The first Chapter.

ANd the cause why I haue first begun with this duty of Husbands, is for that I find it to bee the first degree which God gaue vnto Man after his Creation: & therein, that when God gaue vn­to man the rule of the whole earth, and the domination of allGen. 2. the creatures therein contained, yet, vntill hee gaue vnto him a Wife, hee had no true content in all the rest besides, for euery creature had solace in their kind [Page 2] except Man: but so was it not with Man till God gaue vntoMan had no true content till God gaue vnto him a Wife. him a Wife: Then finding her a companion fit to associate him selfe withall, with her he setled his content. And this did God for Man in the time of his inno­cencie, giue vnto him this wife, thereby leauing vnto vs this in­struction, that we also ought to liue so vprightly, so holily, and so purely in the state of wed­locke, that we sinne not against God, nor against one another: And heere is one especiall thing to be noted, that God gaue vnto Man but one Wife, and not two or three, or many, and yet hee could haue giuen him more as well as one, if he had knowne it meete so to be: But the Prophet Malachie doth tell vs why hee gaue him but one: because saithMalachie. 2. he, he sought a godly seed.

See heere my bretheren, God reiecteth your seed of bastardie, begotten in your filthy fornica­tion and abomninable adultery, he chuseth none of these, it is the seed of lawfull wedlocke whereof he maketh his choyse to inherite his Kingdome, and raigne in glory with his beloued Sonne.

And whence proceeded this breach of Gods Commande­ment at first? came it not from that wicked blood of Caine, was not Lamech that murtherer likeThe first breach of wedlocke from Lamech. his Father the first author ther­of? yea he was so: for you plain­ly see that God at the first ordai­ned it not so to be, and what heGen. 4. first ordained, hee still confir­meth: for when hee drownedGen. 7. the whole world, yet he preser­ued vnto Noah but one woman, and that his owne Wife, thereby [Page 4] teaching vnto man that he ought to keepe himselfe vnto his owne wife onely, & when he gaue his lawes vnto his owne chosen people with his owne hand wri­ting,Exodus. 20. he then saith, Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours wife, speaking in the singular number, so that by him we find no nomination of any plurall.

Obiect. But it may be you will obiect and say, that the Saints and ser­vants of God as Abraham, Iacob, Dauid and others, haue not ob­serued this rule, but haue had diuers wiues, and therefore be­ing the beloued and chosen of God, they could not erre in these things. Answer. To this I answer, it plea­sed God to permit his seruants to doe many things which hee commanded not, he suffered A­braham to say Sarah his wife wasGen. 11. his sister, and Ioseph to sweare byGen. 44. [Page 5] the life of Pharoah, and Dauid to2. Sam. 11. commit adultery and murther, and many other the like, and yet we know that all these thinges were directly against the will of1. King. 11. God, Salomon had many wiues indeed, but they drew him to Idolatry.

We reade that Moses suffered the people of Israell to giue their wiues a bill of diuorce­ment,Deu. 24. and so to put them away, but our blessed Sauiour tellethMath. 10. the Iewes that it was for the hard­nes of their hearts, and to pre­uent further euils that Moses permitted it so to bee, and that from the beginning it was not so.

But to returne to our former matter againe, let vs see from whence this wife came that GodIf a man will respect the gift of his friend, for his friends sake, how much more ought he to esteeme of his wife which God giues vnto him? hath giuen vnto man, that so of him she may accordingly be re­garded, [Page 6] as indeed shee should: we find it to be most true that of mans owne selfe, God made him this compannion and wife, and that not from the head of man neither, least shee should claime to rule where her power consists not, nor of the foot, least shee should be disdayned & despised of her Husband, but from the very body is shee taken, nay it is not enough for thee to spare of thine own flesh for to make thee a wife of, but thou must spare a bone too, if thou wilt haue a fit companion for thee.

And now (oh man) hauing re­ceiued so rich a Iewell, rich and deare indeed being so neare vn­to thee, and that from the onely hand of the great and Almighty God, shee being the worke of his owne hands, sure it must needs be exceeding good which [Page 7] he maketh, and of an exceeding value which he vouchsafeth to giue, and consider it well and you shall find it so to bee: wee haue an old prouerbe, that it is a sweet collop that is cut out of the owne flesh, but I am sure it must needs bee sweet and deere, for that is both of thine owne flesh and bone: Oh man, be wise in vsing this thy Iewell as thou oughtest, least thou bee found vnworthy of her by him that gaue her vnto thee, and so hee take her againe, & then too late thou lament thy losse.

Will you haue my aduice here­in? I see no better way then to beHow to keepe a good wi [...]e when a man hath her. wise and discreet in the vsing of her, nor any fitter place to keepe her in, then that from whence shee came, neere thy heart man, I meane, I know shee came from thence, lay her there againe, lay [Page 8] her there againe, let her not stray from thence, nay, locke her in there with the key of good discretion, and so shalt thou be sure to find a comfortable trea­sure of her at thy need, a com­fortable treasure indeed as thou mayest vse her.

You will happily say vnto me, Obiect. I speake well for a good Wife, for shee deserues that place in­deed: but there are many wiues of such lewd and froward con­dition, that their Husbands are most happiest when they are far­thest from them, and such a wife deserues not that place. I an­swer Answer. with the words of Salomon, Eccle. 16. A vertuous woman shall bee giuen vnto him that feareth the Lord, and therefore he that will haueGood coun­sell for a man to get a good wife by. such a one, let him seeke to bee vertuous himselfe first, that so he may obtayne such a blessing [Page 9] of the Lord, for sure happy is the man that hath such a one, her price is farre aboue the pearles, his treasure is vnvaluable, if I should explaine her vertues as much as Salomon, yet I should not at full expresse her worth, but leaue her as he hath done, that her owne workes may giue her her due praise.

The Second Chapter.

ANd now wee see that God hath giuen vnto man so deare and pre­tious a Companion to liue with him, let vs see what dutyes he would haue these to performe one towards the o­ther, and first to beginne with the man, because he is the head,Gen. 3. for so we find him to bee: And [Page 10] if in this case wee seeke the whole booke of God through, yet wee shall find the effect and end thereof to be wholy and on­ly loue, for Saint Paule teachethEphe. 5. that men ought to loue their wiues as their owne bodies, and he sheweth the reason of it, for saith he, no man euer yet hated his owne flesh, but nourisheth & cherisheth it, euen as Christ doth the Church, for thus theGen. 23. Saints and seruants of God go­uerned their wiues in times past, Abraham loued Sarah his Wife, Isaack loued Rebecka his Wife,Gen. 26. yea, the storie recordeth that they sported together.

This hath that great ProphetIt is not e­nough for a man to liue quietly with his wife, but he must liue lo­uingly with her also. & seruant of God Moses expres­sed thereby, to show vnto men, that it is not enough for them to liue peacably and quietly with their wiues, but they must liue [Page 11] louingly with them also: thus did Iacob loue his wife, yeeldingGen. 28. service to his vnckle and maister Fourteen yeares, to the end hee might enioy her after: Elkana 1. Sam. 1. loued Hanna his wife, and Samp­son Iudg. 1. Tob. [...] his wife, and Tobias and o­thers their wiues: And you see it must be no ordinary loue nei­ther, but it must bee like that ex­traordinary great loue which Christ shewed vnto his Church,Ephe. 5. who gaue himselfe for it, thatMan is to loue his wife as Christ his Church. hee might make it vnto himselfe a glorious Church, not hauing spot or wrinckle, or any such thing, but that it should be who­ly & without blame. I will say with the blessed Apostle, this is a great secret, yea such a one which man is not commaunded in all poynts to imitate, for the man is not commanded to giue his life for his wife, as Christ did [Page 12] for his Church, and yet he is toIn what poynts to I­mitate Christ. protect her in all perils and dangers, euen as hee doth his Church: he must gouerne her in his wisedome by the word of God, both by continuall in­structions from thence, and by his owne louing and gentle be­hauiour towards her and all o­thers, yea, he must be laborious in his calling, that so he may pro­uide all thinges necessary for her, for so doth Christ for his Church, he is alwaies protecting it and prouiding for it, For this cause shall a man leaue his Father & Mat. 19. 5. his Mother, and shall cleaue vnto his wife, and they twayne shall bee one flesh.

Saint Peter being himselfe a married man, doth giue many notable instructions like these, who speaking by the spirit of God, and in the knowledge hee [Page 13] had of marriage, yet imposeth this duty vnto men, ye Husbands dwell with your Wiues as men of 1. Pet. 3. knowledge, giuing honour vnto the woman as vnto the weaker vessell, euen [...] they which are heyres toge­ther of the grace of life, that your prayers be not interrupted: and the wise man giueth thee this coun­sell, not to depart from a discreet and Eccle. 7. good woman which is fallen vnto thee for thy portion in the feare of the Lord, (for sayth he) the guift of her honesty is farre aboue gold: If thou haue a wife after thine owne mind, forsake her not, and commit not thy selfe to the hatefull, vse thy selfe to liue ioyfully with thy wife whom thou louest, all the dayes of thy life, which is but vaine that God hath giuen thee vnder the Sunne, all the dayes of thy vanity, for that is thy portion in this life of all thy la­bour and trauile that thou takest vn­der [Page 14] the sunne.

And our Sauiour Christ him­selfe confirming on earth what his Father had done in paradice, vouchsafed to grace a nuptiall feast with his blessed presence: & to expresse his loue the more which hee bare to the holy vni­on then there knitte betwixt theIohn. 2. Man and his wife, he expresseth his glory in shewing his first mi­racle which he wrought on earth at this mariage, & that of ioy, by turning there water into wine, to comfort and glad their hearts withall.

And now that wee haue found that the most principall duty ofThe principal duty of the Husband to­wards his wife is loue. the Husband towards his Wife is loue, & that the word of God teacheth vs in what nature to ex­presse it, let vs looke into the glasse of our times and see how this duty of loue is performed, [Page 15] but I feare that among a hundred wee shall scarce finde one that striueth to performe this duty of loue as he ought, and too many that know not of any duty at allFew to bee found which loue their wiues as they should. to be obserued, or at least wise will know of none, and euen of those that doe know all, and yet make no conscience to per­forme any: for who, or where is hee that loueth his wife as him­selfe, and nourisheth and che­risheth her euen as Christ doth his Church, nay, see we not ra­ther the contrary, doe wee not see dayly many which consume great estates which their wiues doe bring them, through their owne vicious liues, some byFoure chiefe causes of the ruinating of mans estate. idlenesse, some by gaming, some by drunkennesse, some by who­ring, but of this I shall speake hereafter, some by one thing & some by another, who can deny [Page 16] but if there were loue in the man to his wife, he would be more carefull in preseruing his and her estate then thus? and yet wee see dayly a good woman brought to beggery by such lewd Hus­bands: where is any duty or loue in such?

And are there not others which to shew their authority,Churlish hus­bands voyd of the know­ledge of the law of God. will hold their wiues (in stead of fellowship) in such subiection & seruitude, that no seruant will performe the like vnto them, be­ing euen a very Nabal vnto them in churlishnes of speech & crab­bed conditions, that the poore wife is euen at her wits end in seeking to giue him content [...] where is wisedome in such Husbands, that should gouerne their wiues according to know­ledge? alas it appeareth that these men forgetting their duty [Page 17] to God, know not how to per­forme any duty at all towards their Wiues: Others there are that will follow no vocation or labour at all, but liue idely and lewdly & put the poore woman to shift for all: shee must pro­uide for her selfe, her Children; and her idle Husband too, or if he hap sometimes to get some­thing abroad, yet shee shall bee sure to be neuer the better for it, he wil bring none home to com­fort her, nay, not so much as to put cloathes to his owne backe, but that his poore Wife must prouide them, yea and discharge the Landlord too, or else shee shal want a house to put her head in: nay, hauing a profession to doe all this sufficiently of him­selfe, yet will he no way benefit his wife or himselfe, but wil im­pose all still vpon her: what [Page 18] shall we say of such men? and yet such there be, I protest vpon mine owne knowledge I know some of them. Saint Paul saith, he is worse then an Infidell that doth No feare of God, nor loue in them which doe not pro­uide for their families. not prouide for his family: but to cast pearles among such swine is not meet, for they will stoppe their eares at the voyce of the charmer, charme hee neuer so wisely: I will leaue them to the iust iudgement of God, who wil assuredly giue them their due, what loue doe these men show? nay, is there any loue at all in them, or any feare of God ei­ther?

It is a harts griefe to any good Christian, or well minded man to see and heare the dayly con­tentions, vproares, quarrelles, and disagreements betwixt hus­bands and wiues in these dayes, and yet who can deny but the [Page 19] world is too full of such, what shall wee say to these thinges? excuse it who will by laying theFaults in the Husband, pro­uing him the cause of the disagreeing betwixt his wife and him­selfe. fault on the Wiues, I say still the greatest part is in the Husband, hee by his vnkind and churlish speeches not fitting a husband to giue vnto his wife, his vnthrifti­nes in wasting abroad, what all doe labour for at home, his drunkenesse, his rash furiousnes, these with the rest aforesaid and a number more not here expres­sed, he (I say) by these occasions is dayly the cause of all these euills.

The third Chapter.

ANd there bee some of this number, that will know no other way to gouerne their wiues [Page 20] but by extreamity: why bro­ther,No way for a man to bring his with to loue him by compulsion. dost thou thinke to make thy Wife loue thee by beating of her, alas silly man, how art thou deceiued? loue is of ano­ther nature, shee will run freely of her selfe where she liketh, but will not bee drawne or compel­led by any force how great soe­ner.

And how canst thou thinke to haue her to shew any kindnesse or loue vnto thee, when thou seekest to rule by force? would'st thou haue her to stand in awe of thee, it is thy seruants duty and thy childs, not thy Wifes: I con­fesse shee is to bee obedient vnto thee? but her obedience mustThe wifes o­bedience must proceed from loue. proceed through loue, and a man may draw more from a woman by louing and kind vsing of her,More may be done by loue with a woman then by force. then any way by force, nay, more then he will or can expect of her, [Page 21] for shee is of that free nature where shee loueth, and is belo­ued, I speake not of supposition, but of knowledge.

But for a man to beate her whom both by the lawes of God and nature he is bound to loue, nourish, and cherish as his owne flesh, it doth shew great want ofThe man that beateth and doth misuse his wife, is voyd of the knowledge of God and of his lawes. knowledge both of God and of his lawes in such a man, for were the feare of God or wisedome in them, they would rather striue to gouerne them in another na­ture, I meane by loue and cle­mentcie, & not by force: besids, what a scandall & reproach doth such men raise vpon themseluesWhat scandals doe arise by varience be­tweene man and wife. amongst their neighbours, kin­dred and acquaintance who liue thus discentiously, making them­selues a by-word or common talke among them, which many times are not onely affrighted [Page 22] with them in their owne houses with the outcries of thē & their children, but are forced to spend their time & their mony to make the man and his wife friends: oh foolish madnes in men that cannot keepe their owne follies priuate to themselues, but they must make others acquainted with it!

I do remember that a reuerend diuine writing vpon this matter saith, that hee that cannot go­uerne his Wife without beating her, deserues to be beaten him­selfe, because hee did chuse no better but such a one whom hee could not rule without beating: of all waies I assuer thee this is the worst to rule her by, for by this thou not only withdrawest her loue from thee, which o­therwais to thy great comfort thou migh [...]estionioy, & for th [...] [Page 23] great good, but also hardnest her heart against thee, & makest her carelesse euen of thy good and her owne, yea many times suchDangerous euils arising by a mans vn­kind dealing with his wife. hard and vnkind dealing of the husband vnto the wife, causeth her to fall into such inconueni­ence as bringeth the ruine both of her and of her husband and children, and is not this folly in men to wrong thēselues thus by their misgouernement, respect­ing more their owne will, then their good & quiet? yea all must bee [...]t afside to giue place vnto will, so it is not enough for such a one to bee Lord and ruler ouer his wife as it is reason he should, but he will shew it, and that not in priuate neither, but openly, taking a glory in doing it, there­by explaining the follies of her whose weakenes he should hide, and opening his owne, whome [Page 24] wisedome would he should keep secret: besides what euill exam­plesEuill exam­ples in mai­sters corrup­ting their fa­milies. giue such men by these thinges vnto their families? yea, what haue such men to answer for vnto God which thus cor­rupt their families by these euill examples? amongst whom as a vine, it will extend it selfe into many branches: such a sin is not easily put away, he hath more need of Mary Magdalens teares, and with Peter to weepe bitterly, that is corrupt with such a sinne, and yet when he hath all done, he may winne (as I sayd) more by loue, then hee shall get by force.

But I haue not yet done with this branch of Loue, for I must tell you, that that man that doth not loue and liue louingly with his Wife, the spirit of God is not in such a one, and I proue it [Page 25] by his words, who was directed by the spirit of truth in that hee spake, I meane the blessed Apo­stle Saint Iohn, for he saith, that1. Iohn. 4. hee that dwelleth in loue, dwel­leth in God, and God in him: so then it must needes appeare that hee that dwelleth not in loue, dwelleth not in God, nor God in him: yea, hee proueth his words by these following, hee that loueth not, knoweth not God, for God is loue: yea, he go­eth so farre, that hee teacheth vs to know whether this loue be in vs, or no, for saith he, if we loue one another, we will loue God, & keepe his Commandements: also I know he speaketh there of the children of God: but as it ought so to bee in them one to­wards another, so it ought also more especially to bee in euery man particularly towards his [Page 26] owne Wife, & here is a toutch­stone will tell euery man truly whether he liue with his wife as hee ought to doe, or no, name­ly, if hee liue in loue with her and according to the Comman­dements of God: S▪ Iohn saith, that if any man saith hee loueth God and hateth his brother, hee is a liar, and if a man say hee lo­ueth God, and yet loueth not his wife, I say he is a lyar also.

But what shall I say? when I haue all done, I must leaue men to the consideration of what I haue witten, and wish and intreat them to be wise & submit them­selues vnto the gouernement of the word of God, that so they may liue: quietly and louingly with their wiues, and not onely so, but ioyfully (as the wise man saith) for surely hee hath obtay­ned a good portion that hath a [Page 27] wife that hee can liue ioyfully with, for if that a man do abound with wealth, so that he is able to giue vnto himselfe as much plea­sure as Salomon possessed as hisWhere peace and loue doe want, all o­ther things do seeme vnplea­sing. heart can desire, yet if hee liue not peaceably at home & in loue with his wife, euen all the rest are but a burthen vnto him: but the poore man (hauing little and yet liuing frendly, louingly and ioyfully with his wife) hath his heart more full of content then the rich man hath of all his wealth. Indeed as the old pro­uerbe sayth, in loue is no lacke,Where man wife agree, all thinges pros­per well. 1. Sam. 6. for where loue is vnited in the feare of God in the harts of man and wife, they will (like yoake fellowes) draw together the right way, like the two Milch Kine which brought the Arke of God in the new cart from the land of the Philistims, yea, they will [Page 28] plow together, & sow together, & there is no doubt, but through the blessing of him which gouer­neth them, they shall (so doing) receiue a plentifull haruest toge­ther. Thus we haue found that the principall duty of the Hus­band vnto the Wife is loue, and doe also finde that this duty is much neglected, contemned, & euen despised of many, as appea­reth by the euills dayly arising betwixt man & wife here before expressed, which I confesse to bee to many, yet there is one mayne defect in husbands which I may not ouer-passe, because it is the greatest breach of loue that may bee, which I will speake of in the Chap­ter following.

The Fourth Chapter.

THis duty of the Hus­band vnto the Wife being wholy included in the bonds of loue, it stretcheth it selfe farther into many branches: for we finde al­so by the word of God, that the Husband must dwell with his wife according to knowledge: so we see here that is not lawfull for the Husband to forsake his Wife, but howseuer, whether it be in weale or woe, in riches or in pouerty, yet he must abide & dwell with her still, onely Adul­try No cause whatsoeuer should sepa­rate man and wife, except Adultry. separateth man and wife: for this cause a man may forsake his wife and shee her husband, but if the wife be not an Adul­tresse, [Page 30] thou must not forsake her, no, not for any other cause, I confesse the wise man saith, giue me any plague, but the plague of the tongue: and it may bee thy wife hath this fault, yet this is not a sufficient cause for to forsake her, for our Saviour Christ tel­lethMat. 19. vs, it is not lawfull for a man to put away his wife, except it be for whoredome: yea hee doth vtterly forbid to separate whom God hath ioyned together: and saith further, that whosoeuer shall put away his wife, except it bee for fornication, causeth her to commit Adultery, and who­soeuerWhosoeuer marrieth her that is diuor­ced, doth com­mit Adultry. shall marry her that is di­uorced, committeth Adultry.

But the firebrands of hell, I meane the wicked and abomina­ble Adulterers of our time, (neither respecting the word of God, nor yeelding any obedi­ence [Page 31] to his Commandements, or fearing the iustice of his ven­geance to come for their disobedience) will notwithstanding (like the swine possessed by the Deuill) runne violently to their destructions: But Saint Paull 1. Cor. 6. telleth them plainely, that nei­ther Fornicators, Adulterers, wan­tons, An item for whoremon­gers and A­dulterers. nor such like, shall inherite the kingdome of God: whither they shall goe then I tremble to thinke of: for these men not re­garding these things, will haue a wife here, & another there, one in this Country, and another in another country: or if thy can­not range abroad to doe thus, but must abide at home, they will keepe a whore euen there, and yet the poore wife must not know of it, or if shee doe, shee must not seeme to know it or dare to speake of it, though shee [Page 32] bee neuer so much wronged by it: nay, this will not serue the beastly minds of some, but they will haue a whore in this corner, and another in another corner, and bee continually seeking of whores and whorish places, for all bread is sweet to a whore­monger, saith the wise man, hee will not leaue off till hee perish:Eccle. 23. a man that breaketh wedlocke, and thinketh thus in his heart, who seeth me, I am compassed about with darkenesse, the walls couer mee, no body seeth mee, whom need I to feare? the most high wil not remember my sins: the same man sayth, he shall bee punished in the streets of the citty, and shall bee chased like a young horse foale, and when he thinketh not vpon it, hee shall be taken: thus shall he be put to shame of euery man, because he [Page 33] would not vnderstand the feare of the Lord.

But what speake I of the wise mans words, whē God himselfe saith Thou shalt not commit Adul­try, Exodus. 20. and that thou shalt not couit thy neighbours Wife, nor his maide, nor his Daughter, and yet his wife, his maid, nor daughter, wil serue to satisfie the beastly minds of many men in this wicked age, but wiues, maides, and all that they may any way allure to their wicked purposes they will thus abuse: The Lord commanded there Deu. 23. should bee no whore-keepers among his people the Israelites, but if all such should bee swept out of this kingdome, I thinke a great part of our land would be vnpeopled, for neuer was this sin of whore­dome & adultry at such a haight as at this day it is amongst, vs a­mongst young men it is now [Page 34] counted but a tricke of youth, & among others of more yeares which should haue more grace, it is called the sweet pleasing sin of Letchery.

