Heraclitus Christianus, or, The man of sorrow being a reflection on all states and conditions of human life : in three books.

CHAP. IV. Man's Misery further considered, in the course and Education of his Youth.

WE have shewed through how ma∣ny perils and dangers man cometh out of his first labyrinth of infancy: Let us now consider him a little more advanced in age; let us see whether there is any end of his miseries; and if we would be equi∣table judges, we shall find that he is so far from ending of them, that he precipitateth and rusheth himself farther into them; for that is the time wherein Nature hath pro∣vided for him a most furious combat: the blood beginneth to boil, the flesh excites and summ••••s him to voluptuosness, sensua∣lity guides him, the world flatters him, the Devil tempts him, youth invites him, and it is almost impossible that being beset with so many vicious allurements; that he is not at the last vanquished and cast down: for to him that hath riches, youth, liberty and delicacies, all the Vices of the world (saith Marc. Aurel.) lay siege to, and easily over∣come

him, and that many times through fault of his Parents, who teach him not, either by Example or Precept, the ways of Virtue and Piety, but leave him to the fury of his wicked inclinations: And if Ely was so grievously punished for not cor∣recting his Children, what can those Fa∣thers likely expect, who instead of being their correctors, have been their corrupt∣ors?—Such Parents may well be compa∣red to the Ape, who so huggeth her young ones, that she killeth them; and are often∣times the caus•• of their shameful and un∣timely end: The Ancient Romans had the Fathers which chastised not their Children, in so great contempt and abhorrency, that they made a Law which they called Falci∣dia, by which it was ordered, that for the first fault, the party offending should be admonished, for the second he should be chastised, for the third he should be hang∣ed, and the Father banished; the not cor∣recting his Son being imputed to him, as if participator in the Crime.—But I would now willingly ask, what the Ancient Ro∣mans would do if they beheld the present pitiful state of many of our Republiques? what fines, what punishment, what penal∣ty would they lay upon those Fathers, who instead of establishing a rule and go∣vernment

in their houses, and shewing them a good pattern for there imitation, corrupt and deprave them by their vicious and wicked Example: for the first Precept and Rule of good living they receive from them, is to Curse and Blaspheme, to be Intemperate in their eating and drinking, and to dissipate their substance in Whoring, Gaming, and all manner of debauchery? there being not also a few Mothers in the world, who do as Herodias, learning their Daughters to dance, paint, plaister, patch and disguise their Faces; to load themselves with Rings and Jewels, that they may tell every one that meets them, how inward∣ly barren they are of all true worth and value: But it will be with them in the end, as it was with David, the Sin of whom was punished by his Children; who were so irregular, that one of them violated his own natural Sister, Tamar, and conspired the death of his own Father, and drove him out of his Kingdom. For the Rule of the ancient Philosophers has always proved true, that man committeth many faults in this world, the punishment of which, God reserveth in the other: but this sin of not well Educating our Children, he usually punisheth in this; for the Father in beget∣ting his Sons, gives them nothing but mor∣tality

and weakness; but by good Educa∣tion, Fame and everlasting Renown: We will conclude then, that if the Children have been in great peril and misery often∣times by the corrupt milk of their Nurses; yet nevertheless the danger is double, in respect of them who ought to instruct them; for as much as that the nutriment of the body is of far less consequence, than that of the mind. But seeing that we have not as yet mentioned Plato, who hath Di∣vinely Philosophiz'd on Human Calamities, and so lively represented the miseries of this life, that many of his Disciples reading his Books, have cast themselves down head∣long from the tops of Rocks and Moun∣tains into Rivers, that so cutting the thread of their Calamitous life, they might have the enjoyments of the next: This great Philosopher Plato, in a Dialogue that he hath made concerning Death, and con∣tempt of this life, introduceth Socrates, who deduceth by an admirable Eloquence the miseries and frailties of Human condi∣tion, as followeth: Knowest thou not (saith He) that Human life is nothing but a pere∣grination, which the wise perform and pass in joy, singing with gladness, when that by necessity they approach unto the end of it? Dost thou not well know that man consisteth

of spirit, which is enclosed in his body as in a Tabernacle; which Nature has bestow∣ed upon him, not without great vexation; and though she does bequeath some small be∣nefits to us, yet are they nevertheless hid, and of a short durance, and consumed in sor∣row and trouble; by reason of which the soul resenting the dolour, cometh to desire the Coelestial Habitation, and wisheth for the Fruition of heavenly pleasures. Consider that the going out of this world is no other thing than a mutation and exchange of evil for good; and what evil (saith He) and mi∣sery doth not man endure from his birth to his Sepulchre? What▪kind of sorrow is there that he hath not experienced, be it of heat, of cold, of torments in his body, as also of his mind? What other messenger, or more certain forerunner can he have of his mi∣sery, than his tears, sighings and groan∣ings? But after he hath born so many evils, and come to the 7th year of his age, he must have Guardians and Tutors for his instruction in Learning; moreover grow∣ing and coming into his youth, he had need of Correctors, who with rigor must ob∣serve his actions, to tame and accustom him to labour.