A ryght fruitfull monicion concernynge the order of a good Christen mannes lyfe very profitable for all maner of estates, and other, to beholde and loke vppon / made by the famouse doctour Colet, sometyme deane of Paules.

A ryght fruitfull monicion concernynge the order of a good Christen mannes lyfe very profitable for all maner of estates, and other, to beholde and loke vppon / made by the famouse doctour Colet, sometyme deane of Paules.

Table of contents

Title page

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

REmembre fyrst of all (vertu [...]ꝰ reder) that it is hygh [...]oysed on [...]e and great perfection to knowe thy selfe / and than to dispise thy selfe. As to know thou haste nothing yt [...] good of thy selfe, but all together of [...]od. For the gyftes of nature, and all other temporall gyftes of this worlde [...]hiche ben laufully and truely oprey [...]ed (well consydered) ben comen to [...]he by the infinite goodnes and grace [...]f god, and not of thy selfe. And most [...] especiall it is necessarye for the to [...]nowe howe that god of his greatte [...]race hath made the lyke to his owne [...]m [...]tude or ymage, hauynge regarde [...] thy memory, vnderstādyng, and [...]re [...]yll. And to knowe howe god is thy [...]aker, & thou his wretched creature. [...]nd to know how thou arte redemed [...] god by the passyon of Christ Iesu, [...] & know how god is thy helper, thy re [...]ge & thy deliuerer frō all yuell. And consyder & to knowe the goodly order, [Page] whiche god of his infynyte wysdome hath ordeyned the to be ordred by. As to haue these temporall goodes for the necessytie of the bodye / the body and sensuall appetytes to be ordred by thy soule / thy soule to be ordred by reason and grace / by reason & grace, to know thy duetie to god and to thy neighbour. And by all comune reason, yf thou kepe this conuenient order to god and his creatures, they shall kepe theyr order to the: But yf thou breke thyne order to them, of lykelyhood they shall breke their order to the. For how shulde thy wyfe, chyldren, seruauntes, and other creatures with whome thou haste doynges, do theyr dueties, and kepe theyr order to the, yf thou doest not so to god and to them? And also thynke thou of a suretie, that yf thy sensuall appetite be not ordred by reason and grace, thou arte worse ordred than a beest / for thā thou lyuest out of order, and so doeth not a beest / whiche is a great shame and rebuke to the a reasonable creature / and without the great mercy of god, it sha [...] [Page] be to thyne eternall dampnacion. And therfore thynke and thanke god, & vtterly dispise thy selfe, and thynke thy selfe a great wretche in that, that god hath done so moche for the / and thou haste so ofte offended his highnes, and also done hym so lytle seruyce. Surely it is also great wisdom to thynke, that if it had pleased god for to haue gyuen to all other men (aswell beggers as other) lyke grace as he hath gyuen to the, that they wolde haue serued his goodnes better thā thy selfe hast don: wherfore, thynke thy selfe a wretche of all wretches, without the mercye of god. And therfore by his infinite mercy & grace, call vnto thy remembraūc [...] the degree or dignytie the whiche almyghty god of his goodnes hath called the vnto / and accordynge therunto, yelde thy det, and do thy duetie.

