Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	church_n	discipline_n	doctrine_n	4,176	5	6.2312	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67866	A godly forme of houshold government for the ordering of priuate families, according to the direction of Gods word : wherunto is adioyned in a more particular manner, the seuerall duties of the husband towards his wife, and the wiues dutie towards her husband, the parents dutie towards their children, and the childrens towards their parents, the maisters dutie towards his seruants, and also the seruants duty towards their maisters / first gathered by R.C. ; and now newly perused, amended and augmented by Iohn Dod and Robert Cleuer.	Cleaver, Robert, 1561 or 2-ca. 1625.; Carr, Roger, d. 1612.; Cawdry, Robert.	1621 (1621)	STC 5387.5; ESTC S118705	199,876	382

A GODLY FORME OF HOVSHOLD GOVERNMENT FOR THE ORDERING OF PRIVATE FAMILIES according to the direction of Gods Word Wherunto is adioyned in a more particular manner the seuerall duties of the Husband towards his wife and the wiues dutie towards her Husband The Parents dutie towards their children and the childrens towards their parents The Maisters dutie towards his seruants and also the seruants duty towards their Maisters First gathered by R. C. and now newly perused amended and augmented by Iohn Dod and Robert Cleuer ISIDORE Thou profitest much when thou readest if thou practisest that which thou readest BERNARD What auaileth it thee to reade often in bookes the holy Name of our Sauiour except thou studie and endeuour to haue godlinesse in thy behauiour LONDON Printed by R. Field for Thomas Man and are to be sold by Arthur Iohnson neare the great North doore of Pauls Church 1621. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL MAISTER ROBERT Burgaine of Roxall one of his Maiesties Iustices of peace in the County of Warwicke to the right worshipfull Maister Iohn Diue of Ridlington Parke in the Countie of Rutland and to the worshipfull Maister Edmund Temple of Temple hall in the Countse of Leicester Esquires as also to their religious and vertuous wiues R. C. wisheth with heart and minde grace from God the Father by Iesus Christ and constancy in the truth of the Gospell to the end and in the end Auing collected finished this Treatise ensuing and deuising very carefully with my selfe to whom I might Dedicate the same at length I resolued that none were meeter to vndertake the patronage therof then some such meete persons as did alreadie in some good measure practise within their seuerall charges the seuerall points and duties contained therein and so would further prosecute those other necessarie parts which they haue yet in some part pretermitted Wherupon calling to minde the holy exercises daily vsed and exercised in all your houses I was moued for two causes to make you all iointly Patrons thereof First for that I acknowledge my self beholden and indebted vnto you all diuersly since my first acquaintanoe with you and therefore left I should deserue the blame of vnthankfulnesse for benefits receiued I am bold vnder your Names to offer to the whole Church of God these my simple collections Secondly for that as you are all ioyned and linked in kindred by reason of marriage so also you are and haue bin a long time inseparably knit in a zealous and sincere profession of Gods word and Religion And for so much as I may not for many respects accomplish what good I willingly wold yet lest I should be thought to spend the remainder of my yeares in an idle condition or to hide my talent in a napkin I haue bene no lesse carefull then willing to labour other wayes to do what I may to glorifie God and profit his Church Neither will these my labours be vtterly vnprofitable if my purpose therein be rightly conferred with the purpose of my writings For such Housholders as pretend to be great Protestants and sound professors of the Gospell may long enough talke of Discipline and still complaine of the want of Church gouernment but all in vaine and to no purpose vnlesse they will begin this most necessary discipline in reforming their owne houses according to the direction in this Treatise and so suffer the holy religion of God to take place among their familie at home otherwise they shall trauell much and profite little For although there be neuer so good lawes in Cities neuer so pure order in Churches yet if maisters of families do not practise at home catechising in their houses and ioyne their helping hands to Magistrates and Ministers they may in truth but vniustly as many haue done complaine that their children and seruants are disordered and corrupted abroad when in truth they were disordered and are still corrupted and marred at home And therefore it cannot be neither is it to be hoped for that either the father of his children or the husband of his wife or the maister of his seruants should looke for that obedience that reuerence that faithfulnesse and that dutifulnes which they of right ought to haue and the other in conscience and of bounden duties are bound to performe vnlesse they do now at length endeuour to see