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christian_n	day_n	great_a	sabbath_n	1,394	5	9.4960	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A57346	The cursed family; or, A short tract, shewing the pernicious influence of wicked prayer-less houses, upon this church and kingdom Humbly tender'd by way of subserviency to His Majesties Royal Proclamations, and Acts of Parliament, for preventing and punishing immorality and prophaness. By THomas Risley Master of Arts, and sometime fellow of Pembrook-Colledge in Oxford. With a prefatory epistle by the reverend Mr. John Howe.	Risley, Thomas, 1630-1716.; Howe, John, 1630-1705.	1700 (1700)	Wing R1539; ESTC R218001	38,264	98

THE CURSED FAMILY OR A Short Tract Shewing the Pernicious Influence of Wicked Prayer-less Houses upon this Church and Kingdom Humbly Tender'd By way of Subserviency to His Majesties Royal Proclamations and Acts of Parliament for Preventing and Punishing Immorality and Prophaness The Curse of the Lord is in the House of the Wicked But he Blesseth the Habitation of the Just Prov. 3. 33. Pour out thy Fury upon the Heatben that know thee not and upon the Families that call not on thy Name for they have Eaten up Jacob and devoured him and consumed him and have made his Habitation Desolate Jer. 10. last 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ign. Ep. ad Eph. Pietas est cognoscere Deum cujus cognitionis haec summa est ut eum colas Nec tantum hoc in Templo putes tibi else faciendum sed domi in ipso etiam cubili tuo Lact. By Thomas Risley Master of Arts and sometime Fellow of Pembrook-Colledge in Oxford With a Prefatory Epistle by the Reverend Mr. John Howe London Printed for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultry 1700. A PREFACE TO THE Reader THE Author of this Discourse Christian Reader is a Person tho' of real Value who yet hath so very Low an Esteem of himself as to think my Recommendation may give some advantage to this his Performance They are indeed very Accidental Circumstances that make this difference very often between some and others in the Eye of the World Otherwise that might well be said which was in that great Instance I have need to come to thee and comest thou to me It is evident to those who know him that the many years heretofore wherein he drew Academick Breath and liv'd an Ornament to the Society whereof he was long a Member were not trifled away There he past his time as a Recluse more acquainted with his Study than the Theater He closely pursu'd his design more to acquire solid useful Knowledge and Learning than Fame And since in his long Rural Recess his design hath been the same and his way of Living hath little differ'd in a Chosen Obscurity contented rather to Shine to Himself than the World Yet the Urgency of Conscience and a desire to do good to the Soules of Men hath wrung from him this short TREATISE An Off-spring that hath much of the Parents Image appearing with no Ostentation of Learning But wherein may be seen a Pious Mind tinctur'd by much Study and Converse with Books an Acquaintance with the Literate World which begot an habit that is rather by his Speech unwarily bewray'd than designedly shewn The Scope and Drift of the Discourse shews him a Man of Thought and Prospect discovers thoughts intent upon the present Age but not confin'd to it making from it an Estimate of the sad Tendency of things and their gloomy Aspect upon the future While Christian Families Baptiz'd in so great and venerable Names and that should if any be Seminaries of Religion and Vertue are so commonly the Seed-plots of all Impiety and Wickedness and the Numerous Fountains whence Miseries and Curses are diffused among a Christian People My little leasure allow'd me not throughly to peruse it But its scope and the Spirit wherewith by glances I perceive it is Writ makes me hope Reader it may be of much use Thine in our common Saviour John Howe THE AUTHOR'S Epistle To all Heads of Families from the Father of Mercies through Jesus Christ in whom all the FAMILIES of the Earth are blessed Holiness here and Happiness hereafter My Brethren Hearers Neighbours and Relations CHrist hath taught us who is our Mediator how far to extend our Prayers not onely to our Fiends but to our Enemies and Persecutors And will Christ who also is ordain'd Judge of the World take it well at the Great Day That Parents make not continual Prayers Morning and Evening for and with their Children and the rest of their Families Are not Children the divided pieces of your selves Will not that same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Natural