visible thing I humbly submit to serious consideration And if I am herein mistaken for I pretend not to Infallibility I should be thankful to any God shall be pleased to make use of as instruments to better inform me for I would willingly see and know my errours But if it be here objected that the Primitive times were times of persecution in which the Church was as it were under Hatches and Christianity in its Infancy and the Professors thereof forc'd to hide themselves in holes of the Rocks and Caves of the earth But now having gain'd ground upon the world and being in better plight and since it is come up out of Egypt from the House of Bondage from under the pressures afflictions persecutions and burdens of its Heathenish Task-masters under which it formerly groan'd ought according to the example of the Israelites be adorn'd with the spoil of the Heathen c. I answer That as the Kingdom of God comes not with observation so it consists not in any outward pomp and splendor Its said the Kings Daughter or Spouse of Christ is All-glorious within and by how much the more ground Christianity hath gain'd upon the world by so much the less need doth it now stand of the Wisdom and Learning of men to commend and propagate it then when it was to encounter with so great opposition and such potent Antagonists as under the Heathen Emperor it met withal And if the truth did then under all those disadvantages not onely make good its ground but so much gain'd upon the World when it had few other Champions than poor Fisher-men and illiterate Mechanicks how much less need it now fear brow-beating when the power of God hath subdued so many Nations to the knowledg and obedience of his truth and hath made Princes of the earth bow unto the Scepter of his Son Some dawnings of these truths began in a great measure to break forth upon that little Assembly which by way of scorn is commonly called Praise God Bare bones Parliament of whom many are able to bear this testimony that they were the first Power of this Nation that did most visibly own Christ in the purity and simplicity of the Gospel But Christs appearance in their meekness much like his riding to Jerusalem on an Ass was so far from being received with Hosanna's that it was utterly rejected and refused by the Policy and wisdom of this Generation which was unworthy of so great a mercy and indeed not ripe for that purity and simplicity of Reformation that they by a Spirit of Faith seem'd strongly carried forth unto Which eminently appear'd in their sudden striking at the root of two such potent Factions as the National Clergy and the Lawyers which they would hardly have done had they only consulted with flesh and blood or not steered the Course of their Counsels by something beyond the Compass of humane prudence And whether the Nation is yet willing to part with their Calves they have so long worshipped I know not but I am sure it hath pleased God to give them a great discovery of the corruption pride ambition and flattery of this sort of men how willing they could be to reap their own profit though sown in and springing from the ruine of the Nations liberty and felicity how willingly they could sell their brethren slaves into the hands of Tyranny and Oppression to purchase to themselves Dominion and Lordship I would not be taken for an Enemy to either the Magistracy or true Ministry as knowing they are the Ordinance of God and the very light and eyes of the world only that which I am chiefly mov'd to witness against is that unnatural divorce and seperation that is at this day found between them in Christian Common-wealths which I account no less contrary to the Maxime of true policy than the mind of God and precedent of its first institution And however it came to pass that the Civil Magistrate was thus trapan'd to have the Keys of the Church taken from him to be thrust out of the Temple as an unholy thing to be prohibited from Ministring at the Altar and so the better part of the blessing wrested from him to whom if any more than other it doth chiefly appertain and this by a company of Hirelings I know not but I think I may be bold to say it was not so in the beginning For first these two Functions of Magistracy and Ministry are united in their source and origen viz. Christ the supreme Head of the Church who is both King Priest and Prophet Secondly the Moral Law which we call the ten Commandments and the Judicial Laws of Moses given by God setting aside some Idioms and properties of them peculiarly relating to the Jewish Nation are the Rule and Standard for Civil Governours to rule by and the Equity of them is written in mens hearts by Nature and renewed by Christ Which being the common rule of our Obedience both towards God and Man plead much against that distinction of its Administrators viz. that of one Law there should be two Ministers especially in so great a distinction if not opposition as is found at this day Thirdly The two Functions were united in the ancient Patriarchs who were Kings Priests and Prophets in their several Tribes and Families