of Abraham Isaac Iacob would vouch safe to blesse them for euer and defende them care for them heare them and deliuer them from all euill Liberi For that you wishe so wel vnto vs most reuerende Sir wee render vnto you hartie thankes and doe humbly pray you that you wil vouchsafe to shewe vs our dueties that is to say howe we ought to honour reuerence and obey our Parentes and in the meane season whilest you are reciting these thinges you shal finde vs verie willing and attentiue Theodidactus Deare children for that I sée you are so affected to the studie of godlinesse and vertue I haue determined throughly to satisfie your most iust and lawfull requests and to shew you those things which I shall thinke méete and conuenient touching your dueties But before I goe to the matter I purpose to handle all thinges in order in their â—it and appointed places and will helpe your wittes as much as I may to the end you might the better and more easily vnderstande mée reasoning and debating the same In the first place therefore I will treate of your dueties that is to say what maner of honour and obedience ye ought to shew to your Parents In the second place I wil bring to your remembrance some things concerning honestie profite and the necessitie of teaching and true wisedome In the third place I will handle the shunning of certeine vices and of the embracing of certeine vertues In the fourth place of Matrimonie and howe a young man shall contract himselfe therein And in the fift and last place I will recite many and that most worthie and excellent sentences collected out of the writinges of the best and purest Authors Theophilus Seeing that the first lawe of nature is to loue our Parentes and as witnesseth the Apostle iust and pleasing before God and hath a promise of long life I doe not a litle meruaile what neede there should be to giue preceptes vnto mortall men concerning these thinges Theodidactus It is nothing to be meruelled at forasmuch as wée are borne of so corrupt nature so that it shal be néedfull to commannd a thing in the iudgement of al men so iust that there is no man liuing able to gainsay it which neuerthelesse all bruit beastes haue ingraffed into them by a certeine natural instinct and working without any lawe giuen vnto them But the Lord our God deeth knowe that the corruption of our nature is so excéeding great that wée shall altogether be iniurious to our Parents except God through his almightie power doe restrame vs and giue vs obedient heartes insomuch that hée hath appointed paines of death to such as shal curse father or mother which hée would neuer haue done but that hée knewe this peruerse and rebellions nature to be in vs. Theophilus Oh good God what doe I heare Is there so great corruption and wickednesse ingendred in the mindes of children that to the due dueties required of nature they must bee compelled with certeine prescribed lawes and ordinaunces Theodidactus Nay rather such is the malice according to this saying the sence and cogitation of mans heart is inclined to wickednesse euen from his infancie wherefore persuade your selfe that you shall neuer do good amongst your children without lawes orders chiding threatning stripes and sometimes againe with faire promises Theophilus Seeing that the nature of children is so vitiate and defiled that vnto the honour and obedience which is due vnto Parentes it must be allured sometime with promises an other time induced by lawes and somewhiles compelled by stripes I doe earnestly wish and desire to heare of you some places of scripture wherein God doeth commaund children to honour and obey their Parentes for so I trust it shal come to passe that after you haue declared the same vnto vs the sonnes daughters of this our neighbour and friend Amusus shal become more obedient than they haue beene hitherto For it cannot be that where the worde of God is truely taught and preached it should not haue his force and effect according to this saying of the Prophet Esay 55. My worde which shal goe out of my mouth shal not returne vnto me voide and emptie but shal do whatsoeuer I wil haue it and it shal prosper in those vnto whom I haue sent the same Theodidactus The effect and efficacie of the diuine worde preached and taught vnto the people is of greater force thaÌ„ y â— mans reasoÌ„ can attain vnto wherefore with goodwill I will here performe my duetie and will declare the same to these children The Lorde God of his frée mercy hath giuen a commaundement vnto children for the honouring of their parents therunto hath ioyned a most swéet promise saying Honora patrem tuum matrem tuam vt bene sit tibi sis longaeuus super terram c. Honour thy father and mother that it may go wel with thee and that thou maist liue long in the land which the Lord God shal giue vnto thee Euerie one ought to feare his father and mother My sonne make much of thy father in his age gréeue him not as long as hée liueth And if his vnderstanding faile haue patience with him and despise him not in thy strength for the good deed that thou she west vnto thy father shall not be forgotten and thy sinnes also shal melt away like as the yse in a faire warme day Hearken to thy father which begot thée and contemne not thy mother when shée waxeth olde The children of wisedome are a congregation of the righteous and their exercise is obedience and loue Here mée your father O my deare children and doo therafter that yée may be safe For the Lord will haue the father honoured of the children and looke what a mother commaundeth her children to doe hée will haue it kept Who so honoureth his father his sinnes shalbe forgiuen him and hée that honoureth his mother is like one that gathereth treasure together Who so honoureth his father shall haue ioy of his owne children and when hée maketh his prayer hée shalbe heard he that honoureth his father shal haue long life Honour thy father in déed in word in all patience that thou maist haue Gods blessing his blessing shal abide with thée at y e last The blessing of y e father buildeth vp the houses of y â— childreÌ„ but the mothers curse rooteth out the foundations Theophilus Of the honour and obedience of children towards their Parents you haue shewed vnto me sentences worthy to bee written in golden letters wherfore I pray you go forward if you haue any other things to coÌ„municate vnto vs. For what can be more pleasant wholsome vnto our eares and to the hearing of these children than the holie word of God Theodidactus Because I perceiue these holy scriptures and places are so well liking vnto your eares I will procéede with the rest in order Solomon also promiseth great honours
from their young and tender yéeres and doeth prouide to haue them diligently instructed in all good godly literature And agayn as there is nothing more vnséemely or to bée lamented in a familie or housholde then to sée the youth suffered to growe vp passe foorth their time without shewing vnto their Parentes or Maisters any honour reuerence or obedience so is there nothing more pleasing vnto God more ioyful to Parents and Maisters then diligently to sée their families exercised in the feare and loue of God and to shew due honour vnto their Parents or maisters with al obedience and reuerence in the Lord. Amusus It is God onlie and that by his prouidence wherwith he gouerneth althinges that guided and brought me vnto you to the ende that I of you beeing wel and Godlie instructed might returne vnto my familie and that so heereafter I may bee able to exhort and instruct my children and seruants that they aswell by mine examples as exhortations and counsels may learne to serue God and walke in his waies all the dayes of their liues Theodidactus When I had diligently read ouer Saint Paule 1. Corin. 12. If one member suffer all suffer with him if one member bee had in honor al the members bée glad also I doe not iudge my selfe bounde to you onely as one member to another as the foote to the hand and eare to the eye but I acknowledge my selfe a seruant vnto all men and that I am borne to the ende I shoulde doe good vnto all with counselling teaching and reléeuing their necessities to the vttermost of my power chiefly mée to whom hee hath committed his talent And I being thus admonished with this lesson of Saint Paule when I was about xxv yéeres olde It chaunced that I tooke in hand this paines not without great care and diligence to gather together examples out of diuers Authours wherby I might admonishe and instruct aswell fathers and maisters as children and seruants of their dueties séeing that I iudged this kinde of doctrine very profitable for both and that the chiefe parte of mans happinesse in this life floweth out of this fountaine And to the end that this my paines might bée more profitable vnto all men I began to collect from all partes of the best Authours diuers Sayings Examples Apothegmes Similitudes Comparisons the most apt sentences which séemed to apperteine or tende any thing at all to the instructing either of parents or children in their seuerall dueties And these are gathered chiefly out of the sacred writings of the Prophets and Apostles Moreouer I haue chosen and selected out of the writinges of godly fathers such things as I haue thought méete for this purpose whereunto lastly I haue ioyned also very many things out of the Philosophers which might séeme any thing profitable to godly housholders So that I haue indeuoured in this my studie that my collection might increase to a reasonable volume without doubt very profitable and necessary for fathers mothers and children wherein as in a most cleare glasse they may plainely sée what is their seuerall dueties Amusus Oh right happie and fortunate day in the which it hath chaunced mee to enioy your presence and speech would God I might haue conuenient time to stay with you and to heare those thinges that you with so great paines and diligence haue collected I say if this might be brought to passe I should then haue good hope that it should bee verie profitable both to my selfe and also to my family and that if afterwardes I might heare from you the interpretation and apt applying of those things which you haue thus gathered together I should iudge my selfe more happie a great deale nay rather persuade my selfe to be altogether deliuered from all those perils and daungers which to me and mine are imminent Theodidactus Haue good hope and confidence deare friend Amuse I say your godly request shall be accomplished Amusus Syr I most hartily thanke you or rather God that hath giuen you so willing a minde But yet Syr I beseech you before we proceede any further that we may sende for Theophilus our neighbour and verie friende who as you know is a man of an excellent wit and verie good memorie a louer of godly admonitions and learned both in the Greeke and latine tongue I verely am vnlearned of dul wit and no memorie so that he wil demaund many thinges of you which I should not once think of Wherfore if it please you we wil come to you tomorrowe in the meane time I wil certefie him hereof whereby he may heare you with better attention and demaund of you more aptly the thinges that are conuenient I in the meane while wil giue my selfe to silence so that with some profite I may heare your godly communication and commit the same to memorie with all that I may Theodidactus I can not but greatly commend this your wholsome counsell vndoubtedly all things shall haue good successe if Theophilus will vouchsafe to handle this kinde of argument with mée for we haue conferred many thinges heretofore concerning the education of children therefore you haue done well to put mée in remembrance of him But for that the night approcheth let vs prepare our selues to rest and call vpon God with heartie and feruent prayers that hée wil graunt tomorrow that I may so speake and you so heare as that his glorie may be set foorth and the good state of many families increased Amusus Syr according to your appointment yesterday I haue not feared to come vnto you with our verie friend Theophilus and haue also brought with mee Martina my welbeloued wife that shee might in like manner heare and perfectly vnderstand your godly admonitions for this is without all controuersie shee must shewe her selfe aswell a Mother as I a Father vnto our family And for this cause by the commandement of God shee is no lesse bounde to doe her duetie than I mine and this can shee not doe except shee be first taught of some bodie Theodidactus You are all most hartily welcome chiefly you O my good Martina and I can you thanke that you haue followed the wise counsell of your husband for it is most certain that your children and family are as well committed vnto your charge as vnto your husbande Martina Reuerend sir I beleeue nothing to be truer than that you haue said and for that cause am I come hither to heare your godly cōference wherby I might the rather learne how to accomplish and performe my duetie Amusus Syr yesterstay I was so rauished with your wordes and had such great ioy pleasure in them that I was once minded to haue brought all my children with mee Theophilus Good neighbour Amuse tomorrow shal bee more conuenient for that purpose when we shal treate of their dueties that is to say the honour and obedience that children owe vnto their Parents for then shal it be good that you bring them all
rest of their friends you shal therein doe God good seruice and pleasure vs al verie much Theodidactus The chiefest duetie of parents is that they carefully prouide to haue their children taught in the word of God from their infancie and to instruct them in their dueties towards God also towards themselues And séeing the darknes of mans mind is so wonderful it is necessary that parentes sée their children taught in the Catechisme that is to say in the true doctrine of the law Gospeh from their tender yeares that the holie Ghost may haue a place and instrument through the ministration of parents wherby he may infuse his gifts into the childrens mindes And thus shal they not only moue them with wordes but also stirre them vp by their good examples This is their vocation this is that duetie that God requireth of thē Therfore they shall indeudur themselues that they liue godly in the sight of God of their children that they be merciful gentle and louing vnto the poore not to care for this only that they leaue their children rich wealthie when they are at the pointe to die but rather that they leaue them to Gods prouidence for y e earth is ful of the goodnes of the Lord. And as Dauid saieth I haue béene young now am old yet saw I neuer the righteous forsaken nor their séede neuer begging bread Theophilus I gather of your speech that God doeth exact of Parences that as by wordes so in like manner by godly examples they ought to instruct their children But what is there more required of good godly Parentes Theodidactus It is the duetie of a vigilant father or maister to be alwaies occupied with his children or schollers to spare no labour wherby he may make them learned hée shall admonish them often hée must chide them but not contumeliously hée shall dissemble sometime but warely Let him pardō them often but yet beware hée giue thē not too much liberty Let him be angry but yet moderatly Let him exhort them very often vnto vertue honestie good maners integritie of life of the excellencie of learning Seneca saith Imitantur facillimè puerimores quos in maioribus conspiciunt Children most easily immitate the conditions and behauiour that they see in their elders Theophilus What is the propertie of a true Father Theodidactus That hée bée iust and also of courage to defend his owne that he be liberal in helping those that are good chaste a hater of filthines true in worde and déede gentle not suspicious painefull and diligent in prouiding thinges necessary that hée loue his children with all his heart and be redy to bestow his life for them if they be godly vertuous and obeidient Hée may not bée busie in other mans matters but carefull for the good gouernment of his owne family Et senum officium est teste Cicerone iuuentutem amicos rempublicam consilio ac prudentia iuuare And it is the duetie of old men saith Cicero to helpe their young men freendes common wealth with their counsell Theopilus But forasmuche as there is mention made so often of a father of house hold or familie some will peraduenture maruell why wee did not define this worde in the beginning Theodidactus You shall heare what Augustine saith touching this definition Quilibet pater familias quia superintendit domui Epicopus dici potest Euery father of a family may be called a Bishop for bicause he hath ouersight and charge of the house For hée that careth not diligently for his family to ouersée instruct and teache them is vnworthie the name of a father much more vnworthie the name of a Bishop Theophilus What is one of the highest callinges and dueties amongest mortall men Theodidactus Among men there is none that hath greater power or authoritie from God than fathers for they are vnto their children princes Iudges Bishops and teachers Wherefore God hath giuen children a great charge and Commandement to honour their Parents Theophilus If parents haue receiued so great an authoritie from God than is it a great dignitie to be exercised among children Theodidactus You say very well For to be amongst children is to bée in the middest of Angels For their angels saith Christe doeth alwayes behold the face of my father which is in heauen If all parents dyd vnderstand this excellencie and dignitie giuen vnto them with what pleasure chéerefulnesse would they teach their children Theophilus With great pleasure no doubt But tel vs I pray you what and howe many offices ought the father to exercise at one time Theodidactus Thrée especially First of a godly Teacher as wée reade by the example of Toby who dayly taught his children the feare of God And againe hee must exhort them to goe to publike prayers sermons and when they returne home examine thē diligently what they haue chiefly noted in the sermon that he may know whether they vnderstand any thing or no Secondly he must take vpon him the office of a good Magistrate or iust Iudge so minister correction in time For if either sonnes daughters or seruants doe offend he must according to Solomons counsell correct them with the rod for if thou doest smite thy sonne with the rod he shall not die thereof thou shalt deliuer his soule from Hell Thirdly he must bee a faithful father gouerner of houshold y t can wisely as a good steward order all things in the house prouide for his family that they may haue wherwith to liue That he sée euery one do their dueties truly aswell children as seruants and that they may be truely recompenced for their paines with such like Theophilus What is more godly more excellent or more profitable then these fūctions duties Theodidactus Fathers of families shal diligently faithfully doe their duties cōmmaunded thē of God and aboue al things take heede that they trust not to their owne wisdome strength pollicie for y ◠rashnesse and arrogancie is not only incurable but also dānable But if thou be a Prince a Bishop Iudge or father of family bee not ashamed to fall downe vpon thy knées say O Lord God Almightie thou y ◠of thy great mercy louing kindnes hast appointed vnto mee the office of a Prince Iudge Bishop Pastor of the Church Magistrate father of family c. I most humbly beséech thée therewithal to gouerne to teach and giue mee counsell wisedome and power that I may bée able truely and faithfully to execute and performe the charge committed vnto me vnto the honor praise of thy most holy name and the profite of my Christian brethren Amen Theophilus Seeing that Parents ought not to put confidence in their owne wisdome strength for the gouernment of their families but rather desire the assistance of God much lesse ought they to instruct them after their owne fantasies Theodidactus This
