A Young Mans Inquisition, Title page – Dedication 2
A YONG MANS INQVISITION, OR TRIALL. Whereby all young men (as of all ages) may know how to redresse and direct their waies, according to Gods word, and if they bee in the way of life to saluation, or in the way of death, to condemnation. Together with a godly and most comfortable Meditation and Praier ioyned thereunto.
GALAT. 5. 25. If we liue in the spirit, let vsus also walke in the spirit.
By William Guilde.
AT LONDON. Printed by R. Raworth, for Iohn Bache, and are to be sold at his shop in Popes-head Pallace. 1608.
To the most worthy, and zealous of Gods trueth, the Senate and Citie of Aberdene, together with the painefull, and faithfull Pastours of the same, all grace and peace from aboue, constancie in the puritie of the trueth, ioy of Gods spirit here, and eternall ioy, glorie, and happinesse, with the same spirit in the world to come, Amen.
HIpponicus the Sonne of Hippias, a citizen of Athens, hauing decreed and appointed to erect and dedicate a certaine Image vntounto his natiue soile, as a testimony and manifestation, of his ardent louelove, dutifull affection, and gratitude towardes the same, was counselled and importunately perswaded by his friends and kinsfolks (who did heare of his immutable determination thereunto) to giuegive out the same to be framed & made by Polycletus, (an excellēt grauer of Images in those times) but he greatly disassenting from their opinion, and reiecting their importunate perswasions, answered them; that in doing so, he should exhibit to the eyes of Athens, an image or representation, rather of the excellent Art of Polycletus, the Image maker, then (according to his intention) the image & manifestation of his owne louelove, regard, and affection; & that likewise it might bee that Athens so should rather respect the one, then perceiue so well or regard the other: and therefore hee had decreed, to manifest his own affection or heart, by his owne hand, perswading himselfe, that the whole, to wit, the manifestation howsoeuer, as his louelove manifested, proceeding both from himselfe, would bee more acceptable to his Athenians, then the exact arte of expert Polycletus; and that not hauing great occasion to fixe their eyes onelyonly vponupon the exquisite worke of the image or representation, to say, who wrought it? they would onelyonly behold the ardent affection represented of him who dedicated the same: So likewise with Hipponicus, after long and earnest wishing of an occasion, whereby I might in some sort also, manifest and testifie my dutifull affection, regard, remembrance, and gratitude; which I owe to the Athens of my birth & education, as a small riuer returning to his Ocean. I hauehave decreed to erect and dedicate vntounto the same, as an image and plainer manifestation of my louelove, (being a young man my selfe) this image and representation of a godly and Christian young man, trying his waies, and by earnest inquiring in consolatiō with God, shewing whereby or how to redresse the same, to wit, in taking heede thereto, according to Gods word. vntounto the which examplar, I wish that eueryevery yong man may (as he should) cōforme himselfe; & being inuaded or neuer so little stung, with the poisonable & serpentine lusts of youth, whereof this wildernesse is so ful, he may vntounto this image, erected in Gods word, lift vp his eyes, thereby & therein beholding his dutie, and the safetie of his soule, which (with Hipponicus) I perswade my selfe likewise, that it shall be so in louelove accepted of my natiue Athens and Athenians, as in louelove, and a testimonie of my louelove, I dedicate the same vntounto them. In the framing whereof, albeit the exact arte of Polycletus be wanting, and is not to bee expected, yet with him, without any suspecting of the contrarie, I doe assure and perswade my selfe, that the louelove of the Dedicatour with his intention to manifest & testifie hereby the same, will bee more respected and weighed in the ballance of reciprocall louelove, (which couereth many infirmities) then the Image thereof dedicated, or manner of testification howsoeuer. In the which assurance and perswasion, I doe rest, repose, secure & satisfie my selfe; desiring withall, and earnestly wishing, that the almightie God of Israel, who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth, may euer bee the watch-man and wall of the Citie, with the s…nne of his louelove, and sincere trueth of his Sonne, that hee may euer shine in and vponupon it, that the Candlesticke thereof may neuer bee remoued, nor the Chariots and Horsemen thereof taken away, but his blessings may bee vponupon his people externally, internally, eternally, Amen.
William Guilde.
TO THE THREE Right worshipfull Brethren, Sir Iohn Sheffeeld, Knight; Master Edward and Master William Sheffeeld, sonnes to the truely, noble, and right honourable, the Lord Sheffeeld, Lord President of Yorke, and one of his Maiesties most honourable order of the Garter: all encrease of true vertue, honour, and happinesse here, and eternall felicitie with Christ for euer hereafter.
IT is said of Apelles, (a most cunning Painter) that after he had painted and appointed any peece of worke, to be exhibited to a publike view in any open place, vsed to lurke priuily behinde the same himselfe, to heare the diuers and dissonant opinions & censures, which the pass…rs by vsed, and did pronounce of his picture; and willing to satisfie their curious & captious natures, withall vsed to excuse himselfe by vnderunder writing so, Apelles faciebat, (not fecit). If Apelles therefore in his age, sole and most expert in his arte, vsed neuer to expone any picture to publike view, without shrowding himselfe (as it were) both with his bo…d and this forenamed excuse, from the captious tongues of the multitude; verily the vse of patronage in these our daies, wherein so many of carping Zoilus, & taxing Momus liueth, is not onelyonly customable, but also altogether necessarie, who verifieth the Prouerbe, Quot capita, tot sentētiae, & quā varia ora, tam varia Iudicia, and are busie to be pulling out the mote out of their neighbors eies, not cōsulting with foreign Nosce te ipsum, to take the beame first o…t of their owne. Therfore it is (right Worshipfull Trinarie) that leauing the Viper to the file, & hos ardeliones, foreign; yet this time I hauehave presumed to shrowd and couer this little Treatise, vnderunder the sheild of your beneuolence and fauour, offering and dedicating these small and vnworthy labours of a young man, concerning a young mans direction in his life, according to Gods word, with the hands and heart of all humility, dutie, and affection to you, the yong branches and happy of-spring of so noble a stocke, whose roote so to fasten & establish in the land wherein hee liueth with honour, and in the land of the liuing for euer, that the worme of his enemies may neuer preuaile to make any of the least of his branches to wither or decay, but they may euer spread, and more and more flourish in all godlinesse, honour, & blessednesse: I pray almighty God, to the glory of his name, his Churches comfort, and the posterities happy memorie; perswading my selfe, that as in all heartie and vnexpressible louelove, (my conscience bearing mee witnesse) I present the same vntounto your Worshippes, till God enable mee more to expresse my deuotion: so also you will graciously accept thereof, respecting rather the inward affection of the heart dedicating, then the outward thing by it dedicated; as also assuring my selfe, that Ionas was neuer better guarded vnderunder the shadow of his greene and tender Gourd, from the offensiue heate of the scorching Sunne; Vlisses neuer thought himselfe more safe, when hee did hold the weapon of noble Achilles in his hand; nor Iole daughter to King Euritus, more feared when she did stand armed with the weapon of valiant Hercules: then I shall be safe and secure, vnderunder the shadow of your protection, and refreshing wings of your Worships fauour, resting and reposing my selfe with my labours.
Your Worships in most humble duty, and heartiest affection deuoted, WILLIAM GVILDE.