ordinary to the Joy of the Father and Credit of the Teacher be better grounded in real Learning and more capable to use it than we commonly see Young Scholars are after they have been several Years at School and not a few at the University In Truth the Scheme which He Proposes is Founded upon the certain Principles of Reason and Experience and not upon the sole Authority of any Great Name how Famous soever He freely inquires after the best Rules and Method of Instructing Youth not obliging himself to maintain the Systems and Practices of others farther than he finds them agreeable to the Dictates of Eternal Reason our Common Master and confirmed by his own particular Experience The Princes of Conte whose Studies he had the Honour to Direct as their Quality required a more Ingenuous and Liberal way of Education so I doubt not but when they came out of their Tutors Hands they found themselve furnished with a Morality and a sort of Learning answerable to their Birth that is Wise Generous and Active Built upon the solid Foundations of Reason and Experience As to the Translation I have observed as Faithfully as I could the Author 's own Rules P. 137. not scrupulously rendering one Word for another but the French Idiom into the English way of Speaking yet always as near as possibly preserving his Sense Excepting P. 50. where what He calls the Heresie I only Term the Doctrin of Luther Such Complements as these must be expected from one who professes himself to be of the Roman Catholick Communion We have some more of them P. 177 where he refers to the Vulgar Latin as the version which the Church hath made Authentick recommends the knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue if for no other Reason yet to silence the Hereticks and Advises his Priest to Read the Trent Catechism and Council and Romish Ritual These and such like Characteristicks of his Communion I thought once to have accommodated to the English Church as likewise the Honours he bestows on the French Nation to our own But upon second Thoughts I judged it more suitable with a Translation to let these Passages go unaltered Since the Weakest are in no danger of being harmed by them and the Wiser will only conclude from them that Custom and Education in some things are apt to prevail over the Judgments of the most Reasonable Men. To conclude since Translations out of the French have of late been so much encouraged and to so good purpose 't is hoped this will find some place amongst the Excellent Books we have already received and do still expect out of that Language Du Pin and Malbranch have been worthily looked upon as Originals in their respective Labours And when the Learned shall have Impartially considered Mr. Fleury's Writings they 'll find him to be one of those French Writers who abating their peculiar Roman Shibboleth have Written as if they design'd to serve the Interest of the Church of England that is of Primitive Christianity rather than that of Rome THE CONTENTS THe Design of the Treatise Pag. 1 The First Part. The History of Studies The Studies of the Greeks 2 Pag. 2 The Studies of the Romans Pag. 5 The Studies of the Christians Pag. 11 The Studies of the Franks Pag. 17 The Studies of the Arabians Pag. 22 The Studies of the School-Men Pag. 28 Vniversities and their four Faculties Pag. 33 The Faculty of the Arts Pag. 34 Medicks or Physick Pag. 41 Civil and Canon-Law Pag. 44 Divinity Pag. 45 The Restoration of Humanity Pag. 47 The Second Part. The Choice of Studies Pag. 54 The Way and Method to give Attention Pag. 62 The Division of Studies Pag. 71 Religion and Morality Pag. 73 Civility and Good Breeding Pag. 86 Logick and Metaphysicks Pag. 89 That Men ought to have a Care of their Bodies Pag. 100 Men ought not to Study purely for Interest Pag. 108 Grammar Pag. 111 Arithmetick Pag. 117 Oeconomick p. Pag. 117 Civil Law or Jurisprudence Pag. 123 Policy Pag. 132 Of Languages Latin c Pag. 136 History Pag. 140 Natural History Pag. 148 Geometry Pag. 150 Rhetorick Pag. 161 Poetry Pag. 157 Curious Studies Pag. 160 Vseless Studies Pag. 163 The Order of Studies according to the several Ages Pag. 167 The Studies of Women Pag. 171 The Studies of Clergy-men Pag. 175 The Studies of Sword men Pag. 181 The Studies of the Men of the Robe Pag. 184 THE HISTORY Choice and Method OF STUDIES ALthough at present I only intend to Treat of private Studies and to give Advice to those alone who Instruct Children in Houses and are at liberty to use what Method they shall think the Best I have nevertheless judg'd it necessary First to Consider the course of Studies which we find settled in the publick Schools to the end that we may conform our selves unto them as much as possible But to understand well the Order of our publick Studies it seems to me Adviseable to go to the Fountain-head that so we may see whence every part is deriv'd down to us and how the whole body of these Studies has been form'd in the Succession of many Ages Containing the History of Studies GRammar Rhetorick and Philosophy came from the Greeks even