faithfully painefully in that vocation wherein God hath called him Gen. 2.15 So Adam before his fall had this charge of God to dresse the garden of Eden Gen. 3.15 And after his fall this precept In the sweate of thy brows thou shalt eate thy bread The diuine Philosopher Plato sawe so much by the instinct of nature Nemo sibi nascitur Cic. Offic. 1. wee are borne to defend our Country to benefit and gratifie our friendes and neighbours There be foure parts in the commoÌ„ wealth The Prince as the head the honorable and woorshipfull as armes and shoulders the state ecclesiastical as eies the common multitude as the feete O blessed and happie shall that realme be when these foure partes agree in a sweete consort and melody in the amiable and blessed loue of peace and vnity discharging their duties fully and faithfully in the feare of God The Prince in appointing the nobility and gentry in counselling the preachers in feeding and the people in beying 2. King 18. For Princes the imitation of Dauid of Ezechias of Iosias is worth the imitation who al were very diligent in appointing good lawes for the religion of God and also I may not forget the great zeal learning of Alphred king of this laÌ„d Act. and Mon. who diuided the day into three parts some hours he took for his priuat study seruice of god some he reserued for the hearing of matters of state and the common wealth and the rest he left for his rest repast and recreation For counsellers they may imitate Ioseph who vnder king Pharao ruled the land of Aegypt with great and singular wisdom and prouidence Gen. 41.39 Dan. 44.5 they must bee as Daniel was to Darius in whom the enemies coulde finde no fault touching the gouernment of his kingdome For the Clergy to feede by preaching by hospitality by godlines of life Humfred de vita Iuel to follow that reuerend Bishop of Salisbury who followed the noble emperour who said O where should a captaine die but in the fielde so his poesy was O where should a Bishop die but in the pulpit For where preaching faileth there the people perisheth Prou. 29.18 Rom. 13.12 For the common people they must be obedient to their Magistrat to loue and honor their Prince to bear that nature and affection to their soueraign as did the Israelites to Dauid the king of Israel who al made this noble protestation It is better that a thousand of vs dy than Dauid our king God saue Dauid the king if hee die the great light of Israel is quenched So let al faithful and loyal subiectes beare this affection to our most noble and gracious Princesse Elizabeth 2 Sam. 18.3 It is better that a thousand of vs die by the seditious treacheries of our false forsworne and fraudulent countrimen than Elizabeth our Queene God protect and preserue Elizabeth If shee die and miscarie the great light of Israell shall be quenched Now if our husband be any of these four he hath something to doe he must be careful to prouide for his house to feede cloth his family to instruct his wife and children to pay his seruants their wages faithfully and truely and to walke in that vocation with a good conscience whereto God hath called him Ari. oecom lib. 1. cap. 6. The office of the husband is to get the duery of the wife is to keepe the office of the husband is honeslly to maintaine his liuelihood the duty of the wife is prudently to gouerne the househould Such a noble care had the noble Emperor Valerianus of whome thus it is writ Euseb lib. 7. cap. 9. Aula Valeriani erat referta pijs viris Ecclesia Dei facta est The court of Valerianus the Emperour was fraught and furnished with godly men and made the Church of God Such a noble Captaine was Cornelius who hath this report to feare the Lorde with his whole family Act. 10.1.2 Thus if our husband labor in his vocation he shal haue this blessing of the Lord to eate the fruites of his own labours Eccles 1. The most noble and learned King Salomon in those 12. Chapters of his book Ecclesiastes declares most largely and learnedly how all things vnder the cope of heauen are nothing but griefe sorowe vexation anguish griefe of body sorrow of hart â—ixâ—tion of braine and anguish of mind but yet this to bee our part and portion and a blessing of God in this life when wee both sow and trape when we both plant the vine and drink the vine when we build houses and dwell therein when we can be content to liue of our owne for that is our owne that doth vs good when we eat drink without gluttony and drunkennes in sobriety and modesty in the fear of God This is a blessing this is a great blessing this is a great and gracious blessing of God himselfe and such a blessing shal this