Then too too late for to repent you see she doth begin Therefore see you noridle be this I would haue you know Be sure still that the ground be good whereout the Plant doth grow Then gather well and lose no time take heed now you doe see Lest you be vnprouided found as was the idle Bee D. L. THE MOTHERS Blessing CHAP. I. The occasion of writing this Booke was the consideration of the care of Parents for their Children MY Children when I did truely weigh rightly consider and perfectly see the great care labour trauaile and continuall study which Parents take to inrich their children some wearing their bodies with labour some breaking their sleepes with care some sparing from their owne bellies and mâ—ny hazarding their soules some by bribery some by simony others by periurie and a multitude by vsurie some stealing on the Sea others begging by Land portions from euery poore man not caring if the whole Common-wealth be impouerished so their children be inriched for themselues they can bee content with meate drinke and cloth so that their children by their meanes may bee made rich alwaies abusing this portion of Scripture Hee that prouideth not for his owne family is worse then an Infidell euer seeking for the temporall thinges of this world and forgetting those things which bee eternall when I considered these things I say I thought good beeing not desirous to inrich you with transitory goods to exhort and desire you to follow the counsell of Christ First seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and then all these things shall be administred vnto you CHAP. 2. The first cause of writing is a Motherly affection BVt lest you should maruaile my children why I doe not according to the vsuall custome of women exhort you by word and admonitions rather then by writing a thing so vnusuall among vs and especially in such a time when there bee so manie godly bookes in the world that they mould in some mens studies while their Masters are mard because they will not meditate vpon them as many mens garments moth-eate in their chests while their Christian bretheren quake with cold in the street for want of couering know therfore that it was the motherly affection that I bare vnto you all which made me now as it often hath done heretofore forget my selfe in regard of you neither care I what you or any shall thinke of mee if among many words I may write but one sentence which may make you labour for the spirituall food of the soule w ch must be gathered euery day out of the word as the children of Israel gathered Manna in the wildernesse By the which you may see it is a labour but what labour a pleasant labour a profitable labour a labour without the which the soule cannot liue For as the children of Israel must needs starue except they gath'red euery day in the wildernesse and fed of it so must your soules except you gather the spiritual Manna out of the word euery day and feed of it continually for as they by this Manua coÌ„forted their harts strengthened their bodies and preserued their liues so by this heauenly Word of God you shall comfort your soules make them strong in Faith and grow in true godlinesse and finally preserue them with great ioy to euerlasting life through Faith in Christ whereas if you desire any food for your soules that is not in the written Word of God your soules die with it euen in your harts and mouthes euen as they that desired other food dyed with it in their mouthes were it neuer so dainty so shall you and there is no recouery for you CHAP. 3. The best labour is for the foode of the Soule OH my Children is not this a comfortable labour Our Sauiour Christ saith Labour not for the meate that perisheth but for the meate that endureth to euerlasting life and yet I see and feare you shall see how many there bee that crosse Christ in these words nay rather crosse theÌ„selues for contrary to our blessed Sauiours counsell they labour for the meats that perisheth and in the meane time they lose the foode of euerlasting life This my beloued sonnes and deare children this is the cause that maketh mee so much to feare you and those who hereafter shal come of you because I see so many that regard not the words of our Sauiour Christ who came from the high Throne of God and preached to vs and prayed for vs and tooke our flesh vpon him and kept it without sinne refusing no company healing euery sicknesse and disease fed the hungry gaue pardon to euery sinner that would but aske it dyed for vs indured the paines of hell for vs yea more then this euen in our owne flesh hee ouercame sinne death and hel yea and more then that also hee carried our flesh into Heauen in the sight of many and there keepes it and is become a Mediatour for vs in it hee ioyned himselfe to vs in our flesh as it is written He tooke our flesh vpon him he taught vs to ioyne our flesh vnto him by faith that Where hee is there wee might bee with him also and if wee will not follow him that hath done all this for vs and much more then I can write or declare how vnthankefull shall wee shew our selues My deare Children haue I not cause to feare the holy Ghost saith by the Prophet