¶ Fyrste and principally, honour god as thy maker / loue hym as thy redemer / feare hym, as thy iudge. Seconeyly, thy neighbour whiche is thy superior, obey. Haue concorde and peace with them whiche ben euen with the [Page] in degree / and haue mercy and pitie on thyne inferiors▪ Thirdly, prouide the to haue a clene hert, and a good custody of thy tonge. Pray and take labour by grace to haue wisdome & cunnynge to do thy duetie to god and to thy neyghbour. And in all thy wordes and dedes, haue euer in mynde that god & his aungels hereth & seeth euery thinge [...] and that nothynge is so priuely doon, but it shall be made open. And in especyall haue in mynde that thou shalte dye shortly / & how Christ dyed for the / the subtyltie & falsnes of this temporall world / the ioyes of heuen, and the paynes of hell. And euery mornynge amonge other thy meditacions and prayers / pray vnto thy lorde god that the day folowynge / thou (accordynge to the degree / the whiche of his infynyte goodnes and mercy hath called the vnto) mayste vse this temporall wretched worlde in thy thoughtes / wordes / and dedes, that by them / and the meryte of Christis passion / thou mayst eschewe the paynes of hell / and come to the ioye euerlastynge. And in [Page] executyng therof, kepe trouthe in wordes and dedes. Defende no man / nor no matter agaynst the trouthe. In all thynges thynke and trust in god / and he shall dyrecte thy wayes. Trust not to thyne owne wytte, but feare god / and he wyll kepe the from yuell. If thou truste more in thyne owne wytte than in the grace of god / thy polycye shall be soone subuerted. Be contente to here good counsayle, thoughe it be contrarye to thy wyll, for he is a very foole, that wyll here nothyng gladly / but that is accordynge to his mynde. Do thou no man harme, lest thou suffrest the same. As thou willest be done vnto the, so do thou vnto an other. Be suche to other, as thou desyreste they shulde be to the. If thou be religious remēbre that the due executiō of true religion, is not in wearyng of the habyte, but with a clene mynde in very dede to execute the rules & ordinaūces of religion. For so it is, yt to weare the habite / and not to execute the rule and order of religiō, is rather to be demed ypocrysy or apostasy, than other wyse. [Page] If thou be laye & vnmaryed, kepe the clene vnto the tyme thou be maryed. And remembre the sore and terrible punysshement of Noes flood, and of the terryble fyre and brymstone, and sore punysshment of Sodom and Gomor, don to man for misusyng of the flesshe. And in especyall, call to remembraūce the meruailous and horryble punysshment of the abhominable great pockes, dayly apperynge to our sightes, growynge in & vpon mannes flesshe / the whiche soore punysshement (euery thynge well remembred) can not be thought, but principally for the inordinate misuse of the fleshe. And if thou intende to marye, or beynge maryed, & haste a good wyfe, thanke our lorde therfore, for she is of his sendynge.

And remembre that thre thinges in especyall ben pleasaunt to the spyrite of god / that is to say, concorde betwene bretheren, loue and charitie betwene neighbours, and a man and his wyfe well agreynge. And yf thou haue an euyll wyfe, take pacience, and thanke god, for all is for the best, well taken / [Page] how beit, thou art bounden to do and pray for her amēdement, [...]eest she go to the deuyll, from whom she came. And haue in remembraunce that the intent of maryage is not in the beestly apperyte or pleasure in the thynge: but the intent therof, is to eschew the synne of the flesshe, or els to haue chyldren.

And yf thou haue chyldren, as moche as thou mayst, brynge them forthe in vertue to be the seruauntes of god.

For it is better for the, and them not to be borne, than otherwise. In thyne aucthoritie, busy the rather to be beloued of thyne inferiors, than to be dred. Let thy subiectes and seruauntes rather serue & obey the for loue, than for drede or nede. with suche a souereigne goodnes gouerne thy subiectes, that they may be glad to serue the bothe in punysshynge, and also in cherysshyng. Kepe a manerly meane / and be not to strait / forgyue not to soone / kepe a conuenient measure in all thy workes.

