Parents, is this: Where the one of the Parents is godly, and the other
ungodly and vile, (though they can agree in begetting of Children,
yet) they strive for their Children when they are born. {82a} The
godly Parent strives for the child, and by Prayers, Counsel and good
Examples, labours to make it holy in body and soul, and so fit for the
Kingdom of Heaven; but the ungodly would have it like himself, wicked
and base and sinful; and so they both give instructions accordingly:
instructions did I say? yea, and Examples too, according to their
minds. Thus the godly, as Hannah, is presenting her Samuel unto the
Lord: but the ungodly, like them that went before them, are for
offering their Children to Moloch, to an Idol, to sin, to the Devil,
and to Hell. Thus one harkeneth to the Law of their Mother, and is
preserved from destruction, but as for the other, as their Fathers
did, so do they. Thus did Mr. Badman and his wife part some of their
Children betwixt them; but as for the other three that were as ’twere
Mungrels, betwixt both, they were like unto those that you read of in
Kings, They feared the Lord, but served their own Idols. {82b} They
had, as I sail, their Mothers Notions, and I will adde, Profession
too, but their Fathers Lusts, and something of his Life. Now their
Father did not like them, because they had their Mothers tongue; and
the Mother did not like them because they had still their Fathers
heart and life; nor were they indeed fit company for good or bad. The
Good would not trust them because they were bad, the Bad would not
trust them because they were good, viz. The good would not trust them
because they were bad in their Lives, and the bad would not trust them
because they were good in their Words: So they were forced with Esau to
joyn in affinity with Ishmael; to wit, to look out a people that were
Hypocrites like themselves, and with them they matcht, and lived and
died.
Atten. Poor woman, she could not but have much perplexity.
Wise. Yea, and poor Children, that ever they were sent into the world
as the fruit of the loyns, and under the government of such a father as
Mr. Badman.
Atten. You say right, for such children, lye, almost under all manner
of disadvantages: but we must say nothing, because this also is the
sovereign Will of God.
Wise. We may not by any means object against God: yet we may talk of
the advantages, and disadvantages that Children have by having for
their Parents such as are either Godly, or the contrary.
Atten. You say right, we may so, and pray now, since we are about it,
speak something in brief unto it, that is, unto this; What advantage
those Children have above others, that have for their Parents such as
indeed are Godly.
Wise. So I will, only I must first premise these two or three things.
{83a}
1. They have not the advantage of Election for their fathers sakes.
2. They are born, as others, the children of wrath, though they come of
Godly Parents.
3. Grace comes not unto them as an Inheritance, because they have Godly
Parents. These things premised I shall now proceed.
1. The children of Godly Parents are the children of many Prayers: they
are prayed for before, and Prayed for after they are born, and the
Prayer of a godly Father and godly Mother doth much.
2. They have the advantage of what restraint is possible, from what
evils their Parents see them inclinable to, and that is a second mercy.
3. They have the advantage of Godly instruction, and of being told
which be, and which be not the right ways of the Lord.
4. They have also those ways commended unto them, and spoken well of in
their hearing, that are good.
5. Such are also, what may be, kept out of evil company, from evil
Books, and from being taught the way of Swearing, Lying, and the like,
as Sabbath-breaking, and mocking at good men, and good things, and this
is a very great mercy.
6. They have also the benefit of a godly life set before them
doctrinally by their Parents, and that doctrine backt with a godly and
holy example: and all these are very great advantages.
Now all these advantages, the children of ungodly Parents want; {84a}
and so are more in danger of being carried away with the error of the
wicked. For ungodly Parents neither Pray for their Children, nor do,
nor can they heartily instruct them; they do not after a godly manner
restrain them from evil, nor do they keep them from evil company. They
are not grieved at, nor yet do they forewarn their children to beware
of such evil actions that are abomination to God, and to all good
men. They let their children break the Sabbath, swear, lye, be wicked
and vain. They commend not to their children an holy life, nor set a
good example before their eyes. No, they do in all things contrary:
Estranging of their children what they can, from the love of God and
all good men, so soon as they are born. Therefore it is a very great
Judgment of God upon children to be the Offspring of base and ungodly
men. {84b}
Atten. Well, but before we leave Mr. Badmans wife and children, I have
a mind, if you please, to enquire a little more after one thing, the
which I am sure you can satisfie me in.
