thing if she performe it not vnlesse it bee contradicted by her Husband But here the case is otherwise and farre more greater for wheÌ„ shee commeth to be Married to a man shee is then solie of her selfe free from the command of any and hath free liberty to doe then for her selfe what shee How great a sinne it is to breake the vow made in Matrimony will and therefore her vow shee then maketh is of very great effect and it is as great a sinne to breake it great indeed in the regard of these things the place where shee made it the house of God the congregation there the Saints of God but far more greater in respect shee is demanded if she will performe these things by the Angell and Minister of God in Gods behalfe shee then there answereth she will So wee find when God had determined to giue his chosen people the Children of Israell his law whereby they might know how to performe their duty vnto him hee sent his seruant Moses vnto them to know if they would performe the law which he was to giue them and they answered they would performe it but as rhe Lord did tell them after hee had giuen them the Lawes That if they did not regard his Commandements and obey Exâ— 19. his will hee would send his punishment A proofe by example that God will punish the breach of the vow made in matrimony vpon them in abundance vntill hee had vtterly consumed them so I must say vnto euery woman that regardeth not her vow and promise which shee maketh at the time of her marriage and doth not endeauour to performe the same as shee ought to doe let her assure her selfe shee shall no lesse expect the iudgement and punishment of God then they did Looke in your Booke of common The Booke of common prayer a looking glasse for women to see their duties in Prayer in the solemnizatioÌ„ of Matrimony and there you shall see what you haue vowed to performe it is that you will liue with your Husbands according to the ordinance and Commandements of God that you will obey and serue them and this you see God hath commanded you to doe what greater vow then this can you make and it followeth more there that you vow to loue honour and keepe them in sicknesse and in health so here you see that loue is the next thing for the woman here to doe and this also shee voweth freely of her selfe to performe also the next and last shee voweth to forsake all other men and to keepe her selfe wholy onely to her Husband here is the effect and end of her loue to be chast pure and without spot this is the loue which wiues ought to performe to their Husbands I know all those which feare God will acknowledge performe as much but I appeale vnto themselues euen against their owne sect if there bee not too many in these dayes which liue so brutish so obstinate and rebellious against God and theiâ— Husbands that they seeme not to know that either they owe this loue as a duty vnto their Husbands or haue made so great a vow to performe it Looke but into one of their actes let the rest though many alone I meane their breach of wedlocke those Adultrous workes and then where is this loue how many forsake their Husbands vnto whom they haue made this vow of Loue and chastity and yet liue adulterously with other men oh how many The abhomominable whoredome of women haue their secret friends loues as they terme them at home in their Husbands absence or meeting them abroad in priuate places nay haunting common brothell houses so insatiate that euen whores in stewes are not more common and what is the cause of this but their disobedience vnto the Commandement of God which would direct theÌ„ to performe this duty of Loue holily as it ought to be if they would But shall I display their actions abroad with my pen oh no if I should I should weary my selfe with writing and you in reading it they themselues by their lewd actions dayly committed doe too much explaine themselues to the world and therefore to tell such their duty to their Husbands which will not learne to performe their duty towards GOD will bee but vaine before such swine I will not cast such pearles But to those which desire to know their duty to the end they may performe it to these I write still let their loue bee pure and steadfast and their whole conuersation so holy that as the Apostle telleth them others may bee wonne by their godly ensamples and so shall they themselues be brought vnto eternall happinesse The Ninth Chapter OVr blessed Apostle hauing giuen instructioÌ„s vnto Women how they ought to behaue themselues towards their Husbands now proceedes to giue instructions vnto them also how to tyre and array themselues whose apparrell sayth he shall 1. Pet. 3. not bee outward with brayded haire and hanging on of gold or in putting Women ought not to array themselues in gorgeous apparell but in decent aâ—tirâ— on of gorgeous array but let the inward man of the heart be vncorrupt with a meeke and quiet spirit which before God is much set by for after this manner in the old time did the holy women which trusted in God ttyre themselues â— were obedient vnto their Husbands euen as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord againe in another place he fayth let the women array themselues in 1. Tim. â— comely apparrell with shamefostnesse and modesty not with broyded hayre or gold or pearles or costly apparrell but as becommeth women which professe the feare of God with good workes I doe not a little admire that Many women haue read concerning these things yet make no good vse of it as they ought to doe so many women which would bee accounted wise in their knowledge haue themselues so often read these things and been so long instructed in these principals yet seeme either not that euer they themselues haue read such things or euer haue heard them of others for I am sure so it seemeth in these dayes amongst them for the most part but shal I tell you you haue learned from the greatest to the meanest and the eldest to the yongest to adore decke your selues according to the fashions of the world which shall perish and they which delight in them but to array decke your selues with modesty and shamefastnes and such comely apparrell as becommeth those that professe the feare of God in this you are all to seeke or disdaine to learne to know although God by his word commandeth it of you But if there bee any amongst you which maketh conscience of these things and so striue to liue according as they ought to Women giueÌ„ to pride mockers and scoffers of those whiaâ— do religiously reforme them selues doe are not such disdayned and
it had beene so indeed but know you that the wisedome of the Iob. 37. world is foolishnesse with God for in his word by which wee are to be ruled he hath commanded vs otherwaies For although you haue brought vp your Children to the yeares of discression so that then you thinke they are able to make shift for themselues as you say yet may you not then so leaue them to themselues for there is yet more to bee done that must not bee left vndone for thou must prouide for thy sonne a Wife for thy Daughter an Husband so as the wise man sayth Thou shalt performe a waighty matter Eccle. 7. thou must not leaue the younglings Parents ought to provide for the marriages of their children both sonnes daughters to themselues for to make their owne choyse but thou must doe it and that in his due time we find that Abraham was very carefull to performe this duty althought he was so farre Gen. 24. in yeares that hee could not travile about the businesse himselfe for he appoynted his servant the steward of his house what to doe and where to provide a Wife for his Sonne Isaacke and thus did Isaacke vnto Iacob his Sonne Gen. 28. appoynting him where to goe there only to make his choise thus did Hagar although but a woman dwelling in the wildernesse yet shee provided a Gen. 25. Wife for her sonne Ishmaell Yea the very heathen did obserue this rule for Sechem the father Gen. 34. of Hamor did sue vnto Iacob for his daughter Dina to bee a wife vnto his sonne yea Ibzâ—n Iudge of Israell though hee had Iug. 12. Thirty sons as many daughters yet he did provide for them all both Wiues for his sonnes Husbands for his daughters and many such proofes wee haue in the Scrptures by all which it appeareht that Parents haue alwaies euen from the beginning beene vere carefull to obserue this as a principall poynt of their duty to their Children And this must be done in due time thou must not doe as too many do in these daies which wil not suffer their childreÌ„ to marry but when they will to whom Parents not to force or limite their childrens mariage they plase nay fathers will doe more then fathers ouhgt to doe they will disinherite their Sons and bereaue their Children of their patrimonyes if they will not marry to their liking where wealth may serue to satisfie their coveteous mindes so in stead of being kind and loving Fathers vnto their Children they become tyrants vnto them not so much regarding the younglings likings whereby they may liue the rest of their daies in loue together and so bring vp their children together in the feare of God as their owne affections Whereupon by such enforced marriages if often commeth to passe that when the young couples beginne as it were to tast each of other they so dislike one of the other that they forsake one another the Wife the companie The danger that ensueth by constrayned marriages of her Husband or the Husband of the Wife and fall to that abhominable act of adultery and thus such Parents doe become both culpable and authors of their sinne Yet I doe not speake against this â—as giuing liberty vnto youthes that they may marry at their owne pleasure or liking without the consent of Parents or abridging the authority of Parents in this case God forbid I should so doe or thinke but I speake this against marriages constrayned limited for marriage was ordained as a remedy 1. Cor. 7. against sinne but they which prolong the time of their childrens marriage either for pleasing their own affections in their choyse or for the desire of wealth through coveteousnesse or for that they wil not part with any of their substance in dowrie with them such I say are many times the occasion of their childrens sinne for Saint Paule sayth it is better to marry then to burne in desire Had Iudah giuen his daughter in law vnto his sonne Shelah in Gen. 38. time according to his promise he had not committed that horrible fact of Incest with her himselfe Againe when Samson had made his choyse of a wife of that heathen generation the vncircumcised Philistines which were not onely enemies to the people of Israell but also vnto God himselfe when hee desired this woman of his Father and would needs marry her hee did not disinherit him or cast him out of his favour for it but yet wisely rebuketh him saying is there neuer a wife among the daughters of thy breatheren and amongst all my people that thou must goe to take a Wife of the vncircumcised Philistians yet when hee saw that his affection was setled on What Parents ought to doe in case of mariage to their children her he was content both to goe with him to procure the mariage for him it is sayd there that this marriage did come of the Lord though his Father knew it not I could wish therefore that Parents would follow the counsaile of Manoah in this â—â—g â—4 place by their wisedomes to perswade when occasion shall serue but nor otherwise The 16. Chapter ANd now concerning how Parents ought to bestow their goods wee reade that Abraham was Gen. 15. minded to make Eliazer the steward of his house heire of all that he had but it was before he had any Children and yet hee was forbidden by God himselfe so to doe for God hauing determined to giue him issue of his A plaine profe that a man may not giue his goods from his children own body would not suffer him so to doe but telleth him directly that one that should proceed out of his owne bowels hee should be his heyre And the Prophet Dauid hee telleth vs likewise that it is the speciall gift of God his great Psal 127. blessing vnto man when he hath heyres of his owne body to possesse those lands or goods which hee hath gathered together and shall leaue behind him and this alone might serue to approue that a man may not dispose of his goods from his children but the Scriptures are plentifull of these examples Abraham gaue his goods vnto Gen. 25. his Sonne Isacke as you see he was appoynted of God Aaron Exod. 28. was commanded of God to santifie his sonnes vnto the order of priesthood vnto which the Lord had chosen him and Elye did 1. Sam. 2. place his sonnes in the same order nay he did not take it from theÌ„ although hee knew that they were wicked and Dauid did not 1. King 1. at his death devide his Kingdome vnto his sonnes but left it wholy vnto his sonne Salomon 1. King 11. neither did he deuide it but left it vnto his sonne Rehoboam and he also left it vnto his son Abâ—am 1. King 14. and he vnto his sonne Asa and 2. Cro.
