James Kirkwood

“ But Men abusing this Blessing of long Life, and exercising their Thoughts only upon Evil and that continually: God in his Justice, was provoked to shorten their Lives, and to confound their Languages, whereby this way of conveying Knowledge by Word of Mouth, and Tradition became very imperfect, and lyable to many Inconveniencies: and therefore that these Means of encreasing Knowledge, and of searching out all the Works of God might be still continued amongst Men; God in his Infinite Mercy, was graciously pleased to teach Men a new Way of communicating their Thoughts and Words, by Writing ”

“ God did bestow upon the first Men long Lives, with vigorous Imaginations and solid Judgments, that thereby they might both Acquire great Stocks of Knowledge and Observations, and might convoy them, or communicat them to many Degrees of their Posterity. ”

“ We live at much distance from these famous Towns where most part of Books are Printed, that there are many useful new Books Printed which we never hear of, and these we hear of, cannot be brought home to us without great Expenses and Trouble. 7. Although a Student had all the Advantages that can be reasonably expected in one man, yet he cannot Acquire all the Books in the World, that may relate to the Subject he studies; and so he will still be uneasie and suspicious, that there may be something worth his Knowledge in these Books he wants. ”

“ It will be convenient that there be a Book binder in every Presbyterie, to bind all the Books that belong to that Presbyterie, for which end he must be provided with a House, and all the Instruments fit for his Trade, and with some small Stipend yearly to maintain him; and then whatsoever Books he shall bind he shall be payed only for the materials, but nothing for his work; or the keepers of the Bibleotheck or Ministers Servants may be taught to bind Books, and may easiely bind all the new Books that shall be given in to that Library in Sheets. ”

“ That being born Naked, Indigent and Ignorant, we should be forced to enquire by the help of Reason, into the Nature and Knowledge of all these things which are about us, and to Invent and Perfect all such Arts and Manufactories, as are necessary for the support of our Lives. ”

“ As for those good People in both Kingdoms, who sometime ago, did freely and largely contribute towards the Printing of Bibles in Irish, for the use of the poorer sort of Highlanders, (the success of which Charitable Work, thro' God's Blessing, hath been very great even beyond our hopes) it is not doubted but they will give all encouragement to this undertaking, either by bestowing such useful Books as they can spare, or by giving money to buy them. ”

“ That they who give Books, and not Money may know what sort of Treatises we aim at, and may not put us off with trash. As for Popish Books and perhaps some others likeways, tho they be not fit for the weaker sort of People; yet for the Library of a Divine they are convenient and necessary, that so they may be the more able to deal with the Adversary. ”

“ Then certainly it must much more be our Duty, to provide them with competent Libraries of the most useful Books, seing without these they cannot study, nor be fitted sufficiently for Instructing their People in the Truths of their Religion.
4thly. Seing God hath made all men by nature desirous of Knowledge, undoubtedly the satisfying of this desire, must be a considerable part of our natural felicity; for the only delight of our Souls, which are our better part, in which the Body doth not partake, is the delight She taketh in Knowledge and Contemplation. ”

“ Therefore to facilitat this sore Travel, God hath endued Mankind with a Faculty of Speech, whereby they may Teach and Communicat to one another, all such Knowledges and Observations as shall be found out by any one of them; that so every one studying a part, and contributing the small Mite of his Observations into the publick Stock, they might at length advance Knowledge and Learning to that Degree, which Humane Nature in this lapsed Estate is capable of. ”

“ All which things are so numerous, and the ways of attaining to the Knowledge of them so difficult, longsome and uncertain, that it would be but a very small Degree, even of the meanest Art or Science, which any man could attain unto by his own particular Study and Observation, if he were destitute of all these Helps we receive from others, by Word and Writing. ”

“ Some of these Inconveniencies are, 1. Books are so vastly multiplied, and do so encrease dayly, that most part of Students either want Money to buy any moderat Collection of them; or 2ly, they want Convenience to keep them, for Books are very troublesome to Transport from place to place; or 3ly, they have them not in due time, while they are young and free from Cares; for after a Man is settled in the World, then the Cares of his Family, and the Affairs of his Calling, do so take up his Mind, that he can have no time nor heart to study. ”

“ That they who have charge of the Books, may know what Money to require to be Consigned by those who borrow any of them, it will be convenient either for the Synod of the bounds or some other Ecclesiastical Judicature, by some of their Number best skilled in Books, to assign the prices of each book in their publick Library as they maybe bought in Scotland, withal reckoning for the charge of Transporting them. The prices of the Books may be inserted in the Catalogues.
21. If it happen that any one, or both the persons who have charge of the Books, have occasion to go a great way from home. ”

