And

Mr Bad

man plays a new prank.

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 of pounds; and thus he went on for a long time. 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 them, sink them, as they. If they railed on good men, so could he; if they railed on religion so could he; if they talked beastly, vainly,

Mr Badman's perfec

tions.

idly, so would he; if they were for drinking, swearing, whoring, or any the like villainies, so was he. This was now the path that 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 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 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, 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 any thing, 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.

How Mr Badman

came to

en

joy himself.

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 shined 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."

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,

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

There are abundance like Mr Badman.

doubt, there are 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 venfold, 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.

se

Atten. You are in the right; for I perceive that some men, though they desir 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, doubtless the desire of foolishness is more sin and if the desire be more, the endeavour after it must needs be more and more. 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 upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." 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 God's law, I say, lays hold of the desires, intentions, and endeavours,