〈…〉 CARTERS CHRISTIAN Common VVealth OR Domesticall Dutyes deciphered ¶ Printed at London by Tho Purfoot 1627. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THE Maister Wardens and the Assistants of the worthy and famous Company of Gouldsmithes of this Honourable Citie of London Worshipfull Sirs INgratitude was a sin even vnto the Heathens so odious that Periander among the Corinthians made this law that if any in a Common weale prove◠vnthankefull hauing receiued a benefit he was to bee put to death and as the reliques of Gods Image in them soe nature in the sensible creatures hath ingrafted thankefulnesse to passe by those presidents produced by Historians which may seeme incredible the Naturalists obseruation of the Merlyon not to prey on the Larke which hath giuen warmth to her cold feet is remarkeable And the spirit of God in Scripture hath plentifully inioyned it That I may proue my selfe therefore instructed in this duty not by nature onely but by grace in this glorious light of the Gospell I present vnto your view and patronage these poore indeavours the fruit of a thankefull heart expect you cannot a loftie stile or curious phrase for I take not vppon mee to instruct but onely to remember your curteous acceptation I doubt not of from the former experience of your worthinesse Surely if the poore Persians water in a potsheard was exceptable to the Emperour and an Apple from a poore Pessant was received by Artaxerzes a great Prince if Alexander tooke curteously water from a common Souldiers helmet and our Sauiour crowned the poore widdow with everlasting prayse for two Mites to the Treasury your generous dispositions will sparingly censure and curteously accept these my poore labours which howsoeuer they bee your worships and so is the Author Yours in all humblenesse to continue THOMAS CARTER To the Reader AMongst all the blessings that God hath bestowed vpon vs curteous Reader the word of God next to our Sauiour challengeth the most eminent place as being the guide and direction vnto him and the instrument to preserue vs vnblameable in a froward and crooked generation The Prophet Zacharie speaketh of Zach. 9. last ver the wine that Christ doth offer to drinke whereof virgins are gendred and begotten other kind of wines are wont to kindle evill lusts but this wine the Gospell restraineth those lusts and maketh the heart pure hence is the instruction of our Lord to search the Scripture as being able to instruct the ignorant to reforme the vertuous and so to make perfect the man of God in all good workes This excellent vertue hauing drawne mee to a diligent study of sacred Writ and considering in the last worst dayes the great neglect of family dutyes frō whence springes so many corruptions in children and seruants being dayly spectators of the heads corruptions I haue thought it my duty not to let my Talent rest but by that small portion of knowledge God hath giuen vnto me to set vp some way-marke to direct others to the waters of Shiloh which run pleasantly to coole the heate of corruption and frowardnesse and to teach vs obedience privately and publikely If it bee obiected that many eminent men haue already sufficiently performed this worke I answer that another performing his duty excuseth not me Secondly none euer so fully and amply hath put to the presse dutyes in this nature as I can hereof Thirdly they came not to my hands till I had finished this worke It seemed thē necessary not to let it suffer obortion but to bring it to a charitacle view censure of the vnderstanding reader May it please you then to accept of these vnpolished yea vnsquared documents neither it may bee methodicall in respect of order nor curious in respect of phrase onely the token of a willing heart and affording some good generall motions if thou please to afford a little diligence in the reading and care in the prctising This performed I haue the end I ayme at and thus remaine thine ever in the Lord Thomas Carter The Introduction to the worke HEe that sayd the Iob. 7. 1. whole life of man was nothing else but a time of temptations spake most fearefully and yet most truly for we are tempted in our old age in our cradle we are not free if any euill bee set before vs we are provoked vnto it If we abound with Adam in Paradice there may be death in that And if wee want with our Sauiour in the wildernes there are temptations in that So subtill is Sathan and so envious is our enemie to serue himselfe vpon all occasions In the former age of the world hee wrought and prevailed with men by bringing errors of mind and doctrine of Diuels to seduce the Church but now the cleare light of the Gospell is come in knowledge doth abound he laboreth to bring in error of life and depravitie of conversation for that notwithstanding men know their maisters wil yet they performe it not that all meanes possible both the spirituall sword of the Minister temporal sword of the Magistrate ought to be vsed for the reformation of these known euils yea euery mā to set a hand to this worke amongst which nūber I haue brought forth my poore abortiue talent to farther the same labouring by reproofes to beate downe vice and by instructions to informe the Husband to loue his wife and the wife to obey her Husband the Father to bring vp his Children in the feare of God not provoking them to wrath and the Childrens obedience to their Parents the Maister to guide the seruant and the seruant to obey his Master in all things in the Lord what if I bee no Minister nor the sonne of a Minister Shepheards and clownes haue beene Diuines sometimes and why not I and therfore not doubting the entertaynement I set forward to the worke and first for the duty of Husbands The duty of Husbands The first Chapter ANd the cause why I haue first begun with this duty of Husbands is for that I find it to bee the first degree which God gaue vnto Man after his Creation therein that when God gaue vnto man the rule of the whole earth and the domination of all Gen. 2. the creatures therein contained yet vntill hee gaue vnto him a Wife hee had no true content in all the rest besides for euery creature had solace in their kind except Man but so was it not with Man till God gaue vnto Man had no true content till God gaue vnto him a Wife him a Wife Then finding her a companion fit to associate him selfe withall with her he setled his content And this did God for Man in the time of his innocencie giue vnto him this wife thereby leauing vnto vs this instruction that we also ought to liue so vprightly so holily and so purely in the state of wedlocke that we sinne not against God nor against one another And heere is one especiall thing to be noted that God
vnto men that it is not enough for them to liue peacably and quietly with their wiues but they must liue louingly with them also thus did Iacob loue his wife yeelding Gen. 28. service to his vnckle and maister Fourteen yeares to the end hee might enioy her after Elkana 1. Sam. 1. loued Hanna his wife and Sampson Iudg. 1. Tob. â— his wife and Tobias and others their wiues And you see it must be no ordinary loue neither but it must bee like that extraordinary great loue which Christ shewed vnto his Church Ephe. 5. who gaue himselfe for it that Man is to loue his wife as Christ his Church hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church not hauing spot or wrinckle or any such thing but that it should be wholy without blame I will say with the blessed Apostle this is a great secret yea such a one which man is not commaunded in all poynts to imitate for the man is not commanded to giue his life for his wife as Christ did for his Church and yet he is to In what poynts to Imitate Christ protect her in all perils and dangers euen as hee doth his Church he must gouerne her in his wisedome by the word of God both by continuall instructions from thence and by his owne louing and gentle behauiour towards her and all others yea he must be laborious in his calling that so he may prouide all thinges necessary for her for so doth Christ for his Church he is alwaies protecting it and prouiding for it For this cause shall a man leaue his Father Mat. 19. 5. his Mother and shall cleaue vnto his wife and they twayne shall bee one flesh Saint Peter being himselfe a married man doth giue many notable instructions like these who speaking by the spirit of God and in the knowledge hee had of marriage yet imposeth this duty vnto men ye Husbands dwell with your Wiues as men of 1. Pet. 3. knowledge giuing honour vnto the woman as vnto the weaker vessell euen â— they which are heyres together of the grace of life that your prayers be not interrupted and the wise man giueth thee this counsell not to depart from a discreet and Eccle. 7. good woman which is fallen vnto thee for thy portion in the feare of the Lord for sayth he the guift of her honesty is farre aboue gold If thou haue a wife after thine owne mind forsake her not and commit not thy selfe to the hatefull vse thy selfe to liue ioyfully with thy wife whom thou louest all the dayes of thy life which is but vaine that God hath giuen thee vnder the Sunne all the dayes of thy vanity for that is thy portion in this life of all thy labour and trauile that thou takest vnder the sunne And our Sauiour Christ himselfe confirming on earth what his Father had done in paradice vouchsafed to grace a nuptiall feast with his blessed presence to expresse his loue the more which hee bare to the holy vnion then there knitte betwixt the Iohn 2. Man and his wife he expresseth his glory in shewing his first miracle which he wrought on earth at this mariage that of ioy by turning there water into wine to comfort and glad their hearts withall And now that wee haue found that the most principall duty of The principal duty of the Husband towards his wife is loue the Husband towards his Wife is loue that the word of God teacheth vs in what nature to expresse it let vs looke into the glasse of our times and see how this duty of loue is performed but I feare that among a hundred wee shall scarce finde one that striueth to performe this duty of loue as he ought and too many that know not of any duty at all Few to bee found which loue their wiues as they should to be obserued or at least wise will know of none and euen of those that doe know all and yet make no conscience to performe any for who or where is hee that loueth his wife as himselfe and nourisheth and cherisheth her euen as Christ doth his Church nay see we not rather the contrary doe wee not see dayly many which consume great estates which their wiues doe bring them through their owne vicious liues some by Foure chiefe causes of the ruinating of mans estate idlenesse some by gaming some by drunkennesse some by whoring but of this I shall speake hereafter some by one thing some by another who can deny but if there were loue in the man to his wife he would be more carefull in preseruing his and her estate then thus and yet wee see dayly a good woman brought to beggery by such lewd Husbands where is any duty or loue in such And are there not others which to shew their authority Churlish husbands voyd of the knowledge of the law of God will hold their wiues in stead of fellowship in such subiection seruitude that no seruant will performe the like vnto them being euen a very Nabal vnto them in churlishnes of speech crabbed conditions that the poore wife is euen at her wits end in seeking to giue him contentâ— where is wisedome in such Husbands that should gouerne their wiues according to knowledge alas it appeareth that these men forgetting their duty to God know not how to performe any duty at all towards their Wiues Others there are that will follow no vocation or labour at all but liue idely and lewdly put the poore woman to shift for all shee must prouide for her selfe her Children and her idle Husband too or if he hap sometimes to get something abroad yet shee shall bee sure to be neuer the better for it he wil bring none home to comfort her nay not so much as to put cloathes to his owne backe but that his poore Wife must prouide them yea and discharge the Landlord too or else shee shal want a house to put her head in nay hauing a profession to doe all this sufficiently of himselfe yet will he no way benefit his wife or himselfe but wil impose all still vpon her what shall we say of such men and yet such there be I protest vpon mine owne knowledge I know some of them Saint Paul saith he is worse then an Infidell that doth No feare of God nor loue in them which doe not prouide for their families not prouide for his family but to cast pearles among such swine is not meet for they will stoppe their eares at the voyce of the charmer charme hee neuer so wisely I will leaue them to the iust iudgement of God who wil assuredly giue them their due what loue doe these men show nay is there any loue at all in them or any feare of God either It is a harts griefe to any good Christian or well minded man to see and heare the dayly contentions vproares quarrelles and disagreements
must teach his Children the lawes of God his Commandements his will his word for so the Prophet Dauid plainely sheweth setting Psalme 78. downe to what end thou must do this to the intent that wheÌ„ they come vp they might shew their Children the same that they might put their trust in God and not to forget the workes of God but to keepe his Commandements This then is the duty which thou arâ— commanded to doe and thâ—â— must not 〈◊〉 the doing of it neyther thou must not tary Parents ought not to deferre the teaching of their children in their youth til they bee men and women and so as thou thinkest come then to the capacity of vnderstanding no thou must teach it thy Children while they be children and thy wisedome must giue them helpe to vnderstand it that so it may be grounded into them in the time of their youth for look with what the vessell is first seasoned with of that it wil alwaies beare the tast This duty did old Abraham well know although he liued almost a Thousand yeares before the Law was giuen vnto the people of Israel for so God himselfe testifieth of him saying That hee knew that hee would command his Sonnes to keepe the waies of the Lord note the place I pray you for it is worth the noting see how familiar God himselfe is with Abraham hee vouchsafeth to talke Gen. 18. with him familiarly as one man How dearely God loueth them which teach and instruct their Children and Family his Commandements doth with another nay as one friend doth with another for he openeth his very secrets vnto him what greater signe of loue can be shall I saith God hide from Abraham the thing which I do seeing that Abraham shall bee indeed a great and a mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him and here followeth the reason of all For I know him sayth God that he will command his sonnes his houshould after him that they keepe the waies of the Lord now What the duty of Parents is you see what the duty of a Father or Mother is namely to teach their Children the Commandements of God but hee hath not done with thee yet God goeth further with thee stil because thou shalt haue no excuse in not doing it most graciously hee doth vochsafe to teach vs also how wee shall performe When they ought to teach them this Commandement namely thus Thou must teach them these thinges when thou sittest in thine house when thou walkest by the way when thou lyest downe when thou risest vp thou must doe this and thou must not dare to neglect or leaue this vndone neither For God threateneth his Deu. 28. Leui. 26. Ier. 48. and 49 owne chosen people not onely to punish them with grieuous punishments but euen their land also if they disobey his Commandements wee haue many places in Scripture to approue this vnto vs but let me tell thee one thing by the way if thou be The man which knoweth not his duty how can he teach it his Children not well instructed in this duty thy selfe thou canst neuer teach it vnto thy Children for how can a man teach another man or his sonne or seruant any art mysterie or trade wherein he himselfe hath no knowledge therefore see thou bee able to teach them thy selfe it will not serue thy turne to set them to schoole and to appoynt them Maisters Tutors to teach them and yet these be good men for it and it is thy duty so to doe but it is not sufficient Thou must also teach them thy selfe and be a principall teacher of them for thou must teach them at al times in al places as thou seest in Deu. 6. when thou Deut. 6. walkest and when thou sittest when thou risest in the morning and in the euening before thou goe to bed thou must not take thine owne ease nor refresh thy selfe with sleepe vntill thou hast performed this thy duty vnto God The Twelueth Chapter BVt it may bee thou wilt goe about to excuse thy selfe in this case as many doe in these dayes and say would you haue mee performe these thinges I am not bookish I cannot reade therefore how should I teach them these things being an ignorant man but deceiue not thy selfe whomsoeuer thou be father or mother for I tell thee ignorance shall be no excuse vnto thee the servant that doth not the will of his Maister shall be beaten for it yea although he knew it not and why because it is the duty of euery seruant to seeke euen with diligence to know the will of his Maister and to doe it Nay thou canst not pleade ignorance though thou wouldest for none can doe it for Moses telleth Deu. 30. thee that this Commandement is not hidden from thee it is not in heauen that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp to bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that wee may doe it neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say who shall goe fetch it vs and so cause vs to doe it but it is very neere vnto thee euen in thy mouth and in thy heart for to doe it and Saint Paule telleth vs Rom. 10. plainely this is the very same which we preach vnto you If then it bee so that wee may dayly heare it to our great comfort euen at our doores in euery Parish Church how then can wee pleade ignorance if the servant I tould you of shal be beaten which doth not the will of his Maister though hee know it not how much shal he be beaten with many stripes which doth refuse to know his will as too many in these dayes doe and thus you see there can bee no excuse thorough ignorance so that euery man must labour to bee so furnished Euery man must labour to be furnished with knowledge that hee may thereby instruct his Family with knowledge that hee may bee able thereby to instruct his owne Children and family and because it must be done continually both in the morning in the euening both when thou sittest at home and when thou walkest abroad beware that thou doe not as too many doe which when they haue see their Children to say the Lords Prayer to rehearse their beliefe and the Ten CoÌ„mandements doe thiâ—â—e that then they haue done enough for the whole day though neither themselues nor al the house besides doe halfe so much O lamentable case this must not bee but when thou hast In what manner it ought to be done taught them to pray thou also must pray with them calling thy whole Family together and so make your selues a holy congregation vnto God by humble prostrating your selues vnto him that so as ye all haue recieued of him your preseruation and quiet rest the night passed euen so all of you may ioyne together in giuing him thankes for so great a blessing
