BEcause it hath pleased God to blesse me with many chil­dren, and so caused me to obserue many things falling out to mothers, and to their children; I thought good to open my minde concerning a speciall matter belonging to all childe-bearing women, seri­ously to consider of: and to manifest my minde the better, even to write of this matter, so farre as God shall please to direct me; in summe, the matter I meane, Is the duty of nursing due by mothers to their owne children.

In setting downe whereof, I wil first shew, that every woman ought to nurse her owne childe; and secondly, I will endeavour to an­swere such obiections, as are vsed to be cast out against this dutie to disgrace the same.

[Page 2] The first point is easily performed. For it is the expresse ordinance of God that mothers should nurse their owne children, & being his ordinance they are bound to it in conscience. This should stop the mouthes of all replyers, for God is most wise, Isa.31.2. and therefore must needs know what is fittest and best for vs to doe: & to prevent all foolish feares, or shifts, we are gi­uen to vnderstand that he is also All sufficient, Gen.17.1. & therefore infinitely able to blesse his owne ordinance, and to afford vs meanes in our selues (as continuall experience confirmeth) toward the obseruance thereof.

If this (as it ought) bee granted, then how venterous are those women that dare venter to doe otherwise, and so to refuse, and by re­fusing to dispise that order, which the most wise and allmighty God hath appointed, and in steed thereof to chuse their owne pleasures? Oh what peace can there be to these womens consciences, vnlesse through the darknes of their vnderstanding they judge it no disobe­dience?

And then they will driue me to proue that this nursing, and nourishing of their own chil­dren [Page 3] in their own bosomes is Gods ordinance; They are very willful, or very ignorant, if they make a question of it. For it is proued suffici­ently to be their dutie, both by Gods word, and also by his workes.

By his word it is proued, first by Examples, namely the example of Eue. For who suckled her sonnes Cain, Abel, Seth, &c. but her selfe? Which shee did not only of meere necessitie, because yet no other woman was created; but especially because shee was their mother, and so sawe it was her duty: and because shee had a true naturall affection, which moved her to doe it gladly. Next the example of Sarah the wife of Abraham; For shee both gaue her sonne Isaac suck,Gen.21.7. as doing the dutie commanded of God: And also tooke great comfort, and delight therein, as in a duty well pleasing to her selfe; whence shee spake of it, as of an action worthy to be named in her ho­ly reioycing. Now if Sarah, so great a Princesse, did nurse her own childe, why should any of vs neglect to doe the like, except (which God forbid) we thinke scorne to follow her, whose daughters it is our glory to be, and which we [Page 4] be only vpon this condition, that we imitate her well-doing.1.Pet.3.6. Let vs looke therefore to our worthy Pattern, noting withall, that shee put her selfe to this worke when shee was very old, and so might the better haue excused her selfe, then we yonger women can: being also more able to hire, and keepe a nurse, then any of vs. But why is shee not followed by most in the practise of this duty? Euen because they want her vertue, and piety. This want is the common hinderance to this point of the wo­mans obedience; for this want makes them want loue to Gods precepts, want loue to his doctrine, and like step-mothers, want due loue to their own children.

But now to another worthy example, namely that excellent woman Hannah, 1.Sam.1.23. who hauing after much affliction of minde obtai­ned a sonne of God, whom shee vowed vnto God; shee did not put him to another to nurse, but nursed him her owne selfe vntill shee had weaned him, & carried him to be consecrate vnto the Lord: As well knowing that this du­ty of giuing her childe sucke, was so accepta­ble to God, as for the cause thereof shee did [Page 5] not sinne in staying with it at home from the yearely sacrifice: but now women, especially of any place, and of little grace, doe not hold this duty acceptable to God, because it is vn­acceptable to themselues: as if they would haue the Lord to like, and dislike, according to their vaine lusts.

