Life and Death of Mr. Badman. John Bunyan

have not suffered (says he) my mouth to sin, 57 by wishing a curse to his soul; or consequently, to Body or Estate.  This then is a wicked cursing, to wish that evil might either befall another or our selves: And this kind of cursing young Badman accustomed himself unto.

      1.  He 58 would wish that evil might befall others; he would wish their Necks broken, or that their Brains were out, or that the Pox, or Plague was upon them, and the like: All which is a devilish kind of cursing, and is become one of the common sins of our age.

      2.  He would also as often wish a Curse to himself, saying, Would I might be hanged, or burned, or that the Devil might fetch me, if it be not so, or the like.  We count the 59 Damme Blades to be great Swearers; but when in their hellish fury they say, God-damme me, God perish me, or the like, they rather curse than swear; yea, curse themselves, and that with a Wish that Damnation might light upon themselves; which wish and Curse of theirs, in a little time, they will see accomplished upon them, even in Hell-fire, if they repent not of their sins.

      Atten.  But did this young Badman accustom himself to such filthy kind of language?

      Wise.  I think I may say, that nothing was more frequent in his mouth, and that upon the least provocation.  Yea he was so versed in such kind of language, that neither 60 Father, nor Mother, nor Brother, nor Sister, nor Servant, no nor the very Cattel that his Father had, could escape these Curses of his.  I say, that even the bruit Beasts when he drove them, or rid upon them, if they pleased not his humour, they must be sure to partake of his curse.  61 He would wish their Necks broke, their Legs broke, their Guts out, or that the Devil might fetch them, or the like: and no marvel, for he that is so hardy to wish damnation, or other bad curses to himself, or dearest relations; will not stick to wish evil to the silly Beast, in his madness.

      Atten.  Well, I see still that this Badman was a desperate villain.  But pray, Sir, since you have gone thus far, now shew me whence this evil of cursing ariseth, and also what dishonour it bringeth to God; for I easily discern that it doth bring damnation to the soul.

      Wise.  This evil of Cursing ariseth, in general, from the desperate wickedness of the heart, but particularly from, 62 63 1.  Envie, which is, as I apprehend, the leading sin to Witchcraft.  2.  It also ariseth from Pride which was the sin of the fallen Angels; 3.  It ariseth too from Scorn and contempt of others: 4.  But for a man to curse himself, must needs arise from desperate Madness.

      The 64 dishonour that it bringeth to God, is this.  It taketh away from him his Authority, in whose power it is onely, to Bless and Curse; not to Curse wickedly, as Mr. Badman, but justly, and righteously, giving by his Curse to those that are wicked, the due Reward of their deeds.

      Besides, these wicked men, in their wicked cursing of their Neighbour, &c. do even Curse God himself in his handy work.  Man is Gods Image, and to curse wickedly the Image of God, is to curse God himself. 65  Therefore as when men wickedly swear, they rend, and tare Gods Name, and make him, as much as in them lies, the avoucher and approver of all their wickedness; so he that curseth and condemneth in this sort his Neighbour, or that wisheth him evil, curseth, condemneth, and wisheth evil to the Image of God, and consequently judgeth and condemneth God himself.

      Suppose that a man should say with his mouth, I wish that the Kings Picture was burned; would not this mans so saying, render him as an Enemy to the Person of the King?  Even so it is with them that, by cursing, wish evil to their neighbour, or to themselves, they contemn the Image, even the Image of God himself.

      Atten.  But do you think that the men that do thus, do think that they do so vilely, so abominably?

      Wise.  The question is not what men do believe concerning their sin, but what Gods Word says of it: If Gods Word says that Swearing and Cursing are sins, though men should count them for Vertues, their reward will be a reward for sin, to wit, the damnation of the soul.

      To 66 curse another, and to swear vainly and falsly, are sins against the Light of Nature.

