George Herbert on the pastor’s home-life
In today’s extract from George Herbert, the poet-priest explains how the pastor’s home must be a model for his parishioners.
He knows each person in the house so well that he can help them advance in virtue. His wife must be religious and train the children and servants in godliness; she must be a good nurse; and she must be solvent!
His children are taught to be good Christians and good citizens (Herbert’s father had been an MP and Justice of the Peace). They are not to be trained up to serve “the vices and vanities of the world” but do something positive and useful for society.
His servants are religious and diligent. Cleanliness is next to godliness. All should be teachers or learners. In the house of a preacher, all are preachers, in some way or other.
Today’s chapter is slightly longer than usual, but is fascinating for some homely details and some sage advice. It is worth remembering that there were secular laws governing fasting and eating fish on certain days during Herbert’s time, though the Elizabethan statute explicitly said that this was for political and not spiritual reasons. It was a controversial subject at the time, but Herbert was certainly a fan of Lent, however!
CHAPTER 10
The Parson in his house.The parson is very exact in the governing of his house, making it a copy and model for his parish. He knows the temper, and pulse of every person in his house, and accordingly either meets with their vices, or advances their virtues.
His wife is either religious, or night and day he is winning her to it. Instead of the qualities of the world, he requires only three of her: first, a training up of her children and maids in the fear of God, with prayers, and catechising, and all religious duties.
Secondly, a curing, and healing of all wounds and sores with her own hands; which skill either she brought with her, or he takes care she shall learn it of some religious neighbour.
Thirdly, a providing for her family in such sort, as that neither they want a competent sustentation, nor her husband be brought in debt.
His children he first makes Christians, and then Commonwealths-men; the one he owes to his heavenly country, the other to his earthly, having no title to either, except he do good to both. Therefore having seasoned them with all piety, not only of words in praying, and reading; but in actions, in visiting other sick children, and tending their wounds, and sending his charity by them to the poor, and sometimes giving them a little money to do it of themselves, that they get a delight in it, and enter favour with God, who weighs even children’s actions (1 Kings 14:12-13).
He afterwards turns his care to fit all their dispositions with some calling, not sparing the eldest, but giving him the prerogative of his father’s profession, which happily for his other children he is not able to do. Yet in binding them apprentices (in case he think fit to do so) he takes care not to put them into vain trades, and unbefitting the reverence of their father’s calling, such as are taverns for men, and lace-making for women; because those trades, for the most part, serve but the vices and vanities of the world, which he is to deny, and not augment.
However, he resolves with himself never to omit any present good deed of charity, in consideration of providing a stock for his children; but assures himself, that money thus lent to God, is placed surer for his children’s advantage, than if it were given to the Chamber of London. Good deeds, and good breeding, are his two great stocks for his children; if God give anything above those, and not spent in them, he blesses God, and lays it out as he sees cause.
His servants are all religious, and were it not his duty to have them so, it were his profit, for none are so well served, as by religious servants, both because they do best, and because what they do, is blessed, and prospers. After religion, he teaches them that three things make a complete servant: truth, diligence, and neatness or cleanliness. Those that can read, are allowed times for it, and those that cannot, are taught; for all in his house are either teachers or learners, or both, so that his family is a school of religion, and they all account that to teach the ignorant is the greatest alms.
Even the walls are not idle, but something is written, or painted there, which may excite the reader to a thought of piety; especially Psalm 101, which is expressed in a fair table, as being the rule of a family. And when they go abroad, his wife among her neighbours is the beginner of good discourses, his children among children, his servants among other servants; so that as in the house of those that are skilled in music, all are musicians, so in the house of a preacher, all are preachers.
He suffers not a lie or equivocation by any means in his house, but counts it the art, and secret of governing to preserve a directness and open plainness in all things; so that all his house knows, that there is no help for a fault done, but confession. He himself, or his wife, takes account of sermons, and how every one profits, comparing this year with the last: and besides the common prayers of the family, he straitly requires of all to pray by themselves before they sleep at night, and stir out in the morning, and knows what prayers they say, and till they have learned them, makes them kneel by him; esteeming that this private praying is a more voluntary act in them, than when they are called to others’ prayers, and that, which when they leave the family, they carry with them.
He keeps his servants between love and fear, according as he finds them; but generally he distributes it thus: to his Children he shows more love then terror, to his servants more terror then love; but an old servant is like a child. The furniture of his house is very plain, but clean, whole, and sweet, as sweet as his garden can make; for he has no money for such things, charity being his only perfume, which deserves cost when he can spare it.
His fare is plain, and common, but wholesome, what he has is little, but very good; it consists most of mutton, beef, and veal, if he adds any thing for a great day, or a stranger, his garden or orchard supplies it, or his barn, and backyard: he goes no further for any entertainment, lest he go into the world, esteeming it absurd, that he should exceed, who teaches others temperance. But those which his home produces, he refuses not, as coming cheap and easy and arising from the improvement of things, which otherwise would be lost. Wherein he admires and imitates the wonderful providence and thrift of the great householder of the world: for there being two things, which as they are, are un-useful to man, the one for smallness, as crums and scattered corn and the like; the other for the foulness, as wash (kitchen slops) and dirt and things thereinto fallen; God has provided creatures for both: for the first, poultry; for the second, swine. These save man the labour, and doing that which either he could not do, or was not fit for him to do, by taking both sorts of food into them, do as it were dress and prepare both for man in themselves, by growing themselves fit for his table.
The Parson in his house observes fasting days; and particularly, as Sunday is his day of joy, so Friday his day of humiliation, which he celebrates only with abstinence of diet, but also of company, recreation, and all outward contentments; and besides, with confession of sins, and all acts of mortification. Now fasting days contain a treble obligation: first, of eating less that day than on other days; secondly, of eating no pleasing, or over-nourishing things, as the Israelites did eat sour herbs; thirdly, of eating no flesh, which is but the determination of the second rule by Authority to this particular. The two former obligations are much more essential to a true fast, then the third and last; and fasting days were fully performed by keeping of the two former, had not Authority interposed: so that to eat little, and that unpleasant, is the natural rule of fasting, although it be flesh. For since fasting in Scripture language is an afflicting of our souls, if a piece of dry flesh at my table be more unpleasant to me than some fish there, certainly to eat the flesh, and not the fish, is to keep the fasting day naturally. And it is observable, that the prohibiting of flesh came from hot countries, where both flesh alone and much more with wine, is apt to nourish more than in cold regions, and where flesh may be much better spared, and with more safety then elsewhere, where both the people and the drink being cold and phlegmatic, the eating of flesh is an antidote to both. For it is certain, that a weak stomach being prepossessed with flesh, shall much better brook and bear a draught of beer, than if it had taken before either fish, or roots, or such things; which will discover itself by spitting, and mucus, or phlegm.
To conclude, the parson, if he be in full health, keeps the three obligations, eating fish, or roots, and that for quantity little, for quality unpleasant. If his body be weak and obstructed, as most students’ are, he cannot keep the last obligation, nor suffer others in his house that are so to keep it; but only the two former, which also in diseases of exinanition (as consumptions) must be broken. For meat was made for man, not man for meat.
To all this may be added, not for emboldening the unruly, but for the comfort of the weak, that not only sickness breaks these obligations of fasting, but sickliness also. For it is as unnatural to do any thing, that leads me to a sickness, to which I am inclined, as not to get out of that sickness, when I am in it, by any diet. One thing is evident, that an English body, and a student’s body, are two great obstructed vessels, and there is nothing that is food, and not physic, which does less obstruct than flesh moderately taken; as being immoderately taken, it is exceeding obstructive. And obstructions are the cause of most diseases.