THOMAS COBBET'S DISCOURSE ON THE RAISING OF CHILDREN

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274

THOMAS

COBBET’S

DISCOURSE

ON

THE

RAISING

OF

CHILDREN

By Herbert C. Miller, M.D., and Mary T. Miller

T

HREE HUNDRED years ago there

ap-peared in New England a book on how

to raise children-almost certainly the first

of its kind to appear in this country. The

fact that it was the forerunner of what in

recent years has amounted to a spate of

books and articles on the same subject is

noteworthy enough. More interesting is the

fact that it was written at all. Books on any

phase of child life were rarities in those

(lays. Individually, children 300 years ago

were undoubtedly’ as important to their

parents as they are today, hut children col-lectively and their special problems had not

loomed large in the public conscience.

Here, perhaps, for the first time, the

Amen-can conscience is speaking out on the

sub-ject of children-through a minister whose

parishioners approved what they heard from

the pulpit and urged that it be set down

in print. Because Thomas Cobbet deemed

them worthy subjects, we can now catch a

glimpse of children of early New England

and compare their behavior and what

Pun-tan New England thought about it with

children and parents of today. The

compani-sons are made doubly interesting since our

present culture is still heavily indebted to Puritan thought.

Not much is known of Thomas Cobbet,

the author.1 He was born 111 Newbury,

Eng-land, 111 1608. He atten(led Oxford but left

on account of the plague. He was a

non-conformist and chose to emigrate to avoid

persecution. Cobbet arrived in

Massachu-setts in 1637 with Davenport, and was a

colleague to Mr. Whiting of Lynn until

1656 when lle became the pastor of the first

church ill Ipswich, where he remained

un-til his death in 1685. FIe was a learned

man. He knew his Bible, but he was also

From the I)epartments of Pediatrics and History

of Medicine, University of Kansas School of

Mcdi-cine, Kansas City, Kansas.

widely read in Greek and Roman classics,

quoting from all 3 sources profusely

throughout his Discourse. Nor wa he

ad-verse to citing recent works in order to

bolster his arguments. According to Cotton

Mathen he was one of the most prolific

au-thors among the ministers of his day.’ His

fame as a minister was in large pant due to

the efficacy of his prayers. His reputation

was considerably enhanced, according to

Mathen’s account, when his son, captured

by the “savages,” was restored to him as a

result of his prayers. Cobbet professed to

have put these sermons on the raising of

children in writing at the behest of his pa-nishioners. It may be supposed that so pro-lific a writer did not require much urging. The Discourse was written in Lynn,

Massa-chusetts, in the winter of 1654-55 and

printed in London in 1656. It contains 243

pages.

The author’s purpose in writing this

Dis-course was laudable and was in keeping with the Puritans’ interest in improving life on earth. It can best be stated by quoting his own words in the Epistle to the Reader. “The glorious creator of all things . . .chose

to lay the foundations both of State and

Church in a family, making that the Mother

Hive out of which both those swarms of

State and Church issued forth.” He went on

to say, “. . . as the waters at the webb-head

of State and Church are more or less pure

and wholesome, bitter or sweet, so are they usually of like sort in those streams of State

and Church which borrow their Oniginabl

and supply from that spring, Numbers, 24:7

II

Jacob and his descendants].” He ended the

Epistle with a prayer, “And Oh that the

Lord would so far bless this discourse that

it might become instrumental to the

heal-ing of any naughty waters, . . . that there

might be no more such spiritual death and

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SPECIAL ARTICLE 275

State by corruption in the Family in these

dechnmg and degenerating days.” It is

doubtful that anyone today who believes in

democracy would disagree with the

im-pontant role Cobbet has assigned to the

family in society.

His description of the “naughty waters” of his day is enlightening.

“It is no wonder that children who honor not Parents are given to . . .vices to which loose and lewd companions will readily

draw them. Surely it is justly to be feared

to be too much our case in New England,

where many of the youth grow so rude and

profane, so regardless of superiors in the

family as masters, in the State as

Magis-trates, in the Church as Elders: where

many of them are so vainly given, so loose

in their company, so proud and

supencili-ous in their carriages, so new-fangied in

their fashions and nuffianly in their hair, nay jeanens many of them at the best

pen-sons and things, 111 a word, where is so

little yet appearing of God on good in too

many of them; I say it is justly to be feared

that children here are not honounens of

Parents. Here Parents are commonly put

more to it to make use of their childrens

hands and help, and so children here being

naturally apt to count too much upon what

they do for Parents, they are as apt to set

the more light by them and by their

instnuc-tions and admonitions, and so an open way

is made thereby to any other wickedness

amongst them.

