And now to the second part of the question, which concerns the tradesman you
mentioned. Suppose such an one to have but a poor employ in the world, but by
becoming religious he may mend his market, perhaps get a rich wife, or more and
far better customers to his shop; for my part, I see no reason but this may be
lawfully done. For why?
1. To become
religious is a virtue, by what means soever a man becomes so.
2. Nor is it
unlawful to get a rich wife, or more custom to my shop.
3. Besides, the
man that gets these by becoming religious, gets that which is good of them that
are good, by becoming good himself; so then here is a good wife, and good
customers, and good gain, and all these by becoming religious, which is good:
therefore, to become religious to get all these is a good and profitable
design.
This answer, thus
made by Mr. Money-love to Mr. By-ends’ question, was highly applauded by them
all; wherefore they concluded, upon the whole, that it was most wholesome and
advantageous. And because, as they thought, no man was able to contradict it;
and because Christian and Hopeful were yet within call, they jointly agreed to
assault them with the question as soon as they overtook them; and the rather,
because they had opposed Mr. By-ends before. So they called after them, and
they stopped and stood still till they came up to them; but they concluded, as
they went, that not Mr. By-ends, but old Mr. Hold-the-world should propound the
question to them, because, as they supposed, their answer to him would be
without the remainder of that heat that was kindled betwixt Mr. By-ends and
them at their parting a little before.
So they came up
to each other, and after a short salutation, Mr. Hold-the-world propounded the
question to Christian and his fellow, and then bid them to answer if they
could.
Then said Christian,
Even a babe in religion may answer ten thousand such questions. For if it be
unlawful to follow Christ for loaves, as it is, how much more abominable is it to
make of him and religion a stalking-horse to get and enjoy the world! Nor do we
find any other than heathens, hypocrites, devils, and wizards, that are of this
opinion.
1. Heathens: for
when Hamor and Shechem had a mind to the daughter and cattle of Jacob, and saw
that there was no way for them to come at them but by being circumcised, they
said to their companions, If every male of us be circumcised, as they are
circumcised, shall not their cattle, and their substance, and every beast of
theirs be ours? Their daughters and their cattle were that which they sought to
obtain, and their religion the stalking-horse they made use of to come at them.
Read the whole story,
2. The
hypocritical Pharisees were also of this religion: long prayers were their
pretence, but to get widows’ houses was their intent; and greater damnation was
from God their judgment.
3. Judas the
devil was also of this religion: he was religious for the bag, that he might be
possessed of what was put therein; but he was lost, cast away, and the very son
of perdition.
4. Simon the
wizard was of this religion too; for he would have had the Holy Ghost, that he
might have got money therewith: and his sentence from Peter’s mouth was
according.
5. Neither will
it go out of my mind, but that that man who takes up religion for the world,
will throw away religion for the world; for so surely as Judas designed the
world in becoming religious, so surely did he also sell religion and his Master
for the same. To answer the question, therefore, affirmatively, as I perceive
you have done, and to accept of, as authentic, such answer, is heathenish,
hypocritical, and devilish; and your reward will be according to your works.
Then they stood
staring one upon another, but had not wherewith to answer Christian. Hopeful
also approved of the soundness of Christian’s answer; so there was a great
silence among them. Mr. By-ends and his company also staggered and kept behind,
that Christian and Hopeful might outgo them. Then said Christian to his fellow,
If these men cannot stand before the sentence of men, what will they do with
the sentence of God? And if they are mute when dealt with by vessels of clay,
what will they do when they shall be rebuked by the flames of a devouring fire?
