ioe Education of Diffenters «0 Beard of Health, Manchefter. 281 
ferious regret. The more opulent diffen- 
ters have contributed with the utmoft 
liberality towards fuch inftitutions. They 
have witneffed the erection of buildings, 
at leaft adequate both in fize and elegance, 
to their purpofe. ‘They have feen, with 
pleafure, men of the firft charaéter in the 
literary world employed as leéturers and 
tutors. Yet, at the very time when they 
fuppofed thefe feminaries to be rifing out 
of the evils of infancy and inexperience, 
and gaining reputation and ftability, they 
have beheld them crumbling to pieces. 
But is the objeét therefore unattainable ? 
Or, becaufe any particular inftitution may 
have failed, are we to be difcouraged from 
trying other plans, and availing ourfelves 
of paft experience? As an individual, 
withing well to the great caufe of truth 
and rational religion, I fhall beg leave to 
fuggeft the outlines of a {cheme, which I 
have reafon to think would obviate many 
of the difficulties, to which thefe femina- 
ries have been liable. I fuppofe the body 
of what are called rational diffenters to 
form themfelves into a fociety, for the ge- 
neral purpofe of providing fyftematical 
education for thofe who are in future to 
conduét their public fervices. Let a com- 
mittee, properly appointed, look out for 
the moft able teachers throughout the 
kingdom, in the different branches of 
{cience which ought to engage the atten- 
tion of young men intended for divines. 
Let them next endeavour to fix, but with 
the allowance of confiderable latitude, the 
proportion of time which each ftudy 
fhould fuccetfively occupy ; and then, 
without regarding place or fituation, offer 
fufficient inducements to a number of pro- 
feffors, or teachers, to undertake the 
charge, each at his own refidence, with- 
out relinquifhing his other profeffional en- 
gagements or views in life.. As there 
would be few young men at any one time 
under the care of each profeffor, they 
might with the greater eafe be accom- 
modated in the fame houfe with him. 
The advantage of this plan would be, in 
the firft place, that it would afford much 
better means of inftruétion than in a fixed 
feminary, becaufe it would enable the fo- 
ciety to offer an adequate recompence to 
tutors, without being influenced in their 
choice of them by accidental circumftances, 
or being obliged, for the fake of one prin- 
cipal tutor, to put up with mere novices 
and boys in the other departments. To 
this it may be added, that if two pro- 
feffors were nominated, for inftance, in 
divinity, to fuit different taftes, a ftudent, 
by preferring one of them, would not be 
MontHiy Mag. No. IV. 
under the neceffity of facrificing other 
confiderations. A fecond advantage of 
this plan is, that, though upon a large 
{cale, it would be condu¢ted at much lefs 
expence. In the next place, the inftitu- 
tion would probably be more permanent ; 
it would prevent the jarring of divided au- 
thority ; and even thofe tutors who 
‘¢ Bear, like the Turk, no brother near the 
throne,”’ 
might be content to enjoy in peace each 
his own little fupremacy. But the moft 
ferious benefit of all would be, the efpe- 
cial provifion that might thus be made for 
the morals of ftudents, by which I mean 
their freedom not only from grofs aéts of 
criminality, but alfo from high-flown and 
fordid notions, fo ufvally acquired by 
their intercourfe with ftudents of another 
defcription, and fo often the fource of dif- 
appointment and uneafinefs to them in 
future life. There is one obvious objec- 
tion to the whole of this plan, that it 
feems to require that every particular 
ftudy fhould be infulated from the reft ; 
but this I conceive would by no means 
neceffarily be the cafe, fince there are few 
men, eminent in any one branch of learn- 
ing with which a minifter ought to be ac- 
quainted, who are not fully competent to 
direét him, in a general way, as to the 
other objects he may have more diftantly 
in view; it has been a great objeétion to 
diffenting academies, that they divide the 
attention amongft too great a variety of 
ftudies at the fame time. 
I fhall efteem it a favour, fir, if you 
will have the goodnefs to communicate 
thefe imperfet hints to the public, im 
hopes that fome of your correfpondents 
wil favour me with their fentiments upon 
the fubjcét. aa 
Wifhing you every. fuccefs in the con- 
duct of your new Magazine, and .rejoic~ 
ing in the favourable influence it will be 
likely to have. upon the caufe of literature, 
J remain, your’s, &c. 
April, 1796. CasTorR. 

To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
you have announced the eftablifhment 
of a Board of Health, in Manchefter. 
Perhaps the following account of the lead- 
ing objeéts of this benevolent fcheme may 
promote the formation of fimilar inftitu- 
tions in other large towns. ns 
Copy of a paper, entered into the mi- 
nutes of the Board of Health, at Man- 
chefter, January 4, 1796: 
Oo9 - The 