Wise. What is that?
Atten. You said a while ago, that this Mr. Badman would not suffer his
wife to go out to hear such godly Ministers as she liked, but said if
she did, she had as good never come home any more. Did he often carry
it thus to her?
Wise. He did say so, he did often say so. This I told you then, and had
also then told you more, but that other things put me out.
Atten. Well said, pray therefore now go on.
Wise. So I will. Upon a time, she was on a Lords day for going to hear
a Sermon, and Mr. Badman was unwilling {84c} she should: but she at
that time, as it seems, did put on more courage than she was wont; and
therefore, after she had spent upon him, a great many fair words and
entreaties, if perhaps she might have prevailed by them, but all to no
purpose at all: At last she said she would go, and rendred this reason
for it; I have an Husband, but also a God; my God has commanded me, and
that upon pain of damnation, to be a continual Worshipper of him, and
that in the way of his own Appointments: I have an Husband, but also a
Soul, and my Soul ought to be more unto me, than all the world besides.
This soul of mine I will look after, care for, and (if I can) provide
it an Heaven for its habitation. You are commanded to love me, as you
love your own body, and so do I love you; {85a} but I tell you true, I
preferr my Soul before all the world, and its Salvation I will seek.
At this, first, {85b} he gave her an ugly wish, and then fell into a
fearfull rage, and sware moreover that if she did go, he would make
both her, and all her damnable Brotherhood (for so he was pleased to
call them) to repent their coming thither.
Atten. But what should he mean by that?
Wise. You may easily guess what he meant: he meant, he would turn
Informer, and so either weary out those that she loved, from meeting
together to Worship God; or make them pay dearly for their so doing;
the which if he did, he knew it would vex every vein of her tender
heart.
Atten. But do you think Mr. Badman would have been so base?
Wise. Truly he had malice, and enmity enough in his heart to do it,
onely he was a Tradesman; also he knew that he must live by his
neighbours, and so he had that little wit in his anger, that he
refrained himself, and did it not. But, as I said, he had malice and
envy enough in his heart {85c} to have made him to do it, only he
thought it would worst him in his trade: yet these three things he
would be doing.
1. He would be putting of others on to molest and abuse her friends.
2. He would be glad when he heard that any mischief befell them.
3. And would laugh at her, when he saw her troubled for them. And now I
have told you Mr. Badmans way as to this.
Atten. But was he not afraid of the Judgments of God, that did fly
about at that time?
Wise. He regarded not the Judgment nor Mercy of God, for had he at all
done that, he could not have done as he did. But what Judgments do you
mean?
Atten. Such Judgments, that if Mr Badman himself had taken but sober
notice of, they might have made him a hung down his ears.
Wise. Why, have you heard of any such persons that the Judgments of God
have overtaken.
Atten. Yes, and so, I believe, have you too, though you make so strange
about it.
Wise. I have so indeed, to my astonishment and wonder.
Atten. Pray, therefore, if you please, tell me what it is, as to this,
that you know; and then, perhaps, I may also say something to you of
the same.
Wise. [Picture: Take note symbol] In {86} our Town there was one
W. S. a man of a very wicked life; and he, when there seemed to be
countenance given to it, would needs turn Informer. Well, so he did,
and was as diligent in his business as most of them could be; he would
watch a nights, climb Trees, and range the Woods a days, if possible,
to find out the Meeters, for then they were forced to meet in the
Fields: yea, he would curse them bitterly, and swear most fearfully
what he would do to them when he found them. Well, after he had gone on
like a Bedlam in his course a while, and had done some mischiefs to the
people, he was stricken by the hand of God, and that in this manner.
1. Although he had his tongue naturally at will, now he was taken with
a faultering in his speech, and could not for weeks together speak
otherwise, than just like a man that was drunk.
2. Then he was taken with a drauling, or slabbering at his mouth, which
slabber sometimes would hang at his mouth well nigh half way down to
the ground.
3. Then he had such a weakness in the back sinews of his Neck, that oft
times he could not look up before him, unless he clapped his hand hard
upon his forehead, and held up his head that way, by strength of hand.