these orders and duties hereafter mentioned to be practised within their seuerall housholds For if Parents and Housholders shall performe no further dutie to their children and seruants then to prouide for them meate drinke and apparell and to pay them their wages then Papists Atheists yea Turkes and infidels do yeeld this dutie as well as they And seeing all men be carefull that their horses and bullockes should haue sufficient fodder and prouender to the end they may haue their labour in lieu and recompence thereof it doth consequently follow that therefore a Christian housholder ought to haue ouer his children and seruants as much more Christian care then he hath ouer dumbe and insensible beasts that so he may receiue a singular comfort from the daily contēplation of their increase in spirituall graces Oh what a sweet and comfortable thing shall this be to the soule and conscience of such an Householder when he hath bene so diligent and carefull in the training and bringing vp of his children and seruants in the obedience and wayes of the Lord that he may rightly deserue to haue this worthy report and commendation giuen vnto him from the mouth and penne of the godly Namely that he hath a Church in his house that is a company of sound and faithfull Christians such as feare God indeed as the like report was giuen by the Apostle to those godly house-keepers Aquila and Priscilla his wife Rom. 16. 5. 1. Cor. 16. 19 as also to Philemon Phil. 2. Therefore all Parents and householders are in the Lord to be exhorted that they would be carefull to bring vp their children and familie so as they either by some good tokens may see them the children of God and heires of his Couenant or at the least they may be comforted in their owne consciences notwithstanding that their children and seruants for some cause vnknowne to them do refuse their counsell and instruction seeing they to the vttermost of their power and abilitie haue vsed all good meanes to bring them vp well and haue rightly offered them to the Lord. Now if parents and maisters haue iust cause to bewaile and lament when thus trauelling in good education information they cannot yet see good effects and godly fruites in their children and seruants how much more cause of griefe may they haue when they haue vsed bestowed no labor at all either by themselues or others for them to bring them vp in the nurture and feare of the Lord And yet alas many will be grieued for the one that will not be any thing moued for the other Wherefore let all parents and maisters of families know

wicked sonne Caine obtained a righteous Abel of whom when by his bloudie brother they were bereft they receiued that holy man Seth. Abraham be getting in the flesh had a cursed sonne Ismael but waiting by faith for the accomplishment of God his couenant he obtained a blessed Isaack Iacob not content with one wife according to the ordinance of God was punished in his children yet afterward being humbled he receiued faithfull Ioseph Elkanah and Hannah praying and beinst cast downe had a Samuel that did minister before the Lord. Dauid and Bethsheba lamenting their sins obtained Salomon a man of excellent wisedome Zacharias and Elizabeth fearing the Lord receiued Iohn the Baptist a fore-runner of Christ. Looke what sinnes parents haue receiued naturally without God his great blessing without prayer and humbling themselues they shall conuey them to their posteritie And although the Lord granteth sometimes ciuill gifts vnto the children of naturall and carnall men yet for the most part they receiue their naturall sinne But if the children of God by regeneration do see into themselues and lament their sinnes of generation praying that their naturall corruptions may be preuented in their posterities they shall see the great mercies of God in some measure freeing their children from the same Now when thou shalt see such sinnes to be in thy children enter into thine owne heart examine thy selfe whether they are not come from thee Consider how iustly the hand of God may be vpon thee and when thou wouldest be angry with thy childe haue an holy anger with thy selfe and vse this and such like meditation with thine owne soule Lord shall I thus punish mine owne sinne and that in mine owne childe shall I thus persecute the corruptions of my ancestors Nay I see ô Lord and proue that thou art displeased with me for the too carnall conception of my childe I lay then in some sinne I asked it not of thee by prayer be mercifull vnto me ô Lord and in thy good time shew some pittie vpon my child Thus thinking thou goest about to correct nature in thy childe which he could not helpe arming thy selfe with prayer repenting with Iacob thou shalt be so affected as desirous to draw thy child out of sin yet with the mildest meanes and least rigor And one thing is most wonderfull that some will teach their children to speake corruptly and do wickedly whilest they are young and yet beate them for it when they are old Againe some will imbolden their little ones to practise iniquitie towards others which when by the iust iudgement of God