The Saints' Everlasting Rest

& all the lower that should fit them for the higher Schools, should do nothing at all, but send all these Scholars to the highest Schoolmaster as ignorant as they received them, would not his life be a burden to him, and all the work be frustrate and spoiled? Why so it is here: The first work towards the reforming and making happy of Church and Commonwealth lies in the good education of your children; the most of this is your work; and if this be left undone, and then they come to Ministers raw and ignorant, and hardened in their sins; alas what can a Minister do! whereas if they came trained up in the Principles of Religion, and the practice of godliness, and were taught the fear of God in their youth; O what an encouragement would it be to Ministers! and how would the work go on in their hands! I tell you seriously, this is the cause of all our miseries and unreformedness in Church and State; even the want of a holy education of children! Many lay the blame, on this neglect, and that but there is none hath so great a hand in it as this: what a School must there needs be where all are brought raw, as I said, to the highest School? what a house must there needs be built, when Clay is brought to the Masons hands in stead of Bricks? What a Commonwealth may be expected, if all the Constables and Justices should do nothing but cast all upon King and Parliament? And so, what a Church may we expect, when all the Parents and Masters in the Parish shall cast all their duty on their Ministers? Alas, how long may we Catechise them, and preach to them, before we can get them to understand the very Principles of the Faith? This, this is the cause of our Churches deformities, and this is the cause of the present difficulty of Reformation. Its in vain to contend about Orders and Discipline, ⟨p. 534⟩if the persons that live under it be not prepared. Perhaps you'll say, the Apostles had not their hearers thus prepared to their hands: Is not the word the first means of conversion?

& all the lower that should fit them for the higher Schools, should do nothing at all, but send all these Scholars to the highest Schoolmaster as ignorant as they received them, would not his life be a burden to him, and all the work be frustrate and spoiled? Why so it is here: The first work towards the reforming and making happy of Church and Commonwealth lies in the good education of your children; the most of this is your work; and if this be left undone, and then they come to Ministers raw and ignorant, and hardned in their sins; alas what can a Minister do! whereas if they came trained up in the Principles of Religion, and the practice of godliness, and were taught the fear of God in their youth; O what an encouragement would it be to Ministers! and how would the work go on in their hands! I tell you seriously, this is the cause of all our miseries and unreformedness in Church and State; even the want of a holy education of children! Many lay the blame, on this neglect, and that but there is none hath so great a hand in it as this: what a School must there needs be where all are brought raw, as I said, to the highest School? what a house must there needs be built, when Clay is brought to the Masons hands in stead of Bricks? What a Commonwealth may be expected, if all the Constables and Justices should do nothing but cast all upon King and Parliament? And so, what a Church may we expect, when all the Parents and Masters in the Parish shall cast all their duty on their Ministers? Alas, how long may we Catechise them, and preath to them, before we can get them to understand the very Principles of the Faith? This, this is the cause of our Churches deformities, and this is the cause of the present difficulty of Reformation. Its in vain to contend about Orders and Discipline,