the Names themselves of these Studies import as much From the Greeks they pass'd to the Romans and from the Romans to us Now the Greeks had great Reason to apply themselves to these Three Sorts of Studies as they understood them By Grammar they in the first place meant the Knowledge of Letters that is the Art to Read and Write and consequently Speak well It was of great moment to them to know how to Read Write and Speak correctly in their own Language with which they contented themselves for they Learnt none of Strangers Under the Name of Grammar they also comprehended the Knowledge of the Poets Historians and other good Authors whom their Grammarians profess'd to explain And 't is easie to see how useful this Study was to them At the First they had no other Books but their Poets and there they found all kind of Instructions All their Religion and all their History were contain'd in them For hitherto they had no more certain Traditions than these Fables which now seem so Ridiculous unto us And as for their Religion their Poets were their Prophets whom they looked upon as Friends of the Gods and Men inspir'd and for their works they had a Respect not much inferiour if I may make the Comparison to that which we have for the holy Scriptures Moreover they found in them Rules for the Government of themselves and Lively Representations of Humane Life And they had this Advantage that these Books so full of Instructions were perfectly well written Insomuch that they were a divertisement to the Reader and besides the Substance of things they learnt from them to Speak well and to express their Thoughts nobly In short all their verses were made to be Sung and
of Men giving all the rest of Nature even the Organs of Human Bodies to their direction They believed that there was a sort of Natural Magick and every thing of which they knew not the Cause they ascribed to that which was Supernatural that is the Power of Wicked Spirits For being assured by Religion that there are such Spirits and that God permits them sometimes to Deceive Men nothing did more handsomly conceal their Ignorance than to attribute to them all that of which they could give no Account Thus the Fictions of the Poets of this time were not by much so absurd as they appear to us It was probable even in the Opinion of their Learned Men that there had been and that there were still in divers parts of the World Diviners and Enchanters and that Nature Produced Flying Dragons and divers kinds of Monsters This Belief of Fables in Natural History introduced a great many Superstitious Practices especially in Medicks where People always love to do something that is Useless rather than omit any thing that may be of Advantage To Study Natural Philosophy under which was comprehended Medicks was onely to Read Books and Dispute as if there had been no Animals to Dissect no Plants or Minerals whose Effects were to be Try'd as if Men had not had the Use of their Senses to have satisfy'd themselves of the Truth of that which others had said In a word as if no such thing as Nature had been in the World to have been Consulted in her Self Much after this manner were Arts and especially Medicks treated in the Universities THe same Method was pursued in Law Since the ignorance of Latin and History hinder'd them from Understanding the Texts they betook themselves to the Summaries and Glosses of those who were presumed best to Understand them and who themselves having not the help of other Books did onely Explain one place of the Digest or the Decretal by another comparing them as exactly as they could The Faults of these Masters easily deceived their Disciples and some so far abused their Credulity as to mix with their Glosses Ridiculous Etymologies and Absurd Fables Whether it was that they did not Apprehend that they could not Practise the Laws if they did not understand them or that they despaired to understand them better However it was their greatest Endeavour was to Reduce them to Practise to handle Questions upon the Consequences which they had drawn from the Texts to give Counsel and Decide Cases But when they undertook to apply this Roman Law to our Affairs which was so ill understood by us and so different from our Manners and yet at the same time preserve our Customs which it was impossible to Change The Rules of Justice became much more uncertain All Civil Law was reduc'd to School-Disputes and the Opinions of Doctors who having not sufficiently penetrated into the Principles of Morality and Natural Equity sought sometimes their particular Interests They also who sought after Justice knew no other Means of procuring it but particular Remedies against Injustice which made them invent so many New Clauses for Contracts and so many Formalities for Judgments They as the Physicians did labour'd onely to heal Present Evils without taking care to stop the Fountains of them and prevent 'em for the future or rather they could not do it For to take away the General Causes of Vexatious Process and Injustice it is requisite that the