he cast thee vnder the power authority of them to obey and serue them in his stead and to that end hath giuen thee a speciall Commandement euen from his owne mouth that thou shalt Honous thy Father and thy Mother Exod 20. Leui. 19. which is not onely vnderstood in the outward ceremoniall actions as putting off the hatt or bowing the knee but thou must The duties which good children ought to performe vnto their Parents also loue them with all thy hart feare and dread them and waite on their Commandements and seeke their worship wil and profit in all things and as it were to giue euen thy life for the contenting of them counting them worthy of all honour which thou maist procure vnto them remembring that thou art their good and possession that thou owest vnto them euen thy owne selfe all that thou art able to doe yea and more then thou art able to doe Vnderstand also that whatsoeuer thou dost vnto them bee it A good note for children to regard good or euill thou dost it euen vnto God and when thou dost displease them thou displeasest God and when they are angry with thee in aÌ„y good cause God is angry with thee neither is it possible for thee to come into the fauour of God againe no though all the Angels of heauen should pray for thee vntill thou haue submitted thy selfe vnto thy Father and Mother againe and therefore thou must be very wary and circumspect to performe this thy obedience vnto thy father with the true zeale of thy hart thou must not onely bee obedient for feare of their displeasure correction or punishment neither must thou obey them for hope of reward or some benefit which thou doest expect from them this hypocritical obedience is not that which How farre the duty of children extendeth God commandeth thee to performe and to which hee hath gieuen a blessing no I tell thee God will iudge and punish thee if thou dost not performe this obedience vnto them euen with the sinceritie of their heart and in vprightnesse of conscience for he beholdeth the heart and according to the vprightnesse of it God doth iudge For he is that powerfull God that created the heauen and the earth of nothing and that of Gen. 1. the dust of the earth hath made thee onely to serue and obey him and hee it is that commandeth thee to this obedience that thou honour thy father and thy A principall note to be obserued in God thus placing this Comman dement mother and note how hee hath placed this Commandement for it is worthy thy obseruation God hauing giuen vnto man but Ten Commandements and but foure of them concerning the duty of man vnto him the other Sixe concerning the duty of man vnto man and yet as the most principall of them all hee hath put this formest of the Sixe Thou shalt honour thy Father and thy Mother and well knew hee that placed that formest in the rancke that that was the right place for it that he that would not obey reuerence and honour his owne Parents would likewise neglect and forget his duty vnto other men and therefore as an introduction instruction to that which followeth hee doth begin with this Honour thy father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee and see the great mercy of our God which to the performers of this his Commandement vnto which we are by duty double bound to performe he is pleased to giue a blessing And as hee commandeth it Luke 2. there so likewise in many other places he doth the like the Prophets and Apostles do likewise teach the same and therefore if you will be childreÌ„ of God your heauenly Father and liue vnder the obedience of his command without which you cannot but perish euerlastingly you must performe this his will and command in this that you honour obâ—y your Parents yea ye shall Leu. 19. euery man feare his Father and Mother saith God consider in what manner you ought to performe this you shall stand in awfull dread of your Parents not of the rod or of their correction onely as I said no no such servile feare but considering their deare and naturall loue towards thee how tenderly carefully louingly they haue nourished thee euen from thy birth still do seeke thy good by all meanes possible In respect of this their great loue vnto thee which thou Worthy notes for Children to regard didst neuer deserue nor neuer canst satisfie thou oughtest likewise in thy loue to them againe to be euen so iealous of thy selfe that thou shouldest feare least in any thing thou doest thou shouldest offend such louing Parents this is that feare which thou oughtest to performe vnto them and which God requireth of thee The 19. Chapter ANd seeing wee are now entred into this duty of Children which God by his diuine wisdome hath compiled in these few words Honour thy Father and thy Mother and yet in them hath included the whole summe of all duties which ought to be performed vnto them which though I haue begun to touch in the former Chapter yet for that I am to speake vnto Children it shall not be amisse if I doe somewhat inlarge this matter for as I sayd before it is not to be vnderstood to be onely in the putting off the cap or â—owing the knee and yet these things must bee done because by these outward thinges thou dost seeme to giue honour vnto them Thou must not as too many The reverence which children ought to performâ— vnto their Parents and how to honour them proud youthes do in these daies stand in the presence of thy father mother with thy heâ—d couered yea and that amongst strangers and talke vnto them as boldly saucily as it were vnto their fellowes or equales is this the honouring thy Father thy Mother nay this is to dishonour them for in their presence thou oughtest not to stand but with great reuerence if they bee in any company thy regard should bee more in performing of this duty in giuing vnto them the more honour and because thou canst not better performe thy honour vnto them then by obeying them nor greater dishonour them then by being disobedient vnto them though I haue touched it before where I sayd thou owest vnto them euen all thy whole endeauours whatsoeuer thou canst doe therefore thou must bee ready and willing at all times in all places to performe their lawfull commandements at their becke and word to run goe and to show all good obedience vnto them that may bee Thou must not bee like that Mat. 2â— disobedient sonne whom his father â—ad to goe worke in his vineyard and hee answered hee would but did not neither must thou answer as the other did who said hee would not yet afterward went For thou must
neyther delude Children may not delude their Parents by lying words thy father with lying words to say thou wilt doe his command and haue a wicked intent in thy heart not to performe it nor thou must not dare rebelliously to gaine-say his word but if thy father or mother doe commaund thee to doe any thing thou must gladly hartily willingly forthwith euen instantly with all diligence performe their iust request and thus shalt thou performe thy duty vnto God by this thy obedience vnto theÌ„ for else how canst thou say thou performest Children performe not their duty to God which performe not their obedience vnto their Parents thy duty vnto God wheÌ„ thou performest not thy duty vnto thy Parents whom hee commandeth thee to obey and honour Thou must remeÌ„ber also that thou art their good therefore of thee and by thee their good or profit should arise I meane so long as thou aâ—t vnder their authority or gouâ—rment thy whole endeuors both of body mind must be altogether bent vnto the good and profit of thy Parents Chileren ought to deaâ—e iustly in the vse of their Parents goods seeking wholy their profit I say it must be wholy thou must not keepe any part of it backe eyther to thine owne vse or to vse vnthriftily to the hurt of thy Parents for thou owest vnto theÌ„ more then thou canst doe and therefore a great heauie iudgment doth hang ouer the heads of those wicked children which doe pâ—â—loyne steale away the goods of their Parents though neuer so priuately either to giue vnto those whoÌ„ they doe affect or otherwise to consume or wast after their owne willes And euen so it is with those The hurt which many leaud children doe vnto their Parents in not dealing iustly with them whoÌ„ their parents do appoint vnto any lawfull calling labour or busines if they negligeÌ„tly leawdle or idely doe spend that time which they ought to employ only in those affaires doe they not rob their Parents of that profit which should arise vnto their parents by their industry in that time and so by their lewdnesse doe great hurt both vnto their Parents themselues yea surely and how great an offence this is wherein they thus disobey and dishonour their Parents and consequently God himselfe iudge you And as it is thus by these in wasting consuming the goods Schollers abusing their time in learning wrong their Prents in doing it of their Parents euen so it is with them which wast and consume that most precious time which they ought to spend in schooles to the attaining of their learning by play and idlenesse thereby wasting the profits of their Parents labours nay I would it were not thus with those whose learning should teach them to make better vse of their time then they doe both dishonoring God and their Parents The 20. Chapter BVt I will not stand vpon amplification of words they are plaine enough theÌ„selues the whole Booke of God is full of instructions to this end the soule that desireth knowledge will seeke it there and amongst others very much hath Salomon laboured to teach this duty of obedience vnto Children as appeareth in many places of his Bookes as in the first of Pro. My Son heare thy Fathers Pro. 1. instructions and forsake not thy Mothers teachingâ— and againe heare ye children the instruction if Pro. 4. a Father and giue eare to learne vnderstanding for I doe giue you a good doctrine therefore forsake not my law for I was my fathers sonne tender and deare in the sight of my mother when hee taught me and sayd vnto me let thy heart hold fast my words keepe my Commandement and thou shalt liue And againe Heare my Sonne keepe thy Father Pro. 6. Commandements and forsake 〈◊〉 thy Mothers instructions bind them alwaies vpon thine heart and tie them about thy necke it shall leade thee when thou walkest watch this when thou sleepest and when thou wakest it shall talke with thee 〈◊〉 for the CoÌ„mandement is a lanthoras and instruction a light and correction for instruction is the way of life And againe A foole despiseth his Pro. 13. Fathers instructions but he that regardeth correction is wise Againe A wise Sonne maketh a glad Father but a foolish sonne is a heauinesse to his Mother Againe a wise sonne will obey the instruction of his Father but a scorner will heare no rebuke But before I passe further I must not so lightly passe ouer A parlse supposition which children haue of their Parents correcting them some of Salomons words heere spokeÌ„ for I know there be many foolish Children in these dayes which when their Parents reproue or correct them for their follies or faults committed doe eyther suppose it to bee more of spleene and anger towards them then otherwise or that they doe not beare that naturall loue towards them which they should doe but let not such idle leawd thoughts possesse either thy heart or minde but remember that he telleth thee that correction for instructions are the way of life and that he that regardeth the correction of his Father is wise well I will goe on with Salomons words for sayth hee He that destroyeth his Father or Pro. 19. chaseth away his mother is a leawd and a shamefull child Againe he Pro. 20. that curseth his father or his mother his light shall bee put out in obscure darkenesse Againe Obey thy Father Pro. 23. that begot thee and despise 〈…〉 thy mother when shee is old againe he that robbeth his Father and sayth Pro. 25. it is no transgression is the compâ—nion of a man that destroyeth Againe the eye that mocketh his Father Pro. 30. and despiseth the instructions if his Mother let the Rauens of the valley plucke it out and the young Eagles eate it And thus you see how Salomon hath laboured to expresse this duty of Children in their obedience vnto their Parents and all good children haue applyed theÌ„selues to performe the same euen from the beginning yea long before the law was giuen by God to that end the very law of nature thorough grace did worke this obedience in them as appeareth by that rare obedience of Isack vnto his Father yeelding himselfe euen to become a sacrifice Gen. 42. vnto the hand of his Father Iacob likewise obeying the command Gen. 27. of his Mother obtayned the blessing thereby But Iosephs dutifull obedience Gen. 47. vnto his Father and cherishing of him and his in his old age sheweth vnto all good children a perfect patterne of all dutifull obedience and the obedience of the daughter of Iephtah likewise may not be forgotten who although her father had vowed to offer vnto the Lord in sacrifice and that shee had liberty at Iudg. 11. her pleasure two whole monetâ—â— to go vnto the mountaines to bewaile Examples of the obedience and duty of good
children vnto their Parents her virginity yet at the prefixed time shee willingly came and offered her selfe vnto the hands of her father to performe his vow with her Solomon also when his mother came to speake with him so 1. King 2. soone as he saw her hee left his kingly seat and caine to meete her and reuerently bowed himselfe vnto her and caused her to bee placed on his right hand as he sate on the throne of his kingdome many such examples there bee besides these as Tâ—bâ—â— and others all teaching this duty Tob. 14. vnto children And as God hath commanded it thus to be done see how highly hee liketh of those which doe performe it the stone of the 〈…〉 bites doth plainely Ier. 35. shew where the Prophet Ieremiah from the mouth of God himselfe pronounceth these wore's vnto them T 〈…〉 Lord of hoasts the God of 〈…〉 cause you obeyed the 〈…〉 of Ionadaâ— your Father 〈…〉 How God blesseth those childreÌ„ which obey their Parents kept all his preâ—â—pts 〈…〉 〈…〉 ding vnto all that hee hath commanded you therefore thus sayth the Lord of heastâ— the God of Israel Ionadab the son of Rechaâ— shall not want a man to stand before mâ—â— for euer what neede I now â—o cite more places of Scripture to this end our Sauiour Christ himselfe Luk. 2. became a patterne vnto you in this poynt for hee became obedient vnto his earthly Parents If these things will not suffice then wil noâ—e The 21. Chapter BVt I must ye proceede a little further in this poynâ— of obedience fâ—â— there bee many which when they are come to some yeares as they thinke of discretion that then will bee no longer vnder the obedience of their Parents but to dispose of themselues at their owne pleasure nay I would to Goâ— that some of them did not thâ—â— oppose themselues against their Parents well they finde thâ— word of God doth teach them otherwise for thou must not then so dispose of thy selfe canst thou bee content to giue them leaue to nourish cherish and to maintayne thee both in sicknesse and health all the time of thy youth and wilt thou now â—e like a wilde and vnruly colt that casts off his bridle and shewes his master his foure shooes If thou didst want the vse of thy limbes or thy sight or the vse of thy speech thou cast then bee content to bee gouerned by them euen vntill thy olde age or dying day and wilt thou enioying these and all other blessings from Almighty God euen to the full when thou comest to those yeares wherein thy wisedome Children should take regard of the experimented wise counsailes of their aged Parents should shew it selfe like a flourishing oliue tree yeelding obedience and honour vnto thy Parents thereby comforting ioying their aged yeares then theâ— I say to cast them off yea that good also which might come to thee by that wise prudeÌ„t counsaile which they by long experience haue gained might to thee sure proue an anchor hold of exceeding much good And this I speake also in reproofe Children ought to be ruled by their Parents in case of their marriage yea to the reproach of those giddy headded wantons of our time which will not giue their Parents leaue to make their choyse of marriage for them nor bee ruled by them in their choyse whereupon as a iust plague vnto them it often commeth to passe that not hauing their Parents goodwill in their choyse they not onely lose that which is an vnualuable losse I meane the blessing of their Parents which though children regard not in these dayes yet in times past it was of such reuerent regard among Gods children that their fathers blessing was vnto them as precious as their What an account good children made in times past of the blessing of their Parents granfathers inheritance whereby thorough want of the fathers loue this blessing a iust plague and punishment from God for so high an offence it is commonly seene beggery followeth I speake not this vnadvisedly as of supposition for God is witnesse with me that I speake the truth I haue seene it with mine eyes to my griefe of heart Oh sinne of disobedience euen in the highest degree of nature when a sonne or daughter shall presume in priuate to take vnto themselues the estate of mariage without the consent of Parents ought not the father to know yea and to make choyse what flesh should be ioyned vnto his owne and what fruit should be grafted into his owne stocke and to see that it should bee for the good and honor thereof yes surely and those which be good and gracious Children will giue their Parents the preheminence thereof and also bee ruled by them in these things but there be some which can bee content to bee ruled by their Parents in case of marriage for the benefit of their helpe which may arise thereby but they are not willing to stay the time which their Parents shall thinke fit for them But this did not Isacke for hee Gen. 25. would not presume to make any Good childreÌ„ haue alwaies had regard to leaue the choyse of their marriage to thire Parents choyse but stayd his Fathers pleasure although it were till he was Forty yeares of age And Iacob wheÌ„ his father did appoint him then went to the place where he did appoynt him but not before where are those that doe follow the steps of these holy and chosen children of God that I many extoll them to the world alas they are not in these dayes to be found And yet the very heathen which knew not God nor his lawes yet the very light of nature taught this duty vnto them not to make their choyse of mariage Gen. 34. without the coÌ„sent of their Parents for thus did Shechem the sonne of Hamore sue vnto his Father for his good will to marry with Dinah the daughter of Iacob the servants of God had alwaies a speciall regard hereunto Samspon also would not presume Iudg. 14. to marry without the consent of his father no although he liked the woman exceeding well And as the naturall Parents haue this authority ouer their Children so doth it likewise belong vnto those which be gardians foster fathers as wee terme them which haue the bringing vp of youth whether they be of kindred or otherwise as wee see Ruth was obedient vnto her step Rut. 1. mother and vpon these and such like causes is our law grounded which permits not a ward being vnder the gouernement of his gardian to marry without his consent The 22. Chapter ANd as I haue labored to expresse this duty of obedience vnto children and yet but briefely run it ouer in respect of that which might bee spoken herein so it is needefull in some sort to shew the limitation thereof for it is not generall but is included within her bounds I did a little
