The reformed librarie-keeper with a supplement to The reformed-school, as subordinate to colleges in universities / by John Durie ; whereunto is added, I. An idea of mathematicks II. The description of one of the chiefest libraries which is in Germanie ...

A SUPPLEMENT TO THE Reformed School.

Loving freind!

YOu have offered to mee that which I confess I did not re∣flect upon, when I wrote the discours you have Published under the name of a Reformed School; which is, that som may think by the waie of Education, which I propose all Universities and eminent places of Learning might subtilly bee undermined and made useless, becaus therein a waie is shew'd how to initiate youths not onely to the Principles of all Religious and Rational knowledg, and in the Exercises of all Mo∣ral virtues, but in the grounds of all Civil emploiments, so far, as will make them fit for all profitable undertakings in humane societies, whence this will follow (in their apprehensions) that they shall have no ad∣vantage

by beeing sent to anie Universities, to attein anie further perfection: becaus the Universities will not bee able to add anie thing unto them, which by their own Indu∣strie, they may not afterward attein anie where els, as well as there. Truly it never came into my thoughts, either directly or indirectly to make Universities useless; nor can it bee rationally infer'd from anie thing in the matter form or end of that discours of mine: but I will grant that such as can see no further then what wee now ordinarily attein unto; and withal think that there is no Plus ultra in nature atteinable above that which they have conceived, such as I saie may frame to themselv's this jealousie a∣gainst that discours: but if they would rais their thoughts with mee a little above the ordinarie pitch, and consider what the Na∣ture of man is capable off: and how far it may, by diligent instruction, by Method and Communication, bee improved: they might rather bee induced to make this in∣ference, if the natural abilities of youths in a School (when reformed) may bee thus far improved: how far more may they bee improved, when they are past the age of Youth, and com to Manhood in Colleges and Universities, if namely Colleges and Universities, could in the sphere of their

activities bee proportionally Reformed, as the Schools may bee in their sphere: for it is rational to conclude thus: if the first step of our Reformation will lead us thus far, how far will the second and third lead us? and if Scholastical Exercises in Youths of eighteen or twentie years, will advance them to that perfection of Learning and Virtues, which few of double their age or none almost ever attein unto, what will Collegial and Academical Exercises (if re∣formed and set upon their proper Objects) bring them unto? I shall therefore to eas you, or such as may have this scruple and jealousie over mee, declare that my purpose is so far from making Colleges and Uni∣versities useless, that if I might have my de∣sire in them, they should becom a thou∣sand times more useful then now they are, that is, as far above the ordinarie State wherein they are set, as this School is above the ordinarie waie of Schooling: for if wee look upon the true and proper ends of School, College and Universitie-studies and Exercises; wee shall see that as in na∣ture they are in a gradual proportion, di∣stant from, and subordinate unto each o∣ther, so they ought to rise one out of ano∣ther, and bee built upon each other's Foun∣dations.

The true and proper end of Schooling is to teach and Exercise Children and Youths in the Grounds of all Learning and Virtues, so far as either their capacitie in that age will suffer them to com, or is re∣quisite to apprehend the principles of use∣ful matters, by which they may bee made able to exercise themselvs in everie good Employment afterwards by themselvs, and as the Proverb is, sine Cortice natare. The true and proper end of Colleges should bee to bring together into one Societie such as are able thus to Exercise themselvs in a∣nie or all kind of Studies, that by their mu∣tual Association, Communication, and Assi∣stance in Reading, Meditating and confer∣ring about profitable matters, they may not onely perfit their own Abilities, but advance the superstructures of all Learn∣ing to that perfection, which by such means is attainable. And the true and proper End of Universities, should bee to publish unto the World the Matters, which formerly have not been published; to discover the Er∣rors and hurtfulness of things mistaken for Truths; and to supplie the defects and de∣siderata, which may bee servicable to all sorts of Professions.

Now according to those aimes and ends, I suppose it may bee inferred, that none

should bee dismissed out of the Schools, till they are able to make use of all sorts of Books, and direct themselvs profitably in e∣verie cours of Studie or Action, whereunto their Genius shall lead them; and that none should bee admitted into anie Colleges, but such as will join with others, to elabo∣rate som profitable Tasks, for the Advance∣ment and facilitating of superstructures in things already by som discovered, but not made common unto all; And that none should bee made Publick Professors in Uni∣versities, but such as have not onely a Pub∣lick aim, but som approved Abilities, to supply som defects and to Elaborate som desiderata of usefull knowledg, or to di∣rect such as are studious, how to order their thoughts in all Matters of search and Medi∣tation, for the discoverie of things not hi∣therto found out by others; but which in probabilitie may bee found out by rational searching.

Thus then I conceiv, that in a well-Re∣formed Common wealth, which is to bee subordinate unto the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, wherein the Glorie of God, the hap∣piness of the nature of man: and the Glori∣ous libertie of the Sons of God is to bee revealed; all the subjects thereof should in their Youth bee trained up in som Schools

fit for their capacities, and that over these Schools, som Overseers should bee appoint∣ed to look to the cours of their Educati∣on, to see that none should bee left desti∣tute of som benefit of virtuous breeding, according to the several kinds of emploi∣ments, whereunto they may bee found most fit and inclinable, whether it bee to bear som civil Office in the Common-wealth, or to bee Mechanically emploied, or to bee bred to teach others humane Sciences, or to bee imploied in Prophetical Exercises. As for this School, which at this time I have delineated, it is proper to such of the Nobi∣litie, Gentrie and better sort of Citizens, which are fit to bee made capable to bear Offices in the Common-wealth: the other Schools may bee spoken off in due time, so far as they are distinct from this; but that which now I have to suggest is chiefly this, that as out of the Schools the chois, which ought to bee made for Colleges, ought, Caeteris paribus, onely to bee of such as are most fit to Advance the Ends of a Collegial Association; so out of Colleges a chois ought to bee made of Professors for the Universitie onely, of such as are fittest to advance the Ends of Publick teaching in Universities, which are not to Repeat and Compendiate that which others have pub∣lished

twentie times already, over and over again, but to add unto the Common stock of humane knowledg, that which others have not observed, to the end that all these degrees of Studies and Exercises of the minde of man, beeing subordinate unto the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, the happiness of Man by all Rational and Spiritual waies of improving humane Abilities, may bee ad∣vanced unto it's perfection in this life so far as may bee.

But how far short wee com now of all these designs, I need not to relate unto you: the Colleges as they are now Constituted, can scarce reach to the half of that which the Schools might bring us unto: and the Professors of the Universities com not up to that, which the Collegial Associations might elaborate, if they were rightly directed to set their Talents a work; and if the publick Spirit of Christian love and ingenuitie did posses those, that are possessed of publick places in the Colleges of the Universities. For if this Spirit did rule their Aims and Endevors, there would bee no self-seeking, no partialitie, no envie, nor anie cross act∣ings for private ends, to the prejudice of the Publick; but the generous love of vir∣tue and of profitable Learning, would swaie all their inclinations to a free conjunction;

and make all their endeavors subordinate unto the publick good of the Common-wealth of Israël in the Communion of Saints. But how far this Principle of acting is now wanting amongst us all, I shall not need to mention: you have considered it long ago, and wee have together lamented that defect, and the doleful effects thereof: our endevor must bee to seek out the best means of a Reformation therein, and to make use of them as God shall give us op∣portunities. And truly somthing of this kinde might bee don, without anie great alteration or stir, even as matters now are formed in the Colleges; if God would bee so gracious to us, as to beget in the mindes of those that understand those things, a heartie Aim and Resolution to benefit the Christian Common-wealth of Learning, by their Collegial Relations and Associations one to another. For if men that are in genu∣ous will call to minde the end first, for which God doth give them all their Talents, and then also for which men of publick Spirits have erected Colleges and Universities, and endowed the same with long and compe∣tent maintenances; that such as are fit for Studies, and called to bee Instrumental in the propagation of Truth and Virtue, might not bee distracted with the care of the

World, in reference to outward matters, but might have all the conveniences which are imaginable to improve those Talents to the utmost, either singly or conveniently with others, if (I saie) ingenuous Christi∣ans would minde these ends, for which the benefit of their Talents from God and of their accommodations from men to im∣prove those Talents are bestowed upon them: it would not bee possible for them; to bee so unthankful towards God, and avers from the rule of Christianitie, and from the love of doing good to the generation wherein they live; that they should intend to lead a Collegial life onely for their own private eas and conveniencie in outward things; that beeing accommodated with all necessarie helps of the Bodie, they may pleas themselvs onely in the course of their Studies, with that Reservation and Reti∣redness, which is proper to a Monkish life in Popish Cloisters; wherein the Spirit of Mutual envie, of detraction and division is more irreconcilably entertained, then in anie other Societies of the World. For their Cloister-constitutions, obliging them onely to the observation of som formal works as an opus operatum; for which their maintenance is allowed them; they not knowing anie further design of their life,

or any greater happiness in this World, then to pleas themselvs; bestow all the rest of their time and thoughts, as their natural inclinations lead them, which is common∣ly to nothing els but to self-love and Pride, which became a Provocation unto others, to discover mutually their corruptions, which by reaction make them all full of envie, of hatred, of evil surmises, and of ma∣licious practices one against another: so that no where Satan doth dwel and rule more effectually, then in those Religious Houses, as they are falsly so called. How much of this Monkish disposition doth re∣main as yet in the formal Constitutions of Colleges, or in the Spirits of those that partake of Collegial accommodations, is not a thing which I shall take upon me to Judg; but I shall leav it to God, and to his daie to discover; onely I would bee glad that all such as are true Israelites, and know the end of their calling unto Christ, and are not willing to burie their Talents, or to make them useless unto others, for whose sakes they have received them would laie this matter to heart, that their Aim in a Collegial life, should not bee to enjoie an easie careless waie of subsistence by and for themselvs, to follow private fancies in their Studies about matters of Learning;

but that they should minde the stewardship of their gifts and places, and tbe advantages of their Association, whereby they might bee, (if they would make use of it) able to elaborate som tasks, which otherwise cannot bee brought to anie perfection, for the building up of the Citie of God in our generations. There is no want of parts and abilities in the Spirits of our men, but the waie to order them for publick Use, and to bring them together as stones fitly com∣pacted to make up a perfect Palace, is that which make's us all useless one to another; wee finde that now and then, as it were by chance, som exquisite pieces of Learning, which som have been hatching all their life time drop out; wherein appear's, besides the usefulness of the Subject, or the uselesness thereof, som inclination to bee found ex∣traordinarie; but these endevors, disjoint∣ed from publick Aims, advance little or nothing, the Happiness, which true Learn∣ing rightly ordered in all the parts thereof; and Subordinate unto Christianitie, is able to bring unto Mankind. Such pieces there∣fore serv onely as a witness, to shew what wast there is of profitable time and abili∣ties, for want of loving combinations for publick Designs. It is the observation of Forreigners concerning our Universities,

that they finde in them men of as great learning as any where els; but that they lie as it were dead and unknown to the whole world of other men of Learning; becaus they delight to live a retired and unsociable life: this humor therefore amongst other parts of our Reformation, must by som Gospel-principles and Rational in∣ducements bee Reformed, not onely in Colleges but in other Associations. The Lord teach us the waie of Truth and Righ∣teousness, that wee may profit in all things to advance the glorie of his name in the Kingdom of his Son, in whom I rest

Your friend and servant. J. D.