which continued during the first Ages and more innocent time of the worlds Infancy during the time of Paternal the first and best of all Governments when if ever was that Golden Age so much mention'd by our Poets a time when Tyranny and Oppression were unknown But after the liberty of the world was invaded by Tyranny and Esau sold his Birth-right for a mess of pottage the Power of the two Swords became parted and to render the purchase of Empire more cheap and easie the ambitious Candidates of Dominion were willing to compound and part stakes permitting others to domineer in things of conscience so they would hold the stirrup for their ambition to get into the saddle of Civil rule and Empire by which means the Sword and the Keys might come first to be parted and so found in several hands which hath been the cause of most of those wars and deluges of blood that have been poured forth since the beginning of the world to wit by the clashing of the two Powers Civil and Ecclesiastick Now whether after the extirpation of Paternal Government and institution of the Order of Priesthood in Aarons family and the Tribe of Levi both Swords were retained in the same hand during the time of the Judges as also after that through the Jews Apostacy from God Kings were anointed is disputable Though this is certain they were not altogether excluded but did sometimes administer in spirituals as well as temporals for we often find the good Kings reading and expounding the Law unto the people according to the Obligation laid upon them by the command of God as also consecrating the Temple and blessing the people things
the root of all our Evils we shall yet hear our Bells ring more changes and instruments of Government be wound up to more harsh and discordant Notes then any our ears have been entertained with yet Now to know the spring and source of our misery I presume we need neither consult an Oracle or ask Councel of a Conjurer and perhaps it may be less difficult then safe to discover the Caution of Solomon being good Councel Be not righteous over much neither make thy selfe over wise why shouldst thou destroy thy self Whence we may learn it is not the difficulty but danger that obstructs the discovery of many things For who will contend with time that is mightier or too strong for him So I returned and considered all the Oppressions that are done under the Sun and to behold the tears of such as are Oppressed and they had no comforter and on the side of the Oppressors there was power but they had no Comforter Now should we ask Council of our old Nobility the Lawyer the Clergy or the Citizen we know what would be their advice to face about return to the old constitution to go back again into Aegypt to return to our making of brick and so build up the things we have so lately destroyed for it was better with us then it is now we shall never find out a better constitution in which all interests were so well bounded and ballanced as the old faith the Ancient Nobility Nor will any so well suit with the genious humour of the English people and the tenour of their Lawes saith the Lawyer Religion and Learning never flourished so well as under Monarchy nor were there then so many Schisms and Heresies saith the Divine In the time of the King and Court we had far better Trading saith the Citizen nor were we then burdened with so many Taxes saith the Country-man so that all are willing and agreed to face about and be as they were And what 's the reason of it but that men mistake their interest and there is an evil report raised on the Land whether we are travelling as if it were a Land of Confusion and not of Peace and Liberty And the Spies have done ill offices which hath occasioned this brief Map or Description of a Common-wealth or the presenting these few bunches of Grapes that you may have a taste of what Liberty may be expected in the Canaan towards which we are setting our faces Let us therefore stand still and see the salvation of God and not murmur against his providences that have so long detained us in the wilderness but follow the Captains and Leaders that first lead us out of Egypt and are now restored to put us in possession of what we have so long expected if we do not through unbelief render our selves unworthy to enter Courteous Reader THe Author of these Discourses living where the Keyes of the Press hang at their Girdles who had rather stifle than in the lest be accessary to the birth of any thing of this nature was necessitated to make use of one at too great a distance for his inspection and therefore to trust wholly to the courtesie of the Printer by whose negligence the following Errata's have been suffered in many places to steal away the sense of the discourse there being many other smaller lapses through mispointing and the like together with the Errata's of three or four of the last sheets that the Author not having an opportunity of perusing must be submitted to the Readers judgement or Candor to be either corrected or forgiven Epistle to the Reader PAge 1. l 23. r. Cultivate f. Culturate