holy commandement of that blessed one whose command by all must bee obeyed vpon payne of damnation euen hee it is that giueth this admonition vnto thee to doe the will of thy Maister No oâ— liting nor quit â—cating wil serue our Sauiour himselfe hath giuen seruants so plaine a direction of their duty that none may or can gaine say it or else he telleth thee plainly what penalty will ensue vpon it thou must be beaten with many stripes for not doing of it nay hee doth not leaue thee thus neither with this admonition only he goeth a little further yet for to stoppe all quillets which may arise and put all doubts out of question for he knew that there were and would bee many that would be more curious to contend about what they ought to doe then willing to doe that they should doe and therefore telleth thee That the seruant that doth not the will of his Maister yea although hee know not the will of his Maister yet euen he shall bee beaten too Now seeing that the case standeth thus that this burthen lieth vpon the shoulders of euery particuler Seruant in the name of God bestirre your selues like men stand to your tackling rouse vp your selues seeke labour and striue coÌ„tinually to performe this worke of obedience vnto your Maisters that so you may avoyd this danger of many stripes and it shall not be amisse for this our purpose if we a little peruse the word of God to see what wee finde there more concerning this matter that so as in a glasse the seruants of these our times may see and seeing know whether they peforme the same or not And wee shall finde that Saint Paule knowing the errors of Seruants how slacke they are in performing their duties vnro their Maisters and how needefull it was that they should bee instructed herein hath very carefully in many of his Epistles largely set forth this duty of seruants both what inward and outward obedience is to bee required of them That it must bee euen with Ephe. 5. feare and trembling for so hee sayth And so Saint Peeter hee 1. Pet. 2. teacheth the same also saying Be yee subiect vnto your Maisters with all feare And againe Let as many Timo. 6. seruants as be vnder the yoke count their Maisters worthy of all honour that the name of God his doctrine be not euill spoken of and they which haue beleeuing Masters despise them not for they are bretheren but rathey doe them seruice because they are faithfull and beloued and pertakers of the benefit Againe Seruants bee obedient Seruants must not be men pleasers but that they doe must 〈◊〉 singlenâ— of heart Colio â— vnto them that are your bodily Maisters according to the flesh in all things not with eye seruice as men pleasers but in singlenesse of heart fearing God and what soeuer you do doe hartyly as vnto the Lord and not vnto men and bee sure that yee shall receiue of the Lord the reward of inheritance for you serue the Lord Christ Againe you Seruants bee obedient vnto your maisters and please them in all things not answering Seruants must not answer againe vnto their Mastris theÌ„ againe neither be ye pickers but shew all good faithfulnesse that in all things yee may doe worship vnto the doctrine of God our Sauiour Againe ye seruants be obedient The frowardnesse of the maister should no way be a hindrance vnto the performing of the seruants duty to your Maisters with all feare not onely if they bee good and curteous but also if they be froward for this is thankes worthy if a man for conceience sake to wards God indure griefe wrongfully for what prayse is it if when yee bee buffeted for your 1. Pet. 2. faults yee take it patiently but if when you do wel you suffer wrong take it patiently this is acceptable It is 〈…〉 godameâ—cy or a seruant to bee patient when he is buffeted iustly but if it be done wroÌ„g fully then to beare it with patience is of high commendations vnto God for herevnto are you called For Christ also suffered for vs leauing for vs an exaÌ„ple that we should follow his steps who did not sin neither was there guile found in his mouth who when hee was reuiled reuiled not againe when hee suffered hee threatned not but committed it to him which iudgeth righteously Saint Paule by these things did teach this Doctrine vnto Christian seruants thus to doe vnder their Maisters though infidels and vnbeleeuers because of their places for indeed the Maister is Gods vicegerent in his family therefore if Christians vnto infidels must performe this obedience as we see it is coÌ„manded by our blessed Sauiour for his words haue no limitatioÌ„ but are generall all must obey all must be obeyed How much more in these dayes of grace and knowledge should seruants professing themselues to be Christians striue to performe their duties euen to the full vnto their Christian masters whom God hath chosen called in his sonne Iesus Christ to bee partakers of his heauenly treasures as well as themselues Therefore my bretheren I beseech you in the feare of God What inward obedience is required of seruants that you 〈…〉 carefull in the obseruing of this which here from the word of God you may gather namely to bee obedient vnto your Maisters euen inwardly in your heart in feare and trembling for if your spirits within you bee not truly humbled how then can you performe that obedience outwardly which is of you required let the Seruants count their Maisters worthy of all honour there must be a reuerent estimation of them euen in your hearts before you can giue them this honour duly and truly as it ought for without this harty loue and inward affection towards them your outward obedience will bee but false and hypocriticall Seruants must seare to offend their Maisters and why and all this your zelous duty must be mingled with feare for so Saint Paule teacheth because you are to performe this duty seruice as vnto God and not vnto men being thus prepared then you shall bee able to performe all good outward obedience which shall bee required of you And this obedience must bee performed without partiality as 〈…〉 ll to the poore man as to the 〈…〉 h for it is no thankes vnto you 〈◊〉 â—erforme this obedience vnto 〈◊〉 Maisters they being great 〈◊〉 or rich men their wealth places and authority requireth be performed as well to the poore as to the rich it they will command it of you and you dare doe no other but yeeld it them but if your Maisters bee poore and as men despised of the world then they to bee precious in your eyes and you in the zeale of your conscience and duty vnto God to giue vnto them that duty which you ought to doe both inwardly from the heart performing all The true token of a
vnto him blessings aboundantly Yea I haue another president yet to shew you which I may not let passe worthy your best consideration I meane the wrong The ch 〈…〉 life of Ioseph should be an ensample to seruants which Ioseph suffered both inwardly in mind and outwardly in body inwardly in mind by the lasciuiousnesse of his vnchast Mistresse dayly tempting him to that abominable act of Adultery which his chast soule hated and shut vp in a dungeon or prison almost three yeares together who could haue suffered more theÌ„ he did what an vnkind part was this of a cruell Maister vniustly casting so good a seruant into prison so long time that vpon so small nay so vniust a cause neither regarding the Gen. 39. good and faithfull seruice of his seruant of whom hee had had good experience by his long coÌ„tinuance with him nor with wisedome entring into the equity of his cause but rashly nay foolishly at the false accusation of his lascivious wife casteth off yea into prison so vertuous so good a seruant whome he knew of his owne knowledge that hee feared God and that all that hee Ioseph bearing patiently the wrong done vnto him is rewarded with glorie and honour had prospered the better vnder him Yet did he not exclaime of this his vniust Maister nor once seeke to haue his iust cause heard with equity but with great patience beareth he with al these his great wrongs and how greatly God did reward him we see it to bee with the glory of the whole kingdome of Egypt O see you that be seruants see these worthy spectacles and regard theÌ„ let not the vnkindly or vniust dealing of your Maisters be any meanes to withdraw your affections froÌ„ performing your labours both faithfully and willingly in their seruice but remember that the worke is the Lords not your Maisters for you serue the Lord Christ and of him shall receiue the reward as you see is here prooued But how little are these things Seruants ought rather to suffer wrong then to offer any bee regarded of seruants in these dayes with griefe we see not to be in bearning wrong with patience at the hands of their masters but in offering and doing wrong vnto them not seeing in themselues into their owne faults but prying with Argus eyes into the faults of their Maister or Mistris and if they find but a small hoale in his coate they will make a great rent of it before they haue done and that fault which he in his owne house hath committed Seruants ought to keepe their Maisters imperfections priuate to themselues and not make them commoÌ„ by his lewd seruant is made coÌ„mon to all his acquaintance and companions thinking themselues well if they may see any imperfections in them that they may deride scoffe at them behind their backes nay slaunder their Maisters in their reputations whereby they doe liue amongst men And thus whereas hee doth thinke that hee maintayneth a good and faithfull seruant that doth vphold and maintayne his credit hee nourisheth a serpent that seeketh subtilly and secretly to slay him and therefore worse is such a seruant to his Maister then a theefe that openly commeth vpon a man to robbe or to spoyle him for from such a one he happily may escape and so be free but neuer from such a seruant the poyson of Aspes is vnder his tongue the wound is deadly And as the seruant may not wrong his Maister by disclosing any priuate fault in him to his disgrace so likewise he must bee no blab of his tongue in the disclosing of any busines or secrert of his Maisters among his family or being a tale carrier whereby any strife may arise either in the family or amongst neighbours he must take heede of that and especially that by telling of lyes he sow not sedition in the family for this a wicked Seruants may not by any meanes cause contention to arise eyther amongst friends or in a family and a dangerous thing when strife and contention is raised in a family by vniust meanes neither must he bee an abuser of his fellow seruants by quarrilling or fighting with them or beating mususing them in the absence of his Maister But it may be you will obiect against me in this poynt and say my Master is pleased to giue mee some authority ouer my fellowes in his absence so that I am to see his busines performed by them in due time and if they shall neglect the doing thereof I shal be blamed for it more then they and therefore I must bee rough sometimes with some of them or else I shall not get theÌ„ to performe their busines as they should Why brother I tell thee this is no sufficient argument for thee to take vpon thee the authority of a Lord or Maister to beate correct thy fellows but if thy Maister put thee in any authority more then the rest for the performing of his businesse as thou sayst yet see that thou bee not puffed vp in pride to take vpon thee more then is firt but by Seruants ought not to correct their fellowes but to leaue that prehemineÌ„ce vnto their Maisters louing and kind words and good instructions from the word of God and good examples from thy selfe seeke to win them to the performaÌ„ce of their duty so shall thou get loue and not hatred of thy fellowes and credit and good report both of thy Maister and all others but if there bee any so lewd a seruant that hee will not by these good meanes bee won by thee to performe thy Maisters businesse appoynted for him to doe then let thy Maister vnderstand thereof that he may giue correction vnto such a seruant and haue the priuiledge of a Master in correcting his owne seruant but let not thy hand be vpon him but remember that he is thy fellow seruant least thereby thou be hated and despised of thine own fellowes and get thee an euill report amongst men alwaies remember the lesson which Saint Paule teacheth That you so behaue your selues in all thinges that the doctrine of Iesus Christ be not slandered by your conuersation The 31. Chapter ANd here I haue iust occasion giuen me to reproue the lewd â—es of too too many wicked seruants of our time that take no regard of the slaundering of the doctrine of Christ nor of their owne conversations no nor saluation neither and yet they would bee counted Christians but they shew themselues worse then infidells deuills in the shape of men women by their workes Is not their best actions performed euen with eye seruice only no longer then Maisters looking on no longer true labour if hee bee absent are not they absent likewise are they not contentious quarrellers fighters abusers of their fellowes like vnto ruffians in their Maisters houses blasphemers of the sacred name of God vsing nay abusing his holy name in euery idle action so that when
the deuill is in their Heauie iudgements are appoynted for wicked seruants hearts yet the holy name of God is abused in their profane lipps forgetting that the Lord himselfe hath sayd Hee will not hold Exo. 20. him guiltlesse that taketh his name Zacha. 5. in vaine but as hee hath already Luk. 12. sent out his dreadfull curse against the blasphemer so hee hath a iudgement to come of many stripes for such disobedient seruants And who is so blind that seeth not the exceeding intollerable vice of pride by which the deuill leadeth dayly so many of you vnto your owne destructions for haue it you will to maintaine this vice by hooke or by crooke the Masters estate shall pay for it else is not this a great fault too common amongst you spread euen into the meanest degree of Tradesmen of handicrafts which who or where are those The great abuse of the pride of servants which are not guilty of all degrees of you Oh that you did but see what mischiefes you daily fall into by your intollerable pride wherein you are growne to such a height that now yee disdayne the estate and habit of seruants in your array and to bee maintayned as you ought by the estate of your Maisters who now can know the Maister from the Seruant by his attyre it hath not been thus in times past neither ought now so to be by the lawes of the land but what speake I of the lawes of the Land to those which regard not the Lawes of God for which way you gett that which in pride and ryot you daily consume your consciences will best tell you yea and accuse you of one day except you repent But sure I am some rob cousin The pride of seruants by what meanes it is maintayned deceiue their maisters to procure it for if they can take ought of his that he seeth not or doth not presently misse then all is well as they thinke Saint Paule chargeth you not to bee pickers but for to mayntayne this your pride what will you not pick and steale Others there be which if they cannot get it thus they will get it in an other fashion for if their maister wil deale iustly or kindly with his friend and will make no gaine by him and put them in trust so to do they will haue Gehesaies Gehesie ought to be an example vnto all lying Seruants 1. King 5. tricke but they will haue somewhat of him they will lye but they wil haue it nay I would they did not lie with the tongue and steale with both hands to Such Gehesies doe little regard that he got Namans leprosie for his labor but tell them this they will answere their maister is no Elisha to work miracles therefore feare not oh my bretheren you little regard that the eies of the Lord are as neere vnto you when you do these things as the heart of Elisha was vnto his seruant Gehesie Is this to performe the duty of Christians nay to slaunder the doctrine of Christ and all good Christians is this the thing you doe when you should serue the Lord and not your selues nay the Diuell you serue and your selues here is no regard of seeking A note worthy to be regarded of Seruants the Lord with a single heart nor doing their seruice faithfully as vnto the Lord nor remembring that of the Lord they shal receiue the reward of their seruice be it good or bad But as he is mercifull so hee is Gods iudgements against wicked servants iust also hath pronounced this sentence against you that he will cut you off giue you your portion with the vnbeleeuers more might I speake of such euill seruants but I will rather smother such things in