The Reformed School, Part 7 – Part 12
Concerning their Advancement in Piety.
That they may be advanced in Piety; th… ſhall be exerciſed every day, 1. in Prayers. … in Reading the Scriptures. 3. in Cateche…icall conferences. 4. And on the Lords day …n the duties of ſolemne worſhip.
Their daily Prayers, reading of Scriptures, …nd conferences, ſhall go together in this order.
In the evening when the time of retiring is …ome, every Uſher ſhall ſee his Scholars in …heir Chamber (for if they could be all that …elong to each Uſher made to ſleep in one …rge Chamber like a gallerye, two and two … a bed; the way of overſeeing, and uniting …hem in their exerciſes would be moſt commo…ious:) and when they are going to uncloth …hemſelves, one of their number ſhall be taken … his turn according to a Liſt, to go before …e reſt in a ſhort prayer or the Uſher himſelf all do it before they begin to put off their …lothes; each of them kneeling at the beds-ſide …here he is to ſleep: and the prayer being …ded he whoſe turn it is ſhall read unto them …me part of the Holy Scriptures, while they …cloth themſelves; and pray in two or three …ords for a bleſſing upon their reſt. He …hoſe turn it is to do this duty, ſhall ſleep …at night with the Uſher to whoſe care he is …mmitted; and in the Morning ſhall riſe with …m half an hour before the reſt; to waken … fellow-Scholars (at the hour appointed) … cauſe them riſe, which whiles they are a doing, and putting on their clothes, and combing their heads; he ſhall againe with a previous ſhort ejaculation, reade ſome part of the Scripture unto them; and with a ſhort prayer (every one of the reſt kneeling o… ſtanding by the bed where he ſlept) thank God for his preſervation over them in the night paſt, and crave his direction, bleſſing and protection for the day following. This is to be done within the ſpace of half an hour, to be meaſured by a Sand glaſſe: after which time, every one ſhall go abroad for the ſpace of another half hour to ſtretch, waſh, and cleanſe himſelf: till, by the ringing of a Bell▪ the whole family be called together: at thi… meeting, the Women and Girls ſhall be in on… roome by themſelves, and the Men an… Boyes in another, ſo that they ſhall not ſe… one another, and yet both be able to hear him, who ſhall be appointed to go befor… them all in the family-duty. He ſhall be ſom… man of the Aſſociation in his daily or weekl… turn, as they ſhall appoint it, who ſhall wit… a ſhort prayer crave a bleſſing upon the… meeting, and read a parcell of the Holy Scrip…tures, and conclude the Reading with a ſho… prayer: all which ſhall not exced the ſpace o… half an houre: and the next half hour fo…lowing ſhall be ſpent in Catecheticall exerc…ſes and conferences according to the ord… which the Governour ſhall ſettle in that mat…er differently towards the different Ages and …egrees of proficiency in the younger and more …ged Scholars. As for the members of the Aſ…ciation; their conferences ſhall not be …inted within ſuch a time, but may be exten…ed at pleaſure: only the way how they ought … be ordered, that all may profit therby, and …nfuſion may be avoided; is to be determi…ed by the Governour, with their approbation.
At Dinner and Supper-time (which ſhall …ot exceed half an houre) one of the Chil…en ſhall in his turn daily crave a bleſſing in …e name of all, upon their food: and read part of the Scripture unto them while they …e at table; and when they have done, they all jointly ſing a ſtave or two of a Pſalme … thankſgiving.
After ſupper, before they go to their …hambers, they ſhall meet all againe in their …verall roomes each ſex by themſelves, to …yn in prayer, and in reading the word, as in …e morning they did, for the ſpace of half an …ur: and another half hour afterward ſhall … ſpent in Conferences; wherin the Children …ll be encouraged, and accuſtomed to pro…ſe Queſtions to their Teachers, or to one …other concerning matters of doubt which …y have been incident unto their thoughts, …her from the reading of Scripture or ſome, other thing obſerved in the day-time: which being done, they ſhall all retire unto their ſeverall quarters, and prepare to go to bed.
