[HE THROWS OFF THE MASK AND CRUELLY TREATS HIS WIFE.]
Now when he came home in this case, if his wife did but speak a work
to him about where he had been and why he had so abused himself,
though her words were spoken in never so much meekness and love,
then she was whore, and bitch, and jade! and it was well if she
missed his fingers and heels. Sometimes also he would bring his
punks home to his house, and woe be to his wife when they were
gone if she did not entertain them with all varieties possible,
and also carry it lovingly to them. Thus this good woman was made
by Badman, her husband, to possess nothing but disappointments
as to all that he had promised her, or that she hoped to have at
his hands.
But that that added pressing weight to all her sorrow was that,
as he had cast away all religion himself, so he attempted, if
possible, to make her do so too. He would not suffer her to go
out to the preaching of the word of Christ, nor to the rest of his
appointments, for the health and salvation of her soul. He would
now taunt at and reflectingly speak of her preachers, and would
receive, yea, raise scandals of them, to her very great grief and
affliction.
Now she scarce durst go to an honest neighbour's house, or have
a good book in her hand, especially when he had his companions in
his house, or had got a little drink in his head. He would also,
when he perceived that she was dejected, speak tauntingly and
mockingly to her in the presence of his companions, calling of her
his religious wife, his demure dame, and the like, also he would
make a sport of her among his wanton ones abroad.
If she did ask him, as sometimes she would, to let her go out to a
sermon, he would in a churlish manner reply, Keep at home, keep
at home and look to your business, we cannot live by hearing
of sermons. If she still urged that he would let her go, then he
would say to her, Go if you dare. He would also charged her with
giving of what he had to her ministers, when, vile wretch, he had
spent it on his vain companions before. This was the life that Mr.
Badman's good wife lived, within few months after he had married
her.
ATTEN. This was a disappointment indeed.
WISE. A disappointment indeed, as ever I think poor woman had.
One would think that the knave might a little let her have had her
will since it was nothing but to be honest, and since she brought
him so sweet, so lumping a portion--for she brought hundreds into
his house--I say, one would think he should have let her had her
own will a little, since she desired it only in the service and
worship of God; but could she win him to grant her that? No, not
a bit, if it would have saved her life. True, sometimes she would
steal out when he was from home, or on a journey, or among his
drunken companions, but with all privacy imaginable; and, poor
woman, this advantage she had she carried it so to all her neighbours
that, though many of them were but carnal, yet they would not
betray her, or tell of her going out to the Word if they saw it,
but would rather endeavor to hide it from Mr. Badman himself.
ATTEN. This carriage of his to her was enough to break her heart.
WISE. It was enough to do it indeed, yea, it did effectually do
it. It killed her in time, yea, it was all the time a killing of
her. She would oftentimes, when she sat by herself, thus mournfully
bewail her condition:--'Woe is me that I sojourn in Meshech,' and
'that I dwell in the tents of Kedar! My soul hath long dwelt with
him that hateth peace.' O 'what shall be given unto thee,' thou
'deceitful tongue?' 'or what shall be done unto thee, thou false
tongue?' (Psa 120). I am a woman grieved in spirit, my husband has
bought me and sold me for his lusts. It was not me, but my money
that he wanted; O that he had had it, so I had had my liberty! This
she said, not of contempt of his person, but of his conditions,[37]
and because she saw that, by his hypocritical tongue, he had brought
her not only almost to beggary, but robbed her of the Word of God.
ATTEN. It is a deadly thing, I see, to be unequally yoked with
unbelievers. If this woman had had a good husband, how happily
might they have lived together! Such an one would have prayed for
her, taught her, and also would have encouraged her in the faith
and ways of God; but now, poor creature, instead of this there is
nothing but the quite contrary.
WISE. It is a deadly thing indeed, and therefore, by the Word of
God, his people are forbid to be joined in marriage with them.
'Be ye not,' saith it, 'unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and
what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath
Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an
infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?'
