there that from their infancy they contract an habitual love to their native soyl and be there much resident In fine he wish'd they could invite such eminent Masters as the neighbouring Towns might be content to study with them and as now other places drew their children to themselves so by that faire reprisal they might win over others children thither He furnish'd his Towns-men a Library setled a stock for the breeding up the children of honest decay'd and over-burthen'd House-keepers not to mention the portion given to the daughter of Quintilian his old Rhetorick master or other benefactions of that good natur'd Moralist In the Palace of Augustus was a College where the young Caesars in the head of the most promising flower of the Nobility with silence attended the dictates of their Tutour In other places should I enumerate the Illustrious Grammarians among the ancients Greek and Latine their successions with the noted Towns where there Chair stood it would require a just Volume suffice it to our purpose that we shall not find any free-Citizens what ever their rank were desirous to profit in Learning debar'd ftom their Lectures such care to provide means for training up the youth of all sorts in liberal Arts and Sciences had those Empires while Heathen §. 8. Christianity sure having greater inducements to the attaining of Wisdom affords men of every condition not less encouragements to follow the study of true Knowledge In the Church is a standing occasion for Teachers to whom Learning is necessary other advantages of Fortune may at sometimes be greatly serviceable but were never indispensably required The first effusion of gifts fell upon the willing and faithful at least in disposition however in opinion erroneous nor did lowness of estate put a bar Upon this the Apostles train'd up such novices as minister'd to them while they were call'd from place to place and refer'd their Viaticum to be taken at the Churches through which they past which those Churches esteem'd themselves under an obligation to confer upon them such was the fervour of primitive Charity Nor is it a wonder if the Apostolical conversation were a constant exercise to all Christian knowledge and vertues when the verge of the Roman Court carrieth about with it whithersoever it removeth the priviledges of an University We may not here presently expect publick and endow'd schools since neither do we now know what Churches were yet erected or what setled maintenance was for the Ministery Some adult proficients in the Jewish and Heathen Schools were by the power of Truth brought over to be instructed and then Teachers in the Christian Church Indeed a Catechistical school was kept at Alexandri◠about the latter end of the second Century successively by Pantaenus Clemens Origen Heraclâs Dionysius and Athenodorus Here it were worth the considering whether under the modest name of Catechistical and School were not couch'd over and above the delivering a compleat Circle of Arts and Sciences whatsoever is with us preparatory to the highest degrees in Divinity Gregory sur-nam'd Thaumaturgus that is Worker of Wonders upon departure from his Catechist to be Bishop of Neocaesarea in Pontus made a valedictory oration which he recited before Origen in the presence of many Auditors in this panegyrick of thanks having premis'd by what maze of Providence he had been led to Caesarea in Palestine whither that excellent Professour was then also remov'd he recounts with much affection the several Arts and Faculties in which he had been instructed for five years by that eminent Person whereas he had before onely laid the foundation of Rhetorick in order to the study of the Law First he won him over to Philosophy prest him with gentle compulsions How disingenuous how short of religious must that man needs be nay scarce worthy the name of man who neglects Philosophy that is the study of Wisdom the priviledge peculiar to his nature above all others in the world by the divine favour indulg'd here he instill'd into him the principles of Christian Doctrine And because we are apt to give an over-hasty assent to what-ever is confidently asserted and again without sufficient reason contradict what is decry'd by the multitude he would direct his scholar in general to suspend his sentence till he should rightly inform his judgement and withal trac'd him out the methods whereby to demonstrate Truth and discover Fallacies A skill most necessary for men in all conditions of life if it be their interest not to be impos'd upon in any of their communication with others Farther whereas our spirits left to themselves are ordinarily low scatter'd or narrow he would erect dispose and enlarge his hearers thought by displaying at other times before him the mighty and wonderful and various and all-wise work of the Creation the beautiful order of nature abstracting the mass of first matter collected from the continual motion of particular sublunary Bodies of different properties compounded of Elements diversified by forms resolvible into atoms alike fine and imperceptible by our grosser capacities in their source course and resort all which attest providence and a first cause although his worke cannot by us be perfectly