pray, Sir, since you have gone thus far, now shew me whence this evil
of cursing ariseth, and also what dishonour it bringeth to God; for I
easily discern that it doth bring damnation to the soul.
Wise. This evil of Cursing ariseth, in general, from the desperate
wickedness of the heart, but particularly from, {36a} {36b} 1. Envie,
which is, as I apprehend, the leading sin to Witchcraft. 2. It also
ariseth from Pride which was the sin of the fallen Angels; 3. It
ariseth too from Scorn and contempt of others: 4. But for a man to
curse himself, must needs arise from desperate Madness.
The {36c} dishonour that it bringeth to God, is this. It taketh away
from him his Authority, in whose power it is onely, to Bless and Curse;
not to Curse wickedly, as Mr. Badman, but justly, and righteously,
giving by his Curse to those that are wicked, the due Reward of their
deeds.
Besides, these wicked men, in their wicked cursing of their Neighbour,
&c. do even Curse God himself in his handy work. Man is Gods Image,
and to curse wickedly the Image of God, is to curse God himself. {36d}
Therefore as when men wickedly swear, they rend, and tare Gods Name,
and make him, as much as in them lies, the avoucher and approver of all
their wickedness; so he that curseth and condemneth in this sort his
Neighbour, or that wisheth him evil, curseth, condemneth, and wisheth
evil to the Image of God, and consequently judgeth and condemneth God
himself.
Suppose that a man should say with his mouth, I wish that the Kings
Picture was burned; would not this mans so saying, render him as an
Enemy to the Person of the King? Even so it is with them that, by
cursing, wish evil to their neighbour, or to themselves, they contemn
the Image, even the Image of God himself.
Atten. But do you think that the men that do thus, do think that they
do so vilely, so abominably?
Wise. The question is not what men do believe concerning their sin, but
what Gods Word says of it: If Gods Word says that Swearing and Cursing
are sins, though men should count them for Vertues, their reward will
be a reward for sin, to wit, the damnation of the soul.
To {37a} curse another, and to swear vainly and falsly, are sins
against the Light of Nature.
1. To Curse is so, because, whoso curseth another, knows, that at the
same time he would not be so served himself.
2. To Swear also, is a sin against the same Law: for Nature will tell
me, that I should not lie, and therefore much less Swear to confirm it.
Yea, the Heathens have looked upon Swearing to be a solemn Ordinance of
God, and therefore not to be lightly or vainly used by men, though to
confirm a matter of truth. {37b}
Atten. But I wonder, since Curseing and Swearing are such evils in the
eyes of God, that he doth not make some Examples to others, for their
committing such wickedness.
[Picture: Take note symbol] Wise. Alas! so he has, a thousand times
twice told, as may be easily gathered by any observing people in every
Age and Countrey. I could present you with several my self; but waving
the abundance that might be mentioned, I will here present you with
{37c} two; One was that dreadful Judgment of God upon one N. P. at
Wimbleton in Surrey; who, after a horrible fit of Swearing at, and
Cursing of some persons that did not please him, suddenly fell sick,
and in little time died raving, cursing and swearing.
But above all take that dreadful Story of Dorothy Mately an Inhabitant
of As[h]over in the County of Darby.
[Picture: Take note symbol] This Dorothy Mately, saith the Relator,
was noted by the people of the Town to be a great Swearer, and Curser,
and Lier, and Thief; (just like Mr. Badman.) And the labour that she
did usually follow, was to wash the Rubbish that came forth of the
Lead Mines, and there to get sparks of Lead-Ore; and her usual way of
asserting of things, was with these kind of Imprecations: I would I
might sink into the earth if it be not so, or I would God would make
the earth open and swallow me up. Now upon the 23. of March, 1660.
this Dorothy was washing of Ore upon the top of a steep Hill, about a
quarter of a mile from Ashover, and was there taxed by a Lad for taking
of two single Pence out of his Pocket, (for he had laid his Breeches
by, and was at work in his Drawers;) but she violently denyed it,
wishing, That the ground might swallow her up if she had them: She also
used the same wicked words on several other occasions that day.