4. After this his speech went quite away, and he could speak no more
than a Swine or a Bear. Therefore, like one of them, he would gruntle
and make an ugly noyse, according as he was offended, or pleased, or
would have any thing done, &c.
In this posture he continued for the space of half a year, or
thereabouts, all the while otherwise well, and could go about his
business, save once that he had a fall from the Bell as it hangs in
our Steeple, which ’twas a wonder it did not kill him: But after that
he also walked about, till God had made him a sufficient spectacle of
his Judgment for his sin, and then on a sudden he was stricken and dyed
miserably: and so there was an end of him and his doings.
I will tell you of another. [Picture: Take note symbol] About four
miles from St. Neots, there was a Gentleman had a man, and he would
needs be an Informer, and a lusty young man he was. Well, an Informer
he was, and did much distress some people, and had perfected his
Informations so effectually against some, that there was nothing
further to do, but for the Constables to make distress on the people,
that he might have the Money or Goods; and as I heard, he hastened them
much to do it. Now while he was in the heat of his work, as he stood
one day by the Fire-side, he had (it should seem) a mind to a Sop in
the Pan, (for the Spit was then at the fire,) so he went to make him
one; but behold, a Dog (so say his own Dog) took distaste at something,
and bit his Master by the Leg; the which bite, notwithstanding all the
means that was used to cure him, turned (as was said) to a Gangrene;
however, that wound was his death, and that a dreadful one too: for my
Relator said, that he lay in such a condition by this bite, (as the
beginning) till his flesh rotted from off him before he went out of
the world. But what need I instance in particular persons, when the
Judgement of God against this kind of people was made manifest, I think
I may say, if not in all, yet in most of the Counties in England where
such poor Creatures were. But I would, if it had been the will of God,
that neither I nor any body else, could tell you more of these Stories:
True stories, that are neither Lye, nor Romance.
Atten. Well, I also heard of both these my self, and of more too, as
remarkable in their kind as these, if I had any list to tell them:
but let us leave those that are behind to others, or to the coming of
Christ, who then will justifie or condemn them as the merit of their
work shall require; or if they repented, and found mercy, I shall be
glad when I know it, for I wish not a curse to the Soul of mine Enemy.
Wise. There can be no pleasure in the telling of such stories, though
to hear of them may do us a pleasure: They may put us in mind that
there is a God that judgeth in the earth, and that doth not alwayes
forget nor deferre to hear the Crye of the destitute; They also
carry along with them both Caution and Counsel to those that are the
survivors of such. Let us tremble at the Judgements of God, and be
afraid of sinning against him, and it shall be our protection. It shall
go well with them that fear God, that fear before him.
Atten. Well Sir, as you have intimated, so I think we have in this
place spoken enough about these kind of men; if you please, let us
return again to Mr. Badman himself, if you have any more to say of him.
Wise. More! we have yet scarce throughly begun with Any thing that we
have said. All the particulars are in themselves so full of badness,
that we have rather only looked in them, than indeed said any thing to
them: but we will pass them, and proceed. You have heard of the sins
of his Youth, of his Apprentiship, and how he set up, and married, and
what a life he hath led his wife; and now I will tell you some more
{88a} of his pranks. He had the very knack of Knavery; had he, as I
said before, been bound to serve an Apprentiship to all these things,
he could not have been more cunning, he could not have been more
artificial at it.
Atten. Nor perhaps so artificially neither. For as none can teach
Goodness like to God himself, so concerning Sin and Knavery, none can
teach a man it like the Devil, to whom, as I perceive, Mr. Badman went
to School from his Childhood to the end of his life. But pray Sir, make
a beginning.
Wise. Well so I will. You may remember that I told you what a condition
he was in for Money before he did marry, and how he got a rich Wife,
with whose Money he paid his debts: Now when he had paid his debts, he
having some Moneys left, he sets up again {88b} as briskly as ever,
keeps a great Shop, drives a great Trade, and runs again a great way
into debt; but now not into the debt of one or two, but into the debt
of many, so that at last he came to owe some thousands; and thus he
went on a good while. And to pursue his ends the better, he began now
to study to please all men, and to suit himself to any company; he
could now be as they, say as they, that is, if he listed; and then he
would list, when he perceived that by so doing, he might either make
them his Customers or Creditors for his Commodities. If he dealt with
honest men, (as with some honest men he did) then he would be as they;
talk as they, seem to be sober as they, talk of Justice and Religion as
they, and against Debauchery as they; yea, and would too seem to shew a
dislike of them that said, did, or were otherwise than honest.