p. 2. l. 28. r. after f. offer p. 3. l. 19. r. world f. word and l. 22. r. wealth f. wrath p. 5. l. 17. r. him f. time l. 27. r. then then l. 30. the Genius and humour PAge 6. line 13. for that Olygarchy read Oligarchy that c. p. 7. l. 21. f. equalities r. capacities p. 9. l. 26. f. stabiâ—ity r. subtlety p. 16. l. 4. f. pricks r. Pâ—kes p. 22 l. 28. of those c. r. to those p. 44. l. 16. limit r. remit p. 47. l. 4. humane r. humour p. 49. l. 9. learned r. leavened p. 50. l. 23. stated r. elated p. 52. l. 8. curbed r. crabbed p. 54. l. 30. conclusion r. confusion p. 58. l. 11. their r. either imprudence c p 58. l. 1. strain r. theame p. 61. l. 4. burnings r. turnings p. 62. l. 2. imprudent r. impendent p. 62. l. 26. concern r. conceive p. 63. l 21. and worse r. divorse p. â—6 l. 5. Oppressors r. Opprâ—ssions p. 67. l. 8. most r. more p. 68. l. 8. Sons r. Sions p. 69. l. 2. rescue r. receive c. THE PROEM CONTAINING A PLEA for an Equal Common-wealth or Free-State against Monarchy I Have sometime by what charms I know not been so strongly possest with a fond opinion of the indifferency of all forms of Government that I have looked on none as objects of greater pity then such as prompted by an ignorant and blinde zeal have left their memories on the file of History and their names registred in the bloody Rubricks of Times-Calender as Martyrs of State for as I presumed all Governments alike subject to corruption and oppression so I supposed none uncapable of becoming the Conduits of Justice and administring Truth and Righteousness to the people And therefore have been apt to interpret a non-compliance with present power as rather proceeding from ill manners or a peevish kinde of morosity that in some turbulent ill-natured spirits is the infirmity or rather hereditary malady of their Melancholy Complexion then from any true work of Conscience or Reverence as commonly pretended to the Sacred Bonds of Religion which betrayed my rashness into a fond conceit that not onely the Male-contents under one Government would be the same under any other unless their ambition were gratified with a share and interest in the administration and management thereof but aâ—â—â— that such good natures as can comply with one will if the Scene chance to change and the Ballance of Affairs turn with as great readiness espouse and cast themselves into the imbraces of another as acknowledging the tribute of all faithful duty and loyal obedience justly due and of right to be paid to whatever Power is so well sledg'd as to extend the wing of their Protection for a defence to the Lives and Estates of all such as are willing to own and receive warmth from their Authority The consideration whereof rendred me very neutral in reference to State affairs supposing Faction and Ambition to bear greater sway then Religion in by assing mens Propensities ruling their inclinations as to things of this nature Insomuch that I have been apt to pity and commiserate the unhappiness of those God had been pleased to call up to the battlements of Soveraignty and placed at the Helm of Affairs by reason there never have been
A Modest Plea FOR AN Equal Common-wealth Against MONARCHY In which the Genuine Nature and true Interest of a FREE-STATE is briefly stated Its Consistency with a National Clergy Mercenary Lawyers and Hereditary Nobility examined together with the Expediency of an Agrarian and Rotation of Offices asserted ALSO An Apology for Younger Brothers the Restitution of Gavil-kind and relief of the Poor With a lift at Tythes and Reformation of the Lawes and Universities All accommodated to publick Honour and Justice without injury to any Mans Propriety and humbly tendered to the Parliament By a Lover of his COUNTRY in order to the Healing the Divisions of the Times In the Multitude of Counsellors there is safety LONDON Printed for Giles Calvert at the Black-spread-Eagle at the West End of Pauls 1659. To The Right Honourable The High Court of PARLIAMENT The Supream Authority of the Three Nations Right Honorable BEing moved to give in a Testimony against the most Epidemical Abuses and corrupt Interests of the Times I know none to whom with more justice it might be Dedicated than your Honours whom the providence of God hath called to be our Reformers into whose hands God hath pleased to put a great price an opportunity of making this Nation the happiest in the World In order to which he hath also pav'd your way causing the Hills to melt like Wax and the Mountains to dissolve like Snow before you having smitten the Great ones of the Earth and caused Princes to fall at your feet and removed whatsoever stood before you or might in the least obstruct or retard the work of Reformation so that no man can any longer say There is a Lion in the way God hath put the Nation like wax into your hands that you may mould and cast it into what Form your Honours please We are now Rasa tabula and your Honours may write what you please upon us I hope it will be holiness to the Lord that we may for the future be truly term'd a Holy Common-wealth and Royal