N01142:102
Corderius americanus. An essay upon the good education of children. And what may hopefully be attempted, for the hope of the flock. In a funeral sermon upon Mr. Ezekiel Cheever. The ancient and Honourable master of the Free-School in Boston. Who left off, but when mortality took him off, in August, 1708. the ninety fourth year of his age. : With an elegy and an epitaph upon him. / By one that was once a scholar to him. ; [One line epigram in Latin]
Boston: printed by John Allen for Nicholas Boone, 1708
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Perrius the Master to the Nephews of Augustus, had a Statue Erected for him; And Antoninus obtained from the Senate, a Statue for his Master Fronto. I am sorry that Mine has none. And Ca•o counted it more glorious than any Statue, to have it asked, Why has he None? But in the grateful Memories of his Scholars, there have been and will be Hundreds Erected for him.
Under him we Learnt on Oration, made by Tully, in praise of his own Master; namely that, Pro Archad Poeta. A Pagan shall not out-do us, in out Gratitude unto our Master. There was a famous Christian in the Primitive Times, who wrote a whole Book, in praise of his Master Hierotheus; Entitling it, [Greek or Hebrew] Concerning the Blessed •ierotheus. And if I now say a few things, Concerning the Blessed CHEEVER, no man who thinks well of Gratitude, or likes well to see the Fifth Commandment observed, will confuse it.
Under him we Learnt on Oration, made by Tully, in praise of his own Master; namely that, Pro Archad Poeta. A Pagan shall not out-do us, in out Gratitude unto our Master. There was a famous Christian in the Primitive Times, who wrote a whole Book, in praise of his Master Hierotheus; Entituling it, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Concerning the Blessed •ierotheus. And if I now say a few things, Concerning the Blessed CHEEVER, no man who thinks well of Gratitude, or likes well to see the Fifth Commandment observed, will confuse it.
In the Imperial Law, we read, that Good Grammarians, having taught with diligence Twenty Years, were to have Special Honour conferred upon them. I Challenge for MY MASTER, more than a Treble portion of that Special Honour. But, Oh, Let it all pass through' him up to the Glorious LORD, who made him to be what he was!
In the Imperial Law, we read, that Good Grammarians, having taught with diligence Twenty Years, were to have Special Honour conferr'd upon them. I Challenge for MY MASTER, more than a Treble portion of that Special Honour. But, Oh, Let it all pass thro' him up to the Glorious LORD, who made him to be what he was!
His Eminent Abilities for the Work, which rendered him so long Useful in his Generation, were universally acknowledged. The next Edition of, Tranquillus de Claris Grammatitis, may well enough bring him into the Catalogue, and acknowledge him a Master. He was not a Mere Grammarian; yet he was a Pure One. And let no Envy Misconstrue it, if I say, It was noted, that when Scholars came to be Admitted into their College, they who came from the Cheeverian Education, were generally the most unexceptionable. What Exception shall be made, Let it fall upon him, that is now speaking of it.
His Eminent Abilities for the Work, which rendred him so long Useful in his Generation, were universally acknowledged. The next Edition of, Tranquillus de Claris Grammatitis, may well enough bring him into the Catalogue, and acknowledge him a Master. He was not a Meer Grammarian; yet he was a Pure One. And let no Envy Misconstrue it, if I say, It was noted, that when Scholars came to be Admitted into their Colledge, they who came from the Cheeverian Education, were generally the most unexceptionable. What Exception shall be made, Let it fall upon him, that is now speaking of it.
He flourished so long in this Great Work, of bringing our Sons to be Men, that it gave him an opportunity to send forth many Bezaleels and Aholiabs for the Service of the Tabernacle; and Men fitted for all Good Employments. He that was my Master, Seven and Thirty Years ago, was a Master to many of my Betters, no less than Seventy Years ago; so long ago, that I must even mention my Fathers Tutor for one of them.