they afterwards exercise towards the parents themselues they are corrected for it And yet reason with these and such like men for the euill education of their children and they will answer Do not we as much as is of vs required we send our children to the Church to be instructed of the Pastor and to the schoole to be taught of the maister if they learne it will be the better for them if not they haue the more to answer for what can we do more But remember ô man consider ô woman whosoeuer thus speaketh that for sinnes sake and the want of prayer there may be a plague vpon the Pastors paines and a curse vpon the teachers trauell If parents therefore would haue their children blessed at the Church and at the schoole let them beware they giue their children no corrupt example at home by any carelesnesse prophanenesse or vngodlinesse for when examples are set before childrens eyes they are easily led away to that which is euill otherwise parents will do them more harme at home then both Pastor and schoole-maister can do good abroad For the corrupt example of the one fighteth with the good doctrine of the other which is so much the more dangerous because that corrupt walking is armed with nature therefore more forcibly inclineth the affections of children to that side And further experience teacheth vs that children like or mislike more by countenance gesture and behauiour then by any rule doctrine or precept whatsoeuer Some there be that will not haue their children taught vntill they be ten or twelue yeares old because as they say at that age they haue but an apish imitation To whom we answer that although they cannot then deepely discerne nor profoundly conceiue things yet how many things before these yeares will they both receiue and remember And we demand if children be apish in imitation and following that whilst they be young which they will haue the habit qualitie or propertie of when they be old may they not much better do apishly good whiles they are young which they may carefully do when they are old Besides let them go so vntaught and they will grow so head-strong that they will sooner be broken then bended sure it is that one stripe or two words will do more good to a child in time then an hundred stripes afterward And here let parents be admonished of their vndiscreet correction who do their children more harme in shewing a merrie countenance after their discipline vsed then they do good by their chastisement of them whiles they do correct them Neither do we purpose to take away naturall affection and a Christian kind of compassion in all our censures for it is our great complaint of the brutish vnmercifulnesse of many parents here but we would wish Christians to correct their vndiscreet affections herein by heauenly wisedome Neither are we so Stoicall as to deny a more milde and affable kind of speech to be lawfully and conueniently vsed to children and yet we wish it to be voyd of all vnseemely lenitie and without all shew of foolish vaine and vnnecessary behauiour To be briefe how needfull houshold gouernment is towards children may appeare by the slender thriuing and small profiting either of religion or vertue either in the Church or Common-wealth Speake men of discipline neuer so much complaine they of the want of Church gouernment neuer so lowd preach they teach they neuer so much abroad vnlesse they will begin discipline in reforming their houses giue religion some roome at home they shall trauell much and profit little And surely if men be carefull to reforme themselues first and then their families if their charge be greater then their circuites and prouinces wherein the Lord hath placed them it were the best way to moue the Lord to bestow reformation discipline on his Church among vs and of all meanes that now may be hoped for this seemeth best for of particular persons come families of families townes of townes prouinces of prouinces realmes so that conueying discipline thus from one to another in time and that shortly it would come into the Church Well we say let there be neuer so good lawes in Cities neuer so pure order in Churches if there be no practise at home if fathers of families vse not doctrine and discipline in their houses and ioyne their

vs and all our familie in the night from outward dangers and giueth vs freedome from feares and terrors and from Sathans rage and also giueth vs rest comfortable sleepe for the refreshing of our fraile bodies is it not meete we should begge it at his hand by prayer before we prepare our selues to rest and praise him for it when we rise from it Againe seeing that euery day we are subiect to innumerable dangers which we know not of and both wisedome and strength to follow good and honest callings and also the blessing vpon our labours to make vs prosper by them are from God alone should we not begin the day with feare vnto God for his gracious protection and for his mercifull blessing of vs And seeing meates and drinks are sanctified vnto vs on Gods part by the word and ours by prayer doubtlesse though God hath by his word sanctified them they are vnholy vnto vs when we do not for our part sanctifie them by faithfull prayer and thanksgiuing And this was Dauids practise Psal. 55. 