Reformation of Religion. And the one Party is as justly to be condemn'd, as the other. Nothing will suffice either of them, but an utter Destruction, Root and Branch, of whatever has the face of Antiquity. But as the Universities have withstood the fierceness of the one's zeal without Knowledge; so there is no doubt, but they will also prevail against the Violence of the other's pretences to Knowledge without Prudence.
Sect. IV. The Advantage of an Experimental Education.But now after I have shewn that all the receiv'd Forms of Education will be safe, I shall make no Scruple to add my Conjecture, that it could be no hindrance to the minds of Men, if besides those courses of Studies which are now follow'd, there were also trial made of some other more practical Ways, to prepare their Minds for the World, and the Businesses of human Life. It is not enough to urge against this, that the multiplicity of Methods would hinder and confound the Spirits of young Men; for it is apparent that nothing more suppresses the Genius of Learners, than the Formality, and the Confinement of the Precepts, by which they are instructed. To this purpose I will venture to propose to the Consideration of wise men, whether this way of Teaching by Practice and Experiments, would not at least be as beneficial, as the other by Universal Rules: Whether it were not as profitable to apply the Eyes, and the Hands of Children, to see, and to touch all the several kinds of sensible Things, as to oblige them to learn, and remember the difficult Doctrines of general Arts? In a word, Whether a Mechanical Education would not excel the Methodical?