      1.  To Curse is so, because, whoso curseth another, knows, that at the same time he would not be so served himself.

      2.  To Swear also, is a sin against the same Law: for Nature will tell me, that I should not lie, and therefore much less Swear to confirm it.  Yea, the Heathens have looked upon Swearing to be a solemn Ordinance of God, and therefore not to be lightly or vainly used by men, though to confirm a matter of truth. 67

      Atten.  But I wonder, since Curseing and Swearing are such evils in the eyes of God, that he doth not make some Examples to others, for their committing such wickedness.

      ☛ Wise.  Alas! so he has, a thousand times twice told, as may be easily gathered by any observing people in every Age and Countrey.  I could present you with several my self; but waving the abundance that might be mentioned, I will here present you with 68 two; One was that dreadful Judgment of God upon one N. P. at Wimbleton in Surrey; who, after a horrible fit of Swearing at, and Cursing of some persons that did not please him, suddenly fell sick, and in little time died raving, cursing and swearing.

      But above all take that dreadful Story of Dorothy Mately an Inhabitant of As[h]over in the County of Darby.

      ☛ This Dorothy Mately, saith the Relator, was noted by the people of the Town to be a great Swearer, and Curser, and Lier, and Thief; (just like Mr. Badman.)  And the labour that she did usually follow, was to wash the Rubbish that came forth of the Lead Mines, and there to get sparks of Lead-Ore; and her usual way of asserting of things, was with these kind of Imprecations: I would I might sink into the earth if it be not so, or I would God would make the earth open and swallow me up.  Now upon the 23. of March, 1660. this Dorothy was washing of Ore upon the top of a steep Hill, about a quarter of a mile from Ashover, and was there taxed by a Lad for taking of two single Pence out of his Pocket, (for he had laid his Breeches by, and was at work in his Drawers;) but she violently denyed it, wishing, That the ground might swallow her up if she had them: She also used the same wicked words on several other occasions that day.

      Now one George Hodgkinson of Ashover, a man of good report there, came accidentally by where this Dorothy was, and stood still a while to talk with her, as she was washing her Ore; there stood also a little Child by her Tub-side, and another a distance from her, calling aloud to her to come away; wherefore the said George took the Girle by the hand to lead her away to her that called her: But behold, they had not gone above ten yards from Dorothy, but they heard her crying out for help; so looking back, he saw the Woman, and her Tub, and Sive, twirling round, and sinking into the ground.  Then said the man, Pray to God to pardon thy sin, for thou art never like to be seen alive any longer.  So she and her Tub twirled round, and round, till they sunk about three yards into the Earth, and then for a while staid.  Then she called for help again, thinking, as she said, that she should stay there.  Now the man though greatly amazed, did begin to think which way to help her, but immediately a great stone which appeared in the Earth, fell upon her head, and brake her Skull, and then the Earth fell in upon her and covered her.  She was afterwards digged up, and found about four yards within ground, with the Boys two single Pence in her pocket, but her Tub and Sive could not be found.

      ☛ Atten.  You bring to my mind a sad story, the which I will relate unto you.  The thing is this; About a bow-shoot from where I once dwelt, there was a blind Ale-house, and the man that kept it had a Son whose name was Edward.  This Edward was, as it were, an half-fool, both in his words, and manner of behaviour.  To this blind Ale-house certain jovial companions would once or twice a week come, and this Ned, (for so they called him) his Father would entertain his guests withall; to wit, by calling for him to make them sport by his foolish words and gestures.  So when these boon blades came to this mans house, the Father

57

Job 30. 31.

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Badmans way of Cursing.

59

The Damme Blade.

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Badman would curse his Father, &c.

61

Badman would curse his Fathers Cattel.

62

Job 15.  Eccles. 7. 22.

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Four causes of Cursing.

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The dishonour it brings to God.

65

Jam. 3. 9.

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Swearing and Cursing, are sins against the light of Nature.

67

Gen. 31.

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Examples of Gods anger against them that Swear and Curse.