Family Reformation Promoted, Title page – Preface
FAMILY REFORMATION PROMOTED.
IN A SERMON on Joſhua, Chap. 24. ver. 15.
AND By ſhort Catechiſmes fitted for the Three-fold Relations in a Family. Of
1. Children and Parents.
2. Servants and Maſters.
3. Husband and Wife.
By D Cawdreys Preacher of the Word at Billing Magn. in Northmptonſhire.
Gen. 18.19.
I know Abraham, that he will command his Children and his houſhold after hm, and they ſhall keep the way of the Lord, &c.
1 Tim. 5.8.
But if any provide not for his own, and ſpecially thoſe of his own Houſe, he hath denyed the Faith, and is worſe then an Infidel.
LONDON Printed by T. C. For John Wright at the Kings Head in the Old Baily 1656.
The Preface to the Reader.
Chriſtian Reader,
FOr the better underſtanding, and eaſier practice of the following Treatiſe, be pleaſed to take notice of theſe three things: 1. The reaſon of my undertaking this work 2. The end, or deſign I had in it. 3. The uſe of it; with the directions tending thereunto.
1. For my undertaking this work, I deſire no… to aſſume or arrogate to my ſelfe, any thing more than is mine own (the Method and ordering of the ſeveral Queſtions & Anſwers in the little Catechiſmes) profeſſing ingenuouſly, the Materials thereof to be none of mine: they were lent me firſt by my ever honoured Father, Maſter Robert Cawdrey (long ſince gone to his reſt and glory) in a Tract firſt written and publiſhed by him, called, A Godly Form of Houſhold Government; which found good acceptance and ſucceſſe among the people of God: But ſince his deceaſe peruſed and augmented by thoſe two pious & famous Divines in this generation, Maſter Dod, and Mr. Cleaver. In whom I have nothing to complain of, in their publication of it, but that they raiſed up ſeed to themſelves, and not to their deceaſed brother: I meane, for putting to their Booke their own Names, concealing (or at leaſt obſcuring the Name of the firſt Father of it; onelyonly putting the two firſt letters of his names, R. C. which ſignifies nothing to a ſtrange Reader. But I ſhall as much commend them for their learned Additions, and pious Augmentations, to make that Diſcourſe more full and compleat. From that Book, I ſay, I borrowed the Materialls; and after them, from that Reverend, Iudicious and godly Divine, (whoſe works and labours, are famous in all the Churches and his Reward now with his God) Dr. Gouge, in his Tract of Domeſtical Duties; Wherein, they are more elaborately, and largely handled; but perhaps two largely for young ones, to learne or remember; and the Book too dear for many, yea moſt poor houſholders to buy. I once (during our ſitting together in the aſſembly) motioned the buſineſſe to himſelfe, That hee would be pleaſed, to extract that his larger diſcourſe, into ſome ſhorter queſtions and anſwers, fitted both to the Capacity of younger people in a Family, and to the Purſes of the poorer ſort; who have moſt need of ſuch Inſtructions. His anſwer (as I remembred) was, that he liked the motion well, but wanted time and leaſure to do it: and withall, not onelyonly gave me leave, but deſired me to do what I thought to be moſt uſeful therein. I had ſome thoughts, divers years ſence, to have done it in his life time, to have had his judgement and directions in it: But other troubles and buſineſſe, hitherto diverted the execution of it. I onelyonly drew out ſome particulars, for the uſe of my own people, and family, and ſome private friends: Which being now perfected, and methodized, I preſent to the publick view, together with a ſhort Sermon, of the Duty, and Neceſſity of Family Reformation; to perſwade, if poſſible (the bleſſing of God accompanying it) all Houſholders, to put the ſame in practice: I doubt not, but if all the aforeſaid Authors were now living, they would approve of this my undertaking, as others yet alive have done. That for the firſt.
2. For the end or deſigne in it, it was in general, nothing but the Glory of God, and the Good of Soules, Families, Townes, Churches, and the whole Nation in all theſe; To the advancing whereof, not onelyonly my Holy Calling (however now deſpiſed by ungodly men) but my Reſolutions of a long time, have obliged me; having devoted my ſelfe (while I live, which cannot now be long) to the publick good; which I believe may be much promoted, by a conſcientious uſe of the directions herein given, for it is obvious to every obſervation, that Families are the Seminaries of Towns, Churches, Countries, and Nations; and are as it were, the Hives, out of which do ſwarm the materials of greater aſſemblies; if therefore they be not wel Principled therein all their Relations, the reſt muſt needs miſcarry. And here I obſerved, was the true Original of all our Miſcarriages and miſchiefes abroad; that when young people went out thence, to conſtitute new families, either as ſervante, or by marriage, they knew not the particular duties of their New Relations; as Husbands and Wives, as Parents and Children, as Maſters and Servants: becauſe for the moſt part, they were never taught them in the Families from whence they were tranſplanted. Remove a Crabſtock from a barren to a fruitfull ſoile, it will ſtill be a Crabſtock, without change of nature. It is a certain Truth, a thouſand times exemplified, That (without ſpeciall converting grace) he or ſhe ſhall never be good parents to their children, that were not good children to their parents: Nor they good Governours of ſervants that were not good ſervants to their Governours; nor they good Husband or Wife, in their own families that were not good in their former family Relations, as children or ſervants; Nor laſtly, will thoſe who are naught in their Family Relations be good Neighbours in a Town, good Members of a Church, or good Subjects, or Magiſtrates in the State: A good man is the proper ſubject of the the goodneſſe of all other Relations: And he onelyonly is a good man, that is good in his firſt Relations; The Spring then of all Reformation, in Townes, Churches, Nations, (next to perſonal Reformation, where every one mends one, that is himſelfe) is that which is found in Families. If they were but either well conſtituted, or well ordered and reformed, the whole work were done. And that's the Deſign of this Diſcourſe, and the ſecond thing propounded to conſideration.
