ity, whereas she has no
purity, but purity of dress, and as for her portion it will not be long
in existence, there being an inveterate cancer in it, even as there is in
her own body."

"Well, here is a proof," said I, "that one never ought to judge by
appearances." "Yes," said he, "but come away, and I will show you
something more." Whereupon he transported me up to where stood the
churches of the city of Perdition, for every body in it had an appearance
of faith, even in the age of Disbelief. First we went to the temple of
Heathenism, where I could see some adoring the form of a man, others that
of the sun, others that of the moon, and an innumerable quantity of
similar other gods, even down to leek and garlick, and a great goddess
termed _Delusion_, obtaining general adoration, although you might see
something of the remnants of the Christian faith amongst some of these
people. Thence we went to a meeting of Dummies, where there was nothing
but groaning, and shivering, and beating the breast. "Though there is
here," said the angel, "an appearance of repentance and great submission,
there is nothing in reality, but opinionativeness and obstinacy, and
pride, and thick, thick darkness. Notwithstanding they talk so much
about their _internal light_, they have not even the spectacle-glasses of
nature which the heathens have, whom you lately saw." From these dumb
dogs we chanced to turn to a large church open at the top, with a
prodigious number of sandals {23} at the gate, by which I knew that it
was the temple of the Turks; these people had only a dim and motley
colored spectacle glass, which they called the Koran, yet through this
they were always gazing up to the top of the church for their prophet,
who, according to the promise which he gave them, ought to have returned
to them long ago, but has not yet made his appearance. From there we
went to the church of the Jews, people who had failed to find the way of
escape from the city of Perdition, although they possessed a pure, clear
spectacle glass, on account of a film having come over their eyes from
long gazing, for want of having anointed them with the precious ointment,
_faith_. We next went to that of the Papists. "Behold," said the angel,
"the church which _deceiveth the nations_! Hypocrisy has built this
church at her own expense; for the Papists permit, yea enjoin the
breaking of any oath made to a heretic, although it were taken upon the
sacrament."