1. Euening and morning and at noone tide will I pray and make a noise and he will heare my voice If any say it is sufficient for the gouernour to charge euery one in his familie to do it priuately by himselfe so might the Prince say it is enough to do as Darius did to charge euery one in all his dominions to worship no God but Daniels God Yet godly Princes thought it their dutie to set vp the worship ofGod in their dominions and to take order that God might be worshipped publickely and ioyntly of all in their land So did Iob for his houshold not onely bid his children pray to God by thēselues but he appointed set times of praying together and sacrificing and commanded his children to come prepared thereunto Againe if the maister lay the matter vpon the consciences of such as be of his family then if they be negligent God shall haue no honour and worship in that family But we reade of Abraham that wheresoeuer he became he built an altar to God where God should be worshipped ioyntly in his familie If God should measure out his goodnesse to thee as thou measurest honour and glory to him in what a case wert thou He doth giue a charge to his Angels to keepe thee he commandeth the earth to allow thee meate for thy sustenāce and his Commandement is an effectuall word that maketh them to do the thing that he chargeth them withall Wilt thou now onely bid thy seruant or sonne to serue and honour God and not see that he do it and helpe him in it Then thou doest not measure out vnto God as thou wouldest haue him measure to thee This duty then belongeth to a Christian head of a familie to worship God with all his family and to take order that when he shal be absent vpon necessarie occasions it may be done reuerently and onely by some one in his family that by reason of wit and age may be meete for it The neglect of this dutie letteth into families many grieuous enormities and outward miseries while God in his iustice refuseth to blesse such as by their carelesnesse in seruing of him do shew that they take not him to be the author of all wel-fare to soule or body but thinke to do well enough without him or else thinke to haue their turnes serued without requesting The third dutie which the chiefe gouernour must performe to all in his familie is priuate instruction and dealing with them in matters of religion for the building of them vp in true faith and for the inuring and bringing of them to a conscience towards God that they may not onely know and professe religion but also feele and shew the power of religion in their liues This dutie hath these specials belonging to it First a familiar and plaine opening vnto them the principles of religion after the manner of a Catechisme This duty the holy Ghost layeth vpon parents Ephes. 6. 1. Traine them vp in doctrine and holy precepts drawne out-of the word The like was commanded to parents in the old law Let these words which I command thee this day be in thine heart and whet them vpon thy children and speake of them when thou sittest in thy house when thou walkest in the way when thou liest downe and when thou risest vp c. So that it is not enough to bring thy children to be catechized at the Church but thou must labour with them at home after a more plaine and easier manner of instruction that so they may the better profit by the publike teaching Looke Prouerbs 22. 6. Thou euen by breeding thy children hast helped them into corruption and 〈◊〉 damnable estate how oughtest thou then by all holy care and paines taken with them in teaching them the knowledge of God in Christ to helpe them out of it that they may not be firebrands of hell And for seruants seeing they spend their strength wearie out their bodies and bestow their dayes and yeares in seeking thy profit and ease oughtest not thou then to seeke the saluation of their soules Salomon saith The iust man hath regard to his beast much more shouldest thou haue regard to thy seruant who is made according to the image of God with thee and is redeemed with as deare a price as thou art And thy care for him should not stretch to his body alone but especially to his soule that seeing his calling will not suffer him to vse so many and so often meanes for the good of it as were requisite he might herein be helped by thee The second speciall is an acquainting them with the Scriptures by reading them daily in thy house in their hearing and directing them to marke and make vse of those things which are plaine and easie according to their capacitie So Timothie was trained vp by his parents in the Scriptures so that he knew them from a child that is was made acquainted with them by reading them and being instructed in them according to his capacitie This shal make them the fitter to heare and profit by the publike ministerie whereas the neglect of this duty makes them vnable to heare and vnderstand the Preacher when he citeth examples or quoteth texts out of sundry places of Scripture The helpe that their family might reape by it should make them carefull in this reading of the Scripture The third is a diligent care and regard that they profit by the publike ministery of the word and Sacraments euery one according to their capacitie And this duty requireth that they should not onely looke that they do diligently frequent the preaching of the word and carefully come to the Sacraments in due time but also that they shew them how and put them in mind of preparing themselues to the word and Sacraments as lob did his sonnes They must prepare them to heare the word by willing them

