The Practice of Piety

2 If thou hast children, give to every one of them a portion, according to thine ability, in thy life time; that thy life may seem an ease, ⟨p. 812⟩and not a yoke unto them: yet so give; as that thy children may still be beholding unto thee, and not thou unto them. But if thou keep all in thy hands whilst thou livest: they may thank death and not thee for the portion that thou leavest them. If thou hast no children, and the Lord have blessed thee with a great portion of the goods of this world; and if thou mean to bestow them upon any charitable or pious uses: put not over that good work to the trust of others; seeing thou seest how most of other mens Executors, prove almost Executioners. And if friends be so unfaithful in a mans life? How much greater cause hast thou ⟨p. 813⟩to distrust their fidelity after thy death?

2 If thou hast children, giue to euery one of them a portion, according to thine ability, in thy life time; that thy life may seeme an ease, ⟨p. 812⟩and not a yoake vnto them: yet so giue; as that thy children may still bee beholding vnto thee, and not thou vnto them. But if thou keepe all in thy hands whilest thou liuest: they may thanke death and not thee for the portion that thou leauest them. If thou hast no children, and the Lord haue blessed thee with a great portion of the goods of this world; and if thou meane to bestow them vpon any charitable or pious vses: put not ouer that good worke to the trust of others; seeing thou seest how most of other mens Executors, prooue almost Executioners. And if friends be so vnfaithfull in a mans life? How much greater cause hast thou ⟨p. 813⟩to distrust their fidelity after thy death?

Lamentable experience showeth, how many dadmens Wills, have of late, either been quite concealed, utterly overthrown, or by cavils and quirks of Law frustrated or altered: whereas by the Law of God,