Certain Precepts of the Instruction of Youth, Aphorisms 3
The Aphoryſmes of the laſte Preceptes.
Fyrſt of all this ſhall the ingenious mī de thīke with himſelfe / Chriſt hath giuen him ſelfe for vsus ande is made oures and ſo is it neceſſarye that thou be geuen vntounto a…men not to thynke thy felt to be thyn… owne man but to be for other. For trulye we are not borne vntounto our ſelues / but that we ſhuld be all thinges vntounto all men.
Wherfore from hys tender age he ſhall muſt vppō theſe things alone vppon iuſtyce fayth and conſtauntye by the which he maye do good vntounto the chryſtyan publyke weale and vntounto his natiue coutrey ande particulerly alſo vntounto all men. For thoſe are ſpeke and feble mindes / that only do regard this thyng / howe they maye hauehave or come by a quiet lyuing / ande are not ſo lyke vntounto God / as thoſe are / that euen with their owne perill do ſtudie how to do good vntounto all men.
Ande here notwithſtanding this muſt he warelye taken hede of leaſt the purpoſe that is takē or intēded to the glory of God of our natiue countrey ande the proffit of all men / be not defiled or corrupted by the deuell or the louelove of our ſelues / and finally that we take not the thing vntounto our ſelues the whiche we will appeare to hauehave done; for the cauſe of other men. For why? we maye ſee many which in the firſt beginnīg go happely in the ryght trade / and wythin a lytle after / through vayne glory (whiche is the peſtilence of all godly intentes) they are driuen out of the ryght path.
In the proſperite ande aduerſité of other men / he ſhall euen like behaue him ſelf as though they had for…ned vntounto his owne parſon. Yf good fortune ſhall come vntounto an other / he ſhall thinke th… is hath fortuned vntounto him ſelf as well a… it had …o…e aduerſite. For why the ſhall …t none publike weale lyke vntounto one houſe and familye Yea one bodye in the wyth the membres are ſo glad together and do ſorrowe ande the one helpeth the other that what ſoeuer ſhal fortune to one ſhalbe thought to happen to all.
After this ſort / he ſhalbe glad with the ioyfull and ſhall wipe with thoſe that do wepe / for why…? he ſhall thinke the chu… ches of eueryevery man to be his owne. Adde vntounto this that accordyng vntounto the ſaying of Senica / the thinge maye happen vntounto every man that doth fortune vntounto any … ne. And we do not teache that theſe afflictes ioye ande ſorrowe muſte be ſo vſed as the comone cuſtome is. For we wyll not that we ſhall make myrth and ioie in proſperit… and deſpayr in aduerſite. But for as moche / as we are never wythout theſe …d other affectes / ſo if wi… wiſe we muſt tempre them / that in no caſ… admitte any inconueniente / or do the thing that is not comely / Wherfore we ſ…athe as moche of the proſperitie as other … out … other wil… ſhall we be ſep… / tha… to ſay / we ſhal take al things …th …am…ra…ion.
From theſe conuenticles or companyes where as men mete / many together or commely ſoche as are the mariages of ki…ds (…āditates that are yerely kepte ād holidates. I make no great reſtrainte becauſe … chriſt in times paſt hath been … vnkīdly part of maryages. … mooſte alowe / that if the … …ſt nedes be done be done in ſo … place or opēly rather then in … houſes / becauſe the multitude of witneſſes / doth more vehement… … thā their owne propre mīd. For he ſhal wāt all grace / that is not aſhamed … openly o… comunely to do the thynge that is diſhoneſt or vncomely.
From the comune conuenticles or …etynges together of men / he ſhall alwayes … to thīg away ſom goodnes / leaſt …ke as Socrates was accuſtomed to cō plaine returne home alwaes worke. He ſhal marke of any mā be hauehave hīſelfe abrode with honeſt ſhame faſtnes / and ſhall followe it. And of the contrarie without ſhame he ſhall refuſe it or deſpiſe it.
But for as moche as thoſe that are full rype of one conſcātly do this / mine adviſe is that they mete together in publyke conventicles as ſeldome as maye be. But if of neceſſite ſometimes madnes muſte be had in companye ſone after let vsus come home agayne to our ſelves / a ſone reaſon may be pretended why we hauehave forſaken our ſelues / vntounto the which / thoſe muſt be agreable that do knowe that we are geuen alwayes vntounto vertuous or good ſtudyes.