(2 Cor 6:14-16). There can be no agreement where such matches are
made; even God himself hath declared the contrary from the beginning
of the world. 'I,' says he, 'will put enmity between thee and the
woman, and between thy seed and her seed' (Gen 3:15). Therefore he
saith in another place they can mix no better than iron and clay
(Dan 2:43). I say they cannot agree, they cannot be one, and
therefore they should be aware at first, and not lightly receive
such into their affections. God has often made such matches bitter,
especially to his own. Such matches are, as God said of Eli's sons
that were spared, to consume the eyes and to grieve the heart.
O! the wailing and lamentation that they have made that have been
thus yoked, especially if they were such as would be so yoked
against their light and good counsel to the contrary.
ATTEN. Alas! he deluded her with his tongue, and feigned reformation.
WISE. Well, well, she should have gone more warily to work. What
if she had acquainted some of her best, most knowing, and godly
friends therewith? What if she had engaged a godly minister or two
to have talked with Mr. Badman? Also, what if she had laid wait
round about him, to espy if he was not otherwise behind her back
than he was before her face? And besides I verily think--since
in the multitude of counsellors there is safety--that if she had
acquainted the congregation with it, and desired them to spend some
time in prayer to God about it, and if she must have had him, to
have received him as to his godliness upon the judgment of others,
rather than her own--she knowing them to be godly and judicious and
unbiased men--she had had more peace all her life after, than to
trust to her own poor, raw, womanish judgment as she did. Love is
blind, and will see nothing amiss where others may see a hundred
faults. Therefore I say she should not have trusted to her own
thoughts in the matter of his goodness.
As to his person, there she was fittest to judge, because she
was to be the person pleased, but as to his godliness, there the
Word was the fittest judge, and they that could best understand
it, because God was therein to be pleased. I wish that all young
maidens will take heed of being beguiled with flattering words,
with feigning and lying speeches, and take the best way to preserve
themselves from being bought and sold by wicked men as she was,
lest they repent with her, when, as to this, repentance will do
them no good, but for their unadvisedness go sorrowing to their
graves.
ATTEN. Well things are past with this poor woman and cannot be
called back, let others beware by her misfortunes, lest they also
fall into her distress.
WISE. That is the thing that I say, let them take heed, lest for
their unadvisedness they smart, as this poor woman has done. And
ah! methinks, that they that yet are single persons, and that are
tempted to marry to such as Mr. Badman, would, to inform and warn
themselves in this matter before they entangle themselves, but
go to some that already are in the snare, and ask them how it is
with them, as to the suitable or unsuitableness of their marriage,
and desire their advice. Surely they would ring such a peal in
their ears about the unequality, unsuitableness, disadvantages,
and disquietments, and sins that attend such marriages, that
would make them beware as long as they live. But the bird in the
air knows not the notes of the bird in the snare until she comes
thither herself. Besides, to make up such marriages, Satan and
carnal reason, and lust, or at least inconsiderateness, has the
chiefest hand; and where these things bear sway, designs, though
never so destructive, will go headlong on; and therefore I fear that
but little warning will be taken by young girls at Mr. Badman's
wife's affliction.
ATTEN. But are there no dissuasive arguments to lay before such,
to prevent their future misery?
WISE. Yes: there is the law of God, that forbiddeth marriage with
unbelievers. These kind of marriages also are condemned even by
irrational creatures. 1. It is forbidden by the law of God, both
in the Old Testament and in the New. 1. In the Old. Thou shalt not
'make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto
his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son' (Deut
7:3). 2. In the New Testament it is forbidden. 'Be ye not unequally
yoked together with unbelievers,' let them marry to whom they
will, 'only in the Lord' (2 Cor 6:14-16; 1 Cor 7:39).
Here now is a prohibition, plainly forbidding the believer to
marry with the unbeliever, therefore they should not do it. Again,
these unwarrantable marriages are, as I may so say, condemned by
irrational creatures, who will not couple but with their own sort.
