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They are ridiculed, reproached, and examined.

One chanced mockingly, beholding the carriage of the men, to say unto them, "What will ye buy?" But they, looking gravely upon him, said, "We buy the truth." (Prov. xxiii. 23.) At that, there was an occasion taken to despise the men the more; some mocking, some taunting, some speaking reproachfully, and some calling upon others to smite them. At last things came to a hubbub, and a great stir in the fair, insomuch that all order was confounded. Now was word presently brought to the great one of the fair, who quickly came down, and deputed some of his most trusty friends to take those men into an examination, about whom the fair was almost overturned. So the men were brought to examination; and they that sat upon them asked them, whence they came, whither they went, and what they did there in such an unusual garb. The men told them, that they were pilgrims and strangers in the world, and that they were going to their own country, which was the heavenly Jerusalem: (Heb. xi. 13-16.) and that they had given no occasion to the men of the town, nor yet to the merchandizers, thus to abuse them, and to stop them in their journey, except it was for that, when one asked them what they would buy, they said they would buy the truth. But they that were appointed to examine them, did not be

transformed by the renewing of their mind." Their "speech;" which is the "language of Canaan," spiritual conversation, "with grace seasoned with salt." And their dispositions: they trample those things under their feet, upon which the men of the world set their hearts. There is a curious coincidence respecting one of Mr. Bunyan's contemporaries, and doubtless one of his friends. Mr. Edward Hunt, commonly called "Holy Hunt of Hitchin," was one day passing through the market-place there, when mountebanks were performing. One cried after him, "Look there, Mr. Hunt!' Turning his head another way, he replied, "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity."

See Mr. James's Versification, &c. p. 118.

The Pilgrims are beat, imprisoned,

lieve them to be any other than bedlams and mad, or else such as came to put all things into a confusion in the fair. Therefore they took them and beat them, and besmeared them with dirt, and then put them into the cage, that they might be made a spectacle to all the men of the fair. There therefore they lay for some time, and were made the objects of any man's sport, or malice, or revenge; the great one of the fair laughing still at all that befel them. But the men being patient, and "not rendering rail ing for railing, but contrariwise blessing," and giving good words for bad, and kindness for injuries done, some men in the fair, that were more observing and less prejudiced than the rest, began to check and blame the baser sort for their continual abuses done by them to the men. They therefore in angry manner let fly at them again, counting them as bad as the men in the cage, and telling them that they seemed confederates, and should be made partakers of their misfortunes. The others replied, that, for aught they could see, the men were quiet and sober, and intended nobody any harm; and that there were many who traded in their fair, that were more worthy to be put into the cage, yea, and pillory too, than were the men whom they had abused. Thus, after divers words had passed on both sides, (the men behaving themselves all the while very wisely and soberly before them,) they fell to blows. among themselves, and did harm one to another. Then were these two poor men brought before their examiners again, and there charged as being guilty of the late hubbub that had been in the fair. So they beat them pitifully, and hanged irons upon them, and led them in chains up and down the fair, for an example and terror to others, lest any should speak in their behalf, or join themselves unto them. But Christian and Faithful behaved themselves yet

and threatened with death.

more wisely, and received the ignominy and shame that were cast upon them, with so much meekness and patience, that it won to their side (though but few in comparison of the rest) several of the men in the fair. This put the other party into a still greater rage, insomuch that they concluded the death of these two men. Wherefore they threatened, that neither cage nor irons should serve their turn, but that they should die for the abuse they had done, and for deluding the men of the fair.

The manner in which the fair was governed, seems to have reference to Sturbridge Fair. See the History of it before mentioned. "The fair is like a well governed city, and less disorders and confusion are to be seen there than in any other place where is so great a concourse of people. Here is a court of justice always open from morning till night, where the mayor of Cambridge, or his deputy, sits as judge, determining all controversies in matters arising from the business of the fair, and seeing that the peace thereof is kept. For which purpose he has eight servants called red-coats, attending him during the time of the fair, one or other of whom is constantly at hand in most parts of the fair; and if any disputes arise between buyer and seller, &c. on calling out Red Coat, you have instantly one or more running to you. And if the dispute is not quickly decided, the offender is carried to the said court, where the case is decided in a summary way, from which sentence there lies no appeal." It is not improbable that the malpractices of these officers, possessing a little brief authority, led Mr. Bunyan to use the expression, "Here are to be seen too, false-swearers, and that of a blood-red colour." The "great one of the fair" refers to the civil magistrate; and the reason why such insults were offered to the pilgrims was, their determination to prefer "the truth" to every thing else, and their readiness to part with every thing to possess it. Despised as they had been before for their puritanical manners, they were now much more despised for their opinions as nonconformists, and this was the only provocation for their being treated with such contempt and indignity. The patience and resignation of the pilgrims weli represent the meekness and submission with which the persecuted nonconformists bore their sufferings, and which were instrumental in the conversion of many who joined their churches even during that period. The charging of religious principles as the cause of that confusion which arises from the enmity of men's hearts

The Pilgrims again imprisoned.

