generally; in Point of Duty, always, They ought therefore to think of them with great Reverence, and treat them with every Mark of Submiffion, in Gesture, in Speech, in the whole of their Behaviour, which the Practice of wife and good Persons hath established, as proper Inftances of filial Regard. And though the Parents be mean in Station, or low in Understanding, still the Relation continues, and the Duty that belongs to it. Nay, suppose they be faulty in fome Part of their Conduct or Character, yet Children should be very backward to fee this; and it can very feldom be allowable for them to fhew that they see it. From the World they fhould always conceal it, as far as they can; for it is shocking beyond Measure in them to publish it. And if ever any Thing of this Nature must be mentioned to the Parents themselves, which nothing but great Neceffity can warrant or excufe; it should be with all poffible Gentleness and Modefty, and the most real Concern at being obliged to fo unnatural an Office.

3. Love

3. Love and Respect to Parents will always produce Obedience to them: a third Duty of the highest Importance. Children, for a confiderable Time, are utterly unqualified to govern themselves; and fo long as this continues to be the Cafe, must be abfolutely and implicitly governed by those, who alone can claim a Title to it. As they grow up to the Use of Understanding indeed, Reason should be gradually mixed with Authority, in every Thing that is required of them. But at the fame Time, Children fhould obferve, what they may eafily find to be true in daily Instances, that they are apt to think they know how to direct themselves, much fooner than they really do; and fhould therefore fubmit to be directed by their Friends in more Points, and for a longer Time, than perhaps they would naturally be tempted to with. Suppose, in that Part of your Lives which is already past, you had had your own Way in every Thing, what would have been the Confequences? You yourselves must fee, very bad ones.

what you will

8

Why other Perfons fee, fee alfo in time, that it

would

would be full as bad, were you to have your Way now. And what all who are likely to know, agree in, you should believe, and fubmit to. Your Parents and Governors have at leaft more knowledge and Experience, if they have not more Capacity, than you. And the Trouble which they take, and the Concern which they feel about you, plainly fhew that your Good is the Thing which they have at Heart. The only Reason why they do not indulge you in the Particulars that you wifh, is, that they fee it would hurt you. And it is a dreadful Venture for you, to think, as yet, of trufting yourselves. Trust therefore to thofe, whom you have all Manner of Reason to truft: and obey them willingly, who by the Laws of God and Man, have a right to rule you; and, generally fpeaking, a Power to make you obey at laft, be you ever fo unwilling.

Not that Children are bound to Obedience in all Things, without Exception. Should a Parent command them to lie, to steal, to commit any Wickedness; God commands the contrary; and He is to be

obeyed,

་

.

obeyed, not Man. Or fhould a Parent command any Thing of Confequence, directly opposite to the Laws of the Land, and the Injunctions of public Authority: here the Magiftrate, being the fuperior Power, in all Things that confeffedly belong to his Jurifdiction, is to be obeyed, rather than the Parent, who ought himself to be fubject to the Magiftrate. Or if, in other Points, a Parent fhould require what was both very evidently, and very greatly, unfuitable to a Child's Condition and Station; or had a clear Tendency to make him miferable; or would be certainly and confiderably prejudicial to him through the Remainder of his Life: where the one goes fo far beyond his juft Bounds, the other may allowably excufe himself from complying. Only the Case must be both fo plain, and withal of fuch a Moment, as may justify him, not only in his own Judgment, which may eafily be prejudiced, but in that of every confiderate Perfon, whom he hath Opportunity of confulting, and in the general Opinion of

See Taylor's Elements of Civil Law, p. 387, 388, 389.

Mankind.

Mankind. And even then, the Refufal must be accompanied with the greateft Decency and Humility; and the strictest Care to make amends, by all Inftances of real Duty, for this one feeming Want of Duty.

In Proportion as young Perfons approach to that Age, when the Law allows them to be capable of governing themselves, they become by Degrees lefs and lefs fubject to the Government of their Parents; especially in fmaller Matters; for in the more important Concerns of Life, and above all, in the very important one of Marriage, not only Daughters, (concerning whom, the very Phrase of giving them in Marriage, fhews that they are not to give themselves as they please) but Sons too, fhould have all poffible Regard to the Authority, the Judgment, the Bleffing, the Comfort of thofe, to whom they owe every Thing. And even after they are fent out into the World, to ftand on their own Bottom, ftill they remain for ever bound not to flight, or willingly to grieve them; but in all proper Affairs, to confult with them, and

hearken