Will the sheep couple with a dog, the partridge with a crow, or
the pheasant with an owl? No, they will strictly tie up themselves
to those of their own sort only. Yea, it sets all the world a
wondering, when they see or hear the contrary. Man only is most
subject to wink at, and allow of these unlawful mixtures of men
and women; because man only is a sinful beast, a sinful bird,
therefore he, above all, will take upon him, by rebellious actions,
to answer, or rather to oppose and violate the law of his God and
Creator; nor shall these or other interrogatories, What fellowship?
what concord? what agreement? what communion can there be in such
marriages? be counted of weight or thought worth the answering by
him,
But further, the dangers that such do commonly run themselves
into, should be to others a dissuasive argument to stop them from
doing the like: for besides the distresses of Mr. Badman's wife,
many that have had very hopeful beginnings for heaven, have, by
virtue of the mischiefs that have attended these unlawful marriages,
miserably and fearfully miscarried. Soon after such marriages,
conviction, the first step towards heaven, hath ceased; prayer, the
next step towards heaven, hath ceased; hungerings and thirstings
after salvation, another step towards the kingdom of heaven, hath
ceased. In a word, such marriages have estranged them from the
Word, from their godly and faithful friends, and have brought them
again into carnal company, among carnal friends, and also into
carnal delights, where, and with whom, they have in conclusion
both sinfully abode, and miserably perished.
And this is one reason why God hath forbidden this kind of unequal
marriages. 'For they,' saith he, meaning the ungodly, 'will turn
away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods;
so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy
thee suddenly' (Deut 7:4). Now mark, there were some in Israel,
that would notwithstanding this prohibition, venture to marry
to the heathens and unbelievers. But what followed? 'They served
their idols, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto
devils. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a
whoring with their own inventions; therefore was the wrath of the
Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his
own inheritance' (Psa 106:36-40).
ATTEN. But let us return again to Mr. Badman; had he any children
by his wife?
WISE. Yes, seven.
ATTEN. I doubt they were but badly brought up.
WISE. One of them loved its mother dearly, and would constantly
hearken to her voice. Now that child she had the opportunity to
instruct in the principles of Christian religion, and it became
a very gracious child. But that child Mr. Badman could not abide,
he would seldom afford it a pleasant word, but would scowl and
frown upon it, speak churlishly and doggedly to it, and though,
as to nature, it was the most feeble of the seven, yet it oftenest
felt the weight of its father's fingers. Three of his children
did directly follow his steps, and began to be as vile as, in his
youth, he was himself. The other that remained became a kind of
mongrel[38] professors, not so bad as their father, nor so good as
their mother, but were betwixt them both. They had their mother's
notions, and their father's actions, and were much like those that
you read of in the book of Nehemiah; these children were half of
Ashdod, 'and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according
to the language of each people' (Neh 13:24).
ATTEN. What you say in this matter is observable, and if I take
not my mark amiss, it often happeneth after this manner where such
unlawful marriages are contracted.
WISE. It sometimes doth so, and the reason, with respect to their
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.
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 hearkeneth
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 it were, mongrels, betwixt
both, they were like unto those that you read of in Kings, they
feared the Lord, but served their own idols (2 Kings 17). They
had, as I said, their mother's notions, and I will add, profession
too; but their father's lusts, and something of his life. Now
their father did not like them, because they had their mother's
tongue; and the mother did not like them because they had still
their father's 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; namely,
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 join in affinity with
Ishmael; to wit, to look out a people that were hypocrites like
themselves, and with them they matched, 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 loins, and under the government of such
a father as Mr. Badman.
ATTEN. You say right, for such children lie 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. 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 ave also the benefit of a godly life set before
them doctrinally by their parents, and that doctrine backed with
a godly and holy example. And all these are very great advantages.
Now all these advantages the children of ungodly parents want;
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, lie, be wicked and vain. They commend not to their
children a 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 (Job 30:8).
