Of domesticall duties eight treatises. I. An exposition of that part of Scripture out…

IF noble Birth, high Honour, great Estate, true Piety, bountiful Charity, good Esteem of Gods word and Ministers, and in particular, entire love of the Author, be inducements to choose a Patron for his work, I, for my part, need not go far for a Patron. In mine own parish are all these. To you therefore (right Honourable, right Worshipful, and other my beloved Parishioners, most worthy of all due respect) do I dedicate these my poor pains about Domesticall Duties. To testify the equal duty which I owe, and the impartial respect which I bear to you all, I make you all as one Patron. You were the first over whom I ever had any ministerial charge. To this charge by your free choice was I called. Among you have I spent ^*almost two full prentiships. You have always so accepted my pains, and respected ⟨image 3⟩my person, as I never had any cause to repent my acceptance of this place, and calling: but rather to thank God for the same. My desire is (if so it may seem good to the divine providence) to spend all my days among you: and, while I am among you, to help forward your spiritual edification. This is the main end of my calling, and the mark, which, as in the ordinary course of my Ministry, so in the publishing of these Eight Treatises of Domesticall Duties, and dedicating them to you, I have aimed at. As in testimony of Love and Duty I have preached in your hearing, and published in your name these Duties, so do you manifest your kind acceptance of my former, and latter pains, by a conscionable observing of them, so far forth as they are agreeable to Gods word: that all who know you, may know by that evident demonstration, how well you have relished and approved them. Thus shall you gain much profit, and my self much comfort by my pains. Oh if the head and several members of a family would be persuaded every of them to be conscionable in performing their own particular duties, what a sweet society, and happy harmony would there be in houses? What excellent seminaries would families be to Church and Commonwealth? ²Necessary it is that good order be first set in families: for as they were before other polities, so they are somewhat the more necessary: and good members of a family are like to make good members of Church and common-wealth.

IF noble Birth, high Honour, great Estate, true Piety, bountifull Charity, good Esteeme of Gods word and Ministers, and in particular, intire loue of the Author, be inducements to choose a Patron for his worke, I, for my part, need not goe farre for a Patron. In mine owne parish are all these. To you therefore (right Honourable, right Worshipfull, and other my beloued Parishioners, most worthy of all due respect) doe I dedicate these my poore paines about Domesticall Duties. To testifie the equall dutie which I owe, and the impartiall respect which I beare to you all, I make you all as one Patron. You were the first ouer whom I euer had any ministeriall charge. To this charge by your free choice was I called. Among you haue I spent