Affection a tye spun out of your own Bowels move you to take care of their Souls as well as their Bodies You are not onely Parents Natural but Christian and have Promised in the Presence of God and his Church that your Children should be Vertuously brought up to lead a Godly and Christian Life O remember your Promise made at their Baptism and do not Unchristen them by your Breach of Covenant O Pray That God would make you instrumental for their Spiritual well-being as he hath for their Natural being Beware of Poysoning the Soules of your Children whose Bodies you have nurst at your breasts and fed at your Tables How can such Parents answer it at the great day of Appearance who by wicked Examples teach their Children to Curse and Swear Lye Cheat Break the Sabbath and to make no reckoning of Religion Be not deceived for if you be not Christians in your own Houses whatever profession you make in the House of God your Christianity is unsound Assure your selves that if Christianity were possest of your Hearts it would be Practised in your Houses Is not Sin the Plague of the Heart Is it not of an active infecting prevailing nature Is not Sin allways with us and diffuseth it self into all places where we live Doubtless Sin follows Men whithersoever they goe to Church Market and home again What would you have Religion to be What is Christianity Must Religion be a Stranger or some soft Guest who comes but seldom to see you whose company after a while becomes fastidious What would you make of true Piety What would you have Christianity to be A despised Inferiour to stand or fall to come or goe at your pleasure taken in cast out used a little and then laid aside It cannot be such a Thing But true Religion and Christianity is That Thing which breaths Heavenly Regenerating Renewing Recreating Influences It is That same Ancient Sacred Awsom Thing which pierceth the Soul the Heart Conscience and by the Power of God changeth the whole Man-Lastly O all you Heads of Families be not deceived if you and your Housholds be Religious and Christians Indeed that Religion will Bear the Image of Holiness and Righteonsness making not onely your Houses but your Soules and Bodies Temples for the Holy Ghost to dwell in If what is here written in this Short Tract By Way of Motive prevail with any One Family in a Parish or any one Member of a Family so Precious is the Soules Salvation to become Practisers of Piety in their Houses I shall rejoyce that I have not Run in vain nor Laboured in vain through Jesus Christ or Saviour to whom be Glory for ever Amen T. R. 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 Families turned 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 CHAP. II. Concerning the Church of God THE word Church is vulgarly taken The Significations of the word Church And how it is taken here for the Material place where the People Assemble to Worship God sometimes for the Juridical Power of Church-Officers and sometimes for the Church-Revenues But here it is taken for The Visible Church of Christ Militant upon the Earth as it Comprehends Believers of All Places and Times from first to last And as it is made up of Particular Churches or Societies of Believers And these made up of Believing Families A Christian Family should be the Epitome and Nursery of the Church But alas it is far otherwise at this day A Minister may go into divers Families in the Parish and Chappelry and not a Word of Scripture Read nor a Prayer made in the Family all the Week long as if Religion were An Enemy not A Friend to their House or That Religion were a Duty Onely on the Sabbath-Day and not on the Week day The Church of God at the first was Domestical not National till the Holy Line grew Strong and Populous from Good Families As from Adam Seth Enoch Noah Shem who lived till Isaac was 50 years old Abraham the Father of the Faithful by Promise c. And so it came to pass in After-times that as Posterity in Families Degenerated so the Church Degenerated as in Cain Ham Ishmael Esau. The Cause of the Churches Decay in our days Thus it is in our Days Ungodly Families are the Decay of God's Church they make Thin Congregations they bring a VVast upon the Solemn Assemblies What an Odious Thing is it to Loiter away the Lord's Day What an Absurdity to Indulge the Flesh upon the Lord's Day and give the Flesh no Rest upon the Week Day What a piece of Wickedness is it to go forth all the Week to Serve the World and Refuse to go forth on the Lord's Day to Serve him Who would think that Sabbath-Profanation were so shameless in Families called Christian Why should a poor excuse hinder Men and Women from the Church which must not from the Market How many Halts do some Make when they should Goe to the Church to Sanctify the Lord's-Day in their Conscionable Attendance upon God's Ordinances What an Unseemly Thing is it to Skulk at Home or at a Neighbours House to Chatt and Talk away to Feast away Sleep away Surfeit away Bibb and Fiddle Smoak and Pipe for Carnal Pleasure to Visit away and for Profit to Travel away the Lord's-Day when they should be waiting at the Gates of VVisdom O what pitty is it that obscure

