86

THE WITNESSES AGAINST FAITHFUL.

to the court. Yet if need be, when the other gentlemen have given in their evidence, rather than any thing shall be wanting that will despatch him, I will enlarge my testimony against him. So he was bid stand by.

Superstition

lows.

fol- Then they called Superstition (z), and bid him look upon the prisoner at the bar. They also asked, what he could say for their lord the king against him. Then they sware him; so he began:

SUPER. My lord, I have no great acquaintance with this man, nor do I desire to have further knowledge of him. However, this I know, that he is a very pestilent fellow, from some discourse the other day that I had with him in this town; for then, talking with him, I heard him say, that our religion was naught, and such by which a man could by no means please God. Which saying of his, my lord, your lordship very well knows what necessarily thence will follow, to wit, that we still do worship in vain, are yet in our sins, and finally shall be damned; and this is that which I have to say.

Then was Pickthank sworn, and bid say what he knew in the behalf of their lord the king against the prisoner at the bar (a).

mony.

Pick thank's testi- PICK. My lord, and you gentlemen all, this fellow I have known of a long time, and have heard him speak things that ought not to be spoken; for he hath railed on our noble prince Beelzebub, and hath spoken contemptibly of his honourSins are all lords able friends, whose names are, the Lord Old Man, and great ones. the Lord Carnal Delight, the Lord Luxurious, the Lord Desire of Vain Glory, my old Lord Lechery, Sir Having Greedy, with all the rest of our nobility: and he hath said, moreover, that if all men were of his mind, if possible, there is not one of these noblemen should have any longer a being in this town. Besides, he hath not been afraid to rail on you, my lord, who are now appointed to be his judge, calling you an ungodly villain, with many other such like vilifying terms, with which he hath bespattered most of the gentry of

our town.

When this Pickthank had told his tale, the judge directed his (2) Superstition.-Our author, in causing Superstition to appear as a witness against Faithful, shows he regards it not as "an excess of religion," as some define it, but as the enemy of true religion. Bacon says, "an ape is the more hideous for its resemblance to a man, so is superstition from its resemblance to religion." says another, is "any misdirection of religious feeling, thus, when pictures or images "Superstition," of holy persons are set before us, superstition fastens on the image as if it were the reality. When rites and ceremonies are used to express our devotion, superstition makes them our devotion. When prayers have to be said, superstition makes the saying them prayer. When good books are to be perused, superstition makes the perusal edification. When works are to be done from a good motive, superstition makes the outward action the good works. It seizes ever on the outward-on that which is not moral; on that which strikes the senses or imagination-and fastens there; while true religion, on the contrary, calls on us to lift up our head from the earthly to the heavenly, and use the outward as a help to the inward."

(a) Pickthank-The country was infested in Bunyan's days with informers, who crept into religious assemblies in disguise, and levied great sums of money upon ministers and people. They went about like wandering strollers. as bad as the very dregs of the age. Their morals were counterfeit any principles to obtain their end. They could turn themselves into any shape, and

FAITHFUL'S DEFENCE OF HIMSELF.

87

speech to the prisoner at the bar, saying, Thou runagate, heretic, and traitor, hast thou heard what these honest gentlemen have witnessed against thee?

FAITH. May I speak a few words in my own defence?

JUDGE. Sirrah, sirrah, thou deservest to live no longer, but to be slain immediately upon the place; yet that all men may see our gentleness towards thee, let us hear what thou hast to say.

FAITH. 1. I say, then, in answer to what Mr Envy hath spoken, I never said aught but this, that what rule, or laws,

Faithful's defence

or custom, or people, were flat against the word of God, of himself. are diametrically opposite to Christianity. If I have said amiss in this, convince me of my error, and I am ready here before you to make my recantation.

2. As to the second, to wit, Mr Superstition and his charge against me, I said only this, that in the worship of God there is required a divine faith; but there can be no divine faith without à divine revelation of the will of God. Therefore, whatever is thrust into the worship of God that is not agreeable to divine revelation, cannot be done but by a human faith, which faith will not be profitable to eternal life.

3. As to what Mr Pickthank hath said, I say (avoiding terms, as that I am said to rail, and the like), that the prince of this town, with all the rabblement, his attendants, by this gentleman named, are more fit for a being in hell than in this town and country. And so the Lord have mercy upon me.