religious and wise politick husband enioy wheÌ„ I haue described to you wherin because I haue bin longer than either perhaps I should or you expected I wil be the shorter in the description of the wife and children Which thus foloweth in the Text. 3 Thy wife shall bee as the fruitful vine on the sides of thine house thy children like the oliue plants round about thy table Among the trees that be fertil and fruitful the Oliue is commended for his fatnes Iudg 9 9â— the fig tre for his sweetnes the vine for cheerfulnes for wine driues away sorrow is a souerain restoratiue for an heauy and pensiue hart so among all creatures men and weomen be only commended for their learning wisdom godlines The comparison of a woman to the vine I wil not amplify largely but touch it briefly First the vine is weak Plin. lib. 4. must be vnderset and vnderpropped by some sure and strong stay so the wife is the weaker vessell more subiect to infirmities a wise modest man wil not disclose hir infirmities but tolerat the same with good discretion 2. Sa. 11.1.7 so Bersabe was more beautiful than strong when she defiled hir body with Dauid brake her faith and loue with hir good husband Vrias which was the very occasion of his death Eua the mother of all shewed her selfe very weak when shee was beguiled with an aple Gen. 3.6 Gen. 19.26 Lots wife was both weak wicked when she looked back in token she lusted after Sodoma and Gomorra against the commandemeÌ„t of God but she was turned into a piller of salt a terrible spectacle most horrible monument of wicked back-sliders and sinful reuolters Plinie l. 14. to al godly posterity Secondly a vine is not only weak but low too it growes near the earth So a godly wife must not be proud and stately in her owne conceits but humble modest in the presence of her
A SERMON PREACHED AT TRAFFORD IN LANCASHIRE AT THE MARIAGE OF A DAVGHTER OF THE right Worshipfull Sir EDMOND TRAFFORDE Knight the 6. of September Anno. 1586. By WILLIAM MASSIE bacheler in diuinity and fellow of Brasennose Colledge in Oxforde Prouer. 19.14 House and riches are the inheritance of the fathers but a godly wife commeth of the Lorde AT OXFORD Printed by IOSEPH BARNES and are 〈◊〉 be solde in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Tigres head 1586. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL HIS VERY GOOD PATRONE SIR EDMVND TRAFFORD KNIGHT W. M. wisheth health and long life in this woorlde and in the next to come aeternall foelicity I Hauing right Worshipfull receaued by your good means great courtesies both in the country at my studie in Oxforde and as not able any way to requite the like I haue yet and will still keepe the same in a gratefull memorie In the meane time at a good testimonie hereof I dedicate this Sermon to your Worship which at your request I preached at your house before the right honorable the most noble Earle of Darby and the right reuerend father in God the B. of Chester with diuerse Knightes and Esquires of great Woorship at the solemne marriage of your daughter a modest and vertuous Gentlewoman maried to a yong Gentleman of great worship and good education The which holie mariage God blesse euen as he blessed Ioseph Gen. 48.20 that it maie be said of their issue as it was said of his children God make them as Ephraim and Manasseâ— For your selfe as you haue long beene a principal protector of Gods trueth and a great countenance and credit to the Preachers therof in those quarters and haue hunted out and vnkeÌ„neled those slie and subtil foxes the Iesuites and seminarie Priests out of their câ—lles caues 〈◊〉 the vâ—tâ—rmost of your 〈◊〉 with the great ill will of many both open and priuat enemies to the prince and the Church but your rewarde it with the Lord and as you haue maintained stil yoâ—â— house with great hospitality in no point dimâ—â—ing the glory of your woorthy predecessors but rather adding to it So I pray God stil continue your zeale your liberality your loyaltie and fidelitie to your prince Church and common wealth that here you may line long with encrease of worship and after the race of your life welrâ—â—â—e here you maie be partaker of chose vnspeakeable ioies in the kingdome of Heauen which be prepared for all the elect children of God vnto whose blessed protection I recommend you and al yours Amen Yours to command in Christ Iesu WILLIAM MASSIE The text Psal 128. 