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 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 he 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 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. {90c}