CHARITABLE CONSTRUCTIONS OF THE DESIGN OF THE trusties usually sitting at Sadlers-Hall.  
For brevity sake set down in Questions and Answers. AND Written and published to prevent the Sin of rash Judging.  
By a wellwisher to the Work.  
LONDON, Printed by Robert Ibbitson. 1647.   

Charitable Constructions of the Design Of the trusties usually sitting at Sadlers Hall.  
A. SIR I pray you what do you conceive is indeed their Design?  
B. To make their Nation more learned, and military; more learned, for the saving of souls, because as those who 2 Pet. 2.16. Were undiscipled and unprincipled did wrest the things hard to be understood to their own destruction so do many even now among us. More military, for the saving of soul●●.  
A. But will not the excercise of Arms occasion quarrelling, sedition etc. and so rather kill more than keep more alive?  
B. No, for 1. The discipline of war (strictly) observed preventeth all quarrelling, fewer Duels being fought i● camps ●●en in cities and towns.  
2 If men do quarrel, they 〈◊〉 one another with swords c●uos and many things else as well as with any other instruments of war.  
3 But not therewith so well defend themselves against the invasions of foreign enemies nor help their friends.  
A. But by what means do the trusties endeavour to make this a learned Nation?  
B. By sending all hopeful poor Scholars now ready unto the Universities, & maintaining them there either in part, or in all, as they shall need. And to this purpose the trusties have appointed a Probationary College here in London, un●o which they first bring them, and through which they pass them to the Universities as the Romans did through the Temple of virtue unto the Temple of honour and this they do.  
1 That they might satisfy every one of their (the trusties) consciences of the said Scholar's maturity and ripeness for the said Universities.  
2 For the Scholar's proficiencies, for if the said Scholars (notwithstanding certificates from Country Schools) be not fully ripe, the trusties mature them for some Months in the Probationary College, lest the said Scholars by going raw to the Universities should be discouraged.  
3 That the trusties might have some experience how in the said College these Probationers do settle to their studies.  
4. That the trusties might provide the said Scholars godly and fit Tutors in the Universities.  
A. But will the trusties admit no men of years into their Probationary College.  
B. Yes▪ if they b●e men of great natural parts like Apollo's mighty in the scriptures and withal, Orthodox, sound in the faith▪ for they consider the present necessities in which thousands of Congregations are: And that such men in a short time spent in Latin, Rhetoric, Logic, &c may quickly be very serviceable in the Church.  
A. But will they admit no younger Scholars than such as are ready or almost ripe for the Universities?  
B. I conceive that yet they have no reason to to do so until all such as be mature be first provided for, indeed (if that being done they have more money they may contribute unto minors, I mean younger Scholars.  
A. But whilst the Scholars do abide in the said Probationary College what shall be done unto them? or shall they do as you hear and conceive?  
B. A few Professors shall instruct them, the Scholars, at certain hours shall question and answer each others by ask and answering in Latin the questions in our English Catechisms citing the Scriptures, brought to prove the answers in Latin troping them and turning them into Sylogismes before their Professors, whereby with the (Lords blessing) the said Scholars will be 

1. well principled.  
2. perfect in the sacred Scriptures.  
3. more expert in Rhetoric.  
4. be exercised (at the least somewhat) in Logic.    
2. Beside the professors lodging and diet shallbe given to two or more strangers, Scholars upon condition that they read weekly such lectures of the Arts as they excel in: which the foreign Scholars (as it is conceived) will take as a courtesy in England and during their stay in the said College, be willing to perform, and not lose their faculties in those arts by dis-use.  
A. But by what means intent the trusties to raise money for so vast and expencive a work?  
B. Two ways. 1. God hath given estates and hearts unto some as unto David 1 Sam. 24.24. and they give gross sums because they be able, and will not offer unto the Lord of that which cost them nothing.  
2. There are others unable to give gross sums and yet they are willing to abstain from one meal in a week and give the value thereof towards this good work, that they also (whether Children or Servants in Godly families) might likewise share in the blessing: which they (as by the motives in a little book written and in many men's bands) may happily conceive to be better given unto poor Scholars then unto any other poor whatsoever.  
