The Cursed Family, Chapter 1
THE Cursed Family
CHAP. 1.
The General Nature of Families, and of Christian Families Relatively consider'd as Members of the Church.
AMong the very Beasts of the Field, Natural Instinct of the Dumb Creature teacheth Moral Duties in Families.Fowls of the Air, and Fish of the Sea, some obscure Resemblances of Government, greater and lesser Societies, Kingdoms, Cities, and Families, the great Searchers into Philosophy have discovered. By God's Ordination at first they keep their Places, observe their Times, do their Work, Build, Furnish, make Dens, Caves, Burrows, Nests, set up House, break up House, breed up their Young, help, and dispose of them abroad for Common Good. True it is, these Patterns are but imperfectly drawn in these Creatures, yet they point at Excellent Education, Laws and Virtues, and Teach the Wisest, Sobriety, Fidelity, Chastity, Amity, Gratitude, Vigilancy, Diligence, and unwearied care of themselves and those belonging to their Charge.
After the Almighty had finisht his Work, The foundation of Families God's Institution.created Adam, and Placed him in Paradise, he was pleased to say, It is not good that Man should be alone, I will make him an help Meet for him.
Although the Word [Family] strictly How the Word Family is taken here.taken, signifieth that Order of Mankind which is United in Marriage, signifying the Terms of Husband and Wife, Parents, Children, Master, Servant, yet here it doth include Housholds made of kind Friends living together for their mutual Benefit, as Men and Christians: And also, it doth Include the Superior Societies of Academical Discipline, and the Inferior of Countrey Schooles. Both which as they be of great use for Magistracy and Ministry, so they ought to be of Special Influence to Maintain Religion and Christian Government in Church and State.
That Famous Orator, whose Name is The Formal and final causes of Familiesturned into a Sir-Name of Eloquence, (as Quintilian hath it) speaking of the Union of Families, hath Written, that there is a more Noble Principle of Human Societies then Sense, to wit, the Attractive Power of Reason, which by Counsels, Precepts, Converse, Decisions, and Judgments, Cements and Strengtheneth Societies. But God's Word speaking hereof, strikes an higher Note, no less a Union for Marriage then [In the Lord] with the exclusive Particle [Tantum] in Domino, Only in the Lord. If this Union were observed, How much more Happy would Families, Relations, Parishes, Magistrates, Ministers, Kingdoms and Churches be?
It is a most Dangerous Design, to think of Multiplying Vice and Impiety by gathering into Societies, as if the Lesser Sins of Single Life, Married into Company, might take Liberty to swel into a Flood, Gen. 6. 25. We may not think that Families and Societies were Constituted for Natural and Secular Ends, but for Political and Ecclesiastical Ends, the Good of Countrey and the Church of God. Therefore that was an Excellent Plut. Conv.Answer made to one admiring a Fair House, to wit, Thou lookest upon the Glorious Outside of the Building, and callest that an House, not looking within, how well Children are Governed and Educated, Marriage Honoured, the Family and all belonging to it prudently managed. He (saith the Author) that hath such an House, liveth in a Palace, though in a Pismires Hill. From what hath been said, it is evident, how much good or hurt may proceed from Families. For although this Capacity must not Danger of great States from Wicked Families.contend with greater Societies for Precedency of Honour, yet for Priority of Nature, and Eldership of Time, it carrieth it from all Societies on Earth. It being (without Dispute) that of Families, Towns and Cities, great States are Embodied. Therefore as in Natural Bodies, if the first Concoction be Imperfect, it is hardly Corrected in the latter; So in Civil Bodies if Families and Villages (through want of Good Government) abound in Vitious Manners, the Malignancy presently infects Kingdoms and Churches, to which they do belong. It may be, at the first, that the Narrowness of Private Walls and Housholds, send Evil Manners into the World, with some kind of Pusillanimous Dulness, which coming into Places of Publick Concourse, grow Impudent and refuse to be ashamed. Hence it is, that Swearing, Swilling, Debauchery and Immorality, Contempt of Religion and Sobriety, become (in a while) Popular and all in Fashion. If Parents give not Check to Family Sins in their Children at Home, when they go forth, they meet with Temptations and Patrons, which turn their Youthful Exorbitances, into Immoveable Habit. It is easy to observe, that the want of Family-Religion is the Cause of the Visible Decay of the Wellfare of Church and State.