And as it is written for the Lasting Renown of the Corderius, whose Colloquies he taught us; That the Great CALVIN had been a Scholar to him; So this our AMERICAN Corderius had many Scholars that were a Crown unto him; yea, many that will be his Crown in the Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his Coming; yea, many that were got into the Heavenly World before him. And the mention of the Heavenly World, leads me to that which I would principally take notice of▪ His PIETY, I say, His PIETY; and his care to infuse Documents of Piety into the Scholars under his Charge, that he might carry them with him to the Heavenly World, When Aristotle set up a Monument for his Master Plato; he inscribed upon it, this Testimony, HE WAS ONE WHOM ALL GOOD MEN OUGHT TO IMITATE, AS WELL AS TO CELEBRATE. ⟨p. 23⟩MY MASTER went through' his Hard Work with so much Delight in it, as a Work for GOD and CHRIST, and His People: He so constantly Prayed with us every Day, and Catechised us every Week, and let fall such Holy Counsels upon us; He took so many Occasions, to make Speeches unto us, that should make us Afraid of Sin, and of incurring the fearful Judgments of God by Sin; That I do propose him for Imitation.
And as it is written for the Lasting Renown of the Corderius, whose Colloquies he taught us; That the Great CALVIN had been a Scholar to him; So this our AMERICAN Corderius had many Scholars that were a Crown unto him; yea, many that will be his Crown in the Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his Coming; yea, many that were got into the Heavenly World before him. And the mention of the Heavenly World, leads me to that which I would principally take notice of▪ His PIETY, I say, His PIETY; and his care to infuse Documents of Piety into the Scholars under his Charge, that he might carry them with him to the Heavenly World, When Aristotle set up a Monument for his Master Plato; he inscribed upon it, this Testimony, HE WAS ONE WHOM ALL GOOD MEN OUGHT TO IMITATE, AS WELL AS TO CELEBRATE. ⟨p. 23⟩MY MASTER went thro' his Hard Work with so much Delight in it, as a Work for GOD and CHRIST, and His People: He so constantly Pray'd with us every Day, and Catechis'd us every Week, and let fall such Holy Counsels upon us; He took so many Occasions, to make Speeches unto us, that should make us Afraid of Sin, and of incurring the fearful Judgments of God by Sin; That I do propose him for Imitation.
Verily, If all School-masters would Watch for Souls, and wisely spread the Nets of Salvation for the Souls of their Children, in the midst of all their Teaching; Or, if the wondrous Rules of Education, lately published and practised, in that Wonder of the World, the School of Glaucha near Hall in the Lower Saxony, were always attended; Who can tell, what Blessed Effects might be seen, In very many Children made wise unto Salvation? Albertus, who from his Great Learning had the Surname of Magnus, desired of God some years before he died, That he might forget all his other Learning, and be wholly Swallowed up in Religion. I would not propose unto you, My Masters, That you should Forget all other Learning. By all means furnish the Children with as much Learning as ever you can. But be not so Swallowed up with other Learning, as to Forget Religion, & the Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. Look upon other things to be (as a Speech in Parliament once elegantly called them,) only the Et Caetera's, to Religion. Why should not a School-master be to his Children, A School-master to bring them unto Christ? This was the Study of our CHEEVER. The famous Dr. Reynolds, in a Funeral Sermon on an Excellent School-master, in the City of London, has a passage worthy to be written in Letters of Gold. Says he, If Grammar-Schools have Holy and Learned men set over them, not only the Brains, but the Souls of the Children might be there Enriched, and the Work of Learning and of Conversion too, be Betimes wrought in them!
Verily, If all School-masters would Watch for Souls, and wisely spread the Nets of Salvation for the Souls of their Children, in the midst of all their Teaching; Or, if the wondrous Rules of Education, lately published and practised, in that Wonder of the World, the School of Glaucha near Hall in the Lower Saxony, were always attended; Who can tell, what Blessed Effects might be seen, In very many Children made wise unto Salvation? Albertus, who from his Great Learning had the Syrname of Magnus, desired of God some years before he died, That he might forget all his other Learning, and be wholly Swallow'd up in Religion. I would not propose unto you, My Masters, That you should Forget all other Learning. By all means furnish the Children with as much Learning as ever you can. But be not so Swallowed up with other Learning, as to Forget Religion, & the Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures. Look upon other things to be (as a Speech in Parliament once elegantly called them,) only the Et Caetera's, to Religion. Why should not a School-master be to his Children, A School-master to bring them unto Christ? This was the Study of our CHEEVER. The famous Dr. Reynolds, in a Funeral Sermon on an Excellent School-master, in the City of London, has a passage worthy to be written in Letters of Gold. Says he, If Grammar-Schools have Holy and Learned men set over them, not only the Brains, but the Souls of the Children might be there Enriched, and the Work of Learning and of Conversion too, be Betimes wrought in them!