by his example they coulde more easily tollerate and beare the death of their déerest friendes with greate pacience and constancie These examples doe admonishe vs that wée doe beare paciently and with good mynds the death of our children For séeing that the heathen men haue excelled in so greate constancie of mind I pray you what shal not wee suffer which haue professed our selues to be Christians We I say which are ingraffed vnto Christ vnited vnto him through that most sacred holy baptisme know that our children haue not onelie a Father héere vpon the earth but also in the heauens which hath prepared his Angelles that they should kéepe and take charge of our children in the stéede of Nurses Wherby also by many examples he hath declared and made manifest vnto vs that hée careth for them and preserueth them farre better and in more happy state and condition then parentes can eyther hope or wishe when vnto them it may séeme they vtterly perish and are most infortunate Which by the example of the Patriarche Iacob wee may plainely sée For when hée mourned and lamented for his sonne Ioseph being lost and as hée thought was miserably deuoured of the wilde beastes yet God in the meane time did exalt and promote him vnto great honour and dignitie in Aegypt and made him the instrument and meane to comfort his father and brethren and prolonged their dayes whereas other wise they were al in danger to haue perished with famine which fell ouer al the Landes there adioyning The like happened of Saule séeking his Fathers Asse which by the commaundement of GOD by Samuell was annoynted king of Israell Read the nienth and tenth chapters of the first booke of the kinges otherwise called the first booke of Samuell The like was in Christ which at the last was founde in the middle of the Doctors reasoning and disputing amongest them and posing them Therefore those Parentes more sorrowful then néede and bearing the fortune and death of their Children too vnpaciently if they beholde and consider the promises of God and these examples they shall easily sée and learne that these their vnfaithfull sorowes and cares for their Children are not onely wicked but also vayne and foolishe and so shall they confirme their fayth that afterwarde they shall more easily performe their dueties towardes their Children according to their vocation and moderately sustayne and with patience beare the fortune of their Children though it were accompanyed with death it selfe And they ought to beléeue and haue sure confidence that although they were lost or dead that yet neuerthelesse the Lord our GOD hath chiefe regarde and care of them if they liue in his feare And thus shall they more easily moderate and qualifie their immoderate sorrowes and mourninges Theophilus O immortal GOD who can sufficiently maruel and commende the constancie and pacience of these Ethnickes Againe if wee woulde faithfully beleeue that our Children are so carefully kept and preserued of GOD and that all thinges depende vpon his prouidence wee woulde with greater confidence commit all things vnto him which doe appertayne eyther to the bodies or soules of our children And wee woulde not bee so sorrowfull and discouraged when any aduersitie shall chaunce either to our selues or our children but woulde farre exceed those Ethnickes in constancie of minde When I reade so many and so notable thinges among the Philosophers of fortitude and constancie I am ashamed of the inconstancie of those men which seeme to bee adourned and garnished with so rare and singuler erudition and knowledge of God But nowe my good Theodidacte I woulde at the last know this one thing of you whether is it the duetie of godly Parentes to elect and choose for their sonnes beeyng once growen to mans state and stayednesse of life godlie wiues according to the example of Abraham Theodidactus Godlie Parentes before all thinges shall haue speciall regarde and care that they ioyne not their Sonnes in marriage vnto Lawelesse and vnbeléeuing wiues without anye difference but shall followe the example of the Patriarche Abraham which woulde not haue his sonne Isaac to be coupled in matrimonie vnto a wise from among the Chanaanites giuing his seruaunt charge after this manner Put thine hande vnder my Thigh that I may sweare thée by the Lorde GOD of Heauen and earth that thou doest not choose and take a wife for my sonne of the daughters of the Chanaanites amongst whom I now dwell but thou shalt goe vnto mine owne countrie kinred frō thence doe take a wife for my sonne Isaac Without doubt this so godly an example of Abrahā ought to admonish earnestly moue vs which haue either sōnes or daughters ready to marry to haue great care of them For except Abraham had feared some greate perill and daunger and had knowen some great secrete mischief to be hid and lurking therin certainly he woulde neuer haue giuen so earnest charge to his seruaunt That he should not take a wife of the daughters of the Chanaanites For it was not to be doubted but that some of their daughters were of good towardnes nature inclination also tractable which happily might haue béen drawne vnto Abrahams religion but hée would not haue his sonne to aduenture and make triall of so great a danger and in so weightie a matter Now forasmuch as Abraham did séeke to eschue this perill with what face boldnes or example dare we presume to attempt the same But hereof if God will wée will treate more at large in some other place of our next booke The second Booke of the dueties of Children towardes their Parents FOrasmuch as I haue alreadie spoken and that you haue so willingly heard from mée and my good friend Theophilus many things concerning those dueties which are required of Parentes towardes their Children nowe is it méete and conuenient that wée procéed to the other part of this our worke and purpose For I promised that to the vttermost of my simple skill and slender capacitie I would shew and declare vnto you those things which did apperteine to the dueties of Godly obedient children that is to wit what honour reuerence and obedience euery childe oweth to their Parents But my good Amusus before wée treat of this thing at large I woulde all your children were here present and that you woulde counsell them as I saide in the beginning of our talke that they may be silent and verie attentiue and bring with them pennes incke and paper to the ende they might note the most principall matters and worthie examples and so the better commit them to memorie Amusus Beholde here they are readie Elizabeth Anne Leuinus Charles Frauncis Paule Marie Katherine and Barbara and according to your commaundement I haue admonished them that they might hearken with all reuerence and marke euerie thing diligently Theodidactus What other thing should I wish to these your swéet childrē than that y e God
cleere glasse they may plainly see what doth appertayne to their seuerall dueties And albeit I haue vsed a playne and simple stile in this my traÌ„slation yet well beseeming the matter I trust though perhaps not to eche mans lyking For it is truely saide of Terence Quot homines tot sententiae Or Quot capita tot sensus So many men so many mindes Or So many heades so many wittes So that I thinke it an impossible thing to please euery mans iudgement neither is it my purpose and meaning But I haue offered this vnto thy viewe aswell for the discharge of my conscience as also for the entire loue I beare vnto my natiue countriemen let the curious cauiller say what hee will Praying the gentle Reader to take in good parte the simplenesse of my gift and let it not greeue thee to bestowe thy paines and diligence in the reading ouer this fruitfull Dialogue for thine own profite and commoditie Haue not so great regard vnto the authoritie of the writer as to note diligently what it is that is written I dare warrant thee that the oftener thou readest it with due consideration and aduisement the greater shalbee thy profite and as for my paynes and trauaile taken herein if I may reape thy good will I aske no more W. Loâ—â—th ¶ The duetie of Parents towardes their children The first booke The speakers Amusus Theodidactus Theophilus Martina the mother Amusus GOD saue you with all my hearte most reuerend maister doctor and God which is the true light send you good successe this day and euer Theodidactus And I my good louing father doe wish asmuch vnto you with all my heart But heare I pray you from whence come you so early It is scarcely day as yet hath any thing chaunced contrary to your minde Is your wife and children well and in good health Amusus My wife with my whole familie are in very good health thankes bee vnto God if you weigh and consider only their bodies But if you inwardly beholde their soules which is the most excellent part of man then shall you finde nothing to bee more lamented nothing more miserable nothing to bee short more out of order the Lorde God amend it when his will is Theodidactus Alas why so Let mée know it I pray you kéepe it not secrete bée not afraide beléeue mée I say I will helpe you either with my counsel or otherwise with any thing that I may to the vttermost of my power Amusus When I doe beholde the families in these our borders and partes euery where I am exceedingly mooued with sorrowe for I see the youth growe vp in euery place without any instruction of godlinesse vertue or good manners as if they were the children of the most barbarous nations nay rather of the very Turkes and Infidels so little regarde is there of true godlinesse and vertue for the most part And againe when I am coÌ„pelled to come to mine owne familie and to consider the same so farre out of order I had welnigh said vtterly corrupted and past al hope I am altogether wearie of my life For by the disposition of mine owne children I easily gather that the youth in this our age is not onely void of al good discipline but also growne to such libertie and boldnesse that almost they wil receiue no admonition be it neuer so godlie This plague when I note in mine owne I am moued vnto anger I chide I threaten yea and sometime I strike them but with al these thinges it auaileth little or nothing Wherfore very earnestly and not without teares I haue often desired of Almighty God that in this my greate heauinesse and sorrowe hee woulde vouchsafe to send me some wholsome and godlie Counsel so that after many praiers supplicatioÌ„s made I haue fouÌ„d nothing to be more profitable for me then to coÌ„mit the same to some godly and learned man which after I had deepely weighed considered in my mind you are the first with whom I met therfore al shame laide aparte I come vnto you as it were mine only aide and sanctuarie this hath bin often in my mind heretofore but I haue byn afraide to trouble you yet now at the last necessitie that cruel weapon hath euen compelled mee to shake of al shame and feare Theodidactus I am angry with this your continual vnprofitable shamefastnesse haue not I euer borne you goodwill euen as to my brother And therefore why shoulde you not bée bolde to come vnto mée after a familier manner I haue often promised vnto you my studie and trauell without any exception am still mynded to performe the same what is the cause therfore that you haue not come to my house so that if you had come think not that you should haue troubled me but rather that nothing could haue chaunced more acceptable and ioyfull vnto me then your presence Amusus Reuerend Sir I most humbly thanke you for this your greate curtesie and goodwil towards me and I heartily pray you that according to your accustomed wisedome and godlinesse you would teach me and as it were with your finger point me out the methode order of godly vertuous education instructing of children for albeit I am vnlearned a poore house keeper yet God is my witnesse how earnestly I doe desire wish with al my heart to see my poore and wretched children godly and vertuously trained vp and instructed in the true knowledge faith religion feare of almighty God And further that they might be taught in al ciuilitie and good manners and so learne to walke in the waies of our Lorde God that at the last after this wretched miserable and short life they may be made heires of that most excellent and euerlasting ioy with the electe and Saintes of God in heauen for what other thing is this life then dust a shadow and the very image of death The prophet Dauid saith thou hast made my daies as it were a spanne long and mine age is euen as nothing in respect of thee And verily euery man liuing is altogether vanitie For man walketh in a vaine shadow and disquieteh himselfe in vaine Hee heapeth vp riches and cannot tell who shall gather them Theodidactus Verely neither by chaunce nor fortune haue you come hither but by the determinate wil and appointment of God Forasmuch as I haue earnestly desired to haue some coÌ„ference about this matter with a man thus hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse the woorde of God and chiefly in this kinde of studie or exercise wherein is handled the dutie of housholders Parentes and Children then the which in this our time I iudge nothing more acceptable to God nothing more profitable or necessarie to mankinde For as there is nothing more to bée lamented then that father of housholde which neglecteth his familie in their good reformation so is there none more honest or godly then hée which beginneth to informe his youth euen
studie of the bringing vp of our children that we may perfectly know what maner séede we ought to sowe in the mindes of children Theophilus I pray you what maner seede shall it bee Theodidactus There is no séed more excellent nor that of it self bringeth forth more plentifull or more profitable fruites than to cast into them into the inward and déepe sence iudgement of their mindes both the name knowledge of the almightie God that they may begin to loue and reuerence him from whō they daily heare all thinges are giuen bestowed vpon them Wherfore as often as children do desire y ◠the things might be giuen thē which they ask as tablets iewels costly garments or any such thing so often should parents signifie vnto thē that it is the reward gift of God that in the very beginning they may learne to loue him whō it is meet also to fear not with a seruile feare for that is nothing acceptable vnto God neither doth it profit any thing at all vnto innocency true vertue But with y ◠feare which with loue is so conioyned that it cānot be diuided or pulde away of which it is written in the holy scriptures by the holy Ghost The feare of the Lord is the beginning of al wisdom And truely into whose minde soeuer this feare and loue hath setled when we say that the one with the other is mixed coupled of such a one it is neuer to be feared whatsoeuer hée be y ◠he should vtterly giue ouer him selfe into the wicked wayes trades of life which thing chiefly must be attempted laboured in a childe that this good roote fructifiyng to blessed life may verie timely firmely be planted fastened in his minde whilest there is auoid place not yet possessed with any straunge séedes graffes or plantes by reason of the newnesse of nature Theophilus Why and for what causes ought children to bee instructed after this maner Theodidactus Erasmus Roter A man of verie good iudgement setteth downe foure speciall causes First saieth hée it is verie néedfull requisite that these young tender mindes receiue the séedes of godlines Secondly that they both loue and learne liberall sciences Thirdly that they be instructed to the dueties of honest vertuous life And fourthly in good maners without the which man is litle regarded Theophilus For that it is certayne our children are rude ignoraunt and naturally without any ciuilitie I iudge that they are to bee taught aswel those thinges that apperteine to their bodies as to their mindes Wherfore to the end they may be of good gentle behauiour in the meetings assemblies and common societie of men I pray you howe shal they bee taught and instructed Theodidactus The father which desireth y ◠his sōne should not only be adorned in the vertues of the mind but also would haue him wel instructed in an honest and ciuill maner of life ought to observe diligently that hée be carefully instructed and exercised in certeine precepts of good manners Theophilus What maner preceptes be those I pray you tell vs. Theodidactus Hée shall teach his childe after this maner My sonne as often as any man speaketh vnto thée to whom thou owest any reuerēce settle thy bodie in a comely order put off thy hatte or cappe let not thy countenance be sadde heauie sower lowring shamelesse vnstable nor terrible but tempered with a chearfull modestie thine eyes demure alwayes beholding him to whom thou speakest thy féete ioyned together not wagging or standing of one legge lyke a Goose not trifling with thy handes nor biting in thy lippes scratching thy head or picking thine eares In like maner let thy countenaunce apparel and iesture be so setled and framed in good order that the whole habit of thy bodie may shewe foorth an honest modestie and a towardnesse inclined vnto vertue Answere not foolishly nor rashly neither let thy minde be wandring in the meane season but marke what hée saieth with whom thou hast to talke Theophilus You shal finde many fathers now a dayes which knowe and confesse that their children should be taught and instructed But how they should doe it they are altogether ignorant Wherefore I pray you prescribe vnto vs an order if it please you Theodidactus Wée must deale with children that they be taught by litle and litle like as when wée would fill a narrow mouthed vessell For if wée powre in a great deale of licour at once it runneth ouer on euerie side but if wée will powre it in faire and softly as it were through a fonnell it will be filled vnto the brimme Plantae quum modicis alantur aquis crescunt multis ver◠suffocantur eodem mod◠animus quum mediocri vegetatur labore sub nimio demersus opprimitur Plantes when they are moderately watered grow and increase the better but with ouermuch they are choked So the minde is refreshed cōforted with moderate labour but being drowned with ouermuch is vtterly ouerthrowne Therefore from continuall paynes a certeine pawsing must be giuen vnto children for we must remember that all our whole life is diuided into recreation and studie or labour So that wée haue not only the day to wake but also the night for sléepe not alwayes warre but sometime peace not winter but sommer not only working dayes but holy dayes also and to speak at a worde Otium laboris est condimentum Rest is the sawce of labour and trauel And this doeth not appeare only in liuing creatures but also in thinges that haue no life as a Bowe Harpe Lute or other instrument Theophilus These thinges are no lesse wisely than eligantly spoken But yet if you haue any other Methode of teaching I pray you shewe it vnto vs. Theodidactus Children in good Artes and vnto good and godly studies are to be drawne some with praise and through hope of preferment others with small giftes and inticements others are to be compelled with threatnings and stripes Pueri bonis artibus ad bona rectaque studia sunt inducendi alij laude per spem honoris alij munusculis blandicijsque alliciendi minis alij flagrisque cogendi erunt But yet all these thinges must be so duely considered and by reason guided and moderated that in ordering of wittes Parents and Teachers doe vse great Art and skil and beware that they be neither too gentle nor too seuere For as too much libertie and cockering marreth a towarde wit so too sharpe and ouermuch chastisement dulleth the same and quickly extinguisheth the litle sparkes of nature in children which while they feare all thinges dare attempt nothing And so commeth it to passe that they alwayes erre whilest that they feare they shall faile in euerie thing Theophilus I vnderstand you haue gathered together many places arguments by the which Parēts may learn their duties towards their children the which if you wil cōmunicat to Amu. his wife the