To proceed, take notice of one example more, that is, of the blessed Virgin: as her womb bare our blessed Sauiour, so her papps gaue him sucke. Now who shall deny the own mothers suckling of their owne children: to bee their duty, since euery godly matrone hath walked in these steps before them: Eue the mother of al the liuing; Sarah the mother of al the faith­full; Hannah so gratiously heard of God; Mary blessed among women, and called blessed of all ages. And who can say but that the rest of holy women mentioned in the holy Scrip­tures did the like; since no doubt that speech of that noble Dame, saying, who would haue said to Abraham that Sarah should haue giuen children sucke? was taken from the or­dinary custome of mothers in those lesse cor­rupted times.Gen.21.7.

[Page 6] And so much for proofe of this office, and duty to be Gods ordinance, by his own VVord according to the argument of Examples: I hope I shall likewise proue it by the same word from plaine Precepts. 1.Tim.5.14. First from that Precept, which willeth the younger women to marry, and to Beare children, that is, not only to Beare them in the wombe, and to bring thē forth; but also to Beare them on their knee, in their armes,Ver.10. and at their breasts: for this Bea­ring a little before is called nourishing, and bringing vp: and to inforce it the better vp­on womens consciences, it is numbred as the first of the good workes, for which godly wo­men should be well reported of. And well it may be the first, because if holy Ministers, or other Christians doe heare of a good woman to be brought to bed, and her child to bee li­ving; their first question vsually is, whether she her selfe giue it sucke, yea, or no? if the an­swere be she doth, then they commend her: if the answer be she doth not, then they are sor­ry for her.

And thus I come to a second Precept. I pray you, who that iudges aright; doth not hold [Page 7] the suckling of her owne childe the part of a true mother, of an honest mother, of a iust mother, of a syncere mother, of a mother wor­thy of loue, of a mother deseruing good re­port, of a vertuous mother, of a mother win­ning praise for it? All this is assented to by a­ny of good vnderstanding. Therefore this is also a Precept, as for other duties, so for This of mothers to their children; which saith, what­soeuer things are true,Philip.4.8. whatsoeuer things are honest, whatsoeuer things are iust, whatsoe­uer things are pure, whatsoeuer things be worthy of loue, whatsoeuer things be of good re­port, if there be any vertue, if there bee any praise, thinke on these things, these things doe and the God of peace shall be with you.

So farre for my promise, to proue by the word of God, that it is his ordinance that wo­men should nurse their owne children: now I will endeauour to proue it by his workes: First by his workes of iudgement; if it were not his ordinance for mothers to giue their chil­dren sucke, it were no iudgement to bereaue thē of their milke, but it is specified to be a great iudgement to bereaue them hereof, & to giue [Page 8] them dry breasts, therefore it is to be gathe­red, euen from hence, that it is his ordinance, since to depriue them of meanes to doe it, is a punishment of them.

I adde to this the worke that God worketh in the very nature of mothers, which proueth also that he hath ordained that they should nurse their owne children: for by his secret operati­on, the mothers affection it so knit by natures law to her tender babe, as she findes no pow­er to deny to suckle it, no not when shee is in hazard to lose her owne life, by attending on it; for in such a case it is not said, let the mo­ther fly, and leaue her infant to the perill, as if she were dispensed with: but onely it is said woe to her, as if she were to be pittied, that for nature to her child, she must be vnnaturall to her selfe: now if any then being euen at liber­ty, and in peace, with all plenty, shall deny to giue sucke to their owne children, they goe a­gainst nature: and shew that God hath not done so much for thē as to worke any good,Lam.7.3. no not in their nature, but left them more sa­uage then the Dragons, and as cruell to their little ones as the Ostriches.

