The Christian education of children: according to the maxims of the Sacred Scripture, and the instructions of the fathers of the church / written and several times printed in French, and now translated into English.

CHAP. XIV. What is most opposite to the Application of these Maxims and of these Ad∣vices in the Christian Education of Children.

THere are two things particularly which hinder Fathers and Mo∣thers from following the Maxims of the Gospel and the Advices of the Fathers of the Church in the Education of their Children, to wit, Custom and Ambition.

The First, although most com∣monly, it hath no more lawful foundation than the disorder of In∣feriours and the remissness of Supe∣riours, makes it self nevertheless to be followed by all the world. It gains the heart and the spirit of them who most resist it: and as S. Augustin excellently says, it choaks Christians, and stifles in them the most tender fee∣lings

of piety by the very example of Christians.

The Second transports the spirits of men to seek after the goods of the World. It serves it self of the natural desire we have of glory, to make us seek it in the estate of a high fortune. And at the same time when Custome hinders parents from following the Evangelical Maxims in the Education of their children, by instilling contrary principles into them, Ambition withdraws them from them by applying all their thoughts and all their affections to the temporal settlement of their children.

Here it is that I pray you to ob∣serve the cunning of the Devil to deceive us, and what art he makes use of to destroy us. Parents can∣not chuse but labour in the Educa∣tion of their children; and it is a feeling which is too natural to them not to be inclined thereto even with some sort of violence. He will not

therefore fight openly against it and labour to destroy it; but he dexte∣rously turns this inclination towards an end which is altogether carnal and terrestriall; and shutting their eyes against the lights of Reason and Faith, he presents to them a false day-light, which causes them to make a thousand false steps, I would say, which engages them by humane respects to follow in the Education of their children the ayr of the World, and the Rules which worldly corruption hath introdu∣ced.

Resolve therefore, my Sister, to renounce all that the world ap∣proves, and to enter upon thoughts opposite to them which the World inspires into its bond-slaves. You will finde no difficulty to follow this counsel, if you reade the 15. and the 17. Chapter of St. John, where Christ Jesus instils into his Disciples so strong an aversion from the world, that in

good truth I think one cannot be∣lieve the Gospel, and live without trembling in the esteem and approba∣tion of the world.

Now when I tell you that you ought to dread nothing more than to live according to the World; think not that I pretend you should (having children) leade a solitary life, and break all the customs which Blood and Friendship permit unto you whilst you live upon earth. 'Tis not that which Christ Jesus demands of a person engaged, as you are, in Marriage. I desire on∣ly that you keep in your discourses and in all your proceedings, so great a modesty, so great a reservedness, and so perfect a sweetness, that your sole exteriour may condemn all the Vanities and all the pomps of the World.

I desire that entring into compa∣ny, they who are so gorgeously cloathed may blush at your simplici∣ty, and that your modest dress may

give them a confusion in their ex∣cesses.

I desire that your children may be cherished by all the world by rea∣son of the Innocence and the piety you have instilled into them; that all Fathers and all Mothers should envy your happiness because of their obedience; and that they be not sought for in Marriage but because of their Virtue and their Mo∣desty.

Finally, I desire that your house should be so well regulated, and your domesticks so well instructed, that all things with you may breathe nothing but Piety and Honesty: and (as St. Chrysostom says) that your house in particular may be as it were a lit∣tle draught and an image of the whole Church.

For this end, Sister, you must un∣fetter your self by little and little from all creatures, not studying to scrape up wealth for your children;

you must not rob the poor of their due to content your covetousness and to bereave your Children of the pro∣tection of God who is their true Fa∣ther. If our Lord himself builds not a House, in vain (says the prophet Psal. 126.1.) they labour who strive to raise it up. To raise it extremely high is to seek its ruine, Prov. 17.17. And he who governs himself by a spirit of Avarice troubles and overthrows his house, Prov. 15.27. And if (accord∣ing to St. Augustin) 'tis God who makes the poor and who makes the rich; why should you so much disquiet your self for your Children? Why should you not have a confidence in his providence? Why should you not employ all your cares to render them gratefull to him, and a part of your means to procure for them Interces∣sours and Freinds near his Divine Majesty, Luk. 16.9.

