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He, that begetteth a fool, (whether naturally, or by ill-breeding) begetteth himself sorrow, and the father of a fool can have no joy. And, therefore, Teach a child in the trade of his way, and when he is old, he shall not depart from it. 3. Correction: He, that spareth his rod, hateth his son: but he, that loveth him, chasteneth betime; for foolishness is bound in the heart of a child: the rod of correction shall drive it from him: yea, there is yet great benefit of due chastisement; for, The rod and correction give life; but a child set at liberty makes his mother (who is commonly faulty this way) ashamed: yea, more than shame, death and hell follow to the child upon indulgence: (only) If thou smite him with the rod, he shall not die: If thou smite him with the rod, thou shalt deliver his soul from hell. Though thy son therefore be tender and dear in thy sight; Correct him, and he will give thee rest, and will give pleasures to thy soul wherefore, Chasten him while there is hope; and let not thy soul spare, to his destruction. The son, that is of a great stomach, shall endure punishment; and though thou deliver him, yet thou shalt take him in hand again. Pr. xvii. 6. xiii. 22. Ec. ii. 18. ii. 19. iv. 8. v. 12. v. 13. i. 8. Pr. xvii. 21. xxii. 6. iii. 24. xxii. 15. xxix. 15. xxiii. 13. xxv. 14. iv. 3. xxix. 17. xix. 18. xix, 19.

CHILDREN.

SECT. 6.

Obedience to Commandments.
Instructions,

Their duties: Submission to correction.

of their parents' estate, Care of their own carriage.

{

A WISE son rejoiceth the father, and the father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice; whereas the foolish is the calamity of his parents Contrarily, If thou be a wise son, or lovest wisdom, thy fa ther and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice. Such an one is, first, obedient; for, a wise son will hear and bey the instruction of his father, and not forsake his mother's teaching; yea, in every command, he will obey him that begot him, and not despise his mother when she is old; not upon any occasion cursing his parents (as there is a generation that doth:) for, He that curseth his father, or mother, his light shall be put out in obscure darkness: not mocking and scorning them; for, The eye, that mocketh his father, and despiseth the instruction of his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles eat it and not obedient to counsel only, but to stripes, He, that hateth correction, is a fool: and he, that regardeth it, is prudent. For, those correc tions that are for instruction, are the way of life: therefore, he that hateth them shall die. Secondly ceful both 1. of their estate:

He, that robbeth his father and mother, and saith it is no transgression, is a companion of a man that destroyeth; and 2. of his own carriage: for, a lewd and shameful child destroyeth his father, and chaseth away his mother. Let therefore even the child shew himself to be known by his doings, whether his work be pure and right: so his father's reins shall rejoice, when he speaketh, and doth righteous things. Pr. xv. 20. x. 1. xxiii. 24. xix. 13. xxix. 3. xxiii. 25. xxxi. Î. i. 8. xxiii. 22. vi. 20. xxx. 11. xx. 20. xv. 20. xxx. 17. ii. 1. xv. 5. vi. 23. xv. 10. xxviii. 24. xix. 26. xx. 11. xxiii. 16.

THE MASTER, AND SERVANT.

SECT. 7.

Provident for his Servant.
too severe,
too familiar.

The Master must be Not {

The Servant must be

Diligent.

He

THE Servant is no small commodity to his Master. He, that is despised, and hath a servant of his own, is better than he that boasts (whether of gentry, or wealth) and wanteth bread. The master, therefore, must provide sufficiency of food for his family, and sustenance for his maids: who also as he may not be over-rigorous in punishing or noting offences; sometimes not hearing his servant that curseth him: so not too familiar; for he that delicately bringeth up his servant from his youth, at length he will be as his son. must therefore be sometimes severe, more than in rebukes; (for, A servant will not be chastened with words: and though he under stand, yet he will not regard) yet so as he have respect ever to his good deservings: A discreet servant shall rule over a lewd son: and he shall divide the heritage among his brethren. In answer whereto, the good Servant must be 1. Faithful unto his Master; As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him, for he refresheth the soul of his master. A wicked messenger falleth into evil: but a faithful ambassador is preservation; and 2. Diligent, whether in charge; Be diligent to know the estate of thy flock (or rather, the face of thy cattle) and take heed to the herds: or in his attendance, He, that keepeth his fig-tree, shall eat of the fruit of it; so he, that carefully waiteth on his master, shall come to honour where, contrarily, in both these, As vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes: so is a slothful messenger to them that send him. Pr xii. 9. xxvii. 27. Ec, vii. 23. Pr. xxix. 21. xxix. 19. xvii. 2. x17. 13. xiii. 17. xvii 23. xxvii. 18. x. 26.

A

SHORT ANSWER

TO THOSE

NINE ARGUMENTS,

WHICH ARE BROUGHT AGAINST THE

BISHOPS SITTING IN PARLIAMENT.

THOSE

HOSE reasons had need to be strong, and the inconveniences heinous, that should take away an ancient and hereditary right, established by law. These are not such.

1. To trade in secular affairs, and to be taken up with them, is indeed a great and just hindrance to the exercise of our ministerial function: but, to meet once in three years in a Parliament, for some few weeks, at the same time when we are bound to attend Convocation business, is no sensible impediment to our holy calling.