Can a Mother forget the child of her wombe As if he should say Is it possible that shee which hath carried her child within her so neere her hart and brought it forth into this world with so much bitter paine so many grones and cries can forget it nay rather will shee not labour now till Christ be formed in it will shee not blesse it euery time it suckes on her brests when shee feeleth the bloud come from her heart to nourish it Will shee not instruct it in the youth and admonish it in the age and pray for it continually Will shee not be afraid that the child which shee endured such paine for should endure endlesse paine in hell Could Saint Paul say vnto the Galathians that were but strangers to him concerning the flesh only he had spent some time amoÌ„gst them to bring them to the professioÌ„ of the truth from which hee feared they would fall and could hee I say write vnto them My little children of whom I doe trauaile againe in birth vntill Christ be formed in you And can any man blame a mother who indeed brought forth her childe with much paine though she labour againe till Christ bee formed in them Could S. Paul wish himself separated from God for his brethrens sake and will not a mother venter to offend the world for her childrens sake Therefore let no man blame a mother though she something exceede in writing to her children since euery man knowes that the loue of a
mother to her children is hardly contained within the bounds of reason Neither must you my sonnes when you come to bee of iudgement blame me for writing to you since Nature telleth me that I cannot long bee here to speake vnto you and this my mind will continue long after mee in writing and yet not my mind but I seeke to put you in minde of the words of our Sauiour Christ which saith Labour not for the meate that perisheth c. where you see that the food of the soule is to bee gotten by labour Why stand you here sayth Christ here is not time to be idle they that will rest with Christ in heauen must labour to follow him here on earth Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord for they rest from their labour Thus you see if you will goe to the place which Christ hath bought for you you must labour to follow Christ he labour'd to get it for you or els all your labour would haue been as nothing and now you must labour to lay hold on him or els all your labour will bee worth nothing Many there bee that labour the cleane contrary way for they leaue Christ and take hold of traditions and a number loyter and by that meanes neuer get holde on Christ. And this is the cause why I write vnto you that you might neuer fly from him with the one nor yet loyter with the other but that you might learne to follow him and to take hold of him in the written Word of God where you shall find him as Christ himselfe witnesseth and no where else Search the Scriptures sayth he for they testifie of mee Labour therefore that you may come vnto Christ. CHAP. 4. The second cause is to stirre them vp to write THe second cause my sonnes why I write vnto you for you may thinke that had I had but one cause I would not haue changed the vsuall order of women is needfull to be knowne and may doe much good For where I saw the great mercy of God toward you in making you men and placing you amongst the wife where you may learne the true written Word of God which is the path-way to all happinesse and which will bring you to the chiefe Citty new Ierusalem and the seuen liberall sciences whereby you shall haue at least a superficiall sight in all things I thought it fit to giue you good example and by writing to intreate you that when it shall please God to giue both vertue and grace with your learning he hauing made you men that you may write and speake the Word of God without offending any that then you would remember to write a booke vnto your children of the right and true way to happinesse which may remaine with them and theirs for euer CHAP. 5. The third cause is to moue women to bee carefull of their children THe third is to encourage women who I feare will blush at my boldnesse not to bee ashamed to shew their infirmities but to giue men the first and chiefe place yet let vs labour to come in the second and because wee must needs confesse that sin entred by vs into our posterity let vs shew how carefull we are to seeke to Christ to cast it out of vs and our posterity and how fearefull we are that our sinne should sinke any of them to the lowest part of the earth wherefore let vs call vpon them to follow Christ who will carry them to the height of heauen CHAP. 6. The fourth cause is to arme them against pouerty THe fourth cause is to desire you that you will neuer feare pouerty but alwaies know it is the state of the children of GOD to bee poore in the world Christ sayth Ye shall haue the poore with you alwaies It may be he hath appointed you or yours to bee of this poore number doe not striue against Christ. It is as hard sayth he for a rich man to enter into heaven as for a Camell to goe thorow the eye of a needle Saint Iames sayth Woe bee to you that are rich S. Paul sayth The desire of mony is the