ATTEN. Well, but before we leave Mr. Badman's wife and children,
I have a mind, if you please, to inquire a little more after one
thing, the which I am sure you can satisfy 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 Lord's day, for going
to hear a sermon, and Mr. Badman was unwilling 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 rendered this reason for it: I have a 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 a 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 a
heaven for its habitation. You are commanded to love me, as you
love your own body, and so do I love you; but I tell you true, I
prefer my soul before all the world, and its salvation I will seek
(Eph 5:28).[39]
At this, first he gave her an ugly wish, and then fell into
a fearful 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,[40] 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,
only 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 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 befel them. 3. And would laugh at her when he saw her
troubled for them. And now I have told you Mr. Badman's 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. In 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 of nights,
climb trees, and range the woods of 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 awhile, 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 flattering 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 ofttimes 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 noise, according as he was offended, or pleased, or would
have anything 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 it was a wonder it did not kill him. But
after that he also walked about, until God had made a sufficient
spectacle of his judgment of his sin, and then on a sudden he was
stricken, and died miserably; and so there was an end of him and
his doings.
I will tell you of another. 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, some 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, until his flesh rotted
from off him before he went out of the world. But what need I
instance in particular persons; when the judgment 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 anybody else, could tell you more of these stories;
true stories, that are neither lie nor romance.
ATTEN. Well, I also heard of both these myself, 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 justify 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 always forget nor defer to hear the cry 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 judgments 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 thoroughly begun with anything
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 anything to them; but we will pass them and proceed. You have
heard of the sins of his youth, of his apprenticeship, and how he
set up, and married, and what a life he hath led his wife; and now
I will tell you some more of his pranks. He had the very knack
for knavery; had he, as I said before, been bound to serve an
apprenticeship 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. How, when he had
paid his debts, he having some money left, he sets up again 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 begun 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 show 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 they were
sure of his company. Then he would carry it openly, be as they,
say, damn them and sink them[41] as they. If they railed on good
men, so could he; if they railed on religion, so could he; if
they talked beastly, vainly, idly, so would he; if they were for
drinking, swearing, whoring, or any the like villainies, 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 do 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 reluctances 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 virtues, 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 judgment, do such things as he, he would call them fools and
noddies,[42] 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 oftentimes please himself with the thoughts of what he
could do in this matter, saying within himself, I can be religious
and irreligious, I can be anything or nothing; I can swear, and
speak against swearing; I can lie, and speak against lying; I can
drink, wench, be unclean, and defraud, and not be troubled for it.
Now I enjoy myself, and am master of mine own ways, 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 a one as this. True,
it is said of king Ahaz that he sinned more and more (2 Chron
28:22). And of Ahab, that he sold 'himself to work wickedness'
(1 Kings 21:25). And of the men of Sodom, that they 'were sinners
before the Lord exceedingly' (Gen 13:13).
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 (Job 21:17). True, I
believe he would quickly put it out again, and grow more wicked
and desperate afterward, but this also turned to his destruction,
as afterward you may hear.
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, 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, are not 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,' doubtless the
desire of foolishness is more sin; and if the desire be more, the
endeavour after it must needs be more and more (Psa 24:9). 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 a one. For the law judgeth men,
as I said, according to what they would be. He that 'looketh on a
woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already
in his heart' (Matt 5:28). 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' (Prov 23:7). That is, so is he in
his heart, in his intentions, in his desires, in his endeavours;
and God's law, I say, lays hold of the desires, intentions, and
endeavours, even as it lays hold of the act of wickedness itself
(Matt 5; Rom 7:7). 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 be judged for as bad a man as he, because it was 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,
diabolical 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 ground-work of all. Atheism, professed and practical, spring
both out of the heart, yea, and all manner of evil besides. 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. 'Wickedness proceedeth form the wicked' (1 Sam
24:13). It is an evil tree that bars 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 (Matt 7:16-18).
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 men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil
eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these things come from
within and defile the man' (Mark 7:20-23). And a man, as his
naughty mind inclines him, makes use of these, or any of these, to
gratify 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. Badman's 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 gainful to him as always to keep his
purse's 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 hatfuls
and pocketfuls at a time.
ATTEN. Why I trow he was no highwayman, 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 nobody 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.