3 So much victuals as is thereby spared the Commonwealth gaineth, and the poor will pay the less for victuals, a point very considerable in these days, now dearth is so much felt already by some, and feared by others.  
A. But by both these means if much money come in, though the said trusties being many and men of known integrity, unto those who by their subscriptions make them their trusties, yet if they give no account but unto themselves, they must expect to be aspersed as their betters have been,  
B. For provision against the scourge of tongues, I understand that the said trusties have taken this course: Namely to request one faithful and well affected Common-councelman of every ward in London to come as often as they can, and please, and to sit with them, and to be eye and ear witnesses how they behave themselves, and if any of these Common-council men die in their year or not chosen the next year, that the rest of the six and twenty Common-council, elect another Common-council man in his room, and that these 26 will be pleased to audite the trusties accounts out of the trusties own Books once every year and declare in open Common council how they shall find the same accounts.  
The like request is made by the trusties unto twelve Reverend Ministers (in every Classis of the Province of London one) to come as before) and sit with the said trusties: to examine the said Probationary Scholars maturity for the Universities and to assist the trusties in providing good Tutors in the Universities for the said Scholars.  
A. But divers Aldermen, Ministers, Common council men, and others have undertaken this work also and therefore the trusties who you mention that usually sit at Saddlers Hall may do well to desist since the other, by greater sums of money given them will frustrate this design, and make it now needless and superfluous,  
B. 1 Many months before these arose or did appear in this good work, the trusties of Saddler's Hall, were Legally called to be trusties by many subscribers both of gross sums and also of weekly meals, and how can they with a good conscience now give over and not perform that trust, and dispose of those moneys according to the same trust?  
2 The other combination at the first declared their intentions to be only to maintain such poor Scholars as were already in Universities, & were likely to come from thence for want of maintenance, as appeareth by the first printed paper of their project, indeed since that time they have made an overture of sending more Scholars also unto the Universities.  
3 But their annual subscriptions (which men's Estates must needs feel) may fail as Land-floods, and experience of contributions of that kind after a little while commonly do.  
And should the trusties at Saddlers Hall (before mentioned) let their trust, and work fall upon the others ●ssay of so great uncertainty?  
A. All this while you have not discovered how you conceive the trusties will endeavour to make this also a military Nation.  
B. I conceive (by what I hear) that since Scholars (especially the hardest students) have need (after their sedentary labours) of bodily recreation by way of motion to maintain them in health, and that no recreations are more excellent or honourable than the exercises of Arms for young students, (and for the defence of the Church and Commonwealth they are incomparably the best) that the trusties intention is to have the said Scholars to exercise with small Muskets, and Bows and Pikes, with which Bows and Pikes, by use (●f need require) they will as easily fight jointly (as a man taught in a Fence School will) with a sword and a dagger, and is not this a most excellent design? For a single pike man standeth only (as a man condemned by a council of war) and is shot to death by the enemy's Muskets and is of no other use (in one battle of an hundred) then to keep of the Horse: whereas with his pike and bow he may not only do that service but father off than the Musket can reach, wound the enemies in all their ranks both of horse and foot with his barbed Arrows, which are fare worse than any bullets, and that in many respects as might be showed, and the most expert warriors of our time acknowledge and do now begin to practise.  
A. But I hear (how true I know not) that the said trusties intent, to passe● their Scholars from their Probationary College with more popular solemnity than many that are wise and well affected think meet: if they intent to do so, what do you conceive may be the reasons moving them thereunto?  
B. Truly if they shall do so, I dare not condemn them for indiscresion.  
1 Because of the Old Adage honos alit arts, honour nourisheth or advanceth Arts.  
2 The multitude is moved unto beneficence, by sense, as well as by solid reason, yea, much more.  
3 The wisest nations in all ages, have advanced the public good with costless honours. The Grecians and Romans by Laureating Learned men and Conquerors. And our degrees in Schools at this day are of the same nature.  
4 To honour learning (at this day so much decried) seemeth not superfluous.  
5 Paul observing the prevalency of earthly honours, to make men strive to excel others by arguments from the least to the greater, urgeth us to strive for heaven by honour and glory 1 Cor. 9.24. etc. 1 Thess. 2, 19 2 Tim. 2, 5, and 4, 8.  
