The catechizing of families a teacher of householders how to teach their householdsThe catechizing of families a teacher of housholders how to teach their housholds

1. The noblest things are basest when Corrupted. Devils are worse than men because they were higher and better before. A wicked man is incomparably worse and more miserable than a Beast or a Toad, because he is a nobler nature depraved. And so humane Generation is worse than that of Swine or Dogs when it is vicious.

2. Promiscuous unregulated Generation tends to the utter ruin and vitiating of Mankind, by the overthrow of the just Education of Children, on which the welfare of Mankind doth eminently depend. Alas, all care and order is little enough and too little to keep corrupted Nature from utter Bestiality and malignity; much more to make Youth wise and virtuous, without which it had been better never to have been born: When Fathers know their own Children, and when Mothers have the love and encouragement and Household-advantage of order which is necessary, some good may be done. But lawless exercise of Lust will frustrate all. 1. Women themselves will be Slaves, or their advantage mutable and uncertain: For such Lust will serve its turn ⟨p. 326⟩of them but for Novelty, and will be still for change; And when a younger or a fairer comes, the Mother is cast off and hated: ^bAnd then the next will hate her Children, or at least not love them as necessary▪ Education doth require. And when the Father hath forsaken the Mother, it's like he will forsake the Children with her. And when Women's lusts are lawless as well as Mens, men being uncertain what Children are their own, will be regardless both of their Souls and Bodies: So that Confusion would destroy Religion and Civility, and make the World worse than most of the American Savages are, who are taught by nature to set bounds to lust.

2. Promiscuous unregulated Generation tends to the utter ruin and vitiating of Mankind, by the overthrow of the just Education of Children, on which the welfare of Mankind doth eminently depend. Alas, all care and order is little enough and too little to keep corrupted Nature from utter Beastiality and malignity; much more to make Youth wise and virtuous, without which it had been better never to have been born: When Fathers know their own Children, and when Mothers have the love and encouragement and Houshold-advantage of order which is necessary, some good may be done. But lawless exercise of Lust will frustrate all. 1. Women themselves will be Slaves, or their advantage mutable and uncertain: For such Lust will serve its turn