pray you beare with me paciently And my misse behaueour shalbe amended I know my tyme I haue rudely spended Folowinge my awne lust beinge led bi ignoraunce But nowe I hope of better knowledge through your aquayntaunce Good counsell I praye God guide you with hys gracyous assistans Unto y e knowlege of hys truth your ignoraunce to vndo That you may be one of those numbred christians Which foloweth the lambe whether he doth go The lambe Iesus Christ my meanynge is so By sure fayth confidence in his bitter death passion The onely pryce of oure health and saluacyon iuueÌ„tus Syr I thanke you for youre harty oracion And now I praye you shewe me your aduisemet Howe I maye lyue in this my vocation Accordyng to Godds will and commaundement Good counsell Fyrst of all it is moste expedient That you exercyse your selfe in continual prayer That it might please the Lorde omnipotente To send vnto you his holi spirit and comforter Whiche wil leade you euery daye and houre Unto the knowledge of hys worde and verytie Where in you may learne to lyue most christianly iuueÌ„tus O Lord graunt me of thy infinite mercy he 〈◊〉 The true knowledge of the lawe and wil And illumine my hart with spirit continually That I way be apte thy holy preceptes to fulfyl Strengthen me that I maye parseuer stil. Thy commaundementes to obaye And then shal I neuer slip nor fal away he riseth Good counsell Ful true be these wordes which Christ hym self did saye He that seketh shal surely fynde Be holde youth now reioyce we may For I se knowledge of God verite stand here behinde knowleg entreth He is come now to satisfey your mynde In those thynges which you will desire Therfore together let vs approche him nere Iuuentus A good counsyl new it doth appere That god neuer reiecteth the humbles petycion Knowledge Now y e Lord blesse you al w t his heaueÌ„ly benedyctyon And with his fyery loue your harts enflame That of hys mercyful promyses you may haue y e fruityoÌ„ The subtiltie of the deuel vtterly to defame Nou good christian audience I will expresse mi name The true knowledge of gods veritie â–ª thus mi name doth Whom God hath appointed to geue y e blind their syght Good councell All prase be geuen to that Lord of myght which hath appoynted you hether at thys present houre For I trust you wil so instruct youth a right That he shal liue accordyng to Gods pleasure Iuuentus And I thanke Iesus Christ my sauiour That he ys come to my company Knowlddge I thanke you my frendes most hartell For your gentyll salutacion Iuuentus Syr I wil be so bolde by your delyberation To opyn my mind vnto you now Trustynge that bi your good exhortacyon I shall learne those thynges which I neuer knew This one thynge chiefly I woulde learne of you How I maye my lyfe in thes my vocacyon leade Accordynge as God hath ordeyned and decrede Knowledge The prophet Dauid saithe that the man is blessed Which doth excersise hym selfe in the lawe of the Lorde And doth not folow the way of the wickid As the fyrst psalme doth playnly accorde The foure score .xiii. psalmes therunto dothe accorde Blessed is the man whome thou teachest o Lord sayth he To learne the law precepts worde or verytie And Christ in the Gospel sayth manifestly Blessed is he which heareth y e worde of god aÌ„d kepeth it That is to beleue hys word lyue accordingly Declaryng the fayth by the fruytes of the spirit Whose frutes are these as s. Paul to y e Gal doth wrighte Loue ioie peace long suffring and faithfulnes Mekenes goodnes temperaunce and gentilnes Good counsell Be these wordes which vnto you he doth expresse He teacheth that you ought to haue a stedfast faith With out it is impossible doutlesse To please god as sainct Paul sayth Where fayth is not godly lyuing decaieth For whatsoeuer is not of fayth sayth s. Paul is synne But where a perfite faith is there is good working Iuuentus It semeth to me that this your meanyng That wheÌ„ I obserue gods commauÌ„demeÌ„tes y e workes of charyte They shall preuayl vnto me nothyng Except I beleue to be saued therby Knowledge No no you are deceyued very blyndly for fayth in Christes merites