A Dialogue to be had at Table Between Two Children, Part 1
¶A dyspatche of vowes and presthode, by the wurd of God. Compyled by Iohan Bale.
A dialoge or Communycacyon to be had at a table betwene two chyldren, gathered out of the holy scriptures, by Iohan Bale, for his .ij. yonge sonnes Iohan and Paule.
To be sold in Fletestrete at the signe of the Croune, nexte vntounto the whyte Fryres gate.
¶Imprynted at London, for Richarde Foster. Anno. M.D.XLIX.
¶The .c. and .xxx. Psalm of Dauid, called De profundis.
FRom fayth of soule, and hartes reioyce,
I call to the, Lorde heare my voyce.
Thyne eares good Lorde, enclyned be,
VntoUnto the poore, complaynt of me.
Yf thu shouldest waye, our wyckednesse,
Who can abyde, thy ryghtuousnesse.
Because I fynde, all health in the,
I doubt no fearce, extremyte
In my Lorde God, is all my trust,
To walke as hys worde hath discust.
The churche for her contynuaunce,
Trust in the lordes good gouernaunce.
For in the Lorde great mercye is,
And full redempcyon after thys.
He wyll redeme all Israel,
From deuyll and deathe, from synne and hell.
☞Iohan Bale. Anno M.D.XLIII.
A Dialoge or Communicacyon to be had at a table betwene .ij. chyldren, gathered out of the holy scriptures by Iohan Bale for his two yong sonnes, Iohan and Paule.
Paulus iunior filius.
FOr so much as God hath cōstitute me a creature reasonable,Gene. ij. Psal. xv and indued me wyth an vnderstandynge, I am naturally desyerouse to knowe, to what ende I am created.
Ioannes senior filius.
Than wyl it be necessary for yow to hauehave fayth. For he yt shal hauehave a do with god or with godlynesse,Hebr. xi. Ioan. iij must fyrste of all beleue after the sacred scrypturs.
Paulus.
Than tel me whatfaith is, by those same sacred scriptures.
Ioannes.
Hebr. xi. Gal. iiij.After the saynge of S. Paule, it is a certen assuraunce of godly thynges, whyche we trust vntounto, and a grounded euydence in the sprete of heauēly causes that neuer are seane wt the eye.
Paul.
What suppose ye moste fytt to dyrect me in thys faythe.
Ioannes.
The eternall Testament or Gospell of Iesus Christ, for that is ye power of the Lorde into saluacyon to all them that beleue.Apo. xiiij Roma. i. What shal I esteme the tradicions of men besides that gospel?
Ioannes.
The leuen of Pharisees, chaffe,Ihō xvij Luce. xij Mat. xiij Sa. xiiij. cockle, tares, stubble, swylle, swines draffe ydeluesse, ydolatry, whordome of the sprete, fylthynesse, false worshyppynge, the call of straungers, the fearfull curse of God and abhomiuacion standing in the holy place.Ihon .iiij and .x. ma. xxiiij
Paulus.
Whā was this gospel first taught
Ioannes.
Sone after the worldes beginning, whā Adā had ones offended, least he shulde hauehave fallen into vtter dispair and so hauehave bene lost for ener.
Paulus.
Gene. iij Gala. iijAnd hath the Gospell contynued euersens to the confort of manne?
Ioannes.
Yea, truly hath it, & oft sens that time bene confirmed by more earnest promises from age to age, tyll that meke lambe come,Gen. xxij Psalm. cxxxi. Ihon .i. i. Petr. i. Luce. 1. Ma. xxij Luc. xiiij. whyche toke awaye the synnes of the worlde, thorough the shedynge of his most innocent bloud. For the scrypture sayth, that hys mercye was plenteouse, from kyndrede to kyndred to them that feared the Lord.
Paulus.
Hath all menne bene called to grace by that Gospell of saluacyon?
Ioannes,
Yea doubtlesse hauehave they, yet hauehave they not al thākefully receyued it. So well was it taught of our fyrste father Adam to Cain,Ge. iiij. Gen. vi as to Abel. So wel to the fleshely chyldren of menne as to the ghostly chyldren of God. So well ded Noe preache it vntounto Cham, as vntounto Sem and Iapheth.Gen. ix. Ge. xxi. Exo. v. ij. re. xiij iij. Reg. xviij. So well ded Abraham shewe it to Ismael, as to Isaac. So well Moyses to Pharao, as to the people of Israel. Dauid to Amnon, and Absolon, as to Salomō, & Nathan. Helias to Achab & Iesabel, as to the moste faythfull beleuers. No lesse ded Christ open therof to Iudas, than to Peter Iohan, & Iames. And so forth the Apostles with other true preachers to this present day,Mat. x. Act. viij Rom. i. so that non is without excuse,
Paulus.