comprehended Then would he let his pupil into the knowledge of the Mathematicks made him ascend that ladder whose basis are the unshaken maximes of Geometry whose steps conclusions rightly deduc'd whose top Astronomical speculations But what is of most intimate and cheife importance to the comfort of human life he labour'd in delivering sound and divine morals about Passions Vertues and Vices what was inordinate rectifi'd what immoderate retrench'd By seasonable discourse To mind the concerns of our soul he would give out for the true Justice A man to know himself and see God with a pure spirit for the onely prudence To guard from incursions of pleasure passion the evenness of our temper right temperance To persevere in holy purposes against all discouragements the highest fortitude these precepts he render'd visible by a lively practice His attentive and well-dispos'd scholar although he assum'd not to himself the present possession or near approch to this divine treasure or even human perfections through the dulness of his own apprehension or deadness of his mind yet withal did avow a love to vertue a pursuit after it and affiance to obtain it through the divine benediction This rare proficient magnifieth above the rest his Masters sacred Metaphysicks and Lectures in Divinity His talent was singular in expounding difficult Texts and the mystery of Religion to speak the things of God as from God to the instruction of men man as he was till both speaker and hearer were rapt up into the same transports of devotion He would allow his scholars to range through the Philosophers and Poets not to espouse any sect but hear all and excerpe out of their works what might conduce to good manners or give testimony to the Deity Onely caution'd
the Queens decease some men of no mean reputation for Wisdom and place upon whatever occasion or ground of conjecture represented these foundations as too numerous The great Advancer of learning pursuant to that presumption labors with King James to disannul Suttons Will as to that point of the intended Teaching of Children Upon such like suggestions was the accomplish'd Sir Robert Dallington as is said really diverted from setling twenty pound per annum on his fair School-house at Geddington in Northamptonshire where he was born Now if such opinion took place so long time since which notwithstanding Schools not a few have been erected in the Reigns of King James King Charles the first of blessed memory and are daily under our present Soveraign with much more force ought it now to prevail There are yet living who as I am credibly inform'd would have bestow'd Fellowships in the Vniversities were they not dissuaded from that sort of Charity by men on whose parts and integrity they repose intire confidence as having in other causes had experience of them Divers persons of Catholick principles who pay Reverence to Antiquity submission to Councels and Canons who no less approve the Prudence then the zeal of Founders as seeing great use and necessity of Free-Schools yet believe in process of time they may grow too many and from some occurring appearances perhaps they have been apt to conclude that they are so the resort of the whole Question is therefore whether the English Free Grammar-Schools be overproportion'd to the occasions of the Church and State of England The cause imports especially the esteem of later Founders and direction of present Charity but withall it is exceeding perplex'd to state what professions have need of learning and define within what proportions of men any profession should be stinted Then for Schools to compute their Number distinguish of their nature discover their true Revenue carrieth with it no small difficultie yet more then all this must go to the right determining the case propos'd §. 18. The first necessity of raising Learned men is for the Church About 10000 Parishes in England and Wales duely to be supply'd with Pastours Add hereto Dignities Curacies and whatsoever else may give Title to H. Orders not omitting the Plantations the residue of Ecclesiasticks hath been judg'd some 5000 more A great Harvest requireth many Laborers Those therefore that attend on the preparatory part Incumbents on Schools and Colleges in the Universities would be not a few But might not the Collegiate and Cathedral Schools furnish sufficient to this exigence Those who understand what of these are remaining in England whereof some are little more then Choral and what proportion of Scholars are maintain'd in each of them with the fall of places yearly are convinced how vastly short of the necessity that single supply must needs be since in Collegiate Schools and their correlative Colleges not the standing Bodies come here to be consider'd but the succession Besides these therefore in succor to a Church left almost destitute at that juncture several Country Schools have been erected not onely in some Market Towns but elsewhere with freedom to the poor Inhabitants and convenience to those who need not make use of that priviledge These provisions as Rivulets scatter'd through the Vallies have render'd the breadth of the whole Land fruitful which benefit could not have been so conveniently deriv'd from the greater collection of seminaries not upon Church Exhibitions because an exhausted Church in many places scarce able well to sustain its Pastours could ill defray the training up such Students as should be for supply necessary nor upon Pensions from home for where Cures are great and maintenance hardly competent if the Parent must purchase all at the full rate the consequent Benefice would rarely refund the charge of Boording abroad and Schooling both which circumstances upon Free-schools inconsiderately diminish'd have in themselves a manifest tendency to render the Ministry of the Church of England impracticable §. 