Part 11 (1/2)

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, d.a.m.n'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 G.o.d or Devil, Heaven or h.e.l.l, 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 be 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 G.o.d 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 h.e.l.lish 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 h.e.l.l than others, (and yet all the children of h.e.l.l,) 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 h.e.l.l 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 l.u.s.t 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 G.o.d 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 G.o.ds 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 l.u.s.t, 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?

Wise. No, no, I speak plainly. Or, if you will have it in plainer language, 'tis this: When Mr. Badman had swaggered and wh.o.r.ed away most of his wifes portion, he began to feel that he could not much longer stand upon his legs in this course of life, and keep up his Trade and Repute (such as he had) in the world; but by the new Engine of Breaking.

Wherefore, upon a time, he gives a great, and sudden {93b} rush into several mens debts, to the value of about four or five thousand pound, driving at the same time a very great trade, by selling many things for less than they cost him, to get him custom, therewith to blind his Creditors eyes. His Creditors therefore feeling that he had a great employ, and dreaming that it must needs at length turn to a very good account to them, trusted him freely without mistrust, and so did others too, to the value of what was mentioned before. Well, when Mr. Badman had well feathered his Nest with other mens goods and money, after a little time {93c} he breaks. And by and by it is noysed abroad that Mr.

Badman had shut up Shop, was gone, and could trade no longer. Now, by that time his breaking was come to his Creditors ears, he had by Craft and Knavery made so sure of what he had, that his Creditors could not touch a penny. Well, when he had done, he sends his mournfull sugered letters to his Creditors, to let them understand what had happened unto him, and desired them not to be severe with him; {94a} for he bore towards all men an honest mind, and would pay so far as he was able. Now he sends his letters by a man {94b} confederate with him, who could make both the worst, and best of Mr. Badmans case: The best for Mr. Badman, and the worst for his Creditors. So when he comes to them, he both bemoans them, and condoles Mr. Badmans condition: Telling of them, that without a speedy bringing of things to a conclusion, Mr. Badman would be able to make them no satisfaction, but at present he both could, and would, and that to the utmost of his power: and to that end, he desired that they would come over to him. Well, his Creditors appoint him a time, and come over; and he, mean while, authorizes another to treat with them, but will not be seen himself, unless it was on a Sunday, lest they should snap him with a Writ. So his deputed friend treats with them about their concern with Mr. Badman, first telling them of the great care that Mr. Badman took to satisfie them and all men for whatsoever he ought, as far as in him lay, and, how little he thought a while since to be in this low condition. He pleaded also the greatness of his Charge, the greatness of Taxes, the Badness of the times, and the great Losses that he had by many of his customers, some of which died in his debt, others were run away, and for many that were alive, he never expected a farthi[n]g from them. Yet nevertheless he would shew himself an honest man, and would pay as far as he was able; and if they were willing to come to terms, he would make a composition with them, (for he was not able to pay them all.) The Creditors asked what he would give? {94c} 'Twas replyed, Half a crown in the pound. At this they began to huff, and he to renew his complaint and entreaty; but the Creditors would not hear, and so for that time their meeting without success broke up. But after his Creditors were in cool blood, and admitting of second thoughts, and fearing lest delays should make them lose all, they admit of a second debate, come together again, and by many words, and great ado, they obtained five s.h.i.+llings i'th' pound. {94d} So the money was produced, Releases and Discharges drawn, signed, and sealed, Books crossed, and all things confirmed; and then Mr. Badman can put his head out of dores again, and be a better man than when he shut up Shop, by several thousands of pounds.