Priesthood unto God It was not for nought the Lord raised your Honours as from the Dead and restored you to the Administration of that Power that was so long detained in unrighteousness from you without doubt God hath some great worke for you And now behold the Expectations of all men are upon you all the Nations of the Earth are looking to see what your Honours will do for whom God hath wrought so many wonders whom God hath Crowned with so many signal Victories for whom God hath so often appeared in the High Places of the Field making bare the Arm of his Power and rebuking the pride of your Enemies God hath also sent a day of Tryal that the falshood and Hipocrisie of many might be discovered that all corrupt interests and Persons might be made manifest And they that were not of you are gone out from among you they that were not spirited for the Great Worke of the Lord that having put their hands to this Plow looked back and behold they are turned to Pillars of Salt God hath made them Monuments of his displeâ—sure and blasted their designs But the Hearts of Gods People are still with you and their Hands even the Hands of Moses and of Israel are lifed up in your defence Also God is with you And who then shall be against you I need not now desire of your Honours not to build on old Foundations I know your Honours experience hath taught you they will not they cannot stand Our Common-wealth hath stuck long in the birth and the Nation been cast into strong Pangs and Throwes in bringing forth our Liberties and it seems could not be Delivered altogether without blood But we hope now through the dexterous midwifery of your Honours Prudence what hath been so long expected will be brought forth aâ—d that we and Posterity shall have cause to bless God in behalf of your Honours as for the Builders of our Breaches and the Restorers of Pathes to dwel in It was not intended that this Pamphlet should fawn upon your Honours in the midst of your Triumphs being most part of it committed to the Press before the breaking forth of the late Rebellion when the Author little thought his Thesis should so soon be disputed with swords points and decided in so solemn an Appeal to Heaven where it hath been imprisoned till now by the injury of the Printer But if your Honours please to receive it into your Protection and pardon the boldness of this address to your Honours it will oblige the Author to study how he may better deserve the Countenance of your Authority and render himselfe more serviceable to your Honours to whom he hath in all Humility devoted himselfe c. An Epistle to the Reader Candid Reader BEing in Capacity of doing my Country no greater service I have presented her with a Glass or Mirror in which a candid and discerning eye may discover some of the Political Errata's or Wens that disfigure the Face and crase the constitution of her Government which I humbly conceive proceeds chiefly from the lameness and imperfection of our late Reformation in which though we have for a long time been strugling and wrestling with Tyranny and Oppression yet have had our endeavours seconded with little better success then were Hercules's that famous Hero's incounters with the Hydra of which having lopp'd off one Head there still sprang up two in like manner we were willing to flatter our selves into a conceit that Tyranny had received a mortal wound by that fatal stroke that took off the Kings Head and unhorsed the Nobility But experience the Mistress of true wisdome hath taught it is not lopping the boughs or cutting off the top branch of Monarchy that will deliver a Nation from bondage unless the Ax be laid to the root thereof to the evil root of bitterness whence springs all our misery to the root of every usurping and domineering interest whether in things Civil or Divine for otherwise we do but prune dress and culturate the stock that it may grow the thicker the faster that it may thrive the better A King being but one person the top and head of a Monarchick State the taking away of him is but the taking down the upper story or uncovering the roof of the Government whereby it is exposed to all storms and tempests to the injuries of ill weather which is altogether unsafe and imprudent if the rest of the structure be designed to stand if the whole Frabrick be not demolished And is not this our present state and condition Have we not deprived our selves of all the conveniencies of Monarchy of whatever of excellency or beauty was in it and retained onely the flawes and evils of it Was it not the grand evil of that state that it set up a few great Families and raised them to an extravagant and excessive height by the ruine and oppression of the rest Were not all the Lawes