19. Nor would less dis-service redound to the state Civil then Ecclesiastick from such diminution Counsellers at Law whether civil or common in a Nation ample and mercantile and in a Church aptly organiz'd and order'd cannot be a few and that Courts of judicature administer right judgment would be not in the Law onely but in Arts of reasoning and utterance not unlearned The Militia of the Bar is a standing Army by Parliament allow'd the surest Life-guard of King and People since other force ordinarily in a well settled Government is onely to protect the Ministers of Justice and execute their Decrees As to multiplying Law-suits and immoderate charges orders for the Regulation of those Courts have in no small measure provided against them though I know not whither with some advantage as to those points in the Civil Law where a suspicious allegation is presently stifled by the Oath of Calumny and the Bills of Expence tax'd by the Judge But the decision of this I submit to the impartial and more experienc'd this insertion might have seem'd forreign to my Argument had not the clamor against the Relatives and Retainers upon this noble Faculty been so managed to the Odium of Schools that it could not be wholly omitted §. 20. There is another occasion for Learned men which nearly concerns the welfare of our State In 25 populous Cities and 52 Counties Practitioners of Phisick may be some hundreds there being Hospitals not fewer whereof many have in their life given proof of excellent learning and at their death left estates not inconsiderable These superiour Faculties as they consist of men to whom learning and Industry is of absolute necessity rais'd Fortuns not always requisite so cannot they be well exercis'd without the ministery of subordinate Professions Attorneys Sollicitors Scrivenors have their honest use The Justice of contracts is best preserv'd by those that are least distracted from attendance on their privat occasions and must Lawyers and Justices of Peace have no Clerks to omit the Clerks of several offices in Courts of Judicature or must means of their Education be with-held nay the Nobility and Gentry require servants of different abilities and education The Doctors credit and what of more momenr depends upon it the life of the Patient may miscarry through the ignorance of an Apothecary and the Chirurgion by forreign discourses be more accomplish'd Booksellers Printers have been for learning very famous and Instrumental to it briefly knowledge of Grammar is of use in Navigation and in Travel and in most of the politer Handicrafts in its degree for as the Roman Surveyor saith an Architect neither is nor should be as good a Grammarian as Aristarchus yet not illiterate nor as good a Musician as Aristoxenus yet not unmusical nor as good a Limner as Apelles yet not unskilful at designing nor as good a Founder as Myron or Polycletus yet not ignorant of the way of moulding nor again as good a Physician
imputation upon Masters as from the Canon-Law of a certain species of simony but as to this more cannot in equity be desir'd then that the number of Free Scholars be proportion'd to the Revenue if the maintenance be not competent Masters may require moderat consideration for their Labor what is offer'd they may receive however sufficient their allowance be Onely provided that they regard the poor with equal diligence and affection as any others what ever they pay Charity would not that the painful Teacher be over-burthen'd to ease the Rich Scholar nor that the means intended for his relief be made a pretence to oppress him but rather that a Honorary be set him out according to his dignity and knowledge The Prudence as well as Piety of some Bishops hath appear'd in deciding this controversie where the stipend hath been narrow and the freedom express'd in terms not particular they have limited the number of such as should enjoy it to a just proportion Arts and Sciences and Faculties have Analogy with gifts Spiritual and therefore the Law which enjoins to impart our Temporals to such as have communicated their Spirituals to us holds in the Catechist as well as in the Priest indeed the same Peter is Pastor of the Lambs as of the Sheep And after a sort one lot is common to the School-master and the Minister the flock the warfare the labor the hope not unlike but to dwell upon this subject might incur a sinister interpretation The more ingenuous of this Land such as have regard to Learning are not wont to undervalue the right manners of their Children nor the Tutors pains The rest nothing can reconcile to put their Sons to that way of breeding but a visible assurance that it shall in the issue turn to more advantage then it is ordinarily seen to doe §. 