Oh England, England! Sodom & Gomorah committed not more sinne then thou dayly dost, and these haue felt the heauy hand of God long since, consuming them with fire and brimstone from heauen, and thinkest thouHeb. 13. to escape? no, no, the bed vnde­filed is honourable, but Whore­mongers and Adulterers God will iudge. Saint Iohn telleth suchReu. 21. plainely, they shall haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire & brimstone: you will thinke I am too bold to bee thus sharpe with you, but I say the tongues of men can neuer speake enough of this sinne, for the Lord hath set himselfe against such, and will [Page 35] be aswift witnesse against them: (for saith he) They assemble them­selues Mala. 3. by companies in the Harlots houses, and rise vp in the morning like fed horses, for euery man neigh­eth Iere. 5. after his neighbours wife, and now marke what followes: shall I not visit for these thinges sayth the Lord, shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this?

Woe be to you Whoremongers Whoremongers & Adulterers, doe not onely draw ven­geance on thē selues, but al­so on the nati­ons among whom they liue. and Adulterers, who not onely draw vengeance vpō your selues but even vpon the whole nation wherein you liue, against whom the Lord maketh ready the ar­rowes of his vengeance, whose portion is in that lake of fire vn­quenchable, Oh consider this yee that forget God, least hee tare you in Psalme. 50. peeces, and there be none to helpe!

Regard the words of Salomon, keepe thee from the wicked woman, & flattery of the tongue of a strange wo­man, [Page 36] desire not her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eye lids, for because of the whorish woman, a man is brought to a morcel of bread: And a woman will hunt for Pro. 6. the precious life of a man: can a man take fire in his bosom & not be burnt, or can he goe vpon coales, & his feete not be burnt: so he that goeth into his neighbours wife, shall not be innocent, whosoeuer toucheth her: should a man talke with one of these licentious liuers about some of his worldly affaires, he would thinke himselfe wise e­nough to conferre with any man, & in the eyes of the world seeme so, & yet Salomon proueth him ot be but a foole, for (saith hee,) hee that doth it, destroyeth his owne soule, yea he shall find a wound & dishonour, & his reproach shal ne­uer be put away: & againe in ano­thr place, The mouth of a strange Pro. 22. [Page 37] woman is a pit, and hee with whom the Lord is angry, shall fall therein: and thus I proceed somewhat the more largely in opening this breach of wedlocke, to the end you may see into what dangers these men doe dayly run into, which liue not louingly & faith­fully with their owne wiues, as the word of God enioyneth them to doe.

The Fift Chapter.

WEe see now by our last Chapter, how farre many husbands come short of the perfor­mance of that duty, which by the word of God they are inioy­ned to performe vnto their wiues, and the whole cause or [Page 38] chiefe ground we also see there to be the want of loue, or rather of true loue: for if there were in them that true loue which the feare of God worketh in the heart of euery good Christian, then it would leade them to that knowledge wherewith S. Peter 1. Pet. 3. teacheth husbands to be furnish­ed with: which I must a little further touch, for it is not e­nough for them to abide & dwel with their wiues, but they must dwell with them as men of knowledge, and men of vnder­standing, and experienced in the word of God, yeelding them­selues wholy vnto the guide of his word, and the obedience of his will and holy Commande­ments, this is the knowledge wherewith he instructeth them, and this will bring Husbands to performe that which Saint Paul [Page 39] teacheth, which is to loue your wiues▪ Ephe. 5. as Christ loued his Congregatiō: that is with a holy, harty and a con­stantHusbands ought to liue with their wiues as men of knowledge, experienced in the word of God. loue, for all these must bee performed by you: and except you labour to gather this know­ledge from the word of God, as the Bee doth for her hony a­mong the flowers, by your con­tinual exercise & meditatiō ther­in assure your selues you shal ne­uer be able to performe your du­ties towards God, nor receiue true comfort by your Mariages.

Hee telleth you also, that you must giue honour vnto the wife as vnto the weaker vessell, and because shee is the weaker vessel and more apt to frailty then thy selfe, thou must beare with her weakenes, and not expect to find that fulnesse of content which happily through thy wisedome thou wouldest shee should per­forme [Page 40] vnto thee in many things, for, for this cause also hast thou obtayned thy wisedome & thy knowledge and thy vnderstan­ding, that thou mightest beare with the weakenes of thy com­panion: we reade, that when Sa­muell had annoynted Saul to bee1. Sam. 10. a King ouer the people, so soone as hee had annoynted him vnto that kingly office, God gaue vn­to him another hart, fitting him thereby vnto the place and cal­ling he had appoynted him: so no doubt but those men which he permitteth vnto that honora­ble function of Marriage, he fur­nisheth with gifts fitting for that calling, for it is a matter of no small waight when a man taketh vpon him the gouernement of a womā, but if he rightly consider what he taketh in hand, hee shall find he had need with Salomon to [Page 41] pray that the Lord will giue vn­to him wisedome to rule & go­uerne the wife whith he hath ta­ken, as hee did for wisedome to gouerne his people, & both the Husband & the Wife when they come together to pray with To­bias and Sarah, that the power of Tob. 8. the Deuill haue no domination ouer them, and so he shall be strengthned and enabled to beare with the weake­nesse of his companion.

Wee see if wee put strong wa­ters into a single & weake glasse, it breaketh the glasse because it wanteth substance of nature to beare it: and therefore we will put such waters carefully into double glasses, which may con­serue and keepe them: so wee should not ouerburthen the weake nature of the woman, by imposing vpon her, that which the husband himselfe ought to [Page 42] performe, of which (I haue for­merly spoken) and this is oneSimile. chiefe reason which should mooue the man to deale kindly with his wife, euen her weaknes: for wee see if we handle vesselsA reason shewing why a man should deale kindly with his wife. of glasse and earth roughly or rashly, we crack & breake them, and I would that men were as wise and carefull to consider the weakensse of their wiues, and to deale kindly, gently, and louing­ly with them, so conseruing and preseruing that loue which ought to bee betwixt them, and would be if it were not expulsed by their rough and vnkind dea­ling with them.

And there is another reason or chiefe ground to be considered greater then any of the former, which should draw men to the performance of this their duty, for so St. Paul doth teach vs al­so, [Page 43] (which is) that euery man should Another more effectu­all reason for the same cause haue a speciall care to performe these duties imposed vpon him, the rather or for this cause, because they are beires with you of the grace of life, e­lected by the fauor of God in Christ Iesus to that fellowship of Saints wherein you your selues hope to bee nūbred, & as dearely beloued of God as your selues, bought out of the pow­er of Satan by the precious blood of his deare Sonne, as well as you, and heyres also of that eternall life which you your selues hope to enioy: and therefore if you your selues thinke to liue as Saints in Heauen, you must liue together as Saints here on earth. These thinges as a loadestone should draw you to the perfor­mance of those dutyes which you ought to performe if you rightly consider it.

And so our blessed Apostle hauing giuen this godly & pru­dent [Page 44] counsaile vnto Husbands to performe vnto their Wiues, giueth a reason also wherefore these thinges should or ought to be thus performed, which is, that your prayers be not let or hindred, as if hee should say, if you liue dis­cōtently or frowardly one withWhen man & wife agree not as they ought, they cannot pray as they should. another, it is vnpossible that you should performe that deuotion in your praiers, which you ought to performe to God, or haue them accepted of him as you would, & therfore if you would haue God to heare you when you pray vnto him, or to grant you the things which you pray for and desire of him, agree and liue in loue together, that so your praying together may re­ceiue comfort together, and that the God of loue may blesse your Loues together.

I beseech you haue a care of [Page 45] these thinges, and separate not yourselues in these holy actions, for I know there be too many infected with these sins amongst vs in these dayes, which liue vn­towardly and frowardly God knowes, & yet feare not to pre­sent themselues before his di­uine Maiesty in this case, oh dan­gerous thing! hath God ioyned you together that you might be one, and will you diuide your selues and then appeare before him, and bring him but halfe, when his due is to haue the whole, thinke you hee will bee serued thus? no, hee is like the true Mother, which wil not haue1. King. 3. her child diuided, he will either haue the whole or none, he will not haue you thus to separate your selues, and then to presume to come in his presence: but if any contention do arise betwixt [Page 46] the Man and his Wife, quench the fire before it doe burne too farre, reconcile yourselues one to another speedily, that your loues may not fade, nor your hearts stray, but ioyne together in God, that so your prayers be not interupted, but accepted of him, as you see the word of God teacheth you: & thus briefely for the duty of Husbands.

The Sixt Chapter.

YOu see I haue pro­ued that the du­ties of Husbands are wholy groun­ded vpon Loue, but we shall find that the duty of the Wife reacheth yet further then so, for it is not enough for her toIt is not e­nough for a woman to loue her Hus­band, but shee must be ruled and gouerned by him also. be kind & louing vnto her Hus­band, but shee must be obedient and dutifull, and vnder the sub­iection & gouernement of him also, but because I will not bee offensiue by presuming to write any thing herein of my selfe, I [Page 48] will lay my foundations on a sure ground, and goe no farther then the word of God shall giue mee warrant heerein.

Wee find that for the sinne of disobediēce in our grandmother Eue vnto her maker, amongst the rest of her punishments laid vp­on her for it, this is one, Thy de­sire shall be subiect to thine Husband, Gen. 3. and he shall rule ouer thee: yee see here what duty is layd vpon the the woman, & that by the Com­mandement of God himselfe, you haue now no power left vn­to your selues to order your owne wils and desires as your owne selues please: no, your wils must accord to the wils of your Husbands, & your desires must be subiect to their wils: it is your duties to yeeld them o­bedience & the preheminence of rule: the very heathen Phyloso­phers [Page 49] which knew not the word of God, yet could teach that the rule for the Wife to liue by, was her Husband, if he liued obedi­ent to the lawes publique: how much more then if they liue ac­cording to the lawes of God, are you bound to performe it: butSimile. as a blocke though it bee decked with Gold and Iewels is not to be respected, except it represent the shape of somewhat, euen so a wife, bee shee neuer so rich, if shee bee not obedient vnto her Husband, shee is nothing worth to be regarded: and whatsoeuer or whersoeuer we shall find any thing concerning this duty of the Wife in the whole booke of God, we shall find it to bee built vpon this foundation, which God himselfe hath layde.

S. Paul well vnderstanding the mysterie of his Maisters mind, [Page 50] hath very plainely in many of his Epistles largely expressed thisEphe. 5. matter, teaching wiues to submit thēselues vnto their Husbands as vnto the Lord: here is the loue taught you, that you must per­forme vnto them, & here is the duty too. For as you must per­forme all harty loue and true af­fectioned zeale vnto the Lord, with all faithfull obedience vn­to his holy and heauenly will: so you, vnder your Husbands & vnto them, must performe the like, and Saint Paul sheweth the reason too, why you must doe this, (for saith hee) The Husband is the Wiues head, euen as Christ is Ephe. 5. the head of the Congregation, and hee is the Sauiour of the whole body, therefore as the whole congregation is in subiection to Christ, likewise let the wiues bee in subiection to their Husbands [Page 51] in all things.

Thus you see how Saint Paul hath laboured to expesse this duty vnto you, and Saint Peter he teacheth the same in effect also in these words, ye women be subiect 1. Pet. 3. to your Husbands, that euen they which beleeue not the word, may without the word, be wonne by your conuersation when they behold your conuersation in feare: And againe,1. Cor. 14. let your wiues keepe silence with all subiectiō, suffer not a womā to teach, nor to haue authority ouer the man, but for to bee in silence, for AdamGen. 3. was first formed, then Eve, also A­dam was not deceiued, but the wo­man was deceiued, and hath brought in the transgression: Againe, Let your wiues keepe silence in the con­gregation, for it shall not bee permit­ted vnto them to speake, but to bee vnder obedience, as the Law saith, but if they will learne any thing, let [Page 52] them aske their Husbands at home, for it becommeth not a woman to speake in the Congregation, yea, a man shall bee Lord and ruler in his owne house, and the woman shall bee subiect vnto her Husband.

Yea, we shall find that among the ordinances which Moses gaue vnto the Children of Israel, this is one, That if a woman hauing a Num. 30. Husband, voweth or pronounceth ought with her lips, either by [...]ath or Women oughr not to make vowes without the consent of their Hus­bands. solemne promise, whereby shee bin­deth her selfe: if her Husband heard it, and holdeth his peace concerning her the same day he heareth it, then her vow shall stand, and her bond wherewith shee bound her selfe, shall stand in effect: but if her Husband disallow, her the same day that hee heareth it, then shall hee make her vowe which shee had made, and that which shee pronounced with her lips, when shee bound her selfe, of none [Page 53] effect, and the Lord shall forgiue her. Thus you see how the Scrip­tures do all accord to that which God in the beginning had com­manded: namely, That the wo­man Gen. 18. should be subiect to the rule and gouernement of her Husband, to thisGen. 31. haue all good women euer ac­corded. The obedience of Sa­rah vnto Abraham calling him1. King. 1. Lord, approueth her duty: The obedience of Rachell and Lea vn­toEster. 8. their Husband Iacob affirmeth it, no lesse doth the reuerent du­ty of Bathsheba vnto Dauid ex­presse it, the obedience of Ester vnto Ashuerus, purchased not onely her owne life & renowne, but the liues of the whole Nati­on of the Iewes. And although it cannot be gaine said of any, but that this Cōmandement of Al­mighty God ought reuerently to be obeyed of all women, yet [Page 54] how much it is disobeyed in these dayes wee dayly see: nay, despised & disdayned at, so that we may iustly complaine against them, and say, they bee a rebel­lious seede.

For, as in the beginning they rebelled against their Almighty God, so doe they still repugne against him, refusing to bee go­uerned according to his will, & the ordinance which he hath ap­poynted to gouerne them by, for by their husbands now many of them will not bee gouerned, they will gouerne both them­seluesMany women very vnquiet, if they may not haue the rule of the whole family, which by them ought not so to be. and their Husbands, yea and the whole family too, or else there shall bee no quiet rule there, so that now it is growne to a prouerbe, that where the wife beareth the sway, the house is the quieter all the day: is not this badge giuen you to your [Page 55] shame? and yet you will not see it, in these dayes the Diuell hath so bewitched you, that many of you do not stick to say, that your Husbands haue not wit enough to performe such matters: think you that he that gaue them their authority, cannot giue them wit enough to peforme that charge which hee committeth vnto them, but that you must bee vm­pire and iudge too in your owne cause, to take the authority out of his hand, and as false vsurpers make vse of that authority to which you haue no lawfull right?

If you suppose such a defectIf any defect be in the Hus­band, how it should bee re­dressed. to be in them, why doe not you rather pray for them, that God may supply their defects and wants? but it is too common a thing amongst you now a dayes, to make your choyse of such [Page 56] men as you may thus deale with­all, and I would some of you did indent before marriage for these things: but such womē as would rather haue foolish Husbands, whome they might rule, rather then to bee ruled by sober wise men, are like to him that would rather bee led of a blind man in an vnknown way, then to follow one that can see & know the way well. Oh that your supposed knowledge or wisedome on which you so much depend, would open vnto you the dan­ger in which you stand by com­mitting this error! but it cannot, so long as your wils do not with all obedience, subiect them­selues vnto the will & comman­dement of him vnto whom all power should yeeld their obedi­ence.

The Seauenth Chapter.

I Had almost ouerslipt the repetition of an vndutifull Wife of whom we reade in Scripture, but I may not, for it is worthy your best consideration, I meane of Vasta Queene and wife of Ahashuerosh Ester. 1. the great King of Persia & Media, whom vpon a certaine feast day the King commanded to bee brought before him in her great estate of pompe, euen with the Crowne Royall vpon her head, that as his loue was great vnto her, so shee beeing brought vnto him in that glorious pompe which hee desired, the delights [Page 58] of his heart might be satisfied in her comely and beautifull per­son, and likewise his Princes & Peeres might see the same.

And wee would thinke that this was but a small request which the King required of her, & yet many a man doth require as little as this at the hands of his wife, or lesse, and yet obtaines it not: well, the storie telleth vs shee did no better, but euen so, for though shee were a Queene, and should haue been a patterne of obedience vnto all women, both in her Court & Kingdome, yet shee refused to come, and would not come, although com­manded by her Husband, yea, & that a King.

But Ecce, Ecce, behold, behold, she refusing to come to her Hus­band with the Crowne on her head who gaue it her, and first [Page 59] placed it there, her royalty and regaltie was therefore taken from her by him as vnworthy of such a glory, and because she re­fused to bee obedient vnto the Commandement of her Hus­band, whom shee ought with all reuerence to haue obeyed, shee was not onely reiected of her Husband for being Queene, butA Queene punished for disobedience vnto her Hus­band. vtterly abandoned of him for e­uer, and diuorced from him by law: nay, this was not all, for it was not long before shee saw a­nother enioy that maiesty ho­nour and pleasure which she but lately possessed, & by her owne folly lost, & what greater hart­griefe in the world can come to a woman then this, to see her selfe degraded and disgraced, & another to possesse that honour which was hers, before her face? and thus shee which should haue [Page 60] beene a mirror vnto others in her obedience, is now made for disobedience a mirror vnto all women in her punishment: I could not omit this historie be­ing so fitting to this matter of the wiues obedience: but shall I tell you good wiues, it is well for you that this law is not exe­cuted now in these dayes a­mongst vs, for I assure you if it were, we should haue Ten wiues diuorsed before one buried, so apt are you to peforme this bad act of disobedience.

And therefore I cannot yet passe it ouer, for the Apostle doth open this poynt of duty vn­to you very plaine, and therfore I beseech you bee not ignorant of it, but marke it well, I recited the words in the former Chap­ter: Hee would haue you so subiect your selues to your Husbands, that [Page 61] euen they which beleeue not the word, may without the word be won by your conuersation, when they shall behold your conuersation in feare.

See, you must so subiect yourThe Wife ought to be fearefull of giuing any cause of of­fence vnto her Husband. selues vnto them, that you shall euen feare to giue any occasion of offence vnto them. I know there bee many that will not like of this, that the wife should so subiect her selfe vnto her Hus­band, that shee shal stand in feare of him, and yet it must be so, for do we not reade that God com­mandeth that euery man shall stand in feare of his Father and Mother, he doth not say that e­uery child onely shall feare, but that euery man shal feare, if then it must bee so, how much more should the woman performe this vnto her Husband, vnder whose subiection he hath com­mitted her as a portion of her [Page 62] punishment for her disobedi­ence vnto him.

But will you know what kindWhat kinde of feare it is which is re­quired of wo­men towards their husband of feare this is which is here re­quired, and how it must be per­formed? for it is not a slauish kind of feare which is here re­quired where the Apostle sayth, your cōuersation must be in feare, but here is required of you a holy conuersatiō, zealous towards God and pure and vndefiled towards the world, with vertue, chastity, modesty, temperance, sobriety, faithfulnesse, and louing obedi­ence, for surely shee that is fully possessed with these vertues, will so loue and so liue that shee will feare to offend her Hus­band, but rather yeeld all humi­lity and obedience for the com­mandement sake, & thus by this holy cariage of your selues, shall you winne those that are with­out [Page 63] the knowledge of God or his word, to the knowledg both of him and his word, when they shall behold your godly conver­sation in feare.

And see farther the mercy of our good God, vnto whom he hath cōmitted you to be gouer­ned by, not vnto your enemies or vnto strangers, but vnto a kind & louing Husband, vnto whom you are as neere as the very flesh vnto his skin, and as deare vnto him as the aple of his eye, whose tender harted affections are al­waies yeelding vnto a dutifull & louing wife. I hope now that good wiues will willingly yeeld vnto this their duty of obedi­ence vnto their Husbands, seeing by whom it is commanded, and to whom it ought to be done.

And the rather for that the mercy of God doth extend it [Page 64] selfe vnto them euen to the full, in that notwithstanding their transgression against him, yet he hath ordayned them to eternall salvation by the merits of his1. Tim. 2. beloued Sonne, the words are worthy your best obseruation, and these they are: Notwithstan­ding through bearing of Children shee shall bee saued, if they continue in the faith, and loue, and holinesse with modesty: see here the bene­fit of Mariage which bringeth so great a blessing with it: And note I beseech you, you that are women of vnderstanding, here is saluatiō offered vnto you by bea­ring of Children indeed, but it is with a prouiso if, if you continue in the faith, and loue, and holinesse with modesty: you must yeeld allThe first duty of the Wife is obedience. harty obedience vnto the bles­sed will of God, else what is the fruits of your faith? or where is [Page 65] it, or the hope of your saluatiō? so you see it alludes vnto al these vertues I formerly spake of, and the obedience which God him­selfe commandeth, for all these should bee in women: for if you marke it, as it is worthy your marking, you shall see that al our poeticall paynters, wheresoeuer they doe paynt or set forth any of the vertues, as Faith, Hope, Eight chiefe vertues which ought to be in women. Loue, Charity, Patience, Chastity, Temperance, Humility, & the like, all these they doe not set forth vnto vs in the shaddow of men, but in the shaddow of women, shewing thereby, that in them these vertues dwell, or should at the leastwise. I will run no far­ther in this poynt of obedience, but will turne mee to the next duty of the Wife, which is Loue.

The Eight Chapter.

ANd now concerning the duty of LoueThe second duty of the Wife, is Loue. which euery wo­man ought to per­forme vnto her Husband, I haue in some manner touched it before as occasion serued in the duty of obedience, for indeed they are as too twins, they goe hand in hand one with another, and may not well beeObedience and Loue ought not to be separated. separated, for where there is true obedience rightly performed, there also loue will be attendant, & as an agent helpe to performe the businesse, and in deed it is so naturall a thing for a woman to [Page 67] loue a man, that we would think she needed not be prompted or to bee instructed in this poynt, but to performe it truly & faith­fully as it ought to be. I thinke wee shall scarce find one in fiue that doth it, no not among ten, I pray God there bee one in 20: And yet I make no doubt but that a woman loueth her Hus­band when she marrieth with him▪ but the Apostle saith, shee must continue in loue.

Why then it appeareth that the loue shee must performe vn­to her Husband, must be like the ring wherwith he marrieth her,What the Marriage ring doth signifie. it must haue no end, it must con­tinue as long as shee continues to him, yea if it be to the end of her life: and as the ring is not of any mixt or base mettall, but of the most precious & pure mettal which may be: so it teacheth the [Page 68] woman that the loue shee must performe vnno her Husband, must bee pure, holy, and chast, it must allow no mixture, no copartner in this fellowship, but she must remember to performe the vow shee made in the pre­sence of God, and before his Saints at the time of her Marri­age, that shee would keepe her selfe onely vnto him so long as shee should liue with him: and this you see the ceremony or vse of the ring teacheth, and there­fore with great and good consi­deration hath our Church or­dayned the vse of it, and great in the error of those men which re­fuse at such times to make vse of it.

And now I haue begune to speake of this vow which the woman maketh vnto her Hus­band at the time of her Marri­age, [Page 69] it giueth me an occasion to take notice of the small regard that women for the most part doe take of this businesse, for if wee note the conuersation ofA woman ought to haue regard of the vow that shee maketh at the time of her marriage. Wiues vnto their Husbands in these times, it will appeare (as I sayd) for the most part, that they neuer regard that vow they made, or know that they haue made any at all, for sure I thinke there bee some so brutish they know it not, but rather thinke they bee but words of course or ceremonial rites of the Church, and not concerne them at all, yea, I doe know there bee such, but alasse their errors is excee­ding great in taking so little re­gard of so waighty a cause.

