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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

a Contagious Conversation One Bp. Hall In a Sermon at Hampton Court before King James the First 1624. person infects a Family one Family a whole Street One Street a whole City One City a whole Countrey One Countrey a whole World If sin begin with one Angel it infects Legions If with one Woman it inserts all the Mass of Mankind Thou sittest at home and thinkest that thou doest no hurt to the Kingdom or Church but sure is that thy Family-sins will abroad and as it s said of those that are infected with Plague sores so it may be said of sinners that they strive to infect others Sin never goeth alone whether considered as Criminal or Penal Thy Sabbath-breaking Idleness Pride Prodigallity Backbiting Drunkenness Coveteousness and such like breed more sins first at home then in thy Neighbours House then afterwards both thou thy self thy untoward posterity and thy corrupted Neighbours carry them into Company in Villages Market Towns and Cities and in process of time the whole Land where thou livest is defiled thereby This fire of Family sins being once kindled finds more fewel among sinful Men and so going from one to another at last it breaks forth into consuming Flames A whole Tribe was corrupted with Idolatry which first came from Micha's Family Judges 17 and 18 Chapters Achan's sin brought God's hand not only upon himself and Family but all Israel smarts for it Josh. 7. 13. And a long time after Achan is called the Troubler of Israel 1 Chron. 2. 7. But especially the Families of Great Persons as of Princes Magistrates Nobility Gentry Clergy bring Judgments upon whole Nations and Countries As in Saul's time Jeroboam's Baasha's Ahaz's and Manasseh's time The sins of Nobility and Gentry are of a more spreading Infection then the sins of Inferior Persons And as to the Contagion of the sins of the Ministry It is said From the Prophets of Jerusalem is Prophaneness gone forth into all the Land Jer. 23. 15. There be some sins which are Domestick and Private which grow quickly into National and Politick sins as Sabbath-breaking Whoredoms Murther Perjury Rebellion against Parents whether Natural or Civil Parents Oppression Idolatry Heresy Deut. 13. 19 and 21. Chapters Shewing the Punishment of Idolatry Murther Rebellion against Parents And touching the Punishment of Whoredoms see Deut. 22. 21 22 ver All which Texts shew the National Epidemical malignity of those sins And therefore all Israel must hear and fear and do no more any such wickedness as this among them 2. Consider That Ungodly Families 2. Aggravation of Family Impiety It Overthrows Churches Overthrow Churches Prophane hands in Parishes pull down Gods House It is Unbelief Impeuitency Sabbath-breaking common prodigious swearing revelling at Wakes Merry Nights Greens May Games Healthing Inlets to Debauchery and all Impiety to Atheism Blasphemy Whoredom Contempt of Religion and Morallity These are the Boars of the Wood and Beasts of the Field which waste and devour the Lords Vineyard These are the sins which the Prince of Darkness and his Infernal Rabble strive to maintain and propagate to the Overthrow of Christianity yea and I had almost said Humanity it self The Tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Gobal and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the Inhabitants of Tyre I mean wicked Families say Come let us cut them off from being a Nation a Church that the Name of Israel the Name of the Reformed Church of England may be no more in Remembrance Psal. 83. The General Ignorant and Scandalous sins of too many called Christians Is like unto the Abomination of Desolation in the Holy Place Dan. 11. 31. Parochial sins which rise out of Irreligious Households as Persecuting Saul's make Havock of the Church And are in effect the Bloody Hamans against Gods Church Family-wickedness of Princes Priests and People brought Destruction upon Jerusalem and demolisht the Temple the wonder of the World for Building a Type of Christ in the flesh and of his Church upon Earth Joshua a Good Ruler at a full and honourable Assembly of Elders Heads Judges and Officers delivereth this weighty charge in his Speech Namely to fear the Lord and serve him in Sincerity and Truth And not only in Cities and Towns but in all Families as the Principal Means for the Prosperity of Church and State Josh. 24. 1 14 15 20. Go ye now to my place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it For the wickedness of my People Israel Jer. 7. 