A Fit Conjucture of Religion and Learning, Book 2 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of Universities and publick Schools.
ACademies which at this day are called Universities, were in times past calledAcademiae nomen Athenis primum inclaruisse apud omnes ferè autores convenit: sed dubia controversaque origine, & significatu vario. Iun. Acad. c. 1. Academia foreign, hoc est, extra populum. Neque hoc tam intelligi volumus de secessu ac ocio loci remoti à strepitu & tu…bis insanien…is populi, quam de domicilio virtutis ac doctrinae dissentiente à judicio populi, qui ex veritate pauca ex opinione multa aestimat. Majores nostri Academias signato vocabulo, appellavere universitates, vel quod universarum divinarum, humanaeumque rerum, tum initiorum, causarumque, tum cujusque rei cognitio, in iis ut thesauro conservata aperiatur, vel quod in earum consuetudine & frequentatione liceat perdiscere universi mundi hominum mores, linguas & leges, regionum situs & variam indolem, ex civibus sine asperitate perigrinationum. Oratio Inauguralis Acad. Lugduno Batav. habita A Ludovico Capello. Est propriè quidem Academia caetus hominum exercentium studia literarum, & in iis sese occupantium: Metonymicè vero locus ubi exercentur studia docendo discendóque. Iun. Academ. c. 2. Ludus metonymicè Latinis dicitur pro loco ludi literarii: Nam omnem Scholam, inquit Asconius, ludum dix…re Romani, quia liberali ingenio ludus est, quum literas, artes, historias, scientiasque discit. Iunii Academia c. 2. Legitima forma Academiae est, ut disciplinae cujusque certi doctores electi, publicis praemiis ornati, artium professioni suae commissarum praelectiones & exercitationes via & tempore definitas, officio, fide, diligentia tueatur. Rami preaem. Reform. Paris. Acad. Synagogues, as the Synagogue of Hierusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, and Alexandria, and Studia.
They alwaies built their Academies in some famous City, as at Ierusalem, Athens, Rome, Constantinople.
The use of Academies is very necessary many waies, therefore those Commonwealths most flourished which did most esteem them.
Nothing is more Princely then to defend and provide for Schools and Universities,Carolus Magnus Germanicae linguae Grammaticam commeniatus est, mensibus a… que ventis nomen dedit Claudius Caesar usque adeò Graecis literis excelluerit, ut tres novas literas illi linguae sua industria adjecerit. Pertinax imperator Grammaticam docuit. Iulius Caesar commentarios edidit. Ptolomaeus orbem terratum tabulis circumscripsit. Imperator Constantinus legere, scribere, & medita…i consuevit. Aelius Adrianus Imperator omnium scien…iatum cognitione p…aeditus, G…ae… que doctissimus multos libros scripsit, uti Aurelius Victor, Aelius Spartianus, & Iulius Capitolinus scribunt. Rex Aluredus B…dae historiam gentis Anglorum. Severini Boetii Philosophiae consolationem, & Or…sium Hispanum historicum insignem in Sax…nicam linguam authore Gul. Malmes traduxit. Caius de Antiquit. Can…b. Acad. l. 1. Ne quid detrimenti capiat literaria Respublica, Nothing more conducible to the profit of Scholars, then to indow Colledges with great Immunities and Priviledges. So in times past did many Learned Heroes cherish Learning and favour Learned men, in Greece, Alexander; in Asia, Mithridates; in Egypt, Ptolomy; in Spain, Alphonsus; in Germany, Charles the Great and the 4th; in Boh…mia, the Founder of the University of Prague; in Prusia, Albertus the Elder; in Italy, Iulius, Augustus, Maecenas; in France, Francis the first; in England, Edward the 3d, Henry the 7th, and Elizabeth his wife, Henry the 8th, Edward the 6th, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, King Iames.
Zanchius reckons up four most weighty causes of publick Divinity Schools.Orat. 1. Planè si natura nostra in ea puritate & integritate in qua condita fuit, permansisset, tum omnes homines natura perfecti Logici, Rhetores, Theologi, Jurisconsulti, Medici, Ethici & Politici, imò omnium virtutum viva exemplaria extitissent, nec Schola aut institutio ulla necessaria fuisset. Alihus. Orat. Panegyr. de Necessitate, util. & Antiq. Scholarum. In Scholis enim homines ad pietatem veram, vitae integritatem & morum honestatem formantur. Ex Scholis homines docti, sapientes, excellentes, & eruditi sumuntur ad ministerium Ecclesiae & ad Reipublicae gubernationem. Primitivam Ecclesiam suas Scholas habuisse, testantur omnes historici Ecclesiastici. In hisce pueri prima religionis elementa discebant, & deinde libros sacros explicari audiebant, & artes liberales, ut testatur historia Ecclesiastica, Cent. 2. 6. 7. & in Cent. seqq. eodem capite. Id. ibid. Vide Coringii de Antiquitat. Academ. Dissertat. Sex.
1. That the Propheticall and Apostolicall Writings might be preserved in them, from corruption or destruction, which is the cause why Libraries were alwaies wont to be added to these Schools, in which other Books being written out faithfully in Hebrew, Greek, and Latine were kept.
2. That there might be perpetuall witnesses in Schools which might testifie by a continuall succession, what Books were truly Canonicall and what Apocryphall.