Now one George Hodgkinson of Ashover, a man of good report there, came
accidentally by where this Dorothy was, and stood still a while to talk
with her, as she was washing her Ore; there stood also a little Child
by her Tub-side, and another a distance from her, calling aloud to her
to come away; wherefore the said George took the Girle by the hand to
lead her away to her that called her: But behold, they had not gone
above ten yards from Dorothy, but they heard her crying out for help;
so looking back, he saw the Woman, and her Tub, and Sive, twirling
round, and sinking into the ground. Then said the man, Pray to God to
pardon thy sin, for thou art never like to be seen alive any longer. So
she and her Tub twirled round, and round, till they sunk about three
yards into the Earth, and then for a while staid. Then she called for
help again, thinking, as she said, that she should stay there. Now the
man though greatly amazed, did begin to think which way to help her,
but immediately a great stone which appeared in the Earth, fell upon
her head, and brake her Skull, and then the Earth fell in upon her and
covered her. She was afterwards digged up, and found about four yards
within ground, with the Boys two single Pence in her pocket, but her
Tub and Sive could not be found.
[Picture: Take note symbol] Atten. You bring to my mind a sad story,
the which I will relate unto you. The thing is this; About a bow-shoot
from where I once dwelt, there was a blind Ale-house, and the man that
kept it had a Son whose name was Edward. This Edward was, as it were,
an half-fool, both in his words, and manner of behaviour. To this blind
Ale-house certain jovial companions would once or twice a week come,
and this Ned, (for so they called him) his Father would entertain his
guests withall; to wit, by calling for him to make them sport by his
foolish words and gestures. So when these boon blades came to this mans
house, the Father would call for Ned: Ned therefore would come forth;
and the villain was devilishly addicted to cursing, yea to cursing his
Father and Mother, and any one else that did cross him. And because
(though he was an half-fool) he saw that his practice was pleasing, he
would do it with the more audaciousness.
Well, when these brave fellows did come at their times to this
Tippling-house (as they call it) to fuddle and make merry, then must
Ned be called out; and because his Father was best acquainted with
Ned, and best knew how to provoke him, therefore He would usually ask
him such questions, or command him such business, as would be sure to
provoke him indeed. Then would he (after his foolish manner) Curse his
Father most bitterly; at which the old man would laugh, (and so would
the rest of the guests, as at that which pleased them best) still
continuing to ask, that Ned still might be provoked to curse, that they
might still be provoked to laugh. This was the mirth with which the old
man did use to entertain his guests.
The curses wherewith this Ned did use to curse his father, and at which
the old man would laugh, were these, and such like: The Devil take you;
The Devil fetch you: He would also wish him Plagues and Destructions
many. Well, so it came to pass, through the righteous Judgement of
God, that Neds Wishes and Curses were in a little time fuelled upon
his Father; for not many months passed between them after this manner,
but the Devil did indeed take him, possess him, and also in few days
carried him out of this world by death; I say, Satan did take him and
possess him: I mean, so it was judged by those that knew him, and had
to do with him in that his lamentable condition. He could feel him like
a live thing goe up and down in his body, but when tormenting time was
come (as he had often tormenting fits) then he would lye like an hard
bump in the soft place of his chest, (I mean, I saw it so,) and so
would rent and tare him, and make him roar till he died away.
I told you before, that I was an ear and eye witness of what I here
say; and so I was. I have heard Ned in his Roguery, cursing his Father,
and his Father laughing thereat most heartily; still provoking of Ned
to curse, that his mirth might be encreased. I saw his Father also,
when he was possessed, I saw him in one of his fits, and saw his flesh
(as ’twas thought) by the Devil, gathered up on an heap, about the
bigness of half in Egge; to the unutterable torture and afflict[i]on
of the old man. There was also one Freeman, (who was more than an
ordinary Doctor) sent for, to cast out this Devil; and I was there
when he attempted to do it. The manner whereof was this. They had the
possessed into an out-room, and laid him on his belly upon a Form,
with his head hanging over the Forms end; then they bound him down
thereto: which done, they set a pan of Coals under his mouth, and put
something therein which made a great smoak; by this means (as ’twas
said) to fetch out the Devil. There therefore they kept the man till
he was almost smothered in the smoak, but no Devil came out of him; at
which Freeman was somewhat abashed, the man greatly afflicted, and I
made to go away wondering and fearing. In a little time therefore that
which possessed the man, carried him out of the World, according to the
cursed Wishes of his Son. And this was the end of this hellish mirth.