paine and charge lieth vpon Parentes and for this cause chiefly are they appointed of God that they teache bring vp their childreÌ„ not according to their own faÌ„tasies as séemeth best to theÌ„ selues but after the coÌ„maÌ„dement of God WhereupoÌ„ Paul saith Educate filtos in eruditione correptione domini Bring vp your children in instruction information of the Lord. Parents therefore ought to bring vp their children according to the will and word of God and alwaies beare in minde that they do not bring vp instruct their owne but Gods children who hath created them for himselfe And how surely they kéepe greatly estéeme the things they haue learned of their elders all men may iudge for the most part And this is a coÌ„mon saying at this day I wil beléeue as my forefathers haue beléeued I will do as mine elders haue taught me Doe not the Iewes Turkes Infidels Papists vnder this pretence defend y e errours which they haue receiued from their forefather the diuel who hath so bleared their eyes that they cannot sée the trueth of the Gospel shine it neuer so cléere Therfore let euery father of children and maister of familie take héede what they teache their children housholds and families Theophilus Then mee thinke by your saying it is very meete that parents instruct their children not only with godly admonitions wise councels but also with the examples of their owne vnrebukable life Theodidactus The father how learned soeuer he be as it is saide in the Prouerbe Leonis catulum educauerit shall bring vp a Lions whelpe except by his owne good maners and godly conuersation he point out the way wherein he would haue his sonne walke Corrumpet enim pupillam tutor si praeter literas nil christiano homine dignum in se osteÌ„dâ—rit For the Tutor shall vtterly spoyle his pupil if besides learning hee shall shewe him nothing in him selfe worthie for a Christian man For as there is a contagion of the bodies so is there an infection of the minde and soule which is more to bee regarded because it is more precious and of greater valiewe then the body And our Sauiour Christe saith Who so shall offend one of these little ones which beléeue in mée it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his necke and that hée were drowned in the depth of the Sea Héere may wée sée what great account the Lord God maketh of childreÌ„ how dearely he loueth them Who would not therefore make great account of this to minister vnto them to whom the Angels doe seruice which are euer in the presence of God There ought nothing to séeme troublesom and gréeuous vnto Parents Scholemaisters Pastors al other that haue charge of children and youthes if so it be that such heauenly Princes are not ashamed to take charge of them and to be present with them And therefore Parents ought to take great héede that they be not offensiue to their children either in worde or déede Theophilus Ought not a godly father to the ende hee might perfourme his dutie throughly to bee very careful that he nourish not vp degenerat children Theodidactus It is better to bée without and neuer to haue any than to haue wicked and vngodly children I reade of Epaminundas an excellent wise man and of great authoritie in his time which did neuer mary and when at a certaine time one Pelopides a friend of his did reproue him therfore because hée could leaue behind him no sonnes in whom hée might sow the séedes of his vertues therefore hée prouided very euill for his countrie Epaminundas smiling thereat answered Take héede you prouide not worse for the same which shal leaue behind you so wicked a son by w t words this wiseman sheweth y â— pareÌ„ts should feare nothing more then y â— they shoulde haue leaue behind theÌ„ degenerate childreÌ„ either in body or mind Erasmus saith A mans minde in a beastly body is a monster to bée abhorred as wée read of Circes that with her poisons coulde transforme men into Lions Beares and swine Who could abide saith Augustine to bée called the father of such a monster But a beastly mind in a mans body is more monstrous And yet there are many in their own iudgements and in the iudgement of coÌ„mon people very wise which content themselues with such issue and thinke them no degenerat children and that very truely for they digresse not at all from the wicked maners and beastlie behauiour of their parents Ex malo enim Ouo nunquam nascitur bonus Coruus For out of an euil and corrupt egge neuer commeth a good birde Therefore it is the duetie of godly Parentes to bring vp their children not to riotousnesse but to modestie not to spoile them with cockering but to chasten them with due correction if they offende to prayse them if they behaue themselues well obediently to mooue them to vertue with good exhortations and faire promises to feare them from vice with rebukings threatnings stripes if neede require But aboue all things let thy family whether they be children or seruants be taught to feare God to loue their neighbours to hate no body to wish wel vnto all meÌ„ to do good to whoÌ„ they may not to remember iniuries but to do good for euill Whosoeuer therfore hath taken vpon him the office of gouerning others let him take héed least he disdain or neglect the same with being giueÌ„ to idlenes drowsines or that he leaue not y e flock wherof he taketh charge to be spoyled with wolues the blood of the lost shéep be required at his handes but if any prouide not for his owne speciall for theÌ„ of his houshold he hath denied the faith and is worse than an Infidel Theophilus I think it is also the duetie of Parents to exhort their children vnto liberalitie and giuing of almes Theodidactus You say very true For the soule saith Solomon which doeth good shalbe filled Christ gaue bread to his Disciples to be distributed vnto the people who gathered together xij baskets full of the fragments by which example our children are to bee admonished that the blessing of the Lord doth alwaies accompanie almes nesther are they the poorer y â— giue vnto y â— poore with singlenes of hart For we sée manifestly by the words of Solomon Some man giueth out his goods and is the richer But the nigarde hauing enough will depart from nothing and yet is euer in pouertie Theophilus Is it not also the duetie of Parents to prouide learned and godly Scholemaisters for their children Theodidactus If euery family had their Catones there should be no such néede neque Paedagogis neque Praeceptoribus but because now adaies the most fathers of families are vnlearned haue neither that carâ—nor loue towardes their children that Cato had therfore they must prouide the best learned and most
godly teachers for their children from their tender yéeres from whoÌ„ they may draw first the knowledge of God then the vnderstanding of Artes with the increase of good maners For saith Plato The beastes which shall turne vs to most profite may not be without their heardes men seruaÌ„ts without their maisters nor children without their Tutors and Teachers for otherwise they wil become the most deceitful fierce and cruell of all other beastes and therefore had néede to be holden back as it were with many raines And Chrysostome teacheth IuuentuteÌ„ esse feram quaeplurimis indiget magistris institutoribus paedagogis quare qui filium vult relinquere diuitem bonum benignum illum doceat aut docericuret That a young man is a wilde beast that needeth many maisters instructers and teachers wherefore hee that woulde leaue his sonne good rich and gentle ought to teache him or cause him to bee taught from his youth Therefore godly parents shall rather suffer their children to be taught instructed of wise men abroade then to be holden at home about triâ—lling matters which shal turne to no profite Theophilus May not a diligent Scholemaister teach his schollers two artes or faculties together Theodidactus I iudge it very profitable to teach a childe two arts together for it is not to be feared y â— a childes wit shalbe ouercharged any whit y â— more with two teachers of diuers artes for the paines of y â— childe doth nothing increase yet his diligence is to be diuided so by that meanes his irksomnesse is taken away for when he is weary of y â— one hee flieth to y â— other as it were to the part rest of his labors Theophilus What maner teacher shall a father choose for his sonne Theodidactus A Father shall prouide with all diligence for his sonne a godly instructer not infected with any notorious crimes Plinie sayth Trade filium tuum praeceptori a quo mores primum mox eloquentiam discat quae malè sine moribus discitur Commit thy sonne to a maister of whom he may first learne good maners and after eloquence which without maners is euill learned And that this is necessary and conuenient it may bée prooued by notable examples First by the example of Philip king of Macedonia which immediately after his sonne Alexander was borne sendeth to Aristotle the philosopher writing after this maner Philippus Aristoteli salutem dicit Eilium mihi genitum scito quamobrem diis habeo gratiam non perinde quia notus est quam pro eò quod nasci contigit temporibus vitae tuae spero enim fore vt educatus eruditusque abs te dignus existat nobis reruÌ„istarum successione Phillip to Aristole sendeth greting Vnderstand that a sonne is borne vnto mee wherefore I hartely thanke the Goddes not so much for that he is borne as that it hath chaunced him to bee borne while thou are liuing for I trust it shall come to passe that hee being well brought vp and instructed by thy meanes may proue worthie both for vs and in our life time and the succession of these our goods and kingdomes when wee are dead Séeing then this mightie Prince being an Heathen did make so great account of the bringing vp and instructing of his sonne ought not wée which desire to bée called Christians to bée much more diligent in the godly trayning vp of our children Plato saith That the kings of the Persians did alwaies allow foure teachers sought out with great care and diligence to instruct those children in whom they had any hope to succéed them in their kingdome The first the truest that might bée found which did euer teach them that trueth in a king was alwayes most chiefly to bée regarded and mainteined The second the iustest who euer taught them that iustice and politike gouernment was to bée preserued The thirde the temperatest who alwayes set before them examples of temperancie The fourth the valiantest who euer shewed them many things concerning fortitude heroicall vertues and the worthie Actes of Kinges Princes and Noble men and hée exhorted them diligently to followe the good examples and to eschewe hate and vtterly detest the tyrannous examples of moste shamefull enterprises of the wicked Thus euery one aduisedly and with great diligence taught that that to his charge and duetie did appertaine And as long as the Persians vsed this order of instructing and trayning vp of their young Princes so long theyr kinges were most famous and renowmed in those vertues prudence Iustice Temperance and Fortitude At the least with these examples Parentes ought too bee admonished and stirred vp vnto the instructing of their sonnes if their heartes bée not hardened aâ— the Adamant For those parents which commit their children to be vertuously trained vp are a great deale more worthie praise then those that beget them for they are only thauthours of life the other of good and blissefull life Theophilus Seeing that mans chiefe felicitie in this life consisteth as appeareth in the good educatioÌ„ of youth I beseech you let vs heare those things which I haue seene you gather together heeretofore concerning the vtilitie praise and effect of good education Theodidactus Although a certaine towardnes of wit and goodnesse of nature are chiefly to bée required to the perfect ordering of life yet neuerthelesse good and honest education the discipline of parentes hath such force and efficacie that oftentimes it bringeth therewithall that same very felicitie and happinesse of mans life and correcteth and changeth sometimes a wit and nature that is not so toward Therfore children as it were new vessels are to be seasoned with good and godly documents And Solomon saith Teach a childe in his youth what way he should goe he will not forget it when hée is old And Plato teacheth that there is great vertue and efficacie in the education of children Educatio eruditioque bona seruata ingenia quoque bona efficit Bringing vp good teaching wel obserued maketh a good toward wit Again he saith Qui rectam nacti sunt disciplinaÌ„ omnes firme probi euaduÌ„t qui coÌ„tra improbi Al those for the most part which haue had good bringing vp proue honest vertuous the other oftentimes proue lewd and wicked Erasmus in a certaine place reasoneth very elegantly in few words of the effect of discipline saying Efficax est natura sed hanc vincit efficatior institutio nam diligens sancta educatio fons omnis est virtutis Nature is of great effect but instruction being more effectual doth farre exceede the same For diligent and godly education is the fountaine of al vertue Also Isocrates the Philosopher greatly coÌ„mendeth the effect of good bringing vp in these wordes Omnes benignos reddet eruditio bacillus est vitae egregia eruditio hominis opes pulcherrimae sunt literae Good bringing vp it maketh men both gentle
vnto your curtisie wee would bee right glad and verie willing to heare and learne of you what a Sea of euils dammages calamities and perils this negligent and corrupt instruction of Parentes doeth bring with it Theodidactus Concerning this negligent instruction of children there are so many waightie and graue sayings and such horrible and fearefull examples euerie where as well in the holy scriptures as also in other godly Authours and Heathen writers that if I should goe about to shewe and declare vnto you euery thing that I haue reade and noted touching the same a whole day would not suffice But because the thing is so reasonable which you doe demaund of mée I will satisfie your request what I may conueniently Theophilus If oportunitie and leysure doe not serue to shewe vs euerie thing as you wish yet at the least you wil vouchsafe wee pray you to recite suche thinges as may seeme more sharply to admonishe and as it were compell negligent Parentes that at the last this filthie drowsinesse and pernitious negligence being shaken off they may more diligently and carefully discharge their dueties Theodidactus Men might easily be drawne to the duties of their vocation and calling if they were throughly persuaded and woulde beléeue that their children are the gift of God and that they are the pledges of God him selfe neither néeded they any compulsion in this matter But rather verie willingly and of their owne accords would they credit and beléeue that these pledges of God ought with great care and diligence to be preserued instructed and corrected For it they shall be neglected spoiled or lost by their meanes and sufferaunce then shall they be required at the handes of the Treasuror and kéeper Nowe for example sake a King or Emperour hath his Treasurer or some one of his Priuie Chamber to whom hée committeth many thinges of great charge and value to be kept preserued and diligently looked vnto Suppose and thinke it to be a precious Crowne most worthie for a Prince the Imperiall Scepter Letters Pattentes precious Stones Pearles Iewels and other riche and costly Robes which are moste commonly woont to be in kings and Emperours palaces I say He that shal carefully kéepe and diligently preserue these thinges according to the trust in him reposed shall not only of the King or Emperour be esteemed and greatly beloued but also at the last promoted vnto great dignitie and woorthely rewarded But if this Chamberlayne or Treasurer shall neglect his duetie and office or spoile and lose those most precious Iewels and ornaments of the King or Emperour Then shall hée not only lose his office but also be depriued and dispoiled of all his possessions goods and Cattels and besides that suffer most extreame punishment Euen so our Lorde God which is King of Kinges and Lorde of Lordes after that hée hath created our children with his owne precious blood hath redéemed them and committed them to our trust and kéeping to be carefully gouerned and diligently instructed So that if the Chamberlayne or a Treasurer of a King or Emperour for the losse of the Crown or Iewell which is only bought with Gold or siluer be so sharply and seuerely punished What shall become of those Parentes which â—o negligently regard the giftes and pledges of God which cost neither siluer nor Golde but were purchased and bought with the inestimable and that most precious blood of his dearly beloued Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ and with too much libertie suffer them to be spoyled Surely such Parentes ought to feare exspect and looke for none other punishments than euerlasting tormentes Wherefore or what was the cause that Heli the high Priest in Israell suffered punishment But only for that his children had so excéedingly offended the Maiestie of God In this example Parentes ought to looke and learne the feare of God and shake of this sluggishnesse slouth and negligence in trayning vp their children For it is the promise of God that the Angels of children doe alwayes beholde the face of God our Father which is in heauen Theophilus If children be so precious and highly esteemed of God that hee thinketh them woorthie to bee preserued of Angelles and that they bee the pledges of God why shoulde wee not care for them and instruct them diligently Theodidactus Forasmuch as the whole state prosperitie of mans life doeth altogether depend stay vpon the godly educatioÌ„ of children why should the right ordring and gouerning of children be so neglected which if it be negligently and carelesly looked vnto doeth not only bring great miserie plagues and destruction vnto the Parents them selues but also to the common societie and neighborhood of all men Wherefore this one thing ought greatly to stirre and moue vs that is to say the dignitie of children with the which God vouchethsafe to adorne and garnish them Theophilus But yet this one thing resteth from whence I pray you do you think this negligence of Parentes and this corruption of children doeth chiefly spring and growe and that they consume and spende their force and strength in the perpetrating and committing all kynde of wickednesse Theodidactus Too much cockering and pampering of foolish Parentes I indge to be the originall cause of this so great a mischiefe For that too much cockering and sufferaunce maketh their mindes as a certaine wise man saieth so wanton nice and tender that within a while they become apt to no goodnesse and sildome prooue honest men or fit members for their countrie and common wealth Theophilus You haue saide as true as may bee But yet al this while cannot I vnderstande nor perceiue that Parentes which both by the lawes of God and man doe owe such loue godly instruction chastisement and all other dueties of godlinesse and beneuolence to their children howe they can giue them selues to such follie or rather madnesse that they vtterly spoile and destroy their children with that too much cockering wantonnesse Theodidactus Séeing you cannot perceiue howe Parentes spoile their children I will open and make the matter more manifest vnto you When they are admonished of their duetie they will answere and say that their childe can perceiue as yet verie litle or nothing by reason of his age and they say truely No more can the Spaniell or blood Hounde the Horse or Mule vnderstande what they ought to doe neuerthelesse they learne to goe to come to followe to carrie to recarrie to doe and to leaue vndone to watch to finde out and such lyke thinges which they vnderstand not Also neither doeth the wood or stone vnderstande that it is a foolish and absurde thing towardes the building and framing of an house but after it is hewen fashioned and framed of the Artificer and worke maister by and by hée vnderstandeth where vntoo eche thing shall serue in his due place and time Nowe forasmuch as these thinges which lacke reason can be taught and framed to so many good
