John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress (paid link) is one of the bestselling books ever written, never out of print since 1678. By way of brief background: It is written as though the narrator dreamt the story, and is an extended allegory of the Christian’s journey through life. The protagonist is called Christian (and all the other people and places have names that betray their character). The story starts with Christian feeling miserable in the City of Destruction, until he meets Evangelist who sets him on the right path. The story ends with his entrance into the Celestial City.
I’m using an edition (paid link) that has been translated into Modern English, but is otherwise faithful to the original.
At one point in the book, Christian is travelling with a fellow-pilgrim named Faithful. They came to a town. “The name of the town is Vanity. A fair is set up in the town, and it is called the Vanity Fair. It is held there year round.” (Page 117)
I was reflecting on the way in which Christians will never be at home in a world that lives for empty things that are passing, and on the hostility that Christians face in this country and around the world. That reflection led me to re-read the chapter on Vanity Fair. The whole chapter, indeed the whole book, pays reading in full. But here are some quotations from that chapter. I invite you to read them, and to reflect prayerfully on what it’s like to live faithfully to God whilst just passing through the world.
“The Prince of princes himself, when here, went through this town to His country, and it happened on a fair-day, too. Yes, and as I think, it was Beelzebub, the chief ruler of this fair, who invited Him to purchase his meaningless things; and he would have made Him lord of the fair if He would have only worshipped him as he went through the town.
“Because the Prince was such an honourable person, Beelzebub led Him from street to street and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in just a short time so that he might (if possible) allure that Blessed One to cheapen himself and buy some of his meaningless things. Since He had no desire for the merchandise, He left the town without laying down so much as one penny for those worthless things.” (Pages 118-120)
As the Pilgrims moved through Vanity Fair, three things about them put the town into a hubbub. Bunyan invites us to consider both how we view the world, and how the world views us.
“First – the Pilgrims were dressed in a kind of clothing that was different of any of those who traded in that fair. The people of the fair, therefore, stared at them a great deal. Some said they were fools, some that they were lunatics, and some that they were freaks.
“Second – just as they wondered at their apparel, so likewise they wondered at their speech, for few could understand what they said. They naturally spoke the language of Canaan, but those who kept the fair were the men of this world. So from one end of the fair to the other they seemed barbarians to each other.
“Third – and that which greatly amazed the merchandisers, these Pilgrims held all their wares as so unimportant. They did not case so much as even to look at them, and if they called upon them to buy, they would look upwards (signifying their trade and business was in Heaven) and put their fingers in their ears and cry, ‘Turn my eyes away from worthless things.’
“One individual, seeing how the men conducted themselves, mockingly risked to say to them, ‘What do you intend to buy?’
“They looked upon him seriously and said, ‘We buy the truth.’” (Page 120)
They are both arrested, accused of causing a disturbance. Eventually, Faithful is chosen to stand trial. Three witnesses testify against them: Envy, Superstition and Gainglory. Here is the account of the testimony brought by Envy:
“Your Honour, in spite of his credible name, this man is one of the vilest men in our country. He does not regard either ruler or people, or law or custom, but instead does everything he can to instil in all men certain of his disloyal notions, which he generally calls Principles of Faith and Holiness. In particular, I heard him myself once declare that Christianity and the customs of our Town of Vanity were diametrically opposite and could not be reconciled. By saying this, Your honour, he immediately not only condemns all our noble acts but also us for doing them.” (Page 123)
After the 3 witnesses have spoken, Faithful asks for the chance to speak in his own defence. Strikingly, Judge Hate Good has already decided that he deserves death; he allows him to speak so that they may be seen to be gentle (even though they are not). Here is his defence:
“Faithful answered, ‘May I speak a few words in my own defence?’
“‘Shame! Shame!’ said the judge. ‘You deserve to live no longer but to be put to death immediately right here on the spot. Yet, so that all men may see our gentleness toward you, let us hear what you have to say.’
“Faithful began his defence, saying, ‘In answer then to what Mr Envy has said, I never said anything but this: Whatever rule, or law, or custom, or people is flatly against the Word of God is also diametrically opposite to Christianity. If I have spoken wrongly in that, convince me of the error, and I’m ready to recant it here before you.’