[Page 9] Now another worke of God, prouing this point is the worke of his prouision, for euery kinde to be apt, and able to nourish their own fruit: there is no beast that feeds their young with milke, but the Lord, euen from the first ground of the order of nature; Growe, and mul­tiplie; hath prouided it of milke to suckle their owne young, which euery beast takes so na­turally vnto, as if another beast come toward their young to offer the office of a Damme vnto it, they shew according to their fashion, a plaine dislike of it: as if nature did speake in them, and say it is contrary to Gods order in nature, commanding each kinde to increase, and multiplie in their owne bodies, and by their owne breasts, not to bring forth by one Damme, and to bring vp by another: but it is his ordinance that euery kinde should both bring forth, and also nurse its owne fruit.

Much more should this work of God pre­vaile to perswade women, made as man in the image of God, and therefore should be a­shamed to bee put to schoole to learne good nature of the vnreasonable creature. In vs al­so, as we knowe by experience, God prouideth [Page 10] milke in our breasts against the time of our childrens birth, and this hee hath done euer since it was said to vs also, Increase, and multi­ply, so that this worke of his prouision shew­eth that hee tieth vs likewise to nourish the children of our owne wombe, with our own breasts, euen by the order of nature: yea it sheweth that he so careth for, and regardeth little children euen from the wombe, that he would haue them nursed by those that in all reason will looke to them with the kindest affection, namely their mothers; & in giuing them milke for it, hee doth plainely tell them that herequires it.

Oh consider, how comes our milke? is it not by the direct prouidence of God? Why prouides he it, but for the child? The mothers then that refuse to nurse their owne children, doe they not despise Gods prouidence? Doe they not deny Gods will? Doe they not as it were say, I see, O God, by the meanes thou hast put in­to me, that thou wouldst haue me nurse the child thou hast giuen me, but I will not doe so much for thee. Oh impious, and impudent vnthankfulnesse; yea monstrous vnnaturalnesse, both to their [Page 11] own natural fruit borne so neare their breasts, and fed in their owne wombes, and yet may not be suffered to sucke their owne milke.

And this vnthankfulnesse, and vnnatural­nesse is oftner the sinne of the Higher, and the richer sort, then of the meaner, and poorer, ex­cept some nice and prowd idle dames, who will imitate their betters, till they make their poore husbands beggars. And this is one hurt which the better ranke doe by their ill exam­ple; egge, and imbolden the lower ones to fol­low them to their losse: were it not better for Vs greater persons to keepe Gods ordinance, & to shew the meaner their dutie in our good example? I am sure wee haue more helpes to performe it, and haue fewer probable reasons to alleage against it, then women that liue by hard labour, & painfull toile. If such mothers as refuse this office of loue, & of nature to their children, should hereafter be refused, despised, and neglected of those their children, were they not iustly required according to their owne vnkind dealing? I might say more in handling this first point of my promise; but I leaue the larger, and learneder discourse here­of [Page 12] vnto men of art, and learning: only I speake of so much as I reade, and know in my owne experience, which if any of my sexe, and con­dition do receaue good by, I am glad: if they scorne it, they shall haue the reward of scor­ners. I write in modestie, and can reape no dis­grace by their immodest folly.

And so I come to the last part of my pro­mise; which is to answer obiections made by diuers against this duty of mothers to their children.

First it is obiected that Rebeckah had a nurse, and that therefore her mother did not giue her suck of her owne breasts, and so good wo­men, in the first ages, did not hold thē to this office of nursing their owne children. To this I answer; that if her mother had milk, and health, and yet did put this duty from her to another, it was her fault, & so proueth nothing against me. But it is manifest that she that Re­beckah calleth her nurse, was called so, either for that she most tended her while her mother suckled her: or for that she weaned her: or for that during her nonage, and childhood, shee did minister to her continually such good [Page 13] things as delighted, and nourished her vp. For to any one of these the name of a nourse is fitly giuen: whence a good wife is called her husbands nourse: and that Rebeckahs nourse was only such a one,Gen.24.61. appeareth, because after­ward she is not named a nourse, but a maide, say­ing: Then Rebeckah rose, and her maides; now maids giue not suck out of their breasts, never any virgin, or honest maide gaue suck, but that blessed one from an extraordinary, & bles­sed power.

