The Life and Death of Mr. Badman

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This etext was prepared by David Price, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk
from the 1905 Cambridge University Press edition.

THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MR. BADMAN

NOTE

The Life and Death of Mr Badman was published by John Bunyan in
1680, two years after the First Edition of the First Part of The
Pilgrim's Progress. In the opening sentence of his preface he
tells us it was intended by him as the counterpart or companion
picture to the Allegory. But whatever his own intentions may have
been, the Public of his own time seem to have declined to accept
the book in this capacity. Indeed, another writer, who signs
himself T. S., undertook to complete Bunyan's Allegory for him, in
a book in size and type closely resembling it, and entitled The
Second Part of the Pilgrim's Progress . . . exactly Described under
the Similitude of a Dream. It was printed for Jho. Malthus at the
Sun in the Poultry, and published in 1683. So far as is known,
only one copy of this book is now in existence, the copy which was
formerly in the library of the poet Southey and now in that of the
Baptist Union. Upon this Bunyan seems to have changed his purpose,
so far as The Life and Death of Mr Badman was concerned, and on the
first of January, 1685, published the story of Christiana and her
Children as his own Second Part of The Pilgrim's Progress.

The work before us, therefore, now stands apart by itself. In its
composition Bunyan seems to have been greatly influenced, so far as
form is concerned, by a book which his wife brought with her on her
marriage, and which, as he tells us in his Grace Abounding, they
read together. It was entitled The Plaine Man's Pathway to Heaven:
By Arthur Dent, Preacher of the Word of God at South Shoobury in
Essex. The eleventh impression, the earliest now known, is dated
1609. Both books are in dialogue form, and in each case the
dialogue is supposed to be carried on through one long day.
Bunyan's Mr Wiseman, like Dent's Theologus, holds forth instructive
discourse, while the Mr Attentive of the former, like the
Philagathus of the latter, listens and draws on his teacher by
friendly questionings. There is not in Bunyan's conference, as
there is in Dent's, an Asunetus, who plays the part of an ignorant
man to come out enlightened and convinced at last, or an Antilegon,
who carps and cavils all the way; and there is not in Dent's book
what there is in Bunyan's, a biographical narrative connecting the
various parts of the dialogue; but the groundwork of each is the
same--a searching manifestation and exposure of the nature and
evils of various forms of immorality.

Bunyan's book came out in 1680, and was published by Nathaniel
Ponder, who was also the publisher of The Pilgrim's Progress. A
third edition appeared in 1696, but as no copy of the second
edition is known to exist, no date can be assigned to it. In 1684
Johannes Boekholt, a publisher in Amsterdam, obtained leave of the
State to issue a Dutch translation, with the title Het Leven en
Sterben van Mr Quaat. This edition was illustrated by five copper-
plate engravings, executed by Jan Luiken, the eminent Dutch
engraver, who also illustrated The Pilgrim's Progress the following
year. In 1782 a Welsh version, translated by T. Lewys, was
published at Liverpool with the title: Bywyd a Marwolaeth yr
annuwiol dan enw Mr Drygddyn. A Gaelic version also was published
at Inverness in 1824, entitled Beath agus Bas Mhr Droch-duine.

The present edition {1a} has been reprinted from a copy of the
first issue, lent by the Trustees of the Bunyan Church at Bedford,
and the proofs read with a second copy of the same issue, in the
library of the British Museum. For convenience of reading, as in
other issues of this series of CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH CLASSICS, the old
type forms of j, s, u, etc. have been made uniform with those in
general modern use; but neither the spelling (including the use of
capitals and italics) nor the punctuation has been altered, save as
specified. Effect has been given to the errata noted by Bunyan
himself, and printed on page 15 of this issue.

The text of this edition of Bunyan's Holy War {1b} is a careful
reproduction of the First Edition of 1682. It is not certain that
there was any further authentic reprint in Bunyan's life-time. For
though both in the Bodleian and the British Museum there is a copy
purporting to be a second edition, and bearing date 1684, it is
difficult to resist the impression that they are pirated copies,
similar to those of which Nathaniel Ponder complained so bitterly
in the case of The Pilgrim's Progress. For both paper and
typography are greatly inferior to those of the first edition; some
of Bunyan's most characteristic marginalia are carelessly omitted;
Bunyan's own title--'The Holy War made by Shaddai upon Diabolus for
the regaining of the Metropolis of the World'--is altered to the
feebler and more commonplace form--'The Holy War made by Christ
upon the Devil for the Regaining of Man'; and, further, when a new
edition was issued in 1696, the alterations and omissions of 168 4
were ignored, and a simple reprint made of the first edition of
1682.

