Season 5 Podcast 118 Revision John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 35 Chapter 7 B, “In The World but not of the World.”

Season 5 Podcast 118 Revision John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, Episode 35 Chapter 7 B, “In The World but not of the World.” 

In last week’s episode, after the martyrdom of Faithful by the people of Vanity Fair, Hopeful, who is converted by observing Faithful and Christian, joins Christian on his journey to the Celestial City. They meet Mr. By-ends from the town of Fair-Speech. Fair-Speech is a very wealthy town and its citizens very proud. 

In this week’s episode we meet other citizens of the Town of Fair Speech. Their names symbolize their vices: my Lord Turnabout, my Lord Timeserver, my Lord Fair-speech, Mr. Smooth-man, Mr. Facing-both-ways, Mr. Anything; Mr. Two-tongues, the parson of our parish, my Lady Feigning's daughter, Mr. hold-the-world, Mr. Money-love, Mr. Save-All, and Mr. Gripe-man

 Mr. By-Ends, who is also on a pilgrimage to the Celestial City parts ways with Christian and Hopeful and travels at a slower pace because he is unwilling to give up his old vices. Christian continues to question By-ends.

“CHRIS. Are you a married man?

BY. Yes, and my wife is a very virtuous woman, the daughter of a virtuous woman; she was my Lady Feigning's daughter: therefore she came of a very honorable family, and is arrived to such a pitch of breeding, that she knows how to carry it to all, even to prince and peasant. 'Tis true we somewhat differ in religion from those of the stricter sort, yet but in two small points: First, we never strive against wind and tide; secondly, we are always most zealous when Religion is well dressed and goes in his silver slippers: we love much to walk with him in the street if the sun shines and the people praise him.”

Webster defines feigning as “to give a false appearance of: induce as a false impression. To assert as if true: pretend.” Some synonyms are to act, bluff, fake, affect, counterfeit, dissemble, or sham. The “honorable family” Mr. By-ends is speaking of is a genealogy of deceit and distortion of truth. One can only imagine the traits of their children. 

Christian become suspicious of Mr. By-ends. The name “By-ends” suggests that the ends justify the means regardless of the morality. 

“Then Christian stepped a little aside to his fellow Hopeful, saying, "It runs in my mind that this is one By-ends, of Fair-speech; and if it be he, we have as very a knave in our company as dwelleth in all these parts." Then said Hopeful, "Ask him; methinks he should not be ashamed of his name." So Christian came up with him again, and said, "Sir, you talk as if you knew something more than all the world doth; and if I take not my mark amiss, I deem I have half a guess of you. Is not your name Mr. By-ends, of Fair-speech."

Mr. By-ends denies his name, claiming it is a nickname given to him unfairly. Mr. By-ends does not recognize his own hypocrisy.

“BY. This is not my name; but, indeed, it is a nickname that is given me by some that cannot abide me, and I must be content to bear it as a reproach, as other good men have borne theirs before me.

CHRIS. But did you never give an occasion to men to call you by this name?

BY. Never, never! The worst that ever I did to give them an occasion to give me this name was, that I had always the luck to jump in my judgment with the present way of the times, whatever it was, and my chance was to gain thereby. But if things are thus cast upon me, let me count them a blessing; but let not the malicious load me therefore with reproach." 

The clue to his character is by his own admission, “that I had always the luck to jump in my judgment with the present way of the times, whatever it was.” Mr. By-ends is an opportunist. In other words, he is not ruled by absolute morals. He is ruled by the opportunity of the moment and the fads of the day regardless of the morality. Christian speaks plainly to him.