And this the rather it standeth you upon to contend and strive unto, considering (as I doubt not but you do) that as it is a doubled grace for a good man to be well descended, while both his parentage is a grace to him, and he likewise a grace to it: So it ise a foul disgrace and a double stain for one so descended to degenerate from the good courses, or come short of the good parts of those he came of, and so to prove either a blot or a blemish to them that might otherwise have been a grace and an honour to him, but shall now help rather to condemn him than to acquit or excuse him. It was the speech of one for a natural man notably qualified, though but meanly bred, to a dissolute person well borne, upbraiding him with his birth,f I am a grace to my stock, thou a blot to thy linage: as another not unlike him in the like case,* My stock is some stain to me, but thou art a stain to thy stock. And indeed as it wereg better for a man to come of a Thersites so he prove like Achilles, than to come of an Achilles if he prove like Thersites: So it had been less evil for Manasseh to have descended immediately from an Achaz or an ⟨p. 59⟩Ahab, than descending (as he did) immediately from an Hezekiah to prove in conditions and course of life a second Achaz or an other Ahab. This consideration may well be a strong engagement to godliness, where but either parent only hath been religious. For ifh either party believing, though the other be an infidel, be of force sufficient to bring the Children bred between them within compass of Gods Covenant: surely the godliness of either, though the other were profane, must needs be no small tiall to oblige their issue the more straitly to that course, which they stood bound to have taken, though their parents had been both of them utterly irreligious. But in this kind hath God to you been more abundantly gracious, in blessing and honouring you on both sides with two such worthy Parents, whose memory as it is and will ever be deservedly honoured with all those that here knew them; so it is justly expected that it be revived in you especially, and the residue of their issue, asi in a lively monument, and one better than of marble or brass, not of their earthly and worldly, but of their spiritual and worthiest parts.
And this the rather it standeth you upon to contend and strive unto, considering (as I doubt not but you doe) that as it is a doubled grace for a good man to be well descended, while both his parentage is a grace to him, and hee likewise a grace to it: So it ise a foule disgrace and a double staine for one so descended to degenerate from the good courses, or come short of the good parts of those he came of, and so to prove either a blot or a blemish to them that might otherwise have beene a grace and an honour to him, but shall now helpe rather to condemne him than to acquite or excuse him. It was the speech of one for a naturall man notably qualified, though but meanly bred, to a dissolute person well borne, upbraiding him with his birth,f I am a grace to my stock, thou a blot to thy linage: as another not unlike him in the like case,* My stock is some staine to mee, but thou art a staine to thy stock. And indeed as it wereg better for a man to come of a Thersites so he prove like Achilles, than to come of an Achilles if he prove like Thersites: So it had beene lesse evill for Manasses to have descended immediatly from an Achaz or an ⟨p. 59⟩Achab, than descending (as he did) immediatly from an Ezechias to prove in conditions and course of life a second Achaz or an other Achab. This consideration may well be a strong engagement to godlinesse, where but either parent onely hath beene religious. For ifh either partie beleeving, though the other be an infidell, be of force sufficient to bring the Children bred betweene them within compasse of Gods Covenant: surely the godlinesse of either, though the other were prophane, must needs be no small tiall to oblige their issue the more straitly to that course, which they stood bound to have taken, though their parents had beene both of them utterly irreligious. But in this kinde hath God to you beene more abundantly gratious, in blessing and honouring you on both sides with two such worthie Parents, whose memorie as it is and will ever be deservedly honoured with all those that here knew them; so it is justly expected that it be revived in you especially, and the residue of their issue, as
- d[Greek or Hebrew]. Eurip. Herad Et idem Helen. [Greek or Hebrew]. Dos est magna parentum virtus. Hor carm. lib. 3. ode 24. [Greek or Hebrew]. Eurip. Hip.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Eurip. Herad Et idem Helen. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Dos est magna parentum virtus. Hor carm. lib. 3. ode 24. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Eurip. Hipp.
- e[Greek or Hebrew]; &c. Plut. de aud. poet. Itane tandem majors famam tradiderunt tibi tui, ut virtute eorum anteparta per flagitium perderes? Plant. trinum. Teterrimis ignaviae aut nequitiae sordibus imbuta, portenta nobilia. Val. Max. lib. 3. c. 5. Qui acceptam à majoribus lucem in tenebras convertant. Ibid. c 4.〈non-Latin alphabet〉; &c. Plut. de aud. poet. Itane tandem majores famam tradiderunt tibi tui, ut virtute eorum anteparta per flagitium perderes? Plant. trinum. Teterrimis ignaviae aut nequitiae sordibus imbuta, portenta nobilia. Val. Max. lib. 3. c. 5. Qui acceptam à majoribus lucem in tenebras convertant. Ibid. c 4.
- fEgo primus illustravi domum meam; tu dedecorasti tuam. Cicero post Iphicratem.
- *[Greek or Hebrew]. Socrates.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Socrates.
- gMalo pater tibi sit Thersites, dummodo tu sis Aeacidae similis;— Quam te Thersitae fimilem producat Achilles. Juvenal. satyr. 8.Malo pater tibi sit Thersites, dummodo tu sis Aeacidae similis;— Quam te Thersitae fimilem producat Achilles. Iuvenal. satyr. 8.
- h1 Cor. 7.14.
- i[Greek or Hebrew]. Euripid. Meleagr. [Greek or Hebrew]; Sophocl. Antigon.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Euripid. Meleagr. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; Sophocl. Antigon.