6 If honours be given in London for learning, and the report thereof carried by every carrier into every Country, may not this probably make many Schoolmasters and Scholars ambitious to excel others in teaching and learning: yea and parents to send their Sons to Schools, and by that means much advance both Arts and Arms?  
A. Only one question more and I have done,  
Rumours, and somewhat written and printed intimating an intention to found an University here in London makes many not only in the Universities but others that have been of other Universities afraid of the trusties declining those Universities ancient honours, by such a new erection? and this I fear may do hurt.  
B. I have perused the books you mention and conferred with some of the said trusties, and truly I am nescious or else there is no cause of any such fear. For,  
First, I find the said trusties (especially such of them as have been of either of our Universities) for the doctrine which they have attained unto in those Universities, as desirous as any at this day in the said Universities to preserve the dignity of the Universities: therefore they will not do aught that tendeth to the detriment of either of them.  
Secondly, I do not see that by this Essay they can possible hurt them if they would, but very probable it is that happily they may help them by this means.  
For either they will not be able to, found an University here in London or else they will be able?  
If they attempt it, and do somewhat yet fail to effect it fully, than all that they shall do will but advance the Universities as the erection of Schools do in all parts of the Kingdom, and until an University be here completed, London (all the m●ane while) shall more and more replenish Cambridge and Oxford both.  
And therefore whereas others would not have an University in London to be mentioned until Cambridge and Oxford were full: I cry out, hoist up a new University (towards which here in London people will sooner give pounds than shillings to fill Cambridge and Oxford) and should this money be refused and lost, which is offered unto Christ by men and women yearly living and dying especially of the attempting to erect a new University, will soon of all other means replenish Cambridge and Oxford.  
Whilst any man is building a College is he not also providing of Scholars to put into it? and doth not that fill other Schools and Colleges.  
For a man buyeth plant's first in the Market and then planteth them in a Nursery, and after, when they are more grown bringeth them into his Garden or Orchard.  
Thus Nurseries furnish Orchards, and Orchards Nurseries: and new Universities furnish old Universities with young Scholars, and old Universities furnish new Universities with elder Scholars: This is evidently seen in the new Colleges which have been built in Cambridge or Oxford, that the new have not emptied but rather filled the old.  
And so would a new University, our old Universities suppose that Northampton shire men or one Citizen borne in that County would build a fair house to make College of and either call it the Northamptonshire-Colledge, or after his own name: sure he would either be prompted by his own providence, or some would put it into his mind how he should fill it with Scholars, and bid him write into Northamtonshire, unto poor people to send their Sons to School and he would give them scholarships in that College, and if others would but maintain their Sons a little while at Cambridge or Oxford, he would give them followships: would not this do somewhat towards the filling both of Country Schools and also of the Universities presently: and if more Countries or men did the like would it not do much more? But say that in the end London should grow to be an University, then would it not decline Cambridge or Oxford?  
1 I answer no, for by such time as London is grown to be an University; Cambridge and Oxford will be full.  
2 Even then when they are filled there will not be Scholars enough, for there is not College room in them both, either to furnish us with a Ministry numerous enough for all our occasions; or, if we were (as the books mentioned prove) now fully stocked with such a ministry, be able to maintain that stock.  
3 New Colleges built by the Jesuits do not empty the old Colleges, nor among the Papists make the old Colleges (or order of the Jesuits) to be less esteemed.  
4 The more Colleges there shall be founded in Cambridge or Oxford the more honours will accrue unto those Universities so long as there is employment for those Scholars, and the more Universities be founded in England, the more will it make for England's honour so long as England shall have use of all those Scholars, as indeed at this day England hath of as many more, as Cambridge and Oxford now have, can hold, or possibly send forth.  
5 When new Colleges are built in the Universities the rest of the Colleges are well pleased that those new Colleges are built: and why should not both our Universities be as well pleased that a new University should be founded elsewhere in England, as a new College in either of their Universities? For whatsoever can be alleged against the founding of a new University in England, may as well and better be alleged against the building of so many new Colleges in our old Universities.  
FINIS.