The Reformed School, Part 13 – Part 15
Concerning the Forming of their Manners.
Godlineſs and Bodily Health are abſolutly …eceſſary; the one for ſpirituall, and the other for their temporall Felicitie: Next …nto theſe two, to make up and perfect the …tate of their Happineſs; Care muſt be taken of their Manners. by which word I under…tand their outward life, aſwell in reſpect of …he Actions which they do, as in reſpect of …heir Cariage and behaviour in performing …he ſame: that thoſe may be Juſt and Honeſt; …his, Civil and unblameable. For, good Manners, in this ſenſe, are farre to be preferred unto all Humane Learning of what kind ſoever; becauſe without Morall Honeſt… all the perfection of Learning is nothing elſ… but an Inſtrument of wickedneſs to increaſ… and aggravat the miſeries of Mankind: whera… without Learning this alone with Bodi… health is a ſufficient ground to partake … temporall Felicitie.
And becauſe in the ordinary Schools th… Care is wholly neglected and the youth … left to habituat it ſelf to its Corrupt inclina… tions, while their wits are ſharpened a… exerciſed in all the ſubtilties of Humane A… and Sciences; therefore Satan doth fortifie … ſtrong holds by theſe within them, to ma… them impregnable: and their Spirits (as … find by dolefull experience in theſe times) a… heighthned to that degree of unconſcion… bleneſs in Deceit▪ Miſchief and Malice, th… nothing in former …ges can be compar… therunto. which ſhould make us ſo much … more carefull to rectifie this evill in o… Scholars, by how much it is neglected … others, and deſtructive to all.
The way then to Reforme our Scholars this matter, and the Care to be taken of the… ſhould have two parts. The one ſhould rel… unto the Inward Principles of Moralitie; … work the true Impreſſions thereof upon the …pirits. The other ſhould relate unto their Out…ard behaviour and carriage towards their …eighbour, to make it decent and without …ffence. and the firſt of theſe cannot be …ightly taken up without the laſt, becauſe without the obſervation of their unſeemly …ehaviour and offenſive Carriages; a diſco…erie can not be made of the diſeaſes of their …ules, that the Remedies of wholeſome In…tructions, Admonitions and Corrections …ay be applyed therunto. This then is the Maſter-peece of the whole Art of education, …o watch over the Childrens behaviour in …heir actions of all ſorts, ſo as their true in…linations may be diſcovered; that the inward …auſes of their vicious diſpoſition and di…tempers being found out▪ the true and pro…er Remedies thereof may be applyed unto …hem. And this is to be the ſubject whereof …he Governour and Uſhers are to have daily Conference every night: that upon the parti…ular diſcoveries of the ſeverall inclinations …f their Scholars by the qualities of their …nrulineſs; they may judiciouſly determine …hat to do with them, and how to proceed …owards them, to reforme that which is amiſſe. …here we conceive this ſtudie ſhould con…aine theſe endeavours.
Firſt, to diſcerne the proper Character of …very Childs humour by his behaviour; to diſcover the predominant qualitie thereof, and what is good, and what is evill in it.
Secondly, to contemplate rationally the inward diſpoſition and frame of his ſpirit; to find out the Principles, by which he is led, and from whence that humour and behaviour doth ariſe; and the Impreſſions of virtu… whereof he may be made capable.
Thirdly, to determine the way how to de… with him; that is, not only how to corre… his outward viſible misbehaviours; and … incourage him in that which is good and decent: but how to make him ſenſible, and rationally apprehenſive of the true ground…, both of the correction, and encouragement.
Here againe I conceive their ſtudie m… runne in theſe Channels.
Firſt, what peculiar Reſtraint to lay upo… them, leſt they get a cuſtome in that whi… is evill.
Secondly, what Rationall Maximes, an… Rules of Moralitie to infuſe unto them, a…cording to the degree of their Capacitie, a…bent of their inclination in that which … good.
Thirdly, how to ingraft thoſe Rationa… Maximes and Rules upon the Main Princi…ples of Godlineſs; that their ſpirits may … raiſed, and their reſolutions exalted to … things Morally Juſt and decent, not on… becauſe they are found in reaſon to be ſo, but becauſe they who do them, are bound in Conſcience through Love and feare towards God to do all things as in his preſence, with …elight and care to do alwayes that which is well pleaſing in his ſight. So that all Morall Actions to free them from Hypocriſie, and make them truly virtuous; that is, without …ll Leaven of pride and ſelf-ſeeking (which will mixe themſelves with ſpirituall actions …lſo, if care be not taken to ſet our heart …right) muſt be reduced unto the grounds of Chriſtianity; and made conformable unto …he life of Chriſt; by comparing our way, …nd our mind in following him, with his way …nd his mind in walking before us amongſt …hen towards God. And except their educa…on by the Reformation of their Manners fi…ally tend and reſult unto this; it will avail …hem nothing towards the ſalvation of their …uls; it will only make leſſe them hurtfull …nto the ſocietie of mankind.
Now the particulars which are ſubordinat …nto this Care and ſtudie are innumerable; …ut yet certain generall Rules may be pru…entially ſet down, according to which, they …ould be limitted and directed to order their Converſation and behaviour towards the …ds aforeſaid, and by which, thoſe that watch …ver them ſhould take notice of their wayes and give an account thereof unto the Governour of which Rules it will ſuffice at this time to give theſe Heads.
