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5. And in the mean time the loss of all the helps which they should have at home, doth greatly tend to their destruction. For they oft travel into countries, where they shall have no public worship of God which is lawful, or which they understand: or if they have, it is usually cold preaching and dull praying, when they have need of the best, and all too little. And they have seldom such pious society to edify and quicken them by private converse, as they have, or might have, here at home; and seldom come into such well-ordered, religious families. And if human nature be prone to infection by temptations, and so averse to holiness, that all means is too little, and even in the best families folly and sensuality, and a distaste of godliness, often thrive; (as unsown weeds overspread the garden, where with great cost and labour only better things were sowed ;) what then but sin and misery can be expected from those that by their own parents are banished from their native country, (not so well as into a wilderness, but) into the pestilent, infected countries of the world?

I would ask those parents that plead for this crime and cruelty as a kindness; are you no wiser or better yourselves than the company into which your send you children? Can you teach them and educate them no better, nor give them better examples than they are like to have abroad? Can you set them on no better work, for the improvement of their time? If not, why do you not repent of this your shame and misery, and reform yourselves? If you can, why will you then betray your children? Or if you cannot, are there no schools, no learned and pious men, no religious families and company at home, in your own land, where you might place them to better advantage, than thus to expose them to the tempter? Undoubtedly there are; and such as may be had at cheaper rates.

6. And it is not the smallest part of the guilt and danger, that they are sent abroad without due oversight and conduct. They that do but get them some sober or honest servant to attend them, or some sober companion, think they have done well: when as they had need of some divine or tutor of great learning, piety, prudence, and experience, whom they will reverence and obey, that may take the over

Congressus sapientum confert prudentiam: non montes, non maria. Erasm.

sight of them, and be ready to answer any sophist that would seduce them. But the charge of this is thought too great, for the safety of their own children, whom they themselves expose to a necessity of it.

I know that carnal minds will distaste all this, and have objections enough against it, and reasons of their own, to make it seem a duty to betray and undo their children's souls, and to break their promise made for them in baptism; "All this is but our preciseness: they must have experience and know the world, or else they will be contemptible 'tenebriones' or owls! Whenever they go it will be a temptation, and such they must have at home; there is no other part of their age so fit, or that can be spared, and we must trust God with them wherever they are, and they that will be bad, will be bad in one place as well as another; and many are as bad that stay at home." And thus ' quos perdere vult Jupiter hos dementat :' yea, the poor children and commonwealth must suffer for such parent's sottish folly. And well saith Solomon, The rich man is wise in his own conceit." And because it is not reason indeed but pride, and the rich disease and carnality which is here to be confuted, I shall not honour them with a distinct, particular answer; but only tell them, If all companies be alike, send them to Bedlam or to a whore-house. If all means be alike, let them be Janizaries, and bred up where Christ is scorned: if you think they need but little helps, and little watching, it seems you never gave them more. And it is a pity you

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should have children, before you know what a man is, and how much nature is corrupted, and how much is needful to its recovery. And it is a pity that you dedicated them to God in baptism, before you believed Christ, and knew what you did, and engaged them to renounce the world, the flesh and the devil, under a crucified Christ, while you purposed like hypocrites to train them in the school and service of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and in the contempt of the cross of Christ, or of a holy, mortified life. And if all ages be alike, and novices be equal to experienced persons, let the scholars rule their master, and let boys be parliament men and judges, and let them be your guides at home? And if acquaintance with courtship and the customs of the world,

* Prov. xxviii. 11.

and the reputation of such acquaintance, be worth the hazarding of their souls, renounce God, and give up your names to mammon, and be not such paltry hypocrites, as to profess that you believe the Scriptures, and stand to your baptismal vows, and place your hopes in a crucified Christ, and your happiness in God's favour and the life to come. And if the preaching of the Gospel, and all such religious helps be unnecessary to your unsettled children, dissemble not by going to church, as if you took them to be necessary to yourselves. In a word, I say as Elias to the Israelites, "Why halt ye between two opinions? If God be God, follow him." If the world be God, and pride and sensuality and the world's applause be your felicity, follow it, and let it be your children's portion. Do you not see more wise, and learned, and holy, and serviceable persons among us, proportionably in church and state, that were never sent for an education among the Papists and profane, than of such as were?

But I will proceed to the Directions which are necessary to those that must or will needs go abroad, either as merchants, factors, or as travellers.