leauing their lawfull wiues tooke others Because saith he the Lord hath bene witnesse betweene thee and the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast transgressed yet is she thy companion and the wife of thy couenant The promise therefore to God cannot be broken but onely by his authoritie In the dayes of Moses husbands were easily and soone intreated to sorsake their wiues by giuing them a bill of diuorce yet so farre was this course from being lawfull that contrarywise Iesus Christ saith that it was tolerated only in respect of the hardnesse of husbands hearts who otherwise would haue vexed their wiues and intreated them cruelly And this libell containing the cause of diuorce and putting away of the woman did iustifie her and condemne the man For seeing it was neuer giuen in case of adulterie which was punished with death all other causes alledged in the libell tended to iustifie the woman and declare that she was wrongfully diuourced and so condemned the husband as one that contraryed the first institution of marriage whereto Iesus Christ condemning this corruption doth returne them saying It was not so from the beginning And therefore Whosoeuer shall put away his wife except it be for whoredome and marrieth another committeth adulterie and whosoeuer marrieth her which is diuorced doth commit adulterie with her So straight is the bond of marriage Here of it followeth that notwithstanding whatsoeuer difficulties may arise betweene the husband and the wife whether it be long tedious and incurable sicknesse of either party whether naturall and contrary humours that breed debate wrangling or 〈◊〉 about household affaires whether it be any vice as if the husband be a drunkard or the wife a slothfull idle or 〈◊〉 housewife whether either party forsake the truth and profession of religion and do fall to idolatrie or heresie yet still the bond of marriage remaineth stedfast and not to be dissolued Neither may they be separated euen by their owne mutuall consent for as the holy Ghost hath pronounced That which God hath ioyned together let no man put asunder And therefore Saint Paul saith If any brother hath a wife that beleeueth not if she be content to dwell with him let him not forsake her and the woman which hath an husband that beleeueth not if he can be content to dwell with her let her not for sake him And because some did suppose that the vnbeleefe in anie of the parties might breed some pollution in their marriage and make it prophane and vnchristian he answereth no. His reason is For the vnbeleeuing husband is sanctified by his beleeuing wife and the vnbeleeuing wife by her beleeuing husband And this he proueth by affirming that the childrēissuing of such marriage be holy that is to say partakers of the couenant of God and consequently accepted into the fellowship of the Church Onely he addeth this exception If the vnbeleeuing man depart and for sake the beleeuing wife she is not subiect to follow him And yet must this be vnderstood where such departure ariseth either vpon hatred that he beareth to the true religion that bis wife prosesseth or vpon a desire to vse his polluted and false religion For therein cannot his wife follow him without danger of defiling and depriuing her selfe of the profession of the truth together with the food of her soule Likewise where Saint Paul speaking of the husband and wife both beleeuers saith If the woman depart from her husband let her remaine vnmarried or be reconciled to her husband he therein meaneth not that it shall be lawfull for the woman because she cannot beare the troublesome nature of her husband or to auoyde strife and debate to depart and liue as a widdow but onely he 〈◊〉 that when the husband vpon such like occasion shall put away or cast off his wife yet is not she at her libertie to marry another but must remaine vnmarried and labour to be reconciled And therefore those women which vpon the hard dealing or troublesome disposition of their husbands do for sake them are greatly to be reproued as thereby giuing occasion of great mischiefe and trouble as also are those husbands who vpon like occasion do forsake their wiues For seeing nothing may make diuorce but adultery euery purpose and determination to part vpon any other occasion or reason is restrained by Gods ordinance and the law of marriage And 〈◊〉 as it is not lawfull for vs to continue in such desperation the whole course of our liues neither is it lawfull so to abide at all or so much as enter thereinto if therefore vpon such occasion the husband forsake