To Christian parentes,
and Housholders, grace,
and mercie in Christ.
THe blessings of God powred
vpon this Realme, in so great
abundance, as the preaching
of the Gospell, peace,
prosperitie and wealth, vnder
the rule and gouernement of
our merciful Queene, causeth me in thankesgeuing
to ioy. But the contempt and abuse
of these blessinges, mingleth my ioy with
greefe and causeth Gods children for sorow
to mourne and lament. And this greeuing
of Gods Spirite in his children, shall fathers
of children, and maisters of housholdes
though manie other do greeuously offend
especially answeare for before GOD. The
great blessinges sent of God, the lawes made
by the Prince, the woorde preached by the
Ministers, take small effect, and bring foorth
little fruite: because parentes and maisters
shew such examples of loose libertie in them
selues, and throwe the raines of licentiousnesse
into the neckes of others. They remember
not the honourable calling whiche
they haue of the Lorde, that he hath placed

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them as it were in his owne roome, and
geuen them his own names, that they might
gouerne, teache, and direct others, to honour
and serue him, vppon whom their
preeminence doeth wholy depende. But
alas they do not their duetie in gouerning,
they applie not themselues in teaching them
that are committed to their charge: and
therefore youth not gouerned, nor taught,
nor praying at home, can not pray, nor
learne in the congregation. But as the deuises
of men are ready to find excuses, so seke they
vp figge leaues in this, to couer their shame.
First they wil say, We geue the~ meate & mony
for their worke, what should we do more?
So do you bestowe vpon your beasts, in buying
& feeding them: but your seruantes are
more pretious in the eye of the Lord, & you
are charged in the fourth commaundement,
to see that they serue GOD. Some say, they
sende them to the Church on the Sabbaoth,
and so answeare that charge: But the Lorde
co~maundeth you your selues also to rehearse
his lawes to your children and housholdes.
Deut. 6.7. If they plead ignorance, it wil be but
a weake answeare to the Lord. Some say, they
are ashamed to teache and pray with their
housholdes. I say, because it is good, they are
ashamed, else euerie thing they are ready to
performe with brasen browes in open places.
Some say, it is hypocrisie to performe
their dutie: let such pray for new hearts: for
if their owne consciences condemne them
of hypocrisie, God is greater than their consciences.
Some say, it will let and hinder their
seruantes from worke, as Pharaoh obiected
to Moses. Exod. 5.4. But our Sauiour answeareth
such, in his answeare to Martha, Luke.
10.41.This I speake, not to nourse anie
in idlenesse, for such should not eate, 2. Thess.
3.10. Some say, they shal be scorned by
worldlinges: If you seeke to please men, you
are not the seruantes of Christ, Galat. 1.10.
Yet this was Christes portion, and they are
but saint souldiours that flee for a woorde,
for we must buckle with the diuell hande to
hande, who will not leaue vs, till death, except
by Apostasie we yeelde to him both bodies
and soules. Some say, that they cannot
bring the vnlearned in letters to this
knowledge: but they do not remember, that
God geueth knowledge of his mysteries, eue~
to the simple that feare him, Psalme. 25.14.
And in foure monethes space, I haue seene
these principles and answeares learned by
Gentlemen, Yeomen, Horsekeepers , Shepheardes,

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Carters, Milkemaides, Kitchenboyes,
& al in that houshold where these orders
were obserued excepting three or foure
whose capacitie was but meane & simple, &
yet the simplest went not without some profite.
Some say, youth are so stubborne, that
they will abide no such orders: I say, better is
the roome of suche then their companie, for
if admonitio~s appointed by the Lord, winne
them not, auoyde them: and so shalt thou auoyde
the infecting of the rest of thy householde
by them, so shalt thou make others to
feare, so shalt thou by making them ashamed
of their sinnes, driue them to repentaunce,
& principally thou shalt auoyde Gods iudgement
against thee and thy houshold. If thou
knowest that thou keepest an ignorant & superstitious
Papist, a blasphemous swearer, a
disobedie~t subiect, to God, Prince, & Ruler, a
licentious and loose liuer, which giueth his
bodie to fighting, whooring, and stealing, &
his tongue to quarelling, filthie talking, and
lying, & thou seeke not to refourme him by
the order of God, doest thou not make thy
house his stewes, & thy selfe his bawde? Remoue
such, lest God remoue thee. Is it writte~
in vaine, that the plague shall neuer goe from
the house where the swerer is? & that it shal be
full of plagues? Will not the Lord perfourme
that which he hath spoke~ by his prophet Zacharie.
5.5. That there shal remain a plague in
such houses, to consume them with the timber
& stones thereof? I would they would co~sider
what God saide to Elie in the like case,
Thou honorest thy children aboue me, therfore
I wil cut thee and them off. The comfort
he had of his youthes in the ende, was this,
the Arke the witnesse of the Lordes presence
was lost, thirtie thousand of the people
slayne, his two sonnes killed, this liued
he to heare, and so in sorrow fell backward,
and brake his necke: then his daughter in
lawe fell in trauell, and in trauell died: the
remnant of his house were glad to crouche
and begge for a small peece of siluer, and a
morsell of bread, If our Englishmen could
beholde these plagues, the remouing of Religion
to a people that shall bring foorth fruit
of it, the taking away of our Queene, the
wayling of their wiues, the murdering of
their children, and the cutting of their owne
throtes by straungers: they woulde looke
better about them. O Fathers of children
and housholdes, if you woulde before hand
arreigne your selues before Gods iudgment
seate, and there finde your selues endited

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readie to be condemned, for sending your
posteritie to begge at straungers doores, for
spoyling your children of their liues, this
realme of religion, Queene, and peace, and
that you shoulde see there your children,
wiues, countrie, Churche of GOD, and
Queene, accusing you for murtherers, and
traytoures, what will you answeare? what can
you say? Turne your musicke to mourning,
your feasting to fasting, your riotting to repenting:
and say with Dauid, and with Daniel.
2. Sam. 12.13. Dan. 9.5. We haue sinned,
and committed iniquitie, done wickedly, &
haue rebelled against thee, O Lorde: righteousnesse
belongeth vnto thee, and vnto vs
open shame and confusion of faces. Say with
the men, Actes. 2.37. and with Paule, Act. 9.6.
say, Lorde what shall we doe? And you shall
be taughte to ioyne amendement to repentance,
you I say which were woont to aske
how you should passe the long Winter euenings
without gaming, shall learne to turne
your playing at Cardes, and Dice, and Dansing,
to singing of Psalmes, teaching your
housholde, and praying with them. It is enough
as Paule sayeth. 1. Ephe. 4.3. that you
haue spent the times past after the fashion of
the world: and how yll, madde, or straunge,
they account of the matter, that you runne
not with them to the former excesse of riot,
say you and performe with. Iosua. 24.15. We
and our housholds will serue the Lord. And
you O Ladies, Mistresses, and Dames, say euery
one of you with Hester, I & my maides
will do the like. Hest. 4.16. And howsoeuer
the world co~demne you, the Lord will reuele
himselfe vnto you, powre his blessinges of
knowledge, of peace, of religion, of good
rulers, and will continue the same vnto
the remnant of our children and
posteritie, which shall come after
vs, which he graunt for his
Christes sake.
Amen.