For the rest, Sister, although God should give you grace to observe ex∣actly

in the education of your Chil∣dren all that we have here represented unto you, and that you should ap∣ply your self totally to instill into them the Maxims of the Gospel and of the Fathers of the Church, and to imprint in them a horrour of all that is contrary thereunto: You are nevertheless to leave the event en∣tirely to God, committing to his Wisdom and to his Goodness to make your solicitudes profitable to your Children.

For as you ought to look only on his Glory in the pains you take to educate them according to the Laws of the Gospel; if he suffers you to be frustrated in some of them of the fruit of your labour, and that they should neglect all the good feelings which you have endevoured to in∣stil into them, to abandon themselves to the passions and to the disorders which reign in the World: you ought in this to submit your self to his holy Will, as in every thing else,

and to beware of suffering your self to be transported to any words of murmure, or to believe that God had not accepted your cares and your pains; since nothing will happen to you in this, which he hath not per∣mitted to befall many Saints.

Finally, I observe in the holy Scri∣pture that the major part of them who have been particularly favoured of God, have all of them received displeasure in some of their Chil∣dren.

Adam had the grief to see his younger Son mur∣dered by his elder Brother, and to see that elder Son by a just judge∣ment of God to be a Vagabond and Fugitive upon the earth for the punish∣ment of his crime.

Of the three Sons of Noah, one of them dis∣covered to his Brethren with con∣tempt the undecent posture wherein he had found his Father in his drun∣kenness, instead of hiding it from

himself, through respect, as did his Brethren; which drew upon his other posterity the malediction of his Father and that of God.

What displeasure had Isaac for the dissention which was between Jacob and Esau, and which obliged him to banish Jacob many years from him, and to send him into Mesopotamia, till such time as Esau's anger was appeased? Did not Esau marry strange Women against his will, against which he had so great an aversion that he ex∣presly recommended to Jacob not to imitate therein his Brother, and ne∣ver to take a Wife among the chil∣dren of Canaan?

Jacob had the affliction to see four of his Children fall into a great crime, of which Joseph who was his youngest, accu∣sed them before him. He had the displeasure to hear, that Reuben who was hi•• ••••••est Son, had abused Ba∣la one of his Wives. The indiscreti∣on

of Dina his only Daughter, was the cause that she was carried away and ravished by Sichem who was a young Lord of his Neighbourhood. Simeon and Levi, two of his Chil∣dren, entred into a confederacy with∣out his leave and against his will to revenge this fact; and killing all the subjects of that Prince, exposed their Father, as he himself complain∣ed, to the hatred of all his Neigh∣bourhood. All the world knows the affliction which the jealousy of his Children against Joseph caused him to undergo, and the sorrow he had for the captivity of Benjamin whom he so tenderly loved.

Aaron saw two of his Sons who were consecrated to the service of the Altar, punished with death for having committed a fault in the exercise of their ministe∣ry; and he was so lively touched therewith that he could not eat that day of the meats which had been offered in Sacrifice, nor apply him∣self

as he ought to the functions of his Priesthood; because (as himself says,) he had his heart and his spirit overwhelmed with sorrow for this loss.

The great Priest Heli, who was a very holy man, had two very wicked Sons, who after they had caused him much displeasure by the disorder of their life, made him dye with grief when he was informed in what manner they were slain, and the dreadful chastisement they had drawn down from Heaven by their crimes upon the whole people of Israel.

Samuel had but two Sons whom he had esta∣blished Judges of the people. But they were no sooner raised to that dignity, but they suffered themselves to be corrupted with presents, and appeared so self-interessed and so un∣just, that all the people rejected them and demanded a King of Samu∣el to place in their stead.

What displeasures did not David receive from his children? Ammon his eldest Son committed an Incest with his Si∣ster Thamar: Absalon, his second Son, slew Ammon at a banquet, to revenge the injury done to his Sister: and this Wretch having re∣covered the friendship of his Father, studied secretly to raise the people a∣gainst him: then openly declaring himself and taking arms, forced him to fly from Jerusalem, abused his Wives in the sight of all the peo∣ple, and had the insolence to pursue him with his weapons in his hand, and to give him battle.

Now if you desire to know why God permitted that these great men, for whom he had done so many wonders, and to whom he had testified so great love, received not∣withstanding such sensible displea∣sures from their children, and that these children did so strangely de∣generate from the Virtue and the

piety of their parents; it is easy to answer you, that it is to teach Fa∣thers and Mothers who have not the merit of these so illustrious men.

