A Demonstration of Family Duties, Title page – Preface
A DEMONSTRATION OF FAMILY-DVTIES: OR Certaine Propoſitions and Reaſons of them, taken …t of the holy Scriptures, tending to ſhew the neceſſity, nature, and manner of performance of ſuch Religious duties, as Chriſtian Families ought to ſpare ſome time unto from common affaires every day.
BY T. P.
Joſhua, 24.15. — But as for me, and my houſe, we will ſerve the Lord.
M DC XLIII.
Printed by H. A. for Thomas Vnderhill dwelling at the ſigne of the Bible, in Woodſtreet, LONDON.
To the truly Noble & much honoured GEORGE BOOTH, Eſquire of Dunham-Maſſie, together vvith the Right Honourable, the Lady KATHARINE BOOTH, his pious Conſort: And alſo to the vvel-affected Gentry and Commons in CHESHIRE, and in Mancheſter Pariſh in LANCASHIRE,
THOMAS PAGET
SINCERELY WISHETH an increaſe of the power of godlineſſe, which is profitable unto all things, and hath the promiſes of the life that now is, and of that which is to come: AND HUMBLY PRESENTETH the enſuing diſcourſe touching Religious Family-duties, in teſtimony of his reall engagements to ſerve them in the LORD, as long as he is in this tabernacle.
THE PREFACE.
THe(a)Tit. 2.11. grace of God that bringeth ſalvation, hath abundantly appeared unto his people in theſe latter daies of the Chriſtian world, in their effectuall(b)Revel. 18.4. calling and comming out of myſticall Babylon, that they partake not of her ſinnes, nor receive of her plagues. The(c)Revel. 11.11. Spirit of life from God hath entred into his two witneſſes (who(d)Revel. 11.7.8. had beene warred againſt, and ſlaine by the beaſt, and whoſe dead bodies did lie in the ſtreets of the great city, which ſpiritually is called Sodome and Egypt) ſo that they have ſtood upon their feet, and(e)Revel. 6.2. gone forth conquering and to conquer by the(f)Epheſ. 6.17. Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,(g)2 Cor. 10.4, 5. the ſtrong holds of Antichriſt, and all ſpirituall adverſary power whatſoever. And hence it is come to paſſe that(h)Revel. 11.13. a great part of Romiſh Babylon is fallen, and a moſt glorious remnant in England, Scotland, Ireland, the United Netherlands, Germany, Bohemia, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Helvetia, France, Geneva, &c. are become Proteſtants, giving glory to the God of heaven,(i)Zach. 4.7. ſhouting Grace Grace, and(k)Revel. 15.3, 4. ſinging the ſong of Moſes the ſervant of God, and the ſong of the Lambe, ſaying, Great and marveilous are thy workes, Lord God Almighty; juſt, and true are thy waies, thou King of Saints. Who ſhal… not feare thee, O Lord, and glorifie thy Name? for thou only art holy: for all nations ſhall come & worſhip before thee, for thy judgments are made manifeſt.
The diſpenſation of(l)Epheſ. 3.8.10. the unſearchable riches of Chriſt according to the manifold wiſdome of God in the behalfe of his Churches and people, which have obteined deliverance from their ſpirituall captivity, hath likewiſe been(m)1 Cor. 12.11. made manifeſt in dividing to every one ſeverally as he will,(n)Math. 13.23. either thirty, ſixty, or an hundredfold. As may further appeare by a ſhort ſurvey of the ſtate of his ſeverall Churches. viz.
I. The Lutherane Churches (as they are commōly called) through the grace of God,(o)1 Tim. 3.13. have purchaſed unto themſelves a good degree, and great boldneſſe in the faith, which is in Chriſt Jeſus, by their ſeparating from Antichriſtian hereſies, and entertaining the fundamentall doctrines of juſtification and ſalvation by Chriſt alone. For howbeit they(p)1 Cor. 3.12, 15. have built in ſome part wood, hay, ſtubble &c. upon the foundation, and in that reſpect ſhall ſuffer loſſe, yet they ſhalbe ſaved notwithſtanding as by fire.
II. The Reformed Evangelicall Churches (as(q)Act. 17.11. the Bereans were more noble thē the Theſſalonians) have(r)2 Theſſ. 3.1. glorified the Word of God, not only in their orthodoxall ſoundneſſe in the(ſ)Hebr. 6.1, 2. Principles and doctrine of the Sacraments,(t)1 Cor. 3.12. building gold, ſilver, precious ſtones, &c. on the foundation; but alſo in the vindication of the glory of Gods free grace touching his abſolute Election of ſome to grace and happineſſe; The efficacy of the death of Chriſt for his choſen, called, and faithfull ones; Effectuall converſion; Saving faith; Certainty of Salvation; & Perſeverance in grace unto the end. All which may be fully read over in the acts of that moſt renowned, and moſt profitable Synod aſſembled at Dort in Holland, Anno 1618. & 1619.