to satisfie Impropriators and pay the Arrears of the Army but also discharge the publique debts and probably raise pensions for the necessary support and maintenance during life of such of the present Incumbents which if not imploy'd as Itinerantes or in some other service of the State must on this account be put by their Free-holds according to Law and therefore in conscience ought to be considered either by Pension or employment as heretofore on like occasion the Monks having done nothing whereby to forfeit the favour of the State or their interests in those publique Revenues for though as I said before I am of opinion that the first introduction of Tythes or rather their establishment by Law was not altogether without injury to the first proprietors yet since they have continu'd so many ages and that the Lands have run through so many hands and their purchase hereby rendered so much the more easie I humbly conceive with submission to better judgements that prescription of so long time hath not onely begot a title in the present incumbents as Tenants for life but also setled the Inheritance or Reversion as of all other publique Revenues so of these in the State And therefore as it seems unreasonable any should expect to have their Lands discharg'd gratis of an incumbrance that hath continu'd so many Centuries nor indeed can without injury there being no other way as yet discovered to raise Moneys for satisfaction of either Impropriators or Incumbents and should the State give up their title to the Reversion freely they must necessarily lay the greater taxes on the Nation for payment of the Souldiers Arrears c. so likewise since no time can â—lead prescription or give a just title to the sweat and labour of a Freeman whence the profit of Tythes seem rather to result then to be accounted the natural increase of Land it seems no less unequitable they should be rated by the State at their rack or utmost value to the people but rather at a moderate or under rate by reason they may not without reason suppose their labour gives them in equity the best title if not in the whole yet at least to the greater share of them But should the State indeavour to sell them at a full value or continue them either in kind or converted into a Rent-charge upon their Lands either to the same or alienated from the Clergy to any other use whatsoever I doubt the Nation would be so far from receiving satisfaction that they would rather think themselves agriev'd then gratified thereby Now to how considerable or rather vast a sum the composition for Tithes though at a low or undervalue would amount unto may be easily calculated by Dr. Bradly's present to Caesar For if the very improvement of first fruits and tenths according to the present value of livings would have yeilded Caesar 100000 in hand and 50000 pounds per annum as he pretends to evince in his said Book Dedicated to the Late Protector how much more magnificent a present would the sale of Tythes afford the Parliament for the above mentioned publique uses c. An humble Motion in behalfe of the Poor IF the State shall think fit to take away Tithes I humbly conceive they may gain an opportunity by annexing Gleab Lands to certain Work-houses erected and scituated at convenient distances of raising a stock and employing such as by reason of poverty are not able to set their industry on work that so none may be permitted to eat the bread of idleness nor the voyce of the poor and needy be any longer heard in the Land which if prudently managed and with that thrift and providence I humbly suppose they might there would be little cause of terming it a robbing Peter to pay Paul by reason they might yearly pay so round a Rent to the State toward the maintenance of an Itinerant Ministry that the Lands thus disposed of might rather be thought farm'd out to the best ease and advantage both of State Ministry and people then given in Frank Almoigne I have often wondered that of all these streams of bounty the pious charity of many well disposed people have powred forth so little of it runs in a fit Channel either to set the Mills of industryon going or to grind bread for the empty bellies and the rather by reason the bread that is thus cast upon the waters is most likely to return with increase and that after a few not many days for what is bestow'd in promoting industry is able to make grateful returns in the fruit of their labours when as Donations to other uses do often nourish idleness and serve only to maintain Pride and Luxury I know not of what temper other men may be that can relish the pleasures of their plentiful and luxuriant Estates when so many of their own flesh lie stinking in the streets and are cloth'd with rags and misery I am sure it much abates the content of my small fortunes to see any one stand in need of the bread I eat Nor can I expect to be more happy while there is a begger in our streets O that our Rulers would at length put on the bowels of compassion towards the poor I am perswaded if a greater door of incouragement were open'd to industry and diligence nothing would prove a more effectual means to crowd out that Poverty and Penury that hath so long dwelt amongst us we have the experiment already tryed to our hands in our neighbouring State of Holland a Nation that may be a myrror of industry to all the world a little spot Land which did it not lie so low I should call a Mole hill I