J. B. {1c}
9 October, 1905.

THE AUTHOR TO THE READER

Courteous Reader,

I was considering with my self, what I had written concerning the
Progress of the Pilgrim from this World to Glory; and how it had
been acceptable to many in this Nation: It came again into my mind
to write, as then, of him that was going to Heaven, so now, of the
Life and Death of the Ungodly, and of their travel from this world
to Hell. The which in this I have done, and have put it, as thou
seest, under the Name and Title of Mr. Badman, a Name very proper
for such a Subject: I have also put it into the form of a
Dialogue, that I might with more ease to my self, and pleasure to
the Reader, perform the work.

And although, as I said, I have put it forth in this method, yet
have I as little as may be, gone out of the road of mine own
observation of things. Yea, I think I may truly say, that to the
best of my remembrance, all the things that here I discourse of, I
mean as to matter of fact, have been acted upon the stage of this
World, even many times before mine eyes.

Here therefore, courteous Reader, I present thee with the Life and
Death of Mr. Badman indeed: Yea, I do trace him in his Life, from
his Childhood to his Death; that thou mayest, as in a Glass, behold
with thine own eyes, the steps that take hold of Hell; and also
discern, while thou art reading of Mr. Badmans Death, whether thou
thy self art treading in his path thereto.

And let me entreat thee to forbear Quirking and Mocking, for that I
say Mr. Badman is dead; but rather gravely enquire concerning thy
self by the Word, whether thou art one of his Linage or no: For
Mr. Badman has left many of his Relations behind him; yea, the very
World is overspread with his Kindred. True, some of his Relations,
as he, are gone to their place, and long home, but thousands of
thousands are left behind; as Brothers, Sisters, Cousens, Nephews,
besides innumerable of his Friends and Associates.

I may say, and yet speak nothing but too much truth in so saying,
that there is scarce a Fellowship, a Community, or Fraternity of
men in the World, but some of Mr. Badmans Relations are there: yea
rarely can we find a Family or Houshold in a Town, where he has not
left behind him either Brother, Nephew or Friend.

The Butt therefore, that at this time I shoot at, is wide; and
'twill be as impossible for this Book to go into several Families,
and not to arrest some, as for the Kings Messenger to rush into an
house full of Traitors, and find none but honest men there.

I cannot but think that this shot will light upon many, since our
fields are so full of this Game; but how many it will kill to Mr.
Badmans course, and make alive to the Pilgrims Progress, that is
not in me to determine; this secret is with the Lord our God only,
and he alone knows to whom he will bless it to so good and so
blessed an end. However, I have put fire to the Pan, and doubt not
but the report will quickly be heard.

I told you before, that Mr. Badman had left many of his Friends and
Relations behind him, but if I survive them (as that's a great
question to me) I may also write of their lives: However, whether
my life be longer or shorter, this is my Prayer at present, that
God will stir up Witnesses against them, that may either convert or
confound them; for wherever they live, and roll in their
wickedness, they are the Pest and Plague of that Countrey.

England shakes and totters already, by reason of the burden that
Mr. Badman and his Friends have wickedly laid upon it: Yea, our
Earth reels and staggereth to and fro like a Drunkard, the
transgression thereof is heavy upon it.

Courteous Reader, I will treat thee now, even at the Door and
Threshold of this house, but only with this Intelligence, that Mr.
Badman lies dead within. Be pleased therefore (if thy leisure will
serve thee) to enter in, and behold the state in which he is laid,
betwixt his Death-bed and the Grave. He is not buried as yet, nor
doth he stink, as is designed he shall, before he lies down in
oblivion.

Now as others have had their Funerals solemnized, according to
their Greatness and Grandure in the world, so likewise Mr. Badman,
(forasmuch as he deserveth not to go down to his grave with
silence) has his Funeral state according to his deserts.

Four things are usual at great mens Funerals, which we will take
leave, and I hope without offence, to allude to, in the Funeral of
Mr. Badman.

