The Parents Primer and the Mothers Looking-glass, Title page – To the reader
THE PARENTS PRIMER AND THE MOTHERS LOOKINGGLASSE.
OR, Counſel for Parents in the Education of CHILDREN: for their Temporal, Spiritual, and Eternal HAPPINESSE.
In a DIALOGUE between A MINISTER and a FATHER.
To which is added A Second Dialogue of the DECALOGUE.
And to that A Third DIALOGUE concerning The SABBATH-DAY.
By J WAITE Miniſter of Gods Word, LONDON.
Train up a Child in the way he ſhould go: and when he is old he will not depart from it. Prov. 22.6.
The Father to the Children SHALL Make known thy Truth. Iſa. 38.19.
Bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the LORD. Eph. 6.4.
London, Printed by J. A. for the Author, and are to be ſold by N. Ponder at the Peacock in the Poultrey, and R. Janeway in Queens-head-Alley in Pater-noſter-row, 1681.
To the Unskilfull Reader.
WHether I ſpeak with Tongue or Pen: I reſpect Them moſt who want my Help. If you do ſo, and can own [Unskilfull] for a Fit Title: they ſay I am the Perſon, for whoſe ſake this Epiſtle is written. And for your ſake, Let us deſire the Expert Reader, to diſpenſe with your Paſſage through this Porch. In which I deſire You will remain my Scholar (one hour) and learn theſe Three Leſſons.
Firſt. To know the Points uſed in Print:1 Leſſon. which are theſe Seven.
(1) A Comma. It's a Point at end of a Short Part of a Sentence, without Perfect Senſe. And it's a note of ſome little Pauſe, Stop, or Breathing in Reading. It's marked Thus,
(2) A Semicolon. It's a Pauſe a little longer than a Comma. It's marked Thus;
(3) A Colon. It's a longer Pauſe than the former: and its a part of a Sentence that makes Senſe without the Full Sentence yet ſo as the reſt is expected to compleat it. It's marked Thus:
(4) A Period. It's a full perfect Point, put at end of a compleat Sentence. It's marked Thus. Obſerve the Senſe contained in a Sentence, or you Read Confuſion.
(5) A note of Exclamation, or Admiration. It's put at end of an Expreſſion uttered by way of Out-cry, or Wonder. It's marked Thus! As [O how lofty are their eyes!Pro. 30.13.
(6) A note of Interrogation. It's put at end of a Queſtion. It's marked Thus? As [Why ſhould we die in thy preſence?Gen. 47.15.
(7) Parentheſis. It's a Clauſe included, or ſhut in with two Semicircles, or half Moons: though it give ſome Strength to a Sentence, yet if left out the Senſe remains Sound. It's marked Thus () As [Let me (I pray thee) drink a little water of thy pitcher.Gen. 24.17.
Second. To know where the Emphaſis layeth in a Sentence. Emphaſis is an Expreſſion of the Mind, by a Word expreſſed with ſome Earneſtneſs, or Force. This Word I begin with a Capital, or Great Letter. Here note words which muſt alway begin with Capitals.
(1) The firſt Word of every Sentence.Pro. 9.10. As [The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wiſdom] So if the Sentence begin with a Single Letter.Pro. 1.5. Joh. 10.11.As [A wiſe man will hear [I am the good Shepherd [O that they were wiſe, Deu. 32.29.&c.
(2) The firſt Word of the Saying of an Other, Related: though it do not begin a Sentence. As,Joh. 7.46. The officers anſwered [Never man ſpake like this man] And many of them ſaid [He hath a Devil, Chap. 10.20, 21.and is mad] Others ſaid [Theſe are not the words of him that hath a Devil.
(3) The firſt Word, or Letter of every Verſe, or Line in Poety. As,
A man without learning, Cato doth ſay:
May be compared to an Image of Clay.
(4) Proper Names. (1) Of God, as Jehovah] Of Chriſt, as, Jeſus] Of an Angel, as, Gabriel] Of Men and Women, as, Adam, Abel, Daniel, Dorcas] Of Countries, as, Aſia, England, Spain] Of Cities, as, London, Jeruſalem] Of Towns, as, Barnet, Bethany] Of Places, or Hills, as, Eden, Sinai] Of Rivers, as, Thames, Jordan, Cedron] Of Months, as, Jan, Feb, Abib] Of the four Winds, as, Eaſt, W, N, S.] Proper Names I put in Italian Different Letters: and ſo to put other Names is Improper.
