12 / 724
the
way, and when thou
Deft
down,
and when
then
rife(
up:
And thou fitalt
bind
them
for a fign
upon
thy
hand,
andthey fhall
be as
Front
lets betweenthine
Ryes
:
And
thou
:halt
write them
on
the
Pods
of
thy
Houle, and on
thy Gates.]
Yet nowmany
thoufand Families
call'd Chriflians,
account
this
much
Puritanifm,
and
needlefs
precifenefs
;
as
if
the Scripture (even the
Go/pel
of
Salroation) were
only
for the
ufe
of
lriefls
;
yea,
fome
that
difemn
the
Papills
re/taint
ofthe Laity
unlicew'd,
from
reading
it
tranjlated
in
a
known Tongue, dowerfe
thanTopifblyre-
frain
themfelves.
And
thole
that
in
Bapttfm
vow'd
to
bring
up
their
Children
as
Chrifi`ians
in
the
knowledge
of
the
Gofpel
of
Chrift,
perftdioufly
break
that
%lemn
Vow,
as
they hypocritically made
it
;
and
by
ungodly negligence betray
to
Satan the
Souls
oftheir
Children
(and
themfelves) which
they
have
devoted to
God.
Children:
Reader,
ke,gfor
the'
fake
o
f
Churrch
and
Kingdom,t
that
your
ou
will
confcionably
á
d
feriou
fly
fit
up Family= Re,igion,
calling
upon God,
ftnging
his
Praifes,
aiodinfirm
ing
your
Children
and Servant: in the
Scripture
and
C'atechifm,
and
in
a
wife
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
fifjer
by
the
neglefl
of
this
!
It
is
oat
of
ungod-
ly Families
that
the
World loath ungodly
Rulers,
ungodly
Miniflers and
afwarm
of
Serpentine Enemies
of
Holinefs
and Peace, and their
own
Salvation. What
Country
groaneth
not under the
Confufions,
Miferiesand horrid
Wockednefs,
which
are all
the
Fruits
ofFami
y
-ne
lefts,
and the
carelefs
and
ill
Education
of
Youth
?
It
is
a
work
ofgreat
skill-and confiant
care to
inf
ruil and
educate
your
Children
and
to
keep
them
from tempting
Company
and
Snares.
To cry
out
of
dumb
or
un-
faithful
faithful
Mino(lers,
while
you
are
worfe
at
horn
your folves,
is
but
fell-
condemns-
tint:
Are
Mtnifier:
more
oblig'd
to
care
for
your Children:
Souls,
by
Nature,
or
by
will
not
do
for
one
tHouJhold or your
ownCh
y
ildren
?t
The
whole
rfi charge
Band
which
"port
it
yours
s
If
Families treacheroufly
neglef1
their part,
and
then
look
that
all
fbould be
done
at
the
Church,
you
may
as
wifely
fend
Boys
to
the
Vniverftles,
before
they
are
taught
to
read
or
wrote,
in
lower
Sehools.
If
there
be
any
hope
of
the
amendment
ofa
wicked, mtferable,
diflrahied
World,
it
mull
be
mofily done by
Fami!
-Religion,
and
the
Cbriflian Education
of
Youth, Godlinefs
is profitable
to
all things
;
but
the
themfelves,
God
Children
the
Servva
ts,wwilvary
quickly
be fuymmon'd
to
of
Souls,
ac-
taunt
;
efpecialy
theft
that
fbould
as
Rulers
be
Exemplary
to
the Vulgar,
and
are
afbam'd
to own
ferioto
Family-
Religion,
as
if
all
beyond tome
formal
Hypocrifie
and
Lip-labour,
he
elps
Difhonour to
e'er
their
t
need
it,
ir,
that
when
they
read
the
New
Tejlathent daily
in their
Houfes,
they may
(not
read all the Psraphrafe
to
their
Families,
but) fuch
particulars
of
Expo:
tion
and
Dofirinal
Notes,
as
they
find
men
fuitable
to
their
cafe.
And
I
think
it
will
not
be
unufeful to
the
younger
and
weaker
fort of
Mini/iers,
and
the
poor
ones,
that
cannot
buy
larger
Commentaries,
and
:frith
Men
willgive
their
Tenants
and Neighbours
fuel,
Boas as
are
Tunable
to
the Infiruftion
of
Fami-
lies, and the
People
will diligently
ufe
them,
it
may
do
much to
keep up
faving
Knowledge
and Trainee,
where the
publick
Miùiflry
faileth
moll. The
God
of
Mercy
teach foolijb Men
to
have
Mercy
on
their Families and
themfeloes.
--