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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A08202	An order of houshold instruction by which euery master of a familie, may easily and in short space, make his whole houshold to vnderstand the principall and chiefe points of Christian religion, without the knowledge whereof, no man can be saued.	Nichols, Josias, 1555?-1639.	1595 (1595)	STC 18539.5; ESTC S2248	53,178	122

necks of children and seruants with the loose raines of libertie and licentiousnes that very few can abide this wholesome yoake of Christian nurture the gracious godly comforte of the knowledge of saluation Great masters rulers princes captaines and kings may instruct their priuate families For if one man could command to feare God to instruct 318. able men beside all other seruants women and children as is spoken of Abraham Gene. 14.14 and cap. 18.19 and that a chiefe ruler ouer 120000 people could so gouerne his priuat familie that he could say I and mine house will serue the Lorde as wee reade of Ioshuah cap. 24.15 And an other great Prince had his seruants so guided in the feare of God that hee and they were examples in lending money and corne to the poore of the land as did Nehemiah cap. 5.10 And if a Centurion could make both seruaunts and souldiers readie and obedient to euery good worke as appeareth Matth. 8.9 yea if a King could protest vnto God to banish deceitful and lying persons out of his house and to entertain the faithful him that walketh in a perfit way as you may see Psalm 101.5.6 I verily thinke that no man endowed with a good conscience fearing God and louing the Lord of life Iesus Christ can haue any iust excuse or reasonable pretence to keep about him a familie vntaught in the sweete words of the Gospell and the holesome paths of our blessed Sauiour Except they will say that it is more behoofull for their children and seruants to serue them and to reuerence them then to serue and reuerence the Lord of glorie Instructing of groat families furthereth both Church and common-wealth But why should I vse many words vnto men of such excellent wits great gifts in a matter so necessarily depending vpon them that the least mention should suffice euery wise and truly noble Gentleman to so glorious a worke For by the good order Christian instructiō of one such great familie many soules are brought to God there is great encouragemēt by ensample vnto others out of the familie and a marueilous power for the bringing foorth and confirmation of al good things both for the common-wealth and also for the Church of God For hence doe all other sortes of people take their light and the liues of noble worshipfull men are many times more of force then either the law of God or man For they are like the great pillars in a building that if they stand steadie in faith and good life with their families many are vpholden by them in the wayes of godlines but if they swarue and become carelesse and dissolute they draw many with them as by a mightie sway into the wofull downfall of infidelitie and destruction Therfore aboue al men it behooueth them to take heed to themselues and the good instruction and gouernment of their housholds The second sort are tutors in the Vniuersities to whom I ioyne also the third sort Second and third sort Tutors Schoolmasters Schoolmasters in towne countrie Which two haue a great resemblance in their opportunitie to do good when many mens children of all callings are committed to their conscience to the one They may doe vnspeakable good in the first and more tender yeares to the other in the yeares of most danger If these two sorts of men would be painfull to wring out the iuyce of this heauenly erudition as a necessary sawce to giue a pure verdure to their other literature or as a sauoury salt to season al other learning it is not to be spoken how much good they may doe For as young plants being straightned while they bee tender and trimmed with pruning and other parts of husbandrie will growe very goodly to behold in their greatnes which being neglected are many times very crooked and vnfit for diuers vses So doe young men for the most part proue as they are nurtured in their youth And the good instruction of Schoolemasters and Tutors in my knowledge hath very well straightned such young impes who otherwise were very rough and vnfruitfull that many receiue comfort by their worthie example Therefore I do most instantly beseech all Tutors and Schoolemasters to practise this booke or because you are learned some better forme of your owne Lastly Fourthly women as Ladies and Gentlewomen honorable by instructing their children I doe heartily and humbly entreate all sorts of women to watch carefully to doe this duetie and first all Ladies and Gentlewomen that they may be honoured by the spirit of Iesus Christ as was that a 2. Ioh. Ger. 1.4 elect Ladie whose children did walke in the trueth And all other women like b Rom. 16.12 Persis who laboured much in the Lord. And