(5) Appellatives or Common Names: which are common to all of that Kind. (1) Of People, as, Jew, Hebrew, Gentile, Heathen, Chriſtian, Proteſtant, Papiſt, Pagan, Indian] Names of Arts, as, Printer, Painter, Mercer, Grocer] Of Dignity, as, Emperour, King, Q, Prince, Pope, Duke] Of Offices, as, Ambaſſador, Prieſt, Prophet, Paſtour, Apoſtle, Elder, Deacon, Judge, General, Captain] Of Dayes, as, Sabbath] Of Spirits, as, Angel, Cherub, Seraphim, Devil, Satan] Note [god] if a falſe god, muſt begin with a ſmall letter. But the true [God] with a Capital. And, Father, Son, Spirit: Lord, Chriſt, Ghoſt] when they Signifie the True God, or the Perſons in the Holy Trinity] To which I adde Names of Books (ſo many as are not Proper Names of Men and Women) as, Gen, Exod] And of Tongues, as, Hebrew, Greek, Latine, Engliſh] Moſt of theſe Names, Proper, and Appellative, ſtand Thin in this Book. In all theſe Words which always begin with Capitals, the Emphaſis ſeldom layeth: when it doth, I put that Word all in Capitals that you know it at eaſe. When an other Word is all in Capitals, it ſignifies the Greater Emphaſis.
Now for Emphatical Words. The Emphaſis is tied to no Word whatever. It is ſometime in a Subſtantial Word. Sometime in two or three ſuch words together. Sometime in a ſmall Word, as [be, do, ſo, no, to, at, of, off, on, in, out] as, [I will No more have mercy on the houſe of Iſrael.] In other place [no] hath no Emphaſis, as,Pro. 3.30. [Strive not with a man if he have done thee [no] harm] In other place it's in the Subſtantial word Mercy,Mat. 15 22 as, [Have Mercy on me O Lord] As when Sea-men are Sinking with this cry, Mercy! Mercy! There is the Emphaſis. In other place (by reaſon of the Excellent Emphaticalneſs of the Expreſſion) you may put it in This or That Word as you Will, as, [I Will ſurely have mercy] I will Surely have mercy] I will ſurely have Mercy upon him, ſaith the Lord] Sometime the Emphaſis,Jer. 31.20. Is, and is Not in the Same Word,Pro. 31.2. in the Same Sentence: as, [What my Son! and what the ſon of my Womb!] To miſplace it makes it give an unpleaſant ſenſeleſs ſound: as, what the Son of my womb] It's in Vain to put Force upon a Wrong Word: it's like a Stroke at a Wooden Bell.
Theſe Emphatical Words obſerved, will help you to underſtand the Senſe. And if beſides the Words which conſtantly begin with Capitals, there Be ever a Capital that is not Emphatical: yet it's Subſtantial, and ſerves to ſhew the Senſe, as all Emphatical Words do. Emphatical Words begun with Capitals, avoids that Hodge Podge they make, who put Half their Words in Different Letters.
Third. To underſtand Abbreviation,3 Leſſon. or Shortning of Words: which for Brevity Sake is uſed in Books. Some of them are the Firſt Letters of Latine Words; which many Authors uſe, but Explain not for their Engliſh Reader. The moſt Neceſſary (of all which) to know are Theſe.
&c et caetera] and the reſt [or] and ſo forth.
Sc ſcilicet] to wit.
Viz Videlicet] to wit [or] that is to ſay.
i e id eſt] that is.
e g exempli gratiâ] as for example.
q d quaſi dicat] as if he ſhould ſay.
And the ſame q d ſerves for] as if She ſhould ſay] as if You ſhould ſay] as if They ſhould ſay] as if I, or We ſhould ſay.]
It is eaſily underſtood in Reading.
N B Nota Bene] Mark this well.
O T Old Teſtament. N T New Teſtament. Q Queſtion. A Anſwer. Ob Objection. Sol Solution. D Doctrine. R Reaſon. U Uſe.
For you to Learn theſe Leſſons Three:
As eaſie is as A B C.
Which you may Learn with little Leaſure:
Then Read with Knowledge, Profit, Pleaſure.
As for Hebrew, Greek, and Latine Words which I lay in your Way: they will be no Stumbling-block, except you will Make them ſo. For you have it in Engliſh: which you may Read on without Stumble, or Stop. And I deſire you may So Read, as to Reap much Good Fruit, by the Labour of
Your Loving Friend, J W. London, May 26. 1681.