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Direct. 1. Be sure that you go not without a clear warrant from God; which must be (all things laid together) a great probability, in the judgment of impartial, experienced, wise men, that you may get or do more good than you were like to have done at home. For if you go sinfully without a call or warrant, you put yourself out of God's protection, as much as in you is; that is, you forfeit it: and whatever plague befals you, it will arm your accusing consciences to make it double.

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Direct. 11. Send with your children that travel, some such pious, prudent tutor or overseer as is afore described: and get them or your apprentices into as good company as possibly you can."

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Direct. 111. Send them as the last part of all their education, when they are settled in knowledge, sound doctrine, and godliness, and have first got such acquaintance with the state of the world, as reading, maps, and conversation and discourse can help them to: and not while they are young, and raw, and incapable of self-defence, or of due improving what they see.' And those that are thus prepared, will

have no great lust or fancy to wander, and lose their time, without necessity; for they will know, that there is nothing better (considerably) to be seen abroad, than is at home; that in all countries, houses are houses, and cities are cities, and trees are trees, and beasts are beasts, and men are men, and fools are fools, and wise men are wise, and learned men are learned, and sin is sin, and virtue is virtue. And these things are but the same abroad as at home: and that a grave is every where a grave, and you are travelling towards it, which way ever you go. And happy is he that spendeth his little time so, as may do God best service, and best prepare him for the state of immortality.

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Direct. iv. If experience of their youthful lust and pride, and vicious folly, or unsettled dangerous state, doth tell you plainly, that your child or apprentice is unfit for travel, venture them not upon it, either for the carnal ornaments of education, or for your worldly gain.' For souls that cost the blood of Christ, are more precious than to be sold at so low a rate: and especially by those parents and masters that are doubly obliged to love them, and to guide them in the way to heaven, and must be answerable for them.

Direct. v. Choose those countries for your children to travel in, which are soundest in doctrine and of best example, and where they may get more good than hurt; and venture them not needlessly into the places and company of greatest danger; especially among the Jesuits and friars, or, subtle heretics, or enemies of Christ.

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Direct. vi. Study before you go, what particular temptations you are like to meet with, and study well for particular preservatives against them all: as you will not go into a place infected with the plague, without an antidote.' It is no small task, to get a mind prepared for travel.

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Direct. VII. Carry with you such books as are fittest for your use, both for preservation and edification:' As to preserve you from Popery, Drelincourt's and Mr. Pool's small Manual: for which use my "Key for Catholics," and "Safe Religion," and "Sheet against Popery" may not be useless. And Dr. Challoner's "Credo Ecclesiam Catholicam " is short and very strong. To preserve you against infidelity, "Vander Meulin," in Latin, and Grotius; and in

English my "Reasons of the Christian Religion," may not be unfit. For your practice, the Bible and the "Practice of Piety," and Mr. Scudder's "Daily Walk," and Mr. Reyner's" Directions," and Dr. Ames's "Cases of Conscience."

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Direct. VIII. Get acquaintance with the most able reformed divines, in the places where you travel and make use of their frequent converse, for your edification and defence.' For it is the wisest and best men in all countries where you come, that must be profitable to you, if any.

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Direct. 1x. Set yourselves in a way of regular study if you are travellers, as if you were at home, and on a course of regular employment if you are tradesmen, and make not mere wandering and gazing upon novelties, your trade and business; but redeem your time as laboriously as you would do in the most settled life.' For time is precious, wherever you be; and it must be diligence every where that must cause your proficiency; for place and company will not do it without your labour. It is not an university that will make a sluggish person wise, nor a foreign land that will furnish a sensual sot with wisdom: Cœlum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt.' There is more ado necessary to make you wise, or bring you to heaven, than to go long journies, or see many people.

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Direct. x. Avoid temptations: if you acquaint yourselves with the humours, and sinful opinions, and fashions of the time and places where you are, let it be but as the Lacedemonians called out their children to see a drunkard, to hate the sin; therefore see them, but taste them not, as you would do by poison or loathsome things.' Once or twice seeing a folly and sin is enough. If you do it frequently, custom will abate your detestation, and do much to reconcile you to it.

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Direct. x1. Set yourselves to do all the good you can to the miserable people in the places where you come.' Furnish yourselves with the aforesaid books and arguments, not only to preserve yourselves, but also to convince poor infidels and Papists. And pity their souls, as those that believe, that there is indeed a life to come; where happiness and misery, will shew the difference between the godly and the wicked. Especially merchants and factors, who live

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