A frightening TO ALL Teachers of Children, Which are called School-Masters and School-Mistresses, AND To Parents, which doth sand their Children to be taught by them; That all School-Masters and School-Mistresses may train up Children in the fear of God, and bring all Children to that of God in them, with which they may come to fear him, and to depart from sin and evil.  
And how, that they may not be trained up in a customary teaching, and yet live in vanity, not being brought to the fear of God, to their Parents in their old age will they be a grief.  
Therefore while the children are young, both Parents, school-Masters, and school-Mistresses( so called) train the children up in the fear of God while they are young and tender, least they be hardened.  
This is to go in the world among all that are called school-Masters and school-Mistresses,  By G. F. ox alias Bishop 
april 23  

YE that are School-Masters and Mistresses( so called) and Teachers, of what sort soever, children ought to be taught the fear of the Lord; and see that you do teach them the fear of the Lord; 
Psa. 111.10. Prov. 1.7.  the fear of the Lord God is to depart from sin, and to depart from evil; and here will they come to receive the wisdom of God, which is pure, 
Prov. 16 6. 1 Cor. 15.33. Isa. 47.8, 9. Titus 3.3. James 5.5. Eph. 3.29, 30, 31.  not earthly, nor sensual, nor devilish; and being trained up in the fear of the Lord, to fear God, corrupt words and speeches, and evil words, and these they will be brought to depart from, which corrupts the good Manners: So now, you that be School-Masters and School-Mistresses, and Teachers of children, and your children that you teach, be found in corrupt words, corrupt speaking, idle communications, and evil communications, and wantonness, and filthy pleasures, and filthy jesting, and filthy songs, and filthy rhymes; these actions be all amongst such as be out of the fear of God, Teachers and scholars; and them which you teach being found in lying, and cursed speaking, and oaths, and mocking, and scoffing, and rep●oaching, and disdaining, and hating, and railing, and reviling, and slandering, and corrupt speeches, and backbiting, and maliciousness, and envy, and pride, and disdain, and in evil words; this shows that their manners is corrupt, though you may teach them all the Scriptures, and they may learn all Books by root.  
Therefore all you Teachers of children, all here is nothing worth, while your children are found in these practices; for you that be Teachers, being taught the fear of the Lord, and having departed from sin and evil, and received the wisdom of God, with which you should order, and be ordered, then you will know how to teach children the fear of the Lord, with which you will know how to order them, and to teach them the fear of God, and to bring them into the fear of God; which fear of God is to depart from sin and evil, corrupt words, evil communication, wildness, wantonness and pleasures, foolish talking, and jesting, and vain sports, and pride, and ambition, 
Prov. 8.13.  into lowness and meekness; and from all abusive terms, carriage, posture, jesture, behaviours, and words whatsoever, is contrary to truth; slandering, lying, 
Eph. 5.4. Prov. 10.18.  mocking, reproaching, telling of Tales, Stories, Jests, rhymes, Fables, which feeds the nature which is out of the fear of God; and that none of them do backbite, call evil Names, Nick-names to any people whatsoever; for evil words corrupts the good Manners; and while those be lived in and acted, and children taught all Books, and Histories, and Languages upon the Earth, yet they being found in the evil words, their Manners is corrupt, and their Language not pure; 
Prov. 17.5. Prov. 4.24. Prov. 10.31. 2 Pet. 2.13. Isai. 57.4.  the evil not being departed from, their lips perverse and polluted, their tongues uttering forth froward things, speaking perverse words; these be the cursed children, sporting in the day-time, sporting themselves in wickedness which they are deceived by, though they may boast themselves in their learning and languages; so learning these languages which puffs them up in the naturals, and boasting of that when they be voided of the true knowledge and wisdom of God, and the true understanding, and that which should order man, and direct his paths; these for a time their Parents boast in, and take much delight and glory in them, because they can speak many Languages in their much learning, but being out of the fear of God, and found in the evil, out of Gods secrets, out of Gods counsel, out of his wisdom, and out of the true understanding, and the true knowledge, which these at the last growing up in yeeres, in pride, and in boystrousness, and unruliness, cometh to be a grief unto their Parents, 
