Selected quad for the lemma: city_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
city_n	great_a	young_a	youth_n	119	3	7.6175	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31087	Certain proposals humbly offered, for the preservation & continuance of the truly reformed Protestant religion, in these three kingdomes of England, Scotland and Ireland by a professor of the said truly reformed Protestant religion ...	J. B.	1674 (1674)	Wing B96; ESTC R11223	33,531	39

Languages and all those Liberal Sciences the knowledge whereof is requisite to the study of Divinity and in all which by daily study and practice they will still become more and more expert in which chief part of their studies I mean Divinity I conceive it would not be amiss if they were particularly obliged by their Benefactors to read such of the soundest and most ancient Fathers and best Schoolmen as comply most with the Doctrine of true Reformed Protestantism as also that they be further obliged to read such of the Modern Writers both German and French as are likewise of the same Judgment but especiallly that they be much versed in our English Divines not touched with Arminianism or other the like Errors such such as Jewel both the Reynolds's Perkins Amesius Vsher with the worthy Labours of Preston Sibs Mr. Anthony Burges Burroughs Bridge Mr. Isaac Ambrose Allen Owen Greenhill Mr. Sydrach Sympson Symonds Spurstow Sedgwick and many other of our Practical Divines that might be named among which I would by no means have omitted the excellent Works of Dr. Thomas Goodwin and Mr. Joseph Caryl which Authors and such like when they have read over and well digested they will undoubtedly with the Blessing of God upon their studies become able men to preach the Gospel and defend the true Protestant Religion against all Gainsayers whatsoever yea and in all probability will attain unto such an Eloquence and fluency of Speech such a sweetness and excellency of knowledge in Gospel-truths and such a melting and moving way of preaching as will render them blessed Instruments of much spiritual good to their Hearers O what a joyful sound all over the three Kingdoms would such silver Trumpets as these make and what golden Candlesticks with burning and shining Lights in them would be set up where-ere they come This is the first most advantageous use as I humbly conceive and most of all tending to the Glory of God and the true publick Good which such rich Protestants as aforesaid might make of the Wealth and Abundance which the Lord hath given them If any Design in the world be worthy to be accounted a Noble Design surely this is thus to propagate the truly Reformed Protestant Religion and especially at such a time as this is to revive it as it were out of its own Ashes The founding of Hospitals for the relief of aged and needy people is a good Act and the setting the poor on work is another so is the binding out of poor Children to be Apprentices and thereby be made able to live and be useful in the world but this methinks is a work beyond them all and indeed at this time and in this Age of greatest necessity and importance The consideration whereof I suppose was one of the chiefest Reasons that stirred up those two most worthy Patriots Erasmus Smith and Thomas Foley Esq both yet alive to erect their Famous Schools of Grammar-Learning and devise such Statutes and Orders for the good Government and Education of the numerous Youth in them as might most conduce unto this very end three of which said Schools were Founded by the said Erasmus Smith Esq some few years since in Ireland with a Revenue amounting in some short time if well managed to no less than fourteen hundred pound per annum as I am assuredly informed given for ever for the maintenance and support of them The other very lately by the said Thomas Foley Esq in Worcestershire with an ample Revenue likewise for the upholding of it Rare Examples and highly worthy of imitation were there any to be found so well minded Perhaps some may be found we will hope the best and should this little Treatise any way conduce thereunto how should I think it a Mercy and Honour that ever God put it into my heart to write it and thereby occasion any to engage in so blessed a Work If it be objected how can this be done if men had never so good a mind to it For are not places of Publick Education every where grown so corrupt and debauched that such as fear God dare not adventure their Children in them for how hopeful soever they may be when they come thither yet have not too many found by sad experience the power of the Temptations they have there met with even to their utter undoing I answer That were it once resolved upon by the rich Protestants aforesaid as they live scattered up and down the Three Kingdoms and care taken by them to educate such Youths in every City Great Town and Countrey and this known to be so no doubt is to be made but as good Schoolmasters would be found to do their parts without the Vniversities so good Tutors would seat themselves within the Vniversities to receive Pupils from all parts that should be sent to them Perhaps indeed they might not be admitted into the Colledges upon the account of Nonconformity but yet perhaps they might be admitted to inhabit somewhere without the Colledges as Students from all parts of the world do in the Vniversities abroad as at Leyden Vtrecht Padua Paris Heidelburg and many others by means whereof they may be present at all publick Disputations Lectures and other Vniversity-Exercises and bear their share in them and in due time take their Degrees too if not ensnared with Oaths or otherwise hindered and be as eminent in all parts of Learning as any others but if our Vniversities here at home will not admit them to live among them but exterminate and cast them out they might be sent by their Benefactors to the best Vniversities abroad particularly to Cambridg in New-England who are wont to admit of Strangers and that gladly too from whatsoever parts they come O happy day would that be could we once see it if the several hundreds of such rich Protestants as aforesaid which might be found in these Kingdoms would set apart some Annual Revenue to continue for ever for so brave a Service how many thousands of pounds yearly might be raised with ease and disposed of this way and how many hundreds of hopeful young Branches might thus continually from time to time spring up to succeed the old ones that decay so fast and die daily Methought it very much affected me many years since when I saw at the Jesuites-School at Antwerp a great number of the Flower of the Youth of the City and Countrey thereabout to be trained up in a Religion so wicked and Idolatrous as the Popish Religion is shall these men of so false a Religion be so sedulous and careful to raise up a succession of able instruments to maintain their rotten Cause and not think the most ripe-witted and very best-Parted of their Children to be at all disparaged but much honoured rather to be so employed And shall Protestants be otherwise minded concerning their Children and less careful for their Religion And though I judge this first means now named viz. the education of Youths in