am sure the Inhabitants may almost without a Metaphor be term'd the very Ants of diligence and industry A righteous man is merciful to his Beast then much more to his Brother God feeds the Ravens and shall we suffer Christians to starve at our Gates How many opportunities hath God put into the hands of this Nation for the relief of its poor How many Abbey Bishops Deans and Chapters Kings and Malignants Lands have been exposed to sale and yet no provisions made for the poor not one Work-house erected for setting the industry of the poor on work Certainly the deasness of this uncharitable age to the cryes of the poor is one of the crying sins of this Land and which is very clamorous at the Gates of Heaven for powring down judgements and empting the Vials of Gods wrath upon us without doubt Englands poor is one of Englands greatest crimes and black reproach Having thus unladed my thoughts of whatever of consequence was upon them in order to the Ministry least any good nature should take offence at these no less moderate then modest proposals and judge them of too harsh a strain or scruple the removal of Land-marks bearing the inscription of so great Antiquity though perhaps if duly scan'd would be found at first erected by no more
favour then Fire and Faggot that will not cause their first born to pass through the fire unto Molech and sacrifice their Liberty dearer then a thousand lives to the great Diana of whose shrines they take themselves to be the Silver-smithes Certainly its more then time that the poysoned waters of these defiled and polluted Fountains that intoxicate and make drunk with madness and folly the whole Nation were either dryed up that there may no more clouds of discontent and envy thence exhale to darken and orecast that sun of prosperity that in the dawning of a Free-state and happy Government hath once more after a long night of Apostacy and Tyranny displayed its Golden beams upon our Brittish Islands or rather that they were throughly purged from that leaven venome wormwood and Antipathy that partly from the nature of their Government partly the complexion of the persons in whose hands at present depoposited they have contracted against the Nations true interest and felicity together with the Noble Patrons and Advocates thereof Now in order to the Reformation of the Universities I shall onely start a few Queries at present having on the Anvil of my thoughts if these rude Essays find acceptance or my indeavours should receive countenance from Authority which as I want a foundation of merit whereon to build an expectation so am void of confidence to suggest much hopes to my ambition a model which may possibly be offered to the light of publique censure but in the Interim shall crave a candid acceptance of the following Queries 1. Whether they that Founded our two great Universities seem not more to have consulted the Honour then conveniency of the Nation since if that had been respected the Colledges should rather have been dispersed at convenient distances throughout the severall Counties 2. Whether the complaint of Learned Bacon that the Nation was over stock'd or rather burdened with too many free Schools and Colledges for the proportion of its preferments may not with greater justice be taken up now since the sale of the late Bishops Dean and Chapters Lands then when the Church was in the height or Zenith of its Pomp Pride and Glory 3. Whether since the most considerable Ecclesiastick Preferments are now vanished and quite abrogated it were not more for the peace and interest of the Commonwealth that the Universities waving their pretensions of divine Right and being the Schools of the Prophets should stoop to a more honest civil notion of Schools of Education and humane literature for training up the youth of the Gentry in Learning and good manners 4 Whether the rendring of generous and noble Education cheap through a multitude of Accademick and Collegiate small preferments where mean mens Sons are tempted to a lazy kind of life and train'd up to a capacity an expectation of greater preferments then either the complexion or constitution of the Common-wealth can bear Be not of dangerous consequence to the peace of the Nation by over-stocking it with persons stated by their Education and discontented for want of employment sutable thereto and therefore desirous of change and innovations Or more brief Whether it be not the Interest of every prudent Commonwealth to give incouragement and maintenance to no more of mean fortunes being bred up to Great and Noble undertakings then the Commonwealth shall in probability have occasion to employ and make use of 5. Whether the Government of Colledges by Heads of Houses be not unsutable to a Commonwealth or whether it be not inconsistent with the frugality of a prudent State to maintain at the vast expence of the publâ—ck Revenues such as are of no greater use to the U. or R. P. then as was heretofore observed of Bishops great Brass Andirons to Chimney corners when as greater Learning and ingenuity withers for want of favour