But I beseech you in the feareNote. of God, note what I shal say vn­to you concerning this matter, for you shal see it is a vow which [Page 70] shee promiseth with her lips, yea and a great vow, and such a one as in the whole course of her life shee cannot make a greater, for if a woman shall say or protestNumb. 5. she will doe such or such a thing, this is a vow, shee bindeth her selfe to performe it, but as I said before: If her Husband hearing her shall disallow of it, and shall say shee shall not doe it, shee is then freed from her vow because of his authori­ty ouer her, and it is sayd, the Lord shall forgiue her for vowing, so we see then it is a sinne for a woman to vow or protest to doe any thing if she performe it not, vn­lesse it bee contradicted by her Husband.

But here the case is otherwise and farre more greater, for whē shee commeth to be Married to a man, shee is then solie of her selfe, & free from the command [Page 71] of any, and hath free liberty to doe then for her selfe what sheeHow great a sinne it is to breake the vow made in Matrimony. will, and therefore her vow shee then maketh is of very great effect, and it is as great a sinne to breake it, great indeed, in the regard of these things, the place where shee made it, the house of God, the congregation there the Saints of God, but far more greater in respect shee is demanded if she (will performe these things) by the Angell and Minister of God in Gods be­halfe, & shee then there answe­reth she will.

So wee find when God had determined to giue his chosen people the Children of Israell his law, whereby they might know how to performe their duty vnto him, hee sent his ser­uant Moses vnto them, to know if they would performe the law [Page 72] which he was to giue them, and they answered they would per­forme it, but as rhe Lord did tell them after hee had giuen them the Lawes, That if they did not re­gard his Commandements and obey Ex [...]. 19. his will, hee would send his punish­ment A proofe by example that God will pu­nish the breach of the vow made in matrimony. vpon them in abundance, vntill hee had vtterly consumed them: so I must say vnto euery woman that regardeth not her vow and promise which shee maketh at the time of her marriage, and doth not endeauour to performe the same as shee ought to doe, let her assure her selfe shee shall no lesse expect the iudgement and punishment of God, then they did.

Looke in your Booke of com­monThe Booke of common prayer, a looking glasse for wo­men to see their duties in Prayer in the solemnizatiō of Matrimony, and there you shall see what you haue vowed to performe, it is that you will [Page 73] liue with your Husbands accor­ding to the ordinance and Com­mandements of God, that you will obey and serue them, and this you see God hath comman­ded you to doe, & what greater vow then this can you make? and it followeth more there, that you vow to loue, honour, and keepe them in sicknesse and in health, so here you see that loue is the next thing for the woman here to doe, and this also shee voweth freely of her selfe to performe: also the next and last shee voweth to forsake all other men, and to keepe her selfe who­ly & onely to her Husband, here is the effect and end of her loue, to be chast, pure, and without spot, this is the loue which wiues ought to performe to their Hus­bands, & I know all those which feare God will acknowledge & [Page 74] performe as much▪ but I appeale vnto themselues (euen against their owne sect) if there bee not too many in these dayes, which liue so brutish, so obstinate and rebellious against God and thei [...] Husbands, that they seeme not to know that either they owe this loue as a duty vnto their Husbands, or haue made so great a vow to performe it.

Looke but into one of their actes, & let the rest (though ma­ny) alone, I meane their breach of wedlocke, those Adultrous workes, and then where is this loue? how many forsake their Husbands vnto whom they haue made this vow of Loue and cha­stity, and yet liue adulterously with other men: oh how manyThe abhomo­minable whoredome of women. haue their secret friends & loues as they terme them at home in their Husbands absence, or mee­ting [Page 75] them abroad in priuate pla­ces! nay, haunting common brothell houses, so insatiate, that euen whores in stewes are not more common: and what is the cause of this, but their disobedi­ence vnto the Commandement of God which would direct thē to performe this duty of Loue holily as it ought to be, if they would.

But shall I display their actions abroad with my pen? oh no, if I should, I should weary my selfe with writing and you in reading it, they themselues by their lewd actions dayly committed, doe too much explaine themselues to the world, and therefore to tell such their duty to their Hus­bands, which will not learne to performe their duty towards GOD, will bee but vaine, be­fore such swine, I will not cast [Page 76] such pearles. But to those which desire to know their du­ty, to the end they may per­forme it, to these I write still, let their loue bee pure and stead­fast, and their whole conuer­sation so holy, that as the A­postle telleth them, others may bee wonne by their godly en­samples, and so shall they themselues be brought vnto eternall hap­pinesse.

The Ninth Chapter.

OVr blessed Apostle ha­uing giuen instructiōs vnto▪ Women how they ought to behaue themselues towards their Hus­bands, now proceedes to giue instructions vnto them, also how to tyre and array themselues, whose apparrell (sayth he) shall 1. Pet. 3. not bee outward with brayded haire and hanging on of gold, or in putting Women ought not to array them­selues in gor­geous appa­rell, but in decent a [...]tir [...] on of gorgeous array, but let the in­ward man of the heart be vncorrupt with a meeke and quiet spirit, which before God is much set by, for after this manner in the old time did the holy women which trus­ted [Page 78] in God ttyre themselues, & [...] were obedient vnto their Hus­bands euen as Sarah obeyed A­braham and called him Lord, a­gaine in another place (he fayth) let the women array themselues in 1. Tim. [...]. comely apparrell with shamefostnesse and modesty, not with broyded hayre or gold, or pearles or costly apparrell, but as becommeth women which pro­fesse the feare of God with good workes.

I doe not a little admire thatMany women haue read concerning these things, yet make no good vse of it, as they ought to doe. so many women which would bee accounted wise in their knowledge, & haue themselues so often read these things, and been so long instructed in these principals, yet seeme either not that euer they themselues haue read such things, or euer haue heard them of others, for I am sure so it seemeth in these dayes amongst them, for the most [Page 79] part, but shal I tell you, you haue learned from the greatest to the meanest, and the eldest to the yongest, to adore & decke your selues according to the fashions of the world, which shall perish and they which delight in them, but to array & decke your selues with modesty and shamefastnes, and such comely apparrell as becommeth those that professe the feare of God, in this you are all to seeke or disdaine to learne to know, although God by his word commandeth it of you.

But if there bee any amongst you which maketh conscience of these things, and so striue to liue according as they ought toWomen giuē to pride, mockers, and scoffers of those whia [...] do religiously reforme them selues. doe, are not such disdayned and scorned of the rest, & brāded by you with the name of Puritane & holy sister? but where is your purity and holinesse while you [Page 80] thus deride others in their well-doing? I answer you, if you will not endeauour to bee holy and pure whiles you are here vpon earth, you shall neuer become Saints in heauen, but rather Di­uels in hell, For blessed are the pur [...] in heart (saith our Sauiour Christ)Mat. 5. for they shall see God.

And hee himselfe which best did know what was fit for you, did make your cloathing but of beasts skinnes at the first, and when he sent his Sonne into the world, hee did not send him by any Princes, or Lady of great ranke, or amongst the proudA note for to pull downe the pride of women. ones of the world, hee despised your pompe and pride, and did chuse a poore humble Virgin to be mother of his Sonne, & when he liued amongst vs, wee finde not that he gaue vs any example of pride, but of humility: his [Page 81] garments were without lace or welt, yea, without seame also.

But if we view them in these dayes as they rae arrayed, wee would thinke that Hell were emptied of al her deuises, toyes, trickes and fashions, & that wo­men had got them all: for all that God hath made vnder hea­uen, the whole earth and the sea, with all the creatures there­inIn all the whole earth not sufficient to satsfie the pride of Wo­men. are not sufficient to satisfie the pride of women in these dayes, the entrailes of the earth are dayly torne & rent to seeke for gold to adorne you with, the bot­tomelesse sea & the poore fishes are dayly robbed to finde you pearles to deck your selues with, & the hard rockes digged down to find you variety of precious stones, nay, haue you not rob­bed all the creatures of God, both beasts, birds, and wormes [Page 82] to furnish vp this your pride? & yet all this will not serue to satis­fie you, but still you keepe yourNo marvaile if all that God hath made wil not serue to satisfie them, when his own worke will not content them in them­selues. workeman the Diuell in worke to find you more new fashions, and made him make a iourney from hell to bring you beauty to paynt your selues withall, for from heauen I am sure you had it not.

Oh woe bee to that soule on whose face God shall with an­ger looke, denying to know it because it is not as hee made it! no maruaile though al that God hath made vnder heauen will not satisfie your pride, when the workes of Gods owne handes in your selues will not content you, but that you will alter that: In all the histories of the Scriptures. I neuer read but of one wicked woman that euer vsed this wicked art of paynting, [Page 83] (I meane Iezabel) & yet the iudg­mentsKing. 9. of God vpon her, in suf­fering the dogges to eate and consume her, will not draw you from vsing this paynting trade, but still you prouoke him to an­ger & stirre vp his iudgements a­gainst you dayly, with your ab­nominable pride, wherein you excell all that euer were before you. I know you wil thinke I am too bold with you, thus to med­dle with your arraying your selues, in such manner or fashiōs as you please to vse them, but thinke what you will, and say what you will, I must and will discharge my conscience, the matter it selfe giueth me cause to doe it, being a duty of so great importance, belonging vnto womē to reforme the abuses there­of: and for which not only you your selues shal beare your owne [Page 84] destructions, but they also which haue the gouernement of you, because they haue suffered you to commit such thinges, I meane the Husbands of such women.

Nay, this is not all, I would it ended so: but woe, woe be vn­to you, whose pride shall be notThe pride of woman, the destruction of themselues & Husbands, & the whole common wealth where they liue. onely the destruction of your selues and Husbands, but of the whole common wealth wherein you liue: of you because you committed this sinne, & of them because they suffered you to cō ­mit it. Is it not then high time to write and speake against this sinne, and those which commit it? yes, if either or both may be regarded: I write not these things from my owne braines, I menace you not, it is not I but the Lord that threatneth you & the whole land for it, looke into the third of Esay, and see there [Page 85] what hee sayth vnto your pride.

Because the Daughters of Sion are haughty, and walke with stret­ched-out neckes, and with wandring eyes, walking and minsing as they goe, and making a tinckling with their feete, therefore shall the Lord make the heads of the daughters of Sion bald, and the Lord shal discouer their secret parts, in that day shal the Lord take away the ornament of the slippers, and the calls, and the round tyers, the sweete balls, and the brace­lets, 3. Esay the bonnets, and the tyres of the head, & the slops, & the headbands, & the tablets, and the eare-rings, the rings and the mufflers, the cost­ly apparrell, and the vailes, and the wi [...]ples, and the crisping pinnes, and the glasses, and the fine linnen, If God punish his owne pe­culiar people for their pride what can you expect. the hoods, and the lawnes: And in stead of sweete sauours, there shall bee stincke, & instead of a girdle, a rent, and in stead of dressing the hayre▪ [Page 86] baldnesse, in stead of a stomacher, [...] girdle with sack-cloath, and burning in stead of beauty, thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy strength in the battle: Then shall her gates mourne and lament, and shee being desolate shall sit vpon the ground. Now you paynted butterflies of our time, which with the Camelion change your selues into all colours, what say you to these things? you see here what iudgements God threatneth to bring vpon his owne chosen people, because of the pride of the daughters of Sion, & you farre exceede them in all things, & yet thinke you to escape vnpunished?

The prophet sayth, that they were so proud that they went mincing & tinckling with their feet, but you are grown so proud that your feet may not beare you but that you must bee carried in [Page 87] Coaches & drawne with horses, which (though it be an honour wherewith Kinges and Princes are pleased to grace their well respected subiects with) yet is it vnfit that Courtizans should be coached, which should rather be carted. I would it were not so, they were content with fine lin­nen, but no linnen or lawnes bee it neuer so pure, wil content you, but it must be died into collours, blue was, and now yellow is, & primrose, and strawe colour, & I know not what, but blacke will bee the next assure your selues, for as your pride hath excelled all before you, so I feare that your punishments when they come, will exceed all that were before you. I should bee tedi­ous vnto the reader, should I run farre into this poynt of the pride of women, but it is not my pur­pose [Page 88] to doe it, but rather to fol­low the example of the Apostle which telleth them that such thinges ought not to be, and to wish them that they would array themselues as becommeth wo­men which professe the faith of Iesus Christ, in comely appar­rell, with shamefastnesse & mo­desty, that the word of God bee not euill spoken of through you.

The Tenth Chapter.

THere bee yet many du­ties more, which are very needfull for wo­men both to learne & to obserue, as appeareth by the instructions which the blessed Apostle gaue vnto his Sonne Titus, whereby to instruct theTimo. 2. [Page 89] Creets with, wherein he instruct­eth the elder women, that their behauiour bee such as becom­meth holinesse, not false accu­sers, not giuen to much wine, but teachers of honest things, that they may instruct the yonger women to be sober minded, thatThe good properties which ought to be in wo­men. they loue their Huabands, that they loue their Children, that they be discreet, chast, keeping at home, good and subiect to their Husbands, that the word of God be not euill spoken of, but many of these things I haue in some sort touched before, on­ly here I would haue women take norise of a thing or two not yet spoken of, and so I will draw to a conclusion.

The Apostle warneth them not to be false accusers, and this toucheth busie bodies of our time, which will goe pratling, to [Page 90] carrie newes and bring debatesThe Hus­bands smart sometimes for the wiues tongues. and contention amongst neigh­bours, by lying and slaunderouse speeches, so that many times the men smart for the womens tongus and neighbours liue at great varience one with another which otherwise would liue in loue and peace together. This ought not to be amongst womē, but to be such as Salomō speaketh of in the last of his Prouerbs, who speaking there of a vertuous woman, shee will (saith he) open her mouth with wisedome, and the law of grace is in her tongue, & do­ing thus, should they bee able to performe the things here com­manded, and to instruct others in the duties belonging vnto them.

Againe, hee commandeth that women be not giuen to much wine, & I would that women were more [Page 91] carefull to auoyd this sinne thenWomen ought not to delight in much drink­ing of wine or strong drinke. they be, for wee haue too many women-drunkards amongst vs, as well as men-drunkards now a­dayes, the more is the pitty, but woe bee to those that rise vp early to follow drunkenesse, and to them that continue vntill night, till the wine do enflame them: & woe be to them that Ecclu. [...]6. are mighty to drinke wine, and to thē that are strong to powre in strong drinke, great is the plague of a drun­ken woman (saith the wise man) for shee cannot couer her owne shame, we haue example of this in Noah and Lot, (though otherwaies a righteous man) yet being drunke with wine, cōmitted Incest with his owne Daughters.

And euen in these dayes wee see many that haue wasted greatIll diseases & beggery the fruits of drun­kennesse. substance by this meanes, and some bringing themselues to diseases, & shortning their owne [Page 92] dayes by inordinate drinking, these are the fruits of excesse, drinking and taking delight in wine and strong drinke, there­fore very great care had women need to take of themselues that they be not giuen to much wine, or to take delight in strong drinke.

Another thing I note that the Apostle doth admonish women of, and that is, that they bee home­keepers, or keepers of their owne hou­ses, hence it is that the woman is often called the howse-wife, not the street wife, shee must be no gadder abroad, shee must not spinne streat thread as too many doe, which when they haue for­ced their Husbands to lay more vpon their backes, then he is able to put in his purse along time af­ter, their owne house will not hold them, but they must gad [Page 93] from this place to that place, andWomen ought not to bee gaddars abroad, but keepers of their owne houses. euery where, to show their pride and their Husbands follie, thus did not that vertuous woman which I told you of before, which Salomon speakes of, it will not bee amisse if I doe discribe her vnto you, for surely she that performeth that which the bles­sed Apostles haue here taught concerning the duty of Wiues, will omit nothing of that vertu­ous woman hee speaketh of, or come short of her perfections, and these are the words.

Who shal finde a vertuous woman, for her price is far aboue the pearles, the heart of her Husband trusteth in her, and hee shall haue no need of spoyles, shee will doe him good, and not ill all the dayes of her life, shee seeketh wooll and flaxe, and laboureth chearefully with her hands, shee is like the Shippes of Marchants, shee [Page 94] bringeth her foode from farr, and she The discripti­on of a good Wife. riseth while it is yet night, and giueth the portion to her houshold, and the ordinary to her maides, shee conside­reth a field and getteth it, and with the fruit of her hands shee planteth a Vineyard, shee girdeth her loynes with strength, and strengtheneth her armes, shee feeleth that her marchan­dise is good, and her candle is not put Pro. 31. out by night, shee putteth her hands to the wheele, and her hands to the spindle, shee stretcheth out her hands to the poore, & putteth out her hands to the needy, she feareth not the snow, for her family, for all her family are cloathed with scarlet, she maketh her selfe carpets, fine linnen and purple is her garments, her Husband is known in the gates when hee sitteth with the elders of the land, she maketh sheetes and selleth them, and giueth girdles vnto the Marchants, strength and honour is her cloathing, and in the [Page 95] latter day shee shall reioyse, shee ope­neth her mouth with wisedome and the law of grace is in her tongue, shee ouerseeth the waies of her Houshould, and eateth not the bread of idlenesse, her Children rise vp and call her blessed, her Husband shall prayse her saying, many daughters haue done vertuously, but thou surmountest them all, fauour is deceitfull, and beauty is vanity, but a woman that feareth the Lord, shee shall bee pray­sed, giue her the fruit of her hands, and let her owne workes prayse her in the gates.

I hope now I shall not need to amplifie this duty of Wiues any further, seeing I haue already laboured thus farre in it, I will therefore conclude, leauing you to the consideratiō of these things, & you to the tuitiō of our good God, whome I do beseech to looke mercifully vpon vs all, [Page 96] and by his grace and power­full spirit, to worke in our harts a true and speedy reformation of our sinfull liues, that so by the holy intercession of our blessed Mediator, and the me­rits of his blessed passion, wee may enioy that blessednesse, which euery good soule doth long to enioy.

Amen.

The Eleauenth Chapter.

THis duty of Parents The duty of Parents I haue deuided into two part [...] I haue deuided into two maine or prin­cipall poynts, the one the education and gouerning of Children in the time of their youth, and the other what Parents ought to doe vnto their Children when they are come to bee of a more riper age.

And for the first, for the bring­ing vp of Children in the time [Page 98] of their youth, it will be thoughtThe first, the bringing vp of Children in the time of their youth. to bee but to small purpose to spend my time in such a busines, and that I had more need to wright of the other then of this, considering that we see dayly in this our age with griefe, that whē many Parents haue broughtThe second, what they ought to doe wben they be of riper age. vp their Children a long time with great care, costs and char­ges, and hoping that then they shall bee euen past the worst, and so they to receiue some comf [...] by them for their long care and paynes taking with them, to say plainely and truly of them▪ [...] many of them are then euen past the best, so that if counsaile in this case may bee had, it might seeme very well giuen, and the paines taken in such a case well bestowed.

But for gouerning and bring­ing vp of them in their Child­hood [Page 99] or yonger yeares, it may be obiected as I sayd before, to bee a needlesse thing, considering that nature it selfe doth teach the very bruit beasts to nourish, che­rish, and comfort their young, and therefore men and women whom God hath endued with so many excellent gifts, as know­ledge, vnderstanding, wisedome and the rest, farre aboue all the rest of his creatures besides, can­not erre in this poynt of duty.

And againe, another reason may be alleaged, that there hath been so much and so long tea­ching to this effect, that men and women in these our dayes for the most part of them, haue been instructed in these things them­selues euen from their youthes, and every priuate mans house is furnished with Bibles & Bookes to this effect: so that euery man [Page 100] may bee his owne Schoolema­ster herein, & will it be thought then that Parents cannot instruct their Children in these things [...] surely no.

Indeed I doe confesse this inWhat a great blessing wee inioy more then our fore­fathers did, through the plenteous and publique tea­ching of the Gospel, wher­by we learne both how to gouerne our selues and o­thers. some sort to bee true, and blesse the Lord for this his worke, ye [...] be he for euer blessed for this his great mercy towards vs, for that we liue in such and so happie a time, wherin the word of God is so plentiful and openly taught vs, & euery man that wil may en­ioy the same at home with him, to the comfort of him and his: Our Fathers had not this priue­ledge, they might mumble on their beades, but not matter on their Bibles, on payne of cur­sings, but if they did, they fryed for it, and therefore blessed are your eyes in that they see, and your eares in that they heare, & [Page 101] happy are you in whose harts these things are sowne, which carefully and zealously bring forth fruit hereby, to the glory of God & the discharge of your owne duties herein, of which number I doubt not but that God hath plenty amongst vs, which doe carefully labour in the discharge of these things, as well as hee had in the dayes of Eliah Seauen Thousand more1. King. 19. then hee knew of, that neuer ho­noured Ball.

But giue mee leaue a little I pray you, and I will but entreate you to take a view as in a glasse, of the abuses both of the Pa­rents and the Children of our time, and you shall see with griefe many that doe it not, and too may that know not whether they haue a duty to performe herein, or no, and too many that [Page 102] know it, and neuer regard to practise it, for see we not that the Lapwing is not more forward in going before she can cast off her shell, then the Impes of our time are in speaking euill before they can well speake? I speake not of speaking well, but of speakingChildren for­ward to speak euill before they can scarce speake. plaine, for doth not the child call his owne mother drab and queane, and his father foole and knaue and such like, and yet the foolish Parents reioyce to heare them chat thus, nay, I would they did not teach them such things themselues: but hereof it commeth as a iust plague for their follies, that be­fore they can well goe from their hands, they heare them curse them to their face.

Nay, looke wee further and see we not many that whe [...] they haue but learned to speake and [Page 103] goe, they straight fall to pilfe­ring and stealing, and yet euen these things are wincked at, yea & defended too many leand pa­rents, for their proffits sake as they thinke, as if the every were good husbandry: but looke yet farther vnto them which bee of more yeares, that one would thinke should haue some know­ledge of God & of his lawes, & do we not dayly heare thē as we passe almost in euery place, blas­pheming the holy name of God with great oathes, and singing of most lewd and filthy songs, full of most odious speeches to theThe leaudnes of Children is the ill gui­ding of the Parents. griefe of any good heart or chast care: doth not this shew the bad and negligent guiding and gouerning them in the prime of their youth, yes surely, this is the very cause hereof, & there­fore if writing or speaking will [Page 104] or may doe any good in this case, here is cause both to wrigh [...] and speake too, & it is high time to doe it. These thinges when I had with griefe considered, I could not keepe my penne from wrighting, for euen for Sions sake I will not hold my tongue, & forEsay. 62. Ierusalems sake I will not rest.

Moses the great Prophet and chosen servant of God beingParents ought to teach their children the lawes of God. directed frō the mouth of God himselfe, how to teach and in­struct his people whom hee had chosen, the Children of Israel [...] among other principalles of their duty, this is one chiefeDeu. 11. thing wherin he often instructedDeu. 31. them, that they should teach their Childrē the lawes of God, see here then thy duty, what or whomsoeuer thou bee, if thou be a father thou art commanded to teach thy Children, and t [...] [Page 105] must teach thē the lawes of God,Deut. [...]. for this was not spoken to the Priests or to the elders or the ru­lersDeu. 6. of the people onely, but vn­to al the people in generall, both high and low, rich and poore, aswell the meanest as the grea­test▪ No man ex­empted from doing this, but all must doe it. aswell the vnlearned as the learned, for none are here ex­empted, euery man must teach his Children the lawes of God, his Commandements, his will, his word, for so the Prophet Dauid plainely sheweth, settingPsalme. 78. downe to what end thou must do this, to the intent that whē they come vp, they might shew their Children the same, that they might put their trust in God, and not to forget the workes of God, but to keepe his Com­mandements.