advance them to no mean employment but rather to as noble an one as any that can be named it is no despicable work in the Apostles sence to serve at the Altar nor was it so in God's own account when he glorified his Son Jesus to be a Priest Heb. 5.4 5. Solomon was the greatest and the wisest King that ever the world had and yet was a Preacher so was David his Father before him a Preacher and a Prophet Psal 40. 9 10. So also were the Princes of Jehoshaphat of whom it is said that they taught the People in the Cities of Judah And for those that say they have Estates to give to these their Children by which they may be able to live without other preferments especially those which come in by Ecclesiastical Employments Well admit it be so will they not shew their love to Christ so much the more in dedicating their Children and their Estates too unto his Service especially in such an Age as this when the right sort of Protestants every where for the most part are so poor that they cannot give so liberal a maintenance to the painful Preachers of the Gospel as they desire and gladly would if they were able and in case they bring up their Children to Idleness because they have Estates to leave to them and so put them into no Calling or Employment at all what do they thereby do but render them in a manner wholly useless both to Church and State and which is worse expose them to all manner of Temptations and Dangers which are wont to accompany an idle course of Life and what comfort can Parents have in this or their Children either or what accounts will they both give hereof at the last day For those that differ from both the former that is neither intend their Children for high employments nor yet to leave them Estates without Callings but design them for Merchandizing and other gainful Trades because they see no hopes of Ecclesiastical preferments but upon the ill terms before mentioned I shall only say thus much to them if one great cause of the future decay of the Protestant Religion should be the want of such able men to defend it as their Children in all probability might have proved to have been had they been in pure love to Christ and his Truth dedicated and brought up thereunto and so by that means as much if not more than any other Popery should over-run this Land what good will their gainful Trades do them in such a dismal change and how little will God and their Country be beholding to them for this their carnal policy and eager pursuit after worldly advantages with the loss of the Gospel and the True Religion which it holds forth To that which is said concerning the want of encouragement from Ecclesiastical preferments if Christ himself be worthy of credit and may be believed in what he sayes such as go forth in his Name to preach the everlasting Gospel shall not want subsistance nor encouragement in that work but shall be sure where they come to find welcom as well for their Persons as their Doctrine and shall not need to take care either for scrips for their journey or for two coats or for shoes or for staves no nor for Gold or Silver or Brass in their Purses Matth. 10.9 10. Let this then suffice for answer to the Objections of the rich Protestants Now for those of the Poor they also do make two Objections one is that they are totally unable to maintain their Children or to bring them up in Learning either in Schools or Academies they have not where withal to do it The other is they are necessitated to train them up in some way even so soon as ever capable to get their own living if not to be helpful to them their poor Parents also and so cannot spare or allow them time for such education as aforesaid were we able say they we would do it most willingly but we cannot Now for the removal of this difficulty I would become an humble and earnest petitioner to several sorts of Rich Protestants in these Kingdoms First To all rich Protestants both Males and Females that though rich yet by the Providence of God some way or other are determined to a single life and have power to dispose of their Estates as seemeth good unto themselves Secondly To all such rich Protestants in the married state that have no Issue or Kindred to provide for or at least such as have no need of them Thirdly To all such rich Protestants as though blessed with Children and may have other Relations to take care of yet have so plentiful an Estate that when all are well provided for enough remains for other acts of Piety and Charity Fourthly To all such rich Protestants as have purposes in their own hearts to dispose of the whole or any part of their Estates to some good use or other but are not yet determined which way to do it but would be glad to be advised how to improve what they have so as God may be most glorified and the publick good advanced in the Places and Countries where they live To these four sorts of rich Protestants I will now address my self and among other acts of Piety which they may have thoughts of would earnestly perswade to these which follow First That such pregnant Youths as are above-described who either have no parents alive but are poor distressed Orphans and in a manner altogether friendless or are the Children of poor Widows poor Non-conforming Ministers or other poor Protestants fearing God may be adopted or taken care of by them in Grammar Schools and Academies for the ends aforesaid and that in order hereunto Feoffees in trust may be appointed good and faithful men to seek out for such as those and to place them in good Schools and Academies under such Masters and Tutors as shall be found most able and faithful in instructing such as shall be so committed to their care in Learning and Piety with this limitation that in case any of the said Youths grow debauched or within the compass of the times prefixed for them to be provided for do fall into any erroneous Opinions or evil practices contrary or prejudicial to the true Reformed Protestant Religion they shall thenceforth be cashiered and enjoy no further benefit of the said Maintenance As for their Academical Studies after they leave the Grammar-Schools I propound ten or twelve years at least to be spent in them for this main reason that they may have space sufficient before they enter into the Ministry to lay a good foundation of solid Learning and be the more ripened in their Parts and Abilities both Natural and Acquired for so great a work as a right Preaching of the Gospel is for if they be of pregnant Wits and good Sudents they may within the space of the said ten or twelve years be competently well acquainted with the Learned