III. The French, Scotiſh, and Belgick Reformed Churches, have beene ſingularly beautified with their(v)Coloſſ. 2.5. comely order, & decently(x)1 Pet. 5.5. clothed with amiable humility;(y)Rom. 12.3. not thinking more highly of themſelves, then they ought to thinke, nor hierarchically(z)3 John. 9. affecting preeminence, but thinking ſoberly: As appeareth not only by their demeaning and deporting of themſelves, as God(a)Rom. 12.6, 7, 8. hath dealt to every one in office his gift of exhorting, teaching, ruling, and diſtributing, for the benefit & comfort of the Congregatiōs, to which they doe miniſter, and the Congregations ſubmitting themſelves to their Church-officers in the Lord; but alſo by their combining themſelves into(b)1 Tim. 4.14. Preſbyteries,(c)Act. 15.2. Claſſes, and Synods, for the better and more(d)Prov. 11.14. prudent determination of their more weighty affaires,(e)Math. 18.17. according to Chriſts order and rule of Diſcipline.
IV. The people of God in England (howbeit their Eccleſiaſticall officers have beene too like to the(f)Revel. 3.15, 17. Angel of the Church of Laodicea, as he is notified in the Apocalyps, yet they themſelves) are like unto thoſe(g)Revel. 3.4. few in Sardis, which defiled not their garments, and who ſhall walke with Chriſt in white, as being worthy of(h)1 Chron. 4.9. a more honourable name then any of the Reformed Churches, for their(i)Pſal. 16.3. excelling in the power of godlineſſe.
There are three choyce vertues (as(k)Eccleſ. 4.12. a threefold coard that is not quickly brokē) which have truely ennobled, and renowned the people of God in England, and greatly magnified the grace of God conferred on them above other Churches; viz. 1. The(l)Jer. 17.24. high prizing and conſcionable ſanctifying of the Lords day. 2. The(m)Act. 13.44. due eſteeme and joyfull frequenting of Lectures. 3. The(n)Geneſ. 18.19. carefull and conſtant performance of religious family-duties.
Firſt, the unfeigned reſpects of the people of God in England to the ſanctifying of the Lords day, are(o)Rom. 1.8. ſpoken of throughout the Chriſtian world, both in regard of their godly-learned treatiſes in juſtification of the morality of the fourth commandement and keeping holy of the Sabbath day, beyond what is ordinarily to be ſeene in the books of forraine Divines; and alſo in regard of their moſt ſpirituall exemplary practiſe,(p)Iſa. 58.13. Calling the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable, and honouring him, not doing their owne waies, nor finding their owne pleaſure, nor ſpeaking their owne words, &c.
True it is, the generality both of the Miniſters & People in England have conceited too meanly, and unbeſeemingly of the Lords day, as is palpably argued by the common neglect and contempt of preaching, and by the unwarrantable liberties given and taken on that day: Yea there have beene found ſome in England (like thoſe of(q)Act. 6.9. the Synagogue of Libertines, that cōtradicted the bleſſed martyr Stephē) who have imployed both their witts, & tongues, & pennes, to plead againſt the neceſſary and ſtrict keeping holy the Sabbath day. But albeit the more number-ſome and greater ſort doe(r)Hoſ. 11.12. compaſſe God about with lyes, & deceit: yet the better & more pious people doe rule with God, and are faithfull with the Saints; being heartily(ſ)Ezek. 9.4. greived for the abominations done in the midſt of the land on the Sabbath day.
Secondly, the ſincere reſpects of the people of God in England to Lectures, appeare both by their great(t)2 Sam. 24.24. coſts to uphold and eſtabliſh them, where maintenance hath beene wanting otherwiſe; and likewiſe by the fulneſſe of the aſſemblies, not only in London, and greater cities, but alſo in other parts of the countrey, where they are uſed. Oh how my ſpirits are revived and cheered, and my heart(v)Pſal. 122.1, 2. comforted within me, when I call to minde the great concourſe of well-affected Chriſtians in ſeverall parts of Lancaſhire and Cheſhire (where ſometimes I had my ſtation) who have reſorted to Lectures and monethly exerciſes (as(x)Iſa. 60.8. doves fly to their windows) going from ſtrength to ſtrength many miles round about till they appeared before God in the aſſembly of Saints. Such their courſe ſeemed to be a reall & experimentall commentary on the 84 Pſalme.