I shall not presume to Dictate, upon this matter, or to Enquire, Why Castalio's Dialogues, be not Looked upon as one of the best School-Books, for the Latin Tongue, in all the World? Or, Why for the Greek, there is no more Account made of Posselius? Or, indeed why (to express my ⟨p. 24⟩self in the Terms of a Modern Writer) there should not be North-west Passage found, for the Attaining of the Latin Tongue; that instead of a Journey, which may be dispatched in a few Day, they may not wander like the Children of Israel, Forty years in the Wilderness. And why they should so much converse with the Poets, at that Age, when they read them, with so much Difficulty, and so little Relish. But I will venture upon it, as neither a Tedious Parenthesis, nor a needless Digression, to single out only Two passages of many this way which in my small Reading I have met withal.
I shall not presume to Dictate, upon this matter, or to Enquire, Why Castalio's Dialogues, be not Look'd upon as one of the best School-Books, for the Latin Tongue, in all the World? Or, Why for the Greek, there is no more Account made of Posselius? Or, indeed why (to express my ⟨p. 24⟩self in the Terms of a Modern Writer) there should not be North-west Passage found, for the Attaining of the Latin Tongue; that instead of a Journey, which may be dispatch'd in a few Day, they may not wander like the Children of Israel, Forty years in the Wilderness. And why they should so much converse with the Poets, at that Age, when they read them, with so much Difficulty, and so little Relish. But I will venture upon it, as neither a Tedious Parenthesis, nor a needless Digression, to single out only Two passages of many this way which in my small Reading I have met withal.
The first is this; I have seen this Experiment among others recorded of one that had a Number of Little Folks under his Charge.
Moreover, He made it his Custom, that in every Recitation, he would, from something or other occurring in it, make an occasion, to let fall some Sentence, which had a Tendency to promote the Fear of God in their Hearts; which thing sometimes did indeed put him to more than a little study; but the Good Effect sufficiently Recompensed it.
Moreover, He made it his Custome, that in every Recitation, he would, from something or other occurring in it, make an occasion, to let fall some Sentence, which had a Tendency to promote the Fear of God in their Hearts; which thing sometimes did indeed put him to more than a little study; but the Good Effect sufficiently Recompenced it.
Another is this. A late Writer ha's these words; Many Children are sooner taught what Jupiter, Mars, & such Pagan Gods were, then what, Father, Son, and Spirit is. Augustine of old complained of this; of Learning in the Schools, Jove's Adulteries; and for giving an Account of such things, saith he, ob hoc bonae spei puer appellabar. Luther also complained, That our Schools were more Pagan than Christian. I refer the unsatisfied Reader, to Pasor's Preface to his Lexicon. I knew an aged and famous School-master; that after he had kept School about Fifty years, said, with a very sad countenance, That it was a great Trouble to him, that he had spent so much time in Reading Pagan Authors to his Scholars, and wished it were customary to read such a Book as Duport's Verses upon Job, rather than Homer, and such Books. […] God, put it in the Heart of a Wise Parliament, to Purge our Schools; that instead of Learning vain Fictions, and filthy Stories, they may be acquainted with the Word of God, and with Books containing Grave Sayings, and ⟨p. 25⟩things that may make them truly Wise and Useful in the World.
Another is this. A late Writer ha's these words; Many Children are sooner taught what Jupiter, Mars, & such Pagan Gods were, then what, Father, Son, and Spirit is. Augustine of old complain'd of this; of Learni•g in the Schools, Joves Adulteries; and for giving an Account of such things, saith he, ob hoc bonae spei puer appellabar. Luther also complained, That our Schools were more Pagan than Christian. I refer the unsatisfied Reader, to Pasors Preface to his Lexicon. I knew an aged and famous School-master; that after he had kept School about Fifty years, said, with a very sad countenance, That it was a great Trouble to him, that he had spent so much time in Reading Pagan Authors to his Scholars, and wish'd it were customary to read such a Book as Duports Verses upon Job, rather than Homer, and such Books. 〈…〉 God, put it in the Heart of a Wise Parliament, to Purge our Schools; that instead of Learning vain Fictions, and •ilthy Stories, they may be acquainted with the Word of God, and with Books containing Grave Sayings, and ⟨p. 25⟩things that may make them truly Wise and Useful in the World.