dothe onely iustyfy And make vs righteous in goddes sight Iuuentus Why should I then in Good workes delight Seing I shal not be saued by them Good counsel Becausy they are required of al christian men As the necessary fruites of true repentaunce Knowledge But the reward of the heauenli inheritaunce Is geuen vs through faith for Christes deseruinges â—s s Paule declareth in y e .iiii. chapter to the Romayns therfore we ought not to worke as hierlinges Seing Christ hath purged vs once from al our wicked lyuing Let vs no more wallow therin But perseuer like good brauÌ„ches bearing frute in hym Iuuentus Now I know where about you haue bene My elders neuer taught me so before Good councell Though your elders wer blynd dout not you therfore For sainct Peter sayth vaine is the conuersations Whiche ye receyue by your elders traditions Iuuentus I wyll gladly receyue your godly admonicions But yet I praye you shewe me the cause that they being men of great discretions Did not instructe me in gods lawes According to hys will and ordinaunce Knowledge Because they theÌ„ selfes were wrapped in ignoraunce Being deceyued by false preachers Iuuentus O Lord deliuer me from wicked teachers That I be not deceyued with theyr false doctrine Good counsell to Gods word you must onely encline Al other doctrine cleane set a parte Iuuentus Surely that I will from the bottom of my heart And I theÌ„ke y e liuing God whyth hath geuen me y e knowledge To know hys doctryng froÌ„ the false peruarce I being yet yonge and full tender of age And that he hath made me partaker of y e heauenly in heritage Of his one mercy and not of my deseruynge For hell I haue decerued by my synfull workyng I know right well my elders and parentes Haue of a longe tyme deceuid be With blynd hypocrisy and supersticious ententes Trusting in theyr owne workes which is nothynge but vanyte Their steppes shall not be folowed for me Therfore I pray you shew me a briefe conclusyon How I oughte to lyue in chrystian religion Knowledge The first begyning of wysdoÌ„ as sayth y e wise Salomon Is to feare God with al they harte and power And theÌ„ y u must beleue al his promise w tout any exception And that he will performe theÌ„ both coÌ„stant sure And then be cause he is thy only sauiour Thou must loue hym with all thy soule and mynde And thy neybour as thy self because he hath so assyned Iuuentus To loue my neybour as my self I caÌ„ not be to kynde I pray you tell me what meane you Knowledge My meanyng is as Chryste sayth in y e .vi. chap. Math. To do
thinke in thys world few that lyue nowe O where is y e godly exaÌ„ple that parentes should geue Unto their yong familie by godly vertuous lyuyng Alas how wicked do they themselfes lyue Without any fear of God or his ryghteous threatening They haue no respect vnto the dreadfull rekenyng Whych shalbe required of vs when the Lorde shall come As a ryght full iudge at the daye of dome O what a ioyfull sight was it for to se When youth began Gods worde to imbrace Then he promysed godly knowledge and me That from our instructioÌ„ he would neuer turne his face But now he walketh alas in the vngodlyes chase Her entreth Inuentus Heapyng sinne vp on sinne vice vpon vyce He that lyueth most vngodly is counted most wyse Who is here playng at the dyce I herd one speake of synnes and cyce Hys wordes did me entice Hither to come Good counsell A youth youth whether doest thou runne Greatly I do be wayle thy misrable estate The tyrrible plagues which in Gods lawe are written Hang ouer thy head both early and late O fleshly capernite stubburne and obstinate Thou haddest leuer forsake Christ thy sauiour and kinge Then thy fleshly swinish lustes abbomynable lyuynge Iuuentus what olde hoorson art thou a chydyng I will play a spyrt why should I not I set a myte by thy chekyng what hast thou to do and yf I lose my cote I wyll trill the bones whyle I haue one grote And when there is no more inke in the pen I wyll make a shyfe as well as other men Good couÌ„sell Then I perceue you haue for gotton cleane The promyse that you made vnto knowledge and me you sayde such fleshly