“‘As to the second, that is, Mr Superstition and his charge against me,’ continued Faithful, ‘I said only this: In the worship of God there is required a divine faith; but there can be no divine faith without a divine revelation of the will of God. Whatever, therefore, is thrust into the worship of God that is not agreeable to divine revelation, it cannot be done except by human faith, and that is faith that will not gain anyone eternal life.’
“‘As for what Mr Gainglory has said,’ continued Faithful, ‘avoiding argument that I am said to scoff and the like, I say that the ruler of this town, with all the riffraff – his attendants who were named by this gentleman – are more fit for being in Hell than in this town and country. And so, the Lord have mercy on me.’” (Pages 124-126)
It’s interesting to compare Envy’s speech against the Pilgrim’s with Faithful’s reply. All he said was that any custom that is against the word of God is opposite to Christianity. What the people heard was that the customs of the Town of Vanity were opposite to Christianity. He therefore spoke not only against their actions but against them.
To uphold the Word of God is to be heard as speaking against the world that rejects it, which is why Christians are opposed in the way they are.
The jury deliberate, and each juror writes their own statement (which are found to agree giving a unanimous verdict):
“The most prominent among them and the foreman, Mr Blindman, said, ‘I see clearly that this man is an heretic.’
“The Mr Nogood said, ‘Away with such a fellow from the earth!’
“‘Yes,’ said Mr Malice, ‘for I have the very looks of him.’
“Then Mr Lovelust said, ‘I never could endure him.’
“‘Nor I,’ said Mr Liveloose, ‘for he would always be condemning my way,’
“‘Hang him! Hang him!’ said Mr Heady.
“‘A sorry scrub,’ said Mr Highminded,
“‘My heart rises up against him,’ said Mr Enmity.
“‘He’s a rogue,’ said Mr Liar.
“‘Hanging is too good for him,’ said Mr Cruelty.
“‘Let’s dispatch him out of the way,’ said Mr Hatelight.
“Then Mr Nosatisfying said, ‘Even if I had the whole world given to me, I couldn’t be reconciled to him. Therefore, let’s at once bring him in guilty of death.’
“And so they did.” (Page 127)
Aside from the creative names that Bunyan gave to his jurors, it’s also worth noting the feelings that these ordinary men, peers of those on trial, had.
Faithful was duly executed by a cruel combination of execution methods, the last being burnt at the stake. Doubtless, Bunyan had the protestant Maryan martyrs in view. We need to end with how this portion of the Pilgrim’s Progress ends, following Faithful up beyond his death. Ultimately, it is the hope we have that will keep modern-day pilgrim’s faithful to their Lord.
“Now I saw that behind the multitude there stood a chariot and a team of horses waiting for Faithful, who as soon as his adversaries had taken his life was taken up into it and immediately carried up through the clouds with the sound of the trumpet. He was taken by the nearest way to the Celestial gate.
“But as for Christian, he had some rest and was remanded back to prison, where he remained for a time. But He Who Rules Over All Things, having the power of their rage in His own hand, turned things around so that Christian escaped for the moment and went his way. As he went he sang:
“Well, Faithful, thou has faithfully profest
Unto thy Lord, with Him thou shalt be blest;
When faithless ones, with all their vain delights,
Are crying out under their hellish plights:
Sing, Faithful, sing, and let thy Name survive;
For tho’ they kill’d thee, thou art yet alive.” (Pages 127-8)
[The meter is 10.10.10.10.10.10. If you fancy singing Christian's song with him, it goes best to Orlando Gibbons tune "Song 1" (O thou, who at thy eucharist didst pray). If you don't know that one, you could sing to Yorkshire by John Wainwright (Christians, awake - salute the happy morn), but it really doesn't go as well because lines 3 and 4 are upbeat lines in that tune which doesn't fit with Christian's words.]
Let me close with one of the final verses of 1 Peter:
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:10)
Be faithful, my dear brothers and sisters, even unto death.
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