Prov. 17.25. judas 10. Prov. 13.24. Eccles. 22.1.  and a sorrow, and Runs into the evil Courses, having that which he hath known naturally, in which he hath Corrupted himself, which shall perish in their Corruption; for Children ought all to be trained up in the nurture, and fear of God while they be young; for he that spareth the Rod loveth not the child; And Children ought all to be taught to know the witness of God in them, which lets them seesin and transgression; and so that is it which must keep them from wildeness, and wantonness, and corrupt words, and let them know when they speak and act them. Therefore all you School Masters consider what Condition you yourselves in stand, and then how you yourselves are taught, and then how you teach your children, and what condition you bring them up in, & in what Condition you leave them, and what fruits follows them, and whether many was not better when they came to you, then when they leave you. And again all you School-Mistresses, that teach children fashions according to the Lusts of ignorance, which fashions and Lusts of the world, are to pass away; and moreover teacheth young women to play of Instruments and music of all kinds, 
1 Joh. 2.17.  and several tunes, and teaching them to Dance, and Catches, Songs, and Jests, which makes them lose modesty, and shamefacedness, but enlarges brazen-facedness, and boldness, and impudence; this is that which trains up people in that which draws from God, and to keep them out of the fear of God; training them up out of it, in wildeness, and wantonness, and boldness, in defame and disdain, and envying such as be out of their fashions; and these be fitted for them that live in the Lusts of the world, and have great habitation therein, which have not a habitation in God, 
1 Jo● 2.  nor Eternal Life in them, that live and abide in envy: And all ye that teach young men to fence, and keep fencing Schools, consider what you are doing in your very Actions, whether or no you be not training up them, in those Actions that Leads out of the fear of God, to glory in their strength, and to boast in it, wherein it shall fall, and the Carnal weapon, 
Jer. 9.23, 24 Phil. 3.18, 19. Eph. 6.13. Mat. 11.29.  with all its Arts, and with all its hope, and strength; Therefore come you to the fear of God, to put on the armor of Light, the armor of Righteousness, and come all to Christs School and Learn of him, that you may come to know the shield of Faith, and breastplate of Righteousness, the Spiritual weapon; And all ye teachers of children and people whatsoever, Consider, for the Lord Jesus Christ is coming to look for fruits amongst you, and to teach himself; I am the Light of the world, 
John 1.9. Joh. 8.12.  and doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world, him by whom it was made, before it was made glorified with the Father before the world began; now you all that be come into the world, Christ having enlightened you all, with which Light you see sin and evil, and know the Truth in the inward parts; which sin and evil must be departed from, before the wisdom of God you come to receive, which if you act contrary to the Light( which Christ hath enlightened you withall that through the Light you may believe) and go from it into evil Communications that corrupt the good manners; as you abide in the Light, which Christ hath enlightened you withall, you will know the good manners and teach children the same, which brings them to depart from evil words which corrupts them; 
Eph. 5, 13.  That children might come to the Light, and harken to that which lets them see their Transgression, and makes manifest their sin; the Light which Christ doth enlighten every man that cometh into the world withall, which is in them, which will let them see their evil words, and sin, and evil Communications, which must be departed from, for if not, that corrupts the good manners; and the Light will let you see all wantonness and pleasures, foolish talking, and jestings, all must be departed from; and it will teach you soberness and watchfulness, and the fear of God, and to be grave and temperate, and to give good words, and to know good words, and the pure Communications, 
2 Pet. 3.4.  and the good manners which is honourable and of good report; and it will bring you to know the Adorning, which is a meek and a quiet Spirit, which is with the Lord of great price, and this Light( which every one of you be enlightened withal, that be come into the world, which comes from the Father of Light) it will bring you from the Lusts of the Eye[ Mark, from the Lusts of the Eye] and the Lusts of the Flesh, 
1 John 2.16.  and the pride of Life, and the costly Attire, and the costly Array, or of wearing Gold or Silver, and let you to know and see these things, which is not of the Father, but of the World; the Light that comes from the Father, which if you all love, the Light which you are enlightened withall, it will teach you in private when you be by yourselves, and when you be among company( both children and Teachers) for to forsake that which the Light doth make manifest, 
John 3.19, 20.  which if you do not, that will be your Condemnation, the Light saith Christ; And so to the Light in you all I speak( and remember that you are all warned in your Life-time) which is my Witness, and your Condemnation, if you hate it.  
