Selected quad for the lemma: woman_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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ID |
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A39252
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The gentile sinner, or, Englands brave gentleman characterized in a letter to a friend both as he is and as he should be.
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Ellis, Clement, 1630-1700.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing E556; ESTC R26096
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111,865
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282
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much rather give away his estate then be cheated of it He would be cozen'd of nothing for fear of loseing the opportunity of bestowing much As he would not allow the unfaithfulnesse of a servant to prevent the Bounty of the Master so neither would he have the Master's negligence to occasion the servants dishonesty His Table is moderate that so his Charity and Hospitallity may exceed as he studies to be good himselfe so endeavours he to make every member of the Family as good as he and he will have his servants to be his Disciples no lesse then his Children Neither ever does he so wholy vindicate their service to himselfe but he allowes them time enough to pay what they owe both to God and their own soules If his condition of life be single he so behaves himselfe therein that no man shall thence be able to conclude either that he wants a Wife or his house a Mistresse So much chastity has the one and so much good order is there in the other But if he think it fit to change his Condition he endeavours to chuse a second selfe that may suite with the former that so they may be as neer as he can effect it one Spirit as well as one flesh Whom not long agoe he courted rather as a Vertue then a Mistresse he now uses as a wife and not as a servant not as 't is usuall of late calling her Mistresse and Lady before she be his wife whom he intends to make his drudge all her life time after Nor does he as too many marry onely for Money knowing that such are in danger of Committing Adultery after Marriage seeing they never Marry'd the Woman but her Portion With him Vertue and Love not Money and parentage make the Match and the question he askes is not What has she but What is she He makes Prudence and Religion the guides of his Love and so he becomes as good an Husband and Father as before he was a man §. 16. His Religion I have told you Sir already that the Gentleman is not ashamed to be call'd a Religious man although that Epithete be thought no better then a terme of debasement by the degenerate Gentry of our age He ownes a God and he Worships him and makes that Honour which he observes others to render unto God the ground of his respect to them He looks upon no man as a Gentleman but him alone who derives his pedigree higher then from Adam even from Heaven and he accounts all those who can brook any Dishonour or Contempt of their God that one Common father of us all as a Bastard and no Son It would be no Honour for him to seeke an acquaintance here upon Earth and therefore by his frequent Devotions he often goes to seek out a better in Heaven where he may be sure to meet with such as shall be worth his keeping He dares call every man a Fool to his face who with David's Fool suffers either his tongue or his heart to say There is no God If you aske him what Religion he is of his answer is ready of his mother's that is he is a true Son of the Church And yet is he onely so farre her Son as he sees her willing to continue his Saviour's Spouse Neither is he content to be still an Infant in Religion and to be taught onely as mothers use to teach their young children to say his prayers and his Creed by rote but he prayes and believes and practises all truely by heart Notwithstanding he never forgets his Mother nor neglects to Honour her with his Life and Substance He is alwaies more ready to take her Directions for the Forme and Method of all his duties then to be Disciplined by all those Chatting Dry-nurses which are so busy about him such as indeed have talk enough but alas no Milke whose whole businesse is indeed to make him undutifull to his own mother and to set light by all her Councells and Commands perswading him to believe that a true Child of God not subject to a Mother in any thing And they never show their venemous teeth more plainly then when they goe about to make him forget what this Mother of all Christians by a strict Command from her Dearest Lord has ever been most carefull to teach all her children to say OUR FATHER He goes not to Church to save his Credit or his Purse to see his friend or speak with his Tenent but to meet his Heavenly Father and Commune with his God and to take Directions from him how to behave himselfe the following week or Day When he is there he makes his heart accompany his tongue and his Eare keep time with the Preacher Every Morning and Evening like a Dutifull sonne he in private Confesseth his faults and begs his Father's pardon and blessing and for the better ordering of his following duties reads over with Care and Humility some part of those Directions which he had long since Commanded his servants to set down in writing for his use He chuseth his Religion not by it's Commonnesse but it's truth and often weighs each branch of it in the Balance of the Sanctuary that he may be sure it is full weight He takes it not up by votes nor as it is most evident too many do thrusts his hand at all peradventure into an Hat-full of Lots being content with whatever he hits on first for should he goe the first way to work he knowes he should be sure to have not what 's Best and Soundest but the Easiest and most Gainfull if the later it is an hundred to one that he shall draw a blank and be made an Atheist for his labour Here he dares not by any means follow or embrace what 's most in Fashion for that 't is clear is Hipocricy the cunning Sister of Atheisme or Atheisme shamed or frighted into conformity but he professes that which is most Ancient for that he may be sure will at last be found most true His Religion is not such a Young Light and Wanton Girle as pleases the vain Phancy of every giddy Interested professor but such a Grave Matron whose naturall Beauty and Constancy the Gray-hairs of Prudence and Sobriety have ever judged to be truly Venerable and most deserving of the Christian's embraces This is that worthy Lady which he dayly Courts to make her the Mistresse and Protectresse of his Soul and she it is alone that can give him a breeding fit for Heaven He showes how freely he can goe on in the wayes of Godlinesse without a Spurre and how base a thing it is and unbecoming his Quality to be driven into Heaven by force By his hast and cheerfulnesse in his race he evidences his sense of the Worth of what he aimes at And by his egernesse in the pursuit of another world endeavours to confute the folly of those who would linger out an eternity were it possible amongst the Onyons and Fleshpots of this