roote of all euill Which if it be true as it is not to be doubted of and you feare pouerty then doth it necessarily follow that you will desire the roote of all euil which is money and so become good for nothing The feare of pouerty maketh men run into a thousand sins which nothing els could draw them to for many fearing the cold stormes of pouerty which neuer last long run on to the hot fire of hell which neuer hath an end This matter requireth many words for it is hard to perswade the nature of man from the feare of pouerty wherefore I wil speake more of that afterwards onely I now say Feare not to bee poore with Lazariu but feare a thousand times to be rich with Diues CHAP. 7. The fift cause is not to feare death THe fift cause is to desire you neuer to feare death for the feare of death hath made many to deny the knowne truth and so haue brought a heauy iudgement of God vpon themselues A great reason why you should not feare death is because you can by no meanes shun it you must needes indure it and therefore it is meet that you should be alwaies prepared for it and neuer feare it Hee that will saue his life sayth Christ shall lose it and he that will lose his life for my sake and the Gospels shall finde it Doe not feare the paines of death in what shape soeuer hee come for perhaps thou shalt haue more paines vpon thy bed and be worse prouided to beare them by reason of some grieuous sicknesse then thou art like to feele when God shal call thee forth to witnesse his truth The only way not to feare death is alwaies to be prouided to dye And that thou mayest alwaies be prouided to dye thou must be continually strengthening thy faith with the promises of the Gospell as Hee that liueth and beleeueth shall not dye and though he were dead yet shall he liue Meditate in the laws of the Lord day and night as the Psalmist saith and then thou shalt be fit to bring forth fruit in due season then thou shalt bee fit to serue God thy King and country both in thy life and in thy death and alwayes shalt shew thy selfe a good member of IESVS Christ a faithfull subiect to thy Prince and alwaies fit to gouerne in the Christian common-wealth and then thou mayest faithfully and truely say Whether I liue or dye I am the Lords But without continuall meditation of the Word this cannot bee done And this was one of the chiefe causes why I writ vnto you to tell you that you must meditate in the Word of God for many reade it and are neuer the better for want of meditation If yee heare the Word and read it without meditating
theron it doth the soule no more good then meate and drink doth the body being seene and felt and neuer fed vpon for as the body will dye although in see meate euen so will the soule for all the hearing reading of the word if that ye doe not meditate vpon it and gather faith and strengthen it and get hold of Christ which if ye doe Christ will bring you to the kingdome of his Father to which you can come by no meanes but by faith in him CHAP. 8. The sixt cause is to perswade them to teach their children THe sixt reason is to entreate and desire you in some sort to commaund you that all your children be they Males or Females may in their youth learne to read the Bible in their owne mother tongue for I know it is a great helpe to true godlinesse And let none of you plead pouerty against this for I know that if you bee neither couetous prodigall nor idle either of which sins will let no vertue growe where they come that you need not faile in this but if you will follow the commaundement of the Lord and labour sixe dayes and keepe the seuenth holy to the Lord and loue him with all your heart soule and strength you will not onely be willing but also able to see them all brought vp to read the Bible Salomon that was wise by the Spirit of God sayd Remember thy Creatour in the dayes of thy youth And ye are also commanded to write it vpon the walls of your houses and to teach it your childern I know sayth God that Abraham will teach his children and his childrens children to walke in thy commandements Also I further desire you because I wish all well and would be glad you should do as much good as could be in the wildernesse of this world that if any shal at any time desire you to be a Witnesse to the baptizing of their childe that then you shal desire the person so desiring to giue you his faithfull word that the child shall bee taught to read so soone as it can conueniently learne and that it shall so continue till it can read the Bible If this will not be granted you shall refuse to answer for the child otherwise doe not refuse to be a witnesse to any for it is a good Christian duety Moreouer forget not whether you answere for the child or no to pray that the child baptized may receiue the holy Ghost with all other children of the faithfull especially vvhen you are where a child is baptized for it is your duty to pray for the increase of the Church of God Pray for the peace of Ierusalem saith the Psalmist let them prosper that loue thee CHAP. 9 The seuenth cause is that they should giue their children good names THE seauenth cause is to entreate you that though