6. Obiect. A mother that hath a trade, or that hath the care of an houſe, will neglect much buſineſſe by nurſing her childe: and her husband will ſaue more by giuing halfe a crowne a weeke to a nurſe, then if his wife gaue the childe ſucke. to §. 17. Of parents ioynt care about their childrens Baptiſme.

6. Obiect. A mother that hath a trade, or that hath the care of an houſe, will neglect much buſineſſe by nurſing her childe: and her husband will ſaue more by giuing halfe a crowne a weeke to a nurſe, then if his wife gaue the childe ſucke.

Anſw. No outward buſineſſe appertaining to a mother can be more acceptable to God then the nurſing of her childe: this is the moſt proper worke of her ſpeciall calling, therefore all other buſineſſes muſt giue place to this, and this muſt not be left for any other buſineſſe.

As for the husbands ſauing by putting the childe forth to nurſe, no gaine may giue a diſpenſation againſt a bounden duty.

7. Obiect. It will breake tender faire women, and make them looke old too ſoone.

1. Anſw. Gods ordinance muſt not giue place to womens [gap]iceneſſe. Sarah was faire and old: The Virgin Mary was faire and young.

2. Anſw. Drying vp a womans milke will more breake her, then her childes ſucking of it: for it is a meanes both of better health, and alſo of greater ſtrength, as to beare children, ſo to giue them ſucke. Barren women and bearing women which put forth their children to ſucke, are moſt ſubiect to ſickneſſe and weakneſſe. The drawing forth of a womans milke by her childe is a meanes to get and preſerue a good ſtomach, which is a great preſeruatiue of good health.

8. Obiect. Husbands are diſturbed in the night time, and hindred of their ſleepe by their wiues giuing ſucke to their children.

1. Anſw. By this reaſon neither mothers nor other nurſes

which haue husbands, ſhould giue ſucke to children.

2. Anſw. Seeing children come from the loines of the father, as well as out of the wombe of the mother, they muſt be content to endure ſome diſturbance as well as their wiues, and ſo much the rather that they may the more pitty their wiues, and afford vnto them what helpe they can.

9. Obiect. Many husbands will not ſuffer their wiues to nurſe their children themſelues.

Anſw. Becauſe it is a bounden duty, wiues muſt vſe all the meanes they can by themſelues or others to perſwade their husbands to let them performe it: they muſt take heede that they make not this a pretext to couer their owne ſloth, and lothneſſe to this duty: they may not make themſelues acceſſarie to their husbands fault by prouiding a nurſe, and ſending the childe away themſelues: if their husbands will ſtand vpon their authority, and be perſwaded by no meanes to the contrary, they muſt be meere patients in ſuffering the childe to be taken away.

10. Obiect. Many poore women maintaine their houſe by nurſing other folkes children.

Anſw. If they were not that way imployed, they might take paines in ſome other thing. But the gaine of one may not make another neglect her duty.

11. Obiect. Some mothers cannot giue ſucke, they haue no milke: others cannot very well, in that they haue no nipples, or they haue ſore breaſts, or are ſickly, or it may be that they haue ſuch a diſeaſe, as the childe, if it ſhould ſucke of their milke, would draw to it ſelfe, and ſo the ſucking might proue very dangerous to the childe.

1. Anſw. God requireth no impoſſibilities: wherefore in propounding the duty I put in this caution (ſo far as they are able.)

2. God requireth mercie, and not ſacrifice: if therefore in truth it be ſo that the mothers giuing ſucke to the childe will be dangerous to her ſelfe or to the childe, ſhe may and ought to forbeare: for giuing ſucke is but as ſacrifice to preuenting of danger, which is mercie. But women muſt take heed that they pretend not inability, and danger without iuſt cauſe. Some are themſelues the cauſe of wanting milke becauſe they

will not let it be drawne downe; or becauſe they will not vſe meanes (for meanes there are) to get and increaſe milke. There are meanes alſo to raiſe nipples where the breaſts are very flat. Refuſing to giue ſucke many times cauſeth ſome ſickiſhneſſe in a woman, and ſore breaſts, which might be preuented with the childes ſucking. If the foreneſſe be only in the nipples, a mother with enduring a little more paine may ſafely giue the childe ſucke. Many mothers haue giuen their children ſucke when bloud hath runne by the mouth of the childe by reaſon of ſore nipples, and yet both mother and childe done very well.