Secondly it is obiected, that it is trouble­some; that it is noysome to ones clothes; that it makes one looke old, &c. All such reasons are vncomely, and vnchristian to be obiected: and therefore vnworthy to be answered, they argue vnmotherly affection, idlenesse, desire to haue liberty to gadd from home, pride, foolish finenesse, lust, wantonnesse, & the like euills. Aske Sarah, Han­nah, the blessed virgin, and any modest louing mother, what trouble they accounted it to giue their little ones sucke: behold most nur­sing mothers and they be as cleane and sweet in their cloathes, and carry their age, and hold their beautie, as well as those that suckle not: [Page 14] and most likely are they so to doe; because keeping Gods Ordinance, they are sure of Gods Blessing: and it hath beene obserued in some women that they grew more beautifull, and better fauoured, by very nursing their owne children.

But there are some women that obiect feare: saying that they are so weake, & so ten­der, that they are afraid to venter to giue their children suck, least they indanger their health thereby. Of these, I demand, why then they did venter to marry, and so to beare children; and if they say they could not chuse, and that they thought not that marriage would im­paire their health: I answere, that for the same reasons they should set themselues to nurse their owne children, because they should not chuse but doe what God would haue them to doe: and they should beleeue that this worke will be for their health also, seeing it is ordinary with the Lord to giue good stomach, health, and strength to almost all mothers that take this paines with their children.

One answere more to all the obiections that vse to bee made against giuing chil­dren [Page 15] sucke, is this, that now the hardnes, to effect this matter, is much remooued by a late example of a tender young Lady, and you may all be encouraged to follow after, in that wherein she hath gone before you, & so made the way more easie, and more hopefull by that which shee findeth possible and comfor­table by Gods blessing, and no offence to her Lord nor her selfe: shee might haue had as ma­ny doubts, and lets, as any of you, but she was willing to try how God would enable her, & he hath giuen her good successe, as I hope he will doe to others that are willing to trust in God for his helpe.

Now if any reading these few lines re­turne against me, that it may bee I my selfe haue giuen my own children suck: & there­fore am bolder, and more busie to meddle in vrging this point, to the end to insult ouer, & to make them to bee blamed that haue not done it. I answer, that whether I haue, or haue not performed this my bounden duty, I will not deny to tell my own practise. I knowe & acknowledge that I should haue done it, and hauing not done it; it was not for want of will [Page 16] in my selfe, but partly I was ouerruled by anothers authority, and partly deceiued by somes ill counsell, & partly I had not so well considered of my duty in this motherly office, as since I did, whē it was too late for me to put it in execution. Wherefore being pricked in hart for my vndutifullnesse, this way I studie to redeeme my peace, first by re­pentance towards God, humbly and often cra­ving his pardon for this my offence: secondly by studying how to shew double loue to my children, to make them amends for neglect of this part of loue to them, when they should haue hung on my breasts, & haue beene nourished in mine owne bosome: thirdly by doing my indeauour to prevent many christian mothers from sining in the same kinde, against our most louing, and gra­tious God.

And for this cause I add vnto my perfor­med promise, this short exhortation: namely I beseech all godly women to remember, how we elder ones are commaunded to instruct the yonger, to loue their children, now therefore loue them so as to do this office to them when they are borne, more gladly for loue sake, then a strunger, who bore them not, shall do for lucre [Page 17] sake. Also I pray you to set no more so light by Gods blessing in your owne breasts, which the holy Spirit ranketh with other excellent blessings; if it be vnlawfull to trample vnder feete a cluster of grapes, in which a little wine is found; then how vnlawfull is it to destroye and drie vp those breasts, in which your owne child (and perhaps one of Gods very elect, to whom to be a noursing father, is a Kings ho­nour; and to whom to be a noursing mother, is a Queens honour) might finde food of syn­cere milke, euen from Gods immediate proui­dence, vntill it were fitter for stronger meat? I doe knowe that the Lord may deny some women, either to haue any milke in their breasts at all, or to haue any passage for their milke, or to haue any health, or to haue a right minde: and so they may be letted from this duty, by want, by sicknesse, by lunacy, &c. But I speake not to these: I speake to you, Whose consciences witnesse against you, that you cannot iustly alleage any of those impe­diments.

