Life and Death of Mr. Badman. John Bunyan

Yea, lye and stand in it, although they know that they lye: yea, you shall have some men that will not stick to tell lye after lye, though themselves get nothing thereby; They will tell lyes in their ordinary discourse with their Neighbours, also their News, their Jests, and their Tales must needs be adorned with lyes; or else they seem to bear no good sound to the ear, nor shew much to the fancie of him to whom they are told.  But alas, what will these lyers doe, when, for their lyes they shall be tumbled down into hell, to that Devil that did beget those lyes in their heart, and so be tormented by fire and brimstone, with him, and that for ever and ever, for their lyes?

      Atten.  Can you not give one some example of Gods Judgements upon lyers, that one may tell them to lyers when one hears them lye, if perhaps they may by the hearing thereof, be made afraid, and ashamed to lye.

      Wise.  Examples! why, 17 Saphira and his wife are examples enough to put a stop, one would think, to a spirit addicted thereto, for they both were stricken down dead for telling a lye, and that by God himself, in the midst of a company of people.  But if Gods threatning of Liers with Hell-fire, and with the loss of the Kingdom of Heaven, will not prevail with them to leave off to lie and make lies, it cannot be imagined that a relation of temporal Judgements that have swept liers out of the World heretofore, should do it.  Now, as I said, this Lying was one of the first sins that Mr. Badman was addicted to, and he could make them and tell them fearfully.

      Atten.  I am sorry to hear this of him, and so much the more because, as I fear, this sin did not reign in him 18 alone; for usually one that is accustomed to lying, is also accustomed to other evils besides, and if it were not so also with Mr. Badman, it would be indeed a wonder.

      Wise.  You say true, the lier is a Captive slave of more than the spirit of lying: and therefore this Mr. Badman, as he was a lier from a Child, so he was also much given to 19 pilfer and steal, so that what he could, as we say, handsomly lay his hands on, that was counted his own, whether they were the things of his fellow Children; or if he could lay hold of any thing at a Neighbours house, he would take it away; you must understand me of Trifles; for being let but a Child he attempted no great matter, especially at first.  But yet as he grew up in strength and ripeness of wit, so he attempted to pilfer and steal things still of more value than at first.  He took at last great pleasure in robbing of Gardens and Orchards; and as he grew up, to steal Pullen from the Neighbourhood: Yea, what was his 20 Fathers, could not escape his fingers, all was Fish that came to his Net, so hardened, at last, was he in this mischief also.

      Atten.  You make me wonder more and more.  What, play the Thief too!  What play the Thief so soon!  He could not but know, though he was but a Child, that what he took from others, was none of his own.  Besides, if his Father was a good man, as you say, it could not be, but he must also hear from him, that to steal was to transgress the Law of God, and so to run the hazard of eternal Damnation.

      Wise.  His Father was not wanting to use the means to reclaim him, often urging, as I have been told, that saying in the Law of Moses, 21 Thou shalt not steal: And also that, This is the Curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth, for every one that stealeth shall be cut off, &c. 22  The light of Nature also, though he was little, must needs shew him that what he took from others, was not his own, and that he would not willingly have been served so himself.  But all was to no purpose, let Father and Conscience say what they would to him, he would go on, he was resolved to go on in his wickedness.

      Atten.  But his Father would, as you intimate, sometimes rebuke him for his wickedness; pray how would he carry it then?

      Wise.  How! why, like to a Thief that is found.  He would stand 23 gloating, and hanging down his head in a sullen, pouching manner, (a body might read, as we use to say, the picture of Ill-luck in his face,) and when his Father did demand his answer to such questions concerning his Villany, he would grumble and mutter at him, and that should be all he could get.

      Atten.  But you said that he would also rob his Father, methinks that was an unnatural thing.