and worse except Godly instruction bee ioyned with moderate correction Theodidactus Without all doubt a horrible punishment remaineth to suche Parents which so negligently contemne and despise their owne naturall children besides that it is a very great negligence or rather a horrible mischiefe either to cast the bridle into the neckes of young men or to corrupt and spoyle them with wicked instruction or their owne lewde and naughtie examples Neuerthelesse how common these thinges are in mans life it is too manifest when Parents or Teachers are either Epicures or otherwise lewde and licentious liuers and doe not exercise their children and seruants vnto the knowledge and feare of God but oftentimes doe nourish and confirme them in wicked erronious and detestable opinions these mischiefes are to bée punished no doubt as God hymselfe saith Contemnentes me reddam contemptos I will make my contemners contemned and despised Theophilus O twise yea thrise happie are those parents which doe not vainely negligently heere these and such like threatnings but proceede and go forward I pray to recite other places wherin God doth threateÌ„ lither slouthful and negligent parents Theodidactus Fathers and maisters which withholde their children and families from hearing and learning the worde of God by commanding and appointing them in the meane time some other busines or els by reason of their ignorance or impietie haue no care or regarde to bée taught and trayned vp in true godlinesse are not only wicked and iniurious to themselues but also to their whole families so that suche shall receiue double the greater condenination It is set downe in the Decalogue or tenne Commaundementes That children woulde honour their Parents but with what face dare that Father exact of his child the honour commaunded of God in the second Table when as hée himselfe doth not perfourme his owne duetie which in the first Table of the Commaundements is required of him touching the due honour of God and the sanctifying of the Sabboth day Children are not borne of their parents at auenture but they bée the gift and blessing of God The Scripture saith God blessed them said Crescite multiplicamini Encrease and multiplie And the Psalmograph saith Filii tui sicut nouellae Oliuarum in circuitu mensae tuae Ecoe sic benedicetur homo qui timet dominuÌ„ Thy children shalbe like the Oliue branches round about thy Table Beholde thus shall the man bee blessed that feareth the Lord. Children are giuen vnto Parents by the diuine and Almightie power of God and are committed vnto them as an heaueÌ„ly treasure not to the end that they shoulde bée prophaned and brought vp only to the vse of this terreine and earthly Citie but that they should bée sanctified hallowed vnto the vse of the heauenly Ierusalem wée haue lost in our first Parent the right of our heauenly life inheritance and wée are borne the children of Gods wrath death and hell Therefore what is more cruell what is more horrible or moÌ„strous then such a father which after he hath children doth not apply all his whole studie and indeuour to this ende chiefly that hée may recouer againe the right of that Heauenly inheritaunce before loste as is said For except this bée brought to passe what other thing doe children gaine by their Parents but hell and euerlasting death But these are the maners and conditions of many Parentes in these our dayes in the gouerning and ordering of theyr families that they haue a farre greater care about their Horses and Swyne as wee haue often sayde then about their Children and family For twise in one day at the least they giue Meate and Water vnto their hogges and Horses to eate and drinke to refreshe and comfort them and to kéepe them in good liking and plight of their bodies but in a whole wéeke they will scarscely spare so muche time as once or twice to haue their mindes refreshed and their soules fed with the wholesome foode of the worde vnto euerlasting saluation Theophilus I haue knowne many which very diligently haue taken great paynes and care how to teache their Parrats Popinieyes and Pyes to pratle and talke vnto them very timely while they are yet but young knowing this that the elder they are before they take it in hande the harder and more difficill can they bee taught according to the olde prouerbe Psittacum vâ—tulum negligere ferulam What maner watching and paines is there about a prading Parret or chattering Pye and what Lithernesse and negligence about the teaching of Children Men take great paines as wee see euery where and will refuse no labour or trauell that they might haue a faire dogge to hunt and pursue the chase a lustie and couragious horse to take a iourney runne his course and too fetch the carrier But about their children they seeme to haue very little or no care at al that they might become the seruants of God ornaments of his Church good members for the common wealth What answere shal these Parents make to GOD the moste iust Iudge when hee shall demaunde an account of them for their duetie so shamefully neglected Theodidactus Doe you desire to knowe of mee what maner an account the Lorde God will take and exact of such Surely none other than as hée required of Heli the high Priest of Israell which was most diuine and holy and shall bée to the ende of the worlde at which iudgement and account whosoeuer doeth not tremble and feare I iudge them to be more harde than the Adamant and such as vnto whom this vehement and horrible exclamation of Saint Augustine may bée very aptly and well applied saying O dolosa libertas O grandis filiorum perditio O paternus amor mortifer Ecce filios sedicunt diligere quos veraciter ingulari procurant dicunt eos amare quibus tam suspendia parant melius sanè fuisset eos nunquam fuisse natos quam sic miseros liberos suos extremis malis perdere tandem in aeterna Barathra conucere O lamentable libertie O greate perdition O fatherly affection the deadly destroyer of children beholde they say they fauour their Children whose destruction they rather procure they saye they loue them for whome ere it bee long they prepare the gallous and hanging Surely it had been much better they had neuer beene borne then so to cast away their miserable children into extreme punishment and at the last to throw them into the bottomelesse pit of hel for euer Theophilus O immortall God before this day I coulde neuer vnderstande the wickednesse of these parents which both by their negligence and vngodly examples spoile and vtterly cast away their children and bee not onely iniurious to themselues and theirs but also they striue and indeuour as much as in them is to extinguish the Church of God trouble disquiet and destroy the whole common wealth and so at the last vtterly extirpe and roote out all good loue
neuer better serued than on the Sabboth dayes where such abuses are suffred Theophilus I can not tell what I shoulde say of suche wicked and vngodly Parentes but of this I am assured that they make them selues vnworthie of that honour which the fift commaundement doeth exact of children and with their pemitious and detestable examples they leade their children together with them selues the readiest way into the bottomlesse pi◠of hell Theodidactus That worthie Orator Quintiliane was wont to crye out against suche wicked corruptors after this maner Vtinam inquit liberorum mores nostrorum non ipsi perderemus infantiam statim delitijs soluit mollis educatio quam indulgentiam vocamus omnes neruos mentis corporis frangit Quid non adultus concupiscet qui in purpuris repit iam coccum intelligit iam corchilium posoit Woulde to God saieth hee that wee our selues did not corrupt the manners of our children Nice and delicate bringing vp which wee doe cal cockering doth forthwith spoile infantes which delightful and pleasant fansies it vanquisheth and ouercommeth al the forces and powers both of soule bodie What shal not hee seeke for couet and desire when hee is a man that is crept into his purple whilest hee is yet but a chylde Hee can alreadie skil of skarlet and other fine cloth and wisheth nowe to haue cloth in graine Theophilus Seeing that these negligent corrupters of youth are the causes of so great and manifolde mischiefes and that negligent instructing of youth bringeth with it such an innumerable sort of perils and daungers were it not good to set downe some act order and decree to compel such parents by force of lawe vnto those thinges which appertaine to their dueties and voeations Theodidactus Parentes are not to be compelled specially those which haue béene once baptized and taken vpon them the name of Christians those I say ought not to be compelled and forced by the rigour of any lawe but rather a fatherly affection loue and desire shoulde moue them vnto so godly and diuine a worke For who so is once throughly persuaded that hée is to be preserued saued nourished and defended through the benefite and diuine power of Almightie God How can it bée but that willingly hée direct fashion frame him selfe to instruct teach and informe his children and posteritie that they doe the like Hée that once reposeth his whole trust and confidence in God and loueth him with all his heart munde and soule Howe is it possible but that hée will shewe set foorth and declare in like maner his excéeding great benefites receiued from time to time chiefly to his children and domesticall seruants But who so neither beléeueth nor loueth God nor his worde what shall hée be able to teach vnto his family albeit hée be compelled a hundreth times by any lawe prescribed There séemeth therefore to be no reason why such a lawe shoulde be ordeined and set foorth by any Magistrate Theophilus I doe not altogether mislike or despise your opinion notwithstanding in the meane time I thinke and iudge that it is not vnprofitable if suche negligent Parentes should be admonished and the rather for because the good vertuous education of children is a thing so worthie so necessarie that if a man wil account it the verie fountaine and whole summe of mans felicitie I iudge hee should not be greatly deceiued And if I be not deceiued I thinke I haue either heard or read that there was a lawe set foorth against those corruptors of youth and that of Solon the lawe maker among the Athenians Theodidactus It is euen so in déed you haue read and remembred very well Solon that most wise lawe maker set foorth a sore sharpe and greeuous lawe to kéepe Parents in their dueties and they tooke great care of their childrē to be kept according to the prescript rule of the same So that if they had let passe or forgot any thing being mooued either with couetousnes or any other wickednes had violated and broken the good purpose and meaning of the lawe touching the education and instructing of their children There were paynes prescribed and set downe and gréeuous feare of iudgement to the which it was lawfull for any man that was willing to bring thē that woulde complaine of such a father Moreouer their lawful authoritie was taken from them which nature by the lawe of humanitie had giuen them and that the childe did owe to his father For neither was hée compelled to regard nor reuerence such a one nor to sustaine cherishe comfort or relieue him with his goods or mony no though hée were poore sicke féeble or indigent To conclude who so did not throughly perfourme the office and duetie of a good father towards his childe the lawe would not that any duetie should remaine abide in his force authoritie from the childe either of naturall loue and affection or of a thankfull and willing minde towardes such a father Theophilus It was an extreame lawe and they were greeuous paines no doubt which would haue all humanitie authoritie and loue which is due vnto Parentes to be as it were extinguished vtterly rooted out of the hearts of children These thinges doe not consent and agree to your minde and opinion Theodidactus They doe dissent disagrée from mine opinion I must néedes confesse but yet I affirme that those Parents are not to be cōstrained which haue professed them selues Christians and which haue béene truely taught and instructed in the true faith and knowledge of God and are not altogether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say estraunged from a naturall and fatherly affection such as I haue saide are not to be compelled For there is great difference betwéene a true Christian Parent and an Ethnicke Solon though hée were an excellent wise man yet did he want the true fayth and knowledge of Christ Also the Athenians for whom hée made that lawe were in lyke manner Heathen men altogether voyde of the true knowledge loue feare inuocation and fayth of the true liuing God for the Ethnickes are to be compelled one way but Christians after an other manner Theophilus But if there be founde nowe amongst the Christians some which are no lesse guiltie in this fault than the vnfaithfull Athenians in time past were it not good and verie conuenient to compel such wicked and negligent Parents Theodidactus When I sée those Parentes offende as gréeuously which notwithstanding glorie and boast them selues to be dipped and dyed in the blood of Christ as the Infidels and haue as litle care and regarde of their children And are not only equall with the Gentils but also doe farre excéede them in that faulte I might easily bée persuaded that they shoulde bée vrged and constrained vnto their dueties For albeit litle fruite from them were to be looked for yet this lawe might be an example vnto others which might be excited and stirred
manner you shewe vnto vs what ought to bee shunned and auoided That is from what vices children ought to bee feared for there bee an innumerable sorte of vices into which foolishe and frayle youth are lyke to fall except they shall be premonished diligently and feared from them in the beginning whilest they are yet vnder correction Theodidactus I will satisfie these your lawfull requestes and petitions for I iudge it myne office and duetie not onely to shewe you what is to bee followed but also what is to bée shunned and abhorred Theophilus You say well for as it is the parte and duetie of a wyse father that is sending his sonne into a farre countrie not only to tell him of the pleasure and commodities of the way but also faythfully to shewe and make manifest vnto him the great perilles and daungers that are like to befall in that iourney So seemeth it vnto mee that it is the office and duetie of a godly instructor and teacher that hee doe not only commaunde those thinges which are good and godly but also that hee doe demonstrate and set before them the thinges that are daungerous and for their greatest hurt and annoyaunce Wherefore I pray you that you wil not deny this your duetie vnto vs in this case Theodidactus I will doe it and that willingly Parentes ought first of all to haue diligent care that they withdrawe and holde them from false and vngodly worshipping of Goddes Forasmuch as it is saide before that there is but one true God Secondly they must be drawne and holden from laciuious and wanton company and the familiar fellowship of housholde seruauntes from all beastly and filthie sightes from the company of light and wanton women from common daunsings and Maygames Fayres and other open places and assemblyes from wanton méetinges and banquettinges from rebauld speaches and iestings from railings backbiting and slaundering from pryde and disdayne from all superstition from idlenesse from hauing of monie forasmuch as they can not tell howe to vse it and from all vnhonest games Furthermore also their Parentes shall admonish them that they giue no credite to coniurations Witchcraftes sorceries and such like vayne trifles Theophilus You giue vs verie good counsell but from what kinde of vices besides these shal children bee feared for there bee almost an innumerable sorte of mischiefes and slightes by the which Satan doeth assault children and in which hee studieth and lyeth in wayte to intrappe them Theodidactus To the ende that children may become and prooue good and honest men they must bee diligently and carefully kept and feared from the vanitie and custome of lying than the which nothing is more filthie nor more vngodly or wicked Wherefore the voice of God is to bée heard as well in the Prophets as also in the Apostles and others which in Moses cryeth out in this maner Non mentiemini nec decipiet vnusquisque proximum suum Yee shal not lie neither deale falsly one with another And S. Paule forbiddeth lying saying Nolite mentiri inuicem Lie not one to another And too the Ephesians hee saieth Deponentes mendacium loquimini veritatem vnusquisque cum proximo suo Laying aparte all Lying speake yee the trueth one to another The Lorde our God forbiddeth vs to lye because it greatly displeaseth him as witnesseth Solomon saying Dominus odit linguam mendacem The Lorde hateth and abhorreth a lying tongue And agayne Abominatio est Domino labia mendacia qui autem fideliter agunt placent Deo testis iniquus peribit The Lorde abhorreth deceiptfullippes but they that labour for trueth pleaseth him a false witnesse shall perishe And the