Tippling-houses should pick and pilfer any one Member of a Congregation from the House of God These profane Families do break Covenant which they made in Baptism whereby they were Solemnly Admitted into the Church of God Engaging to Renounce the Works of the Devil the World and the Flesh and to continue in the Communion of Saints to love fear and worship that God who made them for that end and into whose Name they were Baptized Father Son and Holy Ghost Are not these the notorious Enemies to Christianity whose Life is a Flat Contradiction to their Baptism Are they not Enemies to the Church as well as to themselves who willfully and wickedly Uniformity of Religion in Publick requireth Family Cnformity in Divine Worship and Service in Private Excommunicate themselves from God's Ordinances All Ungodly Families do contract the guilt of that Foul Sin of Separation by their Sabbath-breaking For if they be for Real Membership with the Church of Christ why do they not hold fast their Christian Profession in Publick Why do they not Keep their Baptismal Covenant to holy and constant Fellowship with Christ and his Church in their Families Why do they not set up Religion and Christianity in their Houses that they might partake of Heavenly Promises and Blessings of the Spirit of Christ by Prayers and Praises Reading the Scriptures and Catechizing All which Duties stand Obliging them as they be the genuine and proper fruits and Evidences of that Mystical Union and Holy Communion which is between Christ and all sound Christians and Church-Members For He is not a good Church-man that is not a good Christian at Home He is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh But he is a Jew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose Praise is not of Men but of God Rom. 2. two last Verses What profit will there be at the Day of Judgment of Names of Christians and live like Insidels and Heathens What Shall God's Grace abound to us in this Age of his Church by breaking down the Middle-Wall of Partition between Jew and Gentile to make his Church Catholick And shall we set up a Partition-Wall between God's House and our own and not permit Religion to dwell there O let not any Professor confine Religion within Church-walls seeing That the Congregation of the Faithful is made up of Believing Families and seeing That a Right Belief in the Church-Assembly will bring forth the Fruits of Holiness in thy Family And all Parents and Masters of Families now under the Gospel ought to be more Useful for the Spiritual concerns of all under their Care then those Parents under the Law And that because of clearer discoveries and more plentiful Effusions of Grace I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh and your Sons and your daughters shall Prophecy your old men shall dream dreams your young men shall see Visions also upon the servants and the handmaids I will pour out my spirit Joel 2. 28 29. To rule and keep House as Christians presupposeth 1. The Natural Ruling of Houses i. e. to do that which Nature dictates namely to Feed Cloath Harbour and defend those under their Charge 2 Cor. 8. 21. 2. It presupposeth the Ruling of Houses in a Moral sense as Reason commands i. e. to Govern in a deliberate way by imparting ingenuous and vertuous Education that Children be taught to Read to be Just Dutiful Modest Diligent Temperate that Servants partake of Free not Servile Government as Reasonables not as Animals which labour in another kind to pay Wages not onely truly but equally in a fit proportion to their particular Employ For Nature teacheth Rewards in General but Reason enjoyneth an equal distribution of Rewards Therefore 3. To Govern Families in a Christian manner is most Excellent even as Reason is above Sense and Faith above Both. Christian Family-Discipline must Instruct Discipline of Christian Families Correct and Govern like it self namely to attain unto promote and persevere in all Christian Duties towards God and Man wholly devoting themselves to