The Speech made by ADAM LOFTUS, LORD ARCHBISHOP OF DUBLIN, LORD CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND, on the choyce of Provost Travers.

Silence is not inculpable where a just Occasion and opportunity invite to speake, I shall therefore without the florish of any other preamble or apology choose rather to burthen your patience (though upon warning too short for a competent preparacon) with the freedom of a few plaine words then incurre your censure for not complying with the faire invitation I have to speake upon soe solemne an occasion as is the publication of the choyce you have now made of soe learned a person as is master Travers to be your Provost and my imediate successor, whoe is now to be established in so conspicuous a station of government.

Gentlemen, I told you when I resigned that charge that I could willingly have continued the honour thereof in my selfe to the period of my days in this temporary life, had I not been too heavily surcharged by the weight of other more publique administrations inconsistent with the duty of that office, which in its selfe is sufficient to imploy the whole industry and assiduous attendance of any one person though endowed with greater abilities and freed from the incumbrances of all other imployments. Wherefore if you be perswaded of the sincerity of my minde, in what I lately said vnto you, you may easily believe that my resignation was noe unkind departure from you in affection but an act of selfe abnegation in behalfe of you necessarily preparative for the introduction of a more usefull governor to be sett over you.

Gentlemen, as to the Provost elect I shall appropriate my discourse of him to his person and office, and though I shall never be soe much converted into a flatterer as to commend any person beyond my reall apprehensions of his worth, yett thus much I shall say of him that besides the good regard I have for him ariseing from the motives of your electing him, and the obliged respects I owe to the Lord Treasurer of England whoe hath soe warmely commended him, I am further moved to think well of him, as knowing him to be a person of many solid excellencyes and to be much approved of for the generally well deserving quallifications of his minde, and particularly for the laboriouse search he hath made into the depth of such learning as may make him usefull to your Society, insomuch that I cannott but very highly comend this your election as proceeding from the prudent deliberacon of reason and good policie, haveing chosen him to that important imployment whoe is soe well fitted with abilities to fill up and exercise the dignity and function thereof, and therefore I must say thus much in declaration of his deserts and your prudence, that for promotion of learning the most critticall choyce could not have fixed on a fitter person in the Kingdome as to his abilities for that employment which necessarily requires both a wise and learned man.

I need say noe more in approbation of the electors choyce nor in comendation of the worth in the person elected, for in matters of this kinde the best measure is enough, and it wore to noe purpose to stirr up the power of fancie to expresse at large the full imagery of his worth whome [I] know to have been soe worthy of the office ye have elected and presented him unto. Moreover I should seem to renounce my discretion in enlarging on his comendations beyond what you have soe largely said of him. I shall therefore turne the streame of my discourse concerning him into words of admonition unto him, and that briefly.

Mr. Provost elect, to instruct you of your duty in this administration may seeme noe more necessary than $\tau \grave{o}$ $\phi\tilde{\omega}\varsigma$ $\acute{\eta}\lambda\grave{\iota}\omega$ $\delta\alpha\nu\epsilon\acute{\iota}\zeta\epsilon\iota\nu$, to lend light to illuminate the same, for what can be said to enlarge your understanding herein, you being already soe well accquainted with and versed in University government and discipline. Yett somewhat I have to hint by way of admonition, to make you at this tyme seriously to reflect on your duty and obligacon upon the accompt of your ...

You are to remember that this place requires a person of an exemplary conformity to the doctrine and discipline of this Church as they are established by law, and as you have hitherto lived in a venerable esteeme above the corruption of bad examples, soe it is expected that your good examples shall now have the greatest influence on the regulation of their behaviour whom you are to governe both in doctrine, discipline, and morall course of life, for your actions are to be the transcript of your doctrine. You are therefore to hold out the lamp of a godly and holy profession to the eye of the world, and to order in it your conversation as well at home as abroad, bv the sincerity of a suitable practise; for profession without practise is but the superficiall glittering of hipocrisy, and may little to your praise, but much to your comeiidation. And certaine it is that many whoe have the spiritt of illuminacon for the instruction of others may want the spiritt of sanctificacon in themselves, as I have not long since said in the visitation of my Diocesse. Its the care of a Bishop that the sheep may not be among the goates, and it ought to be your care that no goate may be among the sheep. Take heed therefore how you admitt into your societie those whoe in their bloomeing youth have been precontracted to vitiouse habits. You must not suffer any person corrupted in manners, or a scandelouse truant to continue within your walls, for an ill member in a Colledge is like a perished tooth which is apt to corrupt its fellowes; and as those who are neglectfull of their studies and other duties are not to be tollerated, so they who conforme thereunto are not to want suitable encouragement.