Psalmograph saith Odisti omnes qui operantur iniquitatem perdes omnes qui loquuntur mendacium Thou hatest all the workers of iniquitie thou wilt destroy all that speake leasing And Solomon saith Testis fidelis non mentietur profert mendacium dolosus testis A faithful witnesse will not dissemble but a false record wil make a lye And in the 30. chap. hée prayeth that vanitie and lies might be remoued farre from him And Iesus Sirach saieth Doe not loue lying for it bringeth many euilles according to this saying Os quod mentitur occidit animam The mouth that lieth slayeth the soule What wickednes destruction lying doeth alwayes bring with it may easily be gathered by the exaÌ„ple of Ananias Saphira his wife both which died within the space of thrée houres together By this example I say let vs admonish our children to flée from lying as from a common plague Theophilus You haue plainly taught vs by the most assured testimonies of the holy Scriptures ihat our children are to be feared from this filthy vice of lying But to the ende they might be the more feared from this great mischiefe if you wil shew vs some examples out of the heathen writers you shall doe vs great pleasure Theodidactus For that I perceiue the saying of the olde Philosophers haue great force in counselling and perswading I will willingly héere bring some things to your remembraunce For nothing ought to bée more straunge vnto an honest man than lying Wherefore Solon among many other good lawes which hee made for the Athenians hée straightly forbad them this greate vice of lying Aristotle saieth Omne mendacium prâ—uum est fugiendum Al lying is wicked and to be abhorred And againe he sayth Verax creditur tamet si fing it aliquando sed mendax non creditur etiamsi iurat A true man is beleeued albeit he faine sometimes but a Lier is not beleeued though he doesweare Among the Persians also it was a verye great fault to lye Wherefore they taught their Children three speciall thinges in their youth Equitare arcusagittas excutere vera loqui To ride wel to shoote fayre and to speake truely Aristotle beeyng demaunded what a man gayned by his lying saith that when hee speaketh trueth hee is not credited And Plato sayeth An nescis quod ipsum mendacium omnes homines Dijque oderunt Doest thou not knowe that all men yea and the Gods also doe abhorre lying And Cicero sayeth Si quis semel veritatis fines transilierit actum est de eius fide If a man haue once passed the boundes and limittes of trueth his credite is sore crackt as they say Theophilus You doe not knowe what greate commoditie and profite you haue brought to vs and our posteritie by shewing vs as well out of the woorde of GOD as also by the Heathen Writers What greate perils and daungers commeth by Lying Nowe I praye you shewe vs some other vices from the which our Youthes are to bee feared Theodidactus Also this Age chiefly must bee kept from wicked Beastes and must bee exercised in Labour in trauayle and in patience both of mynde and bodye Vt in Bellicis Ciuilibus officâ—s eorum vigeat Industria That as well in feares of Warre as also in
excellent learning But yet in the meane time I haue knowne not a fewe whiche haue returned home to their Parents not only vnlearned but also most vile varlets wicked vnthriftes and roysting Ruffians nouseled in most wicked and vngodly opinions blasphemous and stayned with most filthie and monstruous manners and beastly behauiour which with much more profite might haue stayed at home with their Parents as dayly examples doe clearely testifie Notwithstanding if it may séeme profitable and necessarie to any to sende their sonnes into Italy or Fraunce to common studies in their Vniuersities and to haue greater vnderstanding and knowledge in the tongues and liberall Artes and Sciences I will not gaine say it or striue much with them so that it be done with great aduisement counsel and consideration that is to say if Parents shal first diligently instruct their children in the true knowledge reuerend fear of God and that the same be surely setled and most firmely fixed in their heartes that it may not be easily remooued and they caried away with euerie vaine blast of blasphemous doctrine and hatefull Heresies which shal soone be blowne aswel into their outward eares as also into their inward mindes wherwith their hearts shalbe so infected that both bodie minde shal soone be out of all good course Wherof all the Patriarkes and Prophets had great regard as we may reade in their Bookes which haue most diligently and carefully taught and instructed their children in the feare of God foretolde them of perilles and daungers and discouraged them from the company and fellowship of wicked men as wée may sée by the example of Beniamin which was alwayes kepte at home of his father Iacob And except Ioseph had béene diligently instructed of his father in the wayes of the Lorde God Howe I pray you had hée auoyded the lasciuious wordes of Putiphers wyfe which with her daily allurementes and with her peruersse pollicies did sollicite and moue him that by some meanes she might drawe him into the horrible sinne of adulterie except I say hée had béene carefully taught of his father and that from his childehood the true knowledge and feare of God vndoubtedly hée had béene intrapped with her faire promises and had vtterly perished with the sugred woordes of this lewde lasciuious woman For Ioseph was young well fauoured and comely And if per aduenture there be any that will not be moued with these godly examples let him reade Plinie de natura Ceti A Sea fishe of verie great bignesse who describeth his bodie to be 600. féete in length and 300. féete in breadth which watcheth and kéepeth his young ones very carefully neither doth suffer them to stray far frō him is moued with such excéeding care towards them y ◠in the time of any storme hée receiueth them into his wombe againe least they shoulde be hurt with the force and violence of the storme and tempest or fall into any perill or daunger and when the storme is once ouer and the Sea calme hée eiecteth and vomiteth them out againe By which example I wish all Parentes to bée admonished that they sende not their children into straunge and far countries except as I saide they be well and vertuously instructed and so as well by reason of their age as also by the experience of many thinges they become wiser and of more perfect iudgement to discerne betwéene good and euill Againe if a man be ignoraunt and knoweth howe and after what maner this first mutable wauering and slipperie age ought to be defended preserued and instructed let him learne this lesson also of the Delphins which doe accompanie their young ones a long time vntill they be well growne and able to shift and pray for them selues neither wil they suffer their young ones to raunge abroade and depart out of their sight except some elder one attend vpon them as a guide and ouerseer By this example also are Parentes to bée admonished that they sende not their sonnes into straunge countries vnaduisedly without their Paedagoges Tutors Gouernors least that they be Italianated as that worthie man maister Aschan hath sufficiently described in the latter end of his first Booke intituled the Schoolemaister Moreouer the Iewes also at this day do obserue this one thing verie carefully that they suffer none of their sonnes to forsake and leaue their fathers house and so to trauell-into any straunge nation or countrie except they haue first liued in wedlocke and haue had the fellowship and societie of a wife by the space of thrée yeares at the least and haue begot children by them And then libertie is graunted vnto them to departe and goe whither they will about their néedfull affaires and necessarie businesse Theophilus The Iewes in this point are farre wiser than many of vs Christians But now seeing that by many arguments good reasōs you haue shewed and declared vnto vs howe and after what maner Parentes ought to instruct and bring vp their children nowe wee earnestly desire to knowe of you after what sorte the Mothers ought to deale with their children in their bringing vp For it is certeine that Mothers by the commaundeof God ought to haue no lesse care and charge belonging vnto them than the Fathers and Maisters touching the good gouernment of their sonnes daughters and seruantes Theodidactus I cannot deny or refuse this my duetie vnto you desiring so good and godly a thing First this duetie belongeth to godly matrones and mothers of families that they them selues be in subiection to their owne husbandes as Saint Paule admonisheth saying Mulieres subditae estote viris vestris sicut oportet in domino Wiues submit your selues and be obedient to your owne husbandes as vnto the Lorde Wherefore a good wife ought not to abuse the moderation humanitie and lenitie of her husbande for then shée resisteth the commaundement of God For it is one thing to obey an other thing to rule and an other thing to commaunde And it nourisheth loue and concorde exceedingly when the wife is readie at the becke and commaundement of her husbande enclineth and prepareth her selfe to accomplish his requests and studieth to pleasure and gratifie him to the vttermost of her power And eschueth all thinges which shée knoweth woulde offende him For thus verely as one saieth a good wife by obeying her husbande doeth also after a sort rule and commaund him And this ought a woman to doe not only for the auoiding of variance discorde breach of loue but rather for that it is the commaundement of God Theophilus What are the chiefest ornaments of Godly Matrones Theodidactus Saint Peter saieth that the most excellent ornament of godly Matrones is to stay and repose their whole trust confidence and hope in the liuing God That they should be sober in their outward apparell be decked inwardly with the vertues of their mindes as with gentlenesse méekenesse quietnesse and chastitie which are most precious thinges in
follies and mother of all other mischiefes And in stéede of this outwarde beautie and garishe gaudinesse garnishe them with the inwarde vertues and beautie of the minde as wisedome shame fastnesse modestie sobernesse silence and chastitie which things shall sooner preferre them vnto a wise man in the way of marriage then any other dowrie And instructing them after this maner you shall not only preserue them but also their husbandes when tyme shall permit from many inconueniences which otherwise on them might befall Theophilus My good Theodidactus here would I be glad to heare of you some examples of godly matrones by the which mothers might be more diligently admonished that they slacke not their duetie at any time but that they may the more diligently care for their children and families by their good examples Theodidactus There bée many examples of Godly matrones by the which mothers may not only bée exhorted but also excited and stirred vp to the better perfourmance of their dueties For what mother wil bée so hard hearted vnnaturall and vncourteous that will not bée moued with this one and that so godly an example of Monica the mother of Augustine which with what painefull labours what excéeding cares what great diligence and watchfulnesse what ardent prayers and almost coutinuall teares did shée draw forward Augustine her sonne vnto the true religion faith in Iesus Christe who shall not easily perceiue and sée ex liberis confessionum For hée writeth of himselfe in his 3. booke after this maner Et misisti manum tuam ex alto de profunda caligne eruisti animam meam quum ploraret ad te mater mea fidelis tua amplius quà m flent matres corporea funera c. And thou O Lord diddest send downe thine hand from heauen and diddest deliuer my soule from vtter darknesse when my mother thy faithfull seruant wept and lamented vnto thee more then mothers commonly vse to weepe lament and mourne for the corporal funerals of their dearely beloued children The examples also of the Heathen doe sometime mooue our mindes vnto vertue wherefore it shall not bée amisse for good Matrones and mothers of families to followe the example of Euridices who though shée were an Illyrian of the Barbarians and a woman wel stricken in yéeres yet to nurture and instruct her children in vertue and in the exercises maners qualities and behauiours best liked in what countrie she bestowed great studie care and diligence Moreouer when a certaine woman at Ephesus named Ionica made great vaunt and boast of a péece of cloth of Arras that shée had made and had wrought the same with Images very curiously and set it out point deuice with diuers costly colours as a thing moste precious in token of her greate huswifery One Lacena by and by brought soorth her foure Sonnes which shée had with her owne breastes nourished and after with great paines care and diligence instructed in vertue and all other honest qualities and séemely behauiour moste decent and agréeable for such toward youthes In these and suche like exercises saith she ought an honest vertuous matrone mother of family to reioyce and vaunt her selfe and not in the fine curious clothes and costly robes of the Ephesians Cornelia the mother of Gracchus when Campana that gallant dame soiourned at her house and shewed vnto Cornelia her riche array Iewels and costly garments than the which there coulde bée no costlier worn at that time reproueth her after this maner When her children returned from the Schoole and behaued themselues in most humble and duetifull maner Then shée answered Campana glorying as shée did before that there coulde bée nothing more commendable precious or excellent in this worlde then children well nurtured and vertuously trayned vp and instructed froÌ„ their infancie and flouring yéeres about the which shée her selfe had bestowed greater paines industrie and diligence then about her owne outwarde garnishyng With these and suche like examples mothers beeing admonished ought to perswade themselues that they shall gaine more glory and greater renowm in the vertuous education good ordering and perfect instructing of their sonnes and daughters then in their gay garments curious counterpointes and costly hangings where with they are wont to garnish and set foorth themselues and their houses in moste gorgeous and stately maner Theophilus There reâ—â—eth as yet one scruple or doubt which greatly troubleth my minde and not mine onely but also many others I doe see and know many parents both learned and godly which after they haue caused their children to bee both vertuously and godly taught and instructed in all kinde of discipline and good literature and that at their great cost and charges haue notwithstanding at the last so degenerated and brast out into such wicked maners detestable disobedience lewde lasciuiousnesse and horrible crimes that it hath procured great sorrowe and griefe vntoo their Parents and hastened their horeheades vnto the greedy graue Which when I see and consider in my minde I know not what to say thereunto nay scarcesly what to thinke I am so vexed and troubled Theodidactus There is no cause my Theophile why you shoulde bée so molested and troubled for these and suche like are to be committed vnto Gods diuine prouidence for that they excéede the reache and capacitie of our minds and are knowne to God onely Wherefore let wée these thinges passe neither let vs excéede the méetes limits and boundes appointed vnto vs of God in his moste sacred worde Theophilus You doe satisfie mee heerein very well but in the meane season such is mans fragilitie and weakenesse that it cannot containe it selfe â—â—â—â—t that it must needes wonder and maruell at these workes of God â—â—t what thinke you meete to bee done vnto those miserable Parents which wither and pine away in sorrowe and griefe of hearte ought they not to bee comforted Theodidactus Yes alwayes Theophilus How or by what meanes shal that bee done I pray you tel me Theodidactus They shall bée comforted nothing more effectualy nor more effectually than by the examples of the holy Patriarkes Prophets and other godly men For such is the ordinary course of the things in this worlde that not only with sluggish◠〈◊〉 and negligeÌ„t but chiefly with vigilant carefull and godly parents children are wont to degenerate grow out of all good order and become inoste vngracious wicked and abhominable And by how much their Parents are more noble of greater byrth and parentage then others by so much rather the fortune and euent of this calamitie and miserie is wont to chaunce vnto them Adam our first parent being formed and made by God himselfe and adourned with great maiestie had two sonnes Cain and Abell the which no doubt hee trained vp and instructed in all kinde of Pietie and Doctrine as their Sacrifices doe sufficiently witnesse Neuerthelesse the one proued so wicked and vngodly that hée slewe his brother Noe the