3. That these Schools might also testifie what was the native and genuine sense of such Writings, and what doctrine was truly Apostolicall.
The last cause was, That from those Colleges those might be drawn out which were indeed fit to teach others, and to govern Churches.
The whole Kingdom of Israel was filled with Theologicall Schools, according to the commandement of God.
Samuel was the first builder of Colledges that we reade of, he called his Colledge Najoh, that is, even beauty it self. In Ramah the Prophets dwelt with the Students, which were called Sonnes of the Prophets. Amos saith, I am not a Prophet, nor the sonne of a Prophet, that is, I was never taught in the Schools of the Prophets, and the Learned.
They had Schools amongst the people till the destruction of Ierusalem. TheVide Alting. Hist. Academ. Hebr. Jews being dispersed among other Nations, alwaies endeavoured to keep their Schools, which they called Synagogues, which were Colledges, as it were, in which the Law of God was interpreted among the more Learned, and wherein they conferred and disputed about the Scriptures, Act. 6. 9.
In Ecclesiasticall Histories we may see this care of the Apostles and their Disciples in setling Schools every where where Churches were built, and in setting overCertè honesta professorum stipendia, non minus nervi sunt Scholarum, quam pecuniae belli. Zanch. in 2da Orat. them such men as were indued with singular piety and Learning. Hence those most famous Schools of Antioch, Alexandria and Constantinople, and many others in the East, and also in the West, which were indowed by Emperours and Kings with most ample rewards, priviledges and all kinde of benefits, that the pure Doctrine might be continued in them.
The Egyptians, Chaldeans, Babylonians, Persians, Grecians, Romans, set up Schools, and by great liberality and other waies promoted Learning, and incouragedHonos alit artes, omnesque incenduntur ad studia gloria. Schollars. Vide Lipsi Lovanium l. 3. c. 6, 7, 8.
Quintilian in the second Chapter of his first Book, Instit. Orat. handleth this Question, Utiliusne sit domi atque intra privatos parietes studentem continere, an frequentiae scholarum & velut publicis praeceptoribus tradere: Whether children be more profitably taught at home, or in some publick School.
Ante omnia, (saith he) futurus orator, cui in maxima celebritate & in media Reipublicae luce vivendum est, assuescat jam à tenero non reformidare homines, neque illa solitaria & velut umbratili vita pallescere. Necesse est enim sibi nimium tribuat, qui se nemini comparat.
Adde quòd domi ea sola discere potest quae ipsi praecipientur, in Schola, etiam quae aliis. Audiet multa quotidie probari, multa corrigi, proderit alicujus objurgata desidia: proderit laudata industria: excitabitur laude aemulatio: turpe ducet cedere pari, pulchrum superasse majores. Accendunt omnia haec animos: & licet ipsa vitium sit ambitio, frequenter tamen causa virtutum est.
Immediatly after Schollars come to the University, they are matriculated, andMatricularii vocabantur, quorum nomina Matriculae inscripta. Matricula verò est nominum catalogus, vel regestum, pro quo vulgo registrum dicunt. In Academiis Matriculam appellant codicem, in quem referuntur nomina omnium Academicâ fruentium libertate. Cui cùm inscribuntur, studiorum gratiâ, in Academiam missi, dicuntur matriculari. Vossius de vitiis Sermonis. lib. 3. cap. 24. then they enjoy the priviledges of the University.
They are called Undergraduates till they receive a degree, after Graduati, or in better Latine, In gradu aliquo dignitatis constituti.
The first degree with us is that of Bachelor of Arts, which they cannot attainBaccalaureus baccis lauri compositus puratur, sed potius corruptum censeo ex batualitus: ut sit à batuendo, ex quo batailie. Batualij verò fuerint vocati, quia jam quasi batuissent cum adversario, ac manus conseruissent: hoc est, publicè disputasserent, atque ita peritiae suae specimen dedissent. Vossius De vitiis … ermonis l. 1. c. 19. usually before four years standing, or near it.
Three years after they may (if they be sufficient Schollars) take the Degree of Masters of Arts, which are Doctors, as it were of the Arts, and therefore a Master of Art takes place of a Doctor of Musick, because he is Doctor but of one Art.
Seven years after they are Masters of Arts they may take the Degree of Bachelors of Divinity, and five years after, they may Commence Doctors of Divinity; so that they are almost of twenty years standing before they take that highest Degree.
Of the Ceremonies used in creating of Doctors, Dr Prideaux speaks sufficiently in his Lectures.
Alsted in his Encyclopaedia, l. 24. c. 13. and Iunius in Academiis, handle the Universities after the Alphabeticall order of the severall Countries, and so beginning with Anglia, they first mention Oxford and Cambridge, then they mention Bohemia, and in it Prague; then Denmark, in it Hafna; then France, in it Alsted mentions sixteen Universities; then Germany, where he rehearseth twenty five Universities; then Spain, there he reckons up twenty two Universities; then Italy, there eleven; three in Polonia, and three in Scotland. Iunius speaks of Lusitania before Polonia, where he mentions Conimbra. Leukenor (our Countryman) in his Discourse of Universities, first begins with Germany high and low, and so goes on with Italy, France, Polonia, Prussia and Lituania, Bohemia and Moravia, Spain, England and Scotland.
Middendorpius mentions them in this order, Italy, Sicily, Germany, Polonia, Spain, England, Scotland.