“And (bare children word it so before

their parents? Again, how over-familiar do

too many children make themselves with

their parents? as if hail-fellow well-met (as they say) and no difference twixt parent and

child; yea too many there are who carry it

proudly, disdainfully and scornfully towards their parents.

“Again, how are many children ready to

chop it with their parents, . . . it may be so daring are they as to bid their very parents

hold their tongue . . . or however, if not

going so high, yet giving to parents very

cross, curt, and cunst answers. . . .And are

there not too many children who are ready

to mutter and grumble at their parents

counsels, commands, just threats, rebukes, on corrections? Yea, will not some plainly

contest and contend with their parents?

. . .How little do they fear the loss of their favor or blessing.

“Your Parents and Ancestors made

con-science of reading and hearing the word of

God, and due meditation upon it, but you

their children, at least some of you, hardly even book into the Bible. . . . If with much

ado you drop into an Assembly where the

word is taught, there you sit as careless

high-way-side hearers, mind not what is

said, lay not up what you hear, mind most

such young men and womens garbs and

gestures, etc. And as for any serious

medita-lion upon the word, you are strangers

wholly to it. Your Godly Parents were exen-cised in Godly conference, but you in frothy

discourses as soon as even you are out of

the Assembly and whenever you meet with

other companions like yourselves.”

Cobbet’s solution to these problems was

primarily in observance of the Fifth

Corn-mandment, “Honor thy Father and thy

Mother.” This commandment was to be

obeyed by children without question

be-cause it was a divine command.

“If children honour their Parents fully

. . . they will be more careful of whatsoever God commandeth . .. if they grossly fail in

the matter of Honour of God and his word,

they will as greatly fail in the matter

of Honour of Parents. . .. God hath placed

the image of his fatherhood upon parents;

therefore honour them.” Furthermore,

asked Cobbet, “Who shall be more

obedi-ent subjects to lawful authority and Fathers

of the Commonwealth than such as learned

and practiced filial obedience to Parents at

home? . . . who shall be more tender of

their own and others lives and healths, of

theii own and others chastity, of their own and others estates and names . . .than such

as have been conscientious honourers of

their Parents?”

The bulk of Cobbet’s Discourse is taken

up with his interpretation of the Fifth

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two great forces are apparent. Most im-pressive of the two by reason of space

al-iOtte(i to it was tile harsh, austere, patni-archal philosophy which obviously was

de-nived from the Old Testament. “He that hatetli reproof is brutish,” Proverbs, 13:1. “The eye that despiseth to obey his mother,

the Ravens of the valley shall pluck it out,”

Proverbs, 30 : 17. “He that curseth Father or

Mother, let him (lie the death,” Leviticus, 20:9. The second force received less atten-tiOIl, but is just as notable as the first be-cause it expressed quite the opposite point

of view. Its humanism was inspired by the

New Testament. It voiced the democratic

faith of the Puritans, the practical

minded-I1C5S and common sense of these early

set-tkrs. “And ye F(zthers provoke not your

children to wrath, lest they be discouraged,’

Ephesians, 6:2 an(1 3. As these two themes

also run (leeply in our own culture today

it is interesting to see how Cobbet handled them.

Cobbet discussed Honour in general and

then Honour of Respect, Reverence,

Obedi-ence, Recoinpence and in a Reflect way. In each instance his sermons started out with the children’s obligations to their parents,

but always en(ied with the lattens’ duties to

their children. In the case of the former

he spoke as the patriarch; in the latter there

appeare(1 tile more humanistic, warmer,

common-sense point of view, which seems as modern and acceptai)le as anything

be-ing writtell today.

