The Holy War – John Bunyan

Mansoul.
'O thou Boanerges, one of my stout and thundering captains, over one
ten thousand of my valiant and faithful servants; go thou in my name, with
this thy force, to the miserable town of Mansoul; and when thou comest
thither, offer them first conditions of peace (Matt 10:11; Luke 10:5), and
command them, that casting off the yoke and tyranny of the wicked
Diabolus, they return to me, their rightful Prince and Lord; command them,
also, that they cleanse themselves from all that is his in the town of Mansoul,
and look to thyself that thou hast good satisfaction touching the truth of their
obedience. Thus when thou hast commanded them, if they in truth submit
thereto, then do thou, to the uttermost of thy power, what in thee lies, to set
up for me a garrison in the famous town of Mansoul; nor do thou hurt the
least native that moveth or breatheth therein, if they will submit themselves
to me, but treat thou such as if they were thy friend or brother--for all such I
love, and they shall be dear unto me--and tell them that I will take a time to
come unto them, and to let them know that I am merciful (1 Thess 2:7-10).
'But if they shall--notwithstanding thy summons, and the production of
thy authority--resist, stand out against thee, and rebel, then do I command
thee to make use of all thy cunning, power, might, and force, to bring them
under by strength of hand. Farewell.'
Thus you see the sum of their commissions, for, as I said before, for the
substance of them they were the same that the rest of the noble captains had.
Wherefore they having received each commander his authority, at the
hand of their King, the day being appointed, and the place of their
rendezvous prefixed, each commander appeared in such gallantry as became
his cause and calling. So, after a new entertainment from Shaddai, with
flying colours, they set forward to march towards the famous town of
Mansoul. Captain Boanerges led the van; Captain Conviction and Captain
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