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Ad Fratres in Eremo
Sirs!
A Little Book to assist, The Education
of Children, is now in your Hands. But can they be well Educated, if their Parents
never send them to SCHOOL? This is a point that seems now to call for some Inculcation.
A Good School deserves to be call'd, the very Salt of the Town, that hath it: And the
Pastors of every Town are under peculiar obligations to make this a part of their Pastoral
Care, That they may have a Good School, in their Neighbourhood.
A woeful putrefaction threatens the Rising Generation; Barbarous Ignorance, and the
unavoidable consequence of it, Outrageous Wickedness will make the Rising Generation
Loathsome, if it have not Schools to preserve it.
But Schools, wherein the Youth may by able Masters be Taught the Things that are necessary
to qualify them for future Serviceableness, and have their Manners therewithal well-formed
under a Laudable Discipline, and be over and above Well-Catechised in the principles of
Religion, Those would be a Glory of our Land, and the preservatives of all other Glory.
The Minster that shall give his Neighbours No Rest, unto they have agreeable Schools among
them, and that shall himself also at some Times inspect and Visit the Schools, will
therein do much towards Fulfilling that part of his Ministry, Feed my Lambs; and his
Neighbours under his Charge will (whatever they think of it!) have cause to Bless God, for
this Expression of his Faithfulness.
But these are not the only persons to whom this matter belongs; The Civil Authority, and
the whole Vicinity cannot be True to their own Interest, if they do not say, We also will
be with thee.
When the REFORMATION began in Europe an hundred and fourscore years ago, to Erect Schools
everywhere was one principal concern of the Glorious and Heroic Reformers; and it was a
common thing even for Little Villages of Twenty or Thirty Families, in the midst of all
their Charges, and their Dangers, to maintain one of them.
The Colonies of New England were planted on the Design of pursuing that Holy Reformation;
and now the Devil cannot give a greater Blow to the Reformation among us, than by causing
Schools to Languish under Discouragements.
If our General Courts decline to contrive and provide Laws for the Support of Schools; or
if particular Towns Employ their Wits, for Cheats to Elude the wholesome Laws; little do
they consider how much they expose themselves to that Rebuke of God, Thou hast destroyed
thyself, O New England.
Would we Read, in the ancient Histories, how zealous the more discreet Pagans were to
maintain Schools among them; it might put us Christians to the Blush, among whom 'tis
common for Schools to starve and sink; and a mind sordidly covetous, Withholds more than
is meet, but it tends unto what is Infinitely worse than poverty.
Sirs, What will be the Issue of these Things The Issue will be, That, Si Ecclesia
desideret pastorem, facilius Impostorem, inveniet quam pastorem; Et Res publica pro
Doctore Juris, Juris Tortorem; Et pro medicis, mendici, pro praceptoribus, Deceptores sese
offerent.
But least through the Want of Schools, there should in a little while be scarce one man in
a place able to construe this Description of the Fate following upon that want, I will
transcribe in plain English, the first Article of the Prognostications upon the Future
State of New England, lately published:
"Where [Godly] Schools are not vigorously and Honourable Encouraged, whole
Colonies will sink apace; into a Degenerate and Contemptible Condition, and at last become
horribly Barbarous:
And the first Instance of their Barbarity will be, that they will be undone for want of
men, but not see and own what it was that undid them." You will therefore pardon my
Freedom with you, if I Address you, in the words of Luther:
"If ever there be any Considerable Blow given to the Devil's Kingdom, it must be,
by Youth Excellently Educated. It is a serious Thing, a weighty Thing, and a thing that
hath much of the Interest of Christ, and of Christianity in it, that Youth be well-trained
up, and that Schools, and School-Masters be maintained. Learning is an unwelcome guest to
the Devil, and therefore he would fain starve it out."
But we shall never long retain the Gospel, without the help of Learning. And if we should
have no Regard unto religion, even the outward prosperity of a people, in this World would
necessarily require Schools and Learned. Alas, that none are carried with Alacrity and
Seriousness to take care for the Education of Youth and to Help the World with Eminent and
Able men."
But the Freedom with which this Address is made unto you, is not so great as the Fervour
that has animated it. My Fathers and Brethren, If you have any Love to God and Christ and
Posterity; let [Godly] Schools be more Encouraged.
If you would not betray your Posterity into the very Circumstances of Savages, let Schools
have more Encouragement. But in the Anguish, the Despair of Success to be otherwise found
by this Address, I will Turn it from you unto the Almighty Hearer of Prayer.
And, O thou Saviour, and Shepherd of Thy New-English Israel: Be Entreated Mercifully to
look down upon they Flocks in the Wilderness. Oh, give us not up to the Blindness and
Madness of neglecting the Lambs in the Flocks. Inspire thy People, and all Orders of men
among thy People with a just care for the Education of Posterity. Let Well-Ordered and
well-instructed and well-maintained Schools, be the Honour and the Defence of our Land.
Let Learning, and all the Helps and Means of it, be precious in our Esteem and by
Learning, let the Interests of thy Gospel so prevail, that we may be made wise unto
Salvation. Save us, O our Lord JESUS CHRIST. Save us from the Mischiefs and Scandals of an
Uncultivated Offspring; Let this be a Land of Light, unto Thou, O Sun of Righteousness, do
Thyself arise unto the World with Healing in thy Wings. Amen.
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