as c 1. Sam. 2.19 Hannah made coates for her sonne Samuel who serued in the house of God so these would aray their seruants and children with the d Prouerb 4.9 goodly ornaments of wisedome and knowledge which is from aboue A woman Women being at hand may instruct their children being the e Psal 128 3. fruitfull vine on the house sides in whose sight the f Prouerb 4.3 children are tender and deare can by no meanes shew their naturall loue better then being alway at hand with their children and maides to giue them euery day in milde and pleasant manner some of these g Prou. 25.12 golden apples wherewith the young babes will take such delight that by the nourishment and exercise thereof they will be made h Psal 8.2 strong to confound the enemies of God and their countrie when they haue learned to i 1. Ioh. 2.12.14 know the father and that their sinnes are forgiuen them for Christs names sake It is exceeding great the profit you may doe in the familie if as Salomon sayth of a vertuous woman you k Prou. 31.26.28 open your mouthes in wisedome and the lawe of grace be in your lips For your children shall rise vp and call you blessed your husbands shall praise you Whereas l chap. 29.15 children set at libertie make their mother ashamed And generally Instruction of youth bringeth ioy to the instructor as a man wil sowe his ground with the best seede and plant his orchard with the best fruit because he looketh for the greater and more gainefull encrease in the time of gathering so if men louing their children as well as they doe other commodities would also traine them vp in the best thinges which are found in the discipline knowledge and faith of Christ they should not onely escape many a secret griefe and bitter mischiefe but also blesse the Lord with great toyfulnes when they finde this fruite of their education in knowledge of these good things namely their children to bee a comfort refreshing and honour to their gray haires and their seruants necessary helpes before them in all good causes and matters of honestie

AN ORDER OF HOVSHOLD INSTRVCTION By which euery master of a Familie may easily and in short space make his whole houshold to vnderstand the principall and chiefe points of Christian religion without the knowledge whereof no man can be saued Deut. 6. vers 6.7 And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart thou shalt rehearse them continually vnto thy children and shalt talke of them when thou tariest in thine house and as thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest downe and when thou risest vp c. 2. Tim. 3.15 Thou hast knowne the holie Scriptures of a childe which are able to make thee wise vnto saluation thorough the faith which is in Christ Iesus AT LONON Printed by the VVidowe Orwin for Thomas Man dwelling in Pater-noster row at the signe of the Talbot 1595. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LORD ROBERT DEVOREVX Earle of Essex and Ewe Vicount Hereford and Bourchier Lord Ferrers and Chartly Lord Bourchier and Louaine Knight of the noble Order of the Garter Master of her Maiesties Horse and one of her Maiesties most Honorable priuie Councell grace and peace be multiplied IT is a matter of great waight and necessarie duety Right Honorable to consider wisely and to iudge rightly of the workes of God in the euent of thinges which happen vnto men For as it is written in the Psalmes a Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his waies and holy in all his workes And againe b 107.43 VVho is wise that hee may obserue these things for they shall vnderstand the louing kindnesse of the Lorde And againe c 92.6 An vnwise man knoweth it not and a foole doth not vnderstand this And seeing d Rom. 11.36 all thinges are of him and thorow him for him and e 1. Sam. 2.9 in his owne might no man shall bee strong but f Psalm 75.7 33.11 God is Iudge hee maketh low he maketh high and that the counsell of the Lorde shall stand for euer the thoughtes of his hart Gods prouidence in all things is to be obserued thoroughout all ages euery man ought carefully to regarde the prouidence of God in the thinges befalling to himself and others which I find very fruitfully obserued by the holy seruaunts of GOD in the Scriptures As Ioseph when he sawe his Fathers house in the time of the greate famine to come into Egypt to buy foode comforteth his brethren who of enuie had solde him thither with this obseruation saying g Gen. 45.5 Bee not sad neither grieued with your selues that ye sold me hither for God did sende me before you for your preseruation And Dauid comforteth himselfe and stayeth the rage of his seruaunt against the cursing of Shimei by this consideration saying h 2. Sam. 16.12 Jt may bee that God will looke vpon mine affliction do me good for his cursing this day So Mordecai encourageth Ester to make supplication to the king though it were contrarie to lawe and in hazard of her life in the behalf of the Iewes who were appointed to die by wicked Haman by such a wise