Again, when he did light among those that were bad, then he would be
as they, but yet more close and cautiously, except he were sure of his
company: Then he would carry it openly, be as they; say, Damn’em and
Sink’em, as they. If they railed on Good men, so could he; {89} if
they railed on Religion, so could he: if they talked beastly, vainly,
idlely, so would he; if they were for drinking, swearing, whoring, or
any the like Villanies, so was he. This was now the path he trod in,
and could do all artificially, as any man alive. And now he thought
himself a perfect man, he thought he was always a Boy till now. What
think you now of Mr. Badman?
Atten. Think! why, I think he was an Atheist: For no man but an Atheist
can do this. I say, it cannot be, but that the man that is such as this
Mr. Badman, must be a rank and stinking Atheist; for he that believes
that there is either God or Devil, Heaven or Hell, or Death, and
Judgment after, cannot doe as Mr. Badman did; I mean, if he could do
these things without reluctancy and check of Conscience; yea, if he had
not sorrow and remorse for such abominable sins as these.
Wise. Nay, he was so far off from reluctancies and remorse of
Conscience for these things, that he counted them the excellency of
his Attainments, the quintessence of his Wit, his rare and singular
vertues, such as but few besides himself could be the Masters of.
Therefore, as for those that made boggle and stop at things, and that
could not in Conscience, and for fear of Death and Judgement, do such
things as he; he would call them Fools and Noddies, and charge them for
being frighted with the talk of unseen Bugbears; and would encourage
them, if they would be men indeed, to labour after the attainment of
this his excellent art. He would often-times please himself {90a} with
the thoughts of what he could do in this matter, saying within himself;
I can be religious, and irreligious, I can be any thing, or nothing;
I can swear, and speak against swearing; I can lye, and speak against
lying; I can drink, wench, be unclean, and defraud, and not be troubled
for it: Now I enjoy my self, and am Master of mine own wayes, and not
they of me. This I have attained with much study, great care, and more
pains. But this his talk should be only with himself, to his wife, who
he knew durst not divulge it; or among his Intimates, to whom he knew
he might say any thing.
Atten. Did I call him before an Atheist? I may call him now a Devil, or
a man possessed with one, if not with many. I think that there cannot
be found in every corner such an one as this. True, it is said of King
Ahaz, that he sinned more and more; and of Ahab, that he sold himself
to work wickedness; and of the men of Sodom, that they were sinners
exceedingly before the Lord. {90b}
Wise. An Atheist he was no doubt, if there be such a thing as an
Atheist in the world, but for all his brags of perfection and security
in his wickedness, I believe that at times God did let down fire from
Heaven into his Conscience. True, I believe he would quickly put it
out again, and grow more desperate and wicked afterward, but this also
turned to his destruction, as afterward you may hear. {90c}
But I am not of your mind, to think that there are but few such in
the world; except you mean as to the Degree of wickedness unto which
he had attained. For otherwise, no doubt, {90d} there is abundance of
such as he: men of the same mind, of the same principles, and of the
same conscience too, to put them into practice. Yea, I believe that
there are many that are endeavouring to attain to the same pitch of
wickedness; and all them are such as he, in the Judgment of the Law;
nor will their want of hellish wit to attain thereto, excuse them at
the day of Judgment. You know that in all Science, some are more arch
than some; and so it is in the art, as well as in the practice of
wickedness: some are two-fold, and some seven-fold more the children
of Hell than others, (and yet all the children of Hell,) else they
would all be Masters, and none scholars in the school of wickedness.
But there must be Masters, and there must be Learners; Mr. Badman was
a master in this art, and therefore it follows that he must be an arch
and chief one in that mystery.