Then the judge called to the jury (who all this while stood by to hear and observe), Gentlemen of the jury, you see The judge's speech: this man about whom so great an uproar hath been to the jury.

made in this town; you have also heard what these worthy gentlemen have witnessed against him; also you have heard his reply and confession it lieth now in your breasts to hang him, or save his life; but yet I think meet to instruct you in our law.

There was an act made in the days of Pharaoh the great, servant to our prince, that, lest those of a contrary religion should multiply, and grow too strong for him, their males should be thrown into the river, Exod. i. 22. There was also an act made in the days of Nebuchadnezzar the great, another of his servants, that whoever would not fall down and worship his golden image, should be thrown into a fiery furnace, Dan. iii. 6. There was also an act made in the days of Darius, that whoso for some time called upon any god but him, should be cast into the lions' den, Dan. vi. 7. Now the substance of these laws this rebel has broken, not only in thought, (which is not to be borne), but also in word and deed;" which must, therefore, needs be intolerable.

For that of Pharaoh, his law was made upon a supposition, to prevent mischief, no crime being yet apparent; but here is a crime apparent. For the second and third, you see he disputeth against our religion; and for the treason that he hath confessed, he deserveth to die the death.

88

FAITHFUL'S MARTYRDOM.

Then went the jury out, whose names were Mr Blindman, Mr Nogood, Mr Malice, Mr Love-lust, Mr Live-loose, Mr Heady, Mr High-mind, Mr Enmity, Mr Liar, Mr Cruelty, Mr Hate-light, and Mr Implacable; who every one gave in his private verdict against him among themselves, and afterwards unanimously concluded to bring him in guilty before the judge. And first among themselves Mr Blindman, the foreman, said, I see clearly that this man is a heretic. Then said Mr No-good, Away with such a fellow from the earth. Ay, said Mr Malice, for I hate the very look of him. Then said Mr Love-lust, I could never endure him. Nor I, said Mr Liveloose, for he would always be condemning my way. Hang him, hang him, said Mr Heady. A sorry scrub, said Mr High-mind. My heart riseth against him, said Mr Enmity. He is a rogue, said Mr Liar. Hanging is too good for him, said Mr Cruelty. Let us despatch him out of the way, said Mr Hate-light. Then said Mr Implacable, They conclude to Might I have all the world given me, I could not be bring him in guilty reconciled to him; therefore let us forthwith bring him in guilty of death.

of death.

And so they did; therefore he was presently condemned to be had from the place where he was, to the place whence he came, and there to be put to the most cruel death that could be invented.

They, therefore, brought him out, to do with him according to their The cruel death law; and first they scourged him, then they buffeted of Faithful. him, then they lanced his flesh with knives; after that they stoned him with stones; then pricked him with their swords; and last of all they burned him to ashes at the stake. Thus came Faithful to his end (b).

(b) Faithful's Death.-The following account of the martyrdom of Hugh M'Kail in Edinburgh in 1665, will show how accurately Bunyan paints from the life. When mounting the ladder to the scaffold, M'Kail turned to his fellow-sufferers below him, and said, "Friends and fellow-sufferers, be not afraid, every step of this ladder is a degree nearer heaven." To the people he said, "That ye may see the ground of my encouragement, I shall read to you from the last chapter of the Bible, "Let him that is athirst come." The napkin being put over his face, he said, "And now I leave off speaking any more to creatures, and begin my intercourse with God, which shall never be broken off. Farewell! father and mother, friends and relations. Farewell! the world and all delights. Farewell! meat and drink. Farewell! sun, moon, and stars. Welcome God and Father. Welcome Jesus Christ, the Mediator of the new covenant. Welcome blessed Spirit of grace, and God of all consolation. Welcome glory Welcome eternal life, and welcome death."

They lived unknown,

Till persecution dragged them into fame,
And chased them up to heaven.

In the year 1415, John Huss was burnt to death at Constance. On arriving at the place of execution, he fell upon his knees and prayed, often repeating the words, Into thy hands, Lord, I commit my spirit." When compelled to rise from his knees, he said, "Lord Jesus Christ, stand by me, that by thy help I may be enabled with a strong and stedfast soul to endure this cruel and shameful death, to which I have been condemned, on account of the preaching of the holy gospel and thy word." When he was placed upon the faggots, bound fast to the stake, and chained to it by the neck, he said, "I willingly wear these chains for Christ's sake, who wore still more grievous ones." The fire being kindled, Huss commenced singing with a loud voice, "Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy upon me." As he was beginning to repeat this for the third time, his voice was stifled by the flames.

