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 doubt, {90d} there is 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 seven-fold 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. Atten. You are in the right, for I perceive that some men, though they desire 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, {91a} doubtless the desire of foolishness is more sin: and if the desire be more, the endeavour after it must needs be more and more. {91b} 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 an 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. {91c} 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 Gods Law, I say, lays hold of the desires, intentions and endeavours, even as it lays hold of the act of wickedness it self. {91d} A man then that desires to be as bad as Mr. Badman, (and desires to be so wicked have many in their hearts) though he never attains to that proficiency in wickedness as he, shall yet be Judged for as bad a man as he, because ’twas in his desires to be such a wicked one.