29. The connexion between Church and State hath rightly been observ'd to be intimate their interest inseparable their growth state and declination uniform and the crisis of both in the neglect or favor extended to Schools Learning the Nurse of Civility and Religion is ordinarily found in flourishing Empire whether as cause or effect or rather as being mutually productive each of the other whereas in extreme degeneracy of manners a contempt of Teachers of its own nature and merit tends to farther calamity Augustus founder of the Roman Empire protected Professours Domitian the later Nero and last Emperour of the Flavian Family banish'd Philosophers the Town Trajan Hadrian Antonine the Philosopher and Alexander Severus all of them men of refind parts and eminent for encouraging Lettr'd Persons were also not unsuccessful in their Government Licinius insense against Letters which not for want of ignorance he would call the very bane and plague of the State especially the pleading in Courts of Judicature and withal the Christian faith through his boisterous and brutish valour being of rude and rustical extraction embroyled his Country in Civil Wars and with the blood of many thousand Citizens and his own quench'd those fiery Persecutions which had for several Ages try'd the Church as in a furnace Constantine the founder of New Rome and who render'd the Empire Christian favour'd Learning A Decree of his is extant whereby having granted Physicians and especially Doctors that waited in Ordinary on the Emperor or that had waited in Ordinary on the late Emperors Grammarians and other Professours of Learning with Doctors of Law to be free from all publick charges with their Wives Children and all they possess not to be burthen'd with free-quarter in the Provinces nor to bear office nor to be arrested nor impanel'd nor bound to any Personal appearance nor molested otherwise the Delinquent to be punish'd at the Judges discretion he further adds his command that their wages and salaries be effectually paid that so they may with more liberty attend the breeding up many in liberal Sciences and the Arts above mention'd Julian the Apostate by an ungratious edict worthy to be wrapt up in eternal silence shut up Schools against the Christians and prohibited all Masters of Rhetorick and Grammar to teach any of that Profession those Arts and Faculties which he fondly termed peculiar to the Greek as he would have meant Heathen but his fall in Persia prov'd infamous to the Roman name On the other side Theodosius the Great settled large immunities on Students Afterwards upon the incursion of the Northern nations while Schools were either wholly neglected or not competently encourag'd for both failings in their degree redound upon the publick into what barbarity of Learning manners and Religion did Europe soon revolt and was not the study of the Holy Scriptures the integrity and Truth of divine service at once with good Arts and Disciplines restor'd A passage which shall be subjoin'd take onely as an Argument of that light esteem of this calling which is easy to be impress'd upon the Vulgar by men true to their own interests at the hazard of others reputation The ingenious Boccace in his Decameron the first days discourse Novel 4. had told a Tale of a Monk that having fall'n into a sin deserving the most grievous punishment yet with credit saved himself from suffering any at all by recriminating upon his Abbot the very same fault This foul charge the Inquisitors appointed by Pius V. thought no ways expedient to remain upon the file to the scandal of the Brotherhood as taxing the Luxury of Friers in an Author so much in the hands of all Italy and the most neighboring Countries and therefore having eras'd Monk and Abbot they dextrously substituted Scholar and Master as though that Relation were less sacred Not to aggravate this disreputation beyond the jest impos'd more to the convenience of the relators then the merit of the Subject defam'd they who should goe about to perswade a suppression or diminution of Country Grammar Schools in England besides that they seem not duly to have examin'd the occasions of this Church so neither understand they the temper of our Kings and People donations however small have been in good measure rescu'd from the dissolutions of Religious Houses and preserv'd amidst the Sales of Fee-farm Rents nay even in the late Invasion of Church and Crown-Lands Kings of Spain know best what matters are inconvenient and prejudicial to their Kingdome Perhaps their Schools might be too many The same degree of Light is not convenient to all eyes Perhaps else their state hath not thriv'd the better since the diminution of them Kings of England have graffed upon these Policies this conscience that their Subjects pay them a rational obedience that they ground their Faith upon principles of sound knowledge and where men have fail'd of duty their cause hath been pleaded by a superior power so that in the issue those principles and that reason of their subjects however a while clouded through prejudices or through wrong insinuations seduc'd hath return'd