I do not liue to be a witnesse to the baptizing of any of your children yet you would giue me leaue to giue names to them all For though I doe not thinke any holinesse to be in the name but know that God hath his in euery place and of euery name yet I see in the Bible it was obserued by GOD himselfe to giue choyse names to his children which had some good signification I thinke it good therefore to name your children after the names of the Saints of God which may bee a meanes to put them in mind of some vertues which those Saints vsed especially when they shal read of them in the Bible and seeing many are desirous to name both their owne children and others after their owne names this will be a meanes to increase the names of the Saints in the Church and so none shall haue occasion to mislike his name since hee beareth the name of such a Saint as hath left a witnesse to the world that hee liued and dyed in the true faith of IESVS Christ. The names I haue chosen you are these Philip Elizabeth Iames Anna Iohn and Susanna The vertues of them that bore those names and the causes why I chose them I let passe and only meane to write of the last name Susan famoused through the world for chastity a vertue which alwaies hath been and is of great account not onely amongst the Christians and people of God but euen among the Heathen and Infidels insomuch that some of them haue written that a woman that is truly chaste is a great partaker of all other vertues and contrariwise that the woman that is not truely chaste hath no vertue in her The which saying may well be warranted by the Scripture for who so is truly chaste is free from idlenesse and from all vaine delights full of humility and all good Christian vertues who so is chaste is not giuen to pride in apparell nor any vanity but is alwaies either reading meditating or practising some good thing which she hath learned in the Scripture But she which is vnchaste is giuen to be idle or if she do any thing it is for a vaine glory and for the prayse of men more then for any humble louing and obedient heart that shee beareth vnto God and his Word who sayd Sixe dayes thou shalt labour and so left no time for idlenesse pride or vanity for in none of these is there any holinesse The vnchaste woman is proud and alwayes decking her selfe with vanity and delights to heare the vaine words of men in which there is not only vanity but also so much wickednesse that the vain words of men and womens vainenesse in hearing them hath brought many women to much sorrow and vexation as wofull experience hath and wil make many of them confesse But some wil say Had they onely lent an eare to their words they had done well enough To answere which I would haue euery one know that one sinne begetteth another The vaine words of the man and the idle cares of the woman beget vnchaste thoughts oftentimes in the one which may bring forth much wickednesse in them both Man sayd once The woman which thou gauest mee beguiled me and I did eate But wee women may now say that men lye in waite euery where to deceiue vs as the Elders did to deceiue Susanna Wherefore let vs bee as she was chaest watchfull and wary keeping company with maides Once Iudas betrayed his Master with a kisse repented it but now men like Iudas betray their Mistresses with a kisse repent it not but laugh and reioyce that they haue brought sinne and shame to her that trusted them The only way to auoid al which is to be chaste with Susanna and being women to imbrace that vertue which being placed in a woman is most commendable An vnchaste woman destroyeth both the body and the soule of him shee seemeth most to loue and it is almost impossible to set down the mischiefes which haue come through vnchast women Salomon sayth that her steppes lead to hell
Wherfore bring vp your daughters as Susanna's Parents brought vp her teach them the lawe of the Lord continually and alwayes perswade them to embrace this vertue of chastity It may be that some of you will maruaile since I set downe names for the imitation of their vertues that bore them why I placed not Mary in the first place a woman vertuous aboue all other women My reason was this because I presumed that there was no woman so senselesse as not to looke what a blessing God hath sent to vs women through that gracious Virgin by whom it pleased GOD to take away the shame vvhich EVE our Grandmother had brought vs to For before men might say The woman beguiled me and I did eate the poysoned fruit of disobedience and I dye But now man may say if he say truly The woman brought me a Sauiour and I feede of him by faith and liue Here is this great and wofull shame taken from women by God working in a woman man can claime no part in it the shame is taken from vs and from our posterity for euer The seede of the woman hath taken downe the Serpents head and now whosoeuer can take hold of the seed of the woman by faith shall surely liue for euer And therefore all generations shal say that she was blessed who broght vs a Sauiour the fruit of obedience that whosoeuer feedeth of shall liue foreuer and except they feed of the seed of the woman they