a treatise on good works-第21章

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subject　to　other　men。　Hence　it　comes　that　obedience　is　so　highly

praised　and　all　virtue　and　good　works　are　included　in　it。　



III。　There　is　another　dishonoring　of　parents；　much　more　dangerous

and　subtile　than　this　first；　which　adorns　itself　and　passes　for

a　real　honor；　that　is；　when　a　child　has　its　own　way；　and　the

parents　through　natural　love　allow　it。　Here　there　is　indeed

mutual　honor；　here　there　is　mutual　love；　and　on　all　sides　it　is

a　precious　thing；　parents　and　child　take　mutual　pleasure　in　one

another。　



This　plague　is　so　common　that　instances　of　the　first　form　of

dishonoring　are　very　seldom　seen。　This　is　due　to　the　fact　that

the　parents　are　blinded；　and　neither　know　nor　honor　God　according

to　the　first　three　Commandments；　hence　also　they　cannot　see　what

the　children　lack；　and　how　they　ought　to　teach　and　train　them。

For　this　reason　they　train　them　for　worldly　honors；　pleasure　and

possessions；　that　they　may　by　all　means　please　men　and　reach　high

positions：　this　the　children　like；　and　they　obey　very　gladly

without　gainsaying。　



Thus　God's　Commandment　secretly　comes　to　naught　while　all　seems

good；　and　that　is　fulfilled　which　is　written　in　the　Prophets

Isaiah　and　Jeremiah；　that　the　children　are　destroyed　by　their　own

parents；　and　they　do　like　the　king　Manasseh；　who　sacrificed　his

own　son　to　the　idol　Moloch　and　burned　him；　II。　Kings　xxi。　What

else　is　it　but　to　sacrifice　one's　own　child　to　the　idol　and　to

burn　it；　when　parents　train　their　children　more　in　the　way　of　the

world　than　in　the　way　of　God？　let　them　go　their　way；　and　be

burned　up　in　worldly　pleasure；　love；　enjoyment；　possessions　and

honor；　but　let　God's　love　and　honor　and　the　desire　of　eternal

blessings　be　quenched　in　them？　



O　how　perilous　it　is　to　be　a　father　or　a　mother；　where　flesh　and

blood　are　supreme！　For；　truly；　the　knowledge　and　fulfilment　of

the　first　three　and　the　last　six　Commandments　depends　altogether

upon　this　Commandment；　since　parents　are　commanded　to　teach　them

to　their　children；　as　Psalm　lxxviii。　says；　〃How　strictly　has　He

commanded　our　fathers；　that　they　should　make　known　God's

Commandments　to　their　children；　that　the　generation　to　come　might

know　them　and　declare　them　to　their　children's　children。〃　This

also　is　the　reason　why　God　bids　us　honor　our　parents；　that　is；

to　love　them　with　fear；　for　that　other　love　is　without　fear；

therefore　it　is　more　dishonor　than　honor。　



Now　see　whether　every　one　does　not　have　good　works　enough　to　do；

whether　he　be　father　or　child。　But　we　blind　men　leave　this

untouched；　and　seek　all　sorts　of　other　works　which　are　not

commanded。



IV。　Now　where　parents　are　foolish　and　train　their　children　after

the　fashion　of　the　world；　the　children　are　in　no　way　to　obey

them；　for　God；　according　to　the　first　three　Commandments；　is　to

be　more　highly　regarded　than　the　parents。　But　training　after　the

fashion　of　the　world　I　call　it；　when　they　teach　them　to　seek　no

more　than　pleasure；　honor　and　possessions　of　this　world　or　its

power。　



To　wear　decent　clothes　and　to　seek　an　honest　living　is　a

necessity；　and　not　sin。　Yet　the　heart　of　a　child　must　be　taught

to　be　sorry　that　this　miserable　earthly　life　cannot　well　be

lived；　or　even　begun；　without　the　striving　after　more　adornment

and　more　possessions　than　are　necessary　for　the　protection　of　the

body　against　cold　and　for　nourishment。　Thus　the　child　must　be

taught　to　grieve　that；　without　its　own　will；　it　must　do　the

world's　will　and　play　the　fool　with　the　rest　of　men；　and　endure

such　evil　for　the　sake　of　something　better　and　to　avoid　something

worse。　So　Queen　Esther　wore　her　royal　crown；　and　yet　said　to　God；

Esther　xiv；　〃Thou　knowest；　that　the　sign　of　my　high　estate；　which

is　upon　my　head；　has　never　yet　delighted　me；　and　I　abhor　it　as

a　menstruous　rag；　and　never　wear　it　when　I　am　by　myself；　but　when

I　must　do　it　and　go　before　the　people。〃　The　heart　that　is　so