The next thing you are to reflect upon is that part of your duty which requires you to promote learning in this University. Sir, you know how unhappy this nation was of latter times in its great declination from that ancient learning and piety (which made it famiouse in former ages), haveing been for a long tyme and until the illustration of a lato and godly Reformation overshadowed with a palpable veil of ignorance and obscurity, which, as we have good ground to hope is now to be revived with greater perfection then ever before.

It is your office whoe are to preside over this royall and onely fountaine of learning in this Kingdome from whence the dry and barren places thereof are to be refreshed, In the first place to pray dayly in the fervour of devotion to Almighty God that he will be pleased, out of the treasury of his aboundant goodnesse to water the mindes of the Students with the dew of knowledge and the rich infusions of grace; for prayer is a very helpfull meanes for a governour to procure the blessing of learning as well as the increase of grace in those he governs.

My confidence tells me that you will not suffer your scholars to trifle away their tymes in idlenesse. But this is not all, you must take heed lest they should study learned extravagancies which rather taint their owne affections with contagious profanesse then improve their understandings eyther to their owne good or the salvation of others; for prevention of which evill you are to see that the younger sort be well catechysed and that you prescribe to the rest a catalogue of approved bookes to be read of them as foundationall learning both human and devine, especially Divine, by reason that the want of a well rooted solidity in the principles of Divinity makes men more lyable eyther absolutely to start from, or ambiguously to flagger in an indifferency of religeon. For youth is like water, or other fluid bodyes, which difficulty keep within their own boundes unless restrained by the discipline and direction of their superiours prescriptions.

Be not negleetfull of this duty, as you know how heavy the sinne of omission in a governour is when God chargeth home upon the conscience. This I urge and presse as a duty lying upon you, in regard that your demeanor in Cambridge (as I have been informed) shewed that you have alwayes been more governed by the sence of duty, then incited by interest or any other motive to a care of your charge, thence rightly and forceably inferring your practise as the result of obligacon.

In the next place, as it is not doubted but that your prudence will regulate the course of your schollars studies in the use of good orthodox and usefull authors, soe it is be hoped that you will bring them up in an universall good agreement with one another upon the just pious and solid foundation of the English Reformation, to the end that when they shall be sent into the Lord's harvest they may maintaine the sure interest of peace and true religion without blemishing our Reformation with the reproachfull blotts of innovation and dissention, which you and all good men ought industriously to prevent, for I dread the hostility of innovation as a thing laboured by too many in England already, or at least countenanced by those who thinke to serve themselves of domestick schisme against popery, whereas both Papists and Schismaticks are, though in different degrees of enmity, equally our implacable enemies; whereas I foresee that if schisme shall be tolerated or connived at here by authority for a while, it will probably in one age indanger the overthrow of this Church. I doe not soe much feare a relapse into Romish doctrine as I doe the contagiouse infection of ustart novelty amongst ourselves,both in doctrine and discipline, to the overthrow both of Church and State. Rome will never prevaile against the doctrine of the Church of England, soe long as it is purely maintained as now it is. But let it be once blended with noveltie, or overawed with innovators of what sect soever, I feare it will be in a short tyme eyther be totally overwhelmed with the one or utterly ruined by the other, unlesse God shall vouchsafe of his infinit mercy to preserve it by miracle. Let us therefore, as I lately said in another place, take heed how wee unadvisedly draw in amongst us, or be perswaded to take into the same denomination of religeon with our selves, those who preach doctrine repugnant to ours, or sett up discipline inconsistent with Episcopall Government, which is the onely forme antiquity hath approved off, Let us provide therefore against Sectaryes as well as Papists, and lett us not neglect the one, whilst we make head against the other; for though they may be said to issue from severall fountaines, yett at last they may meet in one channel of opposition against us. Againe Mr. Provost elect, as you and your fellowes are to govern your schollars by prudence, and to advance and regulate them in their studyes by instruction, soe you are to cooperate in a strict combinacon and the greatest vigour of endeavour for the leading of them by your good example in a conformable regularity of beheavor, as well in matters of ecclesiasticall discipline as in the exercise of civillity, vertue, and piety. And herein you are to proceed by the Rule of our Church, and are not to thinke that those private doctrines and oppinions are alwayes the best whose upholders are most demurely precise.

