet, all that he has said to you is neither true, nor yet for your advantage. 1. It is not true; for that wherewith he hath hitherto awed you, shall not come to pass, though you do the thing he hath forbidden. But if there was danger, what a slavery it is to live always in fear of the greatest of punishments, for doing so small and trivial a thing as eating a little fruit is! 2. Touching his laws, this I say, further, they are both unreasonable, intricate, and intolerable. Unreasonable, as was hinted before, for that the punishment is not proportioned to the offence: there is a great difference and disproportion betwixt the life, and an apple; yet the one must go for the other, by the law of your Shaddai. But it is also intricate, in that he saith, first you may eat of all: and yet, after, forbids the eating of one. And then, in the last place, it must needs be intoleraFalse reasoning ble; forasmuch as that fruit, which by Diabolus. you are forbidden to eat of (if you are forbidden any), is that, and that alone, which is able, by your eating, to minister you a good as He holds out yet unknown by you. This is manifest by the very name of the tree, it is called The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: and have you that knowledge as yet? No, no; nor can you conceive how good, how pleasant, and how much to be desired to make one wise, it is, so long as you stand by your King's commandment. Why should you be holden in ignorance and blindness? Why should you not be enlarged in knowledge and understanding? And now, O ye inhabitants of the famous town of Mansoul, to speak more particularly to yourselves, ye are not a free a false liberty. people: ye are kept both in bondage and slavery, and that by a grievous threat, no reason being annexed, but, so I will have it, so it shall be. And is it not grievous to think on, that that very thing you are forbidden to do, might you but do it, would yield you both wisdom and honour? for then your eyes will be opened, and you shall be as gods. Now, since this is thus, quoth he, can you be kept by any prince in more slavery, and in greater bondage, than you are under this day? You are made underlings, and are wrapt up in inconveniences, as I have well made appear: for what bondage greater, than to be kept in blindness? Will not reason tell you, that it is better to have eyes, than to be without them? and that to be at liberty, is better than to be shut up in a dark and stinking ܕ 17 cave 17 This artful speech of Diabolus is founded upon the scriptural account of the first temptation, Gen. iii. 1-4, "And the serpent said unto the woman, yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat," &c. In this passage the prohibition is represented as too strict, as intended to abridge their happiness, and that disobedience would be attended with no danger, but rather with great advantage. The devil, the father of lies, finding this me |