Atten. You are in the right, for I perceive that some men, though they
desire it, cannot be so arch in the practice thereof as others, but are
(as I suppose they call them) fools and dunces to the rest, their heads
and capacities will not serve them to act and do so wickedly. But Mr.
Badman wanted not a wicked head to contrive, as well as a wicked heart
to do his wickedness.
Wise. True, but yet I say, such men shall at the day of Judgment, be
judged, not only for what they are, but also for what they would be.
For if the thought of foolishness is sin, {91a} doubtless the desire
of foolishness is more sin: and if the desire be more, the endeavour
after it must needs be more and more. {91b} He then that is not an
artificial Atheist and Transgressor, yet if he desires to be so, if he
endeavoureth to be so, he shall be Judged and condemned to Hell for
such an one. For the Law Judgeth men, as I said, according to what
they would be. He that looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath
committed adultery with her already in his heart. {91c} By the same
rule, he that would steal, doth steal; he that would cheat, doth cheat;
he that would swear, doth swear; and he that would commit adultery,
doth do so. For God Judgeth men according to the working of their
minds, and saith; As he thinketh, so is he. That is, so is he in his
heart, in his intentions, in his desires, in his endeavours; and Gods
Law, I say, lays hold of the desires, intentions and endeavours, even
as it lays hold of the act of wickedness it self. {91d} A man then that
desires to be as bad as Mr. Badman, (and desires to be so wicked have
many in their hearts) though he never attains to that proficiency in
wickedness as he, shall yet be Judged for as bad a man as he, because
’twas in his desires to be such a wicked one.
Atten. But this height of wickedness in Mr. Badman, will not yet out
of my mind. This hard, desperate, or what shall I call it, diabolicall
frame of heart, was in him a foundation, a ground-work, to all acts and
deeds that were evil.
Wise. The heart, and the desperate wickedness of it, is the foundation
and groundwork of all. Atheism, professed and practicall, spring both
out of the heart, yea and all manner of evils besides. {92a} For they
be not bad deeds that make a bad man, but he is already a bad man that
doth bad deeds. A man must be wicked before he can do wickedness. {92b}
Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked. ’Tis an evil tree that bears
evil fruit, men gather no grapes of thorns; the heart therefore must be
evil, before the man can do evil, and good before the man doth good.
Atten. Now I see the reason why Mr. Badman was so base, as to get a
Wife by dissimulation, and to abuse her so like a Villain when he had
got her, it was because he was before by a wicked heart prepared to act
wickedness.
Wise. You may be sure of it; for from within, out of the heart of
man proccedeth evil thoughts, Adulteries, Fornications, Murders,
Thefts, Coveteousness, Wickedness, Deceit, Lasciviousness, an evil
Eye, Blasphemy, Pride, Foolishness. All these things come from within,
and defile a man. {92c} And a man, as his naughty mind inclines him,
makes use of these, or any of these, to gratifie his lust, to promote
his designs, to revenge his malice, to enrich, or to wallow himself
in the foolish pleasures and pastimes of this life: And all these did
Mr. Badman do, even to the utmost, if either opportunity, or purse, or
perfidiousness, would help him to the obtaining of his purpose.
Atten. Purse! Why he could not but have Purse to do almost what he
would, having married a wife with so much money.
Wise. Hold you there; some of Mr. Badmans sins were costly, as his
drinking, and whoring, and keeping other bad company; though he was a
man that had ways too many to get money, as well as ways too many to
spend it.
Atten. Had he then such a good Trade, for all he was such a bad man? or
was his Calling so gainfull to him, as alwayes to keep his Purses belly
full, though he was himself a great spender?
Wise. No: It was not his Trade that did it, though he had a pretty
trade too. He had another way to get Money, and that by hatfulls and
pocketfulls at a time.
Atten. Why I trow he was no Highway man, was he?
Wise. I will be sparing in my speech as to that, though some have
muttered as if he could ride out now and then, about no body but
himself knew what, over night, and come home all dirty and weary next
morning. But that is not the thing I aim at.
Atten. Pray let me know it, if you think it convenient that I should.
Wise. I will tell you: It was this, he had an art to Break, {93a} and
get hatfulls of money by breaking.
Atten. But what do you mean by Mr. Badmans Breaking? you speak
mystically, do you not?