Of Domestical Duties, Treatise 6 · Section 64 – Section 67
§. 64. Of parents leauing their eſtate to their children when they die.
It was *§. 56.before ſhewed that parents were to lay vp a portion for their children againſt their entrance into a calling, and mariage: There is a further duty required when they are going out of the world, namely that they leaue their whole eſtate The eſtate of parents to be left to their children.to their children. (Where I ſay whole, I exempt not workes of charity, nor payment of debts, which is a point of iuſtice, but I include more then is giuen as portions or ſtockes in their life time.) That eſtate eſpecially which parents hauehave receiued from their progenitors are they moſt bound to leaue vntounto their children. It is expreſly recorded that Abraham gaue all Gen. 25. 5.that he had to Iſaak. Gods law did prouide for this among the Iewes: for a man might not ſell his land to cut it off from Leu. 25. 23.his poſterity. This was it that made Naboth refuſe to ſell his vineyard to Ahab, as his anſwer implieth, God forbid that I 1 King. 21. 3.ſhould giuegive the inheritance of my fathers vntounto thee: becauſe it was the inheritance of his fathers, that is, he had receiued it from them, he thought it vnlawfull to depriue his children of it. This phraſe (if children, then heires) taketh it for a granted Rom. 8. 17.truth that children hauehave a right to their parents eſtate: and if they hauehave a right thereto, they may not be defeated thereof.
God giueth wealth vntounto parents but for their life time: in which time they are but as Guardians vntounto Gods children, and are accountable to God: ſo as they hauehave not an abſolute power to doe with it what they will, but according to the directions of the great Lord and Maſter they muſt vſe it, reſerue it, and leaue it.
For this end parents muſt order their manner of liuing according Direction.to that portion which the Lord hath appointed vntounto them, and by his prouidence beſtowed vponupon them; they muſt (as it is ſaid in the prouerbe) cut their coat according to their cloth. Of the two it is much better for parents to liue vnderunder, then aboue their meanes. Prouided that they neglect no duty of charitie, or iuſtice: nor through miſerableneſſe and niggardlineſſe carry themſelues vnbeſeeming the place wherein God hath ſet them, and eſtate which he hath beſtowed vponupon them. He that liueth ſomewhat vnderunder his meanes, hath opportunitie to lay vp portions for other children (if he hauehave many) and to reſerue his inheritance intire to his eldeſt (beſide many other good workes of charity as God ſhall offer occaſion) which he that liueth aboue his meanes cannot doe.
§. 65. Of the inconueniences which improuident parents bring their children vntounto after their death.
Contrary to this branch of a parents prouidence, are many courſes of improuident parents: For
1. Some parents lauiſh and bezell out all their eſtate in their owne life time, making it to determine in their perſons. Vnworthy they are to receiue any inheritance from anceſtors. Their fault is double.
1. In ſpending prodigally aboue their eſtate.
2. In wronging their children, and depriuing them of their right: for particular perſons ſucceding one another are but as diuers linkes of a continued family, which are by Gods prouidence added one to another: this chaine is not to be broken at any mans pleaſure; but for the preſeruation thereof, that which hath beene receiued of the predeceſſors, muſt be left to the ſucceſſors.
2. Others leaue their eſtate to their children, but ſo incumbred with debts, bonds, recognizances, and ſtatutes, as their children were better be without it, then hauehave it. For the hauing it maketh them liue at an anſwerable rate, and bringeth many burdens vponupon them: beſides, the debts wherein they ſtand obliged make them as dPro. 22. 7.ſeruants to their creditors: and in time they muſt be forced to ſell all, or as captiues lie in priſon.
3. Others though they deale not ſo hardly with their children, yet they deale too hardly by peeling and polling their inheritance as much as they can: they wil not forbeare to make any preſent gaine that they can, though it tend neuer ſo much to the preiudice and dammage of their children after them: as they who cut downe all the timber and wood that they can, and take out all the heart of their land.
4. Among theſe may be reckoned ſuch parents as by meere negligence ſuffer things to goe to decay for want of timely reparations: whereby it commeth to paſſe, that ſuch dammages as in the parents time might hauehave beene preuented with laying out a few ſhillings, cannot be renewed with many pounds.
