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The Univer

nity.

poor Lads waste the flower and cream of their Lives to no purpose, but to make them more Heathenife, Corrupt, and Bold in Evil, than they were by Nature. And,

For their Divinity, which they usually Learn in fity Divi- the Universities, out of the Fathers, Schoolmen, and Syftems; and in which they are trained up, to Difpute either for it, or against it, in the Schools (it being in feriousness, all one to Them, what they hold and maintain in Religion, seeing all is but Opinion to them) and which they after teach to the People, with Special Regard to their own Profit and Advantage, this is not the true Word, and Miniftry of the Gofpel. For the Gospel is the Word of Faith; which Word, is the Word in our Hearts, according to the Tenor of the New-Covenant, wherein God faith, I will write my Law in their Hearts, and put it in their inward Parts; But now the University-Divines, the Truth being indeed dead in their Hearts, and having no Prefence nor Power there, they take it up out of the Books and Writings of Men, wherein it hath been buried; and by this Means, bring forth a dead Doctrine to the World (which other Men have spoken, but themselves have no Experience of) and not the Word of Life, which hath quickened them, but only a Dead Letter, raised up like the Living Letter, which they prefent to them; as the Witch of Endor, raised up a Dead Samuel in the outward Habit and Appearance of the Living Samuel, and prefented him to Saul; fo thefe Univerfity-Divines bring forth the outward Garments and Appearance of the Truth to the People, when they do beft; but the Subftance, Soul, and Life of the Truth, they cannot bring forth, because they have not the Living Word of God in their Hearts, but have only a Dead Word, which they gather out of the Books and Writings of Men. And this is the University-Divinity.

And

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And Laftly, The Preachers which the Univerfi- The Univer fity-Preaties fend forth, are ufually in the greatest Enmity chers. to Chrift and his Gofpel, of all other Men whatfoever, and do bring greatest Prejudice to Chrifts Kingdam, and greatest Advantage to Antichrifts. For when Men withont Learning, and yet without the Spirit of Chrift, will undertake to teach the People (as many alfo now do) their Ignorance is manifest to all, and is judged of all, and they through their Rudeness, can never long deceive the World; but now, when Men are as deftitute of the Spirit as They, and yet have Human Learning, and the Letter of the Word, in a Philofophical fenfe, to help them, this is that, that exceedingly endangers and deceives the World; the People fuppofing, the Doctrine of the Gospel according to Philofophical. Learning, to be the Miniftration of the Spirit, and to be fufficiently enough, to inftruct the Church. And fo Antichrifts Kingdom is fet up with Credit and Renown by These; whereas the Ignorant Teachers, who are deftitute of the Spirit, are able to do him no confiderable Service. But Chrift will not have the Learned Men to be Teachers in his Church through their Learning; and as little will he have Ignorant Men to teach in his Church, because of their Ignorance; but whether Men be Learned or Ignorant according to the World, it is no matter in Chrifts Church, where each Man is to speak in the Spirit of Chrift, which makes both the Ignorant and the Learned alike wife in Chrift; and fo the Learned Man becomes Ignorant in the Church, to be Learned in Chrift; and the Ignorant Man without Worldly Learning, forthwith becomes Wife in Chrift; and the Learned, and the Ignorant, meet together only in the Wisdom of Chrift, which is the Wisdom of God, and fwallows up at once, all the Learning and Ignorance of the World alike, and will have all Wife alone in it Self.

Wherefore, all Universities being left and forfaken as to
this Matter, let Learned and Ignorant Men come alike to
Chrift, to be made Wife in Him, who is made unto us of
God, our only Wisdom.

642

THE

Right REFORMATION of
Learning, Schools and Universities,
according to the State of the Go-
Spel, and the True Light that
Shines therein.

T

Hough I do not pretend to that Wisdom which might direct the World (farther than the Word of God is with me) yet fhall be bold, as one who defires to be faithful to Chrift, and profitable to his true Church, to offer my Apprehenfions and Advice to the Called, Chofen, and Faithful Ones of Chrift, that either now are, or hereafter may be in Authority in these Nations, touching the inftructing Youth, and ordering Schools.