mine owne breast which of mine owne knowledge I know to bee true then explaine them in wrighting for I wish rather to suppresse such euils then to expresse them I haue beene somwhat sharpe in this my reproofe I do confes but mistake me not I pray you for I do not speake generally vnto all God forbid I should I hope better thinges of many of you for I doubt not but there are some Eliazers among you Gen. 5. that feare God doe faithfully serue both him your Maisters and do sanctifie all your labours xnto him by prayer that so both you and your labours may prosper some paynefull Iacobs likewise which with all your best indeauours performe your labours withoÌ„t grudging or murmuring some chast and faithfull Iosephâ—s whose Maisters sleepe secure finding themselues blessed thorough the providence of your wisedomes in the feare of God and I reioyce herein and blesse the Lord in his mercy towards you praying for the continuance of his blessings vpon you the increase of your multitude for there was one righteous Noah in the old world And one faithfull Abraham in Canaan and one righteous Lot euen in Sodome and Seauen Thousand in Israell in the dayes of Eliah that neuer had bowed a knee vnto Ball and I hope there bee some amongst Seruants that doe dayly striue euen in these our dayes to performe this their duty of obedience vnto their Maisters to the full with a single and an vpright heart as to the Lord onely And thus I haue briefely runne ouer this duty of Seruants and by the helpe of these our blessed Apostles haue shewed vnto you what duty our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ commandeth you to performe vnto your bodily Maisters And I haue seâ— before you likewise some of the abuses oâ— these our times wherein so many are carried away by their owne selfewils vnto their owne destructions I doe now beseech you bretheren in thee Lord Iesus that you become more warie and wise in your conuersations hauing more regard vnto the command of our blessed Sauiour in performing this taske imposed vppon you of your obedience vnto your Maisters in seeking to know their wills and so with all diligence to doe it that so you may not onely avoyd those dangers of many stripes but also enioy the benefit which hee hath pruided for all those that with all their best endeauours doe labour to performe this their duty which shall not by any other but euen by him selfe be performed vnto you saying well done good and faithfull seruant thou hast beene faithfull in few things bee thou Mat. 2â— ruler ouer much enter into thy Masters ioy which ioy so farre excelleth all earthly things that no tongue of man can vtter them nor the heart of man conceiue them therefore happie and blessed are all those that shall enioy them euen so Amen FINIS Morning and Euening Prayer to be daily vsed in priuate Families Morning Prayer O Almighty and our most mercifull louing God Father in Iesus Christ wee thy most vnworthy seruants through thy mercy presuming to prostrate our selues here before the face of thy diuine Maiesty doe most humbly
is required of women towards their husband of feare this is which is here required and how it must be performed for it is not a slauish kind of feare which is here required where the Apostle sayth your cōuersation must be in feare but here is required of you a holy conuersatiō zealous towards God and pure and vndefiled towards the world with vertue chastity modesty temperance sobriety faithfulnesse and louing obedience for surely shee that is fully possessed with these vertues will so loue and so liue that shee will feare to offend her Husband but rather yeeld all humility and obedience for the commandement sake thus by this holy cariage of your selues shall you winne those that are without the knowledge of God or his word to the knowledg both of him and his word when they shall behold your godly conversation in feare And see farther the mercy of our good God vnto whom he hath cōmitted you to be gouerned by not vnto your enemies or vnto strangers but vnto a kind louing Husband vnto whom you are as neere as the very flesh vnto his skin and as deare vnto him as the aple of his eye whose tender harted affections are alwaies yeelding vnto a dutifull louing wife I hope now that good wiues will willingly yeeld vnto this their duty of obedience vnto their Husbands seeing by whom it is commanded and to whom it ought to be done And the rather for that the mercy of God doth extend it selfe vnto them euen to the full in that notwithstanding their transgression against him yet he hath ordayned them to eternall salvation by the merits of his 1. Tim. 2. beloued Sonne the words are worthy your best obseruation and these they are Notwithstanding through bearing of Children shee shall bee saued if they continue in the faith and loue and holinesse with modesty see here the benefit of Mariage which bringeth so great a blessing with it And note I beseech you you that are women of vnderstanding here is saluatiō offered vnto you by bearing of Children indeed but it is with a prouiso if if you continue in the faith and loue and holinesse with modesty you must yeeld all The first duty of the Wife is obedience harty obedience vnto the blessed will of God else what is the fruits of your faith or where is it or the hope of your saluatiō so you see it alludes vnto al these vertues I formerly spake of and the obedience which God himselfe commandeth for all these should bee in women for if you marke it as it is worthy your marking you shall see that al our poeticall paynters wheresoeuer they doe paynt or set forth any of the vertues as Faith Hope Eight chiefe vertues which ought to be in women Loue Charity Patience Chastity Temperance Humility the like all these they doe not set forth vnto vs in the shaddow of men but in the shaddow of women shewing thereby that in them these vertues dwell or should at the leastwise I will run no farther in this poynt of obedience but will turne mee to the next duty of the Wife which is Loue. The Eight Chapter ANd now concerning the duty of Loue The second duty of the Wife is Loue. which euery woman ought to performe vnto her Husband I haue in some manner touched it before as occasion serued in the duty of obedience for indeed they are as too twins they goe hand in hand one with another and may not well bee Obedience and Loue ought not to be separated separated for where there is true obedience rightly performed there also loue will be attendant as an agent helpe to performe the businesse and in deed it is so naturall a thing for a woman to loue a man that we would think she needed not be prompted or to bee instructed in this poynt but to performe it truly faithfully as it ought to be I thinke wee shall scarce find one in fiue that doth it no not among ten I pray God there bee one in 20 And yet I make no doubt but that a woman loueth her Husband when she marrieth with him but the Apostle saith shee must continue in loue Why then it appeareth that the loue shee must performe vnto her Husband must be like the ring wherwith he marrieth her What the Marriage ring doth signifie it must haue no end it must continue as long as shee continues to him yea if it be to the end of her life and as the ring is not of any mixt or base mettall but of the most precious pure mettal which may be so it teacheth the woman that the loue shee must performe vnno her Husband must bee pure holy and chast it must allow no mixture no copartner in this fellowship but she must remember to performe the vow shee made in the presence of God and before his Saints at the time of her Marriage that shee would keepe her selfe onely vnto him so long as shee should liue with him and this you see the ceremony or vse of the ring teacheth and therefore with great and good consideration hath our Church ordayned the vse of it and great in the error of those men which refuse at such times to make vse of it And now I haue begune to speake of this vow which the woman maketh vnto her Husband at the time of her Marriage it giueth me an occasion to take notice of the small regard that women for the most part doe take of this businesse for if wee note the conuersation of A woman ought to haue regard of the vow that shee maketh at the time of her marriage Wiues vnto their Husbands in these times it will appeare as I sayd for the most part that they neuer regard that vow they made or know that they haue made any at all for sure I thinke there bee some so brutish they know it not but rather thinke they bee but words of course or ceremonial rites of the Church and not concerne them at all yea I doe know there bee such but alasse their errors is exceeding great in taking so little regard of so waighty a cause But I beseech you in the feare Note of God note what I shal say vnto you concerning this matter for you shal see it is a vow which shee promiseth with her lips yea and a great vow and such a one as in the whole course of her life shee cannot make a greater for if a woman shall say or protest Numb 5. she will doe such or such a thing this is a vow shee bindeth her selfe to performe it but as I said before If her Husband hearing her shall disallow of it and shall say shee shall not doe it shee is then freed from her vow because of his authority ouer her and it is sayd the Lord shall forgiue her for vowing so we see then it is a sinne for a woman to vow or protest to doe any
Amen The duty of Parents The Eleauenth Chapter THis duty of Parents The duty of Parents I haue deuided into two partâ— I haue deuided into two maine or principall poynts the one the education and gouerning of Children in the time of their youth and the other what Parents ought to doe vnto their Children when they are come to bee of a more riper age And for the first for the bringing vp of Children in the time of their youth it will be thought The first the bringing vp of Children in the time of their youth to bee but to small purpose to spend my time in such a busines and that I had more need to wright of the other then of this considering that we see dayly in this our age with griefe that wheÌ„ many Parents haue brought The second what they ought to doe wben they be of riper age vp their Children a long time with great care costs and charges and hoping that then they shall bee euen past the worst and so they to receiue some comfâ—â— by them for their long care and paynes taking with them to say plainely and truly of them 〈◊〉 many of them are then euen past the best so that if counsaile in this case may bee had it might seeme very well giuen and the paines taken in such a case well bestowed But for gouerning and bringing vp of them in their Childhood or yonger yeares it may be obiected as I sayd before to bee a needlesse thing considering that nature it selfe doth teach the very bruit beasts to nourish cherish and comfort their young and therefore men and women whom God hath endued with so many excellent gifts as knowledge vnderstanding wisedome and the rest farre aboue all the rest of his creatures besides cannot erre in this poynt of duty And againe another reason may be alleaged that there hath been so much and so long teaching to this effect that men and women in these our dayes for the most part of them haue been instructed in these things themselues euen from their youthes and every priuate mans house is furnished with Bibles Bookes to this effect so that euery man may bee his owne Schoolemaster herein will it be thought then that Parents cannot instruct their Children in these things â— surely no. Indeed I doe confesse this in What a great blessing wee inioy more then our forefathers did through the plenteous and publique teaching of the Gospel wherby we learne both how to gouerne our selues and others some sort to bee true and blesse the Lord for this his worke yeâ— be he for euer blessed for this his great mercy towards vs for that we liue in such and so happie a time wherin the word of God is so plentiful and openly taught vs euery man that wil may enioy the same at home with him to the comfort of him and his Our Fathers had not this priueledge they might mumble on their beades but not matter on their Bibles on payne of cursings but if they did they fryed for it and therefore blessed are your eyes in that they see and your eares in that they heare happy are you in whose harts these things are sowne which carefully and zealously bring forth fruit hereby to the glory of God the discharge of your owne duties herein of which number I doubt not but that God hath plenty amongst vs which doe carefully labour in the discharge of these things as well as hee had in the dayes of Eliah Seauen Thousand more 1. King 19. then hee knew of that neuer honoured Ball. But giue mee leaue a little I pray you and I will but entreate you to take a view as in a glasse of the abuses both of the Parents and the Children of our time and you shall see with griefe many that doe it not and too may that know not whether they haue a duty to performe herein or no and too many that know it and neuer regard to practise it for see we not that the Lapwing is not more forward in going before she can cast off her shell then the Impes of our time are in speaking euill before they can well speake I speake not of speaking well but of speaking Children forward to speak euill before they can scarce speake plaine for doth not the child call his owne mother drab and queane and his father foole and knaue and such like and yet the foolish Parents reioyce to heare them chat thus nay I would they did not teach them such things themselues but hereof it commeth as a iust plague for their follies that before they can well goe from their hands they heare them curse them to their face Nay looke wee further and see we not many that wheâ— they haue but learned to speake and goe they straight fall to pilfering and stealing and yet euen these things are wincked at yea defended too many leand parents for their proffits sake as they thinke as if the every were good husbandry but looke yet farther vnto them which bee of more yeares that one would thinke should haue some knowledge of God of his lawes do we not dayly heare theÌ„ as we passe almost in euery place blaspheming the holy name of God with great oathes and singing of most lewd and filthy songs full of most odious speeches to the The leaudnes of Children is the ill guiding of the Parents griefe of any good heart or chast care doth not this shew the bad and negligent guiding and gouerning them in the prime of their youth yes surely this is the very cause hereof therefore if writing or speaking will or may doe any good in this case here is cause both to wrighâ— and speake too it is high time to doe it These thinges when I had with griefe considered I could not keepe my penne from wrighting for euen for Sions sake I will not hold my tongue for Esay 62. Ierusalems sake I will not rest Moses the great Prophet and chosen servant of God being Parents ought to teach their children the lawes of God directed froÌ„ the mouth of God himselfe how to teach and instruct his people whom hee had chosen the Children of Israelâ— among other principalles of their duty this is one chiefe Deu. 11. thing wherin he often instructed Deu. 31. them that they should teach their ChildreÌ„ the lawes of God see here then thy duty what or whomsoeuer thou bee if thou be a father thou art commanded to teach thy Children and t 〈…〉 must teach theÌ„ the lawes of God Deut. â— for this was not spoken to the Priests or to the elders or the rulers Deu. 6. of the people onely but vnto al the people in generall both high and low rich and poore aswell the meanest as the greatest No man exempted from doing this but all must doe it aswell the vnlearned as the learned for none are here exempted euery man
and if thou wouldest that thy labours and the labours of thy Children and Servants should prosper the day following then doe you ioyne together in Prayer vnto Almighty God for it for so it must be for where 2. or 3. be gathered together in his name hee hath promised not Mat. 18. onely to be amongst them but also to grant their requests hee will make thee plentious in euery worke of thy hand in the fruit of thy body thy Children shall Deut. 30. prosper also and in the fruit of thy land for thy wealth what wouldest thou more desire and it must not be done now then when thou lystest but it must dayly bee done for this is that morning and euening sacrifice which we must dayly offer vnto the eares of Almighty God euen our humble harts by the caulnes of our lipes And seeing thou art commanded Parents ought to take their children to Church with them and examine them how they spend their time there to teach thy Children at all times both sitting at home and going abroad see that thou neglect not to take them to the Church daily with thee to heare the word of God and withall that they spend not their time there idlely nor vnprofitablely but by a due examinatiō of them whē they come home or as thou walkest abroad with them know how they haue profited that so God may bee glorified in the worke your selues better instructed and your dutyes discharged And now that we haue proued that there is a duty belonging vnto Parents and that they see their charge for the performāce thereof it will not bee greatly amisse if wee see how this charge is by them performed but the consideration of these thinges maketh mee euen with griefe to Nothing more deare then time and yet see how these times abuse it lament to see how negligently idely and lewdly most men doe spend their time in these dayes that time then which nothing is more deere and precious nothing more slippery to hold nor nothing more vnrecouerable being past and for which they shall giue account this time I say which they spend in idlenesse Dicing Carding and Bowling in drunkenes whoring wherby they consume both themselues the estate both of their wiues and children for whereas God hath giuen them sixe dayes for themselues to labour in and hath reserued but one to be sāctified to his owne vse all these be too little for many of them to spend in these wicked exercises aforenamed and therefore they will lengthen out the time with the night two but not an hower to serue God in of all this time Oh wicked man how darest thou thus abuse the great patience of the good God in thus consuming thy time and robbing thy children of their patrimony by wasting those thinges whereof thou art but a steward and for which thou must be accountable vnto him But here me thinkes one doth obiect against me and sayth I am too bold in my reproofes and am in an error for though sayth he I doe spend yet I spend but mine owne not my childrens But I tell thee thou art in an error thy selfe in doing thus for what I haue spoken I can will approue to bee true by the word of God it selfe in his due place where I shall haue more occasion to speake of this matter then here What good instructions can those men giue vnto their Childrē which doe dayly runne into all wickednesse themselues I haue but what good instructions thinke you can these men giue vnto their Children which doe themselues dayly runne so dangerously euen with greedinesse vnto their owne destructions for if sault haue lost his sauour wherewith shall it bee salted Mat. 5. and such as the tree is such will be the fruit if you bee rude Mat. 7. and vnciuell like the horse and Mule which haue no vnderstanding what knowledge can your children haue then yet it cannot be denied but that the world is too full of such The wise man forbiddeth fathers to play with their children Eccle. 