How cometh it then to passe, that so many are lost, and still yet doth dayly peryshe through their lewde cō uersacyonHiere. l. and lycencyouse lyuyng.
Ioannes.
Rom. i. ij. Co. xi ij. Tes. ijNo faute can be ascribed to the Gospel, but to their vnthankeful receiuing of ye frutes therof, so frely offered them, as I sayd afore. The disdayneful spurninge a syde or throwinge at their tayles of that necessary health in Christ is cause of their decaye, and not the set ordinaunce of God, whych willeth all menne to be saued.
Paulus.
If Adam thus receyued thys gospel,i. Tim. ij Gene. iij & so taught it vntounto his posterite, it hath continued much longer then I supposed.
Ioannes.
The gospell is as yt Lord is, euerlasting.Apa. xiiij Ihon .i. ps. cxviij For as wytnesseth the Apostle saynt Iohn. In the beginninge was the word, & the word was wt God, & God was that word.
Paulus.
Thē was not Mathew the fyrst wryter therof wyth the other Euangelistes, as the popyshe churche hath taught vsus?
Ioannes.
No, God wrote it fyrst in the naturall hart of man,Heb. viij Luc. xvi. & so yt remained here styll tyll Moyses and the prophetes ded leaue it in outward wrytinge to the peoples farder erudicyon.i. Cori. x. Exo. xvij Mat. xvi For as S. Paule doeth wytnesse, all they ded eate frō the first beginninge of one spiritual meate & dranke of one spiritual drynke, yt harde rocke folowinge thē which was Iesus christ. And this is a clere tokē that one gospel hath reigned in ye people of god sence yt worldes beginninge.
Paulus.
Yonge infantes departinge hence in their chyldehode,Act. vij. Hiere. ix. shoulde seme to be no partyners therof.
Ioannes.
How so I pray you?Sapi. xij What is your reasō.
Paulus.
For they neuer hauehave it taught thē. And yf they had, yet shuld it lytle profyght thē hauing so smal vnderstāding
Ioan.
God neuer distributeth his gyftes to yt measure of age & discressiō, for then had Annas bene more faythfull then Peter,Iacobi. i Io. xviij mat. xvi and Caiphas more godlye then Iohan. For they were both elder and wyser. As fayth is an vnknowne gyft of God, so is it of hym secretelye ministred.Ephesi. i Galat. v Ioan. ij Luc. i We knowe not frō whēce it cometh whē menne are borne of the spirit. Iohan Baptist knewe Christ in his mothers wōbe, & yet had he neither age nor vnderstanding that was sene. God is their secrete instructour & preacher, which taught it first withoute voyce & wrote it without penne in the hyddenPsalm cxviij Sap. x Roma. ij hart of man. As the spirite of prophecyded happen vntounto menne by the fre gift of god without age, so doth fayth to ye infantes.ij. Pet. i. As he gaue that benefyght of his grace to the babe Hieremye, so doth he secretely ministre vntounto thē that necessarye health of saluacion.Hier. i. He alone made ye child Daniel rightlye to iudge ye vngodlye. The Apostles spoke not of them selues,Da. xiij. Mat. x. Marci. xvi. but out of the abundaūce of hys eternal spirit also. The aged are left to the outwarde gospell, the chyldren are reserued to Gods secrete workynge. And therfore Christe said vntounto hys Apostles suffre the childrē to come vntounto me,Lu. xviij Mar. x. Mat. i. for to thē belongeth the kingdome of heauē. Theyr angels are euermore beholdinge the face of my father which is in heauē. Suche secrete doubtes ought not to be moued.Ecc. iij. pro. xxv For nothing perteyne that vntounto vsus, whych is aboue our compasse.
Paulus.
For the nature, tyme,Za. vij. Esai. v. and passage of this gospel, I am wel satisfied. But now tel me what shal here after become of them whych hath not of all this longe season in the trueOse. ix. feare of god, regarded the swete promises therof?Rom. i. ij. thes. ij Sa. xvij Matth. xxv.
