all things needful both for body and soul: that He is our Lord, and therefore we must serve Him, and obey Him, and do nothing whereby He may be displeased: that He is our Judge, and shall come to judge the quick and the dead, and that all men shall come before Him, to receive according as they have done in the flesh. He must put his child in mind of his baptism, and teach him that it is a covenant of God's mercy to us, and of our duty to God: that it is a mystery of our salvation; that our soul is so washed with the blood of Christ, as the water of Baptism washeth our body. So must he also teach his child the mystery of the Lord's Supper: what and how he receiveth there to his comfort: that as the bread is broken and the wine poured out, so the Body of Christ was crucified and His Blood shed for the remission of sins: that if we believe in Christ, we are through the promise of God so certainly nourished in our souls to everlasting life by the passion of Christ Jesus our Saviour, as our bodies are truly nourished with the creatures of bread and wine. Thus St. Paul was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, and instructed according to the perfect manner of

the law of the fathers'. Thus Timothy was brought up to know the holy Scriptures of a child. How are we become so superstitious? Why have we been so delighted in darkness? why is it so hard a matter to remove us from the errors wherein we have lived? Why had we rather fall down before dumb things, and worship them, and continue still in ignorance, rather than hearken to the word of God? Why have we played the part of the Jews, and cried "Crucify" upon our dear friends and kinsmen; upon those whom we could not justly accuse of any crime; who offended us no ways, but in that they did point us to Christ, and called us to seek salvation only in Him? Hereof there cannot any better cause be yielded than this, that we were ignorantly bred up, without knowledge of God, without understanding of His word. The Wise-man saith, "Teach a child the trade of his way, and when he is old he shall not depart from it'." And again, "Whoso awaketh unto wisdom betimes, shall have no great travail: for he shall find her sitting at his doors"."

i Acts xxii. 3.

k 2 Tim. iii. 13.

m Wisd. vi. 14.

Prov. xxii. 6.

Therefore wicked rulers, as Julianus, Licinius, Maximinus, and such others, have forbidden that children should be brought up in the knowledge of God. They taught them to blaspheme Christ and holy men, and to speak ill of them before they knew them. But let us look upon our children as upon the great blessings of God. They are the Lord's vessels ordained to honour, let us keep them clean: they are Christ's lambs, and sheep of His flock, let us lead them forth into wholesome pasture: they are the seed plot of Heaven, let us water them that God may give the increase: their angels behold the face of God, let us not offend them; they are the temples and tabernacles of the Holy Ghost, let us not suffer the foul spirit to possess them, and dwell within them.

God saith, your children are My children; they are the sons of God; they are born anew, and are well shapen in beautiful proportion; make them not monsters. He is a monster whosoever knoweth not God. By you they are born into the world; be careful also that by your means they may be begotten

unto God. You are careful to train them in nurture and comely behaviour of the body; seek also to fashion their minds unto godliness. You have brought them to the fountain of Baptism to receive the mark of Christ, bring them up in knowledge, and watch over them that they be not lost. So shall they be confirmed, and will keep the promise they have made, and will grow unto perfect age in Christ.

This

Of Marriage I shall need say the less, the matter is so known and common. fellowship was first ordained by God Himself in Paradise. God Himself said, “It is not good that man should be himself alone; I will make him an helper meet for him"." God, Who fashioned man, and breathed in him the breath of life, and knoweth his very heart and reins, said, It is not good, it is not fit, that man should be himself alone. Although man were in Paradise, although he were in the perfection of virtue, yet, saith God, he hath need of a helper. Christ disdained not to be at a marriage; He honoured it both by His presence, and by the working

n Gen. ii. 18.

of a miracle. St. Paul saith, " Marriage is honourable in all men, and the bed undefiled"." In all men, saith he, in the Patriarchs, in the Prophets, in the Apostles, in Martyrs, in Bishops.

That all the Apostles, St. John only excepted, were married, appeareth by Ignatius, Clemens, and Eusebius. Spiridion was a married Bishop, and yet he was thereby nothing hindered, neither to discharge his duty, nor to any other godly purpose. Tertullian was a Priest, and married, as appeareth by his own book written to his wife. Gregory, S. Basil's brother, was Bishop of Nyssa, yet married. Another Gregory was Bishop of Nazianzum, yet married, and nevertheless, a faithful servant and steward of the mysteries of God. Hilary was Bishop of Poictiers, yet married. All these were holy and godly, and chaste in body and in spirit, and yet were married.

Gregory Nazianzen saith, "Marriage is worthy of praise, for the quietness and contentation that is in it"." And Clemens Alexandrinus saith, "As well marriage as P In Funere Gorgoniæ.

• Heb. xiii. 4.