and incouragement 6. Whether the reserving the Physick Garden publick Schools with the Revenues thereto belonging for maintenance of Professors together with some of the fairest Colledges in each University indowed with a proportionable Revenue for an ample incouragement of a competent number of able and industrious Tutors for training up the Gentry in humane literature might not keep up as handsome and creditable face of an University without the wrinckles of so many soweâ— Doctors Heads of Houses who serve only to check and brow-beat ingenuity And whether these with the single Gymnasiums necessarily to be erected in some of the remoter corners of the Land as at Durham and the like might not be of a sufficient capacity for the receipt and accommodation of as many as are either fit or willing now the preferments are gone to go to the price of a liberal and generous Education and therefore as useful to all intents and purposes of the Commonwealth as a greater number of Halls and Colledges that according to the observation of some are meer formalities of eating Mutton not onely burdened with the unnecessary charge of Heads Coaches c. but also prolix Frier-like lists of Fellows whose most innocent imployment is to murder time and feed on the bread of idleness 7. Whether Chelsey where was sometime design'd a Colledge for Polemick Divines and the study of controversies be not a most convenient place by reason of its vicinity to the City of London the chief Theater of publick affairs for founding an English Colledge for refining of our language after the example of Cardinal Rich lieu in France as also for training up the better sort of our Gentries Sons in a more Generous and Noble way and less curbed studyes then are commonly though with little profit taught in our other Colledges and Universities and in which beside those handmaid Arts and Sciences together with the three learned Languages may be read the three Modern French Italian and Spanish and more especially History Politicks the Civil and common Laws together will all other the more polite and neat studies that have greatest tendency to Oratory and trayning up of States-men that they may be useful to the Commonwealth serviceable in their Generations and a Crown and Ornament to their Country 8 Whether if care were taken that all Arts and Heroick exercises of Activity for forming the more Majestick port and Gentile Carriage of the Body and that are of tendency to the better accomplishment and Noble breeding of Gentlemen as riding the great Horse Fencing Vaulting Dancing Musick and the like were introduced into some of our Colledges instead of that Monkish formality and ridiculous pedantry of our Vniversities might not be a means of bringing them into greater Reputation with our Gentry and prevent so maâ—y of their Sons running over to France and forrain shoars for Gallantry and breeding whence they commonly return like Solomons Merchants fraught with nothing but a few apish postures and Peacocks feathers for the expence of all their gold and precious time 9. Whether the mingling of Military Exercises and use of Arms together with the Gentries studies might
not better qualifie them for the service of their Country and less enervate and debase their spirits for Heroick undertakings then the common pedantick road of Accademical Education 10. Whether if were not a more profitable and laudable custome for Schollars in the Universities to speak Latine and compose their politer Exercises in English contrary to the common practise since when they come into the world they have greatest use of elegant English to write and a promptitude in familiar Latine for travail and converse with strangers 11. Whether a Labratory for Chymical Experiments together with frequent Anatomies would not be of more use and greater advantage in Colledges for making new and farther discoveries into the America of nature and inriching the world with knowledge then those many fruitless wrangling Disputations in which Scholars are trained up that tend to nothing but strife and rendring men factious Morose and troublesome in the Commonwealth 12. Whether such ingenious Arts as Limning Drawing Painting Carving Ingraving making Watches with other Mathematical practices might not profitably be taught at leasure and spare hours by way of Recreation to other studies such Gentlemen as have a natural and prompt genius to such kind of ingenuities by persons maintained about Colledges for that end and purpose 13. Whether the way of traffick and Mercha dise together with the Arts of grassing planting improvement of all sorts of grounds with all other good husbandry and Agriculture might not more profitably be taught in Colledges as parts of Occonomicks then those many jejune and trifling Notions of Genus and Species that are crowded into our Logicks and commonly hang like dusty Cobwebs in the windows of Juniors intellects darkning and sophistcating the light of their understandings till the prudence of riper years sweep them away 13. Whether it each Colledge did every year send