Wise. These were all sad Judgements.
Atten. These were dreadful Judgments indeed.
Wise. Ai, and they look like the Threatning of that Text, (though
chiefly it concerned Judas,) As he loved cursing, so let it come unto
him; as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he
cloathed himself with cursing as with a garment, so let it come into
his bowels like water, and as oyl into his bones. {40a}
Atten. It is a fearful thing for Youth to be trained up in a way of
Cursing and Swearing.
Wise. Trained up in them! that I cannot say Mr. Badman was, for his
Father hath oft-times in my hearing, bewailed the badness of his
Children, and of this naughty Boy in particular. I believe that the
wickedness of his Children made him (in the thoughts of it) goe many a
Night with heavy heart to bed, and with as heavy an one to rise in the
Morning. But all was one to his graceless Son, neither wholsom counsel,
nor fatherly sorrow, would make him mend his Manners.
There {40b} are some indeed that do train up their Children to swear,
curse, lye and steal, and great is the misery of such poor Children
whose hard hap it is to be ushered into the world by, and to be under
the tuition too of such ungodly Parents. It had been better for such
Parents, had they not begat them, and better for such Children had they
not been born. O! methinks for a Father or a Mother to train up a Child
in that very way that leadeth to Hell and Damnation, what thing so
horrible! But Mr. Badman was not by his Parents so brought up.
Atten. But methinks, since this Young Badman would not be ruled at
home, his Father should have tryed what good could have been done of
him abroad, by putting him out to some man of his acquaintance, that
he knew to be able to command him, and to keep him pretty hard to some
employ: So should he, at least, have been prevented of time to do those
wickednesses that could not be done without time to do them in.
Wise. Alas, his Father did so, {41a} he put him out betimes to one of
his own Acquaintance, and entreated him of all love, that he would take
care of Son, and keep him from extravagant wayes. His Trade also was
honest and commodious; he had besides a full Employ therein, so that
this young Badman had no vacant seasons nor idle hours yielded him by
his Calling, therein to take opportunities to do Badly: but all was one
to him, as he had begun to be vile in his Fathers house, even so he
continued to be when he was in the house of his Master.
Atten. I have known some Children, who though they have been very Bad
at home, yet have altered much when they have been put out abroad;
especially when they have fallen into a Family, where the Governours
thereof have made conscience of maintaining of the Worship and Service
of God therein; but perhaps that might be wanting in Mr. Badmans
Masters house.
Wise. Indeed some Children do greatly mend, when put under other mens
Roofs; but, as I said, this naughty boy did not so; nor did his badness
continue, because he wanted a Master that both could and did correct
it: For his {41b} Master was a very good man, a very devout person; one
that frequented the best Soul-means, that set up the Worship of God in
his Family, and also that walked himself thereafter. He was also a man
very meek and merciful, one that did never overdrive young Badman in
business, nor that kept him at it at unseasonable hours.
Atten. Say you so! This is rare: I for my part can see but few that can
parallel, in these things, with Mr. Badmans Master.
Wise. Nor I neither, (yet Mr. Badman had such an one;) for, for the
most past, {42a} Masters are now a days such as mind nothing but their
worldly concerns, and if Apprentices do but answer their commands
therein, Soul and Religion may go whither they will. Yea, I much fear,
that there have been many towardly Lads put out by their parents to
such Masters, that have quite undone them as to the next world.
Atten. The more is the pity. But pray, now you have touched upon this
subject, shew me how many wages a Master may be the ruin of his poor
Apprentice.
Wise. Nay, I cannot tell you of all the wayes, yet some of them I will
mention.
Suppose then that a towardly Lad be put to be an Apprentice with one
that is reputed to be a Godly man, yet that Lad may be ruined many
wayes; that is, if his Master be not circumspect in all things that
respect both God and man, and that before his Apprentice.
1. If {42b} he be not moderate in the use of his Apprentice; if he
drives him beyond his strength; if he holds him to work at unseasonable
hours; if he will not allow him convenient time to read the Word, to
Pray, &c. This is the way to destroy him; that is, in those tender
begin[n]ings of good thoughts, and good beginnings about spiritual
things.