1 BLessed is euery one that feareth the Lorde and walketh in his waies c. 2 When thou eatest the labours of thine handes thoushalt bee blessed and it shal be well with thee 3 Thy wife shall bee as the fruitefull vine on the sides of thine house 4 And thy children like the oliue plantes round about thy table 4 Loe surely thus shall the man bee blessed that feareth the Lorde 5 The Lorde out of Sion blesse thee that thousee the wealth of Hierusalem all the daies of thy life 6 Yea that thou see thy childrens c. THE fit opportunitie of this time this great coÌ„course of all sortes haue moued me to take this text and to vndertake to entreat of the honorable estate of mariage before this honorable and worshipful assembly wherein if you cousider the antiquity thereof God appointed it before the fal of Adam in paradise if you respect the necessity it is naturall and therefore agreeable to all estates if you seeke after comfort then virtus vnita fortior it is not good man should bee alone If you care for delectation in an honest matter then of all bonds and loues none is so delectable none is so inuiolable as is the bond loue betwixt the husband the wife Lastly if you marke the continuation therof from elder times to these our present daies then behold our Sauior did honor mariage with his honorable presence Ioh. cap. 2. and with his first most glorions miracle The godly learned in al ages of all degrees at al times both princes the nobility and gentility the state ecclesiasticall the people as Moses Aaron Dauid Eli Samuel Esay Zachary and al the Apostles but Iohn the auncient fathers and reuerend bishops in the pure and primitiue times as Tertullian Hilary Nazianzen Spiridion with others haue coÌ„mended allowed and practised the same neither to the hinderance of their functions nor detriment of the commoÌ„ wealth nor the derogation of the glory of God Iuelapol All which haue beene by our men both by penne and in the pulpit proued substantially by scriptures sufficiently by fathers perspicuously by ancient histories wherof to discourse more fully I caÌ„not but wil conteÌ„t my self with a short compendious enarratioÌ„ and explication of this text wherein I note these two things First a description of the husband the wife and children with their feuerall and singuler dueties Secondly a peticion or prayer for them First in the description of the hitsband the first and chiefest quality wherewith hee must bee adorned and furnished is 1. Part. to feare god to serue him aright to haue a right a righteous faith which must be grounded on the woord of God Let me speake as I haue read and I do beleeue as I speake I would haue this husband whom I describe to be a protestant to mary a protestant I would haue them both to be of one religion and to be of a sound religion which I am perswaded is not the stubborn obstinacy of the Iew nor the Godlesse impietie of the Turke nor the vain superstition of the Papist but is the ancient catholick apostolick faith which is now both preached by vs professed by you that is to beleeue rightly to liue vprightly to offer the sweetinceÌ„se of our praiers to god aboue steedfastly to beleeue to be saued only by Christs death without any merit of ours to frequent the church to receaue the Lords supper in both kinds to honor obey Rings Princes as the most noble and excellent in their dominions and in a word to fear God Such a reuerend and religious fear had Abraham ouer his sonne Isaack to mary him not to a prophane gentile or heathenish woman Gen. 2.3 but one of his owne stocke and lyneall discent that serued worshipped the same true God that he did Thus doth the blessed Apostle teach Cor. 6.14 we must not drawe the yoke with infidels For betwixt this godly husband and vertuous wife there must be an equality in years and in vertues both young or both old and no meane loue soone hotte soone cold but a most ardent and feruent loue which cannot be quenched with a flud of waters which cannot bee without this fear of God and except they bee of the same religion Ambrose for so defendeth Ambrose Inter
quos est diuersareligio inter eos non est firma amicitia Those that be of a contrary religiō the loue betwixt them is not sincere nor cannot be of any long continuance Many erre notoriously in their marriages through their careles contempt of this fear of God Some mary in their noneage and minority some respect onely beauty others harken after lands others after gold and siluer following the Poet O ciues ciues quarēda pecunia primum virtus post 〈◊〉 And many one for land takes a foole by the hand Others are not ashamed to holde this vile and villanous opinion as prophane Atheistes Agood marriage if the wife were away But are we stronger than Sampson wiser than Salomon greater than Achab to tempt the Lord who all most grieuously offended in this point Sampson was thereby dishonored