G.F.   

YOur zeal for God lose not; that which quencheth your zeal for the Lord come to know, in which the life preserves; that which is feigned, and a Will-worship, pleasing the wills of people, and the feigned flattery, quencheth the zeal, and brings in another clothing; who are clothed with zeal, they have put off that clothing, for that is worn in the night; there is a self-pleasing of men for self-ends, and for gain a flattrie to the face, and then a speaking evil behind the back when the men or the women is gone; and this is deceit and treachery, and falsehood amongst people, and dissimulation and hypocrisy; therefore selfishness deny in all things, for out of that ground cometh the men-pleasers Which covereth the principle of God, which should led to please God, and to please men in God, as men deny themselves, curiosity in speech, and quick in knowledge in the earthly selfish principle; here lies the craft, and deceit, and quick in that understanding that comes to nought, and that wisdom that is earthly, for the earth, and for the self, which is to be confounded before it come into Gods wisdom; and that will speak any fair for self-ends, take heed of that principle, and flattery take heed of, but upright, single and true, in that live, and truth in all, changing of the creature, in all speaking to his neighbour, in all dealing, and such you will feel the blessing of the Lord, Gods arm with you, and the feigned, fleshly, selfish hypocrites, who live in a hypocritical profession; but in the earthly selfish principle, all whose Religion stink, and in the eyes of God is an abomination, and for this cause comes Gods plagues upon people, and crosses their wils and their expectations, and it is right and just so to do.  
ye who have been fatted with the creature, and have kicked against the just, and you have called upon God with your lips, and you pray evening and morning, and you are pretending to serve him with your Sermons, and Expressions, and you have red the Prophets words, the Apostles, and my sons words, and when you have done, and while you are doing, your hearts are almsgiving after your goods, your merchandise, the Creatures; and here you call upon me with your lips, and your hearts are far off; such sacrifices are not to be accepted; your prayings, and your readings Prophets and Apostles words, and my sons words, and you not being guided with my spirit, your hypocrisy will manifest itself, your rash words, and your headiness, and your wildness, doth shane your profession in your streets, and doth manifest that you do but serve him with your lips, your old men are grown in the flesh sottish, and foolish, and selfish, and perverse, and wilful, and stubborn, and not grave and temperate; and your old women are prattlers, and too full of tongue, and given to talk, and so both old men and old women grieve my spirit, for both are given to vanity, and the lust, and fashions of this world, and vain-talkers, & earthliness, & selfishness; they have been brutish against my truth, and you have caused my name to bee evil spoken of; your young men and maidens are light, and vain, & wild, and heady, and this hath dishonoured me, though they profess my name: So that both old men and young men, and old women and young women, have both dishonoured their profession: young men and young women have both been trained up without my fear, that they be as wild as ever was Aesa's Colts, and the young Women be as wild as ever was wild Heifers, and the old men be as fat as ever was the bulls of Basan; ye old men and old women have spoiled your children; you have served the desires of your mindes, & served the desires of your childrens mindes, whereby they are given to vanity, following the fashions and the entrusts of ignorance; the pride of life is among you in a high manner, the lust of the eye is among you exceeding full, and the lust of the flesh, which is not of me; but my spirit hath been grieved, which should have mortified this, which should have lead you to have worshipped me in my spirit, then should you have known the Prophets words, and the Apostles words, and my Sons words; but except you do all come to feel my Spirit, and that which is manifest in you, which God hath shewed to you, to led your mindes to God, and to circumcise you; except you do feel my Spirit to do this, you must go down into the pit with all the uncircumcised, though you profess the Prophets, Apostles, and my Sons words.  