his wife or the wife her husband rather then to continue the mischiefe begun let them returne together againe and thinke that the shortest follies do least hurt If they alledge their intreaty in their opinion intollerable and their nature so contrary that they cannot liue without strife and debate and that being asunder and quiet in conscience free from trouble they may the better apply themselues and employ their time in prayer the answer is that such 〈◊〉 must not dissolue or breake the bond of marriage and their duties to liue together but let them thinke that God hath called them to the exercise of patience which vpon hearty prayer he will grant to them Let them labour to beare each with other that they may liue in peace and continually pray to God to giue them grace so to do Let them remember that the diuell transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light when by propounding a desire to liue in quiet and consequently a meane to pray vnto God for the compassing thereof he induceth them to gainesay Gods prohibition and also to separate that which God hath ioyned together For as the coniunction commeth of God so the separation and diuorce proceedeth from the diuell If they reply that by liuing asunder so that they marry not againe they breake not the bond of marriage let them remember that marriage being ordained for a remedie against fornication for the generation and bringing vp of children and also for an helpe each to other in mutuall societie and inseparable conuersation oflife yet doth there appeare no token or effect of marriage in those that liue asunder albeit they marry not againe So that the benefit of marriage consisteth not onely in the procreation of children but also in the mutuall societie of the two diuerse Sexes Otherwise it could not be said that there were any marriage betweene two old folkes This vnion of marriage yet teacheth vs another duty common both to the man and to the wife which is that their goods be common betweene them That Common-wealth may in some sort be said to be happy where they haue no vse of these words Mine and thine but in marriage especially they ought not to be heard If the wife haue brought most goods in marriage the marriage once consummate and made her part is gone and

when she was sent for of Dauid to be his wife she first bowed her selfe to the seruants and then made this lowly answer to him that brought the message Behold let thine handmaid be seruant to wash the feete of the seruants of my Lord. Thirdly to admonish them louingly to salute their friends and acquaintance and generally all others whom they take to be Christians and brethren which consisteth in praying well to others wishing health prosperitie vnto them Luke 1. 28. 40. 1. King 1. 17. Fourthly to put them in mind to acknowledge a benefit where they haue receiued it with giuing of thanks Fiftly to teach them to confesse an offence where it is committed with humble crauing of pardon An example hereof they may haue in that vertuous and faire spoken matron Abigail as they may reade in 1. Sam. 25. 23. c. Oh that men and children saw what great dangers they draw vpon them by the neglect of this duty and might preuent it and also what gratious blessings they might procure both to themselues and others by meanes of it as this vertuous Abigail kept Dauid from shedding of innocent blood saued her owne life with the liues of her familie and in the end was receiued to be a Princes wife for the wise carriage of her selfe in this matter Againe parents must teach their children good manners and ciuill behauiour to rise vp to their betters to vncouer the head to make obeysance to be curteous towards their equals to be gentle and louely to their inferiours and louing and kind to all this is no lesse needfull for youth then their meate and their drinke Also to admonish them to giue their elders and betters leaue to speake before them Iob 32. 45. That they keepe silence while their betters are in place vntill they be spoken vnto and then they must make answer in few words without vnnecessary circumstances and directly vnto the matter And they may not be loud babling or hote in speech but cold and milde Prouerbes 17. Warne them that they do not interrupt or trouble others whiles they are in speaking Prou. 19. 20. Wherfore if children will keepe the bounds of good manners they must not be streperous or troublesome in talke but they must obserue and take their due time and course And if there be any thing spoken vnto which they would willingly make answer they must either curteously craue leaue of him that speaketh or else they must carrie it in remembrance vntill their turne cometh to speake which is the better of the twaine And further they must giue an entercourse of speech vnto others and suffer others to speake by them for there is a time to keepe silence and so to heare others speaking for he that will haue all the talke passeth the bounds of good manners Moreouer parents ought to teach their children how to frame their gestures to a reuerent and dutifull behauiour towards others which consisteth in these points 1. The first is to meete those that are comming towards them And of this they haue an example in holy Abraham Genes 18. 