Salomon brought so far through idolatrous women from this fear of God that some of the auncient fathers doubt of his saluation Ring Achab of himselfe was solde to all mischiefe but was made the worse through the wicked counsel of his vngratious wife Iesabel 1 King ◠22 but they both had their tragical ends and well deserued a terrible spectacle for the like to al posterity These worldly marriages are iustly refuted by him who saide Mallem virum pecunia quà m pecuniā viro indigentem Themist offic 2. Better is an honest poore man than a wicked rich man And those foolish marriages are forbid by the wise man in his booke Ecclesiasticus Marrie thy Daughter Cap. 7.25 and so shalt thou perfourme a weightie matter but giue her vnto a man of vnderstanding Glaucus in Homer preferred copper before Goolde Hom. Iliad ◠whereby hee shewed his follie Martha chose the woorser part Luk. 10.41 whereby shee shewed her woorldelinesse Esau preferred a messe of delicate broth before his birthright for the which he is called of the Apostle a prophane man Heb. 12.16 So many prefer beutie before bounty riches before vertue gold and siluer before shamefastnesse and godlines lands and inheritances before honesty and discretion But this our religious husband must feare the Lorde with a Godly feare Ios 24.15 like the good sonne of Iosua who hath this blessed testimony that he feared the lord with his whole family Pro. 1.7 For this fear of the Lord is the beginning of al wisedome Luk. 18.2 As for those men that resemble the rigorous iudge that neither feare God nor good man that neuer thinke of the saluation of their sinful seduced soules that either be Athiestes or Libertines or Machiuelians or Spend-thriftes or couetous Nabals or great Gamsters or Luxurious and Riotous persons or seditious and traiterous papists are no fitte men to bee such a husband as I propose But such I commend as here out Prince and Prophet in royalty a Prince in learning a Prophet Mat. 10.28 doth who fear not men that can kill the body but fear the Lord who can kill both body and soule and cast both into hell fire euen such a one as walkes not in the waies of the wicked or in his owne waies but in the waies of the Lorde which is the second qualitie and duety of a good Godly busband 2 And walkes in his waies The second quality of this husband is to walke in the water of the Lorde wherein I may decipher vnto you the wit and wisdome of a godly and religious husband 1. Cor 9.24 Our life is aptly resembled to a race or course or a iourney in going whereof a man must haue a wise and expert guide to direct him in his iourney This guide of our religion of our life of all our actions is the woorde of God For so our Prophet erclaimeth with a zealous exclamation vsing a retoricall subtecon both playing the opponent respondent himselfe Psal 119.9 O wherewith shall a yong man learne to redresse and reforme his waies Euen by ruling himselfe according to thy woorde This worde is a rule to iudge the straight from the crooked a squire to direct our building by a compasse to guide our shippe by a Law to iudge controuersies by and as a God in this world to decide and determine all matters which shall arise in the Churches of God euen to the end of the world For our purpose the Iewes erred in marriage they would seeke a diuorse for euery trifle they would marry wiues that were yong faire wealthy and when they were either old or poore or deformed they would put them away They did also make the Church of God a denue of theeues by their prophane selling and buieng in it but our sauiour reforms these notorious errors by two principles Mat. 19.8 the one is It was not so frō the beginning Mat. 21.13 the other It is writ my house shal be called the house of praier And certainly this husband shal shewe his wisedome in this if he guide himselfe his wife and family according to this rule to walke in the waies of the Lorde which are fully and faithfully sette downe in the olde and newe Testament Ier. 8.9 for so the prophet thinketh You thinke you are a wise people but you reiect the Lawe of God and what wisedome can be in you And Austen cites out of Iob Enchirid. ad Laur. c. 2 this sentence Hominis Sapientia est pietas The Godly man is the wise man This wise husband may learne in this woorde to loue his wife entirely Pro. 5.18 to be merry with her in the Lord to abstaine from too much bitternesse Col. 3.19 to dwell with her according to knowledge not to bee rigorous but courteous towardsher for with the most courteous perswasions preuail more than sharp reprehensions doe But chiefly his wisedome shal appeare in this to bring to his house no ill naughty defamed persons So Menelaus did fondely in entertaining to his house friendely that lewed and lasciuious Parts whereby his wife faire Helena was defiled as also he must be sufferable in the importunities of his wife For as a litle iarre in musick is not easily espied so a litle shrewdnesse in the wife may be colerated 1. Pet. 3.7 For this cause Saint Peter would haue house bands to honour their wiues which consistes in this in prouiding sufficiently for their necessities by a godly prouidence to beare with their infirmities in the Lord Prou. 29.18 Eccle. 