The Reformed Librarie-Keeper (1650) | Page 9

formal Constitutions of Colleges, or in the Spirits of those that partake of Collegial accommodations, is not a thing which I shall take upon me to Judg; but I shall leav it to God, and to his daie to discover; onely I would bee glad that all such as are true Israelites, and know the end of their calling unto Christ, and are not willing to burie their Talents, or to make them useless unto others, for whose fakes they have received them would laie this matter to heart, that their Aim in a Collegial life, should not bee to enjoie an easie careless waie of subsistence by and for themselvs, to follow private fancies in their Studies about matters of Learning; but that they should minde the stewardship of their gifts and places, and the advantages of their Association, whereby they might bee, (if they would make use of it) able to elaborate som tasks, which otherwise cannot bee brought to anie perfection, for the building up of the Citie of God in our generations. There is no want of parts and abilities in the Spirits of our men, but the waie to order them for publick life, and to bring them together as stones fitly compacted to make up a perfect Palace, is that which make's us all useless one to another; wee finde that now and then, as it were by chance, som exquisite pieces of Learning, which som have been hatching all their life time drop out; wherein appear's, besides the usefulness of the Subject, or the uselesness thereof, som inclination to bee found extraordinarie; but these endevors, disjointed from publick Aims, advance little or nothing, the Happiness, which true Learning rightly ordered in all the parts thereof; and Subordinate unto Christianitie, is able to bring unto Mankind. Such pieces therefore serv onely as a witness, to shew what wast there is of profitable time and abilities, for want of loving combinations for publick Designs. It is the observation of Forreigners concerning our Universities, that they finde in them men of as great learning as any where els; but that they lie as it were dead and unknown to the whole world of other men of Learning; becaus they delight to live a retired and unsociable life: this humor therefore amongst other parts of our Reformation, must by som Gospel-principles and Rational inducements bee Reformed, not onely in Colleges but in other Associations. The Lord teach us the waie of Truth and Righteousness, that wee may profit in all things to advance the glorie of his name in the Kingdom of his Son, in whom I rest
Your friend and servant.
J.D.

THE REFORMED LIBRARIE-KEEPER.
BY
JOHN DURIE.
LONDON,
Printed by _William Du-gard_,
_Anno Dom._ 1650.
THE _Reformed Librarie-Keeper_:
OR
Two copies of Letters concerning the Place and Office of a Librarie-Keeper.
_The first Letter._
The Librarie-Keeper's place and Office, in most Countries (as most other places and Offices both in Churches and Universities) are lookt upon, as Places of profit and gain, and so accordingly sought after and valued in that regard; and not in regard of the service, which is to bee don by them unto the Common-wealth of Israel, for the advancement of Pietie and Learning; for the most part, men look after the maintenance, and livelihood setled upon their Places, more then upon the end and usefulness of their emploiments; they seek themselvs and not the Publick therein, and so they subordinate all the advantages of their places, to purchase mainly two things thereby _viz._ an easie subsistence; and som credit in comparison of others; nor is the last much regarded, if the first may bee had; except it bee in cases of strife and debate, wherein men are over-heated: for then indeed som will stand upon the point of Honor, to the hazard of their temporal profits: but to speak in particular of Librarie-Keepers, in most Universities that I know; nay indeed in all, their places are but Mercenarie, and their emploiment of little or no use further, then to look to the Books committed to their custodie, that they may not bee lost; or embezeled by those that use them: and this is all.
I have been informed, that in Oxford (where the most famous Librarie now exstant amongst Protestant-Christians is kept,) the setled maintenance of the Librarie-keeper is not above fiftie or sixtie pound _per annum_; but that it is accidentally, _viis & modis_ somtimes worth an hundred pound: what the accidents are, and the waies by which they com, I have not been curious to search after; but I have thought, that if the proper emploiments of Librarie-keepers were taken into consideration as they are, or may bee made useful to the advancement of Learning; and were ordered and mainteined proportionally to the ends, which ought to bee intended thereby; they would