True it is, there hath beene ſpeciall oppoſition againſt Lectures in England (I tremble to mention it) through the abſurd unreaſonableneſſe of ſome ſeeking(y)2 Theſſ. 3.2. to hinder the free courſe of the Goſpell. But ſuch their(z)2 Tim. 3, 8, 9. folly and madneſſe in reſiſting the trueth is made manifeſt to all men.
Thirdly, the reſpective performance of religious family-duties by the people of God in England, crowneth their keeping of the Sabbath, and attendance on Lectures: ſith thereby it is demonſtrated, that their(a)Deut. 6.6, 7. Chriſtian profeſſion is to purpoſe, turning words into works, and attaining a power of godlineſſe, aſwell as the forme of it.
True it is, that ſome profeſſing themſelves to be the people of God, notwithſtanding that family-duties are(b)Hoſ. 8.12. of the great things of the law, yet doe count them as a ſtrange thing: Not unlike thoſe ignorant baptized(c)Act. 19.2. diſciples at Epheſus, who being aſked, whether they had received the holy Ghoſt ſince they had beleeved, ſaid, They had not ſo much as heard whether there be any holy Ghoſt. But(d)Hebr. 13.22. I beſeech ſuch to ſuffer the words of inſtruction and exhortation in the diſcourſe enſuing. True it is alſo, there are ſome(e)Gen. 21.9. Gal. 4.29. ſcoffing Iſmaels and(f)2 Sam. 6.16, 20. giering Micals, who doe deſpiſe in their hearts, and perſecute what in them lieth the families that call upon Gods Name for their performance of family-duties. But let ſuch know, that godly families are not wont to be daunted by(g)Hebr. 11.36. the tryall of cruell mockings, as being reſolved in their meaſure with David, to be(h)2 Sam. 6.22. yet more vile then thus, if this be to be vile; and with Joſhua, that however it may ſeeme evill to others to ſerve the Lord; Yet(i)Joſh. 24.15. as for them & their houſes, they will ſerve the Lord.
Now foraſmuch as many of the Lords approved workmē have taken in hand to ſet forth their well ſtudied labours, to defend and promote the religious obſervation o… the Lords day, and to juſtify and encourage effectuall preaching and fruitfull hearing of the word▪ It ſeemed good to me alſo, knowing that I am(k)Philip. 1.17. ſet for the cauſe of the Goſpel, to put forth my ſlender talent in compoſing an Eſſay touching the neceſſity, nature, and manner of performance of religious family-duties, if ſo I may give an(l)Math. 25.19. Hebr. 13.17 Luk. 16.2. Neh. 13.22. account of my ſtewardſhip with joy, and be ſpared according to the greatneſſe of Gods tender mercies, when I ſhalbe ſummoned to a reckoning in that day. And this I have attempted the rather(m)Pſal. 122.8. for my brethren & companions ſakes, whoſe ſpiritual good and proſperity I unfeignedly deſire and ſeeke after: partly to ſtirre up and helpe forward the ſincere and zealous devotions of ſuch as deſire to(n)Pſal. 10.2. walke within their houſes with a perfect heart; partly likewiſe to provoke ſuch as are of greater abilities to contribute our of their(o)Math. 13.52. old and new ſtore into our Lords treaſury, who ſtandeth(p)Mark, 12.41. to behold and obſerve, and will graciouſly accept and commend the liberality of offerers, be the gift never ſo meane. It is undoubtedly(q)Math. 25.22.23. well done of Gods good and faithfull ſervants, the godly-zealous preachers in England, that in their ſermons and treatiſes, they doe moſt ſeriouſly call for, and frequently inculcate an exerciſe and practiſe of religious family-duties: but yet me thinks it may ſeeme to be ſome upbraiding of the reformed times, that there is no peculiar treatiſe beſtowed on this ſubject; at leaſt that I have either ſeene or ever heard of.
The bleſſing of God(r)Epheſ. 3.14, 15. the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt (of whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named) and(ſ)Jerem. 31.1. the God of all the families of the Engliſh Iſrael, goe along graciouſly with this poore and weake endeavour, for the glory of his great Name, and the ſpirituall welfare of my moſt endeared countre… men: Even ſo prayeth his Lord unworthy ſervant and humble p… titioner at the throne of grace.
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