moste iust Patriarch had thrée sonnes of the which one did degenerate from the pietie and godlinesse of his Parents that hée merited the cursse not onely on hymselfe but also of all his posteritie Iacob the Patriarch had twelue sonnes and but one only daughter neyther is it to bée doubted but that they were very well instructed of their Parents Notwithstanding 〈◊〉 returned home rauished his sonnes became inanquellers 〈◊〉 théeues and that of their owne brother What shall I say of Heli Samuel and Dauid whose godlinesse are abundantly commended in the holy Scriptures And this calamitie hath chaunced chiefly to noble and worthie personages so often as it were by a certain destenie that from thence hath risen this common Prouerbe Herorum filij noxae Of the noblest Parents the wickedest children haue proce 〈…〉 ed oftentimes And of the wisest the most fooles Therefore what shall Parents doe Shall they desist and leaue of their godly care of good and vertuous education God forbid For if children doe commit any sinnes or offences through the negligence of their Parentes the same offences before God shall not bée imputed only to the children but also to their Parents Therefore it is good for the Parents them selues that they diligently perfourme their dueties and that they bring vp their children as it is saide by 〈◊〉 and information in the Lorde And if their paynes a 〈…〉 uels shall take good effect and haue good successe and that 〈◊〉 children become vertuous and godly they shall account it their owne gaine and yéelde heartie thankes vnto God which hath so prospered their labours But if it shall fall out contrary to their expectation that crosse must bée borne paciently And parents ought to bée thankefull that they haue saued their owne soules For albeit this godly and painfull education and instructing of children hath gayned no profite to the children themselues yet doth it bring great and excéeding profite vnto parentes before the Lord our God Theophilus Seeing now almost all things haue beene handeled and declared which may seeme to appertaine vnto the dueties of godly fathers of families and maisters of housholdes Now it resteth that I intreat you also to shew vs how moderately paciently Christian parents ought to beare the death of their children For you shall finde many parents that take the death of their children very sorowfully and impaciently Theodidactus Examples of all times and ages doe testifie that the death of children is to bée borne and suffered with a good and pacient mind and this doeth manifestly appeare aswell by the Heathen writers as also by the holy Scriptures Wherefore Saint Paule playnely writeth that wee shoulde not mourne saying thus Non contristemini sicut caeteri qui spem non habent Be not sorowful as as others which haue no hope Moderate your mourning and doe not bewayle and lament for the dead after the manner of the Ethnickes or as the Saduces which haue no hope of the resurrection For the godly fathers doe knowe and are assured that their children die in the Lorde that they liue now with Christ in the heauens Wherfore they haue no cause to sorrow mourne and let them alwayes kéepe in remembraunce the example of Dauid the Prophet which with great wisedome no lesse patience suffered the death of his sonne Whom hee did not only loue for that he was his only sonne but because also he had begot him of Barfabe whom he loued dearly And as long as he knew that the childe was in grieuous sicknesse he besought God for the childe that hée woulde saue it hee fasted mourned and put on sackloth and â—â—ent in and lay downe vppon the earth and woulde not be comforted by any meanes But at the last when the childe was dead and that his scruauntes durst not tell him For they sayde beholde while the childe was yet aliue wée spake vnto him and hee woulde not hearken vnto our voyce Howe will hee then vexe himselfe if wee tell him that the childe is dead But Dauid perceiuing his Seruauntes whyspering and thought that the Childe was dead and sayde vnto them is the Childe dead They sayde yea And Dauid arose from the earth and washed and annoynted himselfe and changed his apparell and came into the house of the Lorde and woorshipped and after warde came to his owne house and bade that they shoulde prepare that he might eate Then sayde his Seruantes vnto him what thing is this that thou hast done Thou diddest fast and wéepe for the childe while it was aliue and assoone as it was dead thou didst rise vp leaue of thy mourning and did eate meate Hée sayde while the childe was yet aliue I fasted and wepte For this I thought who can tell whether GOD will haue mercie on mée that the Childe may liue But nowe seeyng it is dead wherefore shoulde I fast can I bring him agayne anie more I shall goe to him rather then hée shal come againe to me Héereuppon it came that mourning which profiteth the dead nothing at all grewe into a contempt among the godly that then were liuing and with this answere theÌ„ the which there could not bee founde a Wiser hée satisfied them all that were about him And also Saint Hierome sayeth Vir sapiens quum filium suum bonae indolis amittit non doleat quod talem perdiderit sed magis gaudeat quod talem habuerit A wise man wheÌ„ he loseth his sonne being vertuous and of verie good towardnesse doth not lament and mourne for that he hath lost such a one but rather reioyceth that he hath such a present to offer vnto the Lorde Theophilus These are notable worthie examples without doubt and very effectual medicines to temper moderate our vnmeasurable mourning and sorow of heart and mind conceiued by the death of our children Yet I beseech you if you haueÌ„ any other declare them vnto vs. Theodidactus With all myhearte Dion the sonne of Hipparinus one of Platoes disciples on a time whilest he was making an OratioÌ„ in a publike assembly his sonne fel down froÌ„ one of the loâ—ts on the pauements so finished his life preseÌ„tly Dion being therwithal nothing moued neither altred he his voyce nor changed his countenaunce but constantly coÌ„tinued procéeded in y e thing which he had takeÌ„ in hand The like we read of Anaxagoras who tooke the death of his children very constantly For when Clazomenâ—o had shewed him beeing in great earnest consultation with other that his two sonnes were dead hauing no moe he therwithal being nothing affrighted nor once mooued aunsweared the Messenger after this manner Sciui eos mortales natâ—â— esse I knowe they were borne to die But what shall wée saye of Pericles his constancie which when hee had lost all his children by a common infection and odious plague tooke their death very paciently And was the Author vnto the Athenians that
taught som handiecraft Science Trade or Occupation wherwith wée may honestly get our liuings in that state condition of life vnto the which it shall please God to appoint vs by them wée haue our Countrie then the which nothing is more swéete or deare vnto vs by them wee inioy the benefite of the lawes of our Towne Citie Common Wealth then the which nothing is more to bée obeyed by them wée receiue and inioy our Patrimony and inheritance then the which nothing is more to bée wished Finally what is it that wée doe not receiue by their meanes So great paines and labour haue they in bringing vp their children in framing forming teaching nurturing and adorning them that they are not able fully to perfourme their dueties woulde they neuer so faine And these be the chiefest causes why God doth commaund vs to honour our Parents Therefore vndoubtedly they are very wicked children which do not this asmuch as they possible may séeing they receiue so great an heape of benefites from their Parents Theophilus My good Theodidactus hitherto you haue instructed vs that parents are not slightly to bee honored but also you haue added heereunto that they are reuerently to bee honored with great submission and lowlines of minde and to whom children ought to bee obedient not as to men but as to God himselfe These things are not as yet sufficiently vnderstanded of these children wherefore you had neede to explane and make manifest the same vnto vs more plainely Theodidactus Although this sentence hath no scruple or doubt yet with all my hearte wil I gratifie these young ones concerning this thing there is a like saying of S. Paul touching seruants to whom the Apostle speaketh after this maner Seruants obey your bodily maisters with feare trembling in y ◠simplenes of your hearts as to Christ himselfe not with the eye seruice as pleasing men but as seruing the Lorde Christ And if seruants ought to obey their maisters as the Lord God himself ought not children much more to reuerence and obey their parents But to the ende that these thinges may be the better vnderstood I will vse a similitude for the better capacity of children Euen as the chiefe maister cōmitteth his schollers vnto his vssher to teach guide and gouerne them in his absence to whom they owe the like reuerence for the time as to their maister And as the vssher doth sharply punish and correct their disobediēce if they offend so doth y ◠Lord God gréeuously punish those children which do not obey their Parents For he hath appointed parents to be his vsshers in his stéede for the training vp and instructing of children Now God is the chiefest workmaister vssher the parents are but meanes and instruments by the which god worketh these things Therfore parents are to be honored loued obeyed because God will haue it so who punisheth rebels not as contemners of men but as railers of his will high maiestie wherfore I woulde haue good children héereby admonished least that they sufer themselues to be drawne of the Diuel into the sinne of disobedience and rebellion Theophilus You giue vs very wise and godly counsell but wee knowe that there is so greate malice ingendered in the mindes of children that they fall very often into this sinne of rebellion What remedie therefore doe you thinke meete to be applied to this vnhappinesse and crookednesse of nature so vitiate and defiled Theodidactus I iudge no remedy to bée more effectuall for this purpose then if they set before their eyes the feare of plagues punishmentes and that by this meanes they may bée brideled and restrayned frō these rashe assaultes and giddie attemptes and that they accustome themselues to loue and cherish discipline that they may be obediēt to their parents and to all pollitike gouernment And let them assure themselues that God will punish their pride their malapertnesse and contempt of discipline as we sée in Caine which is accursed In the sonnes of Samuel and Heli Absolon and Siba which moued sedition against Dauid and therefore were destroyed It should bée very profitable vnto young men if they woulde consider these horrible examples in histories For it is certayne in the whole lawe there are added promises of rewards which are bestowed vpon the obedient as is to be séene in Tobia which was blessed of his father in Iesu the sonne of Mary which was subiect to his Parentes and obeyed them euen to the death And in Iohn and others innumerable of godly children And there are also added vnto the law threatnings of plagues and punishmentes which the stubborne wicked and disobedient children shal féele that haue contemptuously disobeyed their Parents For it is written Al collusion disobedience and rebellion receiueth iust recompence of such hurte and dammage which thing at this day manie young men haue assayed and prooued to their greate shame and confusion which haue contemned the obedience of Parents Euen as it happened vnto Esau which vered his Parentes in marrying vngodly wiues which intreated their Father and mother in lawe very contumeliously despitefully and contemptuously And he himselfe also taketh vpon him in his fathers house to commaund most malapertly and proudly and expulsed his brother Iacob for whom he lay in waite to haue murdered and slayne neyther doth he feare punishment nor regardeth the threatnings of God but contemneth his fathers admonitions and therefore he is accursed But on the contrary part Iacob both reuerenceth his parents and loueth his brother for he feareth the iudgement of God punishment that might therof ensue And agayne also he knew cōsidered y ◠rewards which were promised for well doyng therfore he doeth his duetie that hee might call vpon God with a good conscience Furthermore also he acknowledgeth that God hath care and regarde vnto corporall blessinges and therefore prayeth vnto GOD and desireth that he might bée defended and ayded against his brother after this manner doth he exercise his faith and inuocation whiles hée studieth by all meanes possible to comfort and appease the sorrowes and griefes of his Parentes at the last giueth place to his brother Therfore he enioyeth great rewardes at Gods hand he is instructed and defended in a woonderfull manner preserued enriched amongst his very enimies that being olde he saw his sonnne Ioseph in floorishing most prosperous state which to him was no little ioy and comfort Let children weigh and consider these and such like examples and let them learne vndoubtedly y ◠God hath great care of them that he will bestow vpon them many corporall blessinges for performing their dueties towardes their Parents Magistrates Maisters Teachers Let them also consider and call to their remembraunce what greate paynes and cares Parentes haue had in their education and what true loue they beare towardes them and what greate benefites shall redounde vnto them by their godlie education and instruction For these
Samuel Dauid Solomon Iosephat Ezechias Iosias Cyrus CoÌ„stantinus Theodosius Therfore there is an honour that doth behold respect the persons to acknowledge this also the gift of God to haue parents which do truly performe their dueties for the ordinance itself or lawes without a kéeper prescruer one to sée the same executed are verie weake and of no force as saith that GreciaÌ„ Validares lex est quuÌ„ principem habet The law is a strong forcible thing when it hath a Prince or Gouernor And because the preseruation maintenance of his own order is acceptable vnto the Lorde God the degrées ordeined of him ought also to be kept inuiolable of vs. Therfore this shalbe y â— sum that whosoeuer the Lorde hath set to rule ouer vs wée doe receiue them enterteine honor them both with obedience thaÌ„kfulnes Liberi Oh immortal God how godly and wholsome things do we now heare concerning the honouring of Parents of whom there hath been no mention made to vs at any time It is our partes and dueties therefore to pray vnto God that these so godly precepts and necessarie doctrines do neuer slip out of our minds And for that the Lord God hath now put this good thing into our mindes that we should heare you now more willingly than heretofore we beseech your humanitie curtesie that you wil vouchsafe to shewe and declare vnto vs all other things touching the honour of Parents and chiefly the loue of our elders Theodidactus Plato albeit an Ethnick teacheth saying Parentes senio confectos pro magnis thesauris habendos esse amandos Our Parents being verie aged are to be accounted for great and excellent treasures and to be beloued Cicero reciteth the cause wherefore we ought to loue them Ideo inquit parentes charissimos habere debemus quod ab his vita patrimonium libertas ciuit as tradita est Therefore saieth he ought wee to esteeme our Parents most deare for that we receiue from them life patrimonie libertie and our Citie or countrie Seneca saieth Parentes non amare impiet as est non agnoscere insania Not to loue our Parentes is great impietie not to acknowledge them is madnesse And S. Augustine saieth Caninum est Parentes non agnoscere It is the nature and propertie of Dogges not to acknowledge our Parents And if it be a dogged nature not to acknowledge them it is much more brutish to offeÌ„d them to hurt beate and offer iniurie vnto them as there be some such in the world the more to be lamented And Saint Ierome saieth Meretur caecitatis subire supplicium qui toruo vultu parentes despexerit Hee deserueth to haue his eyes put out that shal looke vpon his Parentes with frowning countenance And Aristotle saieth Qui dubitat vtrum oportet deos venerati aut parentes honorare non indigit ratione sed poena Who so doubteth whether he ought to worship the Gods or honour his Parentes hee wanteth not reason but punishment Theophilus This obedience this loue and this honour of Parents hath it alwaies bin had of such price euerie where in all ages and also amongst the Babarians wicked vngodly Gentiles Certes if you can proue that by some example or worthie testimony you shal procure and incourage exceedingly these children of Amusus vnto the honour which they owe to their Parents Theodidactus There is nothing more easie For one Aelianus declareth plainly affirmeth that there was neuer any natioÌ„ or country so vnciuil nor so brutish amoÌ„gst whoÌ„ the honor of pareÌ„ts hath not bin had in great estimatioÌ„ price but they haue shewed theÌ„selues thaÌ„kfull to Parentes as we may learne by the example of Aeneas For after that Troy was taken of the Grecians they hauing some compassion of the miserie of the captiues published a common cry throughout all Troy that euerie one of the frée Citizens shoulde carrie away with them some one thing whatsoeuer they liked best Aeneas igitur caeteris neglectis Deos paenates exportabat Wherupon Aeneas lightly regarding al other thinges tooke with him his houshold Gods The Grecians preceiuing the godlines of the man with great ioye permitted him also to take with him some one other iewell among all his possessions whatsoeuer hée would Ille patrem annis senio confectum sublatum in humeros portabat Hee with speede hoisteth vp vpon his shoulders his good olde father well striken in yeares They being woÌ„derfully astonied at this his fact left also vnto him all his possessions confessing that such as shewed such pitie both towardes God and men and so louingly reuerenced their Parentes shewed them selues the greatest and most placable friends to nature that might bée A lyke example is also recised of Valerius maximus in this wise The Pretor sitting in iudgement deliuered vnto one of the Triumuirâ— a noble woman condemned to death to be executed in the prison And when hée had sent her vnto the kéeper of the prison hée being moued with pitie and compassion towardes the woman did not foorth with execute her but permitted her daughter to haue accesse vnto her mother hauing great regard as hée thought that hée should bring nothing vnto her for her nourishment and preseruation that might prolong her life supposing that so within a litle while shée should famish pine away And when many dayes were nowe past ouer and the woman yet liuing hée musing with himselfe what should be the cause that shée was susteined so long watched her daughter now more narrowly than before at the last hée espied the daughter giuing her mother sucke of her full breasts which shée had prepared for the same purpose alwayes against her comming thither which so rare wonderfull a spectacle when hée beheld hée coulde not choose but make the Triumuir priuie thereof and hée went and shewed the Pretor and the Pretor opened the matter vnto the Consuls who graunted vnto the woman remission and pardon for her fact before committed and highly commended her for nurturing and bringing vp so naturall and louing a daughter And to the ende that children might bée the more excited and moued to the loue of their parents I will shewe you another rare example There is in the region and countrie of Scicilia the mountaine Aethna of an vnmeasurable bignesse which burning with continuall fire casteth out such fiery flambes and bloweth out such burning stones with such violence and forcible maner by means whereof the neighbours there aboutes bordering susteine no litle losse hinderance and perill It chaunced therefore in the 3510. yéere of the foundation of the worlde after the Babilonicall deliuerance that this Mountaine threw foorth such forcible and mighty fiers that the Citie Cathana was burnt and consumed to dust as witnesseth Pansania saying Et arderent aruis segetes milliacultuiugera cum dominis syluae collesque virtutes Adëo â—t quisque quod sibi charissimum
