Exhortation to the Ministers of Gods Word, Dedication 3
TO THE RIGHT WORSIPfull, Maister Robert Burgaine of Roxall, one of his Maiesties Iustices of peace in the Countie of Warwicke: to the right Worshipfull, Master Iohn Diue of Ridlington Parke, in the Countie of Rutland: and to the Worshipfull Master Edmund Temple, of Temple-hall, in the Countie of Leicester, Esquiers: as also to their religious and vertuous Wiues, R. C. wisheth with heart and mind, grace from God the Father, by Iesus Christ, and constancie in the truth of the Gospell, to the end, and in the end.
HAuing collected and finished this Treatise ensuing, and deuising very carefully with my selfe to whom I might Dedicate the same: at length I resolued that none were meeter to undertake the Patronage thereof, then some such meete persons, as did alreadie, (in some good measure) practise within their seuerall Charges, the seuerall points and duties contained therein, and so would further prosecute those other necessary parts, which they hauehave yet in some part pretermitted. Whereupon, calling to minde the holy exercises daily vsed and exercised in all your houses: I wa… moued for two causes to make you all ioyntly Patrones thereof.
First, for that I acknowledge my selfe beholden and indebted vntounto you all diuersly, since my first acquaintance with you, and therefore (least I should deserue the blame of vnthankefulnesse for benefits receiued) I am bold vnderunder your names, to offer to the whole Church of God, thes… my simple collections.
Secondly, for that as you are all ioyned and linked in kindred by reason of marriage: so also yo… are, and hauehave beene a long time inseparably knit i… a zealous and sincere profession of Gods word an… religion. And for so much as I may not (fo… many respects) accomplish what good I willingl… would: yet lest I should be thought to spend the remainder of my yeeres in an idle condition, or to hid… my talent in a napkin; I hauehave beene no lesse carefull, then willing, to labour otherwaies to doe wha… I may to glorifie God, and profit his Church. Ne… ther will these my labours by vtterly vnprofitable if my purpose therein be rightly conferred with th… purpor… of my writings. For such Householder… as pretend to be great Protestants, and sound pr… fessors of the Gospel, may long inough talke of discipline, and still complaine of the want of Church gouernment; but all in vaine, and to no purpose, vnlesse they will begin this most necessarie disciplin… in reforming their owne houses, according to th… direction in this Treatise, and so suffer the holy religion of God, to take place amongst their families at home, otherwise they shall trauell much, and profit little.
For although there be neuer so good lawes in Cities, neuer so pure order in Churches, yet if masters of families, doe not practise at home catechising, and discipline in their houses, and ioyne their helping hands to Magistrates, and Ministers: they may in truth, (but vniustly, as many hauehave done) complaine that their children and seruants are disordered, and corruptted abroad, when in truth, they were disordered, and are still corrupted, and mard at home. And therefore it cannot be, neither is it to be hoped for, that either the father of his children, or the husband of his wife, or the master of his seruants, should looke for that obedience, that reuerence, that faithfulnesse, and that dutifulnesse, which they of right ought to hauehave, and the other in conscience, and of bounden dutie are bound to performe, vnlesse they doe now at length endeuour to see these orders and duties hereafter mentioned, to be practised within their seuerall Households. For if Parents and Householders shall performe no further dutie to their children and seruants, then to prouide for them meat, drinke, and apparrell, and to pay them their wages: then Papists, Atheists, yea, Turkes, and Infidels, doe yeeld this dutie as well as they.
And seeing all men be carefull that their Horses and Bullocks should hauehave sufficient fodder and prouender, to the end they may hauehave their labour in leiu and recompence thereof: it doth consequently follow, that therefore a Christian Householder ought to hauehave ouer his Children and Seruants, as much more Christian care, then hee hath ouer his dumbe and insensible beasts, that so hee may make a singular comfort from the daily contemplation of their encrease in spirituall graces.
Oh what a sweete and comfortable thing shall this be to the soule and conscience of such an householder, when he hath beene so diligent and carefull in the training and bringing vp of his children and Seruants in the obedience and wayes of the Lord, that he may rightly deserue to hauehave this worthie report and commendation giuen vntounto him, from the mouth and penne of the godly: namely, that he hath a Church in his house: that is, a company of sound and faithfull Christians, such as feare God indeed; as the like report was giuen by the Apostle, to those godly House-keepers, Aquila, and Priscilla his wife: Rom. 16. 5. 1. Cor. 16. 19. as also to Philemon. Phil. 2.
Therefore all Parents and House-holders are (in the Lord) to be exhorted that they would be carefull to bring vp their children and familie, so as they eyther (by some good tokens) may see them the children of God, and heyres of the couenant, or at the least, they may be comforted in their owne consciences, notwithstanding that their children and seruants (for some cause vnknowne to them (do refuse their counsell and instruction; seeing they to the vttermost of their power & abilitie, hauehave vsed all good meanes to bring them vp well, and hauehave rightly offered them to the Lord.
Now if parents and masters hauehave iust cause to bewaile and lament, when (thus trauelling in good education and information) they cannot yet see good effects, and godly fruits in their children and seruants: how much more cause of griefe may they hauehave, when they hauehave vsed and bestowed no labour at all (either by themselues or others for them) to bring them vp in the nurture and feare of the Lord? And yet alas, many will be greiued for the one, that will not be any thing mooued for the other. Wherefore let all Parents and Masters of families know and learne, that if they will conuay Gods blessings to their posterities, then they must doe, and performe the duties belonging therevnto: yea, let them (if they be loth to conuay Gods iudgements to their children) carefully auoid the means vntounto it.