30. least they bring them to heauidesse but now adaies parents wil not onely play with their children but run dayly from play to play thinking it to be a good excercise for them to bring them to see stage playes interludes thus corrupting their young yeares with vices and making themselues actors in the diuells Comody Solomon forbiddeth parents to bring vp their childrē delicately yet you possesse thē Parets ought not to possesse their children with pride with so much pride in the time of their youth that many times it is the overthrow both of them and your selues yea and your selues would after redresse it and cannot Oh that you that be parents of children would be more circumspect herein and wise in your owne conversation that you might be lanthornes of light and not of darkenesse vnto them for your selues are the cause of Parents the cause of the euills that are in children all these euills which wee dayly see in youth your euill example it is which dayly corrupteth your children and you your selues will pay a deere price for it if you amend it not Is not this a miserable case that Parents should thus neglect so great a duty as this which conserneth both the good of themselues and Children little doe these men regard that the soules of their Children are in their charge aswell as their bodies yet Moses doth not record of Iacob Gen. 46. that he brought so many persons Both Parents and governors of Families are charged with the soules aswell as the bodies of those of whom they haue the governement into Egypt meaning their number but he sayth he brought so many soules thither reckoning them by their better part as of that which wee should haue most care of but what care haue those Parents of their Childrens soules which are thus carelesse of their owne and yet the very heathē Philosophers can tell vs that though what manner of children shall bee borne vnto a man lieth not in his power yet by right bringing them vp that they may proue good lyeth in our power therefore be you wise in looking to your owne waies The 13. Chapter THe wise man would haue Parents to bee better instructed to the end they may better governe their Children and to that end hee plainely setteth downe by what instructions dissipline it must be done for he telleth you that an euill nurtered sonne is the dishonor Eccle. 22. of his Father therefore would haue you bee carefull in gouerning them in the time of their youth not giuing them any liberty nor wincking at their follies he sayth That he that loueth his sonne causeth him often to feele the rod that he may haue ioy of him in the end hee that chastiseth his sonne shall haue ioy of him and shall reioyce of him among his acquaintance Eccle. 30. And hee
that teacheth his sonne greeveth the enemie and before his friends hee shall reioyce of him though his father die yet hee is as if he weee not dead for he hath left one behind him that is like him in his life hee saw him and had ioy in him and was not sorry in his death neither was hee ashamed before his enemies he left behind him an avenger against his enemies and one that should shew fauour vnto his friends hee that flattereth his soone bindeth vp his wounds and his heart is grieued at euery cry An vntamed horse will be stubborne and a wanton child will bee wilfull if thou bring vp thy sonne delicately hee shall make thee affraid and if thou play with him he shall bring thee to heauinesse laugh not with him least thou bee sorrie with him and least thou dash thy teeth in the end giue him no liberty Keepe thy child vnder in the time of his youth and so thou shalt haue ioy of him in the end in his youth and wincke not at his folly bow downe his necke while hee is yong and beate him on the sides while he is a child least he waxe stubborne and so bee disobedient vnto thee and so bring sorrow vnto thy heart therefore chastise thy child and be diligent therein withould not correction from thy child for if thou Prou. 23. smightest him with the rod hee shall not die thereof thou smigbtest him with the rod but thou deliuerest his soule from hell and againe if thou Eccle. 7. haue Daughters keepe their body shew not thy face chearefull towards them marry thy daughter and so shalt thou performe a waighty matter Eccle. 42. but giue her to a man of vnderstanding How a man ought to bestowe his daughter If thy daughter be a wanton keepe her straightly least shee cause thine enemies to laugh thee to scorne and the whole Citty to giue the an euill report and so thou bee faine to heare thy shame of euery Deut. 23. man thou shalt not hold thy daughter to whoredome that the land fall not to whoredome and waxefull of wickednesse If thy daughter bee not shamefast hould her straightly least shee abuse her selfe by ouermuch liberty Deut. 23. beware of the dishonesty of her eyes there shall bee no whore among the daughters of Israell nor whorekeepers among the sonnes of Israell A misnurtered soone is the dishonor of the Father a foolish daughter shall be little regarded and she that commeth to dishonesty bringeth her father to heauinesse a daughter that is past shame dishonoreth both her Father and her Mother Now you see what wise councounsell golden precepts are here giuen to Parents for the gouerning of Children so that more cannot well bee said or at least need not but onely this aduising you not to bee negligent in the execution of these thinges aswell for the discharge of your owne duties as for the good of your Children but I haue heard some Parents so vnwise which when their Children haue done amisse and they haue beene aduised to giue them correction for it they haue answered I cannot doe it for I cannot abide to fight with my children see what a silly answer was here made and yet many such He that loueth his chi◠maketh him often to feele the rod and so preserueth him from greater dangers Pro. 23. fooles there be callest thou this fighting thou errest I might haue said thou lyest for here are no enemies opposed one against another to endanger the life of either but tender harted loue from a good father or mother which seeketh by gentle correction of a rod to deliver the soule of the child from hell wilt thou then not doe so then thou art guilty of thy childs going to hell thou shalt follow it thither too if thou amend not thinkest thou it is enough for thee to chide thy Childe for his fault That is not enough for Parents to chide their children but they must vse correction also when hee doth amisse I say nay God will haue thee to vse correction too looke vpon the heauie iudgement hee shewed vpon old Elye and his Children becaue he did not correct them for their faults and that alone may serue to terrifie and teach you too not to neglect so great a charge We finde that when the Lord did reveale himselfe vnto Samuell the first thing which he made knowne vnto him was the euill hee would bring vpon his master Elye the words of God himselfe are these behald I will doe a thing in Israell whereof whosoeuer shall heare his two eares shall tingle 1. Sam. 2. In that day I will raise vp against Elye all thinges which I haue spoken concerning his house when I beginne I will also make an end and I haue told him I will iudge his house for euer for the inniquity which hee knoweth because his sonne ran into a slaunder and he stayd them not And in the next chapter following An example or Parents not to deferre the correction of their children we see the execution of Gods iustice in the performance of his word for the Arke of God was taken from them by their enemies the Philistines and the sons so Elye Hophne Phynias were both slaine the same day and old Elye being Eighty yeares of age when hee heard 1. Sam. 3. these tydings fell backward Gods iustice shewed vpon old Elye for not correcting his sonnes from the seate he sate vpon and so brake his necke his daughter in law the wife of his sonne Phineas being with child and neere the time of her deliuerance shee hearing these heavie newes fell suddenly in trauell of her child-birth and so dyed The 14. Chapter YOu see what heauie iudgements God powred vpon this man and his Children because hee did not correct them and yet they being in the state of manhood hee a very old man you would haue thought hee had done enough when hee rebuked them with sharpe words telling them and no doubt but that it was with griefe too that all the people reported euill of them nay wisely he telleth them more that if one man doe sinne against another the iudge may iudge it but none may pleade for him that sinneth against the Lord yet because hee did not more sharpely and seuerely punish them you see the Lord thus sharpely doth punish both him and his Now what will you say to this example I know what you would plade you would faine excuse your selues still and say that though when they bee children you then may gouerne thē yet being past that state they are Children when they be growne to mans estate are not then past governing of their Parents growne past your gouerment therefore then you cannot so well governe them but you see here by these examples of Elyes sonnes they are not then free from your gouerment nor you freed from gouerning them yet it may bee you
mistaâ—â—e me nor for though I haue shewed that a father ought â—â—do thus for his sonne yet I doe not say he ought to doe this for a disobedient wicked or vnthriftie son for such a one I haue shewed ought to bee punished by the Magistrate and that seuerely neither did the father of this prodigall giue him a new portion wheÌ„ hee had ryoted away that which That this priuiledge belongeth not vnto lewd and wicked children he gaue him although vpon his repentance he receiued him into his fauour againe neither doe we finde that any of these aforenamed gaue any double portion Gen. 27. to any of their sonnes Isaok had but one blessing to giue though hee had two sonnes nay these men did giue these portions vnto their sons at the time of their deathes but not before but if a father for the aduancement of his sonne bee pleased out of his loue to spare him som part of his goods while hee doth liue yet if hee wastfully royotously consume it I see not that his father Parents supplying the wnats of vicious children becommeth authors of their vnthriftinesse should feede him with a new supply for so he may be authour of his sonnes vnthriftinesse And thus briefely you see how a man may or should dispose of his goods by the rule of the word of God and this may suffice to satisfie our pollitition for this matter The duty of Children The 18. Chapter ANd now concerning the duty of Children whereof I am purposed to write indeede there was neuer more neede to write of these thinges then now and neuer more teaching of them then in these dayes but neuer was instructions either by word or writing lesse regarded of them then now they be And no maruaile for if God himselfe haue spoken and none would heare him if hee haue stretched out his hands none Esai 1. would regard so that hee hath beene forced to cry out vnto the The great disobedience both of men and children in former ages heauens and the earth to beare witnesse of the disobedience of his Children if it bee thus with men of vnderstanding what will it bee with Children if it were thus with men thousands of yeares agoe what will it be with Children in these times if the Apostles of Christ were mocked Act. 2. and sayd to be full of new wine when they preached the word of God vnto the people and Luke 3. Christ himselfe despised for teaching them and sayd to haue a diuell in him surely if grace feare of God were then fled froÌ„ men what hope shall wee haue to finde it now in Children who haue beene disobedient euen froÌ„ the beginning scoffers mockers as Ismaell of Isack Ham of his owne father and of the saints Prophets of God as of Elisha But bee wise ye children and take heed for neuer such did escape the heauie iudgements of God nor neuer shall in time to come as appeareth by these Ismaell cast out of his fathers Gen. 21. house and fauour yet his first borne sonne Ham also not onely Gen. 9. loosing the blessing of his father but both hee and his posterity became accursed the Children which wicked Elish 42. of 2. King 2. theÌ„ deuour'd by two shee Beares well I will yet with patience rest in hope if Ionas be commanded Ionah 1. to preach against Nineue he may not leaue to doe it fly to Tharsus my maister hath giuen mee a talent to vse shall I lay it vp in a napkin for him noe I dare not doe so but I say still for Sions sake I will not be silent but with Salomon exhort you that be childreÌ„ Prou. 4. to heare the instruction of a father and to giue eare to learne vnderstanding despise not instructions by Good counsell ought not to be refused by whomsoeuer giuen whomsoeuer it be taught whether from the mouth of a learned diuine or of a lay man for gold of it selfe is pure in what base thing soeuer it bee put and the diamond is stil precious though God the author of all good things proceeding from man it lye in the dunghill neither is there any good thing that can proceede from the heart of man but by the powerfull working of the spirit of God therefore let mee intreate you who hearts God shall moue with desire to seeke the knowledge of your duty to reade these few chapters following wherein I haue briefely set downe what duty you owe and must performe vnto your Parents if you meane to please God And although I write these things vnto children yet for that the younger sort for want of yeares are not able to vnderstand them I will leaue these ABC trewants whose delight is rather in their play theÌ„ learning and will addresse my words to those of more riper yeares whose time should shew their knowledg hauing loÌ„g since learned past the graces and now haue their rules by roate without booke what said I that they are past grace by learning too many rules without booke yea indeed it is true therfore I may the bolder speake it though with griefe for wee see many in these dayes which should haue knowledge by their learning but doe The great abuse which schollers make of their learning shew by the leawdnesse of their liues that grace hath not yet wrought any good knowledge in them but that they haue learned too many rules without booke as I sayd for in Gods booke or any other good booke I am sure they neuer learned such things There be many such schollers Youth comming to learne lattine and yet forget their Primer lessons that haue learned many lattine bookes ouer but haue quite forgotten their English Primer lessons to beleeue in God and to keepe his Commandements therefore to the end they may become good schollers in Gods schoole it shall not be amisse to put them to conne ouer their old lessons againe of their obedience vnto their Parents Honour thy Exo. 20. Father and thy Mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee and it is not amisse for others neither it may doe well for both let none despise it the wiser sort I am sure will not It hath pleased the Almighty and powrefull God which worketh all in all thinges for a secret Iudgement and purpose and for his owne godly will and pleasure to prouide and appoynt an howre in the which thy Father and Mother should come together to the end that thou thorough them mightest bee made he was present with thee in the wombe of thy mother fashioned thee and breathed life into thee and for the great loue hee beare vnto thee provided milke in thy mothers breasts against thou wast borne mooÌ„ed also thy Father and Mother and all other to loue thee to pitty thee and to nourish thee and as hee hath made thee through them so hath