13. It is most certain that the Church cannot flourish unless the parts and members of it perform Holy Duties and Offices in their Capacities both in Church and Family The want of Religion in Families is the Decay of Churches The difference between a Christian Family and a Church is that of Parts and Whole if the parts be wicked and profane the Constitution of the whole is Vitious and Depraved more or less according to the proportion of the parts Is it likely That Heads of Families should be truly Devout in the Church and Exercise no Religion at home How shall we Judge of the Churches encrease if not from Parochial Religion in Families Wickedness of Families maketh the Glory of Jacob thin Isa. 17. 4. Wicked Families eat up Jacob devour consume and make his Habitation desolate Jer. 10. 25. As by appearance at Musters we Judge of the military Strength and Population of Kingdoms so from Piety in Families the Strength and Prosperity of the Church and Christs Kingdom The Life of Religion and the Welfare Mr. B. Gildas Chap. 2. Sect. 5. And his Account of the Reason and Use of his Paraphrase on the N. T. and Glory of Church and State dependeth much on Family Government and Duty If there be any hope of the amendment of a Wicked Miserable Distracted World it must be mostly done by Family Religion and the Christian Education of Youth What Countrey Groans not under the Confusions miseries and horrid wickedness which are all the Fruits of Family neglects and the careless and ill Education of Youth In the Preface to the Record for Dissolution Dr. Fullers Ch. Hist. lib. 6. p. 310. of Lesser Monasteries the Reasons returned were The Vitious Living of those Houses Another saith That Fornication Adulteries Treachery Soddomy Incest were Committed and Brooded in those Houses And the Reverend Author goeth on saying An Hundred Thousand Whores made by Bp. H. In his Occa. Med. 76. On the Ruines of an Abby the Unmarried Clergy Every stone hath a Tongue to accuse of Superstition Hypocrisy Idleness Luxury the Late Owners How soon would the best part of the World Decay upon the Corruption of Families As in the Body Politick so in the Mystical it thrives or wasteth according to the Good or Bad Temperament of the Parts constituent If Families of Nominal Christians were Real Living Members of the Church succeeding Posterity would encrease it But

and was clad with Guilt Shame and Amazement To this ancient Estate of Honour and Communion with God none but the Annointed of the Lord can restore Investing with a New-Creation Robe of Righteousness and Holiness Well then Grace is the Foundation Nemo denique egregius nisi qui b●nus innocens Lact. lib. 5. Cap. 15. of Pristine Glory The way to raise thy self and Family is by the steps of Piety and Vertue down then with Wickedness and Vice and set up Religion in thy Family Them that Honour me I will Honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2. 30. It is said That the Valiant Roman Marcellus built two Temples of Honour Vertue in such manner that none could enter into that of Honour but he must first pass through the other of Vertue By the Laws of Armory Plut. Vita Marcelli none ought to be promoted to Civil Honour unless they be Loyal Temperate Religious Valiant Charitable to the poor and ready to attend their Soveraign to the Wars And can any hope that God will Honour any such Families or Persons as trample upon his Holy Laws Blaspheme his Name renounce their Allegiance in Holy Baptism and give no Honour and Service to that God who hath condescended to take them for his Covenant Servants Can we say properly that such as these are Christians Are they not the scandal and shame of Christianity Are they Members of Gods Church Are they not of the Synagogue of Sathan Rev. 2. 9 It 's very excellently said by a Learned Bp. Sand. his third Sermon Ad Cler. pag. 109 110. Divine to this matter as followeth All the Members of the Body have their proper and distinct Offices according as they have their proper and distinct Faculties As in the Body that indeed is no Member which cannot call it self by any other Name then by a common Name of a Member So in the Church he that cannot stile himself by any other Name then a Christian doth indeed but Usurp that too If thou saist thou art of the Body I demand then what is thy Office in the Body If thou hast no Office in the Body then thou art at the best but Tumor praetur naturam a Scab or Botch or Wen as Physitians call them or some other Monstrous Excrescency upon the Body but certainly thou art no true Member of the Body And if thou art no part of the Body How darest thou make Challenge to the Head by miscalling thy self a Christian Therefore oh Christian beware of having a Name to Live and yet Dead As a Dead Man is no Man so the Nominal Christian is no Christian. 