Arorum in

quam alibi

fities pretend, they furely are without Love to their Brethren, who would have thefe Studies thus confined to thefe Places, and do * fwear Men to read. and teach them now here else: certainly it is most tum Magimanifeft, that thefe Men love their own private Gain, receptionibus nore than the Common Good of the People. But refumptenow seeing by the Hand of God, a Kingdom is turn-nibus. furent onibus folered into a Commonwealth, and Tyranny into Freedom, etiam, quod we judge it most prejudicial to the Common Good of Universitaa Commonwealth, that these two Univerfuties fhould rem, nufmake a Monopoly of Human Learning to themselves, quam efpecially (as is faid) feeing they lay, no Body can præterquam well understand or teach the Scriptures without it aliqua Oxoniæ, in faand fo by reafon of this their Incroachment, against cultate incethe Rule of Love, through the former Grants of pient, aut Popes and Kings, all Men fhould be neceffitated to fuas folennifend their Children hither, from all Parts of the ter refument, nec confenNation, fome fcores or hundred of Miles, for Li- tient quod beral Education, to the great Trouble and Charge of aliquis alibi Parents: especially this confidered, that the Uni- incipiens, verfities ufually have been Places of great Licenti- bic pro Magiftro in illa oufnefs and Profaneness, whereby it often comes to facultate pafs, that Parents fending their Children far from babeatur them, Young and Hopeful, have for all their Care and Coft, after feveral Years, received them back again with their Tongues, and Arts, proud, profane, wicked, abominable, and incorrigible Wretches.

;

Wherefore doubtless it would be more fuitable to a Commonwealth (if we become fo in Deed, and not in Word only) and more advantagious to the good of all the People, to have Universities or Colledges, one at least, in every great Town or City in the Nation, as in London, York, Bristol, Exeter, Norwich, and the like; and for the State to allow to thefe Colledges an honeft and competent Maintenance, for fome Godly and Learned Men to teach the Tongues and Arts, under a due Reformation. And this the State may the better do (by Provision out

of

Le&ionis

in Anglia

of every County, or otherwise, as shall be judged beft) feeing then there will be no fuch need of Indowment of Scholarships; in as much as the People having Colledges in their own Cities, near their own Houfes, may maintain their Children at Home, whilst they learn in the Schools; which would be indeed the greatest Advantage to Learning than can be thought of.

8. It would alfo be confidered, whether it be according to the Word of God, that Youth should fpend their time only in reading of Books, whilft they are well, ftrong, active, and fit for Bufinefs. For commonly it fo falls out, that Youth lofe as much by Idleness, as they gain by Study. And they being only brought up to read Books, and fuch Books as only contain wrangling, jangling, foolish and unprofitable Philofophy, when they have continued any long time in the University, in these unwarranted courfes by God, they are commonly in the end, fit for no Worthy Imployment, either in the World, or among the Faithful.

To remedy which great Evil, Colledges being (as hath been spoken) difperfed through the great Cities and Towns of the Commonwealth, it may be Luther.'ibel, fo ordered, that the Youth (according to Luther's de Infiitu- Councel) may fpend fome part of the Day in end. pueris. Learning or Study, and the other part of the Day in fome lawful Calling; or one Day in Study, and another in Business, as Neceffity or Occafion fhall require.

And thus fhall Youth be delivered from that Ease and Idleness, which fills the Hearts of UniversityStudents with many Corruptions, and noifome Lufts, whilst they fill their Heads only with empty Knowledge and foolish Notions; whereby neither can God be glorified, nor their Neighbour profited.

9. And if this Courfe were taken in the difpofing and ordering Colledges and Studies, it would

come

come to pass that twenty would learn then, where one learns now, and also by Degrees, many Men (on whom God fhall please to pour forth his Spirit) may grow up to teach the People, whilft yet they live in an honeft Calling and Imployment, as the Apostle did. And this would give them great Efficacy and Power in teaching, whilft they lived by Faith, through their honeft Labour, and were delivered from the Mischief of Idlenefs: But and if the Faithful fhall defire any one that is more apt to teach, and hath received a greater Measure of the anointing than his Brethren, to spend more of his time in the Word and Prayer, than his Calling will afford, at fuch times they ought to fupply him and the Law of Love in the Hearts of the Faithful, will be Law enough in this matter, without calling in the Aid of the Magistrate.

And by this means, may the charitable and burdenfome Maintenance of the carnal Clergy, by Degrees be taken away, and the Church of Christ, and the very Nations themselves, be fupplyed with a more Faithful, Chriftian, and Spiritual Miniftry than now it hath, at a far lefs rate.

For

God hath promifed in the laft Days to pour out his Spirit on all Flesh, and the Sons, and Daughters, and Servants, and Handmaids fhall prophefie, and then fhall Knowledge cover the Earth as Waters the Sea.

Now for Conclufion, I do conceive that none of the Faithful and Wife have any juft Caufe to be offended for speaking for the Ufe of Human Learning in this reformed Way, which the Gospel will permit; feeing by this means, thefe two Errors of Antichrift would be diffolved among us; the one of making Universities the Fountain of the Ministry; which One Thing, is, and will be more and more (as Chrift's Kingdom fhall rife and prevail in the World) a Milftone about their Necks: And the other, of making the Clergy a diftin&t Sect or Or

der,

der, or Tribe, from other Chriftians, contrary to the Simplicity of the Gospel.

2. Let the Faithful confider that this reformed ufe of Tongues and Arts, justly hath its Place in the World. For if all Men can be Chriftians (as Paul faith, all Men have not Faith) yet let them be Men, and improved in the ufe of Reason, and fober Learning, whereby they may be serviceable to the Commonwealth in their Age, whilft the Church of Chrift hath its own Members and Officers, through the Call of God, and Unition of his Spirit only. * Sufficit au- For * Human Learning hath it's Place and Ufe arem ut bont mong Human Things, but hath no Place nor fe in Tebus (fcil. Chrift's Kingdom, as hath been fufficiently proved.

mes de his

de artibus

&fcientiis) quantum in Schola didicerunt, noverint [ropter ufus humanos. Augat. in act, contr. Felicem.

And thus, have I freely offered my Advice for mending things that are amifs, and making ftrait the things that are crooked in this Matter.

FINI S

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