Your eyes have been evil, and your ways have not been right; you have walked without my fear, and have not given me the honor, but taken it to yourselves; And now( saith God) I'll slain it, your Teachers have been fleshly, big up swellen in th flesh, and they have had my Prophets words, my Sons words, but they and you have been out of my Sons life, and the Apostles life, with that now will I measure your ways, & measure your lives, and measure your fruits, & measure your Actions, & Deeds, and measure your Assemblies, who hath assembled together, but not by me, but from my Spirit; and I abhor your Fasts, and your Assemblies, they stink, while you are covetous & proud, & hard-hearted, the fruits of this is declared, & not tenderness, the meek of the earth you would destroy, and loftiness is in the extreme seen among you, & you have gloried in my creatures, more then in me the Creator, & surfeited yourselves with my creatures, and burdeneth & bondageth the creature with your unreasonableness, yet you will come before me with your lips, pretending to pray unto me, & serving me, and calling upon me; the deep Dirch hath swallowed up many, and the Pit, vanity & lust, & carelessness drowneth many, and destroyeth many, I am pressed down with your unrighteousness, with your iniquities, & with your bondage of corruption, you have lived out of my fear, so my wisdom and my secrets are hide from you, & you have been presumptuous, boasting of my Prophets, Apostles, and Sons words, but have been one with your fore-fathers that put him to Death; but to me you shall all give an account, I will bring you all to judgement; abundance of feignedness of love hath been among you, when I have opened any thing to you, you have quenched my Prophet, the fleshly nature hath boasted in you, of the words in the flesh, and so you have gone in Cores and Zalaams way into the earth. Again, you have gathered Churches, & set up Churches of your own making, you have not my power nor my spirit that my Apostles and Prophets were in, therefore Ile break you into Sects, and tread you into heaps, and Ile break you all that trust in man, saith the Lord the Creator of all things, that you may all come to feel my Spirit, and that to led you into all truth, for they are my Sons that are lead by my Spirit.  
And all your vain contentions, and janglings, and vain disputes, about my Prophets, Apostles, and Sons words, and out of the life, you will I judge, your fruits hath manifested confusion which I have not been the author of, saith the Lord: But you have transgressed my Spirit, and so brought forth confusion; Darkness hath covered you, mists and Darkness, so a whirlwind is among you, a Day of tempest and storms: What your Teachers have sown( who never heard my voice, and have not my power and spirit, which my prophets and apostles was in, but have gotten my prophets, apostles, and sons words, and put off their life) they have sown to the flesh, they may reap corruption; they are to reap it, their field is large, every one of their words shal be their burden, who hath spoken in a pretence from me, and have not heard my word nor my voice, nor is in my Spirit, such soweth vanity, and causeth my people to err, by your lies & by your lightness, and behold, such I am against, saith the Lord God almighty; You tinkling Simbles( out of my love) that pretend high things, ye sounding Brass, they sound like Brass,( out of my love) there is hay, wood, and stubble brought forth, which when it is touched with the fire it burns; This is from the tried Corner-stone, that is elect and precious, that abides and remains for ever, which is and was before the world was, and yet was manifested in the world; the world hath got the words which speaks of it, and hath declared the generation of it, the prophets and apostles have; and so you bee out of my Prophets life, you teachers and professors of the World, which hath my prophets and apostles words, that hath declared the generation of the tried ston, the Corner-stone, but are out of the life, and this ston is set upon all your heads, and on him that it falleth, it shall grind him to powder. This is my word to you all saith the LORD.  
And all you that be in the bustlings about Christ, a top of the life & witness who wears the old garments of briars & thorns, which covers the Light, the Just over you all will go, and doth go, and over you all doth reach, and the power over you all is, and doth fathom, and God over you all is exalted, and will burn up your briars and thorns. And all people cease from your talking of God and Christ with the light mindes,( who is not of the world) for this is but of your fleshly knowledge, and the light mindes, which is a manifestation of your erring from my Spirit; that you may come all into my life and Spirit that gave forth Scriptures, that you may know Christ reigns, who doth now reign, and is come to reign over the world, who is the end of his Prophets, who was before the world was made, who now is come to reign and rule the Nations with a rod of iron, Glory in the highest.  
G.F.    
THE END.  

London, Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate, 1697.