2. where it is said And he lifted vp his eyes and looked and lo three men stood by him and when he saw them he ranne to meete them from the tent doore Againe another example they may haue in king Salomon sitting vpon his regall Throne 1. King 2. 19. Bethsheba therefore went to King Salomon to speake vnto him for Adoniah and the King rose to meete her 2. The second is to rise vp to elders and betters when they passe by them And this is taught Leuiticus 19. 23. Thou shalt rise vp before the hoar-head and houour the person of the old man and dread thy God I am the Lord. But here we must warne you of a great abuse which for the most part is cōmitted in all Churches and which tendeth to the high dishonour of God which is this that neither you your selues neither your children nor seruants do know the time of your duties but you will then rise vp to men when both you and they should kneele downe to God as if one that is more honorable among you shall come into the Church while you are vpon your knees in prayer vnto God presently you start vp and leaue God to reuerence men Is this religion Is this deuotion becomming Gods house Is not this all one as if a man should say Stay God here comes in my father my maister my worshipfull neighbour and my good friend to whom I am much beholden I must do my dutie vnto him I must rise vp till he be past and then I will come to thee againe What is this but to preferre men before God This doing plainely sheweth that such are louers of men more then of God and that such as take this dutie and reuerence vpon them are robbers of Gods honour and they shall answer him for it Is there no time to shew our duty towards men but euen then when we are about Gods seruice Why know you when man standeth before God how honourable soeuer he be he is but dung and filth and not to be regarded in comparison of him And let parents learne this wisedome that while they are taught their duties towards men it is not to rob God of his worship but there is an appointed time to euery dutie and purpose as Ecclesiastes in his third Chapter well admonisheth To all things there is an appointed time and a time to euery purpose vnder heauen It is recorded of Leuie to his eternall praise Deut. 33. 9. that in Gods cause he said of his father and mother I see him not neither knew he his brethren nor his owne children Euen so beloued our eyes and our minds and deuotions should be so fixed and intent vpon God when we are in his seruice that we should not see nor regard any man in that while And againe we reade in the second Chapter of the Gospell after Saint Iohn of our Sauiour himselfe who though he was the most dutifull child that euer was borne of woman yet when he was about his fathers businesse he said vnto his mother Woman what haue I to do with thee Which examples will teach vs that when we are about Gods seruice all other duties must sleepe and be laid apart 3. The third dutie of good manners to be obserued in their gesture is to stand while their betters are sitting in place Example of this we haue in holy Abraham of his entertaining of the three strangers as it is written Geneses 18. 8. And he tooke butter and milke and the calfe which he had prepared and set before them and stood by himselfe vnder the tree and they did eate Well may Abraham be called the father of the faithfull for giuing his children so good example 4. The fourth dutie is to bend the knee in token of humilitie and subiection example of this 1. King 2. 19. 5. The fift thing is that they giue

prouision according to their degrees for the reliefe and maintenance of their children and familie And therefore such fathers and mothers as consume and wast away their money and substance vnthriftily by dycing carding gaming or by any other indirect and vnlawfull meanes whereby their children and familie should be maintained do very vnnaturally sin and breake Gods Commandements The Wiseman sheweth parents when is the best time to sow the seed of vertue in their children that it may bring forth the fruite of life and make them alwayes readie to die saying Eccles. 12. 1. Remember now saith he thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth As if he should say Be mindfull and thinke on God in thy youth and do not prolong or deferre it vntill age And so all their life shall runne in a line the middle like the beginning and the end like the middle as the Sunne setteth against the place where it arose One of the principallest duties that belong to parents towards their children is that they be very wary and carefull that their sonnes and daughters do not match in marriage with such as are vngodly wicked and voyde of true religion Which if they do they endanger the faith of their children and so commit a grieuous sinne For proofe whereof let vs consider first what marriage is and how nigh a coniunction the Lord hath made it He made the woman of the mans nature flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones So that we may not imagine that that God which required so neare a coniunction in the outward and inferiour part will suffer the minde and spirit of the husband and wife betweene faith and superstition to be rent asunder Therefore when God said They shall be two in one flesh we may not thinke but that he spake it of the whole and perfect creature made of bodie and soule that they should be of two one or that God did by so holy a Law set free the holiest part requiring onely such agreement in the flesh and bodie and leaue the soule and spirit in dissention For as God gaue vnto both one name as touching their earthly nature signifying their vnitie and called them Adam Genesis 5. 