Ye have heard, what MY MASTER was, In the School. Sir Walter Ra•leign commends it as a piece of wisdom, to use great moderation when we are treating men with Commendation. I will not forget the Rule, in carrying on my Commendation of my Master. But I will say very much in a Little. Out of the School, he was One, Antiqua […]; A Christian of the Old Fashion: An OLD NEW-ENGLISH CHRISTIAN: And I may tell you. That was as Venerable a Sight, as the World; since the Days of Primitive Christianity, has ever looked upon.
Ye have heard, what MY MASTER was, In the School. Sir Walter Ra•leign commends it as a piece of wisdom, to use great moderation when we are treating men with Commendation. I will not forget the Rule, in carrying on my Commendation of my Master. But I will say very much in a Little. Out of the School, he was One, Antiqua 〈…〉; A Christian of the Old Fashion: An OLD NEW-ENGLISH CHRISTIAN: And I may tell you. That was as Venerable a Sight, as the World; since the Dayes of Primitive Christianity, has ever look'd upon.
He was well Studied in the Body of Divinity: An Able Defender of the Faith and Order of the Gospel; Notably Conversant and Acquainted with the Scriptural Prophecies; And, by Consequence, A Sober Chiliast.
He Lived as a Master, the Term, which has been for above three thousand years, assigned for the Life of a Man; he continued unto the Ninety Fourth year of his Age, an unusual Instance of Liveliness. His Intellectual Force, as little abated as his Natural. He Exemplified the Fulfilment of that word, As thy Days, so shall thy Strength be; in the Gloss which the Jerusalem Targum has put upon it; As thou wast in the Days of thy Youth, such thou shalt be in thy Old Age. The Reward of his Fruitfulness! For, Fructus Liberat Arborem! The product of his Temperance; Rather than what my Lord Verulam assigns, as a Reason for Vivacious Scholars.
He Lived as a Master, the Term, which has been for above three thousand years, assign'd for the Life of a Man; he continued unto the Ninety Fourth year of his Age, an unusual Instance of Liveliness. His Intellectual Force, as little abated as his Natural. He Exemplified the Fulfilment of that word, As thy Days, so shall thy Strength be; in the Gloss which the Jerusalem Targum has put upon it; As thou wast in the Dayes of thy Youth, such thou shalt be in thy Old Age. The Reward of his Fruitfulness! For, Fructus Liberat Arborem! The product of his Temperance; Rather than what my Lord Verulam assigns, as a Reason for Vivacious Scholars.
DEATH must now do its part. He Died, Longing for Death. Our old SIMEON waited for it, that he might get nearer to the Consolation of Israel. He Dyed Leaning like Old Jacob, upon a Staff; the Sacrifice and the Righteousness of a Glorious CHRIST, he let us know, was the Golden Staff, which he Leaned upon. He Dyed mourning for the Quick Apostasy, which he saw breaking in upon us; very easy about his own Eternal Happiness, but full of Distress for a poor People here under the Displeasure of Heaven, for Former Iniquities, he thought, as well as Later, Ones. To say no more: ⟨p. 26⟩He Dyed, A CANDIDATE FOR THE FIRST RESURRECTION. And Verily, our Land is Weakened, when those Fly away, at whose Flight me may cry out, My Father, My Father, the Chariots of New-England, and the Horsemen thereof.
DEATH must now do its part. He Dy'd, Longing for Death. Our old SIMEON waited for it, that he might get nearer to the Consolation of Israel. He Dyed Leaning like Old Jacob, upon a Staff; the Sacrifice and the Righteousness of a Glorious CHRIST, he let us know, was the Golden Staff, which he Lean'd upon. He Dyed mourning for the Quick Apostasie, which he saw breaking in upon us; very easie about his own Eternal Happiness, but full of Distress for a poor People here under the Displeasure of Heaven, for Former Iniquities, he thought, as well as Later, Ones. To say no more: ⟨p. 26⟩He Dyed, A CANDIDATE FOR THE FIRST RESURRECTION. And Verily, our Land is Weakened, when those Fly away, at whose Flight me may cry out, My Father, My Father, the Chariots of New-England, and the Horsemen thereof.