Go not to meat as a beest, but as a reasonable man, say thy grace / & than remembre that mo ben sicke and dye by [Page] superfluities of meates / than otherwyse, wherfore eate with measure; to lyue in helthe. At thy [...], haue none other but honest communication / and suche as is accordyng to thy connyng. Backebyre no mā / be me [...]y in honeste. for sorowe and care hath kylled many▪ and no profyte therein, An no wyse sweare, without compulsyon of the lawe. For where as is great sweryng, from thens is neuer the plage of god. In no wyse braule ne chyde without an vrgent cause. For Solomon sayth, better is a lytell with ioye, thā a hous full of vitayle with brawlynge. Also he sayth, an yuell persone is euer chydynge, and therfore the angell of god shall be sent agaynst hym. Be content at thy dyner, and also at other tymes to gyue parte of that which god hath sent the / for he that wyll not here the crye of a poore man, he shall crye to god, & not be harde. After thy meate, thanke god of that he hath sente the, or els thou doste not as a reasonable man, but lyke a beest, which in eatyng remembreth nothynge but his meate. [Page] with good prouidence and discretionle the tyme where, whan, howe, why, or wherfore thou spekest, doest, or byddest any thyng to be done. whan thou iudgeste any, be he poore or ryche, beholde & consider the cause, and not the persone. Be as meke in other mennes causes and offences, as in thyn owne. Syt neuer in dome & iugement without pitie or mercy. for whyle thou hast pitie, and arte mercyfull to other m [...]s offences, thou hast mercy on thy selfe. For in what measure thou measuresi, it shall be measured to the. yet thou must execute iudgement, but it muste be with pitie or mercy. For (of a surety) to do mercy & iustice, is more pleasaunt to god, than to praye or do sacrifice vnto hym. Deme no man by light suspections. Fyrste proue, and than deme. In doubles, reie [...]ue the sentēce to goddes myghte. That thou knowest not, commyt it vnto god. Hauelyttell or none affection and p [...]l [...]e loue to these erthely & tēporall thiges. For blessed be the ryche manne. that trustethe not in his money and treasure. [Page] And remembre, as a man loueth, so he is / for the louer is in the thyng loued more properly, than in hym selfe: wherfore, yf a man loue erthely thynges, he may be called an erthely man. And if he loue principally heuēly thynges or god, he may be called an heuenly or a godly man: And therfore loue god and heuenly thynges / for vndoubted, that is best, & moost assured loue / for they be, and euer shall, permanent / and all erthely thynges ben soone vanysshed and ended / and so the loue of them is in vayne. Also it is wysdom to feare god / for as he sayeth hym selfe: Feare not hym that may kyll the body, & can not hurt the soule: but feare hym that can kyll the bodye & also the soule, & commyt them to euerlastynge payne / wherfore, euery euenynge ere thou goo to bed, call to remembraūce (as moche as thou canst) thy thoughtes, wordes, and dedes, sayd and done that day / and if any haue ben to thyne owne profyte, and to the pleasure of god, hertely thanke hym / for by his grace it was done: And yf any haue [Page] ben contrary to his pleasure, aske hertely mercy, and recōcile thy selfe shortly by repentaūce to eschewe the euerlastynge and terrible paynes of hell. For (as saynt Augustyn sayth) there is not a greater madnes, than for a lytle temporall delectacion (whiche is soone done) to lese the eternall ioye, and to be bounde to euerlastynge payne. From the whiche the almyghty father of heuen, by his infynyt power and mercy, and bytter passion, and infynyte wysdome of Iesu Christe, and by the infinite goodnes and charitie of the holy gooste, kepe vs. Amen. Deo gratias.

¶ Vse well temporall thynges.

¶ Desyre eternalll thynges.

¶ Finis.

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

¶ A ryght fruitfull monicion, concernynge the order of a good christen mannes lyfe, very profitable for all maner of estates, and other, to beholde and loke vppon: Made by the famouse doctour Colet, somtyme Deane of Paules.

¶ Cum priuilegio Regali.

Iohan Byddell.

§

§

[Page] ¶ Imprinted at London in Flete strete by Iohn̄ Byddell other wyse called Salysbury at the signe of our lady of pyte nexte Flet-brydge, the yere of our lorde. M. D. xxxiiii. the .xxvii. day of Marche.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

A ryght fruitfull monicion concernynge the order of a good Christen mannes lyfe very profitable for all maner of estates, and other, to beholde and loke vppon / made by the famouse doctour Colet, sometyme deane of Paules.

Colet, John, 1467?-1519.

Edition statement

1534

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A19137

ID [STC]

STC 5547.2

ID [STC]

ESTC S4588

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

23592945

ID [OCLC]

ocm 23592945

ID [VID]

26749

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A19137)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 26749)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1830:3)

Source

— A ryght fruitfull monicion concernynge the order of a good Christen mannes lyfe very profitable for all maner of estates, and other, to beholde and loke vppon / made by the famouse doctour Colet, sometyme deane of Paules., Colet, John, 1467?-1519..

Extent

[14] p.

Imprinted at London in Flete strete by John Byddell other wyse called Salysbury at the signe of our lady of pyte nexte Flet[e?] brydge,. [London] :: M.D.xxxiiii, the xxvii day of Marche [27 Mar. 1534]. ("Cum priuilegio Regali.") (Imprint from colophon.) (Title within illustrated border.) (Imperfect: tightly bound.) (Reproduction of original in the St. John's College (University of Cambridge). Library.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.