fruites shoulde not be sene But to Gods worde your lyfe should agre Full true be the wordes of the prophet Osey No verytie nor knowledge of God is now in the land But abomynable vices hath gotten the vpper hand Iuuentus your mynde therin I do well vnderstand you go about my lyueng to despise But you will not se the beames in your own eyes Good counsell The deuell hath you dysceiued whych is y e auctor of lyes And trape you in hys snar of wicked hypocrye Therfore all that euer you do deuyse Is to maintayne your fleshly lybertie Iuuentus I merueyle why you do thys report me Wherin do I my lyfe abuse Good councell your whole conuersacyon I may well accuse As in my consience iust occasion I find Therfore be not offended although I exprese my mynde Iuuentus Bi the masse if thou tel not truth I wil not be behind To touch you as well agayne Good counsell For thys thyng most cheifly I do complaye Haue ye not professed the knowledge of Chrystes gospell And yet I thynke no more vngodlines doth raigne In any wicked Heathen Turke or infidell who can deuyse that synne or euyll That you practyse not from day to day yea and count yt nothyng but a iest or a play Alas what wantonnes remaineth in your flesh How desyrous are you to accomplish your owne wyll what pleasure delyght haue you in wickednes How diligent are you your lustes to fulfyll S. Paul sayth that you ought your fleshly lustes to kyll But vnto hys teachyng your lyfe ye will not frame Therfore in vayne you beare a christians name Rede the .v. to the Galathians there you shal se That the flesh rebelleth agaynst the spirit And that your own flesh is our most veter enemye If in youre soules helth you do delyght The tyme were to long now to recite What whordom oncleanes and fylthe communycacyon Is despersed wyth youth in euery congregation To speake of pryde enuye and abhomynable othes They are the common practises of youth To auaunce your flesh you cut iagge your clothes And yet ye are a great gospeller in the mouth What shall I say for thys plasphemyng the truth I wyll shew you what saynt Paule doth declare In his epistle to the Hebrues and the .x. Chapter For hym sayth he whych doth wyllyngly syn or conseÌ„t After he hath receued the knowledge of the veryte Remayneth no more sacrifice but a fearful lokiÌ„g for iudgemeÌ„t And a trrible fier whych shal consume y e aduersary And Christ sayth that thys blasphemy Shal neuer be pardoned nor forgeuen In thys world nor in the world to come Alas alas what I haue wrought and done Iuuentus Herein thys place I wil fal doune desperate He lyeth doun To aske for mercy now I know it is to late Alas alas that euer I was begat I wolde to God I had neuer bene borne All faythfull meÌ„ that beholde this wreched state May very iusty laugh me to scorne They may say my tyme I haue euel spent and worne Thus in my first age to worke my owne destructyon In the eternall paynes is my parte and portion Good counsell Why youth art thou fallen into desperation What man plucke vp thine harte and rise Although thou se nothing now but thy condempnation yet it may please God agayn to open thy eyes Ah wretched creature what doest thou surmise Thinckest not that Gods mercy doth excede thy synne Remembre his mercifull promises coÌ„fort thi self in hi Iuuentus O syr this state is so miserable the which I lye in That my comfort and hope from me is seperated I woulde to god I had neuer bene Wo worth the time that euer I was created Good counsell A fayre vessel vnfaithfull and faint harted Doest thou thinke that god is so merciles That when the sinner doth repent and is conuerted That he wyll not fulfyll his mercifull promyses Iuuentus Alas syr I am in suche heauines That his promises I can not remembre Good councell In thy wickednes continue no lenger But trust in the Lorde without any feare And his mersifull promises shall shortly appeare I would beleue if I myght them heare Iuuentus With all my hart power and mynde The liuing God hath hym hether assined Good counsell Lo where he commeth euen here by Therfore marke hys sayinges diligently The Lord by his prophet Ezechiel