CHRISTIAN'S ESCAPE.

89

Now I saw, that there stood behind the multitude a chariot and a couple of horses waiting for Faithful, who (so soon as his adversaries had despatched him) was taken up into it, and straightway was carried up through the clouds with sound of trumpet, the nearest way to the Celestial Gate. But as for Christian, he had

Christian is still

some respite, and was remanded back to prison; so he alive. there remained for a space. But He who overrules all things, having the power of their rage in his own hand, so wrought it about, that Christian for that time escaped them, and went his way.

And as he went he sang, saying,

Well, Faithful, thou hast faithfully profest
Unto thy Lord, with whom thou shalt be blest,
When faithless ones, with all their vain delights,
Are crying out under their hellish plights:
Sing, Faithful, sing, and let thy name survive,
For, though they killed thee, thou art yet alive.

Now I saw in my dream, that Christian went not forth alone; for there was one whose name was Hopeful (being Christian has anso made by the beholding of Christian and Faithful in other companion. their words and behaviour, in their sufferings at the fair), who joined himself unto him, and entering into a brotherly covenant, told him

90

DISCOURSE WITH BY-ENDS.

that he would be his companion (c). Thus one died to bear testimony to the truth, and another rises out of his ashes to be a companion with Christian in his pilgrimage. This Hopeful also the men of the fair told Christian, that there were many more of the men in the fair that would take their time and follow

There are more of

will follow.

after.

By-ends.

So I saw, that quickly after they were got out of the fair they overThey overtake took one that was going before them, whose name was By-ends (d); so they said to him, What countryman, sir? and how far go you this way? He told them, that he came from the town of Fair-speech, and he was going to the Celestial City; but told them not his name.

From Fair-speech? said Christian; is there any good that lives there? Prov. xxvi. 25.

By. Yes, said By-ends, I hope.

CHR. Pray, sir, what may I call you?

Br. I am a stranger to you, and you to me; if you be going this By-ends loth to way, I shall be glad of your company; if not, I must be content.

tell his name.

CHR. This town of Fair-speech, I have heard of it; and, as I remember, they say it's a wealthy place.

By. Yes, I will assure you that it is; and I have very many rich kindred there.

CHR. Pray, who are your kindred there, if a man may be so bold?

By. Almost the whole town; but in particular, my Lord Turnabout, my Lord Time-server, my Lord Fair-speech, from whose

(c) Hopeful.This allegory is necessarily defective as a full representation of the life of all the pilgrims. Hopeful, for example, sets out with Christian from Vanity Fair, without passing through the Wicket-gate or seeing the sepulchre, and Christian is the only pilgrim who had a burden on his back, for the "Pilgrim's Progress is the history of one man's experience in full, and the experience of many others in part."

(d) By-ends. His character may be illustrated by a story which is told by Whately, of a merchant who applied to the agent of an insurance office to effect a policy on a ship. "Immediately after, he heard of the loss of his ship; and suspecting that perhaps (as was the fact) the insurance might not be completed, he wrote off to the agent, desiring him not to proceed with the business, for that he had heard of the ship. The agent, taking for granted that he had heard of its safety, hurried to the office, completed the business, and then wrote to the merchant by return of post, expressing his concern that the countermand had arrived a few hours too late, and that the assurance had been effected. Thus the merchant obtained his payment, because he could prove that he had written to forbid the insurance."

A milder type of the same character is exhibited in the following story:-"A person who had the control of a certain public hall, was asked for the use of it for a meeting of a society established in express opposition to an institution he was connected with. He might on that ground very fairly have refused permission, or have frankly retracted it on consideration, if hastily and inconsiderately granted. But he readily granted the use of the hall, and then afterwards inserted the condition that none of the speakers were to say anything against his institution; and as this was, of course, the principal topic designed to be dwelt on, the condition was refused, and the permission withdrawn. He could no more go straight to any object, than a hare in going from her form to her pasture. Such a character may be called the reflection of a wise man. He is the figure of a wise man shown by a mirror, which is an exact repre sentation, except that it is left-handed."