      Wise.  Natural or unnatural, all is one to a Thief.  Beside, you must think that he had likewise Companions to whom he was, for the wickedness that he saw in them, more 24 firmly knit, than either to Father or Mother.  Yea, and what had he cared if Father and Mother had died for grief for him.  Their death would have been, as he would have counted, great release and liberty to him: For the truth is, they and their counsel was his Bondage; yea, and if I forget not, I have heard some say, that when he was, at times, among his Companions, he would greatly 25 rejoyce to think that his Parents were old, and could not live long, and then, quoth he, I shall be mine own man, to do what I list without their controul.

      Atten.  Then it seems he counted that robbing of his Parents was no crime.

      Wise.  None at all, and therefore he fell directly under that Sentence, Whoso robbeth his Father or his Mother, and saith it is no transgression, the same is the companion of a destroyer.  And for that he set so light by them as to their Persons and Counsels, ’twas a sign that at present he was of a very abominable spirit, 26 and that some Judgement waited to take hold of him in time to come.

      Atten.  But can you imagin what it was, I mean, in his conceit (for I speak not now of the suggestions of Satan, by which doubtless he was put on to do these things,) I say what it should be in his conceit, that should make him think that this his manner of pilfering and stealing was no great matter.

      Wise.  It was, for that, the things that he stole, were small; to rob Orchards, and Gardens, and to steal Pullen, and the like, these he counted 27 Tricks of Youth, nor would he be beat out of it by all that his Friends could say.  They would tell him that he must not covet, or desire, (and yet to desire, is less than to take) even any thing, the least thing that was his Neighbours, and that if he did, it would be a transgression of the Law; but all was one to him: what through the wicked Talk of his Companions, and the delusion of his own corrupt heart, he would go on in his pilfering course, and where he thought himself secure, would talk of, and laugh at it when he had done.

      ☛ Atten.  Well, I heard a man once, when he was upon the Ladder with the Rope about his Neck, confess (when ready to be turned off by the Hangman) that that which had brought him to that end, was his accustoming of himself, when young, to pilfer and steal small things.  To my best remembrance he told us, that he began the trade of a Thief by stealing Pins and Points, and therefore did forewarn all the Youth, that then were gathered together to see him die, to take heed of beginning, though but with little sins, because by tampering at first with little ones, way is made for the commission of bigger.

      Wise.  Since you are entred upon Storyes, I also will tell you one, the which, 28 though I heard it not with mine own Ears, yet my Author I dare believe: 29 It is concerning one old Tod, that was hanged about Twenty years agoe, or more, at Hartford, for being a Thief.  The Story is this:

      ☛ At a Summer Assizes holden at Hartfor[d], while the Judge was sitting upon the Bench, comes this old Tod into the Court, cloathed in a green Suit, with his Leathern Girdle in his hand, his Bosom open, and all on a dung sweat, as if he had run for his Life; and being come in, he spake aloud as follows: 30 My Lord, said he, Here is the veryest Rogue that breaths upon the face of the earth.  I have been a Thief from a Child: When I was but a little one, I gave my self to rob Orchards, and to do other such like wicked things, and I have continued a Thief ever since.  My Lord, there has not been a Robbery committed thus many years within so many miles if this place, but I have either been at it, or privy to it.

      The Judge thought the fellow was mad, but after some conference with some of the Justices, they agreed

17

An Example for Lyers.  Acts 5.

18

A Spirit of Lying accompanyed with other sins.

19

Badman given to pilfer.

20

Badman would rob his Father.

21

Exod. 20. 15.

22

Zech. 5. 3.

23

Jer. 2. 26.  How Badman did use to carry it when his Father used to chide him for his sins.

24

Badman more firmly knit to his Companions than either to Father or Mother.

25

Badman would rejoyce to think that his Parents death were at hand.

26

1 Sam. 2. 25.

27

Badman counted his thieving no great matter.

28

The Story of old Tod.

29

Young Thieves takes notice.

30

Old Tod began his way to the Gallows by robbing of Orchards and the like.