sayeth in this wyse playnlye Here entreth goddes merciful promises As in the .xxxiii. chapter it doth appere Be conuerted O ye children and turne vnto me And I shall remedy the cause of your departure And also he sayth in the .xviii. chapter I do not delyght in a synners death But that he should conuert liue thus the Lord sayth Iuuentus Then must I geue neither credit nor fayth Unto sainct Paules saying which this man did alege â—â—r riseth Gods mercyfull promyses yes you must credite theÌ„ according vnto knowledge For sainct Paul speketh of those whiche resist y e truth by violeÌ„ce And so end theyr lyues without repentaunce thus sainct Austine doth them define yf vnto the Lordes word you do your eares encline And obsarue those thinges which he hath commaunded this sinfull state in the whiche you haue lyen Salbe forgotten and neuer more remembred And Christ hym selfe
by the masse I perceyue that she is a gallaunde What wyl she take paynes to come for vs hether Hipocrysye yea I waraūt you therfore you must be familier w t her When she commeth in place you must her embrace Somwhat hamsomlie Leste she thynketh danger Be cause you are a stranger To come in your companye yea by Gods foot that I wyll be busye And I may saye to you I can play the knaue secretly abhominable liuyng Hem com a way quickly The back dore is opned I dare not tarry Come felowship come on a waye Hipocrycye What vnknowne honestye a worde you shall not go yet by God I sweare Here is none but your frendes you nede not to fraye Although thys strange yong gentel man be here Iuuentus I trust in me she wyll thynke no daunger For I loue well the company of fayre women abhominable liuyng Who you nay ye are suche a holy man That to tuche one ye dare not be bolde I thyng you woulde not kysse a yong woman yf owne would geue you .xx. pound in goulde Iuuentus yes by the masse that I woulde I could fynde in my hart to kysse you in your smocke abhominable lyuing My backe is brode inough to bare a waye that mocke as myne For one hath tolde me many a tyme That you haue said iou would vse no such vātēs cōpani Iuuentus By dogs precyous woundes y t was som horson vyllain I will neuer eate meate that shall dome good Tell I haue cut hys fleshe by gods precious blude Tell me I pray you who it was And I wyl tryme the knaue by the blessed masse Hipocrysye Tush as for that do not you passe That which I tolde you was but for loue abhomynable She dyd nothyng els but proue Whether a litle thynge woulde you moue To be angry and frette What and if one had sayde so Let such tryflyng matters go And be good to mens flesh for all that iuuētus Kisseth abho lyuynge To kysse her since she cam I had cleane forgot you are welcome to my company Syr I thanke you most hartely By your kyndes it doth a pere Hipocri ▪ What a hurly burly is here Smicke smacke and all thys gere you well to tycke take I fere yf thou had tyme Well wanton well I wysse I can tell That suche smocke smell wyl set your nose out of tune abbominable lyuing what man you nede not to fume Seinge he is come in to my company now He is as wel welcom as the best of you And if it lye in me to do hym pleasur He shall haue it you may be sure Felowship Thē old acquayntaūce is cleāe out of fauour Lo frendshyp this geargoth with aflleight He hath dreuen vs twayne out of conceyte Hipocrisye Out of conceyte quod ha no no I dare welsay that she thynketh not so How say you vnknowne honestie abbominable liuing Do not you loue felowshyp and me ▪ ye by the masse I loue you all thre But yet in dede yf I shoulde saye the trouth Amongest all other welcom mayster youth iuuētus Ful greatly I do delyght to kysse your pleasaūt mouth he kysseth abhominabl liuīg I am not able your kyndes to recompence I long to talke w t you secretly therfore let vs go hence I agre to that for I would not for .xx. pence That it were knowen where I haue bene Hipocrysye what and it were knowne it where no daly synne As for my parte I do not greatly care So that they fynd not your proper butteckes bare Now much fie vpon you how badi you are abbominable liuing I wosse frendship