Instituere Corrigere Regere Christ to be his Faithful Servants for ever And this will cast out two great Enemies to all Order as well as Domestick i. e. Anarchy and Tyranny O that it might be consider'd that God will reckon with all Governours of Families both for not Using and Abusing their Talents of Authority Then the Blind Heads of Families who put out their own Eyes willfully refusing to know their Duty both in Single and Married Life then the Prodigal Sensualist and Covetous Mammonist who have wanted no knowledge of their Duty must come to Account for taking no Care for the Souls of their Children O that Parents would consider whether there be any thing in this World which deserves their Care and Diligence more then their own Salvation and their setled and constant Prayers to God for the Salvation of their Childrens Souls O ye Parents Would you be Blessings or Curses to your Families Would you have your Children prosper in this World and for ever perish in the next Would you dispose well of them here upon Earth and not be afraid least they miss of Heaven through your Carelessness The Lord in Mercy awaken you to set up Religion and Christianity in your Houses to Instruct Correct and Rule your selves first and then your Families as becometh Christians least God's Curse denounc'd against Wicked Mens Houses pursue you here and Rest upon you for ever hereafter The NATURE of which CURSE is handled in the next CHAPTER CHAP. III. Of the CURSE of the Lord on Wicked Houses TO Curse according to the General What it is to Curse and what is Cursing Sense of the Hebrew and Greek imports to Abandon Renounce Abdicate and Abhor as a Detestable Thing to Excommunicate and Cast out of God's Church from his Ordinances as a vile Prophane Person Cursing and Execration doth not onely signifie a Substraction of God's Blessing but an Infusion of his Curse upon Wicked Persons and Families as they have deserved for their sin both in this Life and in the Life to come To Bless is with God to make Blessed and to Curse is to make Cursed To Say Cursing and Blessing only from the Lord. and to Doe is all one with God to Speak a Curse and Inflict it a Blessing and Confer it And as it is God's peculiar to Bless so to Curse How shall I Curse whom God hath not Cursed or how shall I Defie whom the Lord hath not Defied Numb 23. 8. No Heathen Gods nor Evil Spirits nor the Devil himself whom they Invocate as Chief can send Curses upon any one without Commission from the Allmighty For Wicked Houses to be under the What it is for Wicked Houses to be under the Curse of God Curse of God! Is to be without his Gracious Keeping and Fatherly

which the Seed of the word is sowed is 4. Aggravarion of the sin of Family-Impiety It is a great Discouragement to the Office of the Ministry cause of sorrow as well as discouragement to a faithful Minister Is it not matter of discontent and sorrow that the Seed-time for Corporal Bread is stopt by some rude wicked fellows in the Neighbourhood And do you think O wicked Families that it is not greater sorrow to Godly Ministers in their Office that the Seed-time for the Bread of Souls is hindered by you Is not Christ himself Lord of this Harvest who is Judge of the World Are not you the Tares and must not they be cast into the Fire not only for Being Tares but for hindering the Wheat Mat. 13. 40 41 It was the Great grief of that Holy Man and Famous Divine Mr. Ric. Greenham about the 35 Y. of Q. Eliz. That notwithstanding his Dr. F. Church History Book 9. Preaching Prayers Tears he had a Barren Obstinate Ignorant Parish Greenham had Pastures green But Sheep full lean Is it not matter of sorrow that the good Minister finds little more shew of Religion in his Congregation then what cometh in Course upon the Sabbath-Day or that most in the Parish part with Religion as soon as they turn their backs on the place of Gods Worship This troubleth the good Minister that most Heads of Families deny that at home which they seem to like well in the Congregation that some it may be bring their Bibles to the Church and never take them up all the week after that they Joyn in Publick Prayers and will not Pray in their Families And lastly This discourageth and troubleth the good Minister that many carry it like Christians in Gods House and live like Heathens in their own Our Blessed Saviour wept over Jerusalem saying Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy Children together even as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Mat. 23. 