Reader, I beg of you as from Christ, for his sake, for your Souls sake, for your Children's sake, for the sake of Church and Kingdom, that you will conscionably and seriously set up Family-Religion, calling upon God, Singing his Praises, and instructing your Children and Servants in the Scripture and Catechism, and in a wise and diligent Education of Youth. Hear me, as if I begged it of you, with tears on my knees? Alas, what doth the World suffer by the neglect of this. It is out of ungodly Families that the World hath ungodly Rulers, ungodly Ministers, and a swarm of Serpentine Enemies of Holiness and Peace, and their own Salvation. What Country groaneth not under the Confusions, Miseries and horrid Wickedness, which are all the Fruits of Family neglects, and the careless and ill Education of Youth. It is a work of great skill and constant care to instruct and Educate your Children, and to keep them from tempting Company and snares. To cry out of dumb or unfaithful Ministers, while you are worse at home your selves, is but self-condemnation: Are M•n•st•rs more obliged to care for your Children's Souls, by Nature, or by Vow and Covenant, than you are. Can they do that for whole Parishes, which you will not do for for one Household or your own Children. The first Charge and part is yours: If Families treacherously neglect their part, and then look that all should be done at the Church you may as wisely send Boys to the Universities, before they are taught to Read or Write, in lower Schools. If there be any hope of the amendment of a Wicked, ⟨image 3⟩Miserable distracted World, it must be mostly done by Family-Religion, and the Christian Education of youth. Godliness is profitable to all things; but the Curse of God is in the house of the wicked. And the ungodly betrayers of Souls, of themselves, Children and Servants, will very quickly be Summoned to a terrible account: Especially those that should as Rulers be Exemplary to the vulgar, and are ashamed to own serious Family-Religion, as if all beyond some formal Hypocrisy and lip labour, were a dishonour to their houses, or a needless thing.
Reader, I beg of you as from Christ, for his sake, for your Souls sake, for your Childrens sake, for the sake of Church and Kingdom, that you will conscionably and seriously set up Family-Religion, calling upon God, Singing his Praises, and instructing your Children and Servants in the Scripture and Catechism, and in a wise and diligent Education of Youth. Hear me, as if I beg'd it of you, with tears on my knees? Alas, what doth the World suffer by the neglect of this. It is out of ungodly Families that the World hath ungodly Rulers, ungodly Ministers, and a swarm of Serpentine Enemies of Holiness and Peace, and their own Salvation. What Country groaneth not under the Confusions, Miseries and horrid Wickedness, which are all the Fruits of Family neglects, and the careless and ill Education of Youth. It is a work of great skill and constant care to instruct and Educate your Children, and to keep them from tempting Company and snares. To cry out of dumb or unfaithful Ministers, while you are worse at home your selves, is but self-condemnation: Are M•n•st•rs more obliged to care for your Childrens Souls, by Nature, or by Vow and Covenant, than you are. Can they do that for whole Parishes, which you will not do for for one Houshold or your own Children. The first Charge and part is yours: If Families treacherously neglect their part, and then look that all should be done at the Church you may as wisely send Boys to the Universities, before they are taught to Read or Write, in lower Schools. If there be any hope of the amendment of a Wicked, ⟨image 3⟩Miserable distracted World, it must be mostly done by Family-Religion, and the Christian Education of youth. Godliness is profitable to all things; but the Curse of God is in the house of the wicked. And the ungodly betrayers of Souls, of themselves, Children and Servants, will very quickly be Summoned to a terrible account: Especially those that should as Rulers be Exemplary to the vulgar, and are ashamed to own serious Family-Religion, as if all beyond some formal Hypocrisie and lip labour, were a dishonour to their houses, or a needless thing.
