A Dijputation for Family-Worp?ip. have a fpirit within then·'~; rhai inclineth rh~ir hearcs wit ftill, and rherdorc they !we it, :JJ:d w~O) it were l.Jwful, even when they forbear it upon a conct'it that it is unl:m>ful. And fo it'S polhblc: for :1 time Come may 'do by family Duties: Bur as I expeCt that rhde c:re long recover, fo for my pare I take all the rdi robe gracelefs: Prejudice·and error as a ternptltion may prohibit rhe exrr£i[e of a Du~ ty, when yet the fpirit of God doth work in the heJrt an incli;ralion to th.Jt DUty in f1nC!ifying ir: 2.. And that thefe inclinations arc indeed from the: fpirir is tvidenr. 1. In rhar rhcy come in with all otHer grace: 2. And by the fame means: 3· And are prdCrved by rhe f:lme means, Handing or falling, iucreaiing or decreafing with the reil: 4· And are w the f:1me end : 5· And arc fo generally in all the f.li, tl, 6. Aod fo rcfifttd by Adh and blood. 7· Aud fO agreeJ.blc:: 10 the Word, that a ChriHiari fins againfi his ntw narme, when he ncgfcds family Durys. And God doth by his fpirit create a defire after them, and an eH:imation of chcm in everygracious foul. Argument 8. Family pra)•trandpraljeJ iJaDHIJ, ordin.Jrilycrowmd with .Jdmir.Jb!C divine a1rdfpe· ciat blrffingr: TherefOre it is of ~od. The confC:qu~ncc is .c::vi~c:nt•. F~r lhough .common out_Y-"'-Ird profptiity maybe given to the w1ckc:d, who have rhe1r poruon m this life, yet lo IS nor profpenty of foul. For the-Antecedent I willingly appeal to the experieQce of all tl·JC holy families in the world. Who .ever ufed thefe Duties ferioutly,and found not the benefits? What Families be they 1 in which grace and He:lVcnly mind~dnef~ profperech, bur thofe dllt ufe thcfc: D~des? Cornpne in all ya:ur Towns, Ciritso <~.nd Villages, the familic:s that re:1d Scrip:ures, pray and pra1fe God, with thofc that do not, and ft:c the difference; Which of rhem abound more with impiety, with Oaths,and curflngs, and.railings, and Drunkennefs, and Whoredoms, and Worldlincfs, &c. And which abound moll with Faith and Pati– ence, and Temperance, and Charity, and Repent:mce, and Hope, &c. The comroverfie is not hard to decide. Look to the Nobility and Gentry of England; See you no difference: between thofe that have been b.red in praying familic:s and rhe refi ? I mean raking rhem,(as we fay)one with another prc.: portionably. Look to the Minilkrs of England : Is it praying families or prayerlrji families that have dont mofi w the well furni01ing of the Univerficies. Arguinent 9· All ClmrcbCJ ought folmmly to pray to God and prJife bim. A Chrij/iJII fmil.J i! a C1mrcb. Therefore. The major is pall doUbt, the minor I prove from the nature of a Church in general, which is a fociely o.f Chrifiians combin.ed for the better wurt11ipping and ferving of God. I fay not that a family f arm;l– ly- as a f.Jmily, is a Church: Bu~ every family of Chrit1ims ought mQreover, by fuch a combination td be a Church. Yea as Cbrijtianr they arc {0 combined, fceing Chrifiianity tieth them to ferve God con.. junCtly together in their Rdations. 2. Scripture cxprdfeth ir, 2 Cor. 16. 19. Aquila andPrifcillafa· /me much in the L ord, with tht Church that j1in tbey bau[t. He faith not wbich mceteth in their bo'~'fe, but whicb i1 in it. So Philemon 2. And t11 the Cburch i1t tbir hou[e, Rom. 16. 5· Lik.frvijC greet tbe Church that iJ i11 their bou[e. Col. 4· 15· Sahtte tbe brethren that are at Laodicea,and Nyrnphas,and tbe Chllrcb n·bicb ir in biJ ha:tfo : Though fame Learned men tJ.ke thefe to be meant of p.:zrt of the Chmche~, affimbling in thefe houfes, yl!r Btza, GrotittJ, and many others ackuowledge it to be meant of af:.~mily or domejlicl{. Clmrcb, according. to that of 1'crttt?lian [ubi trtr licet laici ibi Et:cleji.J J yet I fJy noc rlnt fuch a fan;ily-Cburcb, is of the fame fpecitt with a puticular organized Church of ma-: uy families. But it could not ( fo much as Analogically) be Clilled a Churcb if they might not and ·mull nmpray togetber, and)r;i[e God rogerher; tor theft therefore ir fully concludeth. Argument to. If Rnlcrr muft te,1ch their familiu the T¥ord of Gad, thm muJl they praj witb them)But th~y muft teacl, them: Therefore. The.Ancecedent is fully proved by expr~fs S.:ripcure already: Ste alfo P[dmJ78 4· 5· 6. _.......__.__Mini Hers rnufl teach fro'm houfe to buufe :. therefore Rulers thcm– {eJves rnuH do ic .Aas 5· 42· & zo. zo. The Conllquence is proved good; , . The ApoOies prJyed when they Preached or Infiruored Chri– 'flians in private Affembhes, AtJr zo. 36. and other places. 2· \Ve have fpeci;lmcd of Gods Aa!Hance jn reading the Scriptures to know his mind in them, and ro make them protit:ible to us: therefore we muft fec:k it. 3· The Reverence due to fo holy a buflners requireth it. 4· \Vc are commanded i;z ·aU things to mJk_e our requtjh k._norvn to God rritfJ Pra)'etl Supplicationr r.1nd th,mkJgivi.ng, and tb:zt wi1b aU manner of pr.zyer) in aUpl..te(J, witbofa ce.1ji1tg: therefore fpecillly on fi1ch occJiions as the reading of Scriptures ~nd inlhucting others : And 1 think that few men that arc: convinced of the duty of reading Scripture and fole1_nn inllruC!ing their families, will quefl:ion the duty of praying for Gods ble!Iing on it, when they {er tlpon the work. Yc:a a Chritlians own Confcic:nce will provoke him re– veremly to begin all with God in rhe imploring of his acceptance, and aid, and bldling. Argument r f· If 1\u!erJ of fJmilitJ are boztnd tiJ te.:cb tbeir jJmiliu to Ptdy, then are they bound td Poy rritb thtm: But they are bound to tt.1cb them to Pray. Therefou. In rhe foregoing Argument 1 fpeak of te.2chivg i1t general: Here I fpeak of uach'iltg to Pray ln fpeci· al: The Antecedent of the major (prove thus. I· They are bound ro bring them up in themtrturt a11d admm#itm rftht L~rd, Eph.6. 44· Therefore to ttach tbem ta Pray and Praife God: For the Nmture and Admoniti01i oftht Lord 'ontainc:ch d1at. 2· They are bound to teacb them the ftdt of the Lord,and ~r.Jin them up in the w.1y that tbey fhoetld go, and that is doubtlefs in the way of Prayer and Praifing G~ ' The Confcquence Appeareth here to be found, in that men cannot be ":ell and elfecru•llY taught to Pray, without Praying with tbcm, or in th.eir hearing: hcrefore·ch~;y that mull teach them to :Pr.:~y, muft Pray with them. It i1 like Mufick which you cannot well teach any man, without playing or T tt fingiog
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