collectiō among other wordes saying a Ester 4.14 VVho knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time In like sorte when I thinke vpon your honor remembring what I haue heard of your noble Father that good Erle in the time of his last sicknes of his godly care ouer his children comparing thereunto how God hath preserued you vnto this time what speciall fauour you haue attained before so gracious a Prince in what an high waigh tie place you are set in what yeares of your age these things are befallen you together with the blessed giftes by which you are fitted thereunto mine hart is touched with a comfortable hope that the Lords grace working effectually in you and his heauenly spirite directing you you might be a worthie instrument in faithfull and wise seruice to her maiesty for the good of this common-wealth the churches of Iesus Christ among vs. For if b 1. King 18.4 Obadiah vnder wicked Ahab could keepe from Iezebel and feede an hundreth Prophetes and c Iere. 38.8.9 Ebedmelech could obtaine of that euill king Zedekiah to deliuer Ieremie out of the dungeon into which he was cast by the Princes with the kings consent and d Nehem. 2. Nehemiah could apply the fauour he had with that heathenish King Artashasht to the building of the walles of Hierusalem who can tell but that much more such a noble man of Christian knowledge aduanced by God into the fauour of so Christian and religious a princesse may likewise performe some seruice of great importance to the Church of God and his countrie And verily if God e Pr●u 18.4 made all for himselfe Euery man ought to serue God according to his place giftes and his elect f Ephe 1 6. for the glorie of his grace g Act. 17.26 assigning the times which were ordained before and the bounds of mens habitation that they should seeke the Lord and if he haue h Math. 25.14 giuen euery man a talent whereof hee must render an account then ought euerie man i 1. Cor. 7.17.24 so to walke as God hath distributed to euery man as the Lorde hath called euery one and therein to abide with God Therfore k 1. Sam. 15. Saul without reseruing of any spoyle by any pretence must bee obedient to the voyce of the Lord in the vtter destroying of Amalecke because God had annoynted him to be king called him thereunto And Dauid l 2. Sam. 12. though hee were a man after Gods heart yet because he forgate his aduancement by God his great benefits and by deflowring his neighbours wife c. disobeied God and caused the enemies of God to blaspheme was reproued sharply punished seuerely And thou O meeke m Num. 30.12 Moses what kept thee out of the lande of promise And thou O wise a 1. King 11. Salomon what made thy latter dayes troublesome and a breach in thy kingdome And thou O good b 1. King 22. Iehoshaphat what brought thy life in hazard was it not that God who exalted you in honour Who so honor not God are plagued was not sanctified by your seruice If God thus deale with his owne c 1. Pet. 4.17 house where shall the vngodly and sinners appeare d Philip. 3.19 whose God is their bellie who e Haback 1.16 sacrifice to the net of their own policies and honour the f Luk. 16.13 God riches but g Exod. 5.2 know not the Lord who giueth them all things abundantly to enioy h Rom. 1.24 God giueth them ouer to their owne lusts i Iob. 5.14 they meete with darknes in the day time and grope at noone day as in the night some by k 2. Sam. 17.23 their policie make an halter

another So it may bee that I striuing to enter into the lowest place of the Church which is the familie and applying my selfe to the meaner sort may happily finde a place to doe good vnto some where books of greater excellencie peraduenture are not entertained and ioyning hands with my good brethren who haue sorted themselues to the same standing place may by ioynt working with them peraduenture further their ioy as they doe mine Secondly because I haue some experience in this order that it may prepare them which are hereby instructed to haue their eyes open to other mens labours And I am in great hope that a discreet teacher shall finde by triall that a childe of very tender yeres may be made able through Gods blessing with vnderstanding to giue a good reckoning of his faith by the Scriptures Moreouer my purpose was not curiously to set downe all points of doctrine but especially those which doe most neerely teach these two a Act. 20.21 Repentance towards God and faith in Iesus Christ And my desire was that these might be made to appeare easie and familiar by the Scriptures But aboue all other this moued mee most that I might haue occasion to speake some things to the gouernours of the families which doe very greatly affect my minde Which is not to proue it their duties to catechise their families or to describe the houshold gouernment diuers such things which I know to be very excellently penned downe by others but onely to lay before them the great necessitie of this dutie and the great and honorable seruice which a priuate man may doe to