This Courſe of daily exerciſe in Piety is to be continued without interruption, no bod… is to be exempted from it, but only in caſe o… ſickneſs.
On the Lords day, over and above th… daily ſacrifice within doores to be obſerved the Children ſhall be brought forth unto th… public meetings, to joyn with the Congrega…tion of others in the worſhip of God; and … the intervalles of times between the pub… meetings, and the laſt Sermon and ſupp… time; Conferences ſhall be entertained wi… them, concerning the things which they ha… heard.
And if thoſe of the Aſſociation ſhould e…tertain any Propheticall exerciſes among themſelves, or with others, from without; th… ſome of the moſt advanced Schollars ſhou… be admitted to be preſent with them.
This Care of advancing Piety and keep… the Lords day, is to be made the Chief …f things belonging to their Education.
Concerning the Preſervation of their Hea…
The next Principall Care is concerning … Preſervation of their Health, wherin … …hings belonging 1. to their Diet. 2. their ſleep…ng. 3. to their bodily exerciſes 4. and to their Cleanlineſſe are to be rightly ordered, and …verſeen; that the Orders may be obſerved.
Concerning their Diet.
Their Diet ſhall be appointed for every …ay of the week what it ſhall be, and when it …hall be given them.
Their Breakfaſt, at 8 of the clock in the …orning, of Bread and Butter or ſome other …ing. they may be at it for the ſpace of half … hour.
Their Dinner of good healthfull plain food.
Competency is to be upon the table for …em preciſely at 12 of the Clock.
Their Supper of ſome food of light and …ſie digeſtion is to be upon the table preciſely … half an hour paſt ſix of the clock, and be…re ſeven, taken away.
Bread and beer of good quality ſhall not be …fuſed to any that ſhall deſire it, in caſe of … being ſatisfied with the ordinary al…wance.
In caſe of Sickneſs there ſhould be a peculiar …om appointed for them, and ſome to attend …em, with ſuch a Diet as ſhall be preſcribed; …d to entertain them with ſuch thoughts …d converſation, as ſhall be fitting for their …poſition of mind.
Concerning their Sleep and Reſt.
In Winter, the Aged Scholars ſhall be wa…kened at five; in ſommer, at four of th… Clock in the Morning: the yonger, in Som…mer at five; in Winter, at ſix in the Morning and they ſhall all be in bed before, or at ni… of the Clock at night. The Governours, Uſhe… and Steward, if they be in health, ſhould n… go to bed till Ten.
Concerning their Bodily Exerciſes.
They ſhall exerciſe and ſtir their Bodyes … the morning-ſeaſon before dinner from … till 12 a clock, and before ſupper they ſh… again exerciſe themſelves in Sommer, fro… half an hour paſt five, till half an hour pa… ſix, and in winter, from five till ſix, and fro… half an hour paſt twelve after dinner, t… half an hour paſt one, it ſhall be free … them, to do privat buſineſſes, in their Cha…bers or elſe where.
The particular wayes of Exerciſing the Bodyes ſhall not be left at random, but o…dered to ſome advantage of the Aſſociati… and of their own experience in matters eit… of Husbandry, or Manufactures, or of …litary Employments.
Concerning their Cleanlineſs.
They muſt be taught Cleanlineſs without Curioſity; and made in love with it, as it is …ſefull for Health; in which reſpect the Care of … muſt be recommended to them, and obſer…ed in them .x. in their Feeding, that through …redineſs they eat or drink nothing that is …aſty. 2. in their Body, head hands feet and …lothing; that they keep themſelves from …ilthineſs of ſweat, from vermine and other …ncleanneſs. 3. in their Chamber, that they …efile it not with ſtench, or ſuffer it to be un…wept; but that they keep it clean and ſweet with refreſhment of aire.