Soveraign Power be Concern'd that there be some certain and stable Laws known to all the World and Publick Officers fully Authorized A great many Means of Inriching as well as Ruining themselves must be taken away from particular Persons and as far as possible they must be reduc'd to the most Simple and Natural Way of Living as we see in that Law which God himself gave to his People and which whilst they observ'd it made them so happy But then Europe was so divided and Princes so weak both in Power and Intellectuals that it never came into their heads to make such Laws DIvinity was more purely Studied And indeed we find in all Times a Sensible Protection of God over his Church always to preserve therein the Sound Doctrin But though the Doctrin was the same as in the foregoing Ages the manner of Teaching was different The Fathers of the Church being for the most part Bishops very much imploy'd scarce Writ any thing but when they were necessitated for the Defence of Religion against Hereticks and Pagans and they Treated onely of such Questions as were really proposed A good part of their Works are Sermons which they made to the People in Explaining the Holy Scripture But the Doctors of the Vniversities being wholly taken up in Studying and Teaching did separate even all the parts of Ecclesiastical Studies one from another Some confin'd themselves to the Explication of Scripture which they called Positive Theology Others to the Mysteries and Speculative Truths which is called by the general Name of Scholastick Others to Morality and the Decision of Cases of Conscience Thus their end in the Schools being to Teach they made it their Business to Treat of as many Questions as they could and to place them Methodically They thought that to Exercise their Disciples and prepare them for Serious Disputes against the Enemies of the Faith they ought to examine all the Subtilties which Human Reason could furnish them with upon these Subjects and Obviate all the Objections of Curious and Restless Spirits They had Leisure for it and they were provided with Means of doing it out of Aristotle's Logick and Metaphysicks together with the Commentaries of the Arabians Thus they did much the same thing which is done in Fencing-Schools and the Academies where to give Activity and Spirit unto Young Men they Teach them many things which are very rarely made use of in Real Encounters In Explaining the Master of the Sentences whose Book was lookt upon as the Body of Scholastick Divinity they form'd every day New Questions upon those which he had Propounded and afterwards they did the same upon St. Thomas's Sums But now it must be confess'd that this Forming and Resolving of Questions and in general This meer Reasoning did for a long time Lessen Mens Application to Positive Studies which consist in Reading and Criticism as the knowing the Literal Sense of Scripture the Sentiments of the Fathers and Matters of Fact in Ecclesiastical History 'T is true these Studies were very difficult through the great scarcity of Books and the little Knowledge of Ancient Languages A Bible with the ordinary Gloss Compleat was not to be found but in Great Libraries A private person was rich when he had Gratian's Decretal and the greatest part knew not the Fathers but by this Collection THis was very much the State of Studies in France and in Europe when Men began to apply themselves to Humanity I mean chiefly to Grammar and History This Restoration may be
to be very well skill'd in Logick and Metaphysick such as I have represented them that he may be able to Demonstrate by Solid Reasons that every Man of Good Sense ought to submit himself to the Authority of the Catholick Church He should also be capable to defend Religion against the Hereticks and for this end to know the positive Proofs of our Belief drawn from the Scripture the Councils or the Fathers He should know Ecclesiastical History the Canon-Law not onely the Practical Beneficial and that which is curious in the ancient Canons but also the true Rules of Ecclesiastical Discipline upon which all that is Practical is founded and how that which is not practised has been abolished He should know Christian Morality in all its extent not contenting himself only with the Decisions of Modern Casuists concerning what is Sin and what is not But he should proceed further and see how the Fathers have judged thereof and also be acquainted with their Method of Teaching Vertue and guiding Souls to Perfection This is what we will find in Cassian and the Monastick Rules A great esteem ought to be had of these Works which are the Product of so many Holy Experiences Lastly He should know the Ceremonies of the Publick Office the Administration of the Sacraments the Practice of all Ecclesiastical Functions But this Study consists not so much in Reading of Books as in the observation of Living Tradition When once he has the Great Principles of Scripture and the Fathers he will be much instructed by seeing the Labours of others and by labouring himself together with them Seeing that a