This then is the duty which thou ar [...] commanded to doe, and th [...] must not [...] the doing [Page 98] [...] [Page 99] [...] [Page 100] [...] [Page 101] [...] [Page 102] [...] [Page 103] [...] [Page 104] [...] [Page 105] [...] [Page 106] of it neyther, thou must not taryParents ought not to deferre the teaching of their children in their youth til they bee men and women and so as thou thinkest come then to the capacity of vnderstanding, no thou must teach it thy Chil­dren while they be children, and thy wisedome must giue them helpe to vnderstand it, that so it may be grounded into them in the time of their youth, for look with what the vessell is first sea­soned with of that it wil alwaies beare the tast.

This duty did old Abraham well know, although he liued al­most a Thousand yeares before the Law was giuen vnto the people of Israel, for so God himselfe testifieth of him saying, That hee knew that hee would command his Sonnes to keepe the waies of the Lord, note the place I pray you, for it is worth the noting, see how fami­liar God himselfe is with Abra­ham, [Page 107] hee vouchsafeth to talkeGen. 18. with him familiarly as one manHow dearely God loueth them which teach and in­struct their Children and Family his Commande­ments. doth with another, nay, as one friend doth with another, for he openeth his very secrets vnto him: what greater signe of loue can be? shall I (saith God) hide from Abraham the thing which I do, seeing that Abraham shall bee indeed a great and a mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him, and here followeth the reason of all: For I know him sayth God, that he will command his sonnes & his houshould after him, that they keepe the waies of the Lord, nowWhat the du­ty of Parents is. you see what the duty of a Fa­ther or Mother is, namely to teach their Children the Com­mandements of God, but hee hath not done with thee yet, God goeth further with thee stil, because thou shalt haue no ex­cuse in not doing it, most graci­ously [Page 108] hee doth vochsafe to teach vs also how wee shall performeWhen they ought to teach them. this Commandement, namely thus: Thou must teach them these thinges, when thou sittest in thine house, when thou walkest by the way, when thou lyest downe, & when thou risest vp, thou must doe this, and thou must not dare to neglect or leaue this vndone neither.

For God threateneth hisDeu. 28. Leui. 26. Ier. 48. and 49 owne chosen people, not onely to punish them with grieuous punishments, but euen their land also if they disobey his Com­mandements, & wee haue many places in Scripture to approue this vnto vs, but let me tell thee one thing by the way, if thou beThe man which know­eth not his duty, how can he teach it his Children. not well instructed in this duty thy selfe, thou canst neuer teach it vnto thy Children, for how can a man teach another man, or his sonne or seruant, any art, my­sterie [Page 109] or trade, wherein he him­selfe hath no knowledge, there­fore see thou bee able to teach them thy selfe, it will not serue thy turne to set them to schoole and to appoynt them Maisters & Tutors to teach them, and yet these be good men for it, and it is thy duty so to doe, but it is not sufficient.

Thou must also teach them thy selfe, and be a principall tea­cher of them, for thou must teach them at al times, & in al places, as thou seest in Deu. 6. when thou Deut. 6. walkest, and when thou sittest, when thou risest in the morning, and in the euening before thou goe to bed, thou must not take thine owne ease, nor refresh thy selfe with sleepe vntill thou hast per­formed this thy duty vnto God.

The Twelueth Chapter.

BVt it may bee thou wilt goe about to excuse thy selfe in this case as many doe in these dayes, and say would you haue mee performe these thinges, I am not bookish, I cannot reade, there­fore how should I teach them these things being an ignorant man? but deceiue not thy selfe whomsoeuer thou be, father or mother, for I tell thee ignorance shall be no excuse vnto thee, the servant that doth not the will of his Maister shall be beaten for it, yea, although he knew it not, and why? because it is the duty of euery seruant to seeke euen with [Page 111] diligence to know the will of his Maister, and to doe it.

Nay, thou canst not pleade ig­norance though thou wouldest, for none can doe it, for Moses tel­lethDeu. 30. thee, that this Commande­ment is not hidden from thee, it is not in heauen that thou shouldest say who shall goe vp to bring it vs, and cause vs to heare it that wee may doe it, neither is it be­yond the sea, that thou should­est say, who shall goe fetch it vs and so cause vs to doe it, but it is very neere vnto thee, euen in thy mouth, and in thy heart for to doe it, and Saint Paule telleth vsRom. 10. plainely, this is the very same which we preach vnto you.

If then it bee so, that wee may dayly heare it to our great com­fort, euen at our doores in euery Parish Church, how then can wee pleade ignorance, if the ser­vant [Page 112] I tould you of shal be beaten which doth not the will of his Maister though hee know it not, how much shal he be beaten with many stripes, which doth refuse to know his will, as too many in these dayes doe? and thus you see there can bee no excuse tho­rough ignorance, so that euery man must labour to bee so furni­shedEuery man must labour to be furni­shed with knowledge, that hee may thereby in­struct his Fa­mily. with knowledge, that hee may bee able thereby to instruct his owne Children and family: and because it must be done con­tinually, both in the morning & in the euening, both when thou sittest at home, and when thou walkest abroad, beware that thou doe not as too many doe, which when they haue see their Chil­dren to say the Lords Prayer, & to rehearse their beliefe and the Ten Cōmandements, doe thi [...]e that then they haue done enough [Page 113] for the whole day though nei­ther themselues, nor al the house besides doe halfe so much.

O lamentable case! this must not bee, but when thou hastIn what man­ner it ought to be done. taught them to pray, thou also must pray with them, calling thy whole Family together, and so make your selues a holy congre­gation vnto God, by humble prostrating your selues vnto him, that so as ye all haue recieued of him your preseruation and quiet rest the night passed, euen so all of you may ioyne together in giuing him thankes for so great a blessing, and if thou wouldest that thy labours, and the labours of thy Children and Servants should prosper the day follow­ing, then doe you ioyne together in Prayer vnto Almighty God for it, for so it must be, for where 2. or 3. be gathered together in [Page 114] his name hee hath promised notMat. 18. onely to be amongst them, but also to grant their requests, hee will make thee plentious in eue­ry worke of thy hand, in the fruit of thy body, thy Children shallDeut. 30. prosper also, and in the fruit of thy land for thy wealth, & what wouldest thou more desire, and it must not be done now & then, when thou lystest, but it must dayly bee done, for this is that morning and euening sacrifice, which we must dayly offer vnto the eares of Almighty God e­uen our humble harts by the caulnes of our lipes.

And seeing thou art comman­dedParents ought to take their children to Church with them, and ex­amine them how they spend their time there. to teach thy Children at all times, both sitting at home, and going abroad, see that thou neg­lect not to take them to the Church daily with thee to heare the word of God, and withall [Page 115] that they spend not their time there idlely nor vnprofitablely, but by a due examinatiō of them whē they come home, or as thou walkest abroad with them, know how they haue profited, that so God may bee glorified in the worke, your selues better in­structed, and your dutyes dis­charged.

And now that we haue proued that there is a duty belonging vnto Parents, and that they see their charge for the performāce thereof it will not bee greatly a­misse if wee see how this charge is by them performed, but the consideration of these thinges maketh mee euen with griefe toNothing more deare then time, and yet see how these times abuse it. lament, to see how negligently idely and lewdly most men doe spend their time in these dayes, that time then which nothing is more deere and precious, no­thing [Page 116] more slippery to hold, nor nothing more vnrecouerable being past, and for which they shall giue account, this time I say which they spend in idlenesse, Dicing, Carding, and Bowling, in drunkenes & whoring, wher­by they consume both them­selues & the estate both of their wiues and children, for whereas God hath giuen them sixe dayes for themselues to labour in, and hath reserued but one to be sācti­fied to his owne vse, all these be too little for many of them to spend in these wicked exercises aforenamed, and therefore they will lengthen out the time with the night two, but not an hower to serue God in of all this time.

Oh wicked man! how darest thou thus abuse the great patience of the good God, in thus con­suming thy time, and robbing [Page 117] thy children of their patrimony, by wasting those thinges where­of thou art but a steward, and for which thou must be accountable vnto him.

But here me thinkes one doth obiect against me and sayth, I am too bold in my reproofes, and am in an error, for though (sayth he) I doe spend, yet I spend but mine owne, & not my childrens: But I tell thee, thou art in an er­ror thy selfe in doing thus, for what I haue spoken, I can & will approue to bee true by the word of God it selfe in his due place, where I shall haue more occasion to speake of this matter then hereWhat good instructions can those men giue vnto their Childrē, which doe dayly runne into all wick­ednesse them­selues. I haue: but what good instructi­ons thinke you can these men giue vnto their Children which doe themselues dayly runne so dangerously euen with greedi­nesse vnto their owne destructi­ons, [Page 118] for if sault haue lost his sa­uour wherewith shall it bee sal­ted,Mat. 5. and such as the tree is, such will be the fruit, if you bee rudeMat. 7. and vnciuell like the horse and Mule which haue no vnderstan­ding, what knowledge can your children haue then, & yet it can­not be denied but that the world is too full of such.

The wise man forbiddeth fa­thers to play with their childrenEccle. 30. least they bring them to heaui­desse, but now adaies parents wil not onely play with their chil­dren, but run dayly from play to play, thinking it to be a good excercise for them to bring them to see stage playes & interludes, thus corrupting their young yeares with vices, and making themselues actors in the diuells Comody: Solomon forbiddeth parents to bring vp their childrē [Page 119] delicately, & yet you possesse thē Parets ought not to possesse their children with pride. with so much pride in the time of their youth, that many times it is the overthrow both of them and your selues, yea, and your selues would after redresse it and cannot: Oh that you that be pa­rents of children would be more circumspect herein, and wise in your owne conversation, that you might be lanthornes of light and not of darkenesse vnto them, for your selues are the cause ofParents the cause of the euills that are in children. all these euills which wee dayly see in youth, your euill example it is which dayly corrupteth your children, and you your selues will pay a deere price for it, if you amend it not.

Is not this a miserable case, that Parents should thus neglect so great a duty as this, which con­serneth both the good of them­selues and Children, little doe [Page 120] these men regard, that the soules of their Children are in their charge aswell as their bodies, & yet Moses doth not record of Ia­cob Gen. 46. that he brought so many per­sonsBoth Parents and gove­rnors of Fa­milies, are charged with the soules as­well as the bo­dies of those of whom they haue the go­vernement. into Egypt, meaning their number, but he sayth he brought so many soules thither, recko­ning them by their better part, as of that which wee should haue most care of, but what care haue those Parents of their Childrens soules, which are thus carelesse of their owne, and yet the very heathē Philosophers can tell vs, that though what manner of chil­dren shall bee borne vnto a man, lieth not in his power, yet by right bringing them vp that they may proue good, lyeth in our power, therefore be you wise in looking to your owne waies.

The 13. Chapter.

THe wise man would haue Parents to bee better instructed, to the end they may better governe their Children, and to that end hee plainely setteth downe by what instructions & dissipline it must be done, for he telleth you, that an euill nurtered sonne is the dishonor Eccle. 22. of his Father, & therefore would haue you bee carefull in gouer­ning them in the time of their youth, not giuing them any li­berty, nor wincking at their follies, he sayth, That he that lo­ueth his sonne, causeth him often to feele the rod, that he may haue ioy of him in the end: hee that chastiseth [Page 122] his sonne shall haue ioy of him, and shall reioyce of him among his ac­quaintance: Eccle. 30. And hee that teacheth his sonne greeveth the enemie, and before his friends hee shall reioyce of him, though his father die, yet hee is as if he weee not dead, for he hath left one behind him that is like him, in his life hee saw him, and had ioy in him, and was not sorry in his death, neither was hee ashamed before his enemies, he left behind him an aven­ger against his enemies, and one that should shew fauour vnto his friends: hee that flattereth his soone bindeth vp his wounds, and his heart is grie­ued at euery cry: An vntamed horse will be stubborne, and a wanton child will bee wilfull, if thou bring vp thy sonne delicately, hee shall make thee affraid, and if thou play with him, he shall bring thee to heauinesse, laugh not with him, least thou bee sorrie with him, and least thou dash thy [Page 123] teeth in the end, giue him no liberty Keepe thy child vnder in the time of his youth and so thou shalt haue ioy of him in the end. in his youth, and wincke not at his folly, bow downe his necke while hee is yong, and beate him on the sides while he is a child, least he waxe stub­borne, and so bee disobedient vnto thee and so bring sorrow vnto thy heart: therefore chastise thy child and be diligent therein, withould not correction from thy child, for if thou Prou. 23. smightest him with the rod, hee shall not die thereof, thou smigbtest him with the rod, but thou deliuerest his soule from hell: and againe, if thou Eccle. 7. haue Daughters keepe their body, & shew not thy face chearefull towards them, marry thy daughter, and so shalt thou performe a waighty mat­ter, Eccle. 42. but giue her to a man of vnder­standing: How a man ought to be­stowe his daughter. If thy daughter be a wan­ton keepe her straightly, least shee cause thine enemies to laugh thee to scorne, and the whole Citty to giue the an euill report, and so thou bee [Page 124] faine to heare thy shame of euery Deut. 23. man, thou shalt not hold thy daughter to whoredome that the land fall not to whoredome and waxefull of wick­ednesse: If thy daughter bee not shamefast, hould her straightly, least shee abuse her selfe by ouermuch li­berty, Deut. 23. beware of the dishonesty of her eyes, there shall bee no whore among the daughters of Israell, nor whorekeepers among the sonnes of Israell: A misnurtered soone is the dishonor of the Father, a foolish daughter shall be little regarded, and she that commeth to dishonesty bring­eth her father to heauinesse, a daugh­ter that is past shame, dishonoreth both her Father and her Mother.

Now you see what wise coun­counsell & golden precepts are here giuen to Parents for the go­uerning of Children, so that more cannot well bee said or at least need not, but onely this, [Page 125] aduising you not to bee negli­gent in the execution of these thinges, aswell for the discharge of your owne duties, as for the good of your Children, but I haue heard some Parents so vn­wise, which when their Chil­dren haue done amisse, and they haue beene aduised to giue them correction for it, they haue an­swered I cannot doe it, for I can­not abide to fight with my chil­dren, see what a silly answer was here made! and yet many suchHe that lo­ueth his chi [...] maketh him often to feele the rod, and so preserueth him from greater dan­gers. Pro. 23. fooles there be, callest thou this fighting, thou errest, I might haue said thou lyest, for here are no enemies opposed one against another to endanger the life of either, but tender harted loue from a good father or mother which seeketh by gentle cor­rection of a rod to deliver the soule of the child from hell, wilt [Page 126] thou then not doe so, then thou art guilty of thy childs going to hell, & thou shalt follow it thi­ther too, if thou amend not, thin­kest thou it is enough for thee to chide thy Childe for his fault,That is not enough for Parents to chide their children, but they must vse correction al­so. when hee doth amisse, I say nay, God will haue thee to vse cor­rection too, looke vpon the hea­uie iudgement hee shewed vpon old Elye and his Children, be­caue he did not correct them for their faults, and that alone may serue to terrifie and teach you too, not to neglect so great a charge.

We finde that when the Lord did reveale himselfe vnto Samu­ell, the first thing which he made knowne vnto him was, the euill hee would bring vpon his ma­ster Elye, the words of God him­selfe are these, behald I will doe a thing in Israell, whereof whosoeuer [Page 127] shall heare, his two eares shall tingle: 1. Sam. 2. In that day I will raise vp against Elye, all thinges which I haue spo­ken concerning his house, when I be­ginne, I will also make an end, and I haue told him I will iudge his house for euer, for the inniquity which hee knoweth, because his sonne ran into a slaunder, and he stayd them not.

And in the next chapter fol­lowing,An example or Parents not to deferre the correction of their chil­dren. we see the execution of Gods iustice in the performance of his word, for the Arke of God was taken from them by their enemies the Philistines, and the sons so Elye, Hophne, & Phy­nias, were both slaine the same day, and old Elye being Eighty yeares of age, when hee heard1. Sam. 3. these tydings, fell backwardGods iustice shewed vpon old Elye, for not correct­ing his sonnes. from the seate he sate vpon, and so brake his necke, & his daugh­ter in law, the wife of his sonne Phineas, being with child, and [Page 116] [...] [Page 117] [...] [Page 118] [...] [Page 119] [...] [Page 120] [...] [Page] [...] [Page 122] [...] [Page 123] [...] [Page 124] [...] [Page 125] [...] [Page 126] [...] [Page 127] [...] [Page 128] neere the time of her deliue­rance, shee hearing these heavie newes fell suddenly in trauell of her child-birth and so dyed.

The 14. Chapter.

YOu see what heauie iudgements God powred vpon this man and his Chil­dren, because hee did not correct them, and yet they being in the state of man­hood, & hee a very old man, you would haue thought hee had done enough when hee rebuked them with sharpe words, telling them, and no doubt but that it was with griefe too, that all the people▪ reported euill of them, nay, wisely he telleth them more [Page 129] that if one man doe sinne against another, the iudge may iudge it, but none may pleade for him that sinneth against the Lord, & yet because hee did not more sharpely and seuerely punish them, you see the Lord thus sharpely doth punish both him and his.

Now what will you say to this example? I know what you would plade, you would faine excuse your selues still, and say, that though when they bee chil­dren you then may gouerne thē, yet being past that state, they areChildren when they be growne to mans estate are not then past gover­ning of their Parents. growne past your gouerment, therefore then you cannot so well governe them, but you see here by these examples of Elyes sonnes, they are not then free from your gouerment, nor you freed from gouerning them, yet it may bee you will say, they are [Page 130] growne stubborn & disobedient; & will not be gouerned by you.

I will tell you then how you yet shall governe them, looke in the 21. of Deut. and there youHow Parents ought to go­verne stub­borne childrē in the state of manhood. shall know what to do vnto such a stubborne & disobedient child whom you your selues cannot rule, and the words are these:

If any man haue a sonne that is stubborne and disobedient, which will not harken vnto the voyse of his Fa­ther, Deu. 21. and the voyce of his Mother, & they haue chastened him, and he would not obey them, then shall his Father and his mother take him and bring him to the elders of his Citty, & vnto the gate of the place where he dwelleth, & shall say vnto the Elders of his citty this our sonne is stubborne & disobedient, & he wil not obey our admonitiō, he is a royoter & a drun­kard, then al the men in the citty shal stone him with stones to death.

Now you see what the law of God doth teach you concerning the gouerment of such disobedi­ent Children whom you cannot gouerne, and this if old Elye had done, hee then had escaped that heavie iudgēent which fell vpon him & his: & thus should parents do vnto such leaud children, that so they may escape the in did nati­on of God against thēselues, for he will haue such wicked bran­chesHow Parents may escape the iudge­ments of G [...] by gover [...] their stub­berne childrē, it their state of manhood. cut off, least they corrupt the whole body, therfore if they wil not be governed by thee, yet let not foolish pitty mooue thee to disobey the Commandement of almighty God by keeping them from that punishmēt which they deserue, but rather as thou art cōmanded, so discharge thy selfe by bringing thm [...] to the Maie­strate, that hae according to the law may punish them, & so thou [Page 132] be guiltlesse of their sinne.

And as I haue here in some measure set downe the authority of a father, and how that by dis­siplineParents ought to geuerne their children with wisedom aswell as by instuction he ought to governe, so withall I must aduise Parents to take with them the counsaile of S. Paull, for hee would haue Parents to governe their Children with wisedome, not alwaies vsing their authority, but mildly and gently according to their yeares & capasities, his words are these.

Fathers, prouoke not you children Ep [...]e. 6. to anger, but bring them vp in in­structions and information of the Lord: and againe, Fathers pro­uoke Colle. 3. not your Children vnto anger, least they be discouraged.

Yet meaneth hee not but that Parents may both chide and also correct their children when oc­casion shall serue, but not rigo­rously [Page 133] and in their anger, not ca­ring how or with what they doeParents must not be too sharpe in their correcti­on. strike them, or being as many are, alwaies rating or chiding of them, this is it which withdraw­eth them from that natural loue and obedience which they owe, and otherwise would shew vnto their Parents: therefore let Fa­thers and Mothers be very care­full in this poynt, how and in what sort they doe correct their Children.

And yet there be many which cannot bee drawne to correct their Children except it bee in the very instant when they haue done some offence, and then their mindes being thereby stir­red vp vnto anger, presently they run vpon them as wee vse to say, without feare or witt, not caring (as I sayd before) how or with what they doe correct them, so [Page 134] that some time in this nature or rather madnesse, the child re­ceiueth that from the hands of his cruell Parents, that of long time after, hee is not freed of, nay of some not to their dying day.

Therefore in any case let notParents should vse their dissipline without anger this counsaile of Saint Paull bee forgotten, but wisely, mildely, and with out anger vse your cor­rection, for when children bee come to some discretion, it will bee wisedome to passe by many faults without seeming to take notice of them, and in any caseDangerous to vse to threa­ton children to correct them. not to vse much threatnings of them, for many times the threat­ning of a puishment to come, al­though perhaps not meaning to be performed, yet so feareth and terefieth the hearts of young­lings, that it often causeth thē or to do that which they ought not, otherwise would not doe.

The 15. Chapter.

THis second part of the duy of Parents, will seeme harsh & very displeasing vn­to many men of our time, which doe suppose, that when they haue brought vp their Children to some yeares, and as they thinke to bee able to make some shift in the world, & espe­cially if they haue brought them vp vnto some Art, Trade, or meanes for them to get their li­uing by in time to come, that [Page 136] then their charge and care for them is past, and that they haue fully discharged themselues of their duty concerning them, and may then dispose of that goods, or estate, which they haue at their pleasure, either from their Children, or to whō or to which of them they please, as their af­fection serveth, and this is an er­ror in many men, and yet this may not be, for neither are they so discharged, nor may lawfully so dispossesse their Children or dispose of their goods.

Obiect. And one of these men begineth to cavile with me already about this matter, and telleth mee that I am much disceaved, for sayth he, may I not do with mine own goods what I will? which with mine owne sore laboer I haue ga­thered? I haue nothing (saith he) that came to me by inheritance, [Page 137] nor any friend that gaue mee a penny to begin the world with­all, and I haue had sundry wiues, and haue had Children by each of them, and I confesse I haue had good dowries with some of them, & by the good endevours of them and my selfe, God hath blessed me with that that I haue, and shall I not now bee master of mine own? may I not giue mine owne goods to whom I please? or giue them to which of my children I doe most affect, either Sonne or Daughter? or it may be my Sonne will not bee ruled by me, or is an vnthrift, shall he then wast and consume with his vn­thriftinesse that which I haue la­bored for? no, I know how to prevent him and that by law too, or if I giue it wholy to my dau­ter, who shall barre me from do­ing it, or appoynt me how I shall [Page 138] dispose mine owne? I haue with great care and charge brought them vp to these yeares, & now they bee able to get their owne liuing, let them shift in the name of God, as I haue done.

Answer. Here is a large discourse to small purpose, and yet there bee two many of your oppinion, and no doubt but that you do thinke you haue well spoken, and sure­ly if it had beene wisely spoken it had beene so indeed, but know you that the wisedome of theIob. 37. world is foolishnesse with God, for in his word, by which wee are to be ruled, he hath comman­ded vs otherwaies.

