The Golden Book of Christian Matrimony, Chapter 19
¶ The. xix. Chapter.
Chyldren wher vntounto they be apte, lette them learne that science or handye crafte.
COnsyther well wherevnto thy chylde is naturally enclyned. And vntounto that occupacion let him be put to: many mē nowe a dayes al be it they se theyr chyldrē apt vntounto let ters & good learnyng hauyng substaūce ynough to fynd thē therat, yet wyll they not suffer them to continewe therat, because thē selues cā not fa uour it, or els they se no aduauntage worldly f… low, but great trouble & …secuciō, which worldly mē in thus doyng declare thē selues vngodly destroyers both of them selues theyr childrē & of all common weales & congregacions. For what publique weal, towne, cyte or parysh can be wel gouerned, wythout y• Prince, ruler, preste, or bi Why meune nowe set not theyr chyldrē to scole.shop be lerned in gods lawe, Prophetes and in his gospel? what is the cause of all this dissensiō cruell persecucion, tyranny, euell lawes making vniust actcs, false religion, wycked ordinaunces & vngodly decrees & institucions, but onelyonly the blynd ignoran̄ce of vnlerned rulers? which mea sure all thyng after theyr owne fonde fleshly affectes and reason besydes all scriptures: & wolde hauehave theyr owne carnal wylles to stonde in the steade, yea rather to be aboue God & hys lawes. In tymes paste, when men sawe so many spirituall promocions vntounto rytch bysshoprykes, benefices, deanrykes, Abbayes; Pryories, chauncelershyps. &c, then they dyd set fast theyr childrē to scole, to make them popysh prestes, ydelly to lyue by other mennes sweates, but nowe they se howe laborouse and perellouse an office it is to preach and to teache Gods worde purely, freely and faythfully. And how vnthankeful an office it is to rule cominalties after iustyce and equite, and what an heuye intollerable laboure it is to minister iustyce and iudgement after Gods worde, lookyng for no aduauntage, but to be a comon seruāt for the comon wealth sustayning suche intollerable burdens, labours and perels, as the offyce dewly ministred askethe, no man is glad to hauehave his chylde learned vntounto such vnprofitable and laborouse endes. It was once an holy sacrifyce to God for a manne to dedicate his doughter or sonne vntounto Frāces, Clare, Benet, Thomas, Austen, Mary. &c. ydelly to lyue in all fylthines, whā riches, dignites & worldely vayne worshyp and priuate profyt followed or rather whē they gredely aspired and folowed it. But nowe whan the comon laboure, godlynes, and the publique profit of all comō weales & congregacions depend vponupon it, no mā regardeth nether good learnyng nor vertue, so far of are they nowe to set theyr chyldren to godly sco les. When yougth was nothynge apte to good letters, and when there was no good learnyng nor no good teachers, then well was he y• might sette his chyld to scole. But nowe when yougth was neuer so apteto good learnyng as it is this daye, learnynge, & good letters neuer so plenteously floryshyng, restored and redact into such acompendious clere brifnesse, neuer so good, diligent and learned masters, neuer so plenty of so good and playn bokes prynted, neuer so good cheape, the holy Ghost as it were into mennes mouthes mercifully offerynge hys gyftes, and yet wyll there no man open his mouth, his eyes to se so cleare lyght, nor his eares to heare so pure, manifest and holesome doctrine, euen the worde of theyr owne saluacion. For oure vnthanckefulnes, therfore all these infinite heauē ly benefites shall be takē frō vsus, & giuē to some other naciō, as to the Turkes & Iewes, whyche shall thanckefullyer then we receaue them. And we shall hauehave the popysh prestes wyth all papistrye haltered and captiued vnderunder hardenecked Pharao in myer and claye neuer to be delyuered out of that yerney seruitude of his intollera ble bondage.
But nowe therfore O ye Christen parentes seyng that your yougth is now by the fauoure An exhortaci on to the chri …en parēte….of God endewed wyth so good wyttes & enclyned vntounto good letters, let not the graces & gyftes of God be offred you in vayne, but exercyse them in good autors both Greke & Latine, and in noble hi…ortes, in Logyke, Rethoryke, and in the tonges, let them read the holy Byble, and commend it to memory, & so shall they in tyme to come be profitable vntounto the comon wealthe, whervnto they be borne.
And such as are apte to handy occupacions, let them b… set to thē which be moost profitable & necessary for a cōmon weale, as for payntyng & keruynge wyth suche lyke, they are more …ucyouse than necessary, And consyder that al…ust and true occupacions iustly erercysed and vsed, Goddes blessyng maketh them to prosper, and the truedoers and labourers in theyr callynge hys blyssyng make them rytch EueryEvery man to put his chyld to that master which is moost ex cellent and connyng in that craft, it is no nede to monyshe, nor to exhorte your chyldren to be trewe, of fewe wordes, faythfull in dedes and promises, diligent and seruiseable to eueryevery man obedient to theyr masters, clenly, quycke, handsome and wyllyng to do theyr commaundemen tes.
Nowe when thou hast perfectely learned thy Trauay ling among stran gers.crafte, it shall be profitable for the to trauel into straung countryes, to se the workyng and hād lynge therof amonge other nacions, wherby ether thyselfe mayst lerne both a perfayter practyse and also more experience, or els they of the maye learne the same into thy nowne profyte. And in so trauaylynge holde thy selfe modeste, styll and sobre, medlynge not beyonde thyn own facultye. Be ientle, frendely, faythfull and curteous to them, conformynge thy selfe vntounto theyr honest fashions and godly manners, Beware of euell company & dronkennes, beware of lyght & wanton women, learne no vyce nor euell maners of them, but only vertue & such occupaciōs as are profitable, bryng home cōnyng & vertue & no syn nor euell maners, of which thou shalte se to much, & to lytle of that good is. Cutte clothes & iagged & al to hagged hosen disfigure and deforme honest persons, & declare lyght mē and wantonnes in thy harte.
But before all these experiences seakynge, se that thou prouidest thy chyldren honest mates (if they desyre it) and let thē rather togither liue at home, and not the one to departe anye longe tyme from the tother for trauaylynge in straūge countreyes, bryng some yonge euell disposed per sons into great inconueniences and noughty liuyng, as it was wonte to be sayde of the Rome runners neuer to be good after.