Clergyman is designed to instruct others it is not enough for him to know all that I have mentioned he must also know how to Speak and Perswade He therefore stands in need of that sort of Logick and that solid Eloquence I have spoken of For let us not deceive our selves a Man without Gifts is not proper for the Ministry of the Church A good Priest is not onely a Man who Prays unto God and leads an Innocent Life such an one at most is no more than a good Monk He is a Priest to assist others and as he is not accounted a good Physician who doth not heal a great many Diseases neither is he to be called a good Priest who doth not Convert a great many Sinners I do not say that none ought to be made Priests but such as have a florid Imagination an happy Memory a pleasant Voice and such like qualities which usually make Preachers Famous but I should desire that there were not any who have not a Solid Judgment and a right way of Reasoning who should not know how to Instruct both in Publick and in Private with all the Sweetness and Authority which the difference of Subjects and Persons do require In a word who should not have some Ray of that Apostolick Eloquence the perfect Model of which we have in St. Paul A Clergy-man unto whom so many Pieces of Knowledge are necessary should not lose his time in Prophane Studies or useless Curiosities He should also use great choice in the Studies appertaining to his Profession Let him not bestow too much time upon those Large Commentaries on Scripture the sight of which alone is enough to terrifie by the Bigness and Multitude of the Volumes and to make one despair of ever understanding the Text Let him not amuse himself with useless Speculations and the vain Wranglings of the School-men Let him not suffer himself to be Transported too far with the humour of Criticizing upon matters of Fact and Inquiring too Curiously into Ecclesiastical Antiquities for there are all these Rocks to be avoided even in the Studies which belong unto him He ought always to remember that the Christian Religion is not an Humane Art or Science wherein every one is permitted to seek and invent that his business is onely to Collect and faithfully preserve the Tradition of the Church He should Meditate Attentively upon those Rules which St. Paul gives to Timothy and Titus against Curious Questions that he may avoid Vain Disputes and referr all to Charity Thus he will fix his Mind on those Studies which are necessary and which relate the most to Practice For a Clergy-man should not be a professedly Learned Man who spends all his Life in his Closet in Studying and Composing Books He is to be a Man of Action and above all of Prayer These are the two parts of the Apostolick Life Prayer and Ministry of the Word He should therefore every day spend a considerable time in Conversing with God for the cleansing himself from those Spots which he has contracted by action and intercourse with Men for representing unto him his own needs and those of the whole Church We ought to give unto our Neighbour all that assistance which we owe unto him according to the Place we have in the Church and the particular occasions which Charity shall present Study is to be the business of our Youth and in the rest of our Lives only our Rest and Diversion usefully to fill up the Intervals of Action When you shall find your self Tired by Visiting the Sick or the Poor by the Administration of Sacraments or Instruction When you shall perceive you Voice weakened your Breast heated you 'll find a great pleasure in Reading some Good Passage of the Fathers or Ecclesiastical History in Meditating calmly upon some place of Scripture or in hearing the Conversation of a Learned and Pious Friend These are the Divertisements proper for Clergy-men WE now come to the Sword-men These are the Men who ordinarily Study the least and yet there are two Reasons of Studying which are peculiar to them A Man who is naturally brave fierce and inclin'd to courageous Actions whose Birth or Imploy heightens his Courage who has his Arms in his hand and Men under him ready to obey without asking a Reason This Man is in a capacity of exercising all sorts of Violence and if he be wicked or only Passionate and Humoursome he is insufferable to all the rest of Mankind He is a Lyon let loose he is an Armed Madman It is therefore of great moment that they whose Inclination and Profession do put them into so dangerous a Condition should have a great deal of Reason and Power over themselves to the end that they may use their Courage and Strength only for the Publick Good and against the Enemies of the State It would be better that the House should not be Guarded at all than that it should be kept by Dogs who without distinction should fall upon those who belong to the House as well as upon the Thieves The other Reason is the great Idleness which usually attends a Soldiers Life He knows not what to do when in Garrison in Winter Quarters in a place where he must stay any time when his Wounds are under Cure and oblige him to think of them