out one or two of their Fellows or Tutors to travail with such of the youth as were desirous of that accomplishment whereby that help and advantage of education might be rendered less chargeable and more safe to young Gentlemen might not be advantageous to the Commonwealth and of great tendency to the advancement of Learning by maintaining more constant and exact correspondence with forrain Parts for bringing over new experiments and increasing the light of new discoveries 14. Whether the teaching of Arts and Languages together might not render the study of both more pleasant and facile and be a more effectual method for compendiating the long and tedious journey of Education then the teaching of them apart as is the common practise and therefore whether the annexing of Schools to Colledges were not a necessary expedient for avoiding the conclusion of many Methods and that the first Principles of Mathematicks may he laid during the time of infancy that being the most docile and sutable age and to which it is more grateful to converse with Numbers and Figures rather then crabbed Languages which usually like a Gorgons Head deter young Novices at their first setting forth towards the Land of knowledge 15. Whether the statutes and discipline of Colledges being altogether of a Monarchick Monkish and pedantick strain were not fit to be repealed especially as to Oaths and the injurious annexing fellowships to several Counties since thereby is often opened a door of preferment to unworthy and scandalous persons while it s barred to them of better deserts and learning and therefore whether some general Rules might not be made and calculated for the use of the whole University by which the Colledges might be better governed then their Popish statutes that impose so many unnecessary and prophane Oathes and imployments contrary to the conscience or inclination of the students 16. Whether such a Reformation of Schools and Universities might not render Learning more pleasant and acceptable to Gentlemen and be a probable means of stocking the Nation with a more able and Learned Gentry for the service of the Common-wealth then hertofore it hath been Of the Regulation of the Lawes and Lawyers I Have now done with Universities though much more might have been said which I shall reserve till a fitter season not knowing whether the times are yet able to hear them or that I have not already said more then is sutable to the Complexion of this Age I shall now proceed to speak of the other two grand interest Antagonists to a Free-state or Commonwealth which I take to be the Mercenary Lawyer and Hereditary Nobility both which I presume might be taken off by a through Reformation of the Laws that at present through the corruption of time look so much a squint at a Commonwealth and are so exceeding propitious to Monarchy and this by no greater cost then prohibiting their profession to be any longer Mercenary and abating those high priviledges they confer on the first born In reference to which I should humbly propose 1. That since Vassalage hath been long since abrogated in this Nation that some course may be thought of how without injury or wrong to the propriety of Landlords the duties and services with which most Lands are charged may be taken off at a reasonable composition as the infamous Marks of servitude and badges of the Norman yoke and tyranny that so all Lands may be held by one tenure the most free and absolute that can be devised that so Lands being discharged of such unnecessary cumbrances the decision of all Law-suits and controversies about Inheritances may be rendered more facile and easie to be determined by the verdict and umpire of men of conscience and prudence in the several Counties 2. That the great priviledges of Primogeniture by which Families are raised to a height inconsistent with the interest and contrary to the prudence of a Free-state not without injury and ruine to the younger Sons proceeding from the same stock may be abated and moderated and to this end that Gavel kind which was the ancient Custome of this Island before subjugated to the Norman yoke and that is yet preserved in Kent may be instituted throughout the Nation for the future prevention of those great Families that by the two great indulgence or rather iniquity of our Norman Laws are raised to an height not to be supported but by the injury and suppression of others that being constrained to truckle under them are bruised and crushed by their greatness Not that I would introduce a levelling of all Estates and families to the same proportion which were absurd and ridiculous But for keeping up a Gentry fit for management of the most important affairs of the Nation the elder Brother may be allowed either according to the Custome of the Jews a double portion or else the advantage of the personal estate or the like as shall in the wisdome of our Senators seem most expedient and here truly my compassion is apt to become passionate and with a Pen dipt in the deepest sence of sorrow to weep out an Apology in the behalf of the