2. If he suffers his house to be scattered with profane and wicked
Books, such as stir up to lust, to wantonness, such as teach idle,
wanton, lascivious discourse, and such as has a tendency to provoke
to profane drollery and Jesting; and lastly, such as tend to corrupt,
and pervert the Doctrine of Faith and Holiness. All these things will
eat as doth a canker, and will quickly spoil, in Youth, &c. those good
beginnings that may be putting forth themselves in them.
3. If there be a mixture of Servants, that is, if some very bad be in
the same place, that’s a way also to undo such tender Lads; for they
that are bad and sordid Servants, will be often (and they have an
opportunity too, to be) distilling and fomenting of their profane and
wicked words and tricks before them, and these will easily stick in the
flesh and minds of Youth, to the corrupting of them.
4. If the Master have one Guise for abroad, and another for home;
that is, if his Religion hangs by in his house as his Cloak does,
and he be seldom in it, except he be abroad; this, young beginners
will take notice of, and stumble at. We say, Hedges have eyes, and
little Pitchers have ears; and indeed, {43a} Children make a greater
inspection into the Lives of Fathers, Masters, &c. than oft-times they
are aware of: And therefore should Masters be carefull, else they may
soon destroy good beginnings in their Servants.
5. If the Master be unconscionable in his Dealing, and trades with
lying words; or if bad Commodities be avouched to be good, or if he
seeks after unreasonable gain, or the like; his servant sees it, and it
is enough to undo him. Elies Sons being bad before the congregation,
made Men despise the sacrifices of the Lord. {43b}
But these things by the by, only they may serve for a hint to Masters
to take heed that they take not Apprentices to destroy their Souls.
But young Badman had none of these hinderances; {43c} His father took
care, and provided well for him, as to this: He had a good Master, he
wanted not good Books, nor good Instruction, nor good Sermons, nor good
Examples, no nor good fellow-Servants neither: but all would not doe.
Atten. ’Tis a wonder, that in such a Family, amidst so many spiritual
helps, nothing should take hold of his heart! What! not good Books,
nor good Instructions, nor good Sermons, nor good Examples, nor good
fellow-Servants, nor nothing do him good!
Wise. You talk, he minded none of these things; nay, all these were
{43d} abominable to him.
1. For good Books, they might lie in his Masters house till they rotted
for him, he would not regard to look into them; but, contrary-wise,
would get all the bad and abominable Books that he could, as beastly
Romances, and books full of Ribbauldry, even such as immediately tended
to set all fleshly lusts on fire. True, he durst not be known to have
any of these, to his Master; therefore would he never let them be seen
by him, but would keep them in close places, and peruse them at such
times, as yielded him fit opportunities thereto.
2. For good Instruction, he liked that, much as he liked good books;
his care was to hear but little thereof, and to forget what he heard
as soon as ’twas spoken. Yea, I have heard some that knew him then,
say, that one might evidently discern by the shew of his countenance
and gestures, that good counsel was to him like {44a} little-ease, even
a continual torment to him; nor did he ever count himself at liberty,
but when farthest off of wholsom words. He would hate them that rebuked
him, and count them his deadly enemies.
3. For good Example; which was frequently set him by his Master, both
in Religious and Civil matters; these, young Badman would laugh at, and
would also make a byword of them, when he came in place where he with
safety could.
4. His Master indeed would make him go with him to Sermons, and that
where he thought the best Preachers were, but this ungodly young man,
what shall I say, was (I think) a Master of Art in all mischief; he
had these wicked ways to hinder himself of hearing, let the Preacher
thunder never so loud.
1. His {44b} way was, when come into the place of hearing, to sit down
in some corner, and then to fall fast asleep.
2. Or else to fix his adulterous eyes upon some beautifull Object that
was in the place, and so all Sermon-while, therewith be feeding of his
fleshly lusts.
3. Or, if he could get near to some that he had observed would fit his
humour, he would be whispering, gigling, and playing with them, till
such time as Sermon was done.
Atten. Why! he was grown to a prodigious height of wickedness.
Wise. He was so, and that which aggravates all, was, this was his
practice as soon as he was come to his Master, he was as ready at all
these things, as if he had, before he came to his Master, served an
Apprentiship to learn them.