2. so he gaue vnto them a likenesse in name as they were ioyned in marriage to signifie their agreement in minde and spirit and called the one man and the other woman Genesis 2. 22. 23. Yea he gaue vnto marriage this especiall priuiledge For this cause shall a man leaue his father and his mother and shall cleaue to his wife and they shall be one flesh but it could neuer be that any vniting onely of flesh and bloud should haue found a dispensation from the Law that bindeth minde and conscience Honour thy father and thy mother Exod. 20. 12. The holy and faithfull bond of marriage betweene man and wife is commended to vs by that most holy coniunction of Christ with his Church Ephes. 5. 2. Seeing that this is a coniunction both of bodie and soule then such as are Christian parents ought to be carefull that their children may reioyce in it howsoeuer it liketh others to marrie their children yet they ought to see that their children do settle themselues that they may knit their minds in religion where they make their bodies one that so their marriage may be to them as a looking-glasse to view and behold the loue of Christ. S. Paul giueth this generall rule to all that wil marrie that they marrie onely in the Lord and to marrie only in the Lord is not to be led by flesh and bloud with fauour credite honour friendship riches or beautie but rather it is to marrie religiously in the feare of God in the fellowship of the Church of Christ where true Christians liue by one faith professe one religion and serue one God Now let vs a little call to our remembrance what fruit such vnequal mariages haue brought forth from the beginning The sonnes of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and they tooke them wiues of all that they liked This aduenturous marriage in a strange religion did so infect the world that all flesh had corrupted his wayes For this cause God gaue this plaine and expresse Law vnto the people of Israel as touching all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan Thou shalt not giue thy daughters vnto his sonnes Deut. 7. 2. 3. 4. Exod. 34. 16. Surely they will turne away thy heart 1. Kings 11. 2. Ezra 9. 1. 2. c. and 10. 18. 19. Reade the places We may not here thinke that this inhibition serueth not now 〈◊〉 ys as touching Pagans Turks or Infidels but rather we must assure our seiues in the truth and know that no people in the world are more within the compasse of this law then the Papists and superstitious idolaters The holy Ghost forbiddeth vs to keepe company with Idolaters and such as are of a strange religion and how can he then permit that we should marrie with them He commandeth streightly that we should not draw in one yoke with the vnbeleeuing 2. Cor. 6. 14. which to do is as vnseemely as an Oxe and an Asse to be yoked together to plough Deut. 22. 10. And how can we possibly deuise to violate and breake this commandement more contumeliously then to yoke our selues in marriage with the vnfaithfull We are charged To offer vp our bodies a liuely a holy and a reasonable sacrifice vnto God Rom. 12. 1. But if we shall giue our bodies to Papists we then shall make them one flesh with the Papists and then we may be sure that no corrupt sacrifice can be a sweete smelling sacrifice vnto the Lord our God Here godly parents ought then aduisedly to consider that the strengthening and constant standing in religion of their children is onely of God and from God and not of themselues and therefore although they haue brought vp their children religiously and vertuously and thinke they are so well grounded and setled therein that they cannot be remoued drawne from their sound profession yet they must beware that they do not tempt God and venture their children to walke in that way which so many haue fallen in How can they assure themselues that their children shall abide constant and stand vpright if they shall consent that they may couple themselues in marriage with Papists Sampson was borne by Gods promise consecrated to the Lord from the day of his birth to the day of his death made a Iudge of Israel a deliuerer of Gods Church and a reuenger of his enemies very great and especiall tokens of the grace of God in him that it should be continued yet when he would attempt to marry one of a strange religion he lost his honour and became a laughing-stocke vnto the enemies of God Iudges the fourteenth Chapter and first verse c. and 16. 4. 17. 18. c. Salomon was a