In things that are paynefull / our brydilles muſt be lowſed for vsus to runne. For …n this caſe it is accounted a noble thinge to be fyrſt and laſt. In this ſhuld we ſtreatch our ſinnewes forth the evell to be cō ſydered / to be hādeled to be amoued or put awaye / and counſell to be geven.
And it is vſed even amongeſt the infidelles / that our parentes next vntounto the immortal God are mooſt to be left by. Wherfore we muſt gyve place vntounto them every where. Ande if at any tyme they behave not them ſhoes after the minde of Chryſt / the which is alſo dures / we maye not due of ſeaſon ſtryue againſt them / but what ſoever ought to be ſayde or done / that muſt be proponed or purpoſed with al medenes the which thinge if they wyll not receave / they are rather to be forſaken than to be handeled contumelyouſly.
The naturall Philoſophers do teſtifie… / that Ire dranger commeth of a hote cauſe / wherfore this yong age is mooſt h…re… we muſt dilygently beware of it that we do not ſaye any thinge by the compulſyon therof / what ſoeuer cōmeth into the mīde. When this after it is hoate in the / it ought to be ſuſpected.
Sclaūder / if we cānot vtterly / becauſe of the bitternes of it / digeſt it downe / it muſt be referred vntounto ſome iudge or magiſtrate. For why? to render agayne one the eke for ā other or to fēd ouer againe the ſclaunder or contumely vntounto him that gave it / it is no other / thā to be like vntounto hym or ſuch one as he is whome thou doeſt diſalowe.
Games with theyr equalles we do per…i… to ha…e vp did … …och … of / learnīg ande profitable … the exerr… … thē bodye. The games of learning … contend with aua…re… a … Ari…h …h… tike doth reach / or vyse…tyng of places the which thing the / draught…s and pauſes of the cheſtes and theyr ſtacions alſ… and healinges in watch do declare. For that ga… aboue all other doth teach / that noth…e ought to be …one raſhlye or vnaduiſ…dlye… And yet in the meane tyme the … be… meane kept in it. For them have and ſ… me / which / ſettīg their ſerious buſines a parte / hauehave geue thē ſelues to that onelyonly. We permit onelyonly theſe thinges to be done in / by times / or in the tymes of leaſure frō other thinges. And the games of dice and cardes (as men call them) we count ande ſend them backe agayn vntounto the crowes / as the Prouerbe ſaith.
The body ſhalbe exerciſed with run… leaping / coyting with the exercyſe of weapōs / with wraſtlīg (the which is … ſeldō to be vſed / becauſe oftē times it euen …h… ed earneſt (and with ſo… paſtimes …as a…e almooſt generally in all …a…ō ſpecially … as hauehave bene vſed mooſt amō geſt …r forefathers the Zwytſers beinge verye proffitable for dyuers chaunces. I ſee that ſwīming is proffitable to very fewe albeit ſōtyme it is a pleaſure to ſwīme in the water or ryver lyke vntounto a fiſh / ā it hath ſerued ſōtimes for chaūces not with out proffit. He came ſwīmyng out of the Capitolhouſe that ſhuld declare vntounto Camillos the miſerable ſtate of Auarous Rome. Ch…lia …owīg with her owne propre … ̄bres returned agayne vntounto hers.
Let all the cōuerſation and talke alſo / be ſoche that may delight thoſe with whome we do lyue.
And if thou muſt nedes chyde an other mā / do it with ſo good a harte ād ſo drily / and let it be done ſo pretily ād ſo aduyſedly / that we maye put awaye the vice ande wynne the man / ād ioyne him wyth more hart…e or entyre love vntounto vsus.