5. Such alſo as care not in their life time to cleere the titles of thoſe things which they leaue to their children: but leaue all things ſo vnſetled and litigious, as it oft coſts children more in ſuit of law to maintaine the inheritance which their parents leaue them, then the inheritance is worth: and yet after all their paines and coſt loſe the inheritance too: whereas the parent that knew more then the childe can, might with ſmall paines and charge hauehave well ſetled and cleered all.
Theſe are miſchiefes that many children hauehave beene brought into by the improuidence of their parents: which are the rather to be made knowne, that ſuch as come after, may proue the more prouident for their children.
§. 66. Of parents impartiall reſpect to all their children.
Hitherto of parents duties. The perſons to whom thoſe duties are to be performed, are diſtinctly to be conſidered.
The parties to whom parents are to performe all the forenamed duties are expreſſed vnderunder this word (Children) which foreign.hath not any ſpeciall reſpect to prioritie of birth, to conſtitution of body, to affection of parent, or any ſuch thing, as if firſt borne, proper, beautifull, darling, or the like children were only meant, but all that are begotten and borne of parents, all their children are meant. Whence I obſerue, that Parents ought to hauehave an impartiall reſpect to all their children, and performe dutie indifferently and equally to all. We hauehave for proofe hereof Gods patterne, who accounteth all his children deare or beloued children. The Greeke word tranſlated foreign. Eph. 5. 1.deare is very emphaticall: it is properly attributed to an only childe: the ſeuentie that tranſlated the Hebrew Bible into Greeke, doe with this word interpret that phraſe, Only Sonne: Gen. 22. 2. foreign. Heſychius foreign exponit foreign. Plutarchus dicit foreign vocari foreign.for where in Hebrew it is thus ſaid to Abraham, take thy ſonne, thine only one, they thus tranſlate it, take thy ſonne, thy deare one, or thy beloued one. Other Greeke authors doe ſo attribute the ſame word to an only childe, yea also and to an only eie: as when a man hath but one eie they call it a beloued eie. This word then ſheweth that God ſo reſpecteth all his children, as if all were but one, all a firſt-borne, all a darling childe. So rare a vertue this impartiall reſpect is (rare in the excellencie of it, rare alſo in the ſcarcitie of it) as thorowout the Scripture I can ſcarce finde a perfect patterne thereof Ariſt. Rhet. 1. vocat vnicum oculum foreign.among the ſonnes of men. Many may be giuen of the contrary, as we ſhall after heare. But the more rare it is, the more we muſt labour after it, that ſo we may reſemble Gods fatherhood.
1. All our children come from our owne ſubſtance and Reaſons.bowels. Why then ſhould we reſpect one childe aboue another, more then we doe one eie, or one eare aboue another? We are as tender ouer one as ouer another, though it may be we hauehave more vſe of one then of another.
2. All our children are alike committed to vsus by God: the ſame precepts and directions giuen for all alike: the like account to be giuen for all. If a King ſhould commit many of his children to one nurſe, would not he be offended (and that iuſtly) if ſhe ſhould put ſuch a difference betwixt them, through a fooliſh partialitie, as to reſpect ſome, and neglect others?
§. 67. Of parents preferring a dutifull childe before a diſobedient childe.
Obiect. What if one childe be more pious to God and parent, another more rebellious, may not a parent reſpect that more then this?
1. Anſw. He may take notice of their different carriage, and accordingly reward the one, and puniſh the other, and yet carrie an equall deſire of doing good to both of them alike: for the puniſhing of the rebellious childe is a parents dutie; an euidence of louelove, and a meanes of doing him good.
2. Anſw. It is no partialitie to like grace and goodneſſe in a childe, and for grace and goodneſſe ſake to louelove his childe ſo much the more, as alſo for impietie and obſtinacy in rebellion to hauehave his heart the more alienated from his childe: this is rather a vertue in a parent. Partialitie is when on by and vndue reſpects one childe is preferred before another.