In speaking of Honour of Parents in

gen-era! Cobbet declared it must be “cordial!,” constant, “complete,” “impartiali,” and

“eminent.” Children should be reproved

who dishonoun their parents or who slight

their rebukes or their commands on who

slight parents in their old age on pretend to honor their parents on who disgrace their

parents. On the other hand, parents are to

be reproved if they set bad examples for

their children. “So if Parents are vile

towards their own natural! Fathers and

Mothers, their Children commonly prove

as bad that way also as themselves. And

it were good for Parents when to their

grief they see their Children are ready

to curse or slight on any way dishonoun

them to consider whether they themselves

have done as much to their Parents.”

Pan-ents should also be reproved who neglect

good and pious education of children, or

who foolishly humor their children in their lusts, for did not Isaac smart for it for

suf-fening his son, Esau, to give himself more

to his sport in hunting than any other

em-ployment. Parents are to be reproved who

set harshly, rigidly or discontentedly

towards their children, for such acts will

undermine parents’ honor of respect from

their children. “Where there are weaning

and wasting contention even and anon

be-twixt Wife and Husband, there will be also

such a foolish Son of such a Husband and

Wife, who will be a calamity to his Father.”

And last, parents are to be reproved who

suffer “Children too much to have their

own wills and not seasonably and

fre-quently to break them of their own

head-strong wills and to cross them in their own wilful desires or designs. A child left to

him-self bringeth his Mother to shame,” Prov-erbs, 29:15.

Concerning Honour of Respect Cobbet

had this to say. Children are to be delighted

in their Father’s presence, to be much

af-fected with the very sight of a Father on

Mother, to long after their company, to

deny themselves for their parents’ good, to

be exceedingly affected with their parents’ true love for them, to prize parents’ coun-sels and even their rebukes, to cleave to their parents’ friends, to use all faithful endeavors

to dissuade parents from whatsoever might

endanger their very souls’ welfare, and to

sympathize cordially with their parents in

their joys and sorrows. Parents are to be

reproved, on the other hand, who show too

much greediness after the world, thus

making children more like slaves for their

profits than children, who break just

promises made, who misplace respects upon

unworthy children. He exhorted parents to

instruct their children in the best things, to

defend their children in any just cause, to

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out-ward welfare, to “carry it towards your chikirell with much tenderness and bowels, as need and pru(leIlce requireth.

Honour of Recerence contained rules of

etiquette. Children are to rise up and stand

shame and blushing to l)arents upon

oc-casion of faults and sins. Parents can lose this Honour of Reverence from their

chit-dren “By being too fond of your children

or too familiar with them at sometimes at

bare i)efOre their parents. If parents be

coining towards them, they are to prevent thefll and meet them. They are to bow to

them, attend reverently to their counsels,

subject themselves meekly and humbly to

seasonable corrections, to express filial

least; . . . such fondness and familiarity breeds and causetil contempt and

irrever-ence in children. . . . By reproachful and

reviling speeches to your children in rash-ness of anger and fury or by any other

nil-civil or unseemly expressions of rage against 277

FRUITFULL

:

AND

USEFULL

DISCOURSE

:

The

Honour

due from

Children

to

.I.

Parcnts,

and thcdtity

of Pareucs

cowards

their ChiLdren.

WHEREIN,

Both

the’Kefpcktve

duties

of

Children

Co Earcnts,ar4

o(Parcnu

to Children,

arc

cleared fromScripture, together with what may ‘

either further or hinderthc1me ; And the

failings and fmsof either againit the

other together with the

maul-fold caufes thereofarc

dilco-vn*d; at accntdtn-,

ly appIyeaad pr*d.

By 71.omas C.bbet Mini1er

of

the

Word

at Lyn in ?Jew-Eniland.

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live longupon the artb. .

Vcrf. . Aide Fatbers iot yourCbila’ren to wrath

Bat bring tbem v intberavrturc and adin.nition

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the Lord.

Levit. I,. 3. teflialifearevery ma. bit Mother, and eve,,

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them, as flinging things at them which

might in(ianger life on limb. . . . Inure them to awfull subjection and obeisance to you as Parents betimes.”

“%Vithhold not correction from the child,”

Proverbs, 23: 13. “Chasten thy son, while

there is hope,” Proverbs, 19: 18. “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the

ro(i of correction shall drive it out,” Prov-erl)s, 22: 15. These quotations served to

in-troduce the sui)ject of Honour of

Obedi-ence. They have a familiar ring to them.