Moreover you and the Fellowes are to consider that it was not long since the cloystere folly of recluse livers in Monasteryes, and the vanity of Popish Postilars in their sermons to tickle the eare with empty speculative notions. But I hope it will be your endeavour soe to traine up those who are or shall be designed to the ministery of God's word in your Colledge, that they may be disposed rather to study solid and profitable doctrines than the curiosityes of fancie smooth elocution, rather than the elaborate elegancyes of high flying expressions: for though preachers are to be highly honoured for their office sake, yett sermons are to be vallued according to the degree of your usefullnesse to the end of the ministery, which is, to save soules by sincerely publishing the plaine doctrine of faith, and by regulating the consciences of men with the practicall rules of a godly life.

Againe, to avoid the vain jangling of contests in sermons, let controversyes in the pulpitt be totally exterminated from amongst us, especially such as have been raised since the date of our Reformation for though the studyes of controversyes are mainely profitable to such as are imployed in the ministery yett it is better to preach $\delta o \gamma\mu\alpha\tau\iota\kappa\tilde{\omega}\varsigma$ than $\grave{\alpha}\gamma\omega\nu\iota\sigma\iota\kappa\tilde{\omega}\varsigma$.

Furthermore you and your Fellowes are most frugally to manage the Revenue of the Colledge according to your present income, which is to be your rule of expences untill you shall be furnished with larger and more settled endowments. For if you shall once bring yourselves behinde hand by the overcharge of too liberall allowances before you have the sap of maintenance to nurrish every branch growing from the roote of your foundation, you will not only bring trouble upon your selves, and the incommodities of a straite condicon, but alsoe much discourage the liberty of benefactors, if they shall observe that you faile in the right management of former bounties for you have not the Colledge Revenues $\grave{\epsilon}\nu$ $\kappa\tau\tilde{\eta}\sigma\epsilon\omega\varsigma$ $\grave{\iota}\delta\iota\alpha\varsigma$ as in your proper possession to dispose of as you please, but you must manage them with regard to publique advantage and $\tau\grave{\alpha}$ $\kappa o\iota\nu\tilde{\eta}$ $\sigma\nu\mu\phi\acute{\epsilon}\rho o\nu\tau\alpha$ $\zeta\eta\tau\epsilon\tilde{\iota}\nu$.

You and every member of the Colledge that are or shall be therein ought to beare in minde that its structure is raised out of the bowells of the Cittyes bounty, and therefore I hope you will soe bring them up as to make them perpetually mindefull of their obligacon to pray for the good Citty of Dublin, and of their duty to expresse the gratitude in performing all acts of good respect, civill beheavour, and reall kindnesse unto them, and for a more durable impression of soe greate a benefitt in schollars' mindes to recount the Citty of Dublin upon all occasions amongst your principle benefactors.

Permitt not your schollars to ramble abroad, especially lett them not soe much as peepe into a tavern or tipleing house, or any of those places which Seneca termes loca Aedilem metuentia.

In the next place I shall, as in duty and conscience bound enjoyne you and the Fellowes as you shall answeare the itist expectation of those who recommended you to this office and high degree of trust wherein you are placed, to principle all your schollars soe as that the Queene may be secured not onely of their loyalty but alsoe of their serviceableness to her in all the due interests of wisdom, power, peace, relegion, and honour: and if this you shall thus doe, you will receive applause agreeable to the confidence the Lord Treasurer of England and your other friends there have your well-fitted abilities to this administration which I pray God to prosper in your hands.

Lastly, you must not forgett carefully to transferr inviolate to your successors whatsoever right, dignity, priviledge preheminency belongs to your respective offices, especially such as are for the advancement of religeon, or the Crowne's just advantage. If you doe not carefully minde and zealiously endeavour this, you will be liable to answear for a very greate neglect of duty whereunto you are obliged to the price of your reputation.

FINIS.

Printed at THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, Dublin.