First, They are sometimes, when dead, presented to their Friends,
by their compleatly wrought Images, as lively as by cunning mens
hands they can be; that the remembrance of them may be renewed to
their survivors, the remembrance of them and their deeds: And this
I have endeavoured to answer in my discourse of Mr. Badman; and
therefore I have drawn him forth in his featours and actions from
his Childhood to his Gray hairs. Here therefore thou hast him
lively set forth as in Cutts; both as to the minority, flower, and
seniority of his Age, together with those actions of his life, that
he was most capable of doing, in, and under those present
circumstances of time, place, strength; and the opportunities that
did attend him in these.

Secondly, There is also usual at great mens Funerals, those Badges
and Scutcheons of their honour, that they have received from their
Ancestors, or have been thought worthy of for the deeds and
exploits they have done in their life: And here Mr. Badman has
his, but such as vary from all men of worth, but so much the more
agreeing with the merit of his doings: They all have descended in
state, he only as an abominable branch. His deserts are the
deserts of sin, and therefore the Scutcheons of honour that he has,
are only that he died without Honour, and at his end became a fool.
Thou shalt not be joyned with them in burial.--The seed of evil
doers shall never be renowned.

The Funeral pomp therefore of Mr. Badman, is to wear upon his
Hearse the Badges of a dishonourable and wicked life; since his
bones are full of the sins of his Youth, which shall lye down, as
Job sayes, in the dust with him: nor is it fit that any should be
his Attendants, now at his death, but such as with him conspired
against their own souls in their life; persons whose transgressions
have made them infamous to all that have or shall know what they
have done.

Some notice therefore I have also here in this little discourse
given the Reader, of them who were his Confederates in his life,
and Attendants at his death; with a hint, either of some high
Villany committed by them, as also of those Judgments that have
overtaken and fallen upon them from the just and revenging hand of
God. All which are things either fully known by me, as being eye
and ear-witness thereto, or that I have received from such hands,
whose relation as to this, I am bound to believe. And that the
Reader may know them from other things and passages herein
contained, I have pointed at them in the Margent, as with a finger
thus: {2a}

Thirdly, The Funerals of persons of Quality have been solemnized
with some suitable Sermon at the time and place of their Burial;
but that I am not come to as yet, having got no further than to Mr.
Badmans death: but for as much as he must be buried, after he hath
stunk out his time before his beholders, I doubt not but some such
that we read are appointed to be at the burial of Gog, will do this
work in my stead; such as shall leave him neither skin nor bone
above ground, but shall set a sign by it till the buriers have
buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog, Ezek. 39.

Fourthly, At Funerals there does use to be Mourning and
lamentation, but here also Mr. Badman differs from others; his
Familiars cannot lament his departure, for they have not sence of
his damnable state; they rather ring him, and sing him to Hell in
the sleep of death, in which he goes thither. Good men count him
no loss to the world, his place can well be without him, his loss
is only his own, and 'tis too late for him to recover that dammage
or loss by a Sea of bloody tears, could he shed them. Yea, God has
said, he will laugh at his destruction, who then shall lament for
him, saying, Ah! my brother. He was but a stinking Weed in his
life; nor was he better at all in his death: such may well be
thrown over the wall without sorrow, when once God has plucked them
up by the roots in his wrath.

Reader, If thou art of the race, linage, stock or fraternity of Mr.
Badman, I tell thee before thou readest this Book, thou wilt
neither brook the Author nor it, because he hath writ of Mr. Badman
as he has. For he that condemneth the wicked that die so, passeth
also the sentence upon the wicked that live. I therefore expect
neither credit of, nor countenance from thee, for this Narration of
thy kinsmans life.

For thy old love to thy Friend, his wayes, doings, &c. will stir up
in thee enmity rather, in thy very heart, against me. I shall
therefore incline to think of thee, that thou wilt rent, burn, or
throw it away in contempt: yea and wish also, that for writing so
notorious a truth, some mischief may befall me. I look also to be
loaded by thee with disdain, scorn and contempt; yea that thou
shouldest railingly and vilifyingly say, I lye, and am a
bespatterer of honest mens lives and deaths. For Mr. Badman, when
himself was alive, could not abide to be counted a Knave (though
his actions told all that went by, that indeed he was such an one:)
How then should his brethren, that survive him, and that tread in
his very steps, approve of the sentence that by this Book is
pronounced against him? Will they not rather imitate Corah,
Dathan, and Abiram's friends, even rail at me for condemning him,
as they did at Moses for doing execution?