9. and in no wise a wise houseband may bee iealous ouer the honesty of his wife for that either needes not or bootes not Ouely let him hee as zealous in religion as wise in his gouernement of himselfe his wife and family so let him auoide idlenesse and labour diligently in his vocation which is the third quality of a good houseband 2 When thou eatest the labours of thine owne hands thou shalt bee blessed and it shal be well with thee This good husband must not be idle and slothfull but labor
I wil shut vp briefly thus in the conclusion 5 The Lord out of Syon blesse thee that thou maist see the good of Ierusalem all the dayes of thy lyfe 6 Yea that thou see thy childrens children and peace vppon Israell In this praier of Dauid three circumstances are worth the due coÌ„sideratioÌ„ 1. who praieth A king and a prophet 2. to whom he praieth To the Lorde that dwels in Sion 3. for what For three things 1 For the prosperity of the Church 2 For the long liues of the maried parties 3 And for the peace of Israel which I may well vnderstand the common wealth Great is the efficacity and force of praier both in peace war in prosperity and aduersity in health and sicknes at all times in al estates It is sayd Orante Mose vicit populus wheÌ„ Moses prayed for his people they vaÌ„quished theyr enemies Ioh. 5. Io. 14.16.13 And this is our comfort that whatsoeuer we aske of the father in Christes name if it be coÌ„medious expedient for vs we shall be sure to obtayne it Then no meruell if here the prophet and king of Israell geue himselie to prayer O it is a great matter and of great importance when princes and nobles men of great worship be religious and geuen to prayer to the holy seruice of God For this cause Dauid was accounted a maÌ„ after Gods owne heart 1 King 20 For this cause Iostas that yong king is so highly commended For this cause Ezechias his daies were prolonged 15 yeares loÌ„ger This makes the church of god to grow vp lustily as the palm tree and to florish as the tal Cedar of Libanus the people euery maÌ„ to sit quietly and peaceably vnder his own vine and the commoÌ„ wealth to haue peace plentie as in the happy daies of Salomon Ciril in an epistle to Cheodosius euen in the beginning thus saith Citil Epist ad I heod pâ—etas in Deum est fundamentum regijs honoribies O noble emperour the state of your common wealth hanges of your religion towards God If you serue him aright your kingdoÌ„ shal florish one of your royal seed shall alwaies sit on your royal seate but if you forsake God he wil forsake you hee wil rase and root out your memories from the face of the earth hee wil trample your name and fame vnder his feet he wil east your honors in the dust and this is a curse of al curses The 2 circumstaÌ„ce is to whom he praieth eueÌ„ to the lord of Sion Our prophet prince praieth not to Abraham to Isack to Iacob or to any archangel or angel in heauen but to the lord which dwelled in Syon Mat. 9. Ioh. 16. We haue a plain coÌ„mandement to pray to him alone we haue a firme promise that so praying our praiers shal be hard we haue the exaÌ„ples of al godly men so to pray both in the old new testament Cicero reports of Cesar thus qui ad te non audent accedere Caesar Orat. pro Deiotar tuam humanitatem ignorant They that be affrayd to speak to thee o Cesar they know not thy singular humanity so I say they that alleage eyther their owne indignity or the seuerity of god against sinners so dare not come to Iesus alone by harty prayer they know not his singuler humanity humility The 3 circumstaunce is the matter for the which our prophet praieth which is threefold for the church the loÌ„g liues of the maryed persons for the peace of the coÌ„mon wealth There be 2 deadly mortal enemies to the common wealth and church of god Heresy treachery The subtil serpeÌ„t in Genesis did moue Adam and Eua to tast of the forbiddeÌ„ tree Gen. 3.4 said you shall not dy so the cruell and subtill serpent of Rome eggeth forward encorageth his sworn vassals of Spain France Italy our desperate diuelish English