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A96804
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A brief declaration of those that have accepted the trust of receiving and distributing such sums of money as wel-affected persons shall subscribe towards the maintenance of hopeful students at both the universities, for the speedy supply of the Church of God in England with godly and able ministers. Together with rules which they among themselves have agreed to observe therein; and some motives to incite well-affected persons to be assistant thereunto.
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Wollaston, John, Sir.
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1647
(1647)
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Wing W3252; Wing B4565; Thomason 669.f.11[7]; Thomason 669.f.11[118]; ESTC R210412
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3,448
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1
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LONDON Anno Dom. 1647. A Brief DECLARATION of those that have accepted the Trust of Receiving and Distributing such Sums of money as wel-affected Persons shall Subscribe towards the Maintenance of hopeful STUDENTS at both the UNIVERSITIES for the speedy supply of the Church of GOD in England with godly and able Ministers Together with RULES which they among themselves have agreed to observe therein and some Motives to incite well-affected Persons to be assistant thereunto THE mature and serious consideration of the present sad condition of the Church of GOD within this Kingdome hath put us whose Names are hereunto annexed upon a joynt Debate and Consultation both touching the Causes of it's Miserie and the proper Means of Remedy For the first We find that the scarcity of a Godly Learned and Orthodox MINISTERY is one great cause of the woful Ignorance Errors Heresies Blasphemies and Prophanesse spreading and abounding throughout the Kingdom to the dishonour of God reproach of the Gospel hinderance of the happy work of Reformation and hazard of the eternall losse of many thousand precious Soules And we perceive how improbable it is that the want of such a Ministery should in any reasonable time be competently supplied in those many Congregations that are for present destitute unlesse some extraordinary course be speedily taken Being certainly informed that there are many hopefull young Students already in the Vniversity of Cambridge disabled to continue there any longer and many pregnant and hopefull Schollers ready for the Vniversities discouraged and hindred from going thither through lack of maintenance toward their subsistence there whose Parents are either destroyed by these unnaturall Wars or miserably impoverished and undone by want of Trading heavy Taxes Free-Quarter Plunderings and such other Calamities as these sad Times have produced And as touching the second We conceive that one of the most speedy proper and probable Remedies against this evil next unto the care of providing for those who are there already will be forthwith to replenish both the Universities with store of hopefull and promising Plants addicted to Learning and Piety and to supply them there for a convenient season with some necessary maintenance whereby Learning may be encouraged Knowledge Piety and all Church-Reformation promoted and a Generation trained up who through the blessing of our God may become Pastours according to Gods own heart to feed the Sheep and Lambs of Christ with knowledge and understanding Whereupon we have thought it our duty not only to do something our selves to this excellent End but also to commend so good a Work as this is to all those in and about LONDON or elswhere whose hearts the Lord shall incline to the furtherance thereof by a free and voluntary Subscription of severall Summes of money to be paid in either at one or more entire Payments Yearly or Quarterly as shall seem best to the Vnderwriters unto such Treasurers as are herein named and shall from time to time be appointed by the Trustees or seven of them at least viz. one Alderman two Ministers and four Commoners by whose consent and advice the said Treasurers may still issue out the same to the End above propounded Wherein also these Rules shal be observed I. THis Charity shall be extended to such Students or Schollers only as by reason of their Religious education pregnant Naturall parts and Learning inclinablenesse to Piety and to the calling of the Ministery are hopefull to prove able and fit Instruments for advancing Gods glory and his Churches good II. Care shall be had that none of this Money shall be conferred upon any but such only whose Parents and Friends are in whole or in part disabled to send them to the Vniversities or maintain them there And that more or lesse shall be allowed to every one according to the proportion of their wants and necessities respectively who shall receive it III. Overseers shall be appointed to have an eye to and enquire after their carriage in the Vniversities and if it shall be found either idle or offensive and after admonition not reformed the Exhibition allowed to such person or persons so delinquent shal be withdrawn IV. The Exhibition allowed to any one shall only so long be continued till he shall be judged by the Trustees or seven of them at least as abovesaid to be competently fit for the service of the Church or be otherwise provided for V. Six of the Trustees viz. Two Aldermen and Four Commoners shall be Treasurers to Receive and Disburse such summe or summes of