The Reformed Library Keeper, Title page 1 – Title page 2
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, erected and ordered by one of the moſt Learned Princes in Europe.
LONDON, Printed by William Du-Gard, and are to bee ſold by Rob. Littleberrie at the ſign of the Ʋnicorn in Little Britain. 1650.
To the Reader.
Learned Reader!
THeſe Tracts are the fruits of ſom of my Sollicitations and Negotiations for the advancement of Learning. And I hope they may in time becom ſomwhat effectual to raiſ thy Spirit to the exſpectation of greater things, which may bee raiſed upon ſuch grounds as theſe. All which are but preparatives towards that perfection which wee may exſpect by the advancement of the Kingdom of Chriſt, wherein the Communion of Saints, by the graces of the Spirit, will ſwallow up all theſe poor Rudiments of knowledg, which wee now grope after by ſo manie helps; and till then in thoſe endeavors I reſt in the Truth▪
Thy faithfull and unwearied ſervant SAMUEL HARTLIE.
A SUPPLEMENT TO THE Reformed School.
Loving freind!
YOu have offered to mee that which I confeſs I did not reflect 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 onelyonly to the Principles of all Religious and Rational knowledg, and in the Exerciſes of all Moral 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 advantage 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 Induſtrie, 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 againſt that diſcourſ: but if they would raiſ their thoughts with mee a little above the ordinarie pitch, and conſider what the Nature 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 inference, 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 reformed 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 Univerſities uſeleſs, that if I might have my deſire in them, they ſhould becom a thouſand 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 nature they are in a gradual proportion, diſtant from, and ſubordinate unto each other, ſo they ought to riſe one out of another, and bee built upon each other's Foundations.
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 requiſite to apprehend the principles of uſeful 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 anie or all kind of Studies, that by their mutual Aſſociation, Communication, and Aſſiſtance in Reading, Meditating and conferring about profitable matters, they may not onelyonly perfit their own Abilities, but advance the ſuperſtructures of all Learning 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 Errors and hurtfulneſs of things miſtaken for Truths; and to ſupplie the defects and deſiderata, 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 everie 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 elaborate ſom profitable Tasks, for the Advancement 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 Univerſities, but ſuch as have not onelyonly a Publick aim, but ſom approved Abilities, to ſupply ſom defects and to Elaborate ſom deſiderata of uſefull knowledg, or to direct ſuch as are ſtudious, how to order their thoughts in all Matters of ſearch and Meditation, for the diſcoverie of things not hitherto found out by others; but which in probabilitie may bee found out by rational ſearching.
Thus then I conceiv, that in a well-Reformed Common wealth, which is to bee ſubordinate unto the Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt, wherein the Glorie of God, the happineſs of the nature of man: and the Glorious 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 appointed to look to the courſ of their Education, to ſee that none ſhould bee left deſtitute of ſom benefit of virtuous breeding, according to the ſeveral kinds of emploiments, 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 Nobilitie, 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, onelyonly 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 onelyonly, 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 publiſhed 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 advanced 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 actings for private ends, to the prejudice of the Publick; but the generous love of virtue 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 opportunities. 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 genuous 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 competent 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 Chriſtians would minde theſe ends, for which the benefit of their Talents from God and of their accommodations from men to improve 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 onelyonly for their own private eaſ and conveniencie in outward things; that beeing accommodated with all neceſſarie helps of the Bodie, they may pleaſ themſelvs onelyonly in the courſe of their Studies, with that Reſervation and Retiredneſs, 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 onelyonly 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 commonly 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 malicious 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 remain 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; onelyonly 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 compacted 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 extraordinarie; but theſe endevors, disjointed from publick Aims, advance little or nothing, the Happineſs, which true Learning rightly ordered in all the parts thereof; and Subordinate unto Chriſtianitie, is able to bring unto Mankind. Such pieces therefore ſerv onelyonly as a witneſs, to ſhew what waſt there is of profitable time and abilities, 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 inducements bee Reformed, not onelyonly in Colleges but in other Aſſociations. The Lord teach us the waie of Truth and Righteouſneſs, 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.
THE REFORMED LIBRARIE-KEEPER.
BY JOHN DURIE.
IN DOMINO CONFIDO
LONDON, Printed by William Du-gard, Anno Dom. 1650.