7. Why wilt thou O Professor of Christianity 7. Aggravation of Family-Impiety It is condemned by Heathens live in thy Family As without God in the World Why wilt thou Heathenize thy self and Posterity Idolaters Condemn thee for thy course of Life as they did by the Prophets Testimony the professing People of the true God under the Law Pass over the Isles of Chittim and see and send to Kedar and consider dlligently and see if there be any such a thing Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods but my People have changed their Glory for that which doth not profit Jer. 2. 30 31. All People will walk every one in the Name of his God and why wilt not thou walk in the Name of the Lord thy God A●icah 4. 5 O Christian thou art not only Condemned by Idolaters for thy Irreligion in thy Family but Condemned by thy own self As Joshua said unto Israel Ye are Witnesses against your selves that ye have chosen you the Lord to serve him and they said we are Witnesses Joshua 24. 22. Thou O Christian hast chosen the Lord to serve him and to put away the Idols of the Flesh and the World by thy Covenant in Baptism Therefore take up Joshua's Resolution and say As for me and my House we will serve the Lord Josh. 24. 15. O therefore be Households of faith govern your Families in the fear of God and hope of his Mercy O ye Worldly Ignorant Carnal Parents Masters and Heads of Families will it be comfortable parting at Death from your Children and from your Servants when you go out of this World not only with the guilt of your own sins but of your Children and Servants You say you believe in Christ and yet Live without Repentance This Faith the Scripture calls Historical and it is the Faith of Devils such Believers are Mockers and Impostors And as one saith excellently Charron of Wisdom pag. 262. more then Men in the Articles of their Belief and worse then Swine in their Lives The Lord have mercy upon all such Families that call not on his Name and grant them Grace to reform their Houses as becometh Christians for their own Comfortable Account and the benefit of succeeding posterity at the great Day of Appearance That so God may put his Name in their Houses and leave an Entail of a Blessing and not of a Curse upon the surviving Generation For the Lord our God is a Jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation II. Commandment of them that hate him and shewing mercy unto Thousands of them that Love him and keep his Commandments To him the Habitation of whose Throne are Justice and Judgment and before whose presence are Mercy and Truth be Glory and Worship from all Families for evermore Amen And Amen FINIS BOOKS Printed for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultrey MR. Pooi's English Annotations on the whole Bible wherein the sacred Text is inserted together with the various Readings and Parallel Scriptures c. in 2 Vollums Folio The Works of the late Reverend Divine Mr. Stephon Charnock in 2 Vollums Folio The Life of the Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter with the History of the Times he lived in written by himself and Published by Mr. Matthew Sylvester in Folio Mr. Lorimers Apology for the Ministers who subscribed only unto the stating of the Truths and Errors in Mr. William's Book from the exceptions made against them by Mr. Trail Quarto his remarks on Mr. Goodwins Discourse of the Gospel Proving that the Gospel-Covenant is a Law of Grace and Answering the Objections to the contrary c. Quarto Mr. Shower's Winter Meditations Or a Sermon concerning Frost and Snow and Winds c. and the wonders of God therein Quarto his Thanksgiving Sermon on the discovery of the Assassination Plot April 1696. Quarto Mr. Nathaniel Vincents Funeral Sermon Preached by Mr. Nath. Taylor Quarto Mr. Stephen's Sermon before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of London at St. Mary Le Bow Jan. 30th 1693. Quarto his Thanksgiving Sermon April 16th 1696. Quarto Mr. Slaters Thanksgiving Sermon Octob. 27th 1692. Quarto his Sermon at the Funerals of Mr. John Reynolds and Mr. ●incher Ministers of the Gospel 410. his Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. George Day Minister of the Gospel at Ratliff 1697. 410. The Jesuits Catechism 410. A Sermon Preached at a Publick ordination in a Country Congregation by Mr. Sam. Clark 410. Mr. Gibbons Sermon of Justification 410. Mr. Matthew Mead's Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Tim. Cruso who Dyed Novem. 26. 1697. 410. Mr. John Howards Assize Sermon at Buckingham July 5. 1692. 410. his Visitation Sermon at Rotkwell in Northampton-shire Oct. 12. 1697. 410. An Effort against Bigottry and for Christian Catholicism by Henry Chandler 410. Mr. Shower's mourners Companion on Funeral discourses on several Texts the Second Edition in two parts 810. his Sermons upon Isaiah 55. 