CHAPTER 13
WEEK 4 – THURSDAY
Pilgrims at Vanity Fair (2)
One of the fairgoers, wishing to mock these men, asked them insolently, "What will you buy?" And they, looking at him very seriously, replied, "We buy the truth" (Proverbs 23:23).
This response brought new scorn upon them. Some mocked them; others insulted them; others ridiculed them; and there were those who proposed beating them with sticks. Eventually, things escalated to such a point that a great uproar arose in the fair, completely disrupting order. When these events reached the ears of the chief magistrate, he came to the scene of the commotion and assigned some of his most trusted friends to investigate those who had caused the disturbance.
The pilgrims were questioned, and the judges asked them where they came from, where they were going, and what they were doing there in such strange clothing. — "We are pilgrims in the world," they replied, "and we are headed to our homeland, which is the Celestial Jerusalem" (Hebrews 11:13–16). "We have given no cause for the inhabitants of this city or the merchants to mistreat us in this way or to hinder our journey: we merely responded to those who invited us to buy their goods that we only desired to buy the truth."
But the court declared that they were mad and had come specifically to disturb the public peace. Therefore, they were arrested, beaten severely, covered in mud, and thrown into a cage to be made a spectacle to all the people at the fair. In that condition, they remained for some time, the object of entertainment, malice, or vengeance from those around them.
The crowd laughed at all the insults. Yet others, more observant and impartial, seeing how patient and long-suffering the pilgrims were, that they did not return curses for curses but gave blessings instead, and that they answered insults and abuse with gentle words, began to calm the crowd and rebuke them for their unjust and shameful behavior. But the enraged people turned against these as well, saying they were no better than those in the cage and, suspecting them of being accomplices, threatened them with the same punishment.
Those who had taken the side of the prisoners answered forcefully, saying that the pilgrims had shown themselves to be serious and peaceable people, that they had done no harm to anyone, and that there were many vendors in the fair who deserved far more to be put in the cage—and even to be placed in the pillory¹—instead of those poor men who had been so mistreated. The arguments continued until things turned violent, and many were injured.
The prisoners, who had conducted themselves with great wisdom and temperance, were brought once again before the magistrates and accused of having caused the uproar. They were brutally beaten, shackled, and paraded throughout the fair as a warning and punishment to the others, to deter anyone from defending them or joining their cause.
Christian and Faithful behaved with great prudence and bore the shame and dishonor with patience and meekness, so much so that they gained the sympathy of a few fairgoers, though only a small number. This sympathy utterly enraged the opposing party, who resolved to kill the pilgrims. They immediately threatened them with death, saying that prison was not enough—they must be condemned to the ultimate penalty for the disturbance they caused and for having deceived the fairgoers. They were once again locked in the cage, chained to a block, while their final fate was being decided.
Then the pilgrims remembered what Evangelist had told them, and this memory helped prepare them even more for suffering and strengthened their resolve. They also consoled one another with the thought that whoever suffered the most would receive the better reward, so both of them inwardly wished to be the chosen one, yet they committed themselves entirely into the hands of Him who disposes all things with supreme wisdom and justice. In this frame of mind, they waited for what was to come.
The trial proceeded, and when the day of judgment arrived, the pilgrims were brought to the court and publicly accused. The judge was Doctor Hate-Good, and the main charges were as follows: that the defendants were enemies and disruptors of commerce, that they had incited disorder and conflict in the city, and that they had formed a faction in support of their extremely dangerous opinions, in open contempt of the laws of the reigning prince.
Faithful requested to speak in his defense and said: "As for me, I opposed only him who first rose up against the One who is above all. I have not caused any disturbance; I am a man of peace. Those who defended us did so because they saw our truth and innocence; those who acted thus merely went from a worse state to a better one. As for the king you speak of—Beelzebub, the enemy of our Lord—I defy him and all his followers."
A proclamation was then made that all who had anything to say in favor of His Majesty the king and against the defendants should come forward immediately to testify. Three witnesses appeared: Envy, Superstition, and Flattery. They were asked if they knew the defendant and what they had to say against him and in favor of the king. Envy stepped forward and spoke as follows:
Envy – Honorable Judge, I have known this man for a long time, and I declare under oath before this court that...
Judge – Wait, wait. Please take the oath.
After this formality, Envy continued:
— Sir, this man, despite his good reputation, is one of the worst in our land, for he has no respect for the prince, nor for the people, nor the law, nor our customs, and he does all he can to spread his dreadful ideas, which he usually calls principles of faith and holiness.
In short, I heard from the defendant’s own mouth that Christianity and the customs of our town, Vanity, are diametrically opposed and cannot possibly be reconciled. Therefore, Your Honor, he not only condemns our honorable customs but also everyone who practices and follows them.
Judge – Do you have anything more to add?
Envy – Much more, but I fear to weary you. However, if needed, I can extend my testimony after the other witnesses have spoken, to ensure nothing is lacking for the condemnation of the accused.
Judge – You may step down.
Next came Superstition. She was instructed to look at the defendant and tell what she knew against him in favor of the king. After taking the oath, she spoke as follows:
Superstition – Your Honor, I don’t know this man well, nor do I wish to; however, from a conversation I had with him in this city, I know he is very dangerous. I heard him say that our religion is vain and that through it no one can please God. From this, it must be concluded that, in the defendant’s view, our worship is worthless, our sins remain, and our condemnation is certain. That is all I have to say.
Then came the sworn testimony of Flattery, who spoke against the accused:
Flattery – Honorable Judge and members of the court, I have known this man for a long time, and I’ve heard him say things that should never be uttered. He has insulted our exalted prince Beelzebub and spoken with contempt about his noble friends, such as Mr. Old-Man, Mr. Carnal-Delight, Mr. Ease, Mr. Vain-Glory, the venerable elder Mr. Lust, Sir Gluttony, and many others of our highest nobility. He has even said that if everyone thought like him, not one of these distinguished gentlemen would remain in this city. Moreover, even Your Honor, who has been appointed as his judge, has not escaped his slander. He has called you a rogue, a godless man, and other insulting and injurious names, as he generally does with most of the city’s eminent figures.
_________________
¹ Pillory: a wooden or stone post set up in a public place where criminals or slaves were punished and publicly exposed. It served as a symbol of the authority and power of local justice.
Enjoy more:
No comments:
Post a Comment