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The Holy War – John Bunyan

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Mayor of this town (Mark 7:21,22). But since my coming hither, they lie<br />

more in the outsides, and walls, and have made themselves dens, and caves,<br />

and holes, and strongholds therein. Wherefore, O Mansoul, thy work, as to<br />

this, will be so much the more difficult and hard (Rom 7:18). That is, to take,<br />

mortify, and put them to death according to the will of my Father. Nor can<br />

you utterly rid yourselves of them, unless you should pull down the walls of<br />

your town, the which I am by no means willing you should. Do you ask me,<br />

What shall we do then? Why, be you diligent, and quit you like men, observe<br />

their holes, find out their haunts, assault them, and make no peace with them.<br />

Wherever they haunt, lurk, or abide, and what terms of peace soever they<br />

offer you, abhor, and all shall be well betwixt you and me. And that you may<br />

the better know them from those that are the natives of Mansoul, I will give<br />

you this brief schedule of the names of the chief of them, and they are these<br />

that follow: <strong>The</strong> Lord Fornication, the Lord Adultery, the Lord Murder, the<br />

Lord Anger, the Lord Lasciviousness, the Lord Deceit, the Lord Evileye, Mr.<br />

Drunkenness, Mr. Revelling, Mr. Idolatry, Mr. Witch-craft, Mr. Variance,<br />

Mr. Emulation, Mr. Wrath, Mr. Strife, Mr. Sedition, and Mr. Heresy. <strong>The</strong>se<br />

are some of the chief, O Mansoul, of those that will seek to overthrow thee<br />

for ever. <strong>The</strong>se, I say, are the skulkers in Mansoul, but look thou well into<br />

the law of thy King, and there thou shalt find their physiognomy, and such<br />

other characteristical notes of them, by which they certainly may be<br />

known.[13]<br />

'<strong>The</strong>se, O my Mansoul, and I would gladly that you should certainly<br />

know it, if they be suffered to run and range about the town as they would,<br />

will quickly, like vipers, eat out your bowels, yea, poison your captains, cut<br />

the sinews of your soldiers, break the bar and bolts of your gates, and turn<br />

your now most flourishing Mansoul into a barren and desolate wilderness,<br />

and ruinous heap. Wherefore that you may take courage to yourselves to<br />

apprehend these villains wherever you find them, I give to you my Lord<br />

Mayor, my Lord Will-be-will, and Mr. Recorder, with all the inhabitants of<br />

the town of Mansoul, full power and commission to seek out, to take, and to<br />

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