Atten. There could not but be added (as you relate them) Rebellion to
his sin. Methinks it is as if he had said, I will not hear, I will not
regard, I will not mind good, I will not mend, I will not turn, I will
not be converted.
[Picture: Take note symbol] Wise. You say true, and I know not to whom
more fitly to compare him, {45b} than to that man, who when I my self
rebuked him for his wickedness, in this great huff replied; What would
the Devil do for company, if it was not for such as I.
Atten. Why did you ever hear any man say so.
Wise. Yes, that I did; and this young Badman was as like him, as an
Egg is like an Egg. Alas! the Scripture makes mention of many that by
their actions speak the same. They say unto God, Depart from us, for we
desire not the knowledge of thy ways; Again, They refuse to hearken,
and pull away their shoulder, and stop their ears; yea, they make their
hearts hard as an Adamant-stone, lest they should hear the Law, and the
words that the Lord of Host[s] hath sent. {45c} What are all these but
such as Badman, and such as the young man but now mentioned? That young
man was my Play-fellow when I was solacing my self in my sins: I may
make mention of him to my shame; but he has a great many fellows.
Atten. Young Badman was like him indeed, and he trod his steps, as if
his wickedness had been his very Copy; I mean, as to his desperateness:
for had he not been a desperate one, he would never have made you such
a reply, when you was rebuking of him for his sin. But when did you
give him such a rebuke?
Wise. A while after God had parted him and I, by Calling of me (as I
hope) by his Grace, still leaving him in his sins; and so far as I
could ever gather, as he lived, so he died, even as Mr. Badman did: but
we will leave him, and return again to our discourse.
Atten. Ha, poor obstinate sinners! doe they think that God cannot be
even with them?
Wise. I do not know, what they think, but I know that God hath said,
That as He cried, and they would not hear, so they shall crie, and
I will not hear, saith the Lord. {45d} Doubtless there is a time a
coming, when Mr. Badman will crie for this.
Atten. But I wonder that he should be so expert in wickedness, so soon!
alas, he was but a Stripling, I suppose, he was, as yet, not Twenty.
Wise. No, nor Eighteen neither: but (as with Ishmael, and with the
Children that mocked the Prophet) the seeds of sin did put forth
themselves betimes in him. {46a}
Atten. Well, he was as wicked a young man as commonly one shall hear of.
Wise. You will say so, when you know all.
Atten. All, I think here is a great All; but if there is more behind,
pray let us hear it.
Wise. Why, then I will tell you, that he had not been with his Master
much above a year and a half, but he came {46b} acquainted with three
young Villains (who here shall be nameless,) that taught him to
adde to his sin, much of like kind; and he as aptly received their
Instructions. One of them was chiefly given to Uncleanness, another to
Drunkenness; and the third to Purloining, or stealing from his Master.
Atten. Alas poor Wretch, he was bad enough before, but these, I
suppose, made him much worse.
Wise. That they made him worse you may be sure of, for they taught him
to be an Arch, a chief one in all their wayes.
Atten. It was an ill hap that he ever came acqu[a]inted with them.
Wise. You must rather word it thus. It {46c} was the Judgement of God
that he did; that is, he came acquainted with them, through the anger
of God. He had a good Master, and before him a good Father: By these
he had good counsel given him for Months and Years together; but his
heart was set upon mischief, he loved wickedness more than to do good,
even untill his Iniquity came to be hateful; therefore, from the anger
of God it was, that these companions of his, and he, did at last so
acquaint together. Sayes Paul, They did not like to retain God in their
knowledge; {46d} and what follows? wherefore, God gave them over, or
up to their own hearts lusts. And again, As for such as turn aside
to their own crooked wayes, the Lord shall lead them forth with the
workers of iniquity. {46e} This therefore was Gods hand upon him, that
he might be destroyed, be damned; because he received not the love of
the Truth that he might be saved. He chose his Delusions and Deluders
for him, even the company of base men, of Fools, that he might be
destroyed. {46f} {47a}
Atten. I cannot but think indeed, that it is a Great Judgment of God
for a man to be given up to the company of vile men; for what are such
but the Devils {47b} Decoyes, even those by whom he drawes the simple
into the Net? A Whoremaster, a Drunkard, a Thiefe, what are they but
the Devils baits, by which he catcheth others?