{205} Faith.  Because I saw you forward to talk, and because I knew not that you had aught else but notion.  Besides, to tell you all the truth, I have heard of you, that you are a man whose religion lies in talk, and that your conversation gives this your mouth-profession the lie.

Faithful’s plain dealing with Talkative

They say, you are a spot among Christians; and that religion fareth the worse for your ungodly conversation; that some have already stumbled at your wicked ways, and that more are in danger of being destroyed thereby; your religion, and an ale-house, and covetousness, and uncleanness, and swearing, and lying, and vain-company keeping, &c., will stand together.  The proverb is true of you which is said of a whore, to wit, that she is a shame to all women; so are you a shame to all professors.

Talk.  Since you are ready to take up reports and to judge so rashly as you do, I cannot but conclude you are some peevish or melancholy man, not fit to be discoursed with; and so adieu.

{206} Chr.  Then came up Christian, and said to his brother, I told you how it would happen:  your words and his lusts could not agree; he had rather leave your company than reform his life.  But he is gone, as I said; let him go, the loss is no man’s but his own; he has saved us the trouble of going from him; for he continuing (as I suppose he will do) as he is, he would have been but a blot in our company:  besides, the apostle says, “From such withdraw thyself.”

Faith.  But I am glad we had this little discourse with him; it may happen that he will think of it again:  however, I have dealt plainly with him, and so am clear of his blood, if he perisheth.

{207} Chr.  You did well to talk so plainly to him as you did; there is but little of this faithful dealing with men now-a-days, and that makes religion to stink so in the nostrils of many, as it doth; for they are these talkative fools whose religion is only in word, and are debauched and vain in their conversation, that (being so much admitted into the fellowship of the godly) do puzzle the world, blemish Christianity, and grieve the sincere.  I wish that all men would deal with such as you have done:  then should they either be made more conformable to religion, or the company of saints would be too hot for them.  Then did Faithful say,

How Talkative at first lifts up his plumes! 
How bravely doth he speak!  How he presumes
To drive down all before him!  But so soon
As Faithful talks of heart-work, like the moon
That’s past the full, into the wane he goes. 
And so will all, but he that heart-work knows.

{208} Thus they went on talking of what they had seen by the way, and so made that way easy which would otherwise, no doubt, have been tedious to them; for now they went through a wilderness.

{209} Now, when they were got almost quite out of this wilderness, Faithful chanced to cast his eye back, and espied one coming after them, and he knew him.  Oh! said Faithful to his brother, who comes yonder?  Then Christian looked, and said, It is my good friend Evangelist.  Ay, and my good friend too, said Faithful, for it was he that set me in the way to the gate.  Now was Evangelist come up to them, and thus saluted them: