ACCOUNT OF Charity - Schools IN GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND: With the Benefactions thereto; AND OF The Methods whereby they were fet up, A PROPOSAL for adding some WORK to the AND An APPENDIX, containing certain Forms and The Eleventh Edition, with large Additions. LONDON, Printed and Sold by Jofeph Downing in Bartholomew-Close 4096 Acc 1712 IT Advertisement. 'Tis to be hoped, That no Body concerned in these Charities, or others, will be offended at the Account here given of them, in Cafe there fhould happen to be any Mistakes in it. Some are unavoidable in a Relation of fo many particular Matters of Fact; especially confidering the Changes feveral of the Schools may poffibly have undergone in the Time wherein the Notices of them have been collecting. But as this Account hath been drawn up from the beft Informations that could be procur'd in the Time; fo if any one fhall find any Mistakes or Omiffions in it, they fhall be corrected or fupplied in the next Impression, if he pleases to give Notice thereof to the Printer. An ACCOUNT of the METHODS WHEREBY CHARITY-SCHOOLS I N Great Britain & Ireland Have been Erected, and are Governed; and of the Encouragement given to them, &c. I T is manifeft, That a Chriftian and Ufeful Education of the 'Tis also as plain and evident, That Piety, Virtue, and an honeft Way of Living, are not only of abfolute Neceflity to their Happiness both Here and Hereafter; but are neceffary also to the Eafe and Security of all other People whatsoever: For as much as there is no Body but may ftand in need of their Help, or be liable to receive Injuries from them. But that which ought more especially to be the Beginning, and End of Christian Charity, is the Glory of God, and the Good of Mankind. And these great and most defirable Ends cannot be by private Perfons more univerfally and effectually fecured, than by Contributing to the Christian Education and useful bringing up of the Poor. Therefore there having of late been feveral Schools, called CHARITY-SCHOOLS, Erected for that Purpose; namely, For the Education of Poor Children in the Knowledge and Practice of the Chriftian Religion, as Profefs'd and Taught in the Church of England; and for Teaching them fuch other Things as are moft fuitable to their Condition: It may be of Ufe to give a fhort Account of them, and to fhew how they have been Erected, and are Governed: That other People feeing the Practicableness, as well as Charity and Ufefulness thereof, may be moved to increase the Number of them. A 2 These Thefe Schools have been fometimes propos'd by the Minifter, to fome of his Parish; and fometimes by 2 or 3 Perfons of a Place, to the Minister of the Parish, and fuch others as they thought would join with them. And when 4 or 5 had agreed thereon, a) A Form their Way was to exprefs in a few Lines (a) the Neceffity and wharf is in Ufefulness of the Defign on a Roll of Parchment, and fubfcribe the Appendix. thereto fuch Sums as each of them thought fit to pay Yearly (during Pleafure) towards the Charge: And generally the Miniiter fubfcrib'd firft. And the Defign thus fet on Foot, they fhew'd the Roll to others, and thofe to others, who fubfcrib'd also as they thought fit. So that when the Defign became pretty well known, it commonly met with fo good Succefs, that the Subfcribers have been able to fet up a School in about 7 or 8 Months Time. After a competent Sum of Money fubfcribed, the next Thing the Subfcribers did, was their agreeing upon, and fettling certain Rules and Orders for the Governing thefe Schools, for the better effecting the End of the Charity, and eafier managing the fame, to the Satisfaction of all concern'd, and without giving Offence. In many Schools in and about London, the Orders are to the following Effect. I. The Master to be Elected for this SCHOOL fhall be, 1. A Member of the Church of England, of a fober Life and Converfation, and not under the Age of 25 Years. 2. One that frequents the holy Communion. 3. One that hath a good Government of himself and his Paffions. 4. One of a meek Temper and humble Behaviour.. 5. One of a good Genius for Teaching. 6. One who understands well the Grounds and Principles of the Christian Religion, and is able to give a good Account thereof to the Minister of the Parish, or Ordinary, on Examination. 7. One who can write a good Hand, and who understands the Grounds of Arithmetick. 8. One who keeps good Orders in his Family. 9. One who is approved by the Minister of the Parish (being a Subfcriber) before he be prefented to be Licensed by the Ordinary. AND here it may be noted, That it will be advifeable for any new-elected School-Mafter to confult with fome of the experienc'd Mafters of thefe Schools, for the better Understanding of his Duty. And it is recommended to them to communicate to fuch new-elected Master their Art, and the divers Methods of Teaching and Governing their Scholars, ufed according to the different Capacities, Tempers, and Inclinations of the Children. And moreover it will be convenient, that any fuch new-elected Mafter have Liberty, Liberty, on certain Days, to fee and hear the prefent Mafters feach their Scholars; and upon Occafion, to be afflifting to them in Teaching, that he may thereby become yet more expert, and better qualified for the Discharge of his Office. The due and faithful Execution whereof, as it is a Matter of very great Importance, fo it does deferve much Commendation, and may hope to meet with proportionable Encouragement.. II. The following Orders fhall be obferved by the Master and Scholars, &c. 1. The Mafter fhall conftantly attend his proper Bufinefs in the School, during the Hours appointed for Teaching, viz. from 7 to 1 in the Morning, and from 1 to 5 in the Evening, the Summer Half-Year: And from 8 to 11 in the Morning, and from 1 to 4 in the Evening, the Winter Half-Year; that he may improve the Children in good Learning, to the utmost of his Power, and prevent the Disorders that frequently happen for want of the Mafter's Prefence and Care. 2. To the End the chief Design of this School, which is for the Education of Poor Children in the Knowledge and Practice of the Chriftian Religion, as Profefs'd and Taught in the Church of England, may be the better promoted: The Master fhall make it his chief Bufinefs to inftruct the Children in the Principles thereof, as they are laid down in the Church-Catechifm; which he shall first teach them to pronounce diftinctly and plainly; and then, in order to practife, fhall explain it to the meaneft Capacity by fome good Expofition approv'd of by the Minifter: And this fhall be done conftantly Twice a Week, that every Thing in the Catechifin may be the more perfectly repeated and understood; and afterwards fhall more largely inform them of their Duty, by the Help of the Whole Duty of Man, Mr. Oftervald's Catechism, or fome other good Book. And the Mafter fhall take particular Care of the Manners and Behaviour of the Poor Children; and by all proper Methods fhall difcourage and correct the Beginnings of Vice, and particularly Lying, Swearing, Curfing, taking God's Name in Vain, and the Prophanation of the Lord's-Day, &c. at the fame Time minding them of fuch Parts of the holy Scriptures, and of the Catechifin, where thofe Things are mentioned as forbidden by God, and the contrary Things as commanded; whereby the Children may the better remember and understand the Ufe of the holy Scriptures, and their Catechifin, and learn to govern their Lives thereby. And in general, the Master (in the Bufinefs of Religion) fhall follow the Directions of the Minifter. Note, The Chriftian School-Mafter, advertifed at the End of this Account; together with the Art of Spelling and reading English, will be of excellent Ufe for the Master, and fuch as are employed in the InAtruction of Children. 3. When |