There is the wilfully ignorant professor, or he that is afraid to know more for fear of the cross.  He is for picking and choosing of truth, and loveth not to hazard his all for that worthy name by which he would be called.  When he is at any time overset by arguments or awakenings of conscience, he uses to heal all by, “I was not brought up in this faith;” as if it were unlawful for Christians to know more than hath been taught them at first conversion.  There are many scriptures that lie against this man, as the mouths of great guns.

There is another professor; and he is for God and for Baal too:  he can be any thing for any company; he can throw stones with both hands; his religion alters as fast as his company; he is a frog of Egypt, and can live in the water and out of the water; he can live in religious company, and again as well out.  Nothing that is disorderly comes amiss to him; he can hold with the hare and run with the hound; he carries fire in one hand and water in the other; he is a very, any thing but what he should be.  This is also one of the many that “will seek to enter in, and will not be able.”

Christian and Hopeful, after their headstrong manner, (said Mr. By-ends,) conclude that it is their duty to rush on their journey all weathers; and I am for waiting for wind and tide.  They are for hazarding all for God at a clap; and I am for taking all advantages to secure my life and estate.  They are for holding their notions, though all other men be against them; but I am for religion in what and so far as the times and any safety will bear it.  They are for religion when in rags and contempt; but I am for him when he walks in golden slippers, in the sunshine, and with applause.

Then I saw in my dream that Christian and Hopeful forsook him, and kept their distance before him; but one of them looking back, saw three men following Mr. By-ends; and behold, as they came up with him he made them a very low congee, and they also gave him a compliment.  The men’s names were, Mr. Hold-the-world, Mr, Money-love, and Mr. Save-all; men that Mr. By-ends had formerly been acquainted with, for in their minority they were schoolfellows, and were taught by one Mr. Gripe-man, a schoolmaster in Love-gain, which is a market-town in the county of Coveting, in the North.  This schoolmaster taught them the art of getting, either by violence, cozenage, flattery, lying, or by putting on a guise of religion; and these four gentlemen had attained much of the art of their master, so that they could each of them have kept such a school themselves.

The Interpreter takes them out into his garden, and had them to a tree whose inside was all rotten and gone, and yet it grew and had leaves.  Then said Mercy, “What means this?” “This tree,” said he, “whose outside is fair and whose inside is rotten, is it which may be compared to them that are in the garden of God, who with their mouths speak high in behalf of God, but in deed will do nothing for him; whose leaves are fair, but their heart good for nothing but to be tinder for the devil’s tinder-box.”