1. First therefore, as to this matter, I do judge, there neither is, nor can be any greater Evil than to bring up Children in Eafe and Idleness, and to fuffer them to live freely and without Controul, according to those Natural Lufts and Corruptions which they bring along with them into the World, which do foon wonderfully improve through fuch a careless and unnurtured Life. And fuch Children and Youth ufually become an early Prey to the Devil, who readily fills them with all the Ungodliness and Ynrighteoufness of the Heathen.

2. I conceive it meet, that the Civil Power, or chief Magiftrates fhould take great Care of the Education of Youth, as of one of the Greatest Works that concerns them, and as one of the Worthieft Things they can do in the World; inafmuch as what the Youth now is, the whole Commonwealth will fhortly be. 3. To this end, it is meet that Schools (if want

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ing) be erected through the whole Nation, and that not only in Cities and great Towns, but alfo (as much as may be) in all leffer Villages: And that the Authority of the Nation take great Care, that Godly Men especially, have the Charge of the greater Schools; and alfo that no Women be permitted. to teach little Children in Villages, but fuch as are the most fober and grave; and that the Magiftrate afford to this Work all fuitable Encouragement and Affistance.

4. That in fuch Schools they first teach them to read their Native Tongues, which they speak without teaching; and then presently as they understand, bring them to read the HOLY SCRIPTURES, which though for the prefent they understand not, yet may they (through the Bleffing of God) come to understand them afterwards.

5. That in Cities and greater Towns, where are the greater Schools, and the greater Opportunities to fend Children to them, they teach them alfo the Latin and Greek Tongues, and the Hebrew alfo, which is the easiest of them all, and ought to be in great account with us, for the Old Testaments fake. And it is most heedfully to be regarded, that in teaching Youth the Tongues, to wit the Greek and Latin, fuch Heathenish Authors be most carefully avoided, be their Language never fo good, whofe writings are full of the Fables, Vanities, Filthiness, Lafcivioufnefs, Idolatries, and Wickedness of the Heathen. Seeing ufually, whilft Youth do learn the Language of the Heathen, they also learn their Wickedness in that Language; whereas it were far better for them to want their Language, than to be poffeffed with their Wickedness. And what should Chriftian Youth have to do with the Heathenish Poets, who were for the most part the Devils Prophets, and delivered forth their Writings in his Spirit, and who through The Smoothness, Quietness, and Sweetness of their

Language,

Language, do infenfibly inftill the Poyson of Lust and Wickedness into the Hearts of Youth; whereby their Education, which ought to correct their Natural Corruption, doth exceedingly increase and inflame it?

Wherefore my Councel is, that they learn the Greek and Latin Tongues, especially from Chriftians, and fo without the Lyes, Fables, Follies, Vanities, Whoredoms, Luft, Pride, Revenge, &c. of the Heathens; especially feeing neither their Words, nor their Phrafes are meet for Chriftians to take into their Mouths and moft neceffary it is, that Chritians should forget the Names of their Gods, and Mufes, (which were but Devils and damned Creatures) and all their Muthology and fabulous Inven tions, and let them all go to Satan from whence they came.

6. It may be convenient also, that there may be fome Universities or Colleges, for the inftructing Youth in the Knowledge of the Liberal Arts, beyond Grammar and Rhetorick; as in Logick, which, as it is in Divinity (as one calls it) gladius Diaboli, the Devils Sword, fo in Human things it may be of good ufe, if Reafon manage that Art of Reason: but the Mathematicks especially are to be had in good Esteem in Universities, as Arithmetick, Geometry, Geography, and the like, which as they carry no Wickedness in them, fo are they befides very useful to Human Society, and the Affairs of this present Life.

There may be also in thefe Universities or Colleges, allowed the Studies of Phyfick, and of the Law, according to that Reformation which a wife and godly Authority will cause them to pass under, both being now exceedingly corrupt and out of order, both for Practice and Fees.

7. But why thefe Universities or Colleges, fhould be only at Cambridge and Oxford, I know no reason; Nay, if Human Learning be so neceffary to the Know ledge and Teaching of the Scriptures, as the Univer

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