Cobbet declared children were to obey

their I)arellts “with a kind of universal and

unlimited obedience” afl(1 do it readily, cileerfully afl(l resolutely. But, and this

seems a very important but,’ “Use holy

wis-dome in giving your parental! commands to

your children. . . . Do you readily yield to

the just desires even of your children and

it will notably prevail with your children

illOst readily to yield to any just commands

of yours. . . . Do you sometimes hearken to

the good advice which even your children

(10 seasonably and in a suitable manner give

to you and this also will exceedingly win

your chikirens hearts to an obedientiall

sub-mission to your just commands.

Honour of Recompence may be summed up briefly i)y7 the following quotation. “Many

a poor honest parent hath even worn out

themselves and wasted and exhausted their

veiy strength in their service of love for their children; and it would be a monstrous

tiling if children should not 110w do all that

ever tiley call to maintain these their de-cayed, decrepit, exhausted parents. . . . So

have (lear parents many a time done the

like for their children; if looking but a

little more pale than usual on not eating

their meat as at other times. Ah, the fears

and heartaches of tender-hearted parents

about them lest they should fall sick. . .

Let children do the like for parents; let

them provide for their own parents

es-pecialiy.” And ‘To conclude this with that

memorable speech of Cyrus mentioned by

Plutarch in his Apothegms; he used to say (and that which is the truth) He is not fit to

rule over others who is not profitable to his parents.”

In order that children might show

Re-fi

ect Honour to their parents the former

were to avoid degenerating ways. On the

positive side Cobbet had some cogent

things to say about how parents should

“canny it as may further that reflect Honour due from children.”

“First and chiefly, let good Parents take special cane and use the utmost diligence

. . .about the matter of the good and godly

education of your Children. ‘Train up a

child in the way he should go and when he

is old, he will not depart from it,’ Proverbs, 22:6.

“Let Parents wisely observe and pry into

the genius (as I may call it) and bent and

capacity of their children, which way they

are most biased in their spirits and of what

they are the most capable. . . .When

Par-ents by wise ebservations do perceive the

bent and bias of their Children, now let

them carry it towards them accordingly. ...

Let parents take the best and easiest way

that may be for Their capacity and memory; that they may best conceive, receive and

re-tam their holy instructions, it must be

dropped in by little and little. . . . Let par-ents look well to it that none of their chil-dren whilest young live idly, but that they be trained up to some honest and laudable

callings and impboyments . . . and such of

your children as may be men capable of

learning, let parents set them apart for

learning. . . .Although parents in some

con-ditions may strain hard to bring up their

sones to be scholars, it is in itself a far

better portion than barely to leave them

such a portion of money or goods on lands.

. . . Education will greatly difference our children from others not so well educated.

. . . Socrates used to say that many Mens

Sons who were without education were like

courageous horses without well ordering

and government, becoming very Asses, or,

as it might be added, rusty blades. I need

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Chil-SPECIAL ARTICLE

dren be taught to read well the Scriptures

. . . here the English proverb may take

place, ‘Better unborn (almost) than

un-taught.’ “ Cobbet succinctly answered the

question of what they should be taught.

“What youth should learn in their youth?

answered, such things as when they are

men they have most use of.”

The notion that Puritans were always

austere and unbending towards their

chil-dren is dispelled by this book. Perhaps some tendency towards a less rigid parental atti-tude might have been anticipated

consider-ing that these same Puritans were the

founders of our present democracy. It is in-tenesting to see that the rights of children were given consideration 300 years ago, that the very foundation of State and Church lay in the family, that children then seem quite bike our own and that juvenile delinquency

is not exclusively a problem of modern

times.

The Discourse is part of the Harvey

Cushing Collection in The Historical

Li-brary, Yale Medical Library, School of

Medicine. Miss Elizabeth Thompson,

Ii-brarian, brought the Dircourse to our

at-tention and Miss Madeline Stanton, chief

Ii-brarian, made the book available to us. We

are indebted to Dr. Ralph Major, Professor

of the History of Medicine, University of

Kansas Medical School, for providing us

with a photostatic copy of the book. REFERENCES

1. Appleton’s Cyclopedia of American

Bi-ography, Vol. 1, rev. ed. New York, Ap-pleton, 1900.

2. Mather, Cotton: Magnalia Christi

Amen-cana. London, printed for Thomas

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1955;16;274

Pediatrics

Herbert C. Miller and Mary T. Miller