7 8 9. Gods thoughts and ways above ours especially in the forgiveness of sins 810. his Sermon at the Funeral of Mr. Nath. Oldfield Decem. 31. 1696. 810. Mr. Nath. Taylors Preservative against Deism shewing the great Advantage of Revelation above reason in the two great paints of pardon of sin and a future state of happiness 810. Catholicism without Popery An Essay to render the Church of England a means and a Pattern of Union to the Christian World 810. Dr. Burtons Discourses of Purity Charity Repentance and seeking first the Kingdom of God Published with a Preface by Dr. John Tillotson late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury in 2 Vollums 810. Remarks on a late Discourse of William Lord Bishop of Derry concerning the Inventions of Men in the Worship of God Also a Defence of the said remarks against his Lordships Admonition by J. Boyse 810. Bishop Wilkins Discourses of the Gift of Prayer and Preaching the latter much inlarged by the Bishop of Norwich and Bishop Williams 80. Mr. Slater's Call to Family Religion being the substance of eighteen Sermons 80. Mr. Addy's short hand Bible 80. Cambridge Phrases by A. Robinson 80. History of the Conquest of Florida 80. Mr. William Scoffin's help to true spelling and reading or a very easie method for teaching Children or Elder Persons rightly to spell and exactly to read English 80. Monro's Institutia Grammaticae 80. Pavis Grammaticae Or the ready way to the Latin Tongue Containing most plain demonstrations for the regular Translating English into Latin 80. Mr. Alsop's Faithful rebuke to a false Report 80. his Vindication of the Faithful rebuke c. 80. Mr. Shower's Sermon on the Death of Mr. Nat. 80. Oldfield who departed this Life Decem. 31. 1696. 80. Mr. Hammond's Sermon at Mr. Steel's Funeral 80. Mr. Allins English Grammar Or the English Tongue reduced to Grammatical Rules Composed for the use of the English Schools 80. Mr. John Mason's little Catechism with little verses and little sayings for little Children 80. A free Discourse wherein the Doctrines that make for Tyranny are Display'd the Title of our Rightful and Lawful King William Vindicated And the unreasonableness and mischievous Tendency of the odious Distinction of a King de Facto and de Jure discovered by the Honourable Sir Robert Howard A Funeral Sermon occasioned by the Death of Mrs. Jane Papillian late Wife of Thomas Papillian Esq Preached July 24. 1698. and now Publish'd at his request by John Woodhouse The whole Duty of Man Epitomiz'd for the benefit of the Poor with select Prayers suited to every partition by Edm. Stacy a Minister of the Church of England 20. Price bound 6d

we have cause to lament the weakness of it by reason the wickedness thereof It is most He is no good Church-man who is not good Christian at Home evident from Scripture that such Professors are not True Members of Gods Church which are not Living Members of Christ. 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 He is not a sound Christian that is Baptized except he be inwardly renewed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost The real Christian Is a New Creature Old things are past away behold all things are become New 2 Cor. 5. 17. And the New Creature hath put off his former Conversation the old Man which is corrupt according to the Deceitful Lusts And is renewed in the Spirit of his mind And hath put on the New Man which after God is Created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4. 22 23 24. It is for want of Religious Government in The mischief of irreligious families Households that the Lords Day is not better observed that few profit under the Word and that there are so few prepared Communicants at the Lords Table It is from hence That Ministers have slender Congregations and that Taverns Ale-houses Walks Fields Gardens Tatlinghouses in the Neighbourhood are more resorted to then the places of Gods Worship Oh! All you Careless Ignorant Worldly and loose Heads of Families let not this Aggravating Consideration Namely That your Family-wickedness overthrows Churches pass out of your thoughts till it please God to change you and reform your Families Are you Friends to the Church Set up the Practise of Piety in your Families which are the Nurseries of the Church This Duty is of Great weight and Importance to the Interest of Reformed Religion and of the Church of England If professing Christians live in their Si ita Singuli id faciant quod pietatis est totum corpus facil● Sanabitur c. Synop. Bodini de Repub. lib. 1. c. 1. que 24. Houses in due Conformity to their Covenant in Baptism this through Gods Mercy will render our Church Beautiful as the Garden of the Lord And our Land as the smell of a Field which the Lord hath Blessed The Romans were as Careful to maintain their Vestal Fire as to preserve the Palladium as Pledges of Felicity to the Empire Signifying to us Christians that If Religion and Vertue Piety and Policy be Countenanc'd and defended and their Contraries Profaneness and Immorallity supprest and punished then the Lord will Build us and not Pull us down Plant us and not Root us up If we entertain the Life and Power of Christianity and Honesty in our Families Upon all the Glory shall be a Defence Isa. 4. 