2. We do, indeed, promise and profess, when we enter into Holy Orders, that we will give ourselves, so much as in us lies, wholly to this vocation: will it therefore follow, that we may not, upon any occasion, lend ourselves to the care of the public, when we are thereunto called? And if, this notwithstanding, we may, yea must take moderate care of our household affairs, and the provision for our family; why not as well of the Commonwealth?

3. For ancient Canons of Councils, will they be content to be bound by them, who urge them upon us? or, will they admit some and reject others? or, will they admit them, where they are contrary to our own laws? Now our Clarendon Constit. have, expressly, debent interesse omnibus judiciis. The Canons, therefore, must yield to them; not they to the Canons.

4. Twenty-four Bishops have dependance upon two Archbishops-When was it otherwise? Is it not so in all subordinatious of government ? If this be a just inconvenience, let all be

ANSWER TO ARGUMENTS AGAINST BISHOPS SITTING IN PARLIAMENT. 63 levelled to an equality, and that shall end in a certain confusion. But they swear to them canonical obedience :-True; but it is only in omnibus licitis et honestis mandatis. The supposition implied must needs savour of uncharitableness; that the Metropolitans will be still apt to require unlawful things, and the Bishops will ever basely stoop to a servile humouring of them.

5. But they have their places only for their lives; and therefore, not fit to have a legislative power over the honours, liberties, properties of the subject:-First: If they have their Bishoprics but for their lives; yet there are scarce any of them, that have not so much temporal estate in fee, as may make them no less capable of a legislative power, than many of the House of Commons, who claim this right. Secondly: Is the case other now, than it hath been all this while? yet, for so many hundred years, there have been good laws, and just sentences given by their concurrence, notwithstanding this their tenure for life. Thirdly: If they be honest and conscionable, though they had their places but for a year or a day, they would not yield to determine ought unjustly and if dishonest and conscienceless, it is not the perpetual inheritance of our places, that can make our determinations just.

6. If dependencies and expectations of further preferment lie in our way, why not equally in many Temporal Lords', who are interested in offices, and places in Court? Why should we be more mis-carriageable by such possibilities or hopes, than others; especially, when our age is commonly such, and the charges of removes so great, that there is small likelihood of an equal gaining by the change?

7. If several and particular Bishops have much encroached upon the consciences of his Majesty's subjects, in matter of their property and liberty; what reason is there to impute this unto all? Why should the innocent be punished for the wrongs of the guilty? Let those, who can be convinced of an offence this way, undergo a condign censure. Let not an unjust prejudice be cast upon the whole calling, for the errors of a few.

8. It is not to be expected, but the whole number of Twentysix should be interested in the maintenance of that their jurisdiction, which both the laws of men and apostolical institution hath feoffed them in:-Why should they not defend their own lawful and holy calling, against all unjust opposition of gainsayers? If their hearts did not assure them their station were warrantable and good, they were beasts, if they would hold them; and, if their hearts do assure them so, they were beasts, if they would not defend them. But there are numbers in all the Three Kingdoms, that cry them down:-True: but there are greater numbers for thein; perhaps, a hundred for one. And, if some busy factionists of the meaner sort hereabout (a body compounded of Separatists, Anabaptists, Familists, and such like stuff) make some show and noise, yet what are these, to the whole kingdom? Neither do these men more oppugn our votes in Parliament, than our stations in the Church: so as this argument will no less hold for no Bishops, than

for no votes; as likewise that instance in the practice of Scotland. "Scotland hath abolished Episcopacy," they say: the more pity: let them look, quo jure; and what answer to make unto that God, whose ordinance it is. But, I had thought it should have been a stronger argument, " England retains Episcopacy: therefore, Scotland should;" than "Scotland hath abolished Episcopacy: therefore England should do so too." Let there be any other Church named in the whole Christian World, that hath voluntarily abandoned Episcopacy, when it might have continued it: and, if their practice be herein singular, why should not they rather conform to all the rest of Christendom, than we to them?

9. But, the core of all is, that it sets too great a distance between us and our brethren of the Clergy and so nourishes pride, in us; discontentment, in them; and disquietness, in the Church-an argument, that fights equally against all our superiority over our brethren, and against our votes here. By this reason, we must be all equal; none, subordinate and what order can there be, where none is above other? What is this, but old Korah's challenge? Ye take too much upon you: wherefore lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? Now, I beseech you, whether was there more pride in Moses and Aaron, that governed; or in Korah and Datban, that murmured and repined? It is pride, then, that causeth contention but where is this pride? whether in those, that moderately manage a lawful superiority; or in those, that scorn and. hate to be under government? were those brethren so affected as they ought, they should rather rejoice that any of their own tribe are advanced to those places, wherein they might be capable of doing good offices to them and the Church of God; instead of swelling with envy against their just exaltation: and would feel this honour done to their profession; and not to the persons. Lastly, what a mean opinion doth this imply to be conceived of us by the suggesters, that we, who are old men, Christian philosophers and divines, should have so little government of ourselves, as to be puffed up with those poor accessions of titular respects, which those, who are really and hereditarily possessed of, can wield without any such taint or suspicion of transportedness!

Shortly, in all these Nine Reasons, there is nothing, that may induce an indifferent man to think there is any just ground, to exlude Bishops from sitting and voting in Parliament.

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