A Dialogue to be had at Table Between Two Children
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A02772.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
A dyspatche of vows and priesthood, by the word of God. Compyled by Johan Bale.
A dialoge or Communycacyon to be had at a table between two children, gathered out of the holy scriptures, by Johan Bale, for his .ii. young sons Johan and Paul.
To be sold in Fletestrete at the sign of the Croune, next unto the white Fryres gate.
Imprynted at London, for Richard Foster. Anno. M.D.XLIX.
The .c. and .xxx. Psalm of David, called De profundis.
Johan Bale.
Anno M.D.XLIII.
A Dialoge or Communicacyon to be had at a table between .ii. children, gathered out of the holy scriptures by Johan Bale for his two young sons, Johan and Paul.
FOr so much as God hath cōstitute me a creature reasonable, and endued me with an understanding, I am naturally desyerouse to know, to what ende I am created.
Than will it be necessary for yow to have faith. For he y t shall have a do with god or with godliness, must first of all believe after the sacred scrypturs.
Than tell me whatfaith is, by those same sacred scriptures.
After the saying of S. Paul, it is a certain assurance of godly things, which we trust unto, and a grounded euydence in the spirit of heavenly causes that never are seen w t the eye.
What suppose ye moste fytt to dyrect me in this faith.
The eternal Testament or Gospel