it mouth haue bē spoken at twise what thīke you for your saing y e people wyll surmise Iuuentuss Who dare be so boulde vs to despise And if I may heare a knaue speake one worde I wyll runne thorow his chekes with my sword ▪ Felowshyp This is an ernest felow of gods word Se I pray you how he is disposed to fight Iuuentus Why should I not and if my cause be ryght What and if a knaue do me begyle Sall I stand crouching like an owle No no then you myght count me a very cowe I know what belongeth to gods law as well as you ▪ abhominable lyuing your wit therin greatly I do alowe For and yf I were a man as you are I would not sticke to geue a blowe To teache other knaues to beware I beshrew you twyse and yf you do spare But lay lode on the flesshe whatsoeuer befal you haue strength ynough to do it with all Felowship Let vs depart and if that we shal Come on maisters we twaine wil go before iuuētus Nay nay my frende stoppe there yt is not you that shall haue her awaye She Sall go with me and yf she go to daye Hipocrisye She shall go with none of you I dare welsaye She wyll go with me before you both abhomynable To forsake any of your company I wolde be very loth Therfore I will folow you all thre Hipocrysye Now I beshrew his herte that to that wyll not agree But yet because the tyme shall not seme very longe Or eate we departe let vs haue a mery songe The sing as foloweth Why should not youth fulfyl hys owne mynde As the course of nature doth hym bynde Is not euery thyng ordayned to do hys kynd Report me to you report me to you Do not the floures spring fresh and gaye Pleasaunt and swete in the month Maye And when theyr tyme commeth they fayd awaye ▪ Report me to you report me to you Be not the trees in wyntter bare Lyke vnto theyr kynde such they are And when they spring theyr frutes declare Report me to you report me to you What should youth do wyth the frutes of age But liue in pleasure in thys passage For when age commeth hes lustes wyll swage Report me to you report me to you Why shoulde not youth fulfyll hys owne mynde They go fourth Here entreth god counsell ▪ As the course of nature doth hym bynde c. O mercyfull Lord who can seace to lament Or kepe hys hart from continual mournyng To se how youth is fallen from thy worde And wholy enclyned to abhominable lyuyng He lyueth nothyng accordyng to his profession But alas hys lyfe is to thy worde abusion Except thy grat mercy to hys vtter confusyon O where is the godly conuersacyon Which shoulde be among the professour of thy worde O where may a man finde now one faythfull That is not enfected with dissencyon or descorde Or amongest whome are all vices abhord vtterly O where is the brotherly loue betwene man man we may lament the tyme our vice be gan O where is the peace mekenes longe suffring temperaunce wich are the frutes of Gods holy spirit with whome is the flesh brought vnder obedience Or who readeth the scripture to the intent to folow it who vseth not now couetousnes and disceite Who geueth vnto the poore that whych is dewe I
in the gospel hath promysed that he which in hym vnfaynedly doth beleue Although he were dead yet shall he lyue Iuuentus these comfortable sayinges doth me greatly moue to arise from this wretched place Gods mercyfull promyses For me his mercy sake thou shalt optayne hys grace And not for thyne owne desertes ▪ this must thou know For my sake alone he shall receyue solace For my sake alone he wyll thee marcy shew therfore to hym as it is moste dew Geue most harty thankes with hart vnfayned Whose name for euer more be praysed Good counsell The prodigall sonne as in Luke we rede which in vicious liuing his good dooth wast As sone as his lyuing he had remembred To confesse his wretchednes he was not agast wherfore his father louingly hym embrast And as right ioyful the text sayth playne Because his sonne was returnen agayne Iuuentus O synfull flesh thy pleasurs are but vaine Now I fynde it true as the scripture doth saye Brode pleasaunt is the path which ledeth vnto payne But vnto eternall lyfe full narow is the waye He that is not led by Gods spyrite surely