For although you haue brought vp your Children to the yeares of discression, so that then you thinke they are able to make shift for themselues as you say, yet may you not then so leaue them [Page 139] to themselues, for there is yet more to bee done that must not bee left vndone, for thou must prouide for thy sonne a Wife, & for thy Daughter an Husband, & so as the wise man sayth: Thou shalt performe a waighty matter: Eccle. 7. thou must not leaue the young­lingsParents ought to pro­vide for the marriages of their children, both sonnes & daughters. to themselues for to make their owne choyse, but thou must doe it, and that in his due time: we find that Abraham was very carefull to performe this duty, althought he was so farreGen. 24. in yeares that hee could not tra­vile about the businesse himselfe, for he appoynted his servant the steward of his house what to doe and where to provide a Wife for his Sonne Isaacke: and thus did Isaacke vnto Iacob his Sonne,Gen. 28. appoynting him where to goe & there only to make his choise: thus did Hagar although but a [Page 140] woman, & dwelling in the wil­dernesse, yet shee provided aGen. 25. Wife for her sonne Ishmaell.

Yea the very heathen did ob­serue this rule, for Sechem the fa­therGen. 34. of Hamor did sue vnto Iacob for his daughter Dina, to bee a wife vnto his sonne: yea, Ibz [...]n Iudge of Israell though hee hadIug. 12. Thirty sons & as many daugh­ters, yet he did provide for them all, both Wiues for his sonnes, & Husbands for his daughters, and many such proofes wee haue in the Scrptures, by all which it ap­peareht that Parents haue al­waies euen from the beginning, beene vere carefull to obserue this as a principall poynt of their duty to their Children.

And this must be done in due time, thou must not doe as too many do in these daies, which wil not suffer their childrē to marry [Page 141] but when they will, & to whomParents not to force or li­mite their childrens ma­riage. they plase, nay fathers will doe more then fathers ouhgt to doe, they will disinherite their Sons, and bereaue their Children of their patrimonyes, if they will not marry to their liking, where wealth may serue to satisfie their coveteous mindes, & so in stead of being kind and loving Fa­thers vnto their Children, they become tyrants vnto them, not so much regarding the young­lings likings, whereby they may liue the rest of their daies in loue together, and so bring vp their children together in the feare of God as their owne affections.

Whereupon by such enforced marriages if often commeth to passe, that when the young cou­ples beginne as it were to tast each of other, they so dislike one of the other, that they forsake [Page 142] one another, the Wife the com­panieThe danger that ensueth by constray­ned marriages of her Husband, or the Husband of the Wife, and fall to that abhominable act of adul­tery, and thus such Parents doe become both culpable and au­thors of their sinne.

Yet I doe not speake against this, [...]as giuing liberty vnto youthes that they may marry at their owne pleasure or liking without the consent of Parents, or abridging the authority of Parents in this case, God forbid I should so doe or thinke, but I speake this against marriages constrayned & limited, for mar­riage was ordained as a remedy1. Cor. 7. against sinne, but they which prolong the time of their chil­drens marriage, either for plea­sing their own affections in their choyse, or for the desire of wealth through coveteousnesse, [Page 143] or for that they wil not part with any of their substance in dowrie with them, such I say are many times the occasion of their chil­drens sinne, for Saint Paule sayth it is better to marry, then to burne in desire.

Had Iudah giuen his daughter in law vnto his sonne Shelah inGen. 38. time according to his promise, he had not committed that hor­rible fact of Incest with her him­selfe: Againe, when Samson had made his choyse of a wife, of that heathen generation, the vn­circumcised Philistines which were not onely enemies to the people of Israell, but also vnto God himselfe, when hee desired this woman of his Father, and would needs marry her, hee did not disinherit him, or cast him out of his favour for it, but yet wisely rebuketh him saying, is [Page 144] there neuer a wife among the daugh­ters of thy breatheren and amongst all my people, that thou must goe to take a Wife of the vncircumcised Philistians? yet when hee saw that his affection was setled onWhat Parents ought to doe in case of ma­riage to their children. her, he was content both to goe with him, & to procure the ma­riage for him, & it is sayd there, that this marriage did come of the Lord, though his Father knew it not, I could wish there­fore that Parents would follow the counsaile of Manoah in this [...]g. [...]4. place, by their wisedomes to perswade when occasi­on shall serue, but nor other­wise.

The 16. Chapter.

ANd now concerning how Parents ought to bestow their goods, wee reade that Abraham wasGen. 15. minded to make Eliazer the steward of his house, heire of all that he had, but it was before he had any Children, and yet hee was forbidden by God himselfe so to doe, for God hauing de­termined to giue him issue of hisA plaine profe that a man may not giue his goods from his chil­dren. own body, would not suffer him so to doe, but telleth him direct­ly that one that should proceed out of his owne bowels, hee should be his heyre.

And the Prophet Dauid hee telleth vs likewise, that it is the [Page 146] speciall gift of God & his greatPsal. 127. blessing vnto man, when he hath heyres of his owne body to pos­sesse those lands or goods which hee hath gathered together, and shall leaue behind him: and this alone might serue to ap­proue that a man may not dis­pose of his goods from his chil­dren, but the Scriptures are plen­tifull of these examples.

Abraham gaue his goods vn­toGen. 25. his Sonne Isacke as you see he was appoynted of God, Aaron Exod. 28. was commanded of God to san­tifie his sonnes vnto the order of priesthood, vnto which the Lord had chosen him, and Elye did1. Sam. 2. place his sonnes in the same or­der, nay, he did not take it from thē although hee knew that they were wicked: and Dauid did not1. King. 1. at his death devide his King­dome vnto his sonnes, but left [Page 147] it wholy vnto his sonne Salomon, 1. King. 11. neither did he deuide it, but left it vnto his sonne Rehoboam, and he also left it vnto his son Ab [...]am, 1. King. 14. and he vnto his sonne Asa, and2. Cro. 1 [...]. he left it vnto his son Iehosaphat, and Iehosaphat left it wholy vnto2. Cron. 13. his son Iehorā, & yet we finde he had sixe Sonnes besides Iehoram, 2. Cron. 16. all which he left not vnprovided for, but gaue vnto each of them great portions and riches, aswell2. Cron. 2 [...]. of gold and siluer, as strong cit­ties for their habitation of dwel­ling, but the kingdome hee gaue wholy vnto Iehoram his son, be­causeThat the el­dest son hath a prerogatiue aboue the rest of his brethe­ren. he was the first borne, the eldest of them all.

So that wee see now that it came to him by his birth, and as being the eldest sonne of his father, and not through his fa­thers affection towards him, and yet we cannot say that hee erred [Page 148] in doing this, for it is said of him, that he did that which was right and good in the sight of God, & therefore it may not be doubted but that God did direct him in this the disposing of his King­dome and goods, aswell as in o­ther things.

Thus also you see it is a cleare case that the eldest sonne hath a prerogatiue aboue the rest of his bretheren, and therefore must needs be respected aboue them, and this care we find to be in Io­seph, for his sonne Manassah whenG [...]n. 4 [...]. he would haue had his father to haue layd his right hand vpon his head rather then the yonger, & from these & such like places in the booke of God as a ground vnfailable, haue all natiōs almost in their lawes, held this as a prin­cipall, that the eldest son should hold and enioy, all such lands [Page 149] as haue come vnto them either by discent from their Ancestors, or haue been purchased by their Parents.

But what shall we say of those men, that will not onely dispos­sesse their sons from those lands which they themselues haue pur­chased, and that vpon very small occasions▪ but also to maintayneA great fault in Parents. their owne ryotous and vicious kind of liuing, will dispossesse them of all such lands or goods which are their childrens owne proper right euen from their an­cestors? what an heavie account haue these men to make vnto God for these things? but I hope I haue now satifsied the world­ling of whom before we spake, that hee may not giue his goods frō his Children, or vnto which or whom hee please, for God will haue the generations pro­ceeding [Page 150] to receiue the benefits & labours of the former, as the children the fruits of the Parents labours: but if he wil needs bee partiall to his children, I will tell him yet how he may doe it, Isma­ell may not bee heire with Isack, they bee not fit yoake-fellowes, yet Abraham may giue Ishmaell a portion, but it must be but breadGen. 21. and a bottle of water, & he must send him away with it too, when hee hath it, for they may not dwell or enioy the heritage to­gether, because he is not the son of his Wife but of his servant.

But Isack because hee is borne in lawfull wedlocke, hee must be his Fathers heyre, and so heeBastards may not be ioyned in equality With children borne in law­full wedlocke. may dispose of his Bastards, hee may giue them portions, but you see how, they must bee but small ones, he may not giue his Chil­drens portions vnto thē, I meane [Page 151] the substance which his children should possesse of right, there be too many guilty of this fact in our daies the more the pitty.

But this worldly wise man ha­uing no lands, but such wealth or goods as by his labours hee hath gathered, [...]hinketh hee may be bold with that, to dispose of it where he please, and how, for so he sayth: but I tell thee nay, for though it be but goods, yet thou must not do it, for Abraham had no land at the time of his death, more then a little peeceGen. 25. of one field, which hee bought for a buriall place for his dead, but dwelt in Tents, and was a stranger himselfe all his dayes in that land which God did pro­mise to giue vnto his seede, and after performed it, but being ex­ceeding rich both in goods and cattell, yet you see he might not [Page 152] giue these goods from his sonne, for whether it bee goods or lands, yet no man may attribute more vnto himselfe then this, that God hath giuen them vnto him for his necessary vse in this life, but after for the good of his ofsprings to come, wherein the great wisedome and mercy ofThe wisedom and mercy of God in proui­ding for vs be­fore we bee. our God appeareth in this his worke, which should stirre vs vp vnto great thankefulnesse for so great blessings by his divine wis­dome & power provided, lay­ing vp in store for vs before we come into the world by the hand of our Parents.

The 17. Chapter.

ANd as I haue in this for­mer Chapter proved that a man may not dispose of his goods from his Children, and amongst them that the first borne sonne hath a prerogatiue aboue the rest? so now I must speake con­cerning the Daughter, what is to be don for her, for this worldling before named, sayth hee would giue his goods if he pleased from his son to his Daughter, but he may not do that neither, for in al the booke of God wee haue no such warrant or example [...]ndeed we doe not find amongst all the men afornamed, any that maketh mention of his Daughter, & yet wee know they had daughters as [Page 154] well as sons, whō no doubt but they did provide for, & did not leaue without portiōs & dowries for though Iacob doth not make mention of his daughter Din [...] Gen. 48. amongst his Sonnes when he [...] gaue them their inheritance, yet may wee not thinke but that as a Father hee prouided for her other waies, but hee did not ioyne her in equaltie with them▪ for still in all times and places, the sonne hath had his preroga­tiue as I haue proved; aboue the Daughter.

And with great wisedome it is done too, for the man did notThe reason why man hath a prerogatiue aboue the wo­man. first sinne in the transgression of the Commandement of God, but the woman did first sinne, & therefore was shee iustly puni­shedGen. 3. with seruitude not to bee in equality of rule equall with the man, but to be in subiection vnto [Page 155] him, and he to rule ouer her: in­deede if shee had kept her in the bounds of her obedience vnto her maker, and not beene the o­riginall of sin, it may bee suppo­sed, shee had beene equall inThe peroga­tiue that man hath, ought not to bee dis­penced with. authority with him, cheke mate, and no diversity of superioritie had been betwixt them, but now the case is altered, there is no e­quality in this nature, but the man hath wholy the preroga­tiue, & therefore great were the offence of that man, which should take the benefit away frō the man, and giue the same vnto the woman, as from his sonne to his daughter, but the proofe fol­lowing is greater: indeede wee finde that Caleb the sonne of Ie­phune gaue vnto his daughterIoshu. 15. Achsab the whole country of He­bron, with both the sprngs aboue and the springs beneath, but she [Page 156] was the onely daughter of her father, and hee then had no sons liuing, and God had promised to giue that land to him and to his seede.

And yet Moses was in doubt himselfe whether that a woman might inherite land or no, for we find that the daughters of Zel [...] ­phehad came vnto Moses and de­mandedNum. 27. a portion of land for their inheritance among the fa­milies of their tribe, because all the males of the family of their father was deceased, but it see­med vnto him so difficult a mat­ter to answer, that he was fai [...]e to bring the cause before the Lord, and the Lord answered, that they demanded but right, for sayd he, if a man doe die and leaue noHere the mat­ter is by God himselfe fully decided. sons, then the inheritance should turne to the Daughters, agains [...] this who can or dare speake, and [Page 157] now I hope I haue proved that no man may giue the portion due vnto his son, from him, to his daughter.

But I haue another obiection yet of this politition to answer vnto, I doe remember he sayd he had married sundry wiues, & he had had children by each of thē, & it may be, it is with him as it is with a great many more, the first wife is forgotten & her children & her childrē are as little regar­ded, & therfore to please his last wife, hee will suspence with the others children: there be too ma­ny vse such trickes in these daies, but if hee will be a scholler in Gods schoole, he must learne a­nother lesson.

For we shal find, that if a man haue had children by sundry wiues, and that hee loueth the one more then hee did the o­other, [Page 158] if his first borne sonne heDeu. 21. the son of her that is not lo [...], yet when the time cōmeth th [...] hee giueth his goods to his chil­dren,A principall poynt for fa­thers to re­gard, and a­gainst partia­lity. he may not make the sonne of her whom hee loueth his first borne, before the sonne of the hated, which is inddeed the first borne, but he shall acknowledg [...] the son of the hated for the first borne, & giue vnto him a double portion of all that he hath, for he is the first of his strength, and to him belongeth the right of the first borne, & thus we see plaine­ly that there may be no partiali­ty vsed in these causes.

But now to conclude this last part, and to make the matter yet more plainer then wee haue done, and to proue that the fa­ther may not giue his goods frō his children, nay, that he hath no right so to doe, but that of right [Page 159] they belong vnto his Children, we haue yet a very playne exam­ple for this matter in the storie of the prodigall son, who com­ming to his father for a portiō of his goods, he doth not say vnto him, I pray you father that you will be pleased to bestow vponA plaine proofe of the right which the child hath in the estate of the father. me some small portion, either of your goods or mony, which you will, & what you please or may well spare, he doth not so, nor doth he desire to lend him such or so much money neither, no he is more bold with him thē so, for he cōmeth bluntly and plainely vnto him, neither to begge nor to borrow of him, but to aske his owne, saying: father, giue mee the portion of goods that falleth vnto mee, or as some translations haue it, the portion that is due vnto me, or my portion.

Surely, if he had had no right [Page 160] nor interest in the goods of his father, hee durst not haue beene so bold and saucy as thus to de­maund or challenge a portion thereof as he doth, neither doth hee stand to his fathers curtesie, what hee will giue him, for as he doth demand but his owne, so heLuke. 15. demaundes no more, nor hee asketh no lesse: well, then it appeareth it was his right.

But now for the confirmation yet further of this matter, let vs see how the Father taketh the businesse, for if his sonne haueA confirmatiō yet further of this matter. exceeded the bounds of his du­ty, no doubt but as a father hee will soone reproue and correct him for it, but here is no such matter, and therefore it doth appeare plainely that he did no more the he might doe, for the kind and louing father presently without delay, yeelding vnto his formes [Page 161] request, deuided his goods be­twixt his two sons, & so hee gi­ueth vnto him his portion: how many fathers follow this par­terne in these dayes, and will heare their sonne in such a case? nay, some will spare nothing at all while they liue, others will spare very little, and some per­haps doe somewhat, but vpon conditions hard enough.

This son when hee had recei­ued his full portion, and by his vnthriftinesse and ryoting had sperit & wasted this his portion, & poverty so hardly oppressing him, that hee thereby was con­strained to returne vnto his fa­ther againe, who with ioy yet doth againe receiue him: his el­der brother angry herewith, tels his father that for al his long ser­vice done vnto him, yet hee ne­uer gaue him so much as a Kidd [Page 162] to make merry with his friends, and saith hee, dost thou thus for such an vnthrift? but his father answered, son, be cōtent thou art alwaies with mee, and all that I haue is thine, what could hee more say then this? and doth not this plainely teach vs, that a fa­ther may not giue his goods frō his children, for if it were all his sonnes, where was any to giue vnto others, or if hee had beene partiall in the distribution ther­of by giuing that to one which belonged to the other, then hee had done wrong also.

But it may bee he will yet ob­iect and say, this was but a pa­rable which our Sauiour Christ spake concerning the sinner that had run astray, who yet by true repentance humbling himselfe vnto his heauenly father, hee re­ceiueth him to his grace and fa­uour [Page 163] againe, and not a poynt of doctrine to be taken in this case:Obiections answered, and the whole matter confirmed with truth. but thou errest in that poynt al­so, for although it be parable as indeed our blessed Sauiour spake many things in parables, yet he being the very truth and wise­dome it selfe, could not commit any errour in this or any other parable, but still by one truth ex­pressed another, and therefore to say otherwise, were erronious & blasphemie.

But yet I must answer one ob­iection more which this world­ling make, which is this: I [...] may bee sayth he, that my sonne is disobedi [...] vnto me, or is an v [...] thrift, and shall hee leawdly and vnthriftily wast my goods, or that which I h [...] laboured for [...]. To which I answer [...], mista [...]e me nor, for though I haue shew­ed that a father ought [...]do thus [Page 164] for his sonne, yet I doe not say he ought to doe this for a diso­bedient, wicked, or vnthriftie son, for such a one I haue shew­ed ought to bee punished by the Magistrate and that seuerely, nei­ther did the father of this prodi­gall giue him a new portion whē hee had ryoted away that whichThat this pri­uiledge be­longeth not vnto lewd and wicked children. he gaue him, although vpon his repentance he receiued him into his fauour againe, neither doe we finde that any of these afore­named, gaue any double portionGen. 27. to any of their sonnes, Isaok had but one blessing to giue, though hee had two sonnes, nay, these men did giue these portions vn­to their sons at the time of their deathes, but not before: but if a father for the aduancement of his sonne bee pleased out of his loue to spare him som part of his goods while hee doth liue, yet if [Page 165] hee wastfully & royotously con­sume it, I see not that his fatherParents supplying the wnats of vici­ous children becommeth authors of their vnthrif­tinesse. should feede him with a new sup­ply, for so he may be authour of his sonnes vnthriftinesse. And thus briefely you see how a man may or should dispose of his goods by the rule of the word of God, and this may suffice to satisfie our pollitition, for this matter.

The 18. Chapter.

ANd now concerning the duty of Chil­dren whereof I am purposed to write, indeede there was neuer more neede to write of these thinges then now, and ne­uer more teaching of them then in these dayes, but neuer was in­structions either by word or writing lesse regarded of them, then now they be.

And no maruaile, for if God himselfe haue spoken and none would heare him, if hee haue [Page 167] stretched out his hands, & noneEsai. 1. would regard, so that hee hath beene forced to cry out vnto theThe great dis­obedience both of men and children in former ages. heauens and the earth, to beare witnesse of the disobedience of his Children, if it bee thus with men of vnderstanding, what will it bee with Children? if it were thus with men thousands of yeares agoe, what will it be with Children in these times? if the Apostles of Christ were mockedAct. 2. and sayd to be full of new wine, when they preached the word of God vnto the people, andLuke. 3. Christ himselfe despised for teaching them, and sayd to haue a diuell in him, surely if grace & feare of God were then fled frō men, what hope shall wee haue to finde it now in Children, who haue beene disobedient euen frō the beginning, scoffers & mock­ers as Ismaell of Isack, Ham of his [Page 168] owne father, and of the saints & Prophets of God as of Elisha?

But bee wise ye children and take heed, for neuer such did es­cape the heauie iudgements of God, nor neuer shall in time to come, as appeareth by these, Is­maell cast out of his fathersGen. 21. house and fauour, & yet his first borne sonne, Ham also not one­lyGen. 9. loosing the blessing of his fa­ther, but both hee and his poste­rity became accursed? the Chil­dren which wicked Elish 42. of2. King. 2. thē deuour'd by two shee Beares, well, I will yet with patience rest in hope, if Ionas be commandedIonah. 1. to preach against Nineue, he may not leaue to doe it, & fly to Thar­sus: my maister hath giuen mee a talent to vse, shall I lay it vp in a napkin for him, noe I dare not doe so, but I say still for Sions sake I will not be silent, but with [Page 169] Salomon, exhort you that be childrē Prou. 4. to heare the instruction of a father, and to giue eare to learne vnderstan­ding, despise not instructions byGood coun­sell ought not to be refused by whomsoe­uer giuen. whomsoeuer it be taught, whe­ther from the mouth of a learned diuine, or of a lay man, for gold of it selfe is pure in what base thing soeuer it bee put, and the diamond is stil precious, thoughGod the au­thor of all good things proceeding from man. it lye in the dunghill, neither is there any good thing that can proceede from the heart of man, but by the powerfull working of the spirit of God: therefore let mee intreate you, (who hearts God shall moue with desire) to seeke the knowledge of your duty, to reade these few chap­ters following, wherein I haue briefely set downe what duty you owe, and must performe vn­to your Parents, if you meane to please God.

And although I write these things vnto children, yet for that the younger sort, for want of yeares are not able to vnderstand them, I will leaue these ABC trewants, whose delight is rather in their play thē learning, and will addresse my words to those of more riper yeares, whose time should shew their knowledg, hauing lōg since learned past the graces, and now haue their rules by roate without booke: what said I, that they are past grace by learning too many rules without booke, yea indeed it is true, & therfore I may the bolder speake it though with griefe, for wee see many in these dayes which should haue know­ledge by their learning, but doeThe great a­buse which schollers make of their lear­ning. shew by the leawdnesse of their liues, that grace hath not yet wrought any good knowledge [Page 171] in them, but that they haue lear­ned too many rules without booke as I sayd, for in Gods booke or any other good booke I am sure they neuer learned such things.

There be many such schollersYouth com­ming to learne lat­tine, and yet forget their Primer les­sons. that haue learned many lattine bookes ouer, but haue quite for­gotten their English Primer les­sons, to beleeue in God, and to keepe his Commandements, & therefore to the end they may become good schollers in Gods schoole, it shall not be amisse to put them to conne ouer their old lessons againe of their obedience vnto their Parents, Honour thy Exo. 20. Father and thy Mother, that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee: and it is not amisse for others nei­ther, it may doe well for both, let none despise it, the wiser sort I am sure will not.

It hath pleased the Almighty and powrefull God which wor­keth all in all thinges for a secret Iudgement and purpose, and for his owne godly will and plea­sure, to prouide and appoynt an howre in the which thy Father and Mother should come toge­ther, to the end that thou tho­rough them mightest bee made, he was present with thee in the wombe of thy mother, & fashio­ned thee, and breathed life into thee, and for the great loue hee beare vnto thee, provided milke in thy mothers breasts against thou wast borne, moōed also thy Father and Mother and all other to loue thee, to pitty thee, and to nourish thee, and as hee hath made thee through them, so hath he cast thee vnder the power & authority of them, to obey and serue them in his stead, and to [Page 173] that end hath giuen thee a speci­all Commandement euen from his owne mouth, that thou shalt Honous thy Father and thy Mother, Exod 20. Leui. 19. which is not onely vnderstood in the outward ceremoniall acti­ons, as putting off the hatt, or bowing the knee, but thou mustThe duties which good children ought to per­forme vnto their Parents. also loue them with all thy hart, feare and dread them, and waite on their Commandements, and seeke their worship, wil and pro­fit in all things, and as it were to giue euen thy life for the conten­ting of them, counting them worthy of all honour which thou maist procure vnto them, remembring that thou art their good and possession, & that thou owest vnto them euen thy owne selfe, & all that thou art able to doe, yea, and more then thou art able to doe.

