Petition for a University of York, 1647

To the Right Honourable the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parliament

The humble petition of the inhabitants of the county and city of Yorke and of the northerne parts of the kingdome of England

Sheweth the earnest and humble desires of your said petitioners that, by the justice and wisdome and favour of this high and honourable court, there may bee liberty granted and some meanes allowed and appointed for laying a foundation of an university colledge or colledges in the city of Yorke for the education of schollers in arts, tongues and all other learning that may render them fitt for the discharge of the ministerial function in the church of God to his glory and the honour and advantage of these and other parts of the kingdome.

In which desire that your petitioners may not seemed rash or unreasonable, they offer these ensuing considerations.

1    That howsoever the kingdome enjoyes the benefit and blessing of two most famous universities, which as they are so wee still hope they shall continue the glory of Europe, yet wee humbly conceive that they are not commensurate to the largenes and necessity of the kingdome which appears by the deplorable want of a learned and faithfull ministry in very many congregations which for want of schollers or choice of scholars are betrayed to the ignorance of illiterate men, through whom that sad proverbe is fulfilled upon us: the blinde leade the blinde and both fall into the ditch.

2ly    As wee the inhabitants of the northerne parts of the kingdome find our share in this common want and calamity to be very great, insomuch that wee have beene looked upon as a rude and allmost barbarous people in respect of those parts which, by reason of their vicinity to the universities, have more fully partaked of their light and influence, so wee cannot but bee importunate in this request in which, if wee may prevaile, wee hope itt will bee a speciall meanes of washing from us the staine of rudeness and incivility and rendring of us (to the honour of God and this kingdome) not much inferiour to others in religion and conversation.

3ly    Wee humbly declare that many of us who would most gladly offer up our children to the service of the Church of God, in the worke of the ministry, and should hope to accomplish our desires if a cheaper and more convenient way of education in point of distance were allowed us, cannot fullfill our wishes in that behalfe in regard of the distance and dearenes of the southerne universities, whose charge wee are by continuall impoverishment rendred daily more unable to beare.

4ly    Wee cannot but apprehend it as very necessary, not onely to the good of these parts but to the peace and happines of the whole kingdome, that all possible care bee had of reforming the northerne parts now abounding with popery, superstition and profanenes, the fruits of ignorance, that they may not remaine a seminary or nursery of men fitt to bee instruments of any irreligious and unreasonable designe for the overthrow of religion and liberty, which reformacion cannot bee expected without a learned and painfull ministry which wee allmost despaire of being supplied with from the south, whither we send many scholars but find vestigia pauca retrorsum and those for the most part such as others have refused.

5ly    Wee humbly represent Yorke as the fittest place for such a worke in regard of its healthfull situation, cheapnes of victual and fewell (which howsoever by the late and present pressures upon the country now growne dearer, wee hope shall recover their former rate and plenty, if God shall vouchsafe us the blessing of peace), some good degree of civility, the convenient distance of itt from the other universities and the borders of the kingdome, the advantage of a library which is there allready, and convenient buildings for such an use.

Upon these considerations your petitioners humbly desire that for the foundation of so good and necessary a worke (though the revenues of the archbishoprick, deane, deane and chapters bee disposed of for other publique uses) this high and honourable court would be pleased to allow and appoint that place which is commonly called the Bedron, now a colledge of vicars chorall and singing men, with the maintenance belonging to that corporation as allso what other revenues they, in your favour and wisdome, shall thinke most fitt and wee doubt not but by the blessing of God the diligence and bounty of men well affected to religion and learning this worke may bee brought to such perfection as may tend very much to the honour of God, the happines and advantage not onely of these northerne parts, but the whole kingdome.

for laying a foundation of an university colledge or colledges in the city of Yorke for the education of schollers in arts, tongues and all other learning

Inhabitants of the City of York, 1647