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Am long fince perfwaded, that to fay, or do ought worth Memory and Imitation, no purpose or respect should fooner move us, than fimply the love of God, and of Mankind. Nevertheless to write now the reforming of Education, though it be one of the greatest and nobleft Designs that can be thought on, and for the want whereof this Nation perishes, I had not yet at this time been induc'd, but by your earnest Entreaties, and feri

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ous Conjurements; as having my Mind for the prefent half diverted in the purfuance of fome other Affertions, the Knowledge and the Ufe of which cannot but be a great furtherance both to the enlargement of Truth, and honeft living, with much more Peace. Nor should the Laws of any private Friendship have prevail'd with me to divide thus, or transpose my former Thoughts, but that I fee thofe Aims, thofe Actions which have won you with me the Efteem of a Perfon fent hither by fome good Providence from a far Country to be the occafion and the incitement of great good to this Island. And, as I hear, you have obtain❜d the fame Repute with Men of moft approved Wisdom, and fome of higheft Authority among us. Not to mention the learned Correfpondence which you hold in foreign Parts, and the extraordinary Pains and Diligence which you have us'd in this Matter both here, and beyond the Seas; either by the definite will of God. fo ruling, or the peculiar fway of Nature, which alfo is God's working. Neither can I think that fo reputed, and fo valu'd as you are, you would to the forfeit of your own discerning Ability, impofe upon me an unfit and over-ponderous Argument, but that the Satisfaction which you profefs to have receiv'd from thofe incidental Difcourfes which we have wander'd into, hath preft and almoft conftrain'd you into a Perfwafion, that what you require from me in this Point, I neither ought, nor can in Confcience defer beyond this Time both of fo much need at once, and so much Opportunity to try what God hath determin'd. I will not refift therefore, whatever it is either of

Divine, or humane Obligement that you lay upon me; but will forthwith fet down in Writing, as you Requeft me, that voluntary Idea, which hath long in filence prefented it felf to me, of a better Education, in Extent and Comprehenfion far more large, and yet of Time far fhorter, and of Attainment far more certain, than hath been yet in Practice. Brief I fhall endeavour to beg for that which I have to fay, affuredly this Nati on hath extteam need fhould be done fooner than spoken. To tell you therefore what I have benefited herein among old renowned Authors, I fhall fpare; and to fearch what many modern Janua's and Dadictics, more than ever I shall read, have projected, my Inclination leads me not. But if you can accept of these few Obfervations which have flowr'd off, and are, as it were, the bur→ nishing of many ftudious and contemplative Years altogether spent in the search of religious and civil Knowledge, and fuch as pleas'd you fo well in the relating,I here give you them to difpofe of

The end then of Learning is to repair the Ruins of our first Parents by regaining to know God aright, and out of that Knowledge to love him, to imitate him, to be like him, as we may the nearest by poffeffing our Souls of true Virtue, which being united to the heavenly Grace of Faith makes up the higheft Perfection. But becaufe our Understanding cannot in this Body found it felf but on fenfible things, nor arrive fo clearly to the Knowledge of God and things invifible, as by orderly conning over the vifible and inferior Creature, the fame Method is neceffarily to be

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