goeth astrayer And all that euer he doth shal be cleane abhorde Although he bragge bost neuer so much of Gods worde O subtell Satan full deceitfull is thy snare Who is able thy falshed to dysclose What is the man that thou doest fauour or spare And dost not tempt hym eternall ioyes to lose Not on the world surele I suppose Therfoore happy is the man which doth truli wayte Alwayes to refuse thy decetful and crafty bayt When I had thought to lyue most christanly And folowed the steppes of knowledg good councel Ere I was ware thou haddest deceyued me And brought me into the path ▪ whych leadeth vnto hel And of an earnest professor of chrystes gospell Thou madest me an ypocrite blynd and peruert And from vertue vnto vice y u hadst cleāe turned mi hart Fyrst by hypocrysie thou didest me moue The mortifycacyon of the flesh cleane to forsake And wanton desyre to embrace and loue Alas to thynke of it my hart doth quake Under the tytle of frendshyp to me he spake And so to wicked feloshyp did me brynge Which broughe me cleane to abhominable lyuing Thus I saye Sathan did me disceyue And wrapped me in sinne many afould The steppes of good counsell I did forsake and laeue And forgote the wordes which be fore to me he told The fruites of a true Christan in me waxed cold I folewed myne one lustes the fleshe I did not tame And had them in dirision which woulde not do the same yet it hath pleased God of his endles mercy To geue me respite my lyfe to a mende From the bottome of my hart I repent my iniquitie I wil walke in hys lawes vnto my lyues ende From hys holy ordinaunce I wyll neuer dicende But my whole delyght shalbe to lyue therein Utterly abhorring all filthynes and synne All Christen people whiche be here present May learne by me hypocrysye to know With the which the deuel as w t a poyson moste pestilente Dayly seketh all men to ouer throw Credite not all thynges vnto the out warde shew But trye thē w t Gods word that squire a rule moste iust Whiche neuer deceued them that in hym put theyr trust Let not flattryng frēdship nor yet wicked company Parswade you in no wise Gods worde to a buse But se that you stand stedfastly vnto the veritie And accordīg to the rule therof your doings frame vse Neyther kynred nor felowshyp shal you excuse When you shall appere before the iudgement seat But your owne secret concyence shal thē geue an audite All you that be young whom I do now represent Set youre delite both day nyght on Christes testament yf pleasure you tickele be not fikle sodenly slyde But in Gods feare eueriwhere se that you abyde In your tender age seke for knowledge after wisedom rūne in iour old age teach your famili to do as you haue dū youre bodys subdue vnto vertue delite not in vaniti Say not I am yōg I shall liue long lest iour dais shortēed be Do not enclyne to spend y e tyme ▪ in wanton ioyes nyce For idlenes doth encrese much wickednes and vyce Do not delaye the tyme and saye my ende is not nere For w t short warning the lordes cōmīg shal sodēly apere God geue vs grace his word to ēbrace to liue therafter That be thesame hys holy name may be prased euer Good counsel Now let vs make oure supplicacions together For y e prosperous estate of oure noble vertuous quene That in her godly procedinges she may still perseuer Which seketh the glory of God a boue all other thynge O Lord endue her hart with true vnderstandyng And geue her a prosperous lyfe longe ouer vs to rayne To gouerne rule her people as a worthy seruant Iuunetus Also let vs for all the nobilite of this realme And namely for those whome her grace auctorised To mayntayne the publike welth ouer vs them That they may se his gracyous actes published And they beyng truly admonished By the complaynt of them which are wrongfulli opprest May lesse a reformation and se it redrest Good coūsell Then shall thys land enioy great quietnes rest And geue vnto God most herty thankes therfore To whome be honor prase and glory for euermore Finis Quod R. Weuer ¶ Imprynted at London in Lothbury ouer agaynst Sainct Margarits Church by Wyllyam Copland gene viii Iere xiiii Eccle. xxx hyghte