The Holy War – John Bunyan

efore Eye-gate and Eargate.
Now when this army had thus encamped themselves, Incredulity did, in
the name of Diabolus, his own name, and in the name of the Bloodmen and
the rest that were with him, send a summons as hot as a red-hot iron to
Mansoul to yield to their demands, threatening that if they still stood it out
against them, they would presently burn down Mansoul with fire. For you
must know, that as for the Bloodmen, they were not so much that Mansoul
should be surrendered, as that Mansoul should be destroyed and cut off out
of the land of the living.[4] True, they send to them to surrender, but should
they so do, that would not stench or quench the thirsts of these men (Isa
59:7). They must have blood, the blood of Mansoul, else they die; and it is
from hence that they have their name (Psa 26:9,10; Isa 59:7; Jer 22:17).
Wherefore these Bloodmen he reserved while now that they might, when all
his engines proved ineffectual, as his last and sure card be played against the
town of Mansoul.
Now when the townsmen had received this red-hot summons, it begat in
them at present some changing and interchanging thoughts, but they jointly
agreed, in less than half an hour, to carry the summons to the Prince, the
which they did when they had writ at the bottom of it, Lord, save Mansoul
from bloody men (Psa 59:2).
So he took it, and looked upon it, and considered it, and took notice also
of that short petition that the men of Mansoul had written at the bottom of it,
and called to him the noble Captain Credence, and bid him go, and take
Captain Patience with him, and go and take care of that side of Mansoul that
was beleaguered by the Bloodmen (Heb 6:12,15). So they went and did as
they were commanded, the Captain Credence went and took Captain
Patience, and they both secured that side of Mansoul that was besieged by
the Bloodmen.
310