Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

There are to be seen among the ¹Gentiles, very religious and excellent sentences, touching the honour due unto parents. Isocrates saith. Show thee self such an one to thy parents, as thou wouldest wish to have thy children show them selves to thee. Ana•imenes said, He loveth his father exceedingly well, which doth his endeavour to make him joyful without any trouble at all. Plato also in his laws thinketh, That he hath a great treasure in his house, whosoever doth nourish at home in his house, his father or mother, or any of their parents in their impotent old age, and doth suppose that he needeth no other picture of any of the Gods to reverence in his house, because he should turn all his care and diligence to honour his parents. And again, in another place: Let us pay, saith he, to our parents, while they are alive, the oldest, first, and greatest debts, that we owe them, for our being and bringing up. For every one must think, that all which he hath is theirs, who did beget and bring him up, so that according to his ability, he must supply and minister to them, all that he doth possess: first of all, the external goods of fortune, then of the body, and lastly, those that do belong unto the mind, thereby restoring all that he borrowed, and recompensing them in their old age, for all their old cares and grief sustained for him. It is seemly also and requisite that even in words so long as we live, we should show reverence unto our parents. For after light and foolish words used to them, doth commonly come a terrible plague. For before every man doth Nemesis (the executrice of judgment) stand, and doth throughly think upon all their offences. We must therefore give place to our Parents, when they be angry without a cause, or do what they list, whether it be by word or deed, knowing always that the father is rightfully angry with his son, though he be angry for nothing else, but by cause he thinks that his son hath done to him the thing that he should not.

There are to be séene among the ¹Gentiles, very religious and excellent sentences, touching the honour due vnto parents. Isocrates sayth. Shew thee self such an one to thy parents, as thou wouldest wish to haue thy children shewe them selues to thee. Ana•imenes sayde, He loueth his father exceedingly well, which doth his indeuour to make him ioyfull without any trouble at all. Plato also in his lawes thinketh, That he hath a great treasure in his house, whosoeuer doth nourishe at home in his house, his father or mother, or any of their parēts in their impotent olde age, and doth suppose that he needeth no other picture of any of the Gods to reuerence in his house, bicause he shuld turneal his care and diligence to honour his parents. And againe, in another place: Let vs pay, sayth he, to our parentes, while they are aliue, the oldest, firste, and greatest debts, that we owe them, for our being and bringing vp. For euery one must thinke, that al which he hath is theirs, who did beget and bring him vp, so that according to his abilitie, he must supply and minister to them, al that he doth possesse: first of all, the externall goods of fortune, then of the body, and lastly, those that do belong vnto the minde, therby restoring all that he borrowed, and recompencing them in their olde age, for al their old cares and griefe susteined for him. It is seemely also and requisite that euen in wordes so long as we liue, we shuld shew reuerence vnto our parentes. For after light and foolishe wordes vsed to them, doth commonly come a terrible plague. For before euery man doth Nemesis (the executrice of iudgment) stande, and doth throughly thinke vpon all their offences. Wee must therefore giue place to oure Parentes, when they be angrie without a cause, or doe what they liste, whether it bee by worde or deede, knowing alwayes that the father is rightfully angrie with his son, though he be angrie for nothing else, but by cause hee thinkes that his sonne hath done to him the thing that he should not.