Vnderstand also that whatso­euer [Page 174] thou dost vnto them, bee itA good note for children to regard. good or euill, thou dost it euen vnto God, and when thou dost displease them, thou displeasest God, and when they are angry with thee in āy good cause, God is angry with thee: neither is it possible for thee to come into the fauour of God againe, no though all the Angels of heauen should pray for thee, vntill thou haue submitted thy selfe vnto thy Father and Mother againe, and therefore thou must be very wary and circumspect to per­forme this thy obedience vnto thy father, with the true zeale of thy hart, thou must not onely bee obedient for feare of their displeasure, correction, or pu­nishment, neither must thou o­bey them for hope of reward or some benefit which thou doest expect from them, this hypocri­tical [Page 175] obedience is not that whichHow farre the duty of chil­dren exten­deth. God commandeth thee to per­forme, and to which hee hath gieuen a blessing: no, I tell thee God will iudge and punish thee, if thou dost not performe this o­bedience vnto them, euen with the sinceritie of their heart, and in vprightnesse of conscience, for he beholdeth the heart, and according to the vprightnesse of it, God doth iudge.

For he is that powerfull God that created the heauen and the earth of nothing, and that ofGen. 1. the dust of the earth hath made thee, onely to serue and obey him, and hee it is that comman­deth thee to this obedience, that thou honour thy father and thyA principall note to be ob­serued in God thus placing this Comman dement. mother, and note how hee hath placed this Commandement▪ for it is worthy thy obseruation.

God hauing giuen vnto man [Page 176] but Ten Commandements, and but foure of them concerning the duty of man vnto him, the other Sixe concerning the duty of man vnto man, and yet as the most principall of them all, hee hath put this formest of the Sixe, Thou shalt honour thy Father and thy Mother, and well knew hee that placed that formest in the rancke, that that was the right place for it, & that he that would not obey, reuerence, and honour his owne Parents, would like­wise neglect and forget his duty vnto other men, and therefore as an introduction & instruction to that which followeth, hee doth begin with this, Honour thy father and thy Mother, that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee, and see the great mercy of our God which to the performers of this his [Page 177] Commandement, vnto which we are by duty double bound to performe, he is pleased to giue a blessing.

And as hee commandeth itLuke. 2. there, so likewise in many other places he doth the like, the Pro­phets and Apostles do likewise teach the same, and therefore if you will be childrē of God your heauenly Father, and liue vnder the obedience of his command, without which you cannot but perish euerlastingly, you must performe this his will and com­mand in this, that you honour & ob [...]y your Parents, yea, ye shallLeu. 19. euery man feare his Father and Mother saith God, & consider in what manner you ought to per­forme this, you shall stand in aw­full dread of your Parents, not of the rod or of their correction onely as I said, no, no, such ser­vile [Page 178] feare, but considering their deare and naturall loue towards thee, how tenderly, carefully, & louingly they haue nourished thee, euen from thy birth, & still do seeke thy good by all meanes possible. In respect of this their great loue vnto thee which thouWorthy notes for Children to regard. didst neuer deserue, nor neuer canst satisfie, thou oughtest like­wise in thy loue to them againe, to be euen so iealous of thy selfe, that thou shouldest feare, least in any thing thou doest, thou shouldest offend such louing Parents, this is that feare which thou oughtest to performe vnto them, and which God requireth of thee.

The 19. Chapter.

ANd seeing wee are now entred into this duty of Chil­dren, which God by his diuine wis­dome hath compiled in these few words Honour thy Father and thy Mother, and yet in them hath included the whole summe of all duties which ought to be perfor­med vnto them, which though I haue begun to touch in the for­mer Chapter, yet for that I am to speake vnto Children, it shall not be amisse if I doe somewhat inlarge this matter, for as I sayd before, it is not to be vnderstood to be onely in the putting off the cap, or [...]owing the knee, and yet [Page 180] these things must bee done be­cause by these outward thinges thou dost seeme to giue honour vnto them.

Thou must not (as too manyThe reve­rence which children ought to per­form [...] vnto their Parents, and how to honour them. proud youthes do in these daies) stand in the presence of thy fa­ther & mother with thy he [...]d couered, yea, and that amongst strangers, and talke vnto them as boldly & saucily, as it were vnto their fellowes or equales: is this the honouring thy Father & thy Mother? nay, this is to dishonour them, for in their presence thou oughtest not to stand but with great reuerence, & if they bee in any company, thy regard should bee more in performing of this duty, in giuing vnto them the more honour, and because thou canst not better performe thy honour vnto them then by obey­ing them, nor greater dishonour [Page 181] them, then by being disobedient vnto them, though I haue touch­ed it before, where I sayd thou owest vnto them euen all thy whole endeauours, whatsoeuer thou canst doe, & therefore thou must bee ready and willing at all times & in all places to performe their lawfull commandements, at their becke and word to run, goe, and to show all good obedi­ence vnto them that may bee.

Thou must not bee like thatMat. 2 [...]. disobedient sonne, whom his fa­ther [...]ad to goe worke in his vineyard, and hee answered hee would, but did not: neither must thou answer as the other did, who said hee would not, yet af­terward went.

For thou must neyther deludeChildren may not delude their Parents by lying words. thy father with lying words to say thou wilt doe his command, and haue a wicked intent in thy [Page 182] heart not to performe it, nor thou must not dare rebelliously to gaine-say his word, but if thy fa­ther or mother doe commaund thee to doe any thing, thou must gladly, hartily, willingly, forth­with euen instantly with all dili­gence performe their iust re­quest: and thus shalt thou per­forme thy duty vnto God, by this thy obedience vnto thē, for else how canst thou say thou per­formestChildren per­forme not their duty to God, which performe not their obe­dience vnto their Parents. thy duty vnto God, whē thou performest not thy duty vnto thy Parents, whom hee commandeth thee to obey and honour?

Thou must remēber also, that thou art their good, & therefore of thee, and by thee their good or profit should arise, I meane so long as thou a [...]t vnder their au­thority or gou [...]rment, thy whole endeuors both of body & mind, [Page 183] must be altogether bent vnto the good and profit of thy Parents.Chileren ought to dea [...]e iustly in the vse of their Parents goods, seeking wholy their profit. I say it must be wholy, thou must not keepe any part of it backe, eyther to thine owne vse, or to vse vnthriftily to the hurt of thy Parents, for thou owest vnto thē more then thou canst doe, and therefore a great & heauie iudg­ment doth hang ouer the heads of those wicked children which doe p [...]loyne & steale away the goods of their Parents though neuer so priuately▪ either to giue vnto those whō they doe affect, or otherwise to consume or wast after their owne willes.

And euen so it is with thoseThe hurt which many leaud children doe vnto, their Parents in not dealing iustly with them. whō their parents do appoint vnto any lawfull calling labour or busines, if they negligētly, leawdle, or idely doe spend that time, which they ought to employ on­ly in those affaires: doe they not [Page 184] rob their Parents of that profit which should arise vnto their pa­rents by their industry in that time, and so by their lewdnesse doe great hurt both vnto their Parents & themselues, yea sure­ly, and how great an offence this is wherein they thus disobey and dishonour their Parents, and consequently God himselfe iudge you.

And as it is thus by these in wasting & consuming the goodsSchollers a­busing their time in learning, wrong their Prents in do­ing it. of their Parents, euen so it is with them which wast and con­sume that most precious time which they ought to spend in schooles, to the attaining of their learning, by play and idlenesse, thereby wasting the profits of their Parents labours, nay, I would it were not thus with those, whose learning should teach them to make better vse of [Page 185] their time then they doe, both dishonoring God and their Pa­rents.

The 20. Chapter.

BVt I will not stand vpon amplification of words, they are plaine enough thē ­selues, & the whole Booke of God is full of instructi­ons to this end, & the soule that desireth knowledge will seeke it there, and amongst others very much hath Salomon laboured to teach this duty of obedience vn­to Children, as appeareth in ma­ny places of his Bookes, as in the first of Pro. My Son heare thy Fa­thers Pro. 1. instructions, and forsake not [Page 186] thy Mothers teaching [...] and againe, heare ye children the instruction if Pro. 4. a Father, and giue eare to learne vn­derstanding, for I doe giue you a good doctrine, therefore forsake not my law, for I was my fathers sonne, ten­der and deare in the sight of my mo­ther, when hee taught me and sayd vnto me, let thy heart hold fast my words & keepe my Commandement and thou shalt liue: And againe, Heare my Sonne, keepe thy Father Pro. 6. Commandements, and forsake [...] thy Mothers instructions, bind them alwaies vpon thine heart, and tie them about thy necke, it shall leade thee when thou walkest, watch this when thou sleepest, and when thou wakest, it shall talke with thee, [...] for the Cōmandement is a lanthoras, and instruction a light, and correcti­on for instruction is the way of life: And againe, A foole despiseth his Pro. 13. Fathers instructions, but he that re­gardeth [Page 187] correction is wise: Againe, A wise Sonne maketh a glad Father, but a foolish sonne is a heauinesse to his Mother: Againe, a wise sonne will obey the instruction of his Fa­ther, but a scorner will heare no re­buke.

But before I passe further, I must not so lightly passe ouerA parlse sup­position which chil­dren haue of their Parents, correcting them. some of Salomons words heere spokē, for I know there be many foolish Children in these dayes, which when their Parents re­proue or correct them for their follies or faults committed, doe eyther suppose it to bee more of spleene and anger towards them then otherwise, or that they doe not beare that naturall loue to­wards them which they should doe, but let not such idle & leawd thoughts possesse either thy heart or minde, but remember that he telleth thee that correction for in­structions [Page 188] are the way of life, and that he that regardeth the correction of his Father, is wise: well, I will goe on with Salomons words (for sayth hee:)

He that destroyeth his Father or Pro. 19. chaseth away his mother, is a leawd and a shamefull child: Againe, he Pro. 20. that curseth his father or his mother, his light shall bee put out in obscure darkenesse: Againe, Obey thy Fa­ther Pro. 23. that begot thee, and despise [...] thy mother when shee is old: againe, he that robbeth his Father and sayth Pro. 25. it is no transgression, is the comp [...] ­nion of a man that destroyeth: A­gaine, the eye that mocketh his Fa­ther Pro. 30. and despiseth the instructions if his Mother, let the Rauens of the valley plucke it out, and the young Eagles eate it.

And thus you see how Salomon hath laboured to expresse this duty of Children in their obedi­ence [Page 189] vnto their Parents, and all good children haue applyed thēselues to performe the same, euen from the beginning, yea, & long before the law was giuen by God to that end, the very law of nature thorough grace did worke this obedience in them, as ap­peareth by that rare obedience of Isack vnto his Father, yeelding himselfe euen to become a sacri­ficeGen. 42. vnto the hand of his Father: Iacob likewise obeying the com­mandGen. 27. of his Mother, obtayned the blessing thereby.

But Iosephs: dutifull obedienceGen. 47. vnto his Father, and cherishing of him and his in his old age, sheweth vnto all good children, a perfect patterne of all dutifull obedience: and the obedience of the daughter of Iephtah, like­wise may not be forgotten, who although her father had vowed [Page 191] to offer vnto the Lord in sacri­fice, and that shee had liberty atIudg. 11. her pleasure, two whole monet [...] to go vnto the mountaines to be­waileExamples of the obedience and duty of good chil­dren vnto their Parents. her virginity, yet at the prefixed time, shee willingly came and offered her selfe vnto the hands of her father, to per­forme his vow with her.

Solomon also when his mother came to speake with him, so1. King. 2. soone as he saw her; hee left his kingly seat and caine to meete her, and reuerently bowed him­selfe vnto her, and caused her to bee placed on his right hand as he sate on the throne of his king­dome: many such examples there bee besides these, as T [...]b [...] and others, all teaching this du­tyTob. 14. vnto children.

And as God hath comman­ded it thus to be done, see how highly hee liketh of those [Page 190] which doe performe it, the sto­ne of the [...]bites doth plaine­lyIer. 35. shew where the Prophet Iere­miah from the mouth of God himselfe pronounceth these wore's vnto them, T [...] Lord of hoasts the God of [...] cause you obeyed the [...] of Ionada [...] your Father [...] How God blesseth those childrē which obey their Parents. kept all his pre [...]pts, [...] [...] ­ding vnto all that hee hath comman­ded you, therefore thus sayth the Lord of heast [...], the God of Israel, Io­nadab the son of Recha [...] shall not want a man to stand before m [...] for euer: what neede I now [...]o cite more places of Scripture to this end, our Sauiour Christ himselfeLuk. 2. became a patterne vnto you in this poynt, for hee became obe­dient vnto his earthly Pa­rents: If these things will not suffice, then wil no [...]e.

The 21. Chapter.

BVt I must ye proceede a little fur­ther in this poyn [...] of obedience, f [...] there bee many which when they are come to some yeares as they thinke of discretion, that then will bee no longer vnder the obedience of their Parents, but to dispose of themselues at their owne pleasure, nay, I would to Go [...] that some of them, did not th [...] oppose themselues against their Parents: well; they finde th [...] word of God doth teach them otherwise, for thou must not then so dispose of thy selfe: canst thou bee content to giue them [Page 193] leaue to nourish cherish, and to maintayne thee both in sick­nesse and health all the time of thy youth, and wilt thou now [...]e like a wilde and vnruly colt, that casts off his bridle and shewes his master his foure shooes.

If thou didst want the vse of thy limbes, or thy sight, or the vse of thy speech, thou cast then bee content to bee gouerned by them, euen vntill thy olde age or dying day, and wilt thou en­ioying these and all other bles­sings from Almighty God, euen to the full, when thou comest to those yeares wherein thy wise­domeChildren should take regard of the experimented wise coun­sailes of their aged Parents. should shew it selfe like a flourishing oliue tree, yeelding obedience and honour vnto thy Parents, thereby comforting & ioying their aged yeares: then, the [...] I say to cast them off, yea & that good also which might [Page 194] come to thee by that wise & pru­dēt counsaile which they by long experience haue gained, & might to thee, sure proue an anchor hold of exceeding much good.

And this I speake also in re­proofe,Children ought to be ruled by their Parents in case of their marriage yea, to the reproach of those giddy headded wantons of our time, which will not giue their Parents leaue to make their choyse of marriage for them, nor bee ruled by them in their choyse: whereupon as a iust plague vnto them, it often com­meth to passe, that not hauing their Parents goodwill in their choyse, they not onely lose that which is an vnualuable losse, I meane the blessing of their Pa­rents, which though children re­gard not in these dayes, yet in times past it was of such reuerent regard among Gods children, that their fathers blessing was [Page 195] vnto them as precious as theirWhat an ac­count good children made in times past, of the blessing of their Parents. granfathers inheritance, where­by thorough want of the fathers loue, & this blessing, a iust plague and punishment from God, for so high an offence, it is common­ly seene beggery followeth, I speake not this vnadvisedly as of supposition; for God is witnesse with me that I speake the truth, I haue seene it with mine eyes to my griefe of heart.

Oh sinne of disobedience, e­uen in the highest degree of na­ture, when a sonne or daughter shall presume in priuate, to take vnto themselues the estate of mariage without the consent of Parents, ought not the father to know? yea, and to make choyse what flesh should be ioyned vnto his owne, and what fruit should be grafted into his owne stocke, and to see that it should bee for [Page 196] the good and honor thereof, yes surely, and those which be good and gracious Children, will giue their Parents the preheminence thereof, and also bee ruled by them in these things, but there be some which can bee content to bee ruled by their Parents in case of marriage, for the benefit of their helpe which may arise thereby, but they are not willing to stay the time which their Pa­rents shall thinke fit for them.

But this did not Isacke, for heeGen. 25. would not presume to make anyGood childrē haue alwaies had regard to leaue the choyse of their marri­age to thire Parents. choyse, but stayd his Fathers pleasure, although it were till he was Forty yeares of age: And Iacob, whē his father did appoint him, then went to the place where he did appoynt him, but not before: where are those that doe follow the steps of these ho­ly and chosen children of God, [Page 197] that I many extoll them to the world, alas they are not in these dayes to be found.

And yet the very heathen which knew not God nor his lawes, yet the very light of na­ture taught this duty vnto them, not to make their choyse of ma­riageGen. 34. without the cōsent of their Parents, for thus did Shechem the sonne of Hamore, sue vnto his Father for his good will to mar­ry with Dinah the daughter of Iacob, & the servants of God had alwaies a speciall regard hereun­to, Samspon also would not pre­sumeIudg. 14. to marry without the con­sent of his father, no, although he liked the woman exceeding well.

And as the naturall Parents haue this authority ouer their Children, so doth it likewise be­long vnto those which be gardi­ans [Page 198] & foster fathers as wee terme them, which haue the bringing vp of youth, whether they be of kindred or otherwise, as wee see Ruth was obedient vnto her stepRut. 1. mother, and vpon these and such like causes is our law grounded, which permits not a ward, being vnder the gouernement of his gardian to marry without his consent.

The 22. Chapter.

ANd as I haue labored to expresse this du­ty of obedience vn­to children, and yet but briefely run it ouer in respect of that which, might bee spoken herein, so it is [Page 199] needefull in some sort to shew the limitation thereof, for it is not generall, but is included within her bounds, I did a little touch it before when I said it consisted in all good and lawfull thinges, and indeed it goeth no farther, for if thy father or mo­ther do command thee to do vn­lawfullIn what cases Children may refuse the command of their Parents. thinges, as to commit I­dolatry, to worship God contra­ry to his word, thou must not o­bey them in these thinges, or if thy father or mother doe com­mand thee to commit treason a­gainst the King, Prince or Ma­gistrate whom he hath set ouer thee to gouerne thee, or fello­niously to murther any, or to steale, perloyne, or defraud any man of his right, thou must not obey them in any such thinges, for as God hath cōmanded thee to obey them in goodnesse, so [Page 200] hath he forbidden thee to yeeld obedience vnto them in euill, theChildren ought to shun the wickednes of their Pa­rents. Children that follow the wic­kednesse of their Parents, God himselfe will puninsh them, wee haue proofe therof in diuers pla­ces of the scripture, but the Pro­phet Ezekiell expresseth it to the full, I pray you reade the chap­ters, for the doctrine therein is worthy of your greatest regard, you shall there finde that the Lord sayth:

Behold all soules are mine, both of Eze. 18. the Father & of the Sonne, the same soule that sinneth it shall dye, but if the sonne seeing the wickednesse of his Father, feareth, and doth not com­mit such thinges, surely he shall line sayth the Lord: so that thus you see plainely that the Children may refuse to bee obedient vnto any wicked commande, eyther of their Father or mother: And [Page 201] the Apostle Peeter teacheth vs byAct. 4. his example rather to obey God then man, and Daniell doth theDan. 6. same: And as God hath com­manded thee to performe this o­bedience vnto thy Parents, and hath appoynted thee in what manner & nature to do the same, and granted his blessing vnto the performers thereof, euen so toChildren which are stubborne and disobedient vnto their Pa­rents, God himselfe will punish. the stubborne & rebellious chil­dren, which will take no regard of this his will to walke in the obedience thereof, such disobe­dient ones doth he not leaue vn­punished, nor neuer did, but e­ther by the seueritie of their Pa­rents, or if that gentle and natu­rall punishment will not serue, then giueth hee them vp into the hands of temperall Maie­strates, so publikely to punish them, as I expressed before in the duty of Parents, but if both [Page 202] these in the execution of iustice vpon so high an offence, be slacke in punishing them, then he him­selfe doth take the cause in hand, yea, & he himselfe doth seuerely punish it, as we see by his iustice shewed vpon the wicked sonnes of Elye, whom hee slew both in1. Sam. 4. one day by vntimely and sudden death: and of that rebellious son of Dauid, Absolon whō the Lord2. Sam. 18. himselfe caused to be hanged on a tree by his owne hayre, vntill his enemies came vpon him and slew him, many such examples there bee to this end, but these may suffice.Children ought not to forsake their Parents either in pouerty or age, but to re­lieue and comfort them e­uen till death.

And take heed that thou grow not weary of this thy duty, but that with all loue thou doe con­tinue this thy obedience vnto them, euen to their dying day, and that thou dispise them not either in age or pouerty, for hee [Page 203] that dispiseth Father or Mother God will punish, but vse them with all honour as Salomon did his Mother, and cherish and no­rish them in age as Ioseph did: re­member1. King. 2. that Ruth would notRuth. 1. forsake her Mother in law, and what shee gained by her labour, she brought home to relieue her aged mother with.

And now with Ioshua I haueIoshu. 24 set before you the waies of the the Lord, and I beseech him to giue vs grace to walke in the o­bedience thereof, I had thought likewise to haue set before you, some of the abuses of these our times, wherein the wicked ones so much forgetting their duty to God and their Parents, that not regarding their owne shame in the world, no, nor the feare of Gods iudgements to come, doe dayly disturbe, trouble, nay mis­vse [Page 204] & abuse their owne Parents, but least I should in expressing such thinges giue way to that which I ought rather to sup­presse, I will rather bury these thinges in mine own breast with griefe in silecce: The Diuell hath two many actors on the stage of this world that play these parts daily too publike, the God of heauen and earth keepe your harts and consciences free from such thinges, & keepe you in the obedience of his ho­ly Commadements.

Amen.

The 23. Chapter.

GReat is the folly of yong people in this our time, which by al meanes they may possible seeke to free theselues from the estate of seruitude when they are therein, to the end they may be MastersA great folly in young peo­ple, that seeke to bee masters before they know how to gouerne. and gouenors themselues of o­thers, before they haue either yeares or wisedome sufficient to manage so great a businesse, or discharg so waighty a matter as they then take vpon them in the estate of gouerning, neither able to make choyse of their seruants [Page 206] with wisedome as they ought, nor how to vse them with a good conscience as they should.

But Dauid giueth vs good in­structionGen. 39. for this busines, for he willeth vs to chuse him to bee our seruant, that is religious and vpright towards God, that so our affaires may prosper as Poti­phers did thorough the seruice ofGen. 30. good Ioseph and Laban by the ser­uice of Iacob, for he that is not a faithfull seruant vnto God, will neuer be a faithfull seruant vnto his Master, & as there doth come a blessing by the godly, so the wicked seruant bringeth a curse where hee is, for as one scabbed sheepe marreth a whole flocke, so often times one leawd seruant spoyles a whole family, but who followeth the rule of the Pro­phetHow to chuse a good Ser­uant. Dauid in the choyse of his family, he sayth that he that hath a [Page 207] proud looke and a hauty stomacke shal not dwell with him.

But there be two many in these dayes of the contrary dispositi­on, for they will keepe none but such as can fight, sweare, and swager it out, well, Dauid would not doe so though hee were a King, no, he that leadeth a god­ly life shall bee his seruant, there shall no deceitfull person dwell Psal. 101. in his house, & he that telleth lies shall not tarry in his house, nor sight, but I would there wereMasters should not suffer their seruants to sweare, though in the sale of their wares. not now two many which doe suffer their Seruants to lye, sweare, yea and forsweare too, in the sale of their wares, and yet these be counted good shop­men, and fine chapmen, indeede so they be for the Diuills wares, it is no maruaile if your Chil­dren spend that vnthrifitily which is so vngodly gotten.