First, that they are indebted only to Gods grace, that their children cause not to them the same displea∣sures; and that it would little a∣vail them to have applied themselves with much care to the education of their children if he did not bless their endeavours.

Secondly, that the greatest tryall which can befall a Christian Fa∣ther, and which God makes use of to prove his fidelity and his sub∣mission to the orders of his provi∣dence, is to permit his children to fail in their duties and in what they are bound to render to God; and that thus Fathers and Mothers ought to dispose themselves to sup∣port these sorts of afflictions and tryalls, how hard soever they be with Christian dispositions,

when he shall please to send them.

Thirdly, that as it is a matter of great difficulty not to commit some fault, either in the manner of edu∣cating their children, or in over∣much indulging them, or finally, in being too much tyed to them in a humane way; God according to the immutable order of his Wise∣dom, who punishes us by the same things whereby we have offended him, makes use of children to chastise Fathers and Mothers for the faults they have committed up∣on their consideration. Thus God punished the incontinence of Da∣vid by taking out of the world the Son he had by Bathsheba; and revenged afterwards the Adultery committed by him in secret with this Woman, by the abuse which Absalon made of his wives in the open sight of all his people.

Finally, God permits that parents should receive displeasure from their

children, not only to humble them, and to try their fidelity, and to punish the faults they may have committed in their Educati∣on; but furthermore to purify the rational affection they have for them, and to teach them to love them, not because of the sweet∣ness they finde in the submission and the respect they render them, but because they belong to God. For God will have them accustom themselves to look upon him alone in all they do for their children, and to surmount all the difficul∣ties which occur in the designe they have to bring them to his service, even to suffer patiently the contempt they make of their advertisements; and to pursue them by the example of St. Moni∣oa, in spight of all their resistance, till God hath touched their heart, and till they have obtained their conversion by their tears and by their perseve∣rance,

as that Saint obtained it for St. Augustin.

You will perchance tell me that I exact great things of you; that I demand you should do all your actions in a spirit of Piety and Zeal for the interests of God; that you should be perpetually employ∣ed to procure his glory in the children he shall please to give you; and that by consequence I engage you to a continual Prayer, since I propose unto you a con∣duct, and Maxims which you can∣not keep without being powerfully supported by him whose help we ob∣tain by humble prayer.

All this is true, Sister, and I aver that to acquit your self wor∣thily of the obligation you have to give your Children an entirely Christian Education; you are to follow in this Education the Maxims of the sacred Scripture, and the Advices of the Fathers of the Church; to ap∣ply them from their tender Infancy to

them particularly whom you de sign to live in the World; to embrace the means which may enable you in this generous enter∣prise; to overcome the oppositions which you shall meet therein; and to imitate perfectly the excel∣lent Idea's of the holy Education I have here traced to you in the conduct of God, and that of his Church; I avouch, I say, that to acquit your self worthily of all these Duties, you stand in need of very powerful Graces, and you ought to live in a continual search and in a profound adoration of the designes of God upon your Children.

You are very instantly to crave of him the use of his Lights to enter in∣to the knowledge of their necessi∣ties; you are to abandon your self to his spirit for the choice of such sentiments and feelings as you ought to instill into them, and of the times when your chastisements

and your instructions will be pro∣fitable unto them; and you must pray unto him; that since he who plants and he who waters is nothing, he himself will give virtue to your Words, that he will engrave in their hearts his Fear and his Love; and that as he would make use of you to give them the Life of Bo∣dy, and to employ your cares to procure that of their Soul by Bap∣tism, he will also make use of you to: conserve and strength∣en in them his Spirit and his grace.

To conclude, you are to propose to your self the attaining of a ve∣ry high perfection, and the faith∣full practise of all the most Chri∣stian Virtues; and to make it ap∣pear to the whole world by the Christian Education of your Chil∣dren, that you engaged not your self in Marriage upon humane con∣siderations, or upon any other score unworthy of Christianism;

but (to make use of the terms of St. Au∣gustin), That you were not a Wife nor desire to be a Mother, but for the love of Christ Jesus, and for the interests of his Church.

Notes

• S. Augustin.
• John ch. 15. and c. 17.
• S. Chrysost.
• S. Aug. ho. 48
• Adam.
• Noah.
• Isaac.
• Jacob.
• Aaron.
• Heli.
• Samuel.
• David.
• St. Monica.
• lib. of the good of Mar∣riage, c. 25.