Chapter XVII: Preface (17)

The end and design of Apprenticeship, is for the training
up of youth to the knowledge and practice of some art or
business; whereby they may learn to get their own living, and
become useful to the public; and for the promoting this good
and laudable design, the Master here covenants to furnish
the Apprentice with all necessaries during the term of his
Indenture, and to take especial care of his instruction and
improvement in the trade he follows. It is, therefore, the
indispensable duty of every Master to use _his best means_,
that is, to take all proper methods for performance of these
covenants. He must endeavour to render his Apprentice skilful
and industrious, by due information and constant employment:
he must enforce the duties of diligence, frugality, and
honesty, by his own example, by kind and gentle usage, and
by instilling into his mind the necessity and usefulness
of these and all other good and virtuous habits. He must
restrain him from whatever interferes with his duty or
obstructs his improvement, by advice, by exhortation,
by reproof, and (if need be) by moderate and reasonable
correction; and if all these prove ineffectual, he must apply
to the magistrate, and call to his assistance the authority
of the Chamberlain, who will judge indifferently between the
Master and the Apprentice, and oblige both parties to perform
the covenants of their Indentures.

Let as many servants as are under the yoke, count their own
masters worthy of all honour. 1 Tim.

Let not the child behave proudly against the ancients,
nor the base against the honourable. For by pride cometh
contention. Isai. iii. 5.

Honour widows. 1 Tim. v. 3.

A _soft answer_ turneth away wrath, and _yielding_
pacifieth great offences; (but) grievous words stir up
anger. Prov. xv. 1.—Eccl. x. 4.

Please them well in all things, _not answering again_.

Whereas thy servant worketh truly, treat him not evil.
Eccl. vii. 20.

Let my soul love a good servant. Ver. 21.

Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and
equal, forbearing threatening; knowing that ye have also a
Master in Heaven: neither is there respect of persons with
him. Gal. iv. 1.—Eph. vi. 9.

Despise not the cause of thy servants when they contend
with thee. Did not He that made thee in the womb, make him:
And did not one fashion us all in the womb? Job. xxxi.
13.—Ver. 15.

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry. Eccl. vii. 9.

Ye shall not rule over one another with rigour, for ye are
brethren. Lev. xxv. 49.

Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in
conversation, in charity, in faith, in purity. 1 Tim. iv.
12.

Six days in the week shalt thou labour, and do all thy work.

Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. In it thou shalt
not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor
thy servant, &c.

Why is the house of God forsaken?

Unto his habitation shall ye seek, and thither shall ye
come, ye and your households.

That ye may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the
Lord their God, and observe to do all the words of his law.

According to the sentence of the law which they shall
teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall
tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the
sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand or
to the left. Deut. xxxi. 12.

_And for the true performance of all and every the said
covenants and agreements, either of the said parties bindeth
himself unto the other by these presents. In witness whereof,
the parties above named of these Indentures, interchangeably
have put their hands and seals, the of
in the year of the Reign of our Sovereign,_
of the United Kingdom of _Great Britain_
and _Ireland, Defender of the
Faith_, and in the year of our Lord, _&c._