5. Quest. What think you of Errours and Heresies tending to the subverting of Christianity A. Quest. And what may we think of Parties and Sectaries Are they not greater Enemies to the Church then profane Families Answ. 1. Here is not intended a Comparative Answer Enquiry whether Damnable Errours and Heresies do more mischief in our Church then wicked Families but the main Business in hand is to shew that Profane and Wicked Families are Pernicious Enemies to both Church and Sate Sabbath-breaking Swearing Drunkenness Filthiness Coveteousness Oppression Pride Treachery Perjury Cursing Cheating Killing Stealing Lying and such like black infernal Sins in Families will without Reformation Ruin Kingdoms and Churches 2. Profane Scandalous Livers are Practical Atheists and Hereticks They profess that they know God but in good works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Tit. 1. Last 3. Moral Evils of Sin and Intellectual are Conjunct A foul Stomach hath an aking Head and corrupt Streams come from a corrupt Fountain St. Paul In Titus 3. 10. And 1 Cor. 5. 11. Joyns together Hereticks and Sensualists or Scandalous Persons in Families and Parishes as Fatal and Capital Enemies to the Church and equally obnoxious to Ecclesiastical and Civil Punishments 4. We have sad experience what Mischief Parties and Sectaries Rents and Schismatical Causes and Instruments have wrought among Christians even to oppose That Great Article of our Faith The Communion of Saints 5. He is no better then a Wicked Man that hatcheth Divisions and Covets to make separations and will not admit of healing Such were the Donatists whose Tumults were supprest by the Magistrate O that all Scandalous Profane Families in Parishes would sit down and set themselves as in Gods presence seriously considering that they are no more Living Members of Gods Church then the Dead Bodies in the Church Yard are Living Members of that Family whence they came to be Interr'd 3. Consider That Profane Families are 3. Aggravation of Family Impiety It rendereth the Ministry of Gods Word unprofitable great Enemies to the Ministry If Heads of Families would perform their Duties according to Gods command that is to set up Religion in Families Prayer reading the Word of God Catechizing shewing good Examples in the Week Day and upon the Lords Day causing their Families to keep it Holy both publickly and privately I say were their Families thus Governed the word Preach'd would take better effect upon them Is it likely that Preachers should do any good when Parents by open Profaneness pull down what they set up As if they were resolved to live as they do let the Minister say what he will Is it likely that the Ministry should prosper in a Congregation when most Families will do nothing towards it themselves by keeping Holy the Lords Day and serving and worshipping him in the Week Day Would Masters of Families take hold with the Minister Religion would enter into Families through Gods Blessing But O what little is done to help forward the salvation of Souls by Good Parents They ought to prepare and break up the fallow ground of their Families they ought to Root out the Weeds of Vice and pluck up corrupt Principles out of this little spot of ground that it may be fit to receive the Seed of the word with profit Jer. 4. 3 Hos. 10. 12. Governours of Families ought to make their Families Nurseries for the Church i. e. well Husbanded well disciplined and well taught In their own Houses Parents are both Magistrates and Ministers in a Subordinate way to the training up an hopeful Generation for Church and Kingdom Why do Ignorant Loose Worldly Careless Prayerless Families cast off their Duty upon sureties for the Christian Education of their Children Whereas they themselves stand Bound as they are Believers not only to Dedicate them to the Lord by Baptism but as their Childrens Sponsors To bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord Eph. 6. 4. 4. The Barrenness of the ground upon

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