minded　wears　adornment　without　peril；　for　it　wears　and　does　not

wear；　dances　and　does　not　dance；　lives　well　and　does　not　live

well。　And　these　are　the　secret　souls；　hidden　brides　of　Christ；

but　they　are　rare；　for　it　is　hard　not　to　delight　in　great

adornment　and　parade。　Thus　St。　Cecilia　wore　golden　clothes　at　the

command　of　her　parents；　but　within　against　her　body　she　wore　a

garment　of　hair。　



Here　some　men　say：　〃How　then　could　I　bring　my　children　into

society；　and　marry　them　honorably？　I　must　make　some　display。〃

Tell　me；　are　not　these　the　words　of　a　heart　which　despairs　of

God；　and　trusts　more　on　its　own　providing　than　on　God's　care？

Whereas　St。　Peter　teaches　and　says；　I。　Peter　v；　〃Cast　all　your

care　upon　Him；　and　be　certain　that　He　cares　for　you。〃　It　is　a

sign　that　they　have　never　yet　thanked　God　for　their　children；

have　never　yet　rightly　prayed　for　them；　have　never　yet　commended

them　to　Him；　otherwise　they　would　know　and　have　experienced　that

they　ought　to　ask　God　also　for　the　marriage　dower　of　their

children；　and　await　it　from　Him。　Therefore　also　He　permits　them

to　go　their　way；　with　cares　and　worries；　and　yet　succeed　poorly。　



V。　Thus　it　is　true；　as　men　say；　that　parents；　although　they　had

nothing　else　to　do；　could　attain　salvation　by　training　their　own

children；　if　they　rightly　train　them　to　God's　service；　they　will

indeed　have　both　hands　full　of　good　works　to　do。　For　what　else

are　here　the　hungry；　thirsty；　naked；　imprisoned；　sick；　strangers；

than　the　souls　of　your　own　children？　with　whom　God　makes　of　your

house　a　hospital；　and　sets　you　over　them　as　chief　nurse；　to　wait

on　them；　to　give　them　good　words　and　works　as　meat　and　drink；

that　they　may　learn　to　trust；　believe　and　fear　God；　and　to　place

their　hope　on　Him；　to　honor　His　Name；　not　to　swear　nor　curse；　to

mortify　themselves　by　praying；　fasting；　watching；　working；　to

attend　worship　and　to　hear　God's　Word；　and　to　keep　the　Sabbath；

that　they　may　learn　to　despise　temporal　things；　to　bear

misfortune　calmly；　and　not　to　fear　death　nor　to　love　this　life。　



See；　what　great　lessons　are　these；　how　many　good　works　you　have

before　you　in　your　home；　with　your　child；　that　needs　all　these

things　like　a　hungry；　thirsty；　naked；　poor；　imprisoned；　sick

soul。　O　what　a　blessed　marriage　and　home　were　that　where　such

parents　were　to　be　found！　Truly　it　would　be　a　real　Church；　a

chosen　cloister；　yea；　a　paradise。　Of　such　says　Psalm　cxxviii：

〃Blessed　are　they　that　fear　God；　and　walk　in　His　Commandments；

thou　shalt　eat　of　the　labor　of　thine　hands；　therefore　thou　shalt

be　happy；　and　it　shall　be　well　with　thee。　Thy　wife　shall　be　as

a　fruitful　vine　in　thine　house；　and　thy　children　shall　be　as　the

young　scions　of　laden　olive　trees　about　thy　table。　Behold；　thus

shall　the　man　be　blessed；　that　feareth　the　Lord；〃　etc。　Where　are

such　parents？　Where　are　they　that　ask　after　good　works？　Here　none

wishes　to　come。　Why？　God　has　commanded　it；　the　devil；　flesh　and

blood　pull　away　from　it；　it　makes　no　show；　therefore　it　counts

for　nothing。　Here　this　husband　runs　to　St。　James；　that　wife　vows

a　pilgrimage　to　Our　Lady；　no　one　vows　that　he　will　properly

govern　and　teach　himself　and　his　child　to　the　honor　of　God；　he

leaves　behind　those　whom　God　has　commanded　him　to　keep　in　body

and　soul；　and　would　serve　God　in　some　other　place；　which　has　not

been　commanded　him。　Such　perversity　no　bishop　forbids；　no

preacher　corrects；　nay；　for　covetousness'　sake　they　confirm　it

and　daily　only　invent　more　pilgrimages；　elevations　of　saints；

indulgence…fairs。　God　have　pity　on　such　blindness。　



VI。　On　the　other　hand；　parents　cannot　earn　eternal　punishment　in

any　way　more　easily　than　by　neglecting　their　own　children　in

their　own　home；　and　not　teaching　them　the　things　which　have　been

spoken　of　above。　Of　what　help　is　it；　that　they　kill　themselves

with　fasting；　praying；　making　pilgrimages；　and　do　all　manner　of

good　works？　God　will；　after　all；　not　ask　them　about　these　things

at　their　death　and　in　the　day　of　judgment；　but　will　require　of

them　the　children　wh