Therefore as God in his holy law requireth of parents nothing more earnestly than to bring up their children virtuously, and according to his word: so likewise all godly fathers and mothers, have ever from the beginning done their uttermost endeavour to train up their younglings, even from the very cradles, in the nurture, fear, and doctrine of the Lord, supposing them selves then best to please God, and most to do the true office of godly and natural parents, when they study how to garnish, not their children's bodies with gay and sumptuous vestures, but their minds with noble and precious virtues, not bow to lift them up to transitory dignities & worldly honours, which as daily experience teacheth, are more brittle then glass, and fade away like the grass, but how to make them honourable and praise worthy in the sight of good men, and profitable to the common weal, through virtue, learning, wisdom, and counsel. And the more the parents them selves did excel other in knowledge, wisdom, and learning, the greater desire had they to bring their children unto the like perfection, bearing heavily, that theirs should in any point degenerate from their fathers virtues, and not orderly answer to the godly qualities of their noble parents. Histories ⟨image 4⟩both godly and Ethnic, do minister unto us examples abundantly in this behalf, which I would here gladly recite, if I had not attempted the like enterprise already in my preface to the Governance of Virtue. Again, if I were not fully persuaded, that you have heretofore both red and also heard of your teacher the same, or else the like histories.
Therfore as God in his holy law requireth of parentes nothing more earnestly thē to bring vp their children vertuously, and according to his word: so likewise all godly fathers and mothers, haue euer from the beginning done their vttermost endeuour to traine vp their younglinges, euen from the very cradells, in the nurture, feare, and doctrine of the Lord, supposing them selues then best to please God, and most to doe the true office of godly and naturall parentes, when they studie how to garnish, not theyr childrens bodies with gay and sumptuous vestures, but their mindes with noble and precious vertues, not bow to lift them vp to transitory dignities & worldly honours, which as dayly experiēce teacheth, are more brittle then glasse, and fade away lyke the grasse, but how to make them honourable and prayse worthy in the sight of good mē, and profitable to the cōmon weale, through vertue, learning, wisedome, and counsell. And the more the parentes them selues did excell other in knowledge, wisedome, and learning, the greater desire had they to bring their children vnto the lyke perfection, bearing heauily, that theirs shoulde in any poynt degenerate from their fathers vertues, and not orderly aunswere to the godly qualities of their noble parentes. Histories ⟨image 4⟩both godly and Ethnicke, doe minister vnto vs examples aboundantly in this behalfe, which I would here gladly recite, if I had not attempted the lyke enterprise already in my preface to the Gouernance of Vertue. Againe, if I were not fully perswaded, that you haue heretofore both red and also heard of your teacher the same, or els the like histories.