touch it before when I said it consisted in all good and lawfull thinges and indeed it goeth no farther for if thy father or mother do command thee to do vnlawfull In what cases Children may refuse the command of their Parents thinges as to commit Idolatry to worship God contrary to his word thou must not obey them in these thinges or if thy father or mother doe command thee to commit treason against the King Prince or Magistrate whom he hath set ouer thee to gouerne thee or felloniously to murther any or to steale perloyne or defraud any man of his right thou must not obey them in any such thinges for as God hath cōmanded thee to obey them in goodnesse so hath he forbidden thee to yeeld obedience vnto them in euill the Children ought to shun the wickednes of their Parents Children that follow the wickednesse of their Parents God himselfe will puninsh them wee haue proofe therof in diuers places of the scripture but the Prophet Ezekiell expresseth it to the full I pray you reade the chapters for the doctrine therein is worthy of your greatest regard you shall there finde that the Lord sayth Behold all soules are mine both of Eze. 18. the Father of the Sonne the same soule that sinneth it shall dye but if the sonne seeing the wickednesse of his Father feareth and doth not commit such thinges surely he shall line sayth the Lord so that thus you see plainely that the Children may refuse to bee obedient vnto any wicked commande eyther of their Father or mother And the Apostle Peeter teacheth vs by Act. 4. his example rather to obey God then man and Daniell doth the Dan. 6. same And as God hath commanded thee to performe this obedience vnto thy Parents and hath appoynted thee in what manner nature to do the same and granted his blessing vnto the performers thereof euen so to Children which are stubborne and disobedient vnto their Parents God himselfe will punish the stubborne rebellious children which will take no regard of this his will to walke in the obedience thereof such disobedient ones doth he not leaue vnpunished nor neuer did but ether by the seueritie of their Parents or if that gentle and naturall punishment will not serue then giueth hee them vp into the hands of temperall Maiestrates so publikely to punish them as I expressed before in the duty of Parents but if both these in the execution of iustice vpon so high an offence be slacke in punishing them then he himselfe doth take the cause in hand yea he himselfe doth seuerely punish it as we see by his iustice shewed vpon the wicked sonnes of Elye whom hee slew both in 1. Sam. 4. one day by vntimely and sudden death and of that rebellious son of Dauid Absolon whō the Lord 2. Sam. 18. himselfe caused to be hanged on a tree by his owne hayre vntill his enemies came vpon him and slew him many such examples there bee to this end but these may suffice Children ought not to forsake their Parents either in pouerty or age but to relieue and comfort them euen till death And take heed that thou grow not weary of this thy duty but that with all loue thou doe continue this thy obedience vnto them euen to their dying day and that thou dispise them not either in age or pouerty for hee that dispiseth Father or Mother God will punish but vse them with all honour as Salomon did his Mother and cherish and norish them in age as Ioseph did remember 1. King 2. that Ruth would not Ruth 1. forsake her Mother in law and what shee gained by her labour she brought home to relieue her aged mother with And now with Ioshua I haue Ioshu 24 set before you the waies of the the Lord and I beseech him to giue vs grace to walke in the obedience thereof I had thought likewise to haue set before you some of the abuses of these our times wherein the wicked ones so much forgetting their duty to God and their Parents that not regarding their owne shame in the world no nor the feare of Gods iudgements to come doe dayly disturbe trouble nay misvse abuse their owne Parents but least I should in expressing such thinges giue way to that which I ought rather to suppresse I will rather bury these thinges in mine own breast with griefe in silecce The Diuell hath two many actors on the stage of this world that play these parts daily too publike the God of heauen and earth keepe your harts and consciences free from such thinges keepe you in the obedience of his holy Commadements Amen The duty of Masters The 23. Chapter GReat is the folly of yong people in this our time which by al meanes they may possible seeke to free theselues from the estate of seruitude when they are therein to the end they may be Masters A great folly in young people that seeke to bee masters before they know how to gouerne and gouenors themselues of others before they haue either yeares or wisedome sufficient to manage so great a businesse or discharg so waighty a matter as they then take vpon them in the estate of gouerning neither able to make choyse of their seruants with wisedome as they ought nor how to vse them with a good conscience as they should But Dauid giueth vs good instruction Gen. 39. for this busines for he willeth vs to chuse him to bee our seruant that is religious and vpright towards God that so our affaires may prosper as Potiphers did thorough the seruice of Gen. 30. good Ioseph and Laban by the seruice of Iacob for he that is not a faithfull seruant vnto God will neuer be a faithfull seruant vnto his Master as there doth come a blessing by the godly so the wicked seruant bringeth a curse where hee is for as one scabbed sheepe marreth a whole flocke so often times one leawd seruant spoyles a whole family but who followeth the rule of the Prophet How to chuse a good Seruant Dauid in the choyse of his family he sayth that he that hath a proud looke and a hauty stomacke shal not dwell with him But there be two many in these dayes of the contrary disposition for they will keepe none but such as can fight sweare and swager it out well Dauid would not doe so though hee were a King no he that leadeth a godly life shall bee his seruant there shall no deceitfull person dwell Psal 101. in his house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in his house nor sight but I would there were Masters should not suffer their seruants to sweare though in the sale of their wares not now two many which doe suffer their Seruants to lye sweare yea and forsweare too in the sale of their wares and yet these be counted good shop-men and fine chapmen indeede
so they be for the Diuills wares it is no maruaile if your Children spend that vnthrifitily which is so vngodly gotten But as you see it is a choyse It is not enough to chuse a good seruant but to preserue him still in goodnesse poynt of the Maister to bee carefull what seruant he taketh into his family so the Maister must be carefull likewise to bring vp his seruants religiously in the time of their seruice that must bee in seeing that his seruants come to the publique exercises of hearing the word of God in due time that they there remaine all the whole time of prayer and teaching and that they bee in as conuenient place as they may that so they may haue the ouersight of them for it is not enough that the Master bring his seruants vnto the Church and then let them giue them the slip at the Church dore or goe o◠as soone as they come in and s◠〈…〉 to Tauernes or Ale-houses or as bad places or else get into some corner of the Church where either they may sit and talke all the time or else sleepe it out This the good Maister may What good counsaile of a Maister giuen in due time may doe prevent by giuing them counsaile that if they will serue him they must bee carefull to serue God aboue all things and be religious in Gods house if they will haue any countenāce of him in his house but many men are more carefull in planting of Orchards or Gardens or chusing of sheepe for breede or following their worldly profits then they are in planting a godly family in their houses whereby God may be glorified his Church profited Or if they haue seruants vnder them to doe their worke and labor for them that so they may liue at the more ease pleasure idlenesse themselues then all is well as they thinke or turne it otherwise if you please and make the best of it by the way of good husbandry as a meane for them to thriue by and yet you shall find the end thereof to bee onely this to satisfie their neuer satisfied coueteousnesse Men do regard their beastes as much as this their oxe their asse their horse and such like yea will bee very carefull for the keeping of them to the end their profit may arise by them the wise traueller wil be so carefull for his horse which but onely for his pleasure he is to ride on that hee will spare time euen from his owne meate and rest to see that his beast shall both be made cleane lye cleane and haue his fill of prouender to the end hee may bee the better able to beare him on his iourney the husband man likewise in the care of his cattle is very laborious for his profit protecting them from weather water and such like dangers and is continually amongst them shifting them frō ground to ground frō pastuer to pasture to the end they may the better feede profit that Many leawd Maisters doe make lesse account of their seruants then others doe of their beasts if any disease do befall them he may the sooner remoue it from amongst them in these things men are wise carefull enough as is fitting but my deare bretheren there bee many amongst vs which beare the name of Christians and haue the gouerment of seruants which to their shame I speak it do make lesse account of their seruants thē these men do of their beastes for they will looke to their beasts themselues carefully enough so doe no◠many a one to their seruants but God forbid it should bee so withal yea I know there be many that are very carefull to performe this their duty as well in prouiding and giuing them all things needefull for them as in setting them to their worke and labour and I doubt not but that the fruit therof they find in their seuerall callings But I speak of those who can be content do carefully enough set their seruants vnto their labors as it is fit indeed they should but doe giue them small comfort and cherishing in their labours loading them with labours like Pharoahs taske masters Exo. 5. The cruelty of bad masters but not halfe filling their bellies with victualles as the traueller I spake of doth his horse so that many times the poore seruant hauing labored all day and had but a small dinner yet at night commeth to so short commons that when hee hath saued the mayde a labour in making cleane the dishes which were set before him hee hath yet a fresh stomacke to a good supper if he might come at it is not this a hard case yet I would it were not true And I will tell you the cause of this your selues are in the The negligent care of the maister bringeth the seuruants want fault of it you are carefull enough to looke to haue your owne due as it is fit you should but not careful enough in giuing them their due for too many of you doe put that off to be performed by a false steward and so many a poore seruant is punished both in belly and backe to helpe to maintayne the pride pleasure of his Dame or Mistris You put them in trust with these things to see them fed sweet kept wholsomely lodged thinke you that these thinges do not belong vnto you to see them done as well as vnto your wiues yes surely they do yet I say in them to do them is more fitting but to you it belongeth to see them faithfully done as they The duty of the Master bindeth him to see that the want of his seruant be by himselfe supplyed ought to bee for how canst thou looke that thy servant shal labor faithfully with the strength of his body for thee or to say the truth how can he do it when his body is enfeebled by meanes of due nourishing with hole sō food or things vsefull for him which should nourish strengthē him this is too common a thing amōgst vs it is a great reproach vnto this our English nation yet this is not all neither For there be some which can be content to maintayne their seruants reasonable well for their profits sake which may arise by their labours while they are able to do any for thē but if God doe send his visitation vpon them either A great fault in many Masters by sicknes or lamenes then if they haue not an out garden house or som backe place to put them into where they shall bee sure to haue but a slender looking to thē to an Hospital with them and so rid thēselues of them or else basely nay gracelesly turne them out of doores to shift for themselues in that heauie case what an vncharitable yea an vnchristian-like part is this yet such there be the more the pitty But if it bee not lawfull to muzell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth
in the corne how much more is it vnlawfull for thee to keepe backe the due from thy seruant that laboureth with the strength of his body for thy profit or if thou cast him off or into an Hospitall when hee is lame or sicke how canst thou seeke of him the labour of his hands when he is well againe The 24. Chapter THe good Centurion did not thus he did neither cast off his The charecter of a good master sick seruaÌ„t nor send him vnto any Hospitall till he were healed no he kept him still at home in his owne house and did not put others in trust to seeke helpe for his seruant but carefully performing the duty of a good master Mat. 8. setting aside all his affaires businesse hee goeth himselfe to seeke helpe for him How many masters being rich men in ourtime will doe the like no they thinke it will bee a disgrace vnto them abase thing for themselues to doe such a businesse especially for his seruant but if it were for his wife sonne or daughter whom hee dearely loueth then happily hee would not sticke to goe himselfe but for his seruant hee hath other enough to send about such a businesse So had this Centurion you se he went himselfe I tell you whome soeuer you are that you ought to haue as great a care for the health and welfare of your seruant for the time he is in your Cor. 7. service as if he were either your sonne or daughter nay is hee not Coll. 4. the Lords free man haue you 1. Cor. 7. not all one master in heauen and you not both bought with one price and is hee not fellow heire with you of the same kingdome of grace which you hope to bee of yes verily he is And beleeue mee brother for I tell you no leassing father mother sonne or daughter master seruant King and subiect be but names and titles in this worldly regiment in Christ Iesus wee are al one none better then another all bretheren and must all seeke All one by Christ Christ and our brothers good in Christ or else wee neuer shall haue benefit by Christ how can you then or how dare you abuse your brother though he be your seruant in keeping from him such thinges as be necessary for him or due vnto him whether it bee his foode his cloathing or his wages or any other necessaries â—r oppresse him with labour as Pharâ—ahs task masters did the Children of Israell there be too many such which are euen The law a hiâ—drance vnto many euill Maisters as tyrants vnto their seruants and more would bee were it not for the law I speake not this to abridge the priuiledge or authority which the Master hath ouer his Seruant as occasion serueth I know that the master hath ful authority not onely to imploy his Seruant to labour but also to correct his Seruant as accasioÌ„ shal be ministred for the wise man telleth vs that Eccle. 33. meete correction and worke belongeth How euill seruants must be punished vnto the Seruant I know he goeth farther sayth The yoake and the whip bringeth downe the hard necke so taine thy euill Seruant with whips and correction but yet I pray you note that he giues this rule not to be excessiue towards any and without discretion faith he doe thou nothing But sayth he If thou haue a faithfull How highly a good servant ought to bee resprcted seruant let him bee vnto thee as thine owne soule for in blood hast thou gotten him whereas thy seruant worketh truly intreate him not euill if thou haue a seruant intreate him as a brother for thou hast neede of him as of thy selfe And S. Paule wheÌ„ hee had declared vnto seruants their duty hee admonished masters in like manner saying and you masters doe you the same thinges Ephe. 6. vnto them putting away threatenings and know also that euen your mrster also is in heauen neither is there any respect of persons with him And againe you masters doe vâ—â—â— Collo 4. your seruants that which is iust and equall knowing that you also haue â— Masters ought to doe nothing but that which is iust vnto their seruants master in heouen and thus you see that both Saint Paule here the wise man in his Booke doe both agree in this that the Master ought to shew lenitie and gentlenesse vnto his seruant and so by louing kind vsage with frieÌ„dly speech as to a brother winne him to the performance of his duty for surely very willingly doth the seruant labour when the masters countenance is â—hearefull towards him but where the The Masters countenance ought to bee chearefull vnto his seruants Master doth not onely shew a chearefull countenance but also vseth friendly words among his seruants and giueth them their due besides it cannot be but with great ioy and comfort these seruants do passe ouer their labors how hard so euer they seeme to be vnto others and the master finds great comfort in them also The 25. Chapter THus you see what Iustice Saint Paule would haue Masters to vse vnto their seruaÌ„ts namely to do vnto them as you would haue them to doe vnto you and as it he should say would you haue your seruants to deale iustly and truly with you then doe you deale so with them would haue them to be kind and louing vnto you then bee so vnto them also nay you see he would not haue you threaten them and the wise man in his booke giueth the same counsell for saith he if thou intreate thy seruant euill and he run away wilt thou seeke him for indeed many times the Master threatning to giue his Seruant The seruant through threatning running away is oft times the vndoing both of himselfe and Master seuere correction for some fault committed and yet paraduenture not meaning so to doe yet the simple seruant hee knowing or fearing the rigorus correction of his Maister forsaketh his seruice and runneth away sometime to the vndoing of both if in this nature hee goe away from you how can you seeke after him when you your selues are the onely cause thereof keepe secret therefore your mind and if you see iust cause to vse correction doe it priuately in his due time but say not in his hearing or that he may heare thereof what you intend for to doe and so you shall performe the counsaile of the wise man which saith without discretion doe thou nothing But this iust and equall dealing of the Master stretcheth it selfe yet farther as against these euill minded men which seeke to abridge their seruants of their due liberty I meane when they haue obtayned thereunto by their continuance and faithfull seruice the wise man sayth Let thy soule loue a good seruant and defraud Eccle. 7. him not of liberty neither leaue him a poore man but there are some so farre off from performing this that