And surely, as it is a blessed thing in the houre Luke. 2. 29.of death, with Simeon to depart in peace, leauing their wiues, children, and seruants, members of Christ, spouses to Christ, children to God, and seruants to the Lord: so in extreamitie of death, no one thing will be more grieuous vntounto Parents and House-holders, then (the Lord hauing giuen them the charge of so many soules to be furthered… saluation) that their owne tormented conscienc… shall presse them, in as much as they hauehave help… their children and seruants forward to their da… nation, and so, (which is more fearefull they sh… hauehave them spewing and foming on their faces, c… tinuall curses in hell, then accusing them for euer… be the murtherers of their soules, and cut-throa… of their saluation.
Is it any maruell, if Householders many tim… finde small obedience, and lesse dutifulnesse, a… faithfulnesse, at the hands of their children a… seruants, seeing they omit and lcaue vndone the pe… formance of these so christian duties towards the… herein expressed, and inioyned of the Lord? For… doth God often leaue manifest tokens of his wrat… in punishing disobedience, with disobedience.
How can any master of a Household, whosoeu… he be, looke to hauehave his familie trustie and fait… ful vntounto him, & yet he himselfe is faithlesse to God… Doth hee maruell, that his children and seruan… feare not him, whereas hee himselfe feareth n… the Lord? Will hee maintaine his authoritie… ue… those vnderunder his charge, and hee himselfe do… not yeeld obedience vntounto the authoritie of Go… his Creator?
Moreouer, it is manifest, that the good man… the house, by planting Gods religion in his familie, shall not a little aduance and set forward hi… owne priuate profit and commoditie. For wicke… and vngodly seruants, are for the most part, loyterers, pickers, and deceitfull: whereas on the other side, godly seruants are iust and faithfull, whom in his absence he may trust to doe such businesse and Gen. 30. 30. and 39. 5. &c.worke as he willeth them to doe.
If masters of families be carefull and desirous (as in conscience they ought) that their wiues, children and seruants, should reforme themselues, and endeuour to practise such duties as doe appertaine and belong vntounto them; then they must likewise be diligent and carefull to reforme themselues, both inwardly and out wardly in such points and duties, as hitherto they hauehave left vndone: otherwise, they may iustly say vntounto them: Phisitian, heale your selfe: or, why doe you will vsus to do that, Luk. 4. 23. and 22. 32. Rom. 2. 21.which you doe not practise your selfe? For as one candle cannot light another if it selfe be out: euen so a master of a Household shall not reforme those of his charge, and inflame them with the louelove of God and godlinesse, if hee himselfe be voyd of the same.
Let eueryevery master of a Household therefore say and performe with Iosua: I and my familie will serue the Lord: Iosua. 24. 15. And likewise let eueryevery Christian Ladie, Mistresse, and Dame, say with Hester: I and my maides will doe the like: Hest. 4. 16. And so no doubt, God will poure his blessings on them, and theirs, in this life, and euerlasting happines on them in the life to come.
Touching the Booke it selfe, I will not say any thing to the commendation thereof, but onelyonly th… That I am assured, that if such duties as are m… tioned therein, were duely and carefully practi… of all such as are named in it, then (no doubt) v… tue and godly religion would greatly flowrish, to… aduancement of Gods glory; and also sin and w… kednesse would then decrease and fall downe, to… vtter subuersion and ouerthrow of Sathans ki… dome.
This Treatise, I confesse is not garnished w… eloquence, not full of great cunning, nor beau… ed with flowers of mans wisedome, neyther yet d… it discourse or treat of high or darke things, n… ther is it stuffed with subtill questions, and ar… ments; nor indited with Rhetoricall and eloqu… stile, as those commonly be, which are propoun… and set forth to the world, rather for boasting a… vaine-glory sake, then for any desire to edifie, a… to doe others good: but it is plaine and without… ny great gaynesse; yet so full of good, necessary, a… The profit of this Booke.wholesome instructions, that whosoeuer reade… and marketh it with a right disposed minde, a… willing to practise it, without respect to any oth… things, then God, the reformation of his life, a… the saluation of his owne soule, (which is the o… ly marke which Christians must leuell at) he m… reape singular profit thereby.
And vndoubtedly, it may well be said, th… Good Bookes are ladders to climbe vp to heauen.vntounto true Christians, good and holy Bookes are… ladders to climbe vp vntounto heauen: as sparkes… kindle the heate of the Spirit, when it is quenched, …waxed cold in them; and as props to stay vp their …th, that it may increase.
Praying therefore your Worships, to accept of … dutifull good will, and to pardon my boldnesse, …cease to adde any further things: beseeching God …his endlesse merciemercy for Christs sake, to streng…en you still in that good and happy course of his …rd, and all other good learning: to furnish you … abundantly, with all spirituall and heauenly …owledge, to the carefull practising of the same, in …e fruits of your most holy and blessed callings, to …e aduancement of the glory of our God, and to …ur owne euerlasting comfort in Christ Iesus. …o be it.
Your Worships in all Christian dutifulnesse, most willing, R. C.