12. Obiect. Diuers children being nurſed by the mother haue died one after another.

Anſw. Due and thorow ſearch muſt be made by thoſe that are skilfull: and if any cauſe be found in the mother, then the rule holdeth, Mercy and not ſacrifice: but if none can be found, the iſſue muſt be referred to Gods prouidence: and the vncertaine euen muſt not be an hinderance to a knowne dutie.

Thus the anſwering of the forenamed obiections maketh the point ſo much the more cleere.

§. 14. Of the fathers dutie in incouraging his wife to nurſe her childe.

The dutie which on a fathers part in this reſpect is required, is that he incourage his wife, and helpe her with all needfull things for the performance of this dutie. It is noted of Elka [gap]ah, that he ſuffered his wife to tarry at home while ſhe gaue ſucke to her ſonne, and would not force her to goe vp to the tabernacle as his other wife did, but gaue her all the eaſe and content he could, ſaying to her, Doe what ſeemeth thee good. And of Abraham it is noted, that after Sarah had done giuing the childe ſucke, he made a great feaſt, euen the day that

Iſaak was weined: one end whereof was to teſtifie his reioycing for Gods bleſſing on her motherly dutie ſo well performed.

§. 15. Of the faults contrarie to a mothers nurſing her childe.

Contrary to this dutie doe all ſuch mothers offend, as for

any by-reſpects when no neceſſity requireth put forth their children to be nurſed by others.

• 1. Some doe it for eaſe and quiet, becauſe they cannot endure to haue their ſleepe broken, or to heare their childe wrangle and crie.

• 2. Others doe it for niceneſſe, becauſe they are loth to open their breaſts, or to ſoile their cloathes.

• 3. Others vpon pride, conceiting that their beauty would be impaired, and they looke old too ſoone.

• 4. Others vpon gaine, becauſe they can haue a childe cheaper nurſed abroad then at home, where, at leaſt, they muſt hire a maid the more.

• 5. Others vpon pleaſure, that they might more freely ride abroad, and meet their Goſſips.

• 6. Others vpon other by-reſpects: all which doe argue much ſelfe-loue: little loue to their childe, and little reſpect to God. They can be counted but halfe-mothers: for nurſing a childe is as much as bearing and bringing it forth.

§. 16. Of a fathers fault in hindring his wiues nurſing of her child.

To the forenamed fault of mothers doe all ſuch fathers make themſelues acceſſary, as forbid their wiues to nurſe their children, or are a griefe to them by their complaints of trouble, diſquiet and expence: or afford not things needfull, or doe not incourage them all they can to doe it. The mothers both paine and paines is the greateſt: it is in compariſon but a ſmall thing that fathers can endure therein. Their fault therefore muſt needs be the greater, if any way they be an occaſion of their childes putting forth to nurſe: which I haue the rather noted, becauſe husbands for the moſt part are the cauſe that their wiues nurſe not their owne children: and that partly by ſuffering, and partly by egging them on to put out their children. If husbands were willing that their wiues ſhould performe this dutie, and would perſwade and incourage them thereto, and afford them what helpes they could, where one mother now nurſeth her childe, twenty would doe it.

§. 17. Of parents ioynt care about their childrens Baptiſme.

There is a further dutie to be performed of parents to their

children euen in their infancy, and that is in regard of their ſpirituall good, which is this,

Parents ought to procure that their children be rightly baptized in due ſeaſon.

This is indeed a common dutie appertaining to both parents, but moſt principally to the father, and that for two reaſons.

1. The father is the chiefe and principall Gouernour, and hath the greateſt charge: accordingly he ought to haue the greateſt care euen in ſuch matters as are common to both.

2. The mother at that time by reaſon of her trauell and deliuery is weake, and not in caſe to haue her head much troubled with many cares; much leſſe able her ſelfe to take order for ſuch weighty matters. Only the husband is to make knowne to his wife (if ſhe be not extraordinarily weake) what his purpoſe is concerning the place, time, manner, and other like circumſtances of baptizing the childe, and to aduiſe with her about the name, witneſſes, and ſuch like points. And if the husband be too backward and negligent, the wife ought ſo farre as ſhe is able to put him in minde of his dutie therein, and to ſtirre him vp by her ſelfe or ſome other to performe it.