334 Gilbert people, should be selected, distinguished for the greatest piety, wisdom, and prudence, who should have charge in the state of the education of children, adol- escents, and young people, and who should bring about that each of the citizens should give over his children to learn certain arts, and each child to the arts for which he seemed to these overseers of the youth particularly designed by God, and truly suited. For a man begets his children more for the Lord Christ, the Church, and the state than for himself, as Plato knew. And since we know that all men, in however humble a place and poor a condition they may be born, are formed in the image of God, are sons of the blood of God, and when redeemed are restored to the same image, most certainly the pastors of the people of God must take care, since the Lord wishes them to use their ministry to this end, that every one of those committed to their government should be studiously formed again and led back to this image, with pious instruction to the knowledge of salvation, and faithful incitement to all virtue. Since the faithful reading of the Sacred Scripture (which, as the Holy Gregory piously wrote, is the epistle of God to his whole creation) contributes more than anything else to this restitution of the image of God, the second section of the law to restrain profligate and impious sloth, and to restore pious industry, should decree that all the children of Christians, boys and girls, should be as zealously as possible instructed in letters. For the ancient sacred Fathers wished there to be a school in every church, in which all the children consecrated to Christ the Lord by holy baptism should be taught letters and the catechism of our religion. It is necessary, as has before been said, that such schools should be reestablished among us in many places, if we wish Christ fully to reign among us. Then it must be brought about that the children of all shall be sent to these schools, there to learn letters and the catechism of our faith, and as soon as they are old enough to do it. By this the children of the poorer citizens may learn, in their tender youth, reading and writing and the rudiments of our religion, before they can be hindered by other labors. But yet pious citizens, whose wealth is insufficient to have their children instructed in letters and all good arts, ought to be aided by the churches. When the children have learned letters, and the catechism of our religion, it must be seen to by the paedonomi (overseers of the education of youth) that certain should be selected from among the children, who were born with abilities suited to attaining a more complete education, and it must be brought about that children of this sort should be more liberally taught in letters, tongues, and good arts, and thus better fitted for fuller service to the Church and the state; and either they may be left in the schools where they are, or sent to others with a fuller curriculum at the expense of their parents, if the Lord has given them sufficient wealth; if he has not, at the expense of the Church. For why should it be thought a heavy expense to prepare those who shal Iminister to you eternal life, as well as cause great benefits in the present life? Neither by law are parents able to refuse to give their children to the Church for instruction of this kind, or to refuse to sustain and nourish the children's studies by their gifts. For, as has been said, they did not beget their children for themselves, but in truth for Christ the Lord, for his Church, and for the state, and gave them over
and consecrated them to be regenerated in baptism. And so, whatever the
