A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

MOTIVE V.

¹5. Consider that Family Reformation is a necessary means to public Reformation, and to hand down Religion from one generation to another. Reformation begins with Persons, thence is carried on to Families, thence to Parishes, thence to Towns, and so to Cities and to Kingdoms; but when these consist of Families, how can there be a reformation of Cities and Kingdoms without a Reformation of Persons and Families? You complain of the badness of the times and age in which you live, and that no more care is taken to mend what is amiss, why do you not reform your own houses? Why do you not amend what is amiss in your own Families? If you have not power to reform a Parish, City, or Kingdom, yet you have a power to reform your own houses. If Religion die in Families, will it not die in Cities too, and in Kingdoms too? Will not you do your utmost to keep Religion alive? to recover it, when decaying? or shall it be extinguished with this Generation? God forbid. Or do you see nothing amiss in your houses to be reformed? what! no praying there, and yet nothing amiss there? Certainly there is. Let yours then have a pattern and example of Family-Prayer from you, to do the same in their houses, and their Children from them, and so let it pass from one age to another. An effectual way to keep the City clean will be for every house to sweep before their own door.

¹5. Consider that Family Reformation is a necessary means to publick Reformation, and to hand down Religion from one generation to another. Reformation begins with Persons, thence is carried on to Families, thence to Parishes, thence to Towns, and so to Cities and to Kingdoms; but when these consist of Families, how can there be a reformation of Cities and Kingdoms without a Reformation of Persons and Families? You complain of the badness of the times and age in which you live, and that no more care is taken to mend what is amiss, why do you not reform your own houses? Why do you not amend what is amiss in your own Families? If you have not power to reform a Parish, City, or Kingdom, yet you have a power to reform your own houses. If Religion die in Families, will it not die in Cities too, and in Kingdoms too? Will not you do your utmost to keep Religion alive? to recover it, when decaying? or shall it be extinguished with this Generation? God forbid. Or do you see nothing amiss in your houses to be reformed? what! no praying there, and yet nothing amiss there? Certainly there is. Let yours then have a pattern and example of Family-Prayer from you, to do the same in their houses, and their Children from them, and so let it pass from one age to another. An effectual way to keep the City clean will be for every house to sweep before their own door.