Since the Lord Mayor confronted Diabolus with such boldness, the giant called a council of war. Apollyon, the council president, advised its wicked members to withdraw to the plain since the castle holds all the captains and godly fear was the keeper of its gates. By withdrawing, he said Mansoul will be glad of some little ease, and it may be of their own accord. They again may begin to be careless. If this happens, it will be an even bigger blow than we can possibly give them ourselves. But if that should fail, our going forth within the town may draw the captains out after us, and you know what it costs them when we fought them in the field before. Besides, if we can draw them out into the field, we may lay an ambush behind the town, and when they are in the open, we can rush in and take possession of the castle." Look to it, Mansoul. But Beelzebub stood up and replied, it is impossible to draw them all out from the castle. Be sure of this, some will stay there to protect it. Therefore, it would be futile to attempt it unless we were sure that they will all come out. He therefore concluded, that what was done must be done by some other means. Look to it, Mansoul. And I know Sister Brielle knows the answer to this, but young people, do you know what the castle in Mansoul was? No one was paying attention to Sister Brielle last week? Sister Brielle. It's the heart of Mansoul. That's where all the captains were, and also godly fear. And they can't capture Mansoul, even if they've come into the town and caused the corruptions, the Diabolonians within the town, to cause havoc inside the town. Unless they have the castle, they're not going to have any part of it. they won't have a victory. But verse, paragraph three, and the most likely means that the greatest of their heads could invent was that which Apollyon had advised before, namely, to get the townsmen again to sin. For, said Apollyon, it is not our being in the town, nor in the field, nor our fighting, nor our killing of their men that can make us the masters of Mansoul. For as long as there is one in the town able to lift his finger against us, Emmanuel will take their side. And if he takes their side, we know what time of day it will be for us. Therefore, for my part, and in my opinion, he continued, there is no way to enslave them except by inventing a way to make them sin. We're no better off with the army of doubters than we were before. The doubters could have stayed home unless they were made the masters and governors of the castle. For doubters, from a distance, are merely objections disproved with arguments. Indeed, if we can just get them into the hold and take possession of that, the day will be ours. Let us therefore withdraw ourselves into the plane, not expecting that the captains in Mansoul should follow us. But yet I say, let us do this. But before we do so, let us again inform our trusty Diabolonians that are still in their holds of Mansoul and set them to work to betray the town for us, for they indeed must do it. or it will be left undone forever. By these sayings Beelzebub, for I think it was he who gave this counsel, the whole assembly was forced to be of his opinion, namely, that the way to get the castle was to get the town to sin. Then they fell to inventing by what means they might do this thing. Look to it, Mansoul. Look to it, Stephan. Stephan. Oh, are you saying it's time to pray? Well, that's always a good thing to do. Then Lucifer stood up and said, I'll pray in just a minute. And Lucifer stood up and said, the council of Beelzebub is pertinent. Now, the way to bring this to pass, in my opinion, is this. Let us withdraw our force from the town of Mansoul. Let us do this and let us terrify them no more, either with summons or threats or with the noise of our drum or any other awakening means. Only let us lie in the field at a distance and be as if we ignored them, for scares I see, only awaken them and make them more armed and ready. I feel bad that I scared off Stephan. I have also another strategy in my head. You know Mansoul is a market town and a town that delights in commerce. Therefore, what if some of our Diabolonians pretend to be men from a far country and shall go out and bring to the market of Mansoul some of our wares to sell? It does not matter what it is or what rates they sell them, even if it is for half the worth. Now, let those that will trade in their market be those who are witty and true to us, and I will wager my crown. It will work. There are two who have come to my thoughts already. Two, I think, will be cunning in this work, and they are Mr. Pennywise Pound Foolish and Mr. Get an Acre, Lose a County. Neither one is inferior to the other. What if you also join with them Mr. Sweet World and Mr. Present Good? They are civil and cunning men, but are true friends and helpers. Let these, with as many more, engage in this business for us, and let