Then were they remanded to the cage, until further order should be taken with them. So they put them in, and made their feet fast in the stocks."

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against the truth, is an old artifice of the enemies of christianity; and this accusation was very illiberally exhibited against the nonconformists, whose only crime consisted in refusing to give up their principles, and to conform in every thiug to the Act of Uniformity. There is no doubt but Mr. Bunyan intended particularly to represent the rude manner in which he was treated, merely for preaching the gospel in private houses, without using the common prayer-book. The confusion which attended all the illegal proceedings against him, and the malice of his persecutors, are strongly portrayed in this scene of riot and cruelty. There is a passage in the conversation of Mr. Bunyan, when in prison, with Mr. Cobb, the Clerk of the Peace, at Bedford, on the power of the chief magistrate in matters of religion, which, because it illustrates what is said of the "meekness and patience" of the pilgrims, I shall transcribe. Mr. Cobb having said, "The powers that be are ordained of God;" Mr. Bunyan answered, "I acknowledge that I am to submit to the king as supreme; and also to governors, as to them that are sent by him." "Well then," said Mr. Cobb, the king commands you, that you should not have any private meetings, because it is against his law; and he is ordained of God, therefore you should not have any." To this Mr. Bunyan answered, "Paul did own the powers that were in his day, to be of God, and yet he was often in prison under them for all that. And also, though Jesus Christ told Pilate, that he had no power against him but of God, yet he died under the same Pilate; and yet I hope you will not say that either Paul or Christ were such as did deny magistracy, and so sinned against God in slighting the ordinance. Sir," added Mr. Bunyan, "the law has provided two ways of obeying ;-the one, to do that which I in my conscience do believe I am bound to do, actively; and where I cannot obey actively, there I am willing to lie down, and suffer what they shall do unto me." This reply contains the reasons of the nonconformists for refusing to submit to laws injurious to the rights of conscience and of private judgment; and furnishes a specimen of the spirit with which thousands of them suffered, under the operations of the Conventicle and other Acts, in the reign of Charles II. when their losses were esti mated in fines, &c. at half a million of money.

b Below the picture of Vanity Fair :

Behold Vanity Fair! The pilgrims there

Are chain'd and stoned beside:

Even so it was our Lord pass'd here,
And on mount Calvary died

They are brought to Trial.

Here therefore they called to mind what they had heard from their faithful friend Evangelist, and were the more confirmed in their ways and sufferings, by what he told them would happen to them. They also now comforted each other, that whose lot it was to suffer, even he should have the best of it; therefore each man secretly wished that he might have that preferment. But committing themselves to the all wise disposal of him that ruleth all things, with much content they abode in the condition in which they were, until they should be otherwise disposed of.

Then a convenient time being appointed, they brought them forth to their trial, in order to their condemnation. When the time was come, they were brought before their enemies, and arraigned. The judge's name was Lord Hate-good; their indictment was one and the same in substance, though somewhat varying in form; the contents whereof were

It is peculiar to christians to " count it all joy when they fall into divers temptations," James i. 2. Knowing that all events are under the direction and control of their heavenly Father, they rest assured that "all things work together for good to them that love God," Rom. viii. 28. When Paul and Silas were confined in prison at Philippi, and their feet made fast in the stocks, they prayed and sang praises to God even at midnight, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the sake of Jesus. So when Mr. Bunyan was committed to Bedford gaol by Mr. Francis Wingate, a justice of the peace, he writes during the first week of his imprisonment, "And verily, as I was going forth of the doors, I had much ado to forbear saying to them, that I carried the peace of God along with me: but I held my peace, and blessed be the Lord, went away to prison with God's comfort in my soul." Again he says, 66 Thus have I in short declared the manner and occasion of my being in prison, where I lie waiting the good will of God, to do with me as he pleaseth; knowing that not one hair of my head can fall to the ground without the will of my Father who is in heaven. Let the rage and malice of men be ever so great, they can do no more, nor go any farther, than God permits them: but when they have done their work, "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." LIFE, p. 128, 129.

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