money as shall be subscribed Whereof three shall be New chosen every Year by the Trustees on the 25. day of March or within 14. dayes after The Treasurers at present elected and appointed are James Bunce Alderman George Witham Alderman Christopher Pack Deputy Walter Boothby Deputy Mr. Alexander Jones and Mr. Daniel Androwes VI. The Treasurers that now are or shall hereafter be chosen may not admit any person or persons whatsoever to partake any of the said Contribution or Exhibition without the advice and approbation of the Trustees or seven of them as before and that declared in writing under their hands at a Publike meeting and Recorded And there the Treasurers shall be accountable four times at least in every Year both touching their Receipts and their Disbursments And to that end shall have Books of Accompts to be faithfully kept for the satisfaction of the Trustees and Others as oft as need shall require VII Whensoever it shall fall out that any of the Forty Trustees shall die or remove his habitation out of the City of London The rest of the Trustees surviving or remaining or the major part of them shall meet together and elect another in his place from time to time And diligent heed shall be taken that such Persons only may be chosen as are apprehended to be men of active faithfull publique and unanimous spirits Men of sound Judgement and godly Conversation cordially affected to the Church and to a thorough Reformation And for the better encouragement of all wel-affected persons to so good and necessary a work We offer to their prudent and pious thoughts these ensuing Considerations 1. Acts of charity bounty though but to the outward man are an odour of a sweet smell to God and such sacrifices wherewith he is well pleased having many precious promises entailed upon them How much more sweet and acceptable to God shall those acts of charity be which tend to the relief of Soules and may have influence into Eternity 2. Hereby a learned and godly Ministery will be speedily prepared for the many thousand Congregations in this Kingdome now destitute thereof whereupon Gods glory will be advanced his Truth and Gospel dispersed Ignorance Heresie and Impiety extirpated the life of Religion and Reformation increased the Church of God built and multitudes of poor Souls that sit in darknesse and shadow of death furthered in their way to Heaven both at present and iâ—…cceeding Ages 3. Hereby the subtile devices of Satan strongly working in these dayes to overthrow Truth Godlinesse Reformation the Kingdome of Christ and all the Churches happinesse at once by the extirpation and subversion of the godly and learned Ministery shall be countermined and disappointed whilst through Gods blessing upon these our endeavours an able Ministery is set up and increased 4. These dayes of Reformation promise to us that young Students in both the Vniversities shall be more religiously trained up there and also better provided for when they return thence then in former times they have been which consideration may much encourage us 5. The honour and credit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ whereof England hath had so long sweet and full enjoyment should much incite our zeal to count no worldly treasures dear unto us that we may support the same in its Spirituall glory and so propagate it to Posterity Did our Predecessors sacrifice their lives for the Truth and shall we grudge a small pittance of our estates for the furtherance thereof Yea shall Papists be so bountifull to maintain Superstition Heretieks to advance and propagate their blasphemous Heresies and the very Heathens to uphold their vanities And shall not we much more be open-hearted and open-handed to advance the true Reformed Religion 6. How famous hath LONDON been in former times for erecting and maintaining Lectures in the dark corners of this Land How active of late in adhering to in adventuring their All in this great Cause of GOD And how will it adde to their honour peace and comfort to be exemplary in this so good a work also Who knowes but such an example of Zeal and Piety may have an influence upon other Cities and rich places of this Kingdome to stir up their imitation of them herein which may cause exceeding many thanksgivings to God both in the present and succeeding Generations 7. Finally it is clearly evident upon manifold experience That as poor mens sons for most part do more seriously devote themselves to learning then others do So God hath pleased not only to open mens hearts by charitable contributions to encourage their studies but also to make much use of them in the work of the Ministry within this Kingdom and that in the worst of times for Conversion of Souls edification of his Church and advancement of the glory of his own most holy name The names of the TRUSTEES Sir John Wollaston Alder. Tho. Adams Alder. John Warner Alder. Jo. Langham Alder. James Bunce Alder. Tho. Foot Alder. Jo. Kendrick Alder. John Byde Alder. George Witham Alder. Tho. Vyner Alder. Mr. Steph. Marshal Mr. Edm. Calamy Mr. Jer. Whitaker Mr. Obad. Sedgwick Mr. Sim. Ashe Mr. Thomas Case Mr. Laz. Seaman Mr. Sam. Clark Mr. Fran. Roberts Mr. Will. Jenkin Col. Fran. West Mr. Rich. Turner Deputy Mr. Christoph Pack Dep. Mr. Walt. Boothby Dep. Mr. Tho. Arnold Dep. Col. Rob. Manwaring Col. Edw. Hooker Col. John Bellamie L. Col. Lawr. Broomfield Mr. Alex. Jones Mr. Andr. Kenrick Capt. Rich. Vennour Major Joseph Vaughan Mr. Steph. White Mr. James Martin Mr. William Kendal Mr. Dan. Androwes Mr. Tho. Bewley Mr. Temp. Milner Mr. Lawr. Brinley