so old that they cannot flie abrode to get theyr pray to not onely feede and nourishe them but also carry them vpon their shoulders from place to place such affection ought wee to shewe to our Parents For if such and so wonderfull a naturall affection be in the bruite beastes and foules which want both iudgement and reason what naturall affection ought to bée in vs towards those creatures which be partakers both of iudgement and reason besides this created vnto the image of the liuing God Theophilus Nowe woulde I gladly heare of you what maner dueties of children are required towards their Parents which if children had alwaies printed before their eyes Parents should haue them a great deale more obedient heereafter for the ignorance of duetie hath been the distruction of many young men Theodidactus The chiefest care of children toward their parents is this that before all things they studie to loue them intirely for as witnesseth Plinie Amor optimus discendi magister Loue is the best maister to learne any thing For euery doctrine and teaching is much more easie translated and conneighed into the minde of the childe if hée loue his father wherefore I iudge and thinke it conuenient that children are to bée admonished that they loue their parents no lesse then their godly disciplines doctrines and chidings For suche godlinesse and pietie of children auaileth greatly to this purpose they will heare more willingly and giue credite to their wordes and will couet and desire to bée like them they will not take it in ill part to be corrected but they will reioyce to bée praysed they wyll acknowledge that it is their fathers dutie to teach and theirs to shew themselues willing to be taught Moreouer it shall bée the part and duetie of children to folowe the Godly precepts and counsels of their parents and let them thinke that nothing ought to be attempted without the expresse wil assent of their pareÌ„ts what soeuer they know shall please their parents y â— shal they do without delay And if they knowe what will displease them that shall they not goe about to attempt nor touch by any meanes if they séeme to bée too heard or vngentle vnto them yet shall they beare it with a lowly and willing mind Again if they can deferue to haue their friendship by any meanes they shal doe their best to the vttermost of their power If they shall fall into any gréeuous sicknes pouertie or extreeme olde age it shalbe the childrens duetie willingly to relieue and comfort them by all possible meanes To bee briefe if all things chaunce wâ—ll and luâ—â—ily vnto them the children shall reioyce with all their heartes Againe if they shall sée them vnfortunate then shall the children forrow no lesse then if it were their owne case and they ought to bée mooued with as great pitty and compassion as though this sicknesse griefe paine or punishment did apperteine only to them Cyprian saith Sicut in senibus sobrietas morum perfectio requiritur itam adolescentibus obsequium subiectio obedientia debetur As sobernesse and the perfection of maners is required in olde men So in young men ought there to be seruisablenes subiectioÌ„ obedience And Saint Ambrose sayth Honor adolescentum est timorem Dei habere parentibus deferre honorem habere senioribus c. The honor of young men is to haâ—e the feare of God to giue reâ—erence to their parents and to honor their elders to defend and keepe their chastitie to be humble gentle and shamefast which vertues are the very true ornaments to young age And the same S. Ambrose saith In sembus grauitas in iuuenibus alacritas in adolescentibus verecundia commendatur In old men grauitie in childhood cheerefulnesse in adolescencie shamefastnesse is to be commended Very excellently also doth Lodouicus Viues describe set foorth the dueties of young men saying Pius quisque iâ—uents nunquaÌ„ de se magnificè setiet sed moderatè demisse Euery godly young man will neuer iudge esteeme highly of himself but meanely and humbly For this cause let him indeuour y â— he garnish and adourne his minde with the deuice and imagination of honest things with knowledge and exercise of vertue for saith he Alioqui homo non est homo sedpecus Otherwise man is no man but a beast Let him be present at the diuine seruice and worde preached with great attention and reuerence and whatsoeuer hée heareth or séeth there hée shal estéeme it great wonderfull diuine and that which farre passeth and surmounteth his capacitie Hée shall commende himselfe very often to Christe in his prayers hée shall repose all his hope and confidence in him Hée shall shewe him selfe obedient to his Parentes hée shall serue them séeke to profite aide and succour them to the vttermost of his power Hee shall reuerence and loue the Magistrate euen as his Parent not of his bodie but that which is of greater value of his minde Hée shall reuerence the Priestes of the Lorde and the true Ministers and Preachers of Gods word and shall shewe him selfe a diligent hearer of their doctrine which represent and resemble vnto vs the person of the Apostles as also of God him selfe Hée shall giue place toolde men after a curteous maner giue diligent eare vnto them and that for their wisedome which they haue gotten by long experience and daily vse and practise Lastly hée shal looke out godly and honest men of the best wittes and greatest learning haue them in admiration reuerence them wish well vntoo them and desire friendship and familiaritie of them whereout they may gaine great profite Theophilus Although hether to there hath almost nothing beene spoken of you which may not be referred to the feminine sexe yet shal it not seeme vnprofitable if you adde hereunto some matter or doctrine which may seeme to appertaine to maydens only to the ende also they might bee the more stirred vp and put in remembraunce of their dueties especially when they are admonished expresly Theodidactus I will verie willingly take that paynes for these curteous and honest Damosels sakes and so much the rather for that I will drawe nothing here out of mine owne quiuer or store house but out of the Epistle of Saint Ierome vnto Leta will I faythfully recite the thinges which specially doe apperteine to this purpose wherefore prouide you in the meane time that Amusus daughters be here and shewe them selues attentiue lest wée shall séeme to declare such godly matter in vaine the which now followeth 1 After this manner is the soule to bée taught and instructed which shall be the Temple of God Let her learne to heare none other thing neither to speake any thing saieth Saint Ierome but that which may appertaine to the feare of God 2 Let her not heare nor vnderstand any filthie wordes nor mery ballades iestes nor rimes but let her young
tender tongue be seasoned with swéete songes and Psalmes 3 Weigh not down her necke with gold and precious stones 〈◊〉 beset her head with pearles neither curle nor bushe out her heare nor die it into any vnnaturall colour 4 Let her not eate openly that is to say in the feastes banquetes of her Parentes lest shée sée such meats as shée might desire and lust after Let her not learn to drinke wine wherein is all excesse and riotte 5 Let her not delight and take pleasure in the hearing of musicall instruments Shalmes Sytheâ—â—s Lutes Harps nor know wherefore they were inuented 6 Let her appoint her self some taske euerie day to read some speciall part of the holy scriptures chosen for the same purpose 7 Let her learne to carde spinne to make woollen cloth and to handle the whéele and distaffe to make her linnen cloth 8 Let her not set her minde on silkes as Taffata Damaske Satten and Vellet 9 Let her prouide and get such clothes wherewith colde may be defended not wherwith her bodie shalbe nakedly apparelled 10 Let her so eate as that shée may be alwayes an hungred that immediately after her meate shée may either reade or sing Psalmes 11 If it chaunce thée at any time to walke or ryde out of the Towne or Citie leaue not thy daughter at home without a godly gouernour for without thée shée knoweth not neither is shée able to liue and when shée shall chaunce to be left alone let her bée afraide 12 Let her not haue her secret méetings and fellowship with foolish and light maidens 13 In the stead of silkes pearles and precious iewels let her loue godly bookes not gaudely garnished and set out with gold but inwardly perfected and learnedly distinguished for the better increase of her faith 14 Let her first learne the Psalter or Psalmes of Dauid in méeter which may withdrawe her minde from light and vaine songues and baudie ballades And in the Prouerbes of Solomon which may instruct her to good and godly life And in Ecclesiasticus Let her exercise her self to seeke out things that apperteine to the world In Iob Let her folow the example of vertue and patience Prudens filia viro est vice haereditatis A wise daughter is to her husband in the stead of an inheritance Also a shamefast maid wil reuereÌ„ce her husband A daughter is another possessioÌ„ vnto her father If he get a good sonne in law than hath he found his daughter but if he chaunce of a wicked sonne in law thaÌ„ hath he vtterly lost cast away his daughter Besides this it apperteineth to the duetie of a godly maid which would séeke for true and euerlasting saluation that also before all things shée haue the knowledge of the doctrine religion which hath béene set forth and deliuered vnto vs from the Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and which is conteined in the bookes of the holy scriptures It is necessary that shée know the lawe which may teach her not only what workes please ordisplease almightie God but also therby shée may learne to know her owne sinnes and be put in minde to seeke for the remission of the same And therefore it is also néedfull that shée know the Gospell of the sonne of God the cleanser washer away of our sinnes and the pacifier of Gods wrath that shée shewe her selfe faithfull herein and giue credite hereunto Theophilus These be good lessons for daughters in deed But if a young man haue vngodly parents infidels and altogether ignorant of Gods lawes is it not the sonnes duetie to teach instruct his father and mother Theodidactus Yea alwayes albeit it be not an vsuall or common thing For if a young man being a Christian haue vngodly Parentes in whoÌ„ hée would wish and desire to haue sowne the séedes of vertue true knowledge of God hée ought to endeuour him by all meanes possible gently and reuerently to admonish them that hée might draw them vnto pietie and the true knowledge of Christ that at the last being instructed in the will of God of wicked and vngodly ones he might make them godly and vertuous Theophilus What young men at this day are to be deemed and iudged most happie Theodidactus Certes none are more happie than those which truely performe their duties to whoÌ„ it is giueÌ„ froÌ„ their childhood to repose al hope in one y â— true god with sure coÌ„fideÌ„ce to depeÌ„d of his only goodnes prouidence which thing appeareth to haue chaunced vnto Dauid Psal 71. Where most faithfully hée speaketh vnto God saying thus Quoniam tu es expectatio mea domine Domine spes mea à iuuentute mea For thou O Lord God art the thing that I long for thou art my hope euen from my youth As though hée should say not now only but hitherto alwayes through my whole life thou art the thing I long for and my hope that is to say Séeing that I haue had none other God from my youth vp but thée alone howe shall I now not call vpon thée in this trouble And howe shalt thou forsake mee Parentes are hereby admonished that they instruct their children from their youth in such godlines knowledge fayth and hope of God that they become not wicked vnhappie but continue blessed with God and all his holy Angels and Saintes in heauen for euer But this instruction as I said ought to be proponed and set foorth vnto children euen from their young and tender yeares Nam quod noua testa capit inueterata sapit For looke what licour at the first the newe vessell taketh The tast thereof when it is olde it hardly then forsaketh And out of question nothing sticketh more surely in the minds of young men than that that is taught them in their gréene and tender yeares And if wée will giue credite to Quintilian Natura tenacissimi eorum quae rudibus annis percepimus We are the surest keepers of those thinges by nature which we haue learned in our rude ignoraunt yeares If thou puttest strong wine into newe vessels the tast thereof will continue verie long And who can reduce dyed woolles into their pristinate colour Theophilus How happeneth it that so few inheritours left very wealthily by their Parentes And also so few men seruantes and maydes haue so litle happinesse and prosperitie in this life Theodidactus Because so fewe at this day regard to obserue and fulfill the fift commaundement the breach whereof hath a curse thereunto annexed hereof it commeth to passe that the great treasures and possessions left vnto the heires helpeth them nothing It auayleth seruauntes and maydes nothing at all to labour and toile and to proll filtch and steale all their life long For God doeth not blesse them for their contempt disobedience towards their Parentes Magistrates Maisters Mistresses and Dames Hither may bée referred the examples of this present time not to be numbred of those
But first attend and marke diligently what and how great a treasure a godly wife is the worthie praises wherof Solomon very excellently deseribeth after this maner saying Muler diligens corona est viro suo A louing wife is a crowne vnto her husband And againe Sapiens mulier oedificat domuÌ„ suam A wise womaÌ„ vp holdeth her house but a foolish woman plucketh it downe And in the 18. Chap. Qui inuenit mulierem bonam inuenit bonum Who so findeth a good wife findeth a high treasure And Iesus Syrach saith Noli discedere à muliere sensata bona quam sortitus es in timore domini Depart not thou from a good wise woman whom thou hast chosen in the feare of the Lorde And in the same Chapter hée saith Beatus qui habit at cum muliere sensata Happie is hee that dwelleth with a wise woman And againe Happy is the man that hath a vertuous wife for the number of his yéeres shalbe doubled An honest woman maketh her husband a ioyfull man shée shall fill the yéeres of his life in peace A vertuous woman is a noble gift which shalbe giuen for a good portioÌ„ vnto such as feare god for whether a man be rich nor poore hée may haue euer a merry heart and a chéerefull countenance A louing wife reioyseth her husband and féedeth his bones with her wisdome A woman of few wordes is a great gift of God and to all well nurtured mindes may nothing bée compared An honest and manerly wife is a gift aboue other giftes and there is nothing to bée compared vnto a minde that can rule it selfe Theophilus These bee notable prayses but where shall a man seeke for sucheâ— one Where shall shee bee found Of whom shall a man desire a wife adourned with suche excellent vertues For it is a birde seldome seene Theodidactus So soone now as a young man shall attaine to that age that hée begin to bethinke how to contract himselfe in matrimonie then let him not be ashamed to fall downe vpon his knées dayly and with feruent prayers and heartie supplications desire of Almighty God to send him a godly and vertuous wife for asmuch as shée is only the gift of God according to this saying Domus diuitiae dantur aparentibus adomino proprié vxor prudens House and riches may a man haue by the heritage of his parents but a wise and discret woman is the gift of the Lord. Theophilus What thinges are chiefly to be respected in marryinge a wife Theodidactus The Philosophers and auncient fathers whose authoritie aswell for their excellent doctrine as also for their great experience in things is not to bée reiected haue thought good that in choosing of a wife her age maners kindred fauour and riches ought to bée wayed and regarded which thinges if wée shall vtterly neglect and despise then shall wée purchase shame and reproch to our kindred and sorrow and repentance to our selues But if wée shal diligently obserue these former things then shall wée gaine prayse to our kindred our owne glory with perpetuall ioy and comfort But aboue all things the vertues of a woman are to bée respected whose force and dignitie is such that albeit the other things doe faile or doe not fully answere to her person yet shall the marriage bée acceptable and ioyfull therefore a sober and discrete wise is to bée chosen married and beloued whose frugalitie moderation and sobernesse is ioyned with honor profite and pleasure and that I might speake in a worde it is not the great dowry or many hundreds of pownds that maketh the happy wedlocke but vertue and true godlines towards God and men Theophilus What choyse ought chiefly to bee obserued in bestowing the daughters Theodidactus In placing and bestowing the daughters this choise ought to bée had that not onely the honestie of life externall goods garnishing and comelinesse is to bée considered but also the internall vertues and faith in God are to bee sought for For in the time of Saint Ambrose Parentes had great respect and regarde vnto this that they woulde not bestowe nor giue their daughters in marriage vnto infidels But the Bridegrome ready to bée married before the solemnizing of the marriage shoulde giue his name to Christ and set foorth and shewe a true confession of the Christian faith Woulde GOD this order were nowe obserued of all Parents in this our time for then shoulde they bestowe their Daughters muche better then they doe for the most as wee see the thing was obserued diligently among the Israelites Deuteronomi 7. Filiâ—s vestras ne detis Caneuaeis neque filias ipsorum accipietis filus vestris Giue not your daughters in marriage vnto the Cananites neither receiue you their daughters for your sonnes Theophilus At what age shall a man giue himselfe to a wife and when shall the maide marry Theodidactus Aristotle thinketh good that a maide bée married at xviii yéeres of age but hee affirmeth that a man may tarry till xxx very well But shée that will prooue a good wife is for the most parte indued with these thrée vertues shée will honor esteeme and obey both father and mother with great reuerence and lowlinesse of mind she wil loue cherish and make much of infants shée can sing wel and swéetely Philelphus saith When a man goeth about to woe his wife Let him first very warily and diligently séeke to vnderstande of the life fame and good report of her mother and of such fréendes as haue had the education and trayning vp of her with whom hée purposeth to marry And if all things fall out and bée answerable to his desire then in Gods name let him not feare to take to wife the daughter of an honest and godly mother Nor let him marry her only for necessitie sake but for the cause of a more commodious ioyfull life to come with whoÌ„ an acceptable societie of life must now begin not for the fulfilling of lust but for the propagation and increase of children And Aristotle saith Let him marry a maid to the end hée may teach her good maners and such other dueties as are most beséeming and decent for a wife for shée wil also be more tractable then a widdow whe rather will looke to bee obeied aswel for that shée hath béen before acquainted with loue matters as also bicause for the most part they bring greater wealth vnto their husbands then the maides doe And if you woulde now demaunde of mée what maner of wife is to bée married I say it is very méete and conuenient that you matche not your sonnes with such wiues as bée more Noble and of greater birth or richer than they But rather followe that olde and wise Prouerbe Equalem tibi mulierem inquire Search out a woman that is thine equall And as the Poet saith Si vis nubere nube pari If thou wilt needes marry then marry thy matche For who