God and his people by this meanes In doing whereof I thought no better meane then the setting foorth of an easie way to doe the thing to which I desire earnestly to perswade them The necessitie will be seene Necessitie to teach housholdes if they obserue with me two things the time present and the time likely to ensue In the first they shall finde that although wee haue had the Gospell by the mercie and long suffering of God seuen and thirtie yeares vnder the happie raigne of our most deare and gracious Soueraigne Ladie Queene Elizabeth who I heartily pray our good God may yet raigne many yeares ouer vs there are to bee found so many that know not how they shall bee saued or how they are iustified why they are called Christians what is Christ in his person and such like which b Hebr. 6.1.2 Psalm 49.20 euery beginner and yongling in Christ ought to be skilfull in Lamentable ignorance among vs. and without the knowledge whereof a man is like a bruit beast that I doe tremble to thinke and am ashamed to vtter and dare not commit to writing my knowledge herein I haue had conference in some parishes with 400. some 1000. some lesse and haue made triall and do make triall euery day that I speake to any man whom I knowe not that I am astonished to thinke that so many Christians in name and baptized should bee so ignorant and brutish and so farre from being indeede that which they delight to bee called For I take it that c Galat. 3.26 faith maketh the being of a Christian and these d Rom. 10.14 who haue no knowledge cannot haue faith which will then appeare e 2. Thess 1.8 when Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them that do not know God Therfore there is a great fault whether it be in vs Ministers or in you the masters of families or in both the Lord bee mercifull vnto vs our danger is very great for it is written a Rom. 1.23 As they regarded not to know God so God deliuered them vp vnto a reprobate minde c. Therefore it is a thing of necessitie that such as keepe houses should traine vp their people cōmitted to their charge Many Ministers teach not in the knowledge of the Gospel Againe we that are Ministers for the most part are very vntidie for these workes which might preuent this mischiefe b 7. Tim. 4.10 Some imbracing this present world and some being c Math. 15.14 blind leaders of the blinde Therefore the masters of families looking not vnto this matter the case is become lamentable The time likely to ensue may bee very much iudged by the present Coldnes in religion Notwithstanding that God hath warned vs to make more reuerent regard of his Gospell by windes and vnseasonable weather by diuers sicknesses by the plague and dearth feare of the sword not once nor twise within these fewe yeares yet the great carelesnes and coldnes that I say not contempt of religion may hereby appeare that Atheisme dronkennes and other very great sinnes are waxen bold and shameles and he that feareth an oth and taketh great paines to bee instructed in Christ Iesus suffereth no small molestation What may we then looke for but as these former corrections haue brought vs no one iot neerer to repentance or loue of Gods word so the Lord will yet stretch out his hand against vs. And what can we tell that if other temporall plagues moue vs not but that he will take away his word from an vnthankfull nation We may seare the losse of the gospell and giue it to another that will bring foorth better fruites If we that be Ministers ouerstip these things how can they be repaired but by the instruction of families And many times when we take great paines the backwardnes of the masters doth pull downe all that wee build Therefore it is of great necessitie that the gouernours of housholds should stirre vp themselues to this duetie Now the honorable seruice which a priuate man may do to God and his Church Teaching the familie honorable seruice to God appeareth in this that such as traine their families in these good grounds bring foorth an holy generation to the Church and a ciuill nation to the Common-wealth which doth not a little shewe it selfe to Gods glorie and the praise of the Gospell in our owne experience Whereof the example of Ioshua and his familie Cornelius and his souldiers Abraham and his three hundred and eighteene brought vp in his house are as sufficiēt testimonies How are the names of many priuate men and women for their seruice in the Church commended by Saint Paul and registred to immortall fame and example of all professors Priuate men and women may greatly further the Church Rom. 16. So that among many he acknowledgeth that all the Churches of the Gentiles were to bee thankefull to one Aquila and Priscilla his wife And God doth so farre honour the house of a Ierem. 35. Rechab that he poynteth it out and setteth it foorth to be an euerlasting paterne of the notable fruite of good gouernours of families And as b Exod. 35.25 women did worke diuers things for the tabernacle in the daies of Moses and as the c 1. King