himselfe hee hath this high exaltation that he was the Phaenix of the world in his time he had no fellow there be others likewise which will set their seruants to labour but not regard whether they do it or no but if they do bring them home the price of their dayes labour at night then they are content they looke no farther to that busines and so the lewd seruant may doe euen what hee will vnder such a Maister he may goe to playes to whores to drunkenesse or any thing as too many doe The Maister not regarding how his seruant vseth his time becommeth guilty of the euil which his seruant abuseth Is this the setting of your seruants to labour nay this is but your seruing own turnes your couetousnesse and therefore you are guilty of the euill which they doe thus commit because you preuent it not by seeing how they dispose of themselues in this time wherein you appoynt them to labour and if that your calling serue not to imploy them in some bodily labour yet you ought to bee carefull that they haue not more time to spend abroad out of your sight theÌ„ that time onely which your businesse requireth for these things also belong vnto your charge For if that Maisters were as The euill of the Master corrupteth the Seruants carefull as they ought to bee seruants could not haue that liberty to vse and to abuse as they doe but where the Maister himselfe is an euill liuer as a drunkard a haunter of brothell houses a gamester or an idle gadder from home there the seruant must needs haue liberty and no maruaile then if such a maister haue such seruants and doe wee not see dayly that too many doe wrong themselues their whole family by these abuses how vnfit are these men to gouerne others which haue no power to gouerne themselues Oh you whom these things concerne be wise and circumspect in your waies and remember that the charge of the seruants which are committed vnto you is not smal but that a great account you must giue vnto God how you haue gouerned those soules committed vnto you The 27. Chapter ANd as the Maister ought not to giue his seruant more liberty then is fit so also he may not suffer them to bee possessed with Seruants puffed vp in pride seeke liberty and abuse both themselues and it pride by arraying them or suffering them to be arrayed aboue the estate of seruants for this is one chiefe poynt which maketh them to seeke liberty and this did Salomon well vnderstand therefore telleth you plainely that he that dilicately doth bring vp his seruant from his youth at length he will be euen as his son our owne experience in these dayes confirmeth the truth of this vnto vs to the griefe of many good minds whose eyes and eares are dayly cloyd herewith and who is in the fault of this thy seruant nay you that be Maisters are you suffer maintayne them in such pride that many forgetting their duty vnto God and you doe fall into such lewdnesse as many times are both the ruine of your owne estate and of themselues too and were they not suffered thus to exceed the nature of seruants as I sayd before in pride and idlenesse there would not so many of them haunt the dauncing schooles fencing schooles tauernes and alehouses as do can you excuse your selues now are you not guilty herein oh I would you were not Indeed there be many of you that if that which they spend in pride and these abuses did come out of your owne purses I doe Maister ought to see the laying out of mony giuen to their seruants that it be put to good vseâ— thinke that it would bee otherwise will you say they haue it from their friends I say still the more vnwise then are you which do suffer it to be thus idely spent but some of you do know that it coÌ„meth in another nature from whence it should not come and this you tollerate to saue your owne stakes are you guilty herein then or no Againe there be some which can bee content to set their seruants Maisters ought not to suffer their seruants â—o gad on the Sabborh day at their owne pleasure to labour all the weeke dayes but when the Sabboth crmmeth which ought by Masters and Seruants to bee wholy sanctified vnto God with thankesgiuing for the benefit of his blessings receiued the weeke past many of them scarce see their seruants al that whole day or if they doe see them at meate time then all the rest of the day they enioy wholy to themselues without contradiction which how leawdly they spend wee see with griefe their pride is cause of this as well as liberty The time hath beene that a Seruant might haue been known by his habite but now the Maister is not knowne from the Seruant nay I haue seene the Seruant better maintayned in the time of his seruice then he hath beene able to maintayne himselfe when he hath come to labor for it with his own meanes what folly is this in Maisters thus to do in time not long past a good Marchant hath not been arrayed as now your Seruants be I could vnfould more abuses growing from this pride in Seruants and the Maisters fault in suffering then I am willing â—o disclose or is fit I should lay no colours on it to hide it they will not serue I doe know you would excuse it and say you doe it for A bad fault in Maisters when they will seeke to excuse the pride of their seruants your credit sake but in this you offend God and discredit the common wealth by making a breach in those good lawes which haue beene ordayned against such abuses I pray God to giue you grace to see these things wisedome to redresse it but it hath spread so farre that I feare it hath taken such deepe roote as will not easily bee weeded out except authority do put their vnto a strong hand The duty of Seruants The 28. Chapter OVr blessed Lord and Master Iesus Christ which left no est arâ— of persons without instructions fitting vnto their seuerall callings hath very briefely and yet most truly playnely prescribed vnto Seruants the fulnesse of their duty also but in few words hee concludeth the whole businesse hee doth not giue theÌ„ many seuerall instructions least so they might forget some of them by the way and therefore includes all in one short sentence and this it is Hee that knoweth the will of his Maister and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes Now you see here that there is Seruants of what degree soeuer and bound with a more seuerer bond then man can invent to performe their duty vnto their Maisters no seruant of what degree soeuer he be if he be a Seruant but that hee is bound by a more sure obligation then the witt of man can inuent euen the
dutifull seruant faithfulnesse vnto them and giuing them the reuerence due vnto them being vncouered in their presence and shewing all outward reuerence of the body vnto them This is a token of grace thus it ought to be and thus it must bee that the doctrine of Christ which you professe bee not slaundered by your disobedience The 29. Chapter ANd here I haue occasion iustly giuen mee to reproue those bould fancie youthes of our time which forgetting their dâ—ty vnto God doe shew no reuerence at all vnto their Maisters and especiall if they bee poore they then will bee so fellowly with them that a man would rather take them to bee neighbour and neighbour then Maister and Th◠〈…〉 reuerent behauiour of seruants vnto their maisters Seruant nay I would this were the worst as bad as it is for many of them are not onely vndutifull but euen rebellious against their Maisters nay euen against God himself therefore culpable of eternall punishment for if their Maister doe but reproue them yea and that iustly too doe they not giue them word for word againe nay 10. for one A disobedient seruant that despiseth the discipline of his maister rebelleth against God himselfe if they come to correct them are they not ready to resist them so that many of them will neither bee reproued nor corrected by them Is not this rebellion against God thus to contemne his ordinance in him whom hee hath set ouer thee to feede thee cloath thee learne thee yea to rule thee is it not our Sauiours owne words here that he must be beaten with many strips which doth not the will of his Maister if so what shall hee haue then which scorneth to bee instructed and despiseth the discipline of his master surely his puishment must needs be very great Well my friends iudge whether it be better to follow your own mindes herein or the counsaile of Saint Paule hee telleth you plainely it must bee otherwise such disobedient courses Seruants must be obedient vnto their Maisters in all things must not so much as once bee thought of amongst you but you must bee obedient vnto them euen in all things and so shall you performe the commandement of our Sauiour Christ And yet there bee some of so stubborne and rebellious a nature that if their Master do proffer them a blow nay scarce that too yet they will straight leaue his seruice and as without leaue so without care or feare of Gods Seruants must not flye from their Maisters for any vnkind vsage lawes or mans cast off the yoake of their obedience although it bee to the very vndoing both of their Master and themselues but how great an offence this is the story of Hagar doth plainely Gen. 16. shew who though her Mistris vnkind and rough dealing with her was the cause why shee fled from her yet the Lord so disliked of it that he commanded her not onely to returne vnto her againe but also to humble her A speciall poynt for seruants to take notise of selfe vnto her hereby shewing how great an offence shee had committed in which such humiliation must be vsed for reconcilement you wild headed youthes of our time consider this But it may bee some of you will be iudge of your owne cause and say it cannot bee that shee was so hardly dealt withall as I am for I neither can get those things which of right I ought to haue and yet am opprest with labour and can neither get kind word or good looke of my Maister or Mistris but say or doe what I can they are still brawling chiding and vncontented Dost thou thinke that the fault in thy Maister is the cause why thou dost not giue him content to please him nay nay assure thy selfe that it is rather the corruption of thine owne heart that keepeth thee from performing thy duty with more obedience diligence that so thou mightest please him or is it because thou takest not that course which Abrahams seruant did who when his Maister sent him about his Gen. â— businesse hee made his humble prayers vnto the Lord that hee would prosper the things hee went about this was the way he Seruants must pray vnto the Lord to send prosperity to their labours went about his businesse See here my friends the duty of a seruant what hee ought to doe and how he assuredly may please his Master or Mistris hee must begin his labours in the Lord by sanctifying them vnto him by prayers hee must continue them in the Lord as doing them vnto the Lord and not vnto men and so he shall be sure both to please the Lord and his Maister be he what hee will but Seruants notwithstanding the vnkind or vniust dealings of Maisters vnto theÌ„ yet ought with patience to beare it performiâ—g still all faâ—â—hfulnesse vnto them and of God shall receiue their reward so doing if thy Master be kind and louing and supply vnto thee all good necessary thinges needefull for thee it is no thankes vnto thee to bee obedient and dutifull vnto such a Maister for he hath deserued it of thee but if hee bee as thou sayest vnkind vnto thee either in keeping backe such things as of right thou oughtest to haue or otherwise froward or churlish vnto thee or if hee correct thee vniustly in these cases if thou with patience dost beare it and notwithstanding dost performe thy duty vnto him with all good faithfulnesse then bee thou sure that the Lord will recompence this his vnkindnesse with kindnesse againe vnto thee from him selfe for so both the Apostles doe confesse as I haue shewed before but will you haue further proofe yet for this poynt will you see how God hath dealt with others in former times reade then the Historie of Iacob and it will satisfie you herein and shew you a worthy example The 30. Chapter WHo could haue serued a worse Maister then Iacob did of his owne Vncle Laban seeking Gen. 31. so many waies to defraud him of his due as he did not once nor twice but tenne times or many What a carefull seruant Iacob was though hee had a bad master and how the Lord rewarded him times so that as he confesseth if the God of his fathers had not beheld his labours hee had euen sent him away empty notwithstanding his paynefull labours spent 20. yeares together in his seruice by day being consumed with heate and in the night with frosts so carefull ouer his businesse that hee would not suffer his eyes to take their rest in the night season yet all this time of his meÌ„y wrongs he bare with patience and neuer neglected any part of his duty the more for it and how God rewarded this his painefull seruice the story plainly sheweth to the great comfort of all good seruants what wonderfull blessings hee bestowed vpon him both deliuering him from his vnkind Maister cruell Brother and giuing
beseech thee for his sake to accept this our bounden duty and humbled hearts which as a Morning sacrifice with all humblenesse wee heere present vnto thee yeelding prayse thankes vnto thy sacred Maiesty for all those manifold blessings which in thy mercy thou hast dayly thus plenteously powred vpon vs thy most vnworthy servants amongst the rest we forget not that bodily health peace prosperity which thou in thy mercy dost still continue vnto us with that quiet and comfortable rest which wee haue enioyed this night past that thou hast now brought vs to the beginning of this day in safety These and all other things whatsoeuer we doe praise thy most glorious name for and now still doe most humbly beg of thee that thou wilt be pleased to receiue vs this day and all the daies of our liues vnder thy powerfull protection Oh defend and keep vs from euil guide vs with thy grace sanctifie vs with thy spirit graunt that in all things yea and aboue all things that our whole care and endeavours may be zealously to walke before thee in holy obedience vnto thy heauenly will holy commandements blesse vs we humbly beseech thee in the labors of our hands graÌ„t that we take nothing in hand vnaduisedly but what shall be agreeable vnto thy most holy will thou that knowest what is needfull for vs better then we our selues do vouchsafe wee pray thee to giue vnto vs the good things which wee haue neede of whether it bee for our soules or bodies euen for thy deere and onely Sons sake Iesus Christ blessed for euer we doe most humbly begge them in of thee that forme of prayer which he himselfe haught vs saying Our Father c. Euening Praier O Blessed God which gauest the people of Israel in charge euery day to offer vnto thee a morning euening sacrifice that there by thou mightest be glorified and praised for their dayly protection and preseruation wee most vnworthie wretches presuming through this thy mercy to prostrate our selues heere before thy divine maiesty to offer vnto thee this our bounden duty do most humbly beseech thee for thy blessed Sonnes sake Iesus Christ blessed for euer that by the powerfull assistance of thy holy spirit thou wilt sanctifie our harts vnto the performance heereof for we confesse in respect of our manifold sins wee are farre vnworthy to present our selues before thy glorious maiesty much more that thou shouldest regard vs or accept any thing which we do but wee most humbly beseech thee enter not into iudgment with thy seruants for who then shall stand before thee our very righteousnesse is like vnto a filthy cloath the thoughts of our hearts are dayly and hourely corrupt before thee who can tell how often hee offendeth we haue beene alwaies rebellious Children against thee disobeying thy commandements contemning thy iudgements and abusing thy merits and it is thy great mercy that hath stayed thee that thou hast not vtterly consumed vs long since euen in the midst of our sinnes when they were vnregarded of vs or we vnrepented of them but since thou hast beene pleased to infuse now againe into vs thy grace to see our sins let this thy grace worke in vs we beseech thee a true and vnfained repentance of them pardon oh pardon all our sins O Lord we humbly beseech thee for thy blessed Sonnes sake Iesus Christ we most humbly beseech thee to pardon all our offences which eieither either this day or any other day or time from our births to this houre wee haue committed whether in thought word or deed whersoeuer whensoeuer howsoeuer or against whomsoeuer committed let that innocent most precious bloud which thy blessed Sonne hath shed to wash a way the sins of thy seruants wash and purge vs from all our sinnes and seeing that from vs of our selues no good thing can proceed we humbly beseech thee to create in vs new hearts and by the powerfull working of thy holy spirit sanctifie both our hearts and soules vnto thee that we may heerafter striue to performe a more holy and zealous obedience vnto thy heauenly will and holy commandements then euer hitherto we haue done for our blessed Sauiours sake we beseech thee to graunt these and all other good thinges vnto vs which may dayly further vs in the workes of our saluation and heere as wee are by duty bound we render vnto thee humble and most heartie thankes for all those great and manifold blessings which in thy great mercy thou doest dayly thus plenteously power vpon vs most vnworthy wretches and amongst the rest wee forget not that bodily health peace and prosperity which we doe still enioy with the blessings which wee haue this day receiued These and all other thinges whatsoeuer wee doe praise thy most glorious name for and doe most humbly begge of thee to continue thy mercies and blessings still vnto vs in all the good thinges that we haue need of and amongst the rest we beseech thee to receiue vs vnder thy powerfull protection this night that so wee may rest in peace and sleepe in safety for wee know there is no safety but in thee with thee in vaine are our houses any protection vnto vs or our beds any place of rest for our weak bodies if thy blessing bee not with vs. Oh suffer not Sathan to trouble vs in our sleepes nor any danger to annoy vs but wee beseech thee let thy holy Angels watch ouer vs while we take rest that so when wee shall wake againe wee may render due prayse vnto thee vnto whome all prayse belongeth neyther doe wee beg these thinges for our selues here alone but for thy whole Church wheresoeuer dispersed More particularly we pray thee be gracious vnto this land wherin through thy goodnesse we liue and haue oâ—â— beeing and herein as wet are by duty bound wee humbly beseech thee to powre thy blessings on that great piller of thy Church our dread Soueraigne Lord Charles by thy gracious appoyntment King of great Brittaine France and Ireland wee beeseech thee enrich his royall heart with such graces and gifts as shall bee meete for that high place and calling wherein thou hast placed him blesse with him his and our noble Queene Mary his faythfull privie Counsellors the reverend Clergie all true hearted Nobilitie loyall Gentry and louing Comminalty we beseech thee let thy blessings dwell on the heads of these so long as the Sunne and Moone endureth neyther forget wee the poore afflicted meÌ„bers of this thy Church wheresoeuer dispersed or howsoeeuer distressed and euery particular member thereof howsoeuer afflicted whether outwardly in body or inwardly in mind euen as if our selues were in their case so begge wee for them patience comfort and a speedy release of their seuerall calamities that they with vs and wee with them may in the end reioyce together with thee in thy heauenly kingdome which Lord we beseech thee to hasten prepare vs for thee and come Lord Iesus come quickly euen so Amen T. C.