37 When he beheld the City he wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy Day the things which belong unto thy Peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Luke 19. 41 42. After this sort the Prophet is affected If you will not hear it my Soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride c. Jer. 13. 17. O ye Irreligious Families What will you do Will you be obstinate and impenitent because your Good Minister nay your Blessed Lord and Saviour is Tender and Compassionate Will you be careless and secure because your Minister is commanded to watch for your Souls And will you be cruel to the Souls of your Families because Ministers are sent of God to Preach Faith and Repentance Mercy and Forgiveness to you Will you harden your Hearts and stand it out because God by his Ministers is praying you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God 5. Consider That Profane Families do 5. Aggravation of Family Impiety It provoketh God to take away the Gospel from us provoke God to take away the Gospel from us and give it to a Nation that will bring forth the Fruits thereof Mat. 21. 43. God hath been pleased to Plant his Vineyard in England which since the Reformation hath taken Root and spread her Branches in abundance And Blessed be the Almighty the Wall thereof our good Laws is not broken down But where are the Fruits We hear of common seandalous sins of Drunkenness Swearing Whoredom and Pernicious Doctrines And the sin of Sabbath-breaking in Towns and Villages is notorious Notwithstanding K. W. the IIId 10th Y. of his Reign Feb. 24. 1697. his Majesties Royal Proclamation for the suppressing and preventing of Profaneness dissolute Living and all Immorallities and for the Countenancing of Vertue and Piety in this Church and Kingdom What shall we say of Loiterers Travellers Tatlers going from House to House What shall we say of Debauched Prodigals Harlots Hectors at Drunken and Filthy Meetings How few Families in Cities Towns or Villages do make any better Account of the Lords Day then Almanack Holy Days How few Christians keep Holy the Lords Day after Service in the Publick Assembly It were Just with God to Translate the Gospel to another People and to put a Bill of Divorce into our Mothers hand for the too common Disgust of the Power of Christianity and Practise of Piety It were Just with God to deliver his Strength into Captivity and his Glory into the Enemies hand Psal. 78. 61. Referring to the sins of Eli his Sons in the Priesthood 1 Sam. 2 Chap. And to the Punishment in the 4 Chap. not only of the Priests but People also And we of this our Church both Ministers and People for our sins of other Kinds have cause to fear least God deprive us of our Strength and Glory i. e. his gracious and influxive presence 6. Consider That this Profaneness of Families is the greatest reproach upon 6. Aggravation of Family-Sins They bring the greatest Reproach upon such Families them As sin leaveth behind it the forest wound upon Conscience So It marketh the Person with the Vilest Brand. What can expiate that Guilt which staineth the Heavens Curseth the Earth hath cast down Angels from their Glory and made Man as vile as the Beasts that Perish Who can blot out that which is written in Heaven in Gods Book on Earth in the Consciences of Men and unhappily Copied out to be written in the memory of succeeding Posterity Who can purge that away which Peccati inacula durat in aeternum ex se Seclusa Dei misericordià defileth the Souls of Men It is not devouring time nor flight nor Banishment nor change of Climate nor strange Inhabitants no nor Death it self of the Infamous sinner that can free his Conscience from the Guilt of his sin and wipe off the reproach and everlasting shame thereunto belonging Dan. 12. 2. And those that sleep in the Dust of the Earth shall awake some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt The Seed of Evil doers shall never be renowned Isa. 14. 20. The memory of the Just is Blessed but the Name of the Wicked shall Rot Prov. 10. 7. Thou hast consulted shame to thy House by cutting off many People and hast sinned against thy Soul Hab. 2. 10. Are not Ahabs and Jezebels sins upon the File of Reproach There was none like Ahab who sold himself to work wickedness whom Jezebel his Wife that Cursed Woman stirred up Add hereunto Jeroboam the Son of Nebat who made Israel to sin And this is That King Ahaz Simon the Sorcerer Elymas the Sorcerer Judas the Traitor These Persons to this day have their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Brand of Infamy Man never came to loose his The way to true Honour Honour but by sin then he Marr'd his Creation-Robe