Doe you submit your selues, to the paine and trouble of this ordinance of God? trust [Page 18] not other women, whom wages hyres to doe it, better then your selues, whom God, and nature ties to doe it. I haue found by grieuous expe­rience, such dissembling in nurses, pretend­ing sufficiency of milke, when indeed they had too much scarcitie; pretending willing­nesse, towardnesse, wakefulnesse, when indeed they haue beene most wilfull, most froward, and most slothfull, as I feare the death of one or two of my little Babes came by the defalt of their nurses. Of all those which I had for eighteene children, I had but two which were throughly willing, and carefull: diuers haue had their children miscarry in the nurses hands, and are such mothers (if it were by the nurses carelesnesse) guiltlesse? I knowe not how they should, since they will shut them out of the armes of nature, and leaue them to the will of a stranger; yea to one that will seeme to estrange her selfe from her owne child, to giue sucke to the nurse-child: This she may faine to doe vpon a couetous composition, but she frets at it in her minde, if she haue any na­turall affection.

Therefore be no longer at the trouble, and [Page 19] at the care to hire others to doe your owne worke: bee not so vnnaturall to thrust away your owne children: be not so hardy as to ven­ter a tender Babe to a lesse tender heart: bee not accessary to that disorder of causing a poorer woman to banish her owne infant, for the entertai­ning of a richer womans child, as it were, bidding her vnloue her owne to loue yours. Wee haue fol­lowed Eue in transgression, let vs follow her in obedience. VVhen God laid the sorrowes of conception, of breeding of bringing forth, and of bringing vp her children vpon her, & so vpon vs in her loynes, did shee reply any word against? Not a word; so I pray you all mine owne Daughters, and others that are still child-bearing reply not against the duty of suckling them, when God hath sent you them.

Indeed I see some, if the wether be wet, or cold; if the way be fowle; if the Church be far off, I see they are so coy, so nice, so luke­warme, they will not take paines for their own soules. alas, no maruell if these will not bee at trouble, and paine to nourish their childrens bo­dies, but feare God, bee diligent to serue him; [Page 20] approue all his ordinances; seeke to please him; account it no trouble, or paine to doe any thing that hath the promise of his bles­sing: and then you will, no doubt, doe this good, laudable, naturall, louing duty to your chil­dren. If yet you be not satisfied, inquire not of such as refuse to doe this: consult not with your owne conceit aduise not with flatterers: but aske counsell of syncere, and faithfull Preachers. If you be satisfied; then take this with you, to make you doe it cheerefully. Thinke alwaies, that hauing the child at your breast, and hauing it in your armes, you haue Gods blessing there. For children are Gods bles­sings. Thinke againe how your Babe crying for your breast, sucking hartily the milke out of it, and growing by it, is the Lords owne in­struction, euery houre, and euery day, that you are suckling it, instructing you to shew that you are his new borne Babes, by your earnest desire after his word; & the syncere doctrine thereof, and by your daily growing in grace and goodnesse thereby, so shall you reape pleasure, and profit. Againe, you may consi­der, that when your child is at your breast, it [Page 21] is a fit occasion to moue your heart to pray for a blessing vpon that worke; and to giue thanks for your child, and for ability & free­dome vnto that, which many a mother would haue done and could not; who haue tried & ventured their health, & taken much paines, and yet haue not obtained their desire. But they that are fitted euery way for this com­mendable act, haue certainely great cause to be thankfull: and I much desire that God may haue glory and praise for euery good worke, and you much comfort, that doe seeke to ho­nour God in all things.

Amen.