The crucifying of the world

4. How many be there that lay out more in needless buildings, walks and gardens, then would save the lives of an hundred or a thousand of the poor, that perish by hunger, (or by diseases bred by want:) They will not spare from their own superfluities, to supply the necessities of their Brethren? Is this loving their neighbours as themselves, and doing as they would be done by?

5. How many be there that spend more needlessly on horses; dogs, or hawks, and cast away more at one game at Dice, or at a Cock-fight, or an Horse-race, then would keep a poor Scholar at the University. (But I hope the Parliament hath cured this.)

5. How many be there that spend more needlesly on horses; dogs, or hawks, and cast away more at one game at Dice, or at a Cock-fight, or an Horse-race, then would keep a poor Schollar at the University. (But I hope the Parliament hath cured this.)

6. But the principal and least lamented abuse of Riches, is Children's excessive portions; For children are as a surviving self: Men think themselves but half dead, while their children live: And therefore as self is that Idol of the wicked, to whom all the creatures of God are sacrificed, so they employ all one way or other for themselves as long as they live, and then leave it when they die, to themselves in their posterity. When they have like unfaithful Stewards, detained Gods due from him, as long as they live, they leave it to their children to detain it after them. Mistake me not: ⟨image 20⟩I persuade you not to be unnatural. Your children must be provided for if you be not worse then Infidels. But I tell you by what Rules I should proceed, were it my case. 1. If I had never such ungodly children, I should provide for them, if I could, their daily bread, and leave them enough for food and raiment, unless they were such as ought not to live, or be maintained. 2. If I had better children, that were likely to use what they had for God I should leave them all that could be spared from more necessary uses, that their lives might be more free from care, and they might be serviceable to God with their wealth when I am dead: And the more confident I were that they would be faithful Stewards of it, the more I should commit to their trust. 3. I should not take it to be my Duty to level my posterity with the poorer sort, unless some special Call of God, or extraordinary public exigence did require it. So much for the Affirmative, What I should do for them. But (for the Negative, What I should not do for them) 1. I should think that in a case of some extraordinary Necessities to the Church or Common-wealth, I were bound to alienate all from my posterity, at least, except their food and raiment. 2. I should still in the General conclude that all must be for God, as he is the Owner of me and all; and therefore I should enquire which way it is his will that I should dispose of it. And where my conscience tells me he would have me use it, I should do it, though to the denial of my self or my posterity. 3. I should alway prefer the Public Good of Church or Common-wealth, before the personal wealth of my posterity, and therefore should provide for them in a subserviency to the greater good, and not prefer their wealth before it. 4.