But as you see it is a choyseIt is not e­nough to chuse a good seruant, but to preserue him still in good­nesse. poynt of the Maister to bee care­full what seruant he taketh into his family, so the Maister must be carefull likewise to bring vp his seruants religiously, in the time of their seruice, & that must bee, in seeing that his seruants come to the publique exercises, of hea­ring the word of God in due time, & that they there remaine all the whole time of prayer and teaching, and that they bee in as conuenient place as they may, that so they may haue the ouer­sight of them, for it is not e­nough that the Master bring his seruants vnto the Church, and then let them giue them the slip at the Church dore, or goe o [...] ▪ as soone as they come in, and s [...] [...] to Tauernes, or Ale-houses▪ or as bad places, or else get into some corner of the Church▪ [Page 208] where either they may sit and talke all the time, or else sleepe it out.

This the good Maister mayWhat good counsaile of a Maister giuen in due time may doe. prevent, by giuing them coun­saile, that if they will serue him, they must bee carefull to serue God aboue all things, and be re­ligious in Gods house, if they will haue any countenāce of him in his house: but many men are more carefull in planting of Or­chards or Gardens, or chusing of sheepe for breede, or following their worldly profits, then they are in planting a godly family in their houses, whereby God may be glorified & his Church pro­fited.

Or if they haue seruants vnder them to doe their worke and la­bor for them, that so they may liue at the more ease, pleasure, & idlenesse themselues, then all is [Page 210] well as they thinke, or turne it o­therwise if you please, and make the best of it by the way of good husbandry, as a meane for them to thriue by, and yet you shall find the end thereof to bee onely this, to satisfie their neuer satis­fied coueteousnesse.

Men do regard their beastes as much as this, their oxe, their asse, their horse, and such like, yea & will bee very carefull for the keeping of them, to the end their profit may arise by them: the wise traueller wil be so care­full for his horse (which but one­ly for his pleasure he is to ride on) that hee will spare time euen from his owne meate and rest, to see that his beast shall both be made cleane, lye cleane, and haue his fill of prouender, to the end hee may bee the better able to beare him on his iourney: the [Page 211] husband man likewise in the care of his cattle is very laborious for his profit, protecting them from weather, water, and such like dangers, and is continually amongst them, shifting them frō ground to ground, & frō pastuer to pasture, to the end they may the better feede & profit, & thatMany leawd Maisters doe make lesse ac­count of their seruants, then others doe of their beasts. if any disease do befall them, he may the sooner remoue it from amongst them, & in these things men are wise & carefull enough as is fitting: but my deare bre­theren, there bee many amongst vs which beare the name of Christians, and haue the gouer­ment of seruants, which to their shame I speak it, do make lesse ac­count of their seruants, thē these men do of their beastes, for they will looke to their beasts them­selues carefully enough, so doe no [...] many a one to their seruants, [Page 211] but God forbid it should bee so withal, yea, I know there be ma­ny that are very carefull to per­forme this their duty, as well in prouiding and giuing them all things needefull for them, as in setting them to their worke and labour, and I doubt not but that the fruit therof they find in their seuerall callings.

But I speak of those who can be content, & do carefully enough set their seruants vnto their la­bors, as it is fit indeed they should, but doe giue them small comfort and cherishing in their labours, loading them with la­bours like Pharoahs taske ma­sters,Exo. 5. The cruelty of bad masters but not halfe filling their bellies with victualles as the tra­ueller I spake of doth his horse, so that many times the poore ser­uant hauing labored all day, and had but a small dinner, yet at [Page 212] night commeth to so short com­mons, that when hee hath saued the mayde a labour in making cleane the dishes which were set before him, hee hath yet a fresh stomacke to a good supper if he might come at it, is not this a hard case? yet I would it were not true.

And I will tell you the cause of this, your selues are in theThe negli­gent care of the maister bringeth the seuruants want. fault of it: you are carefull e­nough to looke to haue your owne due, as it is fit you should, but not careful enough in giuing them their due, for too many of you doe put that off to be per­formed by a false steward, and so many a poore seruant is puni­shed both in belly and backe, to helpe to maintayne the pride & pleasure of his Dame or Mistris.

You put them in trust with these things to see them fed, [Page 211] [...] [Page 212] [...] [Page 211] [...] [Page 212] [...] [Page 214] sweet kept, & wholsomely lodg­ed, thinke you that these thinges do not belong vnto you, to see them done as well as vnto your wiues? yes surely they do, & yet I say in them to do them is more fitting, but to you it belongeth to see them faithfully done as theyThe duty of the Master bindeth him to see that the want of his seruant be by himselfe sup­plyed. ought to bee, for how canst thou looke that thy servant shal labor faithfully with the strength of his body for thee, or to say the truth, how can he do it, when his body is enfeebled by meanes of due nourishing, with hole sō food or things vsefull for him, which should nourish & strengthē him, this is too common a thing a­mōgst vs, & it is a great reproach vnto this our English nation, & yet this is not all neither.

For there be some which can be content to maintayne their ser­uants reasonable well, for their [Page 215] profits sake which may arise by their labours, while they are able to do any for thē, but if God doe send his visitation vpon them, ei­therA great fault in many Ma­sters. by sicknes or lamenes, then if they haue not an out garden house, or som backe place to put them into, where they shall bee sure to haue but a slender looking to, thē to an Hospital with them, and so rid thēselues of them, or else basely, nay gracelesly turne them out of doores to shift for themselues in that heauie case▪ what an vncharitable, yea an vn­christian-like part is this? & yet such there be, the more the pitty.

But if it bee not lawfull to muzell the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth in the corne, how much more is it vnlawfull for thee to keepe backe the due from thy seruant that laboureth with the strength of his body for thy [Page 215] profit, or if thou cast him off, or into an Hospitall when hee is lame or sicke, how canst thou seeke of him the labour of his hands when he is well againe?

The 24. Chapter.

THe good Centurion did not thus, he did neither cast off hisThe charecter of a good ma­ster. sick seruāt nor send him vnto any Hos­pitall till he were healed, no, he kept him still at home in his owne house, and did not put o­thers in trust to seeke helpe for his seruant, but carefully perfor­ming the duty of a good master,Mat. 8. setting aside all his affaires & bu­sinesse, hee goeth himselfe to seeke helpe for him.

How many masters being rich men in ourtime will doe the like, no, they thinke it will bee a dis­grace vnto them, & abase thing for themselues to doe such a bu­sinesse, especially for his seruant? but if it were for his wife, sonne or daughter, whom hee dearely loueth, then happily hee would not sticke to goe himselfe, but for his seruant hee hath other e­nough to send about such a busi­nesse.

So had this Centurion, & you se he went himselfe, & I tell you whome soeuer you are, that you ought to haue as great a care for the health and welfare of your seruant, for the time he is in yourCor. 7. service, as if he were either your sonne or daughter, nay, is hee notColl. 4. the Lords free man, & haue you1. Cor. 7. not all one master in heauen? and you not both bought with one [Page 218] price, and is hee not fellow heire with you of the same kingdome of grace, which you hope to bee of? yes verily he is.

And beleeue mee brother, for I tell you no leassing, father, mo­ther, sonne or daughter, master, seruant, King and subiect, be but names and titles in this worldly regiment, in Christ Iesus wee are al one, none better then another, all bretheren, and must all seekeAll one by Christ. Christ, and our brothers good in Christ, or else wee neuer shall haue benefit by Christ, how can you then or how dare you abuse your brother though he be your seruant, in keeping from him such thinges as be necessary for him, or due vnto him, whether it bee his foode, his cloathing, or his wages, or any other neces­saries? [...]r oppresse him with la­bour as Phar [...]ahs task masters did [Page 219] the Children of Israell? there be too many such which are euenThe law a hi [...] ­drance vnto many euill Maisters. as tyrants vnto their seruants, and more would bee, were it not for the law.

I speake not this to abridge the priuiledge or authority which the Master hath ouer his Seruant as occasion serueth, I know that the master hath ful authority, not onely to imploy his Seruant to labour, but also to correct his Seruant as accasiō shal be ministred, for the wise man telleth vs, that Eccle. 33. meete correction and worke belongeth How euill seruants must be punished. vnto the Seruant, I know he goeth farther & sayth: The yoake and the whip bringeth downe the hard necke, so taine thy euill Seruant with whips and correction, but yet I pray you note that he giues this rule, not to be excessiue towards any, and without discretion faith he, doe thou nothing.

But sayth he, If thou haue a faith­full How highly a good servant ought to bee resprcted. seruant, let him bee vnto thee as thine owne soule, for in blood hast thou gotten him, whereas thy seruant worketh truly, intreate him not euill, if thou haue a seruant intreate him as a brother, for thou hast neede of him as of thy selfe: And S. Paule, whē hee had declared vnto seruants their duty, hee admonished ma­sters in like manner saying, and you masters doe you the same thinges Ephe. 6. vnto them, putting away threate­nings, and know also that euen your mrster also is in heauen, neither is there any respect of persons with him: And againe, you masters doe v [...] Collo. 4. your seruants that which is iust and equall, knowing that you also haue [...] Masters ought to doe nothing but that which is iust vnto their seruants. master in heouen, and thus you see that both Saint Paule here & the wise man in his Booke, doe both agree in this, that the Master ought to shew lenitie and gentle­nesse [Page 220] vnto his seruant, and so by louing & kind vsage, with friēd­ly speech as to a brother, winne him to the performance of his duty, for surely very willingly doth the seruant labour when the masters countenance is [...]heare­full towards him, but where theThe Masters countenance ought to bee chearefull vn­to his seruants Master doth not onely shew a chearefull countenance, but also vseth friendly words among his seruants, and giueth them their due besides, it cannot be but with great ioy and comfort, these ser­uants do passe ouer their labors how hard so euer they seeme to be vnto others, and the ma­ster finds great comfort in them also.

The 25. Chapter.

THus you see what Iustice Saint Paule would haue Ma­sters to vse vnto their seruāts, name­ly to do vnto them as you would haue them to doe vnto you, and as it he should say, would you haue your seruants to deale iust­ly and truly with you? then doe you deale so with them: would haue them to be kind and louing vnto you? then bee so vnto them also: nay, you see he would not haue you threaten them, and the wise man in his booke giueth the same counsell, for saith he, if thou intreate thy seruant euill, and he run away, wilt thou seeke him, for in­deed [Page 223] many times the Master threatning to giue his SeruantThe seruant through threatning, running away is oft times the vndoing both of him­selfe and Ma­ster. seuere correction for some fault committed, and yet paraduen­ture not meaning so to doe, yet the simple seruant hee knowing or fearing the rigorus correction of his Maister, forsaketh his ser­uice and runneth away: some­time to the vndoing of both, if in this nature hee goe away from you, how can you seeke after him when you your selues are the onely cause thereof? keepe secret therefore your mind, and if you see iust cause to vse cor­rection, doe it priuately in his due time, but say not in his hea­ring or that he may heare thereof what you intend for to doe, and so you shall performe the coun­saile of the wise man which saith without discretion doe thou nothing.

But this iust and equall dea­ling [Page 223] of the Master stretcheth it selfe yet farther, as against these euill minded men, which seeke to abridge their seruants of their due liberty, I meane when they haue obtayned thereunto, by their continuance and faithfull seruice, the wise man sayth, Let thy soule loue a good seruant, and de­fraud Eccle. 7. him not of liberty, neither leaue him a poore man: but there are some so farre off from per­forming this, that they ratherA good ser­vant must not bee defrauded of liberty. will vse all meanes though never so vnlawfull, to detayne them longer then their prefixed time, especially if there may come a­ny profit by their seruice, but as for rewarding them for their good seruice doing, they are so farre off from that, that in stead of inriching them, they will im­pouerish them, for if the poore seruant wil haue his liberty, how [Page 225] soeuer his right, it shall cost him money before hee haue it, and especially if he be able, but the iust God who seeth these vniust dealings of such maisters to their seruants, will himselfe pu­nish the same.

For he will haue a yeare of Iu­bile for your seruant as well as there was for you, thou shalt not rule ouer him seuerely, but shaltLeu. 15. feare the Lord thy God, so that he that doth wrong vnto his ser­uants, is voyd of the feare of God, you see this is playne, but we wil see further what the Lord will haue done▪ then see what heA duty which Maisters should per­forme, but who doth it? commanded his chosen people, the children of Israell to doe, the words [...] these, If thy brother an Hebrew sell himselfe vnto thee, or an Deu. 15. [...]esse, and serue thee sixe yeares, e [...] in the seauenth yeare thou shalt let him goe out from thee, thou shalt [Page 226] not let him goe away empty, but shalt giue him a liberall reward of thy sheepe and of thy corne, and of thy wine, thou shalt giue him of that wherewithall the Lord thy God hath blessed thee, and remember that thou wast seruant in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God deliuered thee: therefore I cōmand thee this thing this day.

What say you now to this you cruell and vniust Maisters, of whom I haue before spoken, wil you like Pharoah still harden your h [...]rts against them, and will not obey: then harken what the Lord by his Prophet Ieremiah sayth further vnto these men which haue detayned the [...] A heauie iudgement pronounced against such Masters which detayne their seruants con­trary to right. Ier. 34. seruants contrary to his com­mand, Because you haue not obeyed me, in giuing freedome and liberty euery man vnto his brother and ser­uant, behold I proc [...] [...] liberty for [Page 227] you sayth the Lord to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine, & I wil make you a terror to al the king­domes of the earth, and I will giue these men which haue broked my co­uenant, into the hands of them that seeke their life, and their dead bodies shall be for meate vnto the foules of the ayre, & to the beasts of the earth.

Now you see how God him­selfe doth take in hand the cause of the wronged seruant, and how seuerely he doth punish it: there­fore you that bee maisters deale you iustly with your Ser­uants, and as Saint Paule sayth,Collo. 4. Remember that your maister also is in heauen, and as it must bee thus with your houshold seruant, euen so it must be with the hire­ling which laboureth for you, you must not defraud him of hisLeuite. 19. due, nor put him off from day to day, and suffer him to come with [Page 228] cap in hand to intreat for thatThe labourer must not bee put off for his wages. which by his labour hee hath hardly earned, but remember that the Lord commandeth that the workemans hire abide not with thee till the next morning, Behold the hire of the labourers Iam. 5. which haue reaped your fields, which is of you kept backe by fraud crieth, and the cryes of them which haue reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of hoasts sayth Saint Iames, and againe the Lord sayth, thou shalt not oppresse an hired seruant Deu. 24. that is needy and poore, neither of thy bretheren, nor of the stranger that is in the land within thy gates, thou shalt giue him his hire: for his day, What a man ought to doe to the hired seruant or day labourer. neither shall the sunne goe downe vpon it, for he is poore and therewith sustayneth his life, least he cry against thee vnto the Lord, and it bee sinne vnto thee: I neede not amplifie these thinges any farther, seeing [Page 229] that the Lord himselfe hath so plainely described it vnto you.

The 26. Chapter.

ANd as I haue in this Chapter before shew­ed vnto you, that the Maister ought not to abridge his Seruant of his liber­tyThe Seruants that ru [...] into euill by too much liberty, the Maister is not onely guilty of, but in election of a double pu­nishment if he seeke not for to reforme it. whē it is due vnto him, euen so also, the Master must see that his Seruants runne not into euill, by giuing them too much liberty in the time of their seruice, for this is an euill which also reyneth in our time, and of which the ma­ster is not onely guilty, but also in danger of a double punish­ment by it, in regard that the re­dresse therof lyeth in his power, [Page 230] and he not onely seeth it, but also suffereth it, and thereby com­meth a chiefe author thereof himselfe.

The wise man sayth, If thou set thy seruant vnto labour, thou Eccle. 33. shalt find rest, but if thou let him goe idle, he shall seeke librety, set him to labour that hee goe not idle, for idle­nesse Idlenesse the ground of much euils. bringeth much euill: And a­gaine, set him to worke, for that be­longeth vnto him: Oh that men would be carefull to follow this counsel of the wise man! he saith that labour belongeth vnto the seruant, but the great men of our time will take no notise of this, or if they doe, they will seeke toThe want of imployment of seruants the cause of their euills many times. excuse it, saying, I am no base mecanicall person, I haue suffici­ent to to maintayne my seruants to attend me, & do nothing else: I do beleeue it to be so, and finde that to be the reason, that Cards, [Page 231] Dice, and Tables, are more com­mō in your houses, then Bibles and other good Bookes.

Abraham was as rich a man asGen. 13. any of our time, the whole land could not beare the substance of him and his nephew both at one time, hee was so rich, hee was a Kings fellow, hee kept a great multitude of seruants, hee was able on the suddaine to make 300. and od men fit for warre of his owne houshold, and yet weeAbraham and Iobe commen­ded from Gods owne mouth, for bringing vp of thrir ser­vants. finde not that hee kept any of thē idle, but imployed them all in some good exercise or other, & therefore for the good and ver­tuous bringing vp of his family, hee receiued commendations euen from God himselfe: Iob was a mighty man also of wealth exceeding rich, the greatest man euen of the whole [...]ast country, hee kept a multitude of seruants, [Page 232] but none of them idle, that wee are sure of, and therefore from the mouth of God himselfe hee hath this high exaltation, that he was the Phaenix of the world in his time, he had no fellow, there be others likewise which will set their seruants to labour, but not regard whether they do it or no, but if they do bring them home the price of their dayes labour at night, then they are content, they looke no farther to that busines, and so the lewd seruant may doe euen what hee will vnder such a Maister, he may goe to playes, to whores, to drunkenesse, or any thing, as too many doe.The Maister not regarding how his ser­uant vseth his time, becom­meth guilty of the euil which his seruant abuseth.

Is this the setting of your ser­uants to labour? nay, this is but your seruing own turnes, & your couetousnesse, and therefore you are guilty of the euill which they doe thus commit, because [Page 233] you preuent it not by seeing how they dispose of themselues in this time wherein you appoynt them to labour, and if that your calling serue not to imploy them in some bodily labour, yet you ought to bee carefull that they haue not more time to spend a­broad out of your sight, thē that time onely which your businesse requireth, for these things also belong vnto your charge.

For if that Maisters were asThe euill of the Master, corrupteth the Seruants. carefull as they ought to bee, ser­uants could not haue that liberty to vse and to abuse as they doe, but where the Maister himselfe is an euill liuer, as a drunkard, a haunter of brothell houses, a gamester, or an idle gadder from home, there the seruant must needs haue liberty, and no mar­uaile then if such a maister haue such seruants: and doe wee not [Page 234] see dayly, that too many doe wrong themselues & their whole family by these abuses? how vn­fit are these men to gouerne o­thers, which haue no power to gouerne themselues: Oh you whom these things concerne be wise and circumspect in your waies, and remember that the charge of the seruants which are committed vnto you is not smal, but that a great account you must giue vnto God, how you haue gouerned those soules committed vnto you.

The 27. Chapter.

ANd as the Maister ought not to giue his seruant more li­berty then is fit, so also he may not suf­fer them to bee possessed withSeruants puf­fed vp in pride, seeke liberty and abuse both themselues and it. pride, by arraying them or suf­fering them to be arrayed aboue the estate of seruants, for this is one chiefe poynt which maketh them to seeke liberty, and this did Salomon well vnderstand, & therefore telleth you plainely, that he that dilicately doth bring vp his seruant from his youth, at length he will be euen as his son, & our owne experience in these dayes confirmeth the truth of this vnto vs, to the griefe of [Page 236] many good minds, whose eyes and eares are dayly cloyd here­with, and who is in the fault of this? thy seruant, nay, you that be Maisters are, you suffer & main­tayne them in such pride, that many forgetting their duty vnto God and you, doe fall into such lewdnesse, as many times are both the ruine of your owne e­state and of themselues too: and were they not suffered thus to exceed the nature of seruants (as I sayd before,) in pride and idle­nesse, there would not so many of them haunt the dauncing schooles, fencing schooles, ta­uernes, and alehouses as do: can you excuse your selues now, are you not guilty herein? oh I would you were not.

Indeed there be many of you, that if that which they spend in pride, and these abuses did come [Page 237] out of your owne purses, I doeMaister ought to see the lay­ing out of mo­ny giuen to their seruants that it be put to good vse [...]. thinke that it would bee other­wise, will you say they haue it from their friends, I say still the more vnwise then are you, which do suffer it to be thus idely spent, but some of you do know that it cōmeth in another nature, from whence it should not come, and this you tollerate to saue your owne stakes, are you guilty here­in then, or no?

Againe, there be some which can bee content to set their ser­uantsMaisters ought not to suffer their seruants [...]o gad on the Sabborh day at their owne pleasure. to labour all the weeke dayes, but when the Sabboth crmmeth which ought by Ma­sters and Seruants to bee wholy sanctified vnto God, with thankesgiuing for the benefit of his blessings receiued the weeke past, many of them scarce see their seruants al that whole day, or if they doe see them at meate [Page 238] time, then all the rest of the day they enioy wholy to themselues without contradiction, which how leawdly they spend wee see with griefe, their pride is cause of this as well as liberty.

The time hath beene, that a Seruant might haue been known by his habite, but now the Mai­ster is not knowne from the Ser­uant, nay, I haue seene the Ser­uant better maintayned in the time of his seruice, then he hath beene able to maintayne him­selfe when he hath come to labor for it with his own meanes, what folly is this in Maisters thus to do? in time not long past, a good Marchant hath not been arrayed as now your Seruants be.

I could vnfould more abuses growing from this pride in Ser­uants, and the Maisters fault in suffering, then I am willing [...]o [Page 239] disclose, or is fit I should, lay no colours on it to hide it, they will not serue, I doe know you would excuse it, and say you doe it forA bad fault in Maisters when they will seeke to excuse the pride of their seruants. your credit sake, but in this you offend God, and discredit the common wealth, by making a breach in those good lawes which haue beene ordayned a­gainst such abuses. I pray God to giue you grace to see these things, & wisedome to redresse it, but it hath spread so farre, that I feare it hath taken such deepe roote, as will not easily bee weeded out, except au­thority do put their vnto a strong hand.

The 28. Chapter.

OVr blessed Lord and Master Iesus Christ, which left no est ar [...] of persons without instructions fitting vnto their seuerall callings, hath very briefely, and yet most truly & playnely prescribed vnto Ser­uants the fulnesse of their duty also, but in few words hee con­cludeth the whole businesse, hee doth not giue thē many seuerall instructions, least so they might forget some of them by the way, and therefore includes all in one [Page 241] short sentence, and this it is, Hee that knoweth the will of his Maister and doth it not, shall bee beaten with many stripes.

Now you see here that there isSeruants of what degree soeuer, and bound with a more seuerer bond then man can in­vent, to per­forme their duty vnto their Maisters no seruant of what degree soe­uer he be, if he be a Seruant, but that hee is bound by a more sure obligation then the witt of man can inuent, euen the holy commandement of that blessed one, whose command by all must bee obeyed, vpon payne of damnation, euen hee it is that giueth this admonition vnto thee, to doe the will of thy Mai­ster,No o [...] liting nor quit [...]ca­ting wil serue, our Sauiour himselfe hath giuen seruants so plaine a di­rection of their duty, that none may or can gaine say it. or else he telleth thee plain­ly what penalty will ensue vpon it, thou must be beaten with ma­ny stripes for not doing of it, nay hee doth not leaue thee thus nei­ther with this admonition only, he goeth a little further yet, for to stoppe all quillets which may [Page 242] arise and put all doubts out of question, for he knew that there were and would bee many that would be more curious to con­tend about what they ought to doe, then willing to doe that they should doe, and therefore telleth thee, That the seruant that doth not the will of his Maister, yea although hee know not the will of his Maister, yet euen he shall bee bea­ten too.