The ſtudye of trouth muſt be ſo conſtaūt ande alone that alwayes we muſte p…rp…d and cōſyder ſo / both our owne talke ād the tale or cōmunicatiō of other / that no craft or rayning be mixed in it. And a good minde ought to be w…th no… thing more diſpleaſed with hym ſelf tha… yf he perceaue any lye come from him … though it be againſt his wyll. I will no… ſaye here howe moch he ought to be a ſhamed if he make them him ſelf or tell them when they are made of others. For eueryevery man is commaunded to ſpeake the truth… which his neighbour. Chriſt is the … the. Wherfore it becommeth a Chriſtian man to …owe and kepe moſt diligently the … that … in mynde or in … in all his wayes. Nothing can be aſſuredly … to hym that … this t…ue … …o is the … of the … wherfor… if that be vai… lying ande inconſtant all is a mooſt certaine token that the harte i… worſſe a great deale. Adde vntounto this that a lye maye be for… tyme hydden / but … for euer. Wherfore it ſhal be a very folyſh thinge / to nouriſh or comforte the domes… …all noughty …achte in hope that it ſhal be hydden / or not knowen.
Loke what I hauehave ſaide of the ſtudie of the tru…h the ſame muſt be obſerued in all doinges / that we do nothīg fainedly / that our browe or eyes diſſēble no other thing / than the harte …eſe… meaneth / the whiche is the fountaine of all doinges.
The going alſo that is made or forged / doth giuegive a ſufficient argument / what the man is the which doth go otherwiſe than his nature requireth / that is to ſaye / full of vanité / and an harlot in minde.
But what nedeth many wordes? To this purpoſe all ſtudie muſt be haſted / that the yongman maye with all purenes ſucke into him Chriſte / who) when he hath dronken or taſted of him) he ſhalbe a rule vntounto him. He ſhal neuer fall from well …ing…lly… ſhall neuer be prowde or extolted / he ſhall encreaſe dailie / but he ſhall appeare to him ſelf alwaies to decreaſe. He ſhall go forward / but he ſhall accoūte hym ſelfe to be luſt of all men. He ſhall do good towardes all men / but he ſhall embroide nothinge. For ſo truly Chriſte hath done. Wherfore he ſhalbe abſolute that ſhal pu… poſe onelyonly to followe Chriſt.
Theſe …e the thynges (mooſt …le…a…t Gerolde) whyche we hauehave thought to be proffytable or to conduce to bring vp ingenious y…ngmen / howe be it they be ſo confuſely taught that of it ther ſacketh no declaration. For why? the thinge is manyfeſtly open vntounto the eyes of all mē. But for thy parte remembre theſe thinges often with thy ſelfe ād loke what thou ſeeſ… here written with a rude ſtyle / expreſſe it in thy maners. And ſo it ſhal come to paſſe tha… the thīges that are poured oute here all mooſt without any ordre / thou thy ſelfe by thy actes / ſhalte bringe them into a very goodly ordre. Ande ſhalt be of this forme of teachyng a brething hore …de lyuely example. And to ſpeake more … ſtauntly / it can not other wilt be … after thou ſhalt be more abſolute than we are able to expreſſe with wordes of …nſtaūtly thou emploie / all thy indeuoure. The which thinge ſhalbe aboue meaſure proffitable for the expellīg of Idelnes. Wherby ſome wythout all ſhame / of a miſcheuous receaued cuſtome / are growē to ſuche ſtouth / euen in the very fyrſt entraūce of theyr life / that they appeare to couet to be … thinge then dr…nes / ande the puddles of all vices. But thou truly (as he ſaith) muſt vſe diſcretly thy ag…. For tyme o… age glideth away with a ſwifte foote. And not ſo good followeth as the fyrſt wa…. It is the parte of a Chriſtian man / not to ſpeake lordly of opinions / but alwayes to do thynges that are hard ande great with God. Procede therfore (thou Gentle yongman) to increaſe wyth the …ru… ſeruauntes of nobilite / thy kynred or ſtocke thy goodly forme ād thy patrimo…e or in heritaūce / the which all hath fortuned honourably vntounto the (I hauehave not ſayde well) I ſhulde hauehave ſayde to thynke onelyonly theſe to be the ornamentes / ande to …nowe the other thinges to be the giftes of fortune. The mooſt greateſt and mightie lorde being thy guyde. Who preſerue the in proſperous eſtate. So be it.
Finis.
Proue the ſpyrytes whether they be of God. Ihon the iiij.i. Reg xiij.…. Mat vij.
End of the text · Ulrich Zwingli, Certain Precepts of the Instruction of Youth (1548)