3. The third and laſt now onelyonly remaines, which is, the Uſe and Directions how to improve this Treatiſe, to the ends for which it was deſigned. For the expediting whereof, I ſhall have a reſpect. Firſt to the Conſtitution of a new Family; and ſecondly to a Family already Conſtituted: For as it is in Churches, (and the Houſe is or ſhould be a little Church) they are conſidered either in their firſt Conſtitution, or as already Conſtituted: So it is in Families; ſome Rules will fit the firſt Conſtitution of it, and others the ordering of it, when corrupted.
1. If a Family be to be newly Conſtituted, as commonly by the Marriage of ſingle perſons it is, then they become firſt Husband and Wife, then Parents to children, and with that Maſters of ſervants, which are all the Relations of a Family. The principal care muſt be to chuſe fit Materialls for the building; which how well, and how far it may be done, is delivered in the Sermon hereto anneved, to which I refer the Reader.
2. For a Family already Conſtituted, but corrupted and needing Reformation the ſame courſe muſt be taken, as in Reforming a corrupted Church: For as there, Preaching and Catechiſing, and all wayes of Inſtruction are firſt to be uſed by the Miniſter, the chiefe Officer thereof; and after that, the practice of that knowledge wrought muſt be preſſed by Admonition, Reproofe, Exhortation; And laſtly, (if theſe proceedings prove ineffectual) the exerciſe of Diſcipline and Cenſures upon wilfull and ſtubborn offenders: Juſt ſo it ought to be in a Family, as it is alſo a little more largely directed in the Sermon following, to which I refer. But we are to ſpeak now onelyonly to the firſt of thoſe three, how the chiefe Houſholder may lay that foundation of Reformation in his Family; which is by Knowing, and Teaching them under his charge, the true knowledge of thoſe Duties, belonging to the ſeveral Relations of a Family, as afore. To which purpoſe I would commend (if they have not better) the reading, and practicing (in all good conſcience and ſincerity) of the Sermon following, as far as it concerns themſelves in their ſingle, double, or threefold Relation, viz. as Husbands to Wives, as Parents to chidren, as Maſters to ſervants; And then to Teach the reſt of the family (their correlates) wives, children ſervants, their particular duties according to their relations reſpectively. But when their children or ſeroants, are to be tranſplanted, either for the conſtituting a new family, as Husbands or Wives, or for the furniſhing of another family, as ſervants; then to aquaint them with and make them underſtand, the duties of their new Relations, before they come to practice them. To which end, the little ſhort Catechiſme's fitted for each Relation, will much conduce, if they be taught, & explained wiſely by the chieife Houſholder, and impreſſed on them, by his own Example, in the performance of his duties in all his owne relations.
The Benefit of teaching and whetting on of theſe prineiples, conſcientiouſly, will be exceeding great. For,
1. By this meanes Houſholders themſelves may come to ſee, repent of, and amend their own miſcarriages, not onelyonly when they were children or ſervants, but alſo their preſent neglects, of their duties, as Husbands, Parents, Maſters, which they muſt performe, as they expect that their correlates ſhould be good & ſerviceable to them, or Gods bleſſing upon both.
2 By the knowledge they may get by teaching others, they may not onelyonly learn their own Duties in all their Relations, but alſo be able to call upon their Inferiours to do their Duties, and to exact them of them, when they goe aſtray.
3. This (if they have any conſcience, or care to pleaſe God) may ſerve to make them the more carefull to performe their own Duties, in all their Relations; becauſe now their Inferiours will be able to diſcover their failings, having learned their Duties in ſuch Relations, when God ſhall call them to them.
4. This way they may fit and prepare their children and ſervants, to be Materials of new Families, as Husbands or Wives, (according to their Sexe) to be Parents or Maſters; being already furniſhed with the knowledg of the Duties of thoſe new Relations.
5. And laſtly, make them Inſtrumentall and ſerviceable to the publick good, as good Neighbours in Townes, good Members of Churches, good Subjects in the State, and ſome of them good Officers in Church or State; For that Rule of the Apoſtle here holds well; He that cannot rule his own Family, how ſhall he govern the Church, or Commonwealth? 1. Tim. 3.4, 5.
One thing more, and I have done; Becauſe Duties will not eaſily goe down or be digeſted, if they be not manifeſted to be impoſed by Divine Authority: I have (following the Reverent Doctor herein) backed the moſt of them, by Texts of Scripture, which held out, either expreſſe Commands, or eminent Examples of holy Saints, the beſt comments upon commands; or noted Extravagances of wicked men, againſt the rule of the Word; which in opening and explaining of the Anſwers are to be taken notice of, and applied by the chief Houſholder. I need ſay no more to perſwade the Governours of Families, to ſet upon the exerciſe and practice of theſe Directions, than what I have ſaid in the Sermon. I onelyonly adde this ſhort Ejaculation for them and theirs; That the God of all grace would bleſſe and proſper them, to the Glory of his Name, the Honour of Religion, the publick Good of Church and State; and to the furthering of their comfort here, and eternall Salvation and glory hereafter. Amen.