haue no life Will not therefore all women seek out this great grace of God that by Mary hath taken away the shame which before was due vnto vs euer since the fall of man Mary was filled with the Holy Ghost and with all goodnesse and yet is called the blessed Virgin as if our God should as he doth indeed in briefe comprehend all other vertues vnder this one vertue of chastity wherfore I desire that all women what name so euer they beare woule learne of this blessed Virgin to bee chaste for though shee were more replenished with grace then any other and more freely beloued of the Lord yet the greatest title that she had was that shee was a blessed and pure Virgin which is a great cause to moue all women whether they be maids or wiues both which estates shee honoured to liue chastly to whom for this cause God hath giuen a cold and temperate disposition bound them with these words Thy desire shall be subiect to thy husband As if God in mercy to women should say You of your selues shal haue no desires only they shall be subiect to your husbands w ch hath been verified in Heathen women so as it is almost incredible to be beleeued for many of them before they would be defiled haue been carelesse of their liues and so haue endured all those torments that men would deuise to inflict vpon them rather then they would lose the name of a modest mayd or a chaste Matrone Yea and so farre they haue beene from consenting to any immodestie that if at any time they haue been rauished they haue either made away themselues or at least haue separated themselues from company not thinking themselues worthy of any society after they haue once bin deflowred though against their wils Wherfore the woman that is infected with the sin of vncleannesse is worse then a beast because it desireth but for nature and shee to satisfie her corrupt lusts Some of the Fathers haue written that it is not enough for a woman to be chaste but euen so to behaue her selfe that no man may thinke or deeme her to be vnchaste Wee read that in the Primitiue Church when there were warres betweene the Christians and the Pagans if at any time the Pagans had gotten the victory that then they would seeke to deflowre the Virgins to the which sinne before the Christians would yeeld they would continually laye violent hands vpon themselues in so much that the Doctours of the Church were often-times constrained to make diuers Sermons and Orations to them to disswade them from that crueltie which they inflicted vpon themselues rather then they would suffer themselues to be deflowred such a disgrace did they think it to haue but one spot of vncleannesse and yet none of these were so holy as this Mary this pure and vndefiled Virgin Some godly and reuerend men of the Church haue gathered this that there were fiue women of great vertue in the time of the Lawe the first letters of whose names doe make her whole name to shewe that shee had all their vertues wholly combined in her as namely Michal Abigail Rachel Iudith Anna She was as faithfull to her husband as Michal who saued her husband Dauid from the fury of Saul although hee were her father and her King not preferring her owne life before the safety of her husband She was as wise as Abigail who is highly commended for her wisedome amiable in the sight of her husband as Rachel stout and magnanimous in the time of trouble as Iudith patient and zealous in prayer as Anna. Seeing then that by this one name so many vertues are called to remembrance I thinke it meete that good names be giuen to all women that they might call to minde the vertues of those women whose names they beare but especially aboue all other morall Vertues let women be perswaded by this discourse to imbrace chastity without which we are meere beasts and no women CHAP. 10. Reasons of giuing good names to Children IF ye shall thinke me too teadious about the naming your children I tel you that I haue some reason for it and the first is this to make them reade in the Bible the things which are written of those Saints and learne to imitate their vertues Secondly because many haue made a God of the virgin Marie the Scripture warranting no such thing and haue prayed to her though there they shal find that she was a woman yea and a comfort to all women for she hath taken away the reproch w ch of right belonged vnto vs and by the seed of the womā we are al saued it was therefore fit I should speake largely of that name Thirdly seeing many haue heretofore and now doe make Images of Saints to put them in minde of the Saints and so by little and little haue at last worshipped the workes of their own hands and for feare of forgetting the Saints haue forgotten the second Commandements I thought it better to haue you remember them by bearing their names and by reading what they taught vs in the Scripture and how they led their liues then by looking vpon a painted piece of Paper or a carued stone And this by the way may bee maruelled at that they which loue to worship Images neuer loue to name their Children after the names of the Saints for if they had so done by this time wee should haue had no other names but