A Dialogue to be had at Table Between Two Children, Part 2
¶A confession of the synner after the sacred scrypturs, collected by Iohan Bale, at the request of a faythfull frynde of hys
I Acknowledge vntounto my eternal & euerlastyng god, that of myne owne nature I am non other but a carnall thynge and the myserable chylde of Adam,Ephe. ij iustlye exyled wyth hym in hys transgression. I felt also that of my selfe I hauehave neyther power, vnderstandinge, wysdome, knowledg,Esai. xi. strength, grace, vertu, nor godlynesse, and that I can not do so muche as ones thynke a good thought. Here hauehave I wandered in the regyon of dyssimylitude, all contrarye to hys prescrypt rewles and admonishmētes.ij. cor. iij I hauehave folowed the fylthye concupiscence of an hart all earthlye mynded, the wantō desyres of eyes replete wyth all vanites,i. Ioā. ij. & the vayne glorye of thys worlde comprehendynge al inordinate vyces to the vtter dampnacion of my sowle.Luc. xxij Sathan hath suggested vntounto me the louelove of thynges corruptible, the desyre of fleshlye pleasurs, the appetyte of voluptuouse fedinges,i. Pet. v the delyght of lasciuyouse fables, the couetynge of ydell slouthfulnesse, the affeccions of ryches, honour, bewtye, wantonnesse, and other execrable fantasyes wythout nombre. And vntounto all these hauehave I consented, nor regardynge the godlye warninges of scripture to the cōtrary. So that I am now become through myne owne wyckednesse, a captyue presoner vnderunder the lawe,Ro. vij. Iaco. i. the worlde, the fleshe, death, synne, helle, and the deuyl, all cruell, & fearce aduersaryes vntounto me. Whan I hauehave respect vntounto mine owne nature, I fynde it al synnefull in Adam, feble, weake, & wretched. Whan I loke towardes Moyses, I finde all to heuye for me.Eccle. i. He burdeneth me with greuose yockes, he feareth my conscience wyth threttenynges,Deut. xxvij. and vtterlye dampneth me with curses for disobedyence. I heare the lawe & reade the commaundementes, but whan I conferre them wyth my fleshe,Hier. iiij & assaye to do them in effect, I fynde it farre vnable to fulfyll them. Wherupon I dispayre in my self as one readye to fal into the moste depe bottome of helle. Than consydre I ageyne by the lyght of the Lordes callynge, and by the openinge of hys grace, hys confortable promyses in the prophetes,Psalm. xxxvij. & the glad tydynges of saluacyō in the Gospell. These doth rayse me vp agayne, they confort me gratly. They wytnesse vntounto me of Christ.Esai. xxvi. Ioan. i. They leade me vntounto him, throughlye assertanynge me that he is whollye myne owne, yf I trulye repēt from the hart.Ro. viij. Thus after the heauēlye father hath shewed vntounto me the iuste cause of hys indignacyon, and vtterly deiected me for synne, he calleth vntounto mynde hys eternall mercye. He remembreth I am but fleshe.Luce. i. Eccle. Psal. cij He consydereth that I am but dust. No louyng Father can be more mercyfu…l to the fruyte of hys owne bodye, nor yet naturall mother more pr…tefull to her chylde, than he is vntounto me hys wretched creature. Though I hauehave most ryehtously abused the gyftes of nature,Isa. xlix fortune, and grace, yet calleth home agayn to repē taunce. And so causeth me to remembre that I hauehave synned agaynst heauen, that I hauehave in hys syght done fylthynesse,Luc. xv Psal. l. and that I am not worthye from henceforth to beare name of his sonne. Whan he beholdeth my wretched nakydnesse without good workes or deseruynges, he bryngeth forth the beste garment, whych is the ryghtuousnesse of Christe. He putteth it vponupon me, and so hydeth my sinne. He setteth a rynyge on my fyngar, so espowsynge me to immortalyte, in case I perseuer in fayth to the ende.Mat. x. ephe. vi He putteth showes vponupon my fete, so sequesteringe my carnall affecciōs & so preparyng my pathwayes into the gospell of peace. Christ resorteth vntounto me of lou…. He descrybeth hym selfe before me in the gospell.Luc. xix Mat. xi He telleth me, hys office is onlye to saue. He calleth me vntounto him to refreshe me. He receyueth me to ease me of my burdene. He conforteth me wyth promyses of euerlastynge lyfe.Ioā. viij i. cor. vi. He kuytteth me vntounto hys owne mistycall bodye, makynge me a mēbre therof. He declareth vntounto me all other offyces of conforte heauenlye. As that he is my onlye wysdome, helth, ryghteousnes, & redēpciō. And that yf I beleue in him,i. Cor. i. I shal not come into iudgemēt, but passe through from death vntounto the lyfe euerlastyng. Thus beynge a fleshlye thynge of nature,Ephe. ij and throwne downe by the lawe, I am raysed vp ageyne by the gospell, and so saued, no synne past beynge▪ imputed vntounto me from henceforth for Iesus Christes sake.Ro. viij, To whom he glorye wyth the father and the holye Ghost worlde wythout ende. Amen.
Psalm. viij.
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklynges haste thou made perfyght thy prayses.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Bale, A Dialogue to be had at Table Between Two Children (1549)