rebels to assay to touch the Lords anoynted and almes them with fayr goldeÌ„ promises you shall not by you shall get you a name you shal be men of great renowne It is an heroical designment and meritorius before God and good catholicks Iuel in a 〈◊〉 of letie A famous and most learned Bishop of this land doth hold there be four ordinary means to keep heresy from our church treason from our coÌ„moÌ„ wealth 1 Learning The first is to maintain vniuersities free schools 2 Preaching The second is to appoint learned preachers in euery parish Church to catechise the youth to teach the people obedience 3 Thankfulnes The third to bee thankful to god for al his benefits 4 Discipline The fourth discipline to reward the godly and punish the wicked The execution of these thinges will make our church common wealth to florish the contempt of these wil make our court as Sion the holy hil of the Lord our church as IerusaleÌ„ the holy city of the lord Luk. 19. our land as Iudea the holy land Sion was Ierusalem was Iudea was but now SioÌ„ is vtterly razed IerusaleÌ„ is vtterly ransacked Therefore let not Rome brag of any prerogatiue of her place for antiquity or pallace for royalty That which hapned to IerusaleÌ„ may happeÌ„ to Rome great controuersy there is betwixt the Iesuits vs wher antichrist shuld sit and who he is Ad Did. I wil say nothing of S. Ierom only I wil cite one senteÌ„ce of Bernard which shal make the matter cleare Ep. 125. Bestia illa in apocalypsi cuâ— datumest os loqueÌ„s blasphemias bellu gerere cum sanctis Be. ad Gau. de lorator petre cathedram occupat tanquam Leo paratus ad pradam The beast spoken of in the Apocalyps to whom is giuen a mouth to speak blasphemies and to make war with saines doth now occupy the seat of Peter as a Lion prepared to his pray The place then for Antichrist is the great city BabyloÌ„ Roma Septicollis sited on seauen hils The names of the hils he Palatinus 2 Thes 2. Capitolinus AùeÌ„tinus Caelius Esquilinus Viminalis Quirinalis Then for the person who is that great Antichrist if ye ty him to one person then it must eyther bee the Turk or y Iew or the heathen emperor or the Pope But if Antichrist eueÌ„ the great antichrist must sit in the teÌ„ple of god as god if antichrist must deceaue by false and frandulent miracles Apoc. 18. if antichrist must be a false and foolish prophet as Balaam if antichrist must haue the name of mistery writen in his forehead as once the hypriest of the Iews had in his Lamina sanctit as sehouae Holines to the lord if antichrist must ouercome by flattery by sweet sugred speaches as harlots doe not by arms dint of sword as cruel tyrants doe theÌ„ where antichrist shal sit who antichrist is I refer it to the iudgemets of the learned consciences of the godly that heare me this present day To God the father c
or brauery in apparel or lightnes in conuersation to roote vp the wals of her house to turne vp al topsituruy and not to leaue one stone vpon another Now if the godly wife bee as the fruitfull vine or fat florishing oliue no maruaile if her children bee finely and fitly resembled to the braunches of the vine or tender plants of the oliue tree The braunche is tender it wil bend or bowe at your pleasure the yong children be pliable as soft waxe they be flerible as tender oliue branches then a gentle rod wil break no bones Prou. cap. Ephe. 6.4 then he that spares the rod doth spil spoile the childe For this is the exhortation of S. Paul you Parents bring vp your childreÌ„ in the faith and fear of the lord get you schoolmasters both to instruce them by doctrine and reforme them by discipline For a child better vnborn than vntaught Arist pol. l. 8. cap. 3. The old Grecians as the noble philosopher saith were woÌ„t to teach their childreÌ„ 3. things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the which thus the fine ingenious poet hath expressed In Eunuch Facpericulum in literis in palaestra in musica They were trained vp in the liberal ingenious arts as chiefely Grammar Rhetorick Musick in feats of actiuity whereby their bodies were made the stronger to abide tough long study the better Pro. 22.6 And king SalomoÌ„ who was diligently taught of Nathan the prophet giues forth this precept profit teach a child in his youth vertu learning wheÌ„ he coms to years he wil not forget it Act 7.22 So Moses so Dantel so Samuel so Paul so Timothy so Origen were trained vp from their infancy both in diuine learning 2 Tim. 3. and most of them also in prophane literature The fruit shal be this as S. Ciril saith Contra Iu. lib. 7. pueri sacris literis enutriti postea fiunt religiosissimt children nousled