God is the founder of all Families (as such:) therefore Families as such should pray unto him.1 The household Society usually is of these three Combinations, Husband and Wife, Parents and Children, Masters or Servants: though there may be a Family where all these are not, yet take it in its latitude, and all these Combinations are from God. The Institution of Husband and Wife is from God, Gen. 2.21, 22, 23, 24. and of Parents and Children, and Masters and Servants, and the authority of one over the other, and the subjection of the one to the other is instituted by God, and founded in the Law of Nature, which is God's Law. The persons singly considered have not their beings only from God; but the very being of this Society as such is also from him: and as a single person is therefore bound to ⟨p. 311⟩devote himself to the service of God, and pray unto him, so an household Society is therefore bound jointly, as such, to do the same; because as such a Society, it is from God; utriusque est par ratio. And hath God appointed this Society only for the mutual comfort of the Members thereof, or of the whole, and not also for his own glory,2 even from the whole? and doth that household Society as such live to God's glory, that do not as such serve him, and pray unto him? Hath God given authority to the one to command and rule, and the other a a charge to obey, only in reference to worldly things, and not at all to spiritual? only in things pertaining to the world, and in nothing to things pertaining to God? Can the comfort of the Creature be God's ultimate end? no, it is his own glory. Is one by authority from God and order of Nature Pater-familiâs, the Master of the Family, so called in reference to his Servants, as well as to his Children, because of the care he should take of the Souls of Servants, and of their worshipping God with him, as well as of his Children, and should he not improve this power that God hath given him over them all for God and the welfare of all their Souls, in calling them jointly to worship God, and pray unto him? Let Reason and Religion judg.
God is the founder of all Families (as such:) therefore Families as such should pray unto him.1 The houshold Society usually is of these three Combinations, Husband and Wife, Parents and Children, Masters or Servants: though there may be a Family where all these are not, yet take it in its latitude, and all these Combinations are from God. The Institution of Husband and Wife is from God, Gen. 2.21, 22, 23, 24. and of Parents and Children, and Masters and Servants, and the authority of one over the other, and the subjection of the one to the other is instituted by God, and founded in the Law of Nature, which is God's Law. The persons singly considered have not their beings only from God; but the very being of this Society as such is also from him: and as a single person is therefore bound to ⟨p. 311⟩devote himself to the service of God, and pray unto him, so an houshold Society is therefore bound jointly, as such, to do the same; because as such a Society, it is from God; utriusque est par ratio. And hath God appointed this Society only for the mutual comfort of the Members thereof, or of the whole, and not also for his own glory,2 even from the whole? and doth that houshold Society as such live to God's glory, that do not as such serve him, and pray unto him? Hath God given authority to the one to command and rule, and the other a a charge to obey, only in reference to worldly things, and not at all to spiritual? only in things pertaining to the world, and in nothing to things pertaining to God? Can the comfort of the Creature be God's ultimate end? no, it is his own glory. Is one by authority from God and order of Nature Pater-familiâs, the Master of the Family, so called in reference to his Servants, as well as to his Children, because of the care he should take of the Souls of Servants, and of their worshipping God with him, as vvell as of his Children, and should he not improve this power that God hath given him over them all for God and the welfare of all their Souls, in calling them jointly to vvorship God, and pray unto him? Let Reason and Religion judg.
- 11. Familia est inter plures pirsonas quae sunt sub unius potestate, & vel naturâ, vel jure subjectae; vel societas constituta secundùm naturam, quotidiani usus gratia: Estque conjugalis, patria, & Herilis. Liebent. Col. Polit.
- 2Patres secundum haec temporalia bona, filiorum sortem à servorum conditione distinguerent; ad Deum autem colendum omnibus domus suae membris pari dilectione consulerent; qued naturalis ordo ita praescripsit, ut nomen patrum-familias hinc exortum sit — Qui autem veri patres-familias sunt, omnibus in f milia sua tanquam filiis ad colendum & promerendum Deum consulant. Aug. de Civit. Dei. lib. 9. cap. 16.
