Part 1 (1/2)

The Holy War made by Shaddai upon Diabolus.

by John Bunyan.

PREFACE.

_IN the year 1682 there was published by Dorman Newman_, '_at the King's Arms in the Poultry_,'_ and Benjamin Alsop_, '_at the Angel and Bible in the Poultry_,'_ a volume ent.i.tled_ '_The Holy War_, _made by Shaddai upon Diabolus for the regaining of the Metropolis of the World; or the Losing and Taking again of the Town of Mansoul_.'_ It was the work of John Bunyan_, _who_, _sixteen years before_, _had published the story of his own spiritual struggle under the t.i.tle of_ '_Grace abounding to the Chief of Sinners_';_ and_, _but four years before_, _had produced_ '_The Pilgrim's Progress_' (_Part I_). _Bunyan had speedily followed the issue of the_ '_Pilgrim's Progress_' _with the_ '_Life and Death of Mr.

Badman_,'_ picture of English life and character as he had seen it_, _grimly faithful to fact_. _In_ '_The Holy War_'_ Bunyan returned to allegory_. _As a piece of literature the book is in no way inferior to the_ '_Pilgrim's Progress_.'_ If Bunyan had written nothing else_, '_The Holy War_' _would have sufficed to establish his claim to a place amongst the masters of English prose_. _As an appeal to the conscience it is not a whit less effective than the_ '_Pilgrim's Progress_'; _but in the power of seizing and retaining the reader's attention it is scarcely so successful_. _Nevertheless Macaulay held that_ '_if there had been no_ ”_Pilgrim's Progress_” ”_The Holy War_” _would have been the first of religious allegories_.'

_In working out the details of_ '_The Holy War_' _Bunyan seems to have kept in mind his own experience_. _The fortifications of the city_, _the movements of the opposing forces_, _the changes in the munic.i.p.al offices of Mansoul were reproductions of scenes and events that had but recently gone on under Bunyan's eyes_. _He adapted them with extraordinary success to the presentation both of the doctrines of grace and of the temptations which attend the Christian life_. _The characters and the incidents are_, _in effect_, _the characters and incidents of every age_.

_It is this which gives to the story of Mansoul its undying freshness_, _and suits it to the needs of men in all climes_. '_The Holy War_' _has been translated into many languages_, _including some of those with the scantiest of literature_. _Indeed_, _as this edition is being prepared for the press_, _a.s.sistance is being rendered by the Religious Tract Society in the printing of_ '_The Holy War_' _in Kongo_.

_A. R. BUCKLAND_.

TO THE READER.

'Tis strange to me, that they that love to tell Things done of old, yea, and that do excel Their equals in historiology, Speak not of Mansoul's wars, but let them lie Dead, like old fables, or such worthless things, That to the reader no advantage brings: When men, let them make what they will their own, Till they know this, are to themselves unknown.

Of stories, I well know, there's divers sorts, Some foreign, some domestic; and reports Are thereof made as fancy leads the writers: (By books a man may guess at the inditers.) Some will again of that which never was, Nor will be, feign (and that without a cause) Such matter, raise such mountains, tell such things Of men, of laws, of countries, and of kings; And in their story seem to be so sage, And with such gravity clothe every page, That though their frontispiece says all is vain, Yet to their way disciples they obtain.

But, readers, I have somewhat else to do, Than with vain stories thus to trouble you.

What here I say, some men do know so well, They can with tears and joy the story tell.

The town of Mansoul is well known to many, Nor are her troubles doubted of by any That are acquainted with those Histories That Mansoul and her wars anatomize.

Then lend thine ear to what I do relate, Touching the town of Mansoul and her state: How she was lost, took captive, made a slave: And how against him set, that should her save; Yea, how by hostile ways she did oppose Her Lord, and with his enemy did close.

For they are true: he that will them deny Must needs the best of records vilify.

For my part, I myself was in the town, Both when 'twas set up, and when pulling down.

I saw Diabolus in his possession, And Mansoul also under his oppression.

Yea, I was there when she own'd him for lord, And to him did submit with one accord.

When Mansoul trampled upon things divine, And wallowed in filth as doth a swine; When she betook herself unto her arms, Fought her Emmanuel, despis'd his charms; Then I was there, and did rejoice to see Diabolus and Mansoul so agree.

Let no men, then, count me a fable-maker, Nor make my name or credit a partaker Of their derision: what is here in view, Of mine own knowledge, I dare say is true.

I saw the Prince's armed men come down By troops, by thousands, to besiege the town; I saw the captains, heard the trumpets sound, And how his forces covered all the ground.

Yea, how they set themselves in battle-'ray, I shall remember to my dying day.

I saw the colours waving in the wind, And they within to mischief how combin'd To ruin Mansoul, and to make away Her primum mobile without delay.

I saw the mounts cast up against the town, And how the slings were placed to beat it down: I heard the stones fly whizzing by mine ears, (What longer kept in mind than got in fears?) I heard them fall, and saw what work they made.

And how old Mors did cover with his shade The face of Mansoul; and I heard her cry, 'Woe worth the day, in dying I shall die!'

I saw the battering-rams, and how they play'd To beat open Ear-gate; and I was afraid Not only Ear-gate, but the very town Would by those battering-rams be beaten down.

I saw the fights, and heard the captains shout, And in each battle saw who faced about; I saw who wounded were, and who were slain; And who, when dead, would come to life again.

I heard the cries of those that wounded were, (While others fought like men bereft of fear,) And while the cry, 'Kill, kill,' was in mine ears, The gutters ran, not so with blood as tears.

Indeed, the captains did not always fight, But then they would molest us day and night; Their cry, 'Up, fall on, let us take the town,'

Kept us from sleeping, or from lying down.

I was there when the gates were broken ope, And saw how Mansoul then was stripp'd of hope; I saw the captains march into the town, How there they fought, and did their foes cut down.

I heard the Prince bid Boanerges go Up to the castle, and there seize his foe; And saw him and his fellows bring him down, In chains of great contempt quite through the town.

I saw Emmanuel, when he possess'd His town of Mansoul; and how greatly blest A town his gallant town of Mansoul was, When she received his pardon, loved his laws.

When the Diabolonians were caught, When tried, and when to execution brought, Then I was there; yea, I was standing by When Mansoul did the rebels crucify.