Now seeing that the case stan­deth thus, that this burthen lieth vpon the shoulders of euery par­ticuler Seruant, in the name of God bestirre your selues like men, stand to your tackling, rouse vp your selues, seeke, labour, and striue cōtinually to performe this worke of obedience vnto your Maisters, that so you may avoyd this danger of many stripes: and it shall not be amisse for this our [Page 243] purpose, if we a little peruse the word of God, to see what wee finde there more concerning this matter, that so as in a glasse the seruants of these our times may see, and seeing know, whe­ther they peforme the same or not.

And wee shall finde that Saint Paule knowing the errors of Ser­uants how slacke they are in per­forming their duties vnro their Maisters, and how needefull it was that they should bee in­structed herein, hath very care­fully in many of his Epistles largely set forth this duty of ser­uants, both what inward and outward obedience is to bee re­quired of them.

That it must bee euen withEphe. 5. feare and trembling, for so hee sayth: And so Saint Peeter, hee1. Pet. 2. teacheth the same also saying, Be [Page 244] yee subiect vnto your Maisters with all feare. And againe, Let as many Timo. 6. seruants as be vnder the yoke, count their Maisters worthy of all honour, that the name of God & his doctrine be not euill spoken of, and they which haue beleeuing Masters, despise them not, for they are bretheren, but ra­they doe them seruice, because they are faithfull and beloued, and per­takers of the benefit.

Againe, Seruants bee obedient Seruants must not be men pleasers, but that they doe must [...] sin­glen [...] of heart Colio. [...]. vnto them that are your bodily Mai­sters according to the flesh in all things, not with eye seruice as men pleasers, but in singlenesse of heart fearing God, and what soeuer you do, doe hartyly as vnto the Lord, and not vnto men, and bee sure that yee shall receiue of the Lord the reward of in­heritance, for you serue the Lord Christ.

Againe, you Seruants bee obedi­ent vnto your maisters, and please [Page 245] them in all things not answering Seruants must not answer a­gaine vnto their Mastris. thē againe, neither be ye pickers, but shew all good faithfulnesse, that in all things yee may doe worship vnto the doctrine of God our Sauiour.

Againe, ye seruants be obedient The froward­nesse of the maister should no way be a hindrance vn­to the perfor­ming of the seruants duty. to your Maisters with all feare, not onely if they bee good and curte­ous, but also if they be froward, for this is thankes worthy, if a man for conceience sake to wards God indure griefe wrongfully: for what prayse is it, if when yee bee buffeted for your 1. Pet. 2. faults, yee take it patiently? but if when you do wel, you suffer wrong & take it patiently, this is acceptable It is [...]goda­me [...]cy or a seruant to bee patient when he is buffeted iustly, but if it be done wrōg fully, then to beare it with patience, is of high commendations. vnto God, for herevnto are you cal­led.

For Christ also suffered for vs leauing for vs an exāple that we should follow his steps; who did not sin, neither was there guile found in his mouth, who when hee was reuiled, reuiled not a­gaine, [Page 246] when hee suffered, hee threatned not, but committed it to him which iudgeth righteous­ly: Saint Paule by these things did teach this Doctrine vnto Christian seruants thus to doe vnder their Maisters though in­fidels and vnbeleeuers, because of their places: for indeed the Maister is Gods vicegerent in his family, therefore if Christi­ans vnto infidels must performe this obedience as we see it is cō ­manded by our blessed Sauiour, for his words haue no limitatiō, but are generall, all must obey, & all must be obeyed.

How much more in these dayes of grace and knowledge, should seruants, professing them­selues to be Christians, striue to performe their duties euen to the full vnto their Christian ma­sters, whom God hath chosen [Page 247] & called in his sonne Iesus Christ, to bee partakers of his heauenly treasures as well as themselues.

Therefore my bretheren I be­seech you in the feare of God,What inward obedience is required of seruants. that you [...]carefull in the obser­uing of this, which here from the word of God you may ga­ther, namely to bee obedient vn­to your Maisters euen inwardly in your heart, in feare and trem­bling, for if your spirits within you bee not truly humbled, how then can you performe that obe­dience outwardly which is of you required? let the Seruants count their Maisters worthy of all honour, there must be a reue­rent estimation of them euen in your hearts, before you can giue them this honour duly and truly as it ought, for without this har­ty loue and inward affection to­wards them, your outward obe­dience [Page 248] will bee but false and hy­pocriticall,Seruants must seare to offend their Maisters, and why. and all this your ze­lous duty must be mingled with feare, for so Saint Paule teacheth because you are to performe this duty & seruice as vnto God, and not vnto men, & being thus pre­pared, then you shall bee able to performe all good outward obe­dience which shall bee required of you.

And this obedience must bee performed without partiality, as [...]ll to the poore man as to the [...]h, for it is no thankes vnto you [...] [...]erforme this obedience vnto [...] Maisters they being great [...], or rich men, their wealth, places and authority requirethbe performed as well to the poore, as to the rich. it, they will command it of you, and you dare doe no other but yeeld it them, but if your Mai­sters bee poore and as men des­pised of the world, then they to [Page 249] bee precious in your eyes, and you in the zeale of your consci­ence and duty vnto God, to giue vnto them that duty which you ought to doe, both inwardly from the heart performing allThe true to­ken of a duti­full seruant. faithfulnesse vnto them, and giuing them the reuerence due vnto them, being vncouered in their presence, and shewing all outward reuerence of the bo­dy vnto them. This is a token of grace, thus it ought to be, and thus it must bee, that the do­ctrine of Christ which you pro­fesse, bee not slaundered by your disobedi­ence.

The 29. Chapter.

ANd here I haue oc­casion iustly giuen mee, to reproue those bould & fancie youthes of our time, which forgetting their d [...] ty vnto God, doe shew no reue­rence at all vnto their Maisters, and especiall if they bee poore, they then will bee so fellowly with them, that a man would ra­ther take them to bee neighbour and neighbour, then Maister andTh [...] [...]reue­rent behaui­our of ser­uants vnto their maisters Seruant, nay, I would this were the worst as bad as it is, for ma­ny of them are not onely vnduti­full, but euen rebellious against their Maisters, nay, euen against God himself, & therefore cul­pable [Page 251] of eternall punishment: for if their Maister doe but reproue them, yea and that iustly too, doe they not giue them word for word againe, nay 10. for one, &A disobedient seruant that despiseth the discipline of his maister, re­belleth a­gainst God himselfe. if they come to correct them, are they not ready to resist them? so that many of them will nei­ther bee reproued nor corrected by them.

Is not this rebellion against God thus to contemne his ordi­nance in him whom hee hath set ouer thee, to feede thee, cloath thee, learne thee, yea, & to rule thee? is it not our Sauiours owne words here, that he must be bea­ten with many strips which doth not the will of his Maister? if so, what shall hee haue then which scorneth to bee instructed, and despiseth the discipline of his master? surely, his puishment must needs be very great.

Well my friends, iudge whe­ther it be better to follow your own mindes herein, or the coun­saile of Saint Paule, hee telleth you plainely, it must bee other­wise, such disobedient coursesSeruants must be obe­dient vnto their Maisters in all things. must not so much as once bee thought of amongst you, but you must bee obedient vnto them e­uen in all things, and so shall you performe the commandement of our Sauiour Christ.

And yet there bee some of so stubborne and rebellious a na­ture, that if their Master do prof­fer them a blow, nay, scarce that too, yet they will straight leaue his seruice, and as without leaue so without care or feare of GodsSeruants must not flye from their Maisters for any vnkind vsage. lawes or mans, cast off the yoake of their obedience, although it bee to the very vndoing both of their Master and themselues, but how great an offence this is, the [Page 253] story of Hagar doth plainelyGen. 16. shew, who though her Mistris vnkind and rough dealing with her, was the cause why shee fled from her, yet the Lord so disli­ked of it, that he commanded her not onely to returne vnto her a­gaine, but also to humble herA speciall poynt for ser­uants to take notise of. selfe vnto her: hereby shewing, how great an offence shee had committed, in which, such hu­miliation must be vsed for recon­cilement: you wild headed youthes of our time, consider this.

But it may bee some of you will be iudge of your owne cause and say, it cannot bee that shee was so hardly dealt withall as I am, for I neither can get those things which of right I ought to haue, and yet am opprest with labour, and can neither get kind word or good looke of my Mai­ster [Page 254] or Mistris, but say or doe what I can, they are still braw­ling, chiding and vncontented.

Dost thou thinke that the fault in thy Maister is the cause why thou dost not giue him content to please him? nay, nay, assure thy selfe, that it is rather the cor­ruption of thine owne heart, that keepeth thee from performing thy duty with more obedience & diligence, that so thou mightest please him, or is it because thou takest not that course which A­brahams seruant did, who when his Maister sent him about hisGen. [...]. businesse, hee made his humble prayers vnto the Lord, that hee would prosper the things hee went about: this was the way heSeruants must pray vn­to the Lord to send pros­perity to their labours. went about his businesse.

See here my friends, the duty of a seruant what hee ought to doe, and how he assuredly may [Page 255] please his Master or Mistris, hee must begin his labours in the Lord, by sanctifying them vnto him by prayers, hee must conti­nue them in the Lord, as doing them vnto the Lord, and not vnto men, and so he shall be sure both to please the Lord and his Maister, be he what hee will, butSeruants not­withstanding the vnkind or vniust dea­lings of Mai­sters vnto thē, yet ought with patience to beare it, performi [...]g still all fa [...]h­fulnesse vnto them, and of God shall re­ceiue their reward so do­ing. if thy Master be kind and louing, and supply vnto thee all good & necessary thinges needefull for thee, it is no thankes vnto thee to bee obedient and dutifull vnto such a Maister, for he hath deser­ued it of thee: but if hee bee as thou sayest vnkind vnto thee, ei­ther in keeping backe such things as of right thou oughtest to haue, or otherwise froward or churlish vnto thee, or if hee correct thee vniustly, in these cases if thou with patience dost beare it, and notwithstanding dost performe [Page 256] thy duty vnto him, with all good faithfulnesse, then bee thou sure that the Lord will recom­pence this his vnkindnesse with kindnesse againe vnto thee from him selfe, for so both the Apostles doe confesse, (as I haue shewed before) but will you haue further proofe yet for this poynt, will you see how God hath dealt with others in former times? reade then the Historie of Iacob, and it will satisfie you herein, and shew you a worthy ex­ample.

The 30. Chapter.

WHo could haue serued a worse Maister then Iacob did of his owne Vncle Laban, seekingGen. 31. so many waies to defraud him of his due as he did, not once nor twice, but tenne times or manyWhat a care­full seruant Iacob was though hee had a bad ma­ster, and how the Lord re­warded him. times? so that as he confesseth, if the God of his fathers had not beheld his labours, hee had euen sent him away empty, notwith­standing his paynefull labours spent 20. yeares together in his seruice, by day being consumed with heate, and in the night with frosts, so carefull ouer his busi­nesse, that hee would not suffer his eyes to take their rest in the night season, yet all this time of [Page 258] his mēy wrongs he bare with pa­tience, and neuer neglected any part of his duty the more for it: and how God rewarded this his painefull seruice, the story plain­ly sheweth, to the great comfort of all good seruants, what won­derfull blessings hee bestowed vpon him, both deliuering him from his vnkind Maister & cru­ell Brother, and giuing vnto him blessings aboundantly.

Yea, I haue another president yet to shew you which I may not let passe, worthy your best con­sideration, I meane the wrongThe ch [...] life of Ioseph should be an ensample to seruants. which Ioseph suffered, both in­wardly in mind, and outward­ly in body: inwardly in mind by the lasciuiousnesse of his vn­chast Mistresse, dayly tempting him to that abominable act of Adultery, which his chast soule hated, and shut vp in a dungeon [Page 259] or prison almost three yeares to­gether: who could haue suffered more thē he did, what an vnkind part was this of a cruell Maister vniustly casting so good a ser­uant into prison so long time, & that vpon so small, nay so vniust a cause: neither regarding theGen. 39. good and faithfull seruice of his seruant, of whom hee had had good experience by his long cō ­tinuance with him, nor with wisedome entring into the equi­ty of his cause, but rashly, nay foolishly, at the false accusation of his lascivious wife, casteth off, yea into prison so vertuous & so good a seruant, whome he knew of his owne knowledge that hee feared God, and that all that heeIoseph bearing patiently the wrong done vnto him is rewarded with glorie and honour. had, prospered the better vnder him.

Yet did he not exclaime of this his vniust Maister, nor once seeke [Page 260] to haue his iust cause heard with equity, but with great patience beareth he with al these his great wrongs, and how greatly God did reward him, we see it to bee with the glory of the whole kingdome of Egypt.

O see you that be seruants, see these worthy spectacles and re­gard thē, let not the vnkindly or vniust dealing of your Maisters, be any meanes to withdraw your affections frō performing your labours both faithfully and wil­lingly in their seruice, but re­member that the worke is the Lords, & not your Maisters, for you serue the Lord Christ, and of him shall receiue the reward, as you see is here prooued.

But how little are these thingsSeruants ought rather to suffer wrong, then to offer any. bee regarded of seruants in these dayes with griefe we see, not to be in bearning wrong with pati­ence [Page 261] at the hands of their masters but in offering and doing wrong vnto them, not seeing in them­selues into their owne faults, but prying with Argus eyes into the faults of their Maister or Mistris, and if they find but a small hoale in his coate, they will make a great rent of it before they haue done, and that fault which he in his owne house hath committedSeruants ought to keepe their Maisters im­perfections priuate to themselues, and not make them commō. by his lewd seruant, is made cō ­mon to all his acquaintance and companions, thinking them­selues well if they may see any imperfections in them, that they may deride & scoffe at them be­hind their backes, nay, slaunder their Maisters in their reputa­tions whereby they doe liue a­mongst men.

And thus whereas hee doth thinke that hee maintayneth a good and faithfull seruant, that [Page 262] doth vphold and maintayne his credit, hee nourisheth a serpent that seeketh subtilly and secretly to slay him: and therefore worse is such a seruant to his Maister, then a theefe that openly com­meth vpon a man to robbe or to spoyle him, for from such a one he happily may escape, and so be free, but neuer from such a ser­uant, the poyson of Aspes is vnder his tongue, the wound is deadly.

And as the seruant may not wrong his Maister by disclosing any priuate fault in him to his disgrace, so likewise he must bee no blab of his tongue, in the dis­closing of any busines or secrert of his Maisters among his fa­mily, or being a tale carrier whereby any strife may arise ei­ther in the family or amongst neighbours, he must take heede of that, and especially that by [Page 263] telling of lyes he sow not sediti­on in the family, for this a wic­kedSeruants may not by any meanes cause contention to arise eyther amongst friends, or in a family. and a dangerous thing, when strife and contention is raised in a family by vniust meanes, nei­ther must he bee an abuser of his fellow seruants by quarrilling or fighting with them, or beating & mususing them in the absence of his Maister.

But it may be you will obiect against me in this poynt and say, my Master is pleased to giue mee some authority ouer my fel­lowes in his absence, so that I am to see his busines performed by them in due time, and if they shall neglect the doing thereof, I shal be blamed for it more then they, and therefore I must bee rough sometimes with some of them, or else I shall not get thē to performe their busines as they should.

Why brother, I tell thee this is no sufficient argument for thee to take vpon thee the authority of a Lord or Maister to beate & correct thy fellows, but if thy Maister put thee in any authority more then the rest for the per­forming of his businesse, as thou sayst, yet see that thou bee not puffed vp in pride to take vpon thee more then is firt, but bySeruants ought not to correct their fellowes, but to leaue that preheminēce vnto their Maisters. louing and kind words, and good instructions from the word of God, and good exam­ples from thy selfe, seeke to win them to the performāce of their duty, so shall thou get loue, and not hatred of thy fellowes, and credit and good report both of thy Maister and all others but if there bee any so lewd a seruant, that hee will not by these good meanes bee won by thee to per­forme thy Maisters businesse ap­poynted [Page 265] for him to doe, then let thy Maister vnderstand thereof that he may giue correction vnto such a seruant, and haue the pri­uiledge of a Master in correcting his owne seruant: but let not thy hand be vpon him, but remem­ber that he is thy fellow seruant, least thereby thou be hated and despised of thine own fellowes, and get thee an euill report a­mongst men, & alwaies remem­ber the lesson which Saint Paule teacheth, That you so behaue your selues in all thinges, that the doctrine of Iesus Christ, be not slandered by your conuer­sation.

The 31. Chapter.

ANd here I haue iust occasion giuen me, to reproue the lewd [...]es of too too ma­ny wicked seruants of our time, that take no regard of the slaundering of the doctrine of Christ, nor of their owne con­versations, no nor saluation nei­ther, and yet they would bee counted Christians, but they shew themselues worse then in­fidells, deuills in the shape of men & women, by their workes.

Is not their best actions perfor­med euen with eye seruice only, no longer then Maisters looking on, no longer true labour, if hee bee absent, are not they absent [Page 267] likewise, are they not contenti­ous, quarrellers, fighters, abu­sers of their fellowes & like vnto ruffians in their Maisters houses, blasphemers of the sacred name of God, vsing, nay abusing his holy name in euery idle action, so that when the deuill is in theirHeauie iudge­ments are ap­poynted for wicked ser­uants. hearts, yet the holy name of God is abused in their profane lipps, forgetting that the Lord him­selfe hath sayd Hee will not hold Exo. 20. him guiltlesse that taketh his name Zacha. 5. in vaine: but as hee hath alreadyLuk. 12. sent out his dreadfull curse a­gainst the blasphemer, so hee hath a iudgement to come of many stripes for such disobedi­ent seruants.

And who is so blind that seeth not the exceeding intollerable vice of pride by which the deuill leadeth dayly so many of you vnto your owne destructions? [Page 268] for haue it you will to maintaine this vice by hooke or by crooke, the Masters estate shall pay for it else, is not this a great fault too common amongst you, & spread euen into the meanest degree of Tradesmen, & of handicrafts, & which, who, or where are thoseThe great abuse of the pride of ser­vants. which are not guilty of all de­grees of you.

Oh that you did but see what mischiefes you daily fall into by your intollerable pride! wherein you are growne to such a height, that now yee disdayne the estate and habit of seruants in your ar­ray, and to bee maintayned as you ought by the estate of your Maisters: who now can know the Maister from the Seruant by his attyre? it hath not been thus in times past, neither ought now so to be by the lawes of the land: but what speake I of the lawes of [Page 269] the Land, to those which re­gard not the Lawes of God? for which way you gett that which in pride and ryot you daily consume, your consciences will best tell you, yea and accuse you of one day, except you re­pent.

But sure I am some rob, cousin,The pride of seruants, by what meanes it is maintay­ned. & deceiue their maisters to pro­cure it, for if they can take ought of his that he seeth not, or doth not presently misse, then all is well as they thinke. Saint Paule chargeth you not to bee pickers, but for to mayntayne this your pride, what will you not pick and steale?

Others there be, which if they cannot get it thus, they will get it in an other fashion, for if their maister wil deale iustly or kindly with his friend, and will make no gaine by him, and put them in [Page 270] trust so to do, they will haue Ge­hesaies Gehesie ought to be an example vnto all lying Seruants 1. King. 5. tricke but they will haue somewhat of him, they will lye but they wil haue it, nay I would they did not lie with the tongue, and steale with both hands to.

Such Gehesies doe little regard that he got Namans leprosie for his labor, but tell them this, they will answere, their maister is no Elisha to work miracles, & there­fore feare not, oh my bretheren, you little regard that the eies of the Lord are as neere vnto you when you do these things, as the heart of Elisha was vnto his ser­uant Gehesie.

Is this to performe the duty of Christians: nay, to slaunder the doctrine of Christ and all good Christians, is this the thing you doe when you should serue the Lord and not your selues? nay, the Diuell you serue and your [Page 271] selues, here is no regard of seek­ingA note wor­thy to be re­garded of Ser­uants. the Lord with a single heart, nor doing their seruice faithful­ly, as vnto the Lord, nor remem­bring, that of the Lord they shal receiue the reward of their ser­uice, be it good or bad.

But as he is mercifull, so hee isGods iudge­ments against wicked ser­vants. iust also & hath pronounced this sentence against you, that he will cut you off & giue you your por­tion with the vnbeleeuers: more might I speake of such euill ser­uants, but I will rather smother such things in mine owne breast, which of mine owne knowledge I know to bee true, then explaine them in wrighting, for I wish ra­ther to suppresse such euils, then to expresse them.

I haue beene somwhat sharpe in this my reproofe I do confes, but mistake me not I pray you, for I do not speake generally vn­to [Page 272] all, God forbid I should, I hope better thinges of many of you, for I doubt not but there are some Eliazers among youGen. 5. that feare God, & doe faithfully serue both him & your Maisters, and do sanctifie all your labours xnto him by prayer, that so both you and your labours may pros­per: some paynefull Iacobs like­wise, which with all your best in­deauours performe your labours withōt grudging or murmuring: some chast and faithfull Ioseph [...]s, whose Maisters sleepe secure, finding themselues blessed tho­rough the providence of your wisedomes in the feare of God, and I reioyce herein, and blesse the Lord in his mercy towards you, praying for the continuance of his blessings vpon you, & the increase of your multitude, for there was one righteous Noah in [Page 273] the old world: And one faith­full▪ Abraham in Canaan, and one righteous Lot euen in So­dome, and Seauen Thousand in Israell in the dayes of Eliah that neuer had bowed a knee vnto Ball, and I hope there bee some amongst Seruants that doe day­ly striue euen in these our dayes, to performe this their duty of obedience vnto their Maisters to the full, with a single and an vpright heart, as to the Lord onely. And thus I haue briefe­ly runne ouer this duty of Ser­uants, and by the helpe of these our blessed Apostles, haue shewed vnto you what duty our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ commandeth you to performe vnto your bodily Maisters: And I haue se [...] be­fore you likewise some of the abuses o [...] these our times where­in [Page 274] so many are carried away by their owne selfewils vnto their owne destructions.

I doe now beseech you bretheren in thee Lord Iesus, that you become more warie and wise in your conuersations, hauing more regard vnto the command of our blessed Saui­our, in performing this taske imposed vppon you of your obedience vnto your Maisters, in seeking to know their wills, and so with all diligence to doe it, that so you may not onely a­voyd those dangers of many stripes, but also enioy the bene­fit which hee hath pruided for all those that with all their best endeauours doe labour to per­forme this their duty, which shall not by any other, but euen by him selfe, be performed vnto you, saying, well done good and [Page 275] faithfull seruant, thou hast beene faithfull in few things, bee thou Mat. 2 [...]. ruler ouer much, enter into thy Ma­sters ioy, which ioy so farre excelleth all earthly things, that no tongue of man can vtter them, nor the heart of man conceiue them, therefore hap­pie and blessed are all those that shall enioy them, euen so, Amen.