of their Parentes Theodidactus This we ought to knowe and vnderstand that after such commixion and coupling of them selues together they may not be seuered nor disioyned neither may such marriages be broken by the authoritie of their Parents for because there is now no question of any marriage to come and the authoritie of Parentes is alreadie violated and corrupted so that great iniurie shoulde be offered vnto the woman if shee should be cast off againe and forsaken And to conclude I will adde this one thing that it doeth appertaine as wel to the duetie of Parents as of Iudges for they ought to weigh and consider where and in what cases the fathers may haue a probable cause to breake the marriage and where not which causes I will leaue to be discided of the Diuines and such as haue to deale in those nuptiall affaires Beséeching Almightie God to graunt your children good successe and to bestow his blessings on them as well in this single life as also in that married estate whensoeuer it shall hereafter please him to all your comfortes and his euerlasting glorie to whom be praise for euer Amen ⧠Imprinted at London at the three Cranes in the Vintâ—â—â— by Thomas Dawfon and Gregorie Seton 1581. Amusus â—eâ—â—â—leth the state of disordered families Psal 39. The workes commended The family is committed to the wife aswell as the husband The argument diuided into siâ— partes The definition of mariage Mariage was firste instituted of God Gene. 2. Ioan. 2. Mariage doth please God The end of mariage is in â— sortes Good lessonâ— for husbandes and wiues The dueties of godly couples Mat. 18. Of the Procreation of children Gene. 3. 1. Reg. 2. Iudi. 13. Luc. 1. The peruers iudgement of the people Pro. 10. Pro. 17. Psal 128. The wise answer of Cresus Deut. 6. Eodem 11. â—â—â—l 1. Eccle. 7. God commandeth children to be nurtured Eccle. 30. Ephe. 6. Parentes are stirred vp to instruct their children with sweete promises Prou. 29. Eccle. 30. We must not deale with youth by threatnings stripes Tobi. 4. Dan. â—3 1. Mach. 2. 2. Mach. 7. â— Tim. 1. Luke 2. Eccle. 7. Of Athanasâ—â—â— Bish of Alexandria Of Origen 〈…〉 Eusebius Iohannes Aegyptius The example of Cato Children are to be instructed by the examples of the Elders The necessarie instruction of poutly The best schol Master is to bee chosen Dayly Experience proueth this true Isocrates Plate The end of instruction is this Children must be taught from their tender yeeres A good similitude Paulus Ver. Ioan Mur. â—â—enorunâ— Prouerb A similibus A causa A causa What thinges children are to be taught By 3. thinges may we know that there is a God c. Children ought to beleeue these thinges chiefly The examples of husbandmen What seede ought to bee sowne in the midst of children The causes why children ought to be instructed Preceptes of good maners Recreation must be vsed Optimaratio iustituendi De nobili officio parentum Psal 36. 37. A good fourme â—â— teaching The discription of a true father Senum Officium Diffinitio patris familias What it is to bee occupied with children Fathers should vse 3 offices at once Tobias 4. Prou. 29. Eccl. 30. An Antidote against Arrogancie A good praier Ephe 6 A good caâ—eat vnto the pareÌ„ts of our time A common fâ—ing very true Mat. 18. Mark 9. Of degenerate children A good lesson for parentes 1. Timo. 5. Hortandi sunt liberi ad eleemosynam Proue 11. Mat. 14. Prou. 11. Children must bee committed to godly schoolmaisters 4. Timo. 2207. A man must not bestowe his whole studie in one arte only Ludouicus â—â—ues Plinius An example of Phi. of Macedon kinges of the Persians The efficacie of education Pro. 22. Plato in libro 4. de republic Erasmus Isocrates Deogines Aristippus Lycurgus giueth an example of two whelpes What vse can doe in education is here shewed We must not leaue of instructing for the stupiditie of wit Matth. 9. Marci 7. Num. 22. In education three things are necessarie After what maner forward wittes should be vsed Children are to be corrected Prou. 23. Eccle. 30. Pro. 13. Pro. 10. Eccle. 4. Augustinus Bernardus Innocontiâ—â— Correction is necessary Seneca A good note Cicero Isocrates Valeri Max. de Luci. Bru. â— Reg. 12. 1. Cor. 9. Body and soula compared together Mat. 4. Luke 4. Fathers abuse their authorities Prou. 19. Ephe. 6. Ambrose Seneca The tirannie of L. M. Axio the noble Romaine passed the boundes of his duetie in correcting his sonne A meane in correcting is best Augustine giueth a reason with what intente children should bee corrected What the father shoulde think vpon whilist he is in correcting Prouer. 13. Children shuld bee corrected with the rodde That parte of the bodie which is to be beaten The end whâ—e children should bee corrected After what maner children ought to be chastened A good note Inglossa cap quinta vallis Obquae exhaeredari posset filius Deut. 22. A stubborne disobedient childe to be stoâ—â—ed to death Deut. 21. Degenerate children are to be cast of forsaken Against negligent parents Children 〈…〉 the pledges of God ArgumentuÌ„ a simile 1. Regum 2. 4. Cockering is the originall cause of negligent instruction â—ere the absurd excuse of Parents is reâ—â—â—yed 1. Regum 3. Heli suffereth the punishment of his negligent instruction Paul Cicero Verrâ— Negligent parents are iniurious to their countrie and common welth Fathers ' and mothers spoiâ— their owns children Children are the blessinge of God How the inheritance of y â— he â—uenly life being lost is recouered by the parentes Negligent parentes are sharply accused A vehement exclamation of S. â—ug against negligent parentes What and ho 〈…〉 great mischiefs doe arise by negligent instructinge What shall befall vpon vs without preachinge and teachinge Negligente parentes doe exceede in cruelty Pharao Herod or any other Tyraunte Erasmus Women of Thessalia were transformers of men â—utâ— beast Tomo â— Those that doe not teach their children be the destroyers of Christes Church Tomo 3. 14. What a Sea of euils this negligent care of children doth bring Tom. 2. 292. Erasm The exclamation of Crates S. B. doth bewayle the negligence of Parentes The admiration of Lucius Apuleus The Sabboth day abused The exclamation of Quintilianâ— Whether negligent Parents are to be compelled by any lawe If the feare and loue of God will not cause Parentes to be careful for their children much lesse will any lawe that can be deuised by men What is the chiefe of mans felicitie Solons law was verie sharpe against negligent Parents The Ethnickes are to be compelled one way but the Christians an other way Ezechiel 1â— How the children beare the sinnes of the Parents Children may not deride their Parents Gene. 9. Gene. 1â— Num. 16. Parentes and infantes together are greeuously punished Iosue 6. Iosue 7. Hester 9. Daniel 6. Regum 11. Regum 12. Deut 2â— A hight and excellent treasure to bee borne of good parents A
handle hym too sharpely or rigorously saying Et illum adolenscentulum esse te fuisse cogita atque in hoc quod pater es enitere vt memineris te hominem hominis patrem Way and consider this that hee is a young man and also that thou hast beene one thy selfe And further in as muche as thou art a father call to thy minde that thou art nowe a man and the Father of one that may bee a man heereafter Theophilus A very excellent and wise way surely to pacifie and quiet the furious and raging mindes of Parentes when they shall correct theyr children And in my iudgement there is no man that coulde haue giuen more wholesome or better counsel concerning this matter wherefore it is worthie of all men to bee followed Not withstanding I my selfe haue knowne sume furious parentes a brode which haue vsed to strike and buffet their children about the face and head and to lay vpon them like Mault sackes with cudgels staues forke or fire shouel or whatsoeuer came nighest their handes yea and very often also haue cast them on the grounde and spurned and kickt them like dogs which maner of correcting I iudge is vtterly to bee detested and abhorred neither do I think it lawfull by any meanes that they should vse them after such order Wherefore I pray you tell vs how should they bee admonished and perswaded that heereafter they doe not vse and handle their children and seruants after suche raging furious and beastly maner Theodidactus First and chiefly wée must shewe them and set before them the most pure and sacred worde GOD for these men peraduenture béeing so waywarde fierce and cruell as you haue saide woulde vtterly contemne and despise mens reasons wisdome and counsell But y ◠Lord our God of his vnspeakeable good will and fauour towardes vs doeth so dearely loue parents and so tenderly prouide for their children that hée doeth not onely commaunde them to correct their children but being very desirous and willing to cure and remedie suche rage and furie deeth also shew vnto vs what instrument is méete and what wée ought to vse and exercise in correcting Theophilus With what matter or instrument I pray you ought children to bee corrected Theodidactus The Lord our God by Solomon doth teache euery where that children shoulde bée beate with the rodde saying after this maner Withholde not correction from thy Childe for if thou shalte smite hym with the rodde hée shall not die thereof Thou smitest him with the rodde but thou shalt deliuer his soule from Hell And againe who so spareth the rodde marreth his childe Loe héere not that wise Solonion doeth teache that children ought to bée corrected with the rodde but the Lorde our God himselfe which hath spokē by the mouthes of his holy prophets whose worde abideth for euer Theophilus If these foolishe harebrayned and rashe Parents woulde heare and willingly obey and followe this little admonition then shoulde they not haue so many deafe blockishe foolishe bleere eyed and also oftentimes madde children as they haue which discommodities we see come very often by the continuall and vnreasonable beating and buffetting of them about the heads as I said before Theodidactus You gather and apply all thinges very rightly For if Parentes woulde not beate their young and tender children with their harde fistes vpon their eares and heades but in stéede thereof and of their Cudgels Staues and suche like according to the counsell of Solomon woulde take and vse the rodde then shoulde they haue wherein they might reioyce and become the parents of wise and worthie children whereas contrary wise they are compelled will they nill they to haue the gouernment of deaf lumpishe ignorant and foolishe children all the dayes of their life to their great sorrowe and griefe very often Theophilus Whereas I haue nowe begunne to mooue you with my questions I knowe not yet where or howe to make an ende seeing therefore you haue alredie shewed vnto vs the instrument where with children should be corrected and admonished that they shoulde not bee beaten about the heads Nowe I beseeche you shew vs where and on what part of the body they should be beaten Theodidactus I teach nothing héere neither woulde I perswade or councell you that you shoulde followe mine opinion and minde in this thing but rather the godly opinion of the holy Ghoste which by Solomon speaketh after this maner Tonde latera eius dum infans est Hit him vpon the sides whilest hee is yet a childe c. Beholde here the clemencie and prouidence beholde héere I say the excéeding great mercy of God which also hath vouchsafed to shewe and manifest vnto vs that part of the body which hee would haue beaten least at any time either wée our selues or our little children shoulde sustaine any losse perill or displeasure by meanes of our correction Theophilus Wherefore are parents compelled to bee so diligent carefull and prouident in the instructing and chastening of their children and what is the ende of this so great labour and trauaile Theodidactus They shall instruct nurture and chasten their children not to the ende that they might set them forwarde and promote them to worship and great honours or that they shoulde excell others in humane knowledge wisedome and science or that they shoulde gather together and heape vp great riches and treasure for them But they ought chiefly to respect this that they may bée made vertuous and godly And this end and maner of training vp of youth is most profitable and excellent of all others wherein all godly parents ought to haue their chiefest pleasure and felicitie For Parents ouer and besides that naturall loue affection which nature hath ingraffed into al liuing creatures towards their young ones besides those sorrowes griefes which they often sustain in their bringing vp yet ought they to haue their chiefest care for their godly education as wée haue often saide And this let them do not with angrie bitter and raging minde towards them when they finde them not so apt and forward as they wish least they begin to refuse hate and detest instruction and vertuous discipline before they shall féele the profite and commoditie thereof Let them temper and bridle the austeritie sharpnesse and rage of their authoritie and power with such affection and desire of lenitie gentlenesse and mildnesse and so rebuke and chide the offender that they had rather to haue them corrected and amended then punished or tormented and let them rather endeuour to withold and draw them from future faultes and offences than rigorously to execute punishment of their faultes presently committed Theophilus The greatest part of the welfare and prosperitie of children doeth depend as farre as I perceiue of the good instruction and diligent and wise chastening of parents Theodidactus It is very true for the Lorde our God hath commaunded that children shoulde honour and obey their parents and in
the same commaundement also hée hath giuen a charge vnto the Parents that they should perfourme and do their duetie that is to say that they teach instruct their children in the true knowledge of God and bring them vp in the feare of the Lord. For howe shall the children perfourme their dueties towardes their Parents if that parents shall first neglect their dueties towardes their children And albeit the slouth and negligence of parents doeth not excuse the wickednesse and impietie of children before God notwithstanding parents owe this duetie to their children that they prouide for them not only corporall foode for their bodies but much rather spirituall foode and nourishment for their soules if otherwise they couet and desire to haue them saued Theophilus But if after all wholesome admonitions and councels instructions and chastisements they remain stubborn disdaineful children do receiue no godly admonition nor wil suffer nor abide any correction what doe you thinke is meete to be done with such and howe should a man deale them Theodidactus Such stubborne wicked and rebellious wretches are first to be dispoiled and depriued of all their possessions and inheritance and that by the authoritie of the lawes written Theophilus How many causes be there set down of ingratitude contumacie stubbornnesse and disobedience for which a father may disherite his sonne Theodidactus There are setdowne and regestred fourtéene speciall causes Theophilus Declare them vnto vs I pray you for by the grace of God it may be that in the hearing of them it shal driue a greater feare and terrour into them Theodidactus 1 Prima si filius parentibus manus intulerit The first is if the sonne shal lay violent handes vpon his Parents 2 Si grauem iniuriam eis fecerit If he shal worke them any villanie iniurie or wrong 3 Si contumaciter eos accusauerit de causa quae non est aduersus principem vel rempublicam If stubbornly and disobediently hee shal accuse them of a matter or cause that is not against the Prince or common wealth 4 Si cum maleficis versatur If he do haunt or be conuersant among wicked persons drunkardes whoremongers theeues murtherers and such like 5 Si maledicus efficiatur If hee become a cursed speaker railer and blasphemer 6 Si parentum vitae insidiatus fuerit If hee shal lye in waite to slea and murther his father 7 Si vxori vel concubinae eius se immiscuerit If hee shal meddle or haue to doe with his fathers wife or concubine 8 Si exdilapidatione filij graue dispendium parentes sustulerint If the Parentes shal susteine great dammage losse and hinderaunce by meanes of the riotous and wastful spending of their sonne 9 Si pro persona vel debito eius in quantum potest fideiubere noluerit If he wil not vndertake become suretie for his fathers own person or his debt to the vttermost of his power 10 Si prohibuit eos facere testamentum If hee shal prohibit or let them to make their wil and Testament 11 Si contra voluntatem parentum inter arenarios mimos perseuerauerit quum pater non fuerit illius professionis If against his fathers minde and wil hee keepe company with Ruffians quarrellers foolish Minstrelles and such like when his father is not of the same profession 12 Si filia luxuriosam vitā egerit quū parentes vellent eam pro posse dotare nisi neglexerint eam maritare vsque ad 25. annos If the daughter shal leade aluxurious wanton and riotous lyfe when her Parentes are willing to bestowe and set her foorth in mariage to the vttermost of their abilitie and power except they shal deferre her mariage vntil shee be 25. yeares olde 13 Si parentibus furiosis debitam curam non impenderit If they wil not giue due regarde and reuerence to their Parentes although they be furious and way warde 14 Si patrē captū de carcere deducere neglexerit Hae inquam sunt causae cur parentes liberos suos haereditate excludere possint If hee shal neglect contemne and haue no regarde or care to ransom and deliuer his father out of prison being taken by enemies These I say be the causes wherefore parentes may disherite their children Theophilus But if they bee more wicked and stubborne than that these corrections and punishmentes can bridle and holde them vnder or rather after all these good and wholesome admonitions and chastisementes they continue rebellious what doe you thinke is to bee done then Theodidactus The same that the Lorde hath commaunded by Moyses his seruant saying after this maner Si genuerit homo filium contumacem qui non audiat patris aut matris imperium coercitus obedire contempserit lapidibus eum obruet populus And if a man haue a sonne that is stubborne and disobedient which disdayneth the voyce and commaundement of his father and mother and when hee is chastened wil not hearken vnto them but contemneth it all the people shall stone him with stones vnto death Theophilus A harde sentence without doubt and of al stubborne and rebellious children deepely to be weighed and considered Theodidactus Truely it is an harde and fearfull sentence wherout all young men may gather as is méet for them how great the wrath of God is against the sinne of disobedience Neither doeth the law of God only hate and detest such stubborne and rebellious children But also the verie Ethnickes would haue them cast off from their parentes and to be vtterly dispossessed which Aristippus teacheth by an excellent Apophthegme after this maner A certaine man accusing him for that hee so cast off his sonne and contemned him as though hée had neuer begot him hée saieth Doe wée not cast away from vs our spittle lice and such like as thinges vnprofitable which neuerthelesse are ingendred and bread euen out of our owne selues His minde and iudgement is that they are not to bée accounted for children whiche otherwise haue nothing in them whereby they might commende them selues to the loue and effection of their Parentes but only that they be by them begotten So the olde father Menedemus to his sonne Clinia brought in by the Poet Terence in his third Comedie speaketh after this maner Ego te meum dici tantisper volo dum id quod te dignum est facias So long and no longer shalt thou be my sonne As thou behauest thy selfe with discretion Thus did the verie Heathen men which had not the law of God to direct them as wée haue handle their degenerate and disobedient children whom God woulde haue also to be an example vnto vs. Theophilus Thus of your fatherly beneuolence haue you taught and diligently instructed vs hethertoo howe good howe profitable and necessarie it is to instruct and chasten youth in vertue and godlinesse From whence as out of a most sweete and pure fountaine al other vertues doe flowe Nowe if it seeme good