Ioannes.
As they hauehave in their vnfaythfulnesse here, bene left to them selues to worke al vngodlynesse, and so departed hence with a desperate conscience. So shall they at the latter daye be condempned to eternall fyre wyth the deuyll and hys angels.
Paulus.
Oure mercyfull redemer defende vsus from that malediccyon. But what shall moste spedylye brynge me to that Gospel of health?
Ioannes.
The meke knowlege of thy selfe,Act. xv. Luc. iij. Ephe. ij. that thou art of nature the synnefull sonne of Adam, iustlye condempned in his transgressiō besydes thyne owne wycked doynges, and so lost for euer were not that recouer whiche thou hast in Christe Iesu.Iaco. v. i. Co. xv
Paulus.
Shewe me by what meanes I maye come to that knowlege.
Ioannes.
Seke fyrste vntounto the lawe,Io. vij. Rom. iij whych the Lorde taught by Moyses, and that shall declare the a synner.
Paulus.
Will the lawe do nothinge els but manifest my synne?
Ioannes.
Yes,Gal. iij. it wyl shewe the also thy condempnacyon.
Paulus.
If these be the only fruites of the lawe, I will not ones beholde it, least I by the searche, therof do fall into dispayre.
Ioannes.
Then shalt thu not do wyselye.Rom. v. ij. cor. vij Gala. iij Rom. iij Gala. iij For yf thou know not thy sore, thou shalte not be occasyoned to seke the remedye. When thu hast therfore in yt law as in a clere myrrour beholdē thy manyfolde mysheues & cōsidered the depe daungers of thē, thu shalt of necessite be moued to seke vntounto Christe as vntounto an onlye relefe,Act. iiij. i. Cor. i. health, cōfort, peace, attonement, grace, righteousnesse, wysedome & redēpcion.
Paulus.
Esa. liij Ioan. iWhy, is there non other saluacion, but that which is in Christ?
Ioannes.
No surely frynde, he alone is yt lambe, which taketh awaye the synnes of the worlde.ij. Pet. ij Ap. xviij
Paulus.
What shall we thē call our spiritual sacrifiars, which saye they delyuer vsus from synne wyth their masses, absolucions, blessinges, vnccions,Matth. xxiiij. Luc. xvij Coloss. ij & holy water.
Ioannes.
Not sauers but deceyuers, lyke as Christ of thē hath prophecyed. Manye seducers (sayeth he) shal come in my name and saye: Here is Christe, and there is thy maker. But beware they deceyue you not.
Paulus.
Where shall I then seke to open vntounto hym my grefe, and so to hauehave remedy for my soules disease?
Ioannes.
Not out of thy selfe,i. Io. iiij. i. Cor. vi Luc. xvij Ioā. xiiij to thy soules behoue. For thy faythful hart is the temple of God, or that holy habitaciō that Christ hath promised to dwell in. The false worshippers seke him in outwarde thinges, & neuer finde him.Apo. xiij Ioan. iiij But seke thu him in spirite and verite, and thou shalt hauehave hym present.
Paulus.
Then is he not vnderunder the deliueraunce of menne, nor yet bounde to their dispē sacyon?
Ioannes.
No trulye is he not,ij. tim. ij. Esai. xi. nomore than are the other gyftes of God, as wysdome, vnderstandinge, connsell, strengthe, science, pyte & the iust feare of God. For as testifyeth saynt Iames.Iaco. i. Ioan. iij Pro. ij. Euerye perfyght gyft is from aboue, & commeth downe vntounto vsus frō the father of lyght immediatlye.
Paulus.
By this your hole protestaciō it should seme than vntounto me, that I am ordayned of God to this ende. First to acknowlege my selfe a wycked synner,Psal. l. Rom. vi than to aryse from it through true repentaunce, and so to leade a newe lyfe after the gospell,ephe. iiij tyll suche tyme as my eternall father shall wy…saue to call me from this corruptible mansyon,Iob. x. Ro. vij. Ro. viij. thys foren lande, this vale of myserye, this castell of synne, and thys habytacle of deathe, into the eternall heretage of hys sonne Iesus Christe. To whom with the holye ghost be euerlastynge prayse, honour and glorye worlde wythout ende.
Amen.