nursed vp from their tender yeares in reading and hearing holy Scriptures they shal reape this fruite thereby not to be superstitious or heretical in opinions or hauty and lofty in spiriteÌ„s but to be most religious as the king of Israel saw They wil remeÌ„ber such things as they learn in their youth Pro. 2â— the better wheÌ„ they come to years of discretion And as in battle it is a necessary point pollâ—y for the getting of the victory conquest euer our enimies that wheÌ„ one soldiar is slain that another preseÌ„tly take his station and place therein fight manfullie and coragiously so in the good geueinment of a coÌ„mon wealth wheÌ„ a good father dieth some learned and wise men take it to be a necessary point pollicy for the mantenance preseruation of peace vnity against eiull dissention coÌ„spiracy that y son take his place if he be able to weald dicharge the like functioÌ„ veretioÌ„ 4 Loe surely thus shal the man be blessed that feareth the Lorde This religious fear of God which brings to the husband wife children both temporall spirituall blessings both in this life and in the life to come doth consist in following vertues forsaking vices which must be with al carefulnesse auoided Now the noysome and poisonful weedes which will hurt both husband wife childreÌ„ must with al diligence be grubbed out of the grounds of our harts least the venemous contagious weeds stifle ouer-grow the good pure corn The weedes be the sin of Sodom Bomorra polygamy incest adultery fornication al vncleannes coÌ„mon gaming riotous prodigal liuing carelesse security in the parents stubborn contumacy in the childreÌ„ These hainous horrible vyees consume our bodies wast our goods shorten our liues discredit our good names make our enimies to mock vs giue occasioÌ„ to the papists to blaspheme the name of god the religioÌ„ which we professe endanger the saluation of our sinneful soules and neuer escape the due dreadful punishmentes of God either in this life Eccles 7.8 2 Sam. 12.10 Gen. 9. Gen. 19. or in the life to come Take exaÌ„ple by Dauid the sword of God did neuer depart from his house By Noah he was mocked of his own son By Lot he coÌ„mitted incest with his own daughters by AnacleoÌ„ a noble poet who was so famous a bibber of wine and strong drinks that he was choked with a huske of a grape Take example of Eli an old iudge 1 Sam. 2.22 an old priest an old father of his two rebellious sonnes Hophny Phinees in the end the wicked luxurious sonnes were killed in battle one of their wiues died with child Chap. 4. theold father Ely fel backward froÌ„ a stool brake his necke the arke of God was taken of the barbarous Philistines the glory departed from Israel For this purpose I haue read this excellent history There came once before wise Solon a father with his son one accusing the other The father complained of the disobedience of his son the son accused the father of his ill education which was the cause of his disobedience Solon wel considering the cause perceiuing a falt to be in both did thus determine and decide the matter because the father had not brought vp his son in good instruction dutiful correction therfore the father after his death should be depriued of his sepulcher and the son for his disobedience should be disinherited You wil perhaps think this a sharp iudgemeÌ„t of a wise graue iudge but sore diseases need strong medecins and if Solons determinatioÌ„ were put in vre in these our daies I feare me some fathers would lack the honor of their burial some sonnes would be put from their inheritance But if the godly husband wife children do auoid these notorious vices if the husband be religious wise laborious in his vocation if the wife bee chast modest obedient huÌ„ble if the children be wel schooled and brought vp in the faith and feare of the Lord then they al shal be blessed both in the city and in the field Deut. 24. in the fruit of their bodies in the fruit of the ground in their cattle in their basket in their comming in in their going out their Oxen shal be strong to labour Psal 144. their sheep shal bring forth ten thousand in the streetes they shall not go into captiuity they shal be blessed in al the labors of their hands euen as the trees of the lord ful of suck sappe as the trees planted by the waters side they shal be plaÌ„ted in the house of the lord they shall prosper and florish in their yong years in their old age they shal be fatre fat and wel liking yea they shal see the church of God florish their children liue long peace in the coÌ„moÌ„ wealth For the which 3. here our prophet and Prince Dauid prateth which petitioÌ„ of Dauid