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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A05738	The Christian mans closet Wherein is conteined a large discourse of the godly training vp of children: as also of those duties that children owe vnto their parents, made dialogue wise, very pleasant to reade, and most profitable to practise, collected in Latin by Bartholomew Batty of Alostensis. And nowe Englished by William Lowth.; De oeconomia Christiana. English.	Batt, Barthélemy, 1515-1559.; Lowth, William. fl. 1581.	1581 (1581)	STC 1591; ESTC S101091	168,239	212

must alwayes be respected and obeyed and the honour health estimation and credit of the persons must be rightly weighed and considered Saint Ambrose in the historie that hée writeth of Rebecca saieth that it is néedfull requisite and verie necessarie to haue the consent of the Parents in matters of marriage he saith further that it is an honest godly and a thing best agreeing to nature The lawes of Princes also doe seuerely prohibit that no contract be made of matrimony without the consent of Parents Looke in the first booke of Iustiniane in the title of marriage the 10. where hée treateth of this thing at large Filij filiaeue consensum parentum habeant quorum sunt in potestate Let the sonnes or daughters haue the cōsent of parents vnder whose power gouernment they are For this thing ought to be and both the ciuill lawe and the lawe of nature doeth counsel and persuade that the commaundement consent of the father ought to procéed go before the marriage Franciscus Barbarus is of the same minde saying after this maner We doe forewarne tell you that there can be ascribed no excellencie or worthinesse vnto y ● mariage to the which the good will consent of the father hath not béene had before The example of Cyrus may also teach all youth what aunswere to make in that behalf who when hée was moued and persuaded by certaine friendes to take to wife a great and noble woman that with a verie great dowrie and large summe of mony answered Se non antè velle quàm a parentibus collaudari certior esset That he would not marrie her before he had heard from the mouth of his Parentes that she was a meete match for him a woman worthie praise and commendation By the example of this noble King all young men may be admonished that they linke not them selues in matrimonie except first they conferre desire the good will and cōsent of their Parentes maisters and gouernours For if Parentes at all times in all places be to be honoured reuerenced regarded and that in the smallest thinges much more in so great and waightie a cause the wise prudēt counsell of parents is to be heard followed and embraced except a man will make no account nor reckoning of the commaundement of Almightie God Euaristus a Bishop of Greece iudged priuie contractes in Matrimony very vnlawfully instituted ordeined that the bridegrome and bride should be ioyned together of the Priest or Minister in the face of the congregation It is the parte and duetie of Parentes to place and bestow their children and not of the children to bestowe them selues at their pleasure albeit it is great reason that their willes and consents agrée thereunto and the ordinance of God requireth the same Deut. 22. Abraham prepared a marriage for his sonne Isaac And so did Isaac for his sonne Iacob in like maner And olde Toby for his sonne which diuers others of the godly fathers And as the children haue this libertie to be willing and giue their consents vnto their contractes in marriage and that their Parents ought not to force them against their willes So is it not lawfull for the children to contract and ioyne them selues in matrimony at their owne willes and pleasures without the authoritie consent of their Parentes For it is the ordinaunce of God that children honour and obey their Parentes and follow their mindes counsell in contracting them selues vnto mariage Most gr●enously therfore doe those children offend which contemning the authoritie of their Parents enterprise mariage without their consent For then they doe not honour them but rather procure their shame and reproch which so great wickednesse God wil not suffer vnpunished Daily examples doe continually sufficiently teach vs that God is excéedingly offended and angrie with these contemners of Parentes whom Satan hath rather ioyned together then God because hée is not the worker of iniquitie and to sinne against the fift commaundement is great iniquitie Theophilus Those priuie spousages and secret contractes therfore enterprised and taken in hand without the consent of Parentes are not to be liked approued nor allowed as farre as I can gather of your wordes Theodidactus You gather of my wordes verie wisely for these stollen priuie contractes affiances and betrothinges are not only forbidden and prohibited by the lawes of Princes but also by examples and testimonies out of the holie scriptures as wée haue before sufficiently proued Therefore let Parentes beare this alwayes in minde that the right and authoritie to place and bestowe their children is giuen and attributed vnto them of God And let children knowe that they as it hath béene often said owe this reuerence and obedience vnto their Parentes that they séeke for their counsell and earnestly craue and desire their good wils in these cases That young man which is of age wisedome discretion and méet to take a wife may not be afraide nor ashamed to reueale his secretes and open his minde vnto his Parentes that hée woulde be glad if it were his fathers pleasure to match him selfe with some honest and godlie mayde and therfore humbly desireth his Parents good will counsell and furtheraunce in that behalfe that of many of his familiers and acquaintaunce hée might choose such a one as should bée to their liking And albeit this may séeme to be some signe of lust and vnshamefastnesse yet let them know and vnderstand that the diuine clemencie doeth couer this in marriage and addeth a remedie vnto this disease and malladie Therefore let children humble them selues before their Parentes and most lowly and gentely say my good father and mother let mée haue I pray you suche a honest and godly young man or mayde whom I loue in the feare of the Lorde and in the way of wedlocke and lawfull matrimony if hée or shée shall be thought worthie and meete for your affinitie kindred stocke and Parentage honest and wise Parentes will not deny the thing that is in such wise so honestly in such humble maner required although the dowrie goods or summes of mony be not altogether answerable to their desire and wish And such marriages cannot be but happie prosperous fortunate because God with his vnmeasurable and excéeding goodnesse doeth blesse fauour and as it were with this vaile and couer of wedlocke doeth hide kéepe secrete defende and alay this excéeding heat and seruencie of lust and also the holie scriptures doeth approue and for example bringeth foorth the loue and voice of the Bride after this maner doth God not only pardon our filthinesse and miserable lust wherein wée were conceiued and borne but also adorne and make vs more honourable by and through lawfull matrimony Theophilus What is your counsell I pray you If after the affiances and spousalles once done they proceede to their nuptiall day act of generation against the will and consent

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

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 ●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 thā y ● mans reasō 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 ● childrē 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 cōmunicate 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