Mansoul be taken up in much business. and let them grow full and rich. This is the way to gain ground from them. Do you not remember that this is how we prevailed upon Laodicea and how many at present hold in this snare? Now, when they begin to grow full, they will forget their misery. And if we shall not frighten them, they may happen to fall asleep and so fall into neglecting their town watch, their castle watch, as well as their watch at the gates. Look to it. Yes, may we not by this means hinder Mansoul with abundance that they shall be forced to make their castle a warehouse instead of a garrison fortified against us and a receptacle of men of war. Thus, if we get our goods and commodities there, I calculate that the castle would be more than half hours. Besides, could we so order it that it should be filled with our kind of wares? Then, if we made a sudden assault upon them, it would be hard for the captains to take shelter there. Do you not know that of the parable, the world, excuse me, the word is choked by the cares and riches and pleasure of life. And again, when hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, all mischief comes upon them unawares. Furthermore, my lords, he continued, you very well know that It is not easy for a people to be filled with our things and not to have some of our diabolonians as retainers in their houses and services. Where is a Mansoulian who is full of this world that has not had Mr. Profuse or Mr. Prodigality as his servants and waiting men, or some other of the Diabolonian gang, such as Mr. Voluptuous, Mr. Pragmatical, Mr. Ostentation, or the like? Now, these can take the castle of Mansoul, or blow it up, or make it unfit for a garrison for Emmanuel. and any of these will do, yes? These, being small details I know, may do it for us sooner than an army of 20,000 men. Therefore, to end as I began, my advice is that we quietly withdraw ourselves, not offering any further force or forcible attempts upon the castle, at least at this time, and let us start our new project. Let us see if that will not make them destroy themselves. Look to it, Mansoul. And you remember that, and for the sake of those who are only joining us for the first time, these parentheses that are, or these brackets that are a part of a side note from the paragraph, were included by Bunyan for the publisher, because these were things that he wanted people to be aware of, Christians to be aware of. So there was that look to it, Mansoul, in this. And I wondered about this in the paragraph, that Lucifer is saying, yes, these being small details I know, may do it for us sooner than an army of 10,000 men. I'm I I haven't found it. I I tried to look it up briefly, but I'm not wonder I'm wondering if if this isn't the place where the expression the devil's in the details comes from might be interesting as Written long enough ago. It could be where that where that saying came from Continuing, this advice was highly applauded by them all and was accounted the very masterpiece of hell, namely, to choke Mansoul with the fullness of this world and to feed her heart with the world's good things until it was glutted and overstuffed. But see how things meet together? Just as this Diabolonian council had dispersed, Captain Credence received a letter from Emmanuel, the contents of which was this, that upon the third day, he would meet him in the field in the plains about Mansoul. Meet me in the field, exclaimed the captain. What could my lord mean by this? I do not know what he means by meeting him in the field. So he took the note in his hand and carried it to my Lord's secretary to ask his thoughts on it. For my Lord was a seer in all matters concerning the king and also for the good and comfort of the town of Mansoul. Who is the Lord's secretary? The Holy Spirit. Good job. Oh, Ruth is here today. Hey, Ruth. Let's see. So he showed my Lord the note and desired his opinion of it. For my part, said Captain Credence, I do not know its meaning. And Captain Credence, what would be another name for him? Young people. Come on, Sister Brill, I know you know it. Yes, that's it, starts with a B. Belief, that's it, Captain Credence's belief. So incredulity would be? Unbelief, you know, but yeah, but he wouldn't be a captain. He's in charge of the other army. These are the charge of the army of doubters on the other side diabolonians So my lord took it and read it and No, I do not know its meaning. So my Lord took and read it. After a little pause, he said, the Diabolonians have had a great consultation against Mansoul today. They have, I say, this day been contriving the utter ruin of the town, and the result of their counsel is to set Mansoul into such a way which, if taken, will surely make her destroy herself. And to this end, they are making ready for their own departure out of the town, intending to retreat to the field again and there to be continued.