Firſt, laws are to be publiſhed amongſt them concerning their very looks, their angry words, and their haſty actions, proceeding from paſſion, and tending to the breach of Chriſtian Love; forbidding the ſame under the notion that they are contrary to the life of Chriſt.
Secondly, Rules and Directions (leading them to the practice of Juſtice, Equalitie, Meekneſſe, Humility, Love and Liberality; an… to the hatred of Iniuriouſneſs, Pride and Covetouſneſs) are to be publiſhed, and hung … in their Chamber and School, and made familiar and plain unto their Capacity and Memorie.
Both theſe ſorts of laws may be gather… out of Salomons Proverbs for the main ſubſtance thereof, and from other Scriptures▪ and ſo be delivered as the will of God un… them, to oblige their Conſcience therunto.
Thirdly, the law of watchfulneſs (whic… they ought to have over themſelves for the ob…ſervation of theſe Rules) is not only to … taught them; but ſome that are more ſtay… then others, and better ſet, are to be ma… Monitors of the reſt, and beſides the Monitor… Spyes are to be appointed to overſee them: an… …n Caſes of groſſe failing, after due admonitions, ſome exemplary puniſhments of ſhame and ſmart may be uſed, that all may feare.
Fourthly, the great law of Truth and of Faithfulneſs (to ſuppreſſe the baſeneſſe of Lying and of Deceitfulneſs in words, Promiſes and Actions) is above all other Rules to be preſcribed and preſſed upon them in their dealings towards one another: and ſpeciall care is to be had to obſerve the practiſe thereof.
And, that the lying and deceitfull ſpirit may be hunted out from amongſt them; a ſpeciall reward is to be propoſed unto every one that ſhall, upon due admonition of his neighbour before witneſſes, diſcover to the Uſher any matter of falſhood practiſed by any. For, nothing doth more inwardly corrupt the ſpirit, then a courſe of falſhood; nor doth any thing more deeply diſcover the wickedneſſe of the heart and want of true virtue, then this.
Fifthly, the Civilities to be uſed towards Strangers, to receive and entertaine them courteouſly; to be generouſly affected towards them, and the way to maintein the Principles, and Practiſes of publick Spiritedneſs without oſtentation and vain-glory, ſhould be deſcribed and taught them.
Sixtly and Laſtly, the ſeemly way to carry their Bodyes, to looke upon people ſtayedly and freindly in their ſalutation and converſation with them ſhould be made known unto them by Example and Rule.
Concerning all which Directions, how to propoſe, and apply them, towards the corrupt diſpoſitions of Children to rectifie the ſame; the Uſhers themſelves are to be taught their Duty, what to obſerve in them, and how to proceed in dealing with them. and … muſt be the Governours great and ſpeciall care to ſee the Uſhers well principled and practiſed in this way, for, upon their abilitie, faithfulneſs, and diligence all depends.
Concerning their Proficiencie in Learning.
The laſt and leaſt part of true education is only minded in the ordinary Schools, and that in a very ſuperficiall and prepoſterous way; for Children are taught to read Authors and learn words and Sentences before they can have any notion of the Things ſignified by thoſe words and ſentences, or of the Authors ſtrain and wit in ſetting them together: and they are made to learn by hear… the Generall Rules, ſentences, and Precep… of Arts, before they are furniſhed with any matter wherunto to apply thoſe Rules an… Precepts. And when they are taught theſe things wherin Reaſon is to be employed, they are lead into a Maze of ſubtile and unprofi…able Notions; wherby their mindes are puft …p with a windy conceit of knowledge: their …ffections taken off from the plainneſſe of …ſefull Truths; their naturall Corrupt incli…ations to pride, vain glory, and conten…iouſneſſe not reformed, but rather ſtrength…ed in perverſitie; So that they become …oth unwilling to ſeek, and incapable to …eceive any Truth either Divine or Humane …n its ſimplicitie: for their heads are filled …ith certain termes and empty ſhewes of …earning; which neither containe any ſub…tance or ſolidity of Matter; or give them any …ddreſſe by way of Method to make uſe of …hat which they know for the benefit of Mankind.
Now, to Rectifie this cauſe of our Igno…ance and Diſorderlineſs which hath taken …oſſeſſion of all Schooles and Univerſities, and …ath ſpread it ſelf over all matters of Humane Learning; wee ſhall endevour to ſeek out the …rue Method of teaching Sciences, by the Grounds and Rules which, we hope, none, …hat is Rationall and free from prejudice, will Contradict.
Concerning the Grounds and Rules of teaching Sciences.
We take this to be the fundamentall and undenyable Maxime of all Order to be kept i… teaching of Sciences, and educating of youth unto any part of Learning: Viz. That th… whole way of his Undertaking muſt be mad… anſwerable unto the nature of the End, an… proportionat unto the property of the Meane… and Parts of Learning: and whatſoever i… not ſubordinat unto that, and proportion… unto theſe, is done irrationally and unprofi…tably towards the advancement of Lear…ning. The Grounds therefore from when… we ſhall gather all our Rules to direct us i… the true Method of profiting, are Three; th… firſt, concerning the End; the ſcond, concer…ning the Meanes; the Third, concernin… the Parts of Learning.