345 ON THE DUTY OF NURSING CHILDREN. [BISHOP TAYLOR.] OF NURSING CHILDREN, IN IMITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN-MOTHER. nature. a 1. THESE later ages of the world have declined into a softness above the effeminacy of Asian princes, and have contracted customs which those innocent and healthful days of our ancestors knew not, whose piety was natural, whose charity was operative, whose policy was just and valiant, and whose economy was sincere and proportionable to the dispositions and requisites of And in this particular the good women of old gave one of their instances; the greatest personages nursed their own children, did the work of mothers, and thought it was unlikely women should become virtuous by ornaments and superadditions of morality, who did decline the laws and prescriptions of nature, whose principles supply us with the first and most common rules of manners and more perfect actions. In imitation of whom, and especially of the a "Quod si pudica mulier in partem juvet Domum atque dulces liberos, (Sabina qualis, aut perusta solibus Pernicis uxor Appuli,). Non me Lucrina juverint conchylia Magis," &c. Hor. Epod. 2. 39. Virgin Mary, who was mother and nurse to the holy Jesus, I shall endeavour to correct those softnesses and unnatural rejections of children, which are popular up to a custom and fashion, even where no necessities of nature or just reason can make excuse. 2. And I cannot think the question despicable, and the duty of meanest consideration; although it be specified in an office of small esteem, and suggested to us by the principles of reason, and not by express sanctions of divinity. For although other actions are more perfect and spiritual, yet this is more natural and humane other things, being superadded to a full duty, rise higher; but this builds stronger, and is like a part of the foundation, having no lustre, but much strength; and however the others are full of ornament, yet this hath in it some degrees of necessity, and possibly is with more danger and irregularity omitted than actions which spread their leaves fairer, and look more gloriously. 3. First. Here I consider that there are many sins in the scene of the body and the matter of sobriety which are highly criminal, and yet the laws of God expressed in Scripture name them not; but men are taught to distinguish them by that reason which is given us by nature, and is imprinted in our understanding in order to the conservation of human kind: for, since every creature hath something in it sufficient to propagate the kind, and to conserve the individuals from perishing in confusions and general disorders, which in beasts we call instinct, that is, an habitual or prime disposition to do certain things which are proportionable to the end whither it is designed; man also, if he be not more im |