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T H E By J O H N.B U N Y A N. 1680. Published two years after Pilgrim's Progress. |
CHAPTER VII.
[HE THROWS OFF THE MASK AND CRUELLY TREATS HIS WIFE.]
ow 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.
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