“ And altho' we know that the Humble and Devout followers of our great Master Jesus, desire not to be seen of Men, nor to have their works published to the World; yet as a Motive to others and in Testimony of Gratitude towards those who encourage this good Design, we propose to set down in each Book, and in the Catalogues of each Library, the Names of the Benefactors. ”

“ From all which Course of Providence, we may clearly perceive, that it is the Will and Design of our Lord and Maker, that by sore Travel, we should search out and know all his wonderful Works, that we may Admire and Adore his Infinite Wisdom, Goodness, and other Perfections in them. ”

“ Yea further, these Libraries in two or three hundred years will be so full and compleat, that the Most Famous and Magnificent Libraries in the World, shal not outdo the meanest Library in any Paroch of this Kingdom, for numbers of valuable and useful Books, as hath been already demonstrat.
3. If it be our Duty to provide our Ministers with all things necessary for them as a competent Stipend, Manse and Gleib, that they being free from worldly Cares, may have time to study and Instruct their People. ”

“ If the Love of God prevail in us it will make us despise all such Rubbs and Discouragements, and to goe on in the strength of the Lord, who will not fail us, or forsake us. He often by weak means and despicable Instruments brings mighty things to pass. ”

“ They who know the World, but a little, and have seen the fate of some Libraries, will Reckon the outmost precaution, we can use little enough to prevent what otherwayes, will be unavoidable. It's a work of no small difficulty, to purchase a parcel of good Books, for publick advantage, nor is it less difficult to preserve and secure them for posterity, when they are purchased. ”

“ And no doubt, they who are inspired with true Principles of Charity, and are concerned for the interest of common Christianity, will with all chearfulness, accept of this or any other the like opportunity of doing good. ”

“ The Money that is bestowed upon Books must be looked upon as lost; and this certainly is a great Discouragement. 5. Many Books which a Student shall happen to buy, will after perusal, be found little worth, at least for his purpose, whereby he is lamentably disappointed, and loseth both his Money and time. ”

“ Every present Minister must give in all his Books, to the Bibliotheck of his own Paroch, at the sight of the Heretors of the Paroch, who shall cause rank them conform to their volumns, and shall cause take exact Alphabetical Catalogues of them, with the place where, and the time when they are Printed, of which Catalogues, there must be four principal Coppies subscribed by the Minister and Heretors of each Paroch ”

“ It will encourage young Men to follow their Studies in their own Countrey, and thereby prevent their spending their Fortunes Abroad, and many other considerable Inconveniencies that young Men are exposed unto in strange Countreys. 4. It will allure and provoke Gentlemen to bestow their spare Hours in reading of new Books, which may prove a good Means to restrain them from Gaming and Drinking, by preventing that uneasie and wearisome Idleness of Mind, which is the Parent of these, and many other Enormities. ”

“ Neither is it too great in respect of the Persons that must pay it, for the half of it which is to be payed by the Heretors, is only the 1/20 part of their valued Rent, and their valued Rent is ordinarly but the third part of their real Rent, so that an Heretor of one thousand and two hundred pounds Scots of valued Rent which is commonly 3600 pounds of real Rent, shall pay only ten pounds Scots yearly, for maintaining and promoting of these Bibliothecks. ”

“ V. The Excellent Parts and Capacities of the Ministers generally throughout the Highlands; as they invite generous and charitable Persons to afford them what assistance they can, in this kind; so they give good ground to expect much fruit from such a Charity.
VI. As such Libraries will be of extraordinary Advantage to the Ministers, so they will be greatly useful to such young men as intend for the Sacred Office, who cannot acquire any tolerable measure of necessary and useful knowledge, unless they are furnish'd with a sufficient number of good Books. ”

“ But further, this Degree of Perfection in these Libraries, may be much sooner attained, if the King and Parliament shall think fit to Augment this Cess upon the Heretors for some years, or for Printing of some select Books; or if a more easie and speedy way of Printing can be Invented than what is now in use, which I am perswaded may be done, if men of Sense were encouraged to apply themselves unto it. ”

“ It will be necessary the Keyes be left behind them, in the hands of persons of Integrity and Discretion, who may either lend out or receive in the Books, always observing the Condition abovementioned.
22. If the Minister or Schoolmasters place become Void by Removeal, Death, or otherways; The Presbytry of the bounds, shall nominate others in their stead, for the charge and trust of the Books. ”