I know 'tis ill pudling in the Cockatrices den, and that they run
hazards that hunt the Wild-Boar. The man also that writeth Mr.
Badmans life, had need to be fenced with a Coat of Mail, and with
the Staffe of a Spear, for that his surviving friends will know
what he doth: but I have adventured to do it, and to play, at this
time, at the hole of these Asps; if they bite, they bite; if they
sting, they sting. Christ sends his Lambs in the midst of Wolves,
not to do like them, but to suffer by them for bearing plain
testimony against their bad deeds: But had one not need to walk
with a Guard, and to have a Sentinel stand at ones door for this?
Verily, the flesh would be glad of such help; yea, a spiritual man,
could he tell how to get it. Acts 23. But I am stript naked of
these, and yet am commanded to be faithful in my servi[c]e for
Christ. Well then, I have spoken what I have spoken, and now come
on me what will, Job 13. 13. True, the Text sayes, Rebuke a
scorner, and he will hate thee; and that, He that reproveth a
wicked man, getteth himself a Blot and Shame; but what then? Open
rebuke is better than secret love; and he that receives it, shall
find it so afterwards.

So then, whether Mr. Badmans friends shall rage or laugh at what I
have writ, I know that the better end of the staffe is mine. My
endeavour is to stop an hellish Course of Life, and to save a soul
from death, (Jam. 5.) and if for so doing, I meet with envy from
them, from whom in reason I should have thanks, I must remember the
man in the dream, that cut his way through his armed enemies, and
so got into the beauteous Palace; I must, I say, remember him, and
do my self likewise.

Yet four things I will propound to the consideration of Mr. Badmans
friends, before I turn my back upon them.

1. Suppose that there be an Hell in very deed, not that I do
question it, any more than I do whether there be a Sun to shine;
but I suppose it for argument sake, with Mr. Badmans friends; I
say, suppose there be an Hell, and that too, such an one as the
Scripture speaks of, one at the remotest distance from God and Life
eternall, one where the Worm of a guilty Conscience never dyes, and
where the fire of the Wrath of God is not quenched.

Suppose, I say, that there is such an Hell, prepared of God (as
there is indeed) for the body and soul of the ungodly World after
this life, to be tormented in: I say, do but with thy self suppose
it, and then tell me, Is it not prepared for thee, thou being a
wicked man? Let thy conscience speak, I say, is it not prepared
for thee, thou being an ungodly man? And dost thou think, wast
thou there now, that thou art able to wrestle with the Judgment of
God? Why then do the fallen Angers tremble there? thy hands cannot
be strong, nor can thy heart endure, in that day when God shall
deal with thee: Ezek. 22. 14.

2. Suppose that some one that is now a soul in Hell for sin, was
permitted to come hither again to dwell; and that they had a grant
also, that upon amendment of life, next time the dye, to change
that place for Heaven ant Glory; what sayest thou, O wicked man?
would such an one (thinkest thou) run again into the same course of
life as before, and venture the damnation that for sin he had
already been in? Would he choose again to lead that cursed life
that afresh would kindle the flames of Hell upon him, and that
would bind him up under the heavy wrath of God? O! he would not,
he would not; the sixteenth of Luke insinuates it: yea Reason it
self, awake, would abhorr it, and tremble at such a thought.

3. Suppose again, that thou that livest and rollest in thy sin,
and that as yet hast known nothing but the pleasure thereof,
shouldst be by an angel conveyed to some place where with
convenience, from thence thou mightest have a view of Heaven and
Hell; of the Joyes of the one, and the torments of the other; I
say, suppose that from thence thou mightest have such a view
thereof, as would convince thy reason, that both Heaven and Hell,
are such realities as by the Word they are declared to be; wouldest
thou (thinkest thou) when brought to thy home again, chuse to thy
self thy former life, to wit, to return to thy folly again? No; if
belief of what thou sawest, remained with thee, thou wouldest eat
Fire and Brimstone first.

4. I will propound again. Suppose that there was amongst us such
a Law, (and such a Magistrate to inflict the penalty,) That for
every open wickedness committed by thee, so much of thy flesh
should with burning Pincers be plucked from thy Bones: Wouldest
thou then go on in thy open way of Lying, Swearing, Drinking and
Whoring, as thou with delight doest now? Surely, surely, No: The
fear of the punishment would make thee forbear; yea, would make
thee tremble, even then when thy lusts were powerfull, to think
what a punishment thou wast sure to sustain, so soon as the
pleasure was over. But Oh! the folly, the madness, the desperate
madness that is in the hearts of Mr. Badmans friends, who in
despite of the threatnings of an holy and sin revenging God, and of
the outcries and warnings of all good men; yea, that will in
despite of the groans and torments of those that are now in Hell
for sin, (Luk. 16. 24. 28.) go on in a sinfull course of life; yea,
though every sin is also a step of descent, down to that infernal
Cave. O how true is that saying of Solomon, The heart of the sons
of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they
live, and after that they go to the dead, Eccles. 9. 3. To the
dead! that is, to the dead in Hell, to the damned dead; the place
to which those that have dyed Bad men are gone, and that those that
live Bad men are like to go to, when a little more sin, like
stollen waters, hath been imbibed by their sinful souls.

