The works of the reverend and faithful servant of Jesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…The workes of the reuerend and faithfull seruant af Iesus Christ M. Richard Greenham,…

To the second I say: that an evil father having a good child, though the Lord show not mercy to that particular man therein, yet he may remember his promise to some of the forefathers in the thousand generation going before. And though that an evil man have no cursed child, yet the curse may be accomplished in the third and fourth generation following. Wherefore not speaking of election or reprobation, which we leave only to the ⟨p. 280⟩Lord to make good or bad, according to the good pleasure of his own will, I exhort parents to use the ordinary means to bring up their children, so as they either by some good tokens may see them the children of God, and heirs of the covenant: or at the least be comforted in their own consciences, if the Lord refuse their children for some cause unknown, in that to their ability they have used all good means to bring them up well, and offered them to God. And if parents have cause to be grieved, when thus travailing in good education, they cannot see good in their children; how much more cause of grief may they have, when they have used no labour at all to bring them up in the fear of the Lord? and yet many will be grieved for the one, that will not be grieved for the other. Wherefore let us learn (if we will convey Gods blessings to our posterities) to use all holy duties thereunto: and on the contrary, if we will be loath to convey Gods judgements to our children, let us carefully avoid all means that lead unto them. And surely as it is a blessed thing in the hour of death with Simeon to depart in peace, leaving our wife, children and servants spouses to Christ, children to God, and servants to the Lord: so in death no one thing will be more grievous to a man, than, the Lords having given him the charge and dignity of so many souls, to be furthered to salvation, that his own tormented conscience shall press him, how, in as much as he could, he hath helped them forward to their damnation; and so, which is more fearful, he shall have them spewing and¹ foaming out in his face continual curses, in hell accusing him for ever to be the murderer of their souls. Howbeit, I do not exempt children from all blame, so charging the parents, as though the children were free from all guiltiness herein:

To the second I say: that an euill father hauing a good child, though the Lord shew not mercie to that particular man therein, yet he may remember his promise to some of the forefathers in the thousand generation going before. And though that an euill man haue no cursed child, yet the curse may be accomplished in the third and fourth generation following. Wherefore not speaking of election or reprobation, which we leaue onely to the