That which has made me publish this Book is,

1. For that wickedness like a flood is like to drown our English
world: it begins already to be above the tops of mountains; it has
almost swallowed up all; our Youth, our Middle age, Old age, and
all, are almost carried away of this flood. O Debauchery,
Debauchery, what hast thou done in England! Thou hast corrupted
our Young men, and hast made our Old men beasts; thou hast
deflowered our Virgins, and hast made Matrons Bawds. Thou hast
made our earth to reel to and fro like a drunkard; 'tis in danger
to be removed like a Cottage, yea, it is, because transgression is
so heavy upon it, like to fall and rise no more. Isa. 24. 20.

O! that I could mourn for England, and for the sins that are
committed therein, even while I see that without repentance, the
men of Gods wrath are about to deal with us, each having his
slaughtering weapon in his hand: (Ezek. 9. 1, 2.) Well, I have
written, and by Gods assistance shall pray, that this flood may
abate in England: and could I but see the tops of the Mountains
above it, I should think that these waters were abating.

2. It is the duty of those that can, to cry out against this
deadly plague, yea, to lift up their voice as with a Trumpet
against it; that men may he awakened about it, flye from it, as
from that which is the greatest of evils. Sin pull'd Angels out of
Heaven, pulls men down to Hell, and overthroweth Kingdoms. Who,
that sees an house on fire, will not give the Allarum to them that
dwell therein? who that sees the Land invaded, will not set the
Beacons on a fame? Who, that sees the Devils, as roaring Lyons,
continually devouring souls, will not make an Out-cry? But above
all, when we see sin, sinful sin, a swallowing up a Nation, sinking
of a Nation, and bringing its Inhabitants to temporal, spiritual,
and eternal ruine, shall we not cry out, and cry, They are drunk,
but not with Wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink; they
are intoxicated with the deadly poyson of sin, which will, if its
malignity be not by wholsom means allayed, bring Soul and Body, and
Estate and Countrey, and all, to ruin and destruction?

3. In and by this my Out-cry, I shall deliver my self from the
ruins of them that perish: for a man can do no more in this
matter, I mean a man in my capacity, than to detect and condemn the
wickedness, warn the evil doer of the Judgment, and fly therefrom
my self. But Oh! that I might not only deliver my self! Oh that
many would hear, and turn at this my cry, from sin! that they may
be secured from the death and Judgment that attend it.

Why I have handled the matter in this method, is best known to my
self: and why I have concealed most of the Names of the persons
whose sins or punishments I here and there in this Book make
relation of, is,

1. For that neither the sins nor Judgments were all alike open;
the sins of some, were committed, and the Judgments executed for
them only in a corner. Not to say that I could not learn some of
their names; for could I, I should not have made them publick, for
this reason.

2. Because I would not provoke those of their Relations that
survive them; I would not justly provoke them, and yet, as I think,
I should, should I have intailed their punishment to their sins,
and both to their names, and so have turned them into the world.

3. Nor would I lay them under disgrace and contempt, which would,
as I think, unavoidably have happened unto them had I withall
inserted their Names.

As for those whose Names I mention, their crimes or Judgments were
manifest; publick almost as any thing of that nature that happeneth
to mortal men. Such therefore have published their own shame by
their sin, and God, his anger, by taking of open vengeance.

As Job sayes, God has strook them as wicked men in the open sight
of others, Job 34. 26. So that I cannot conceive, since their sin
and Judgment was so conspicuous, that my admonishing the world
thereof, should turn to their detriment: For the publishing of
these things, are, so far as Relation is concerned, intended for
remembrancers: That they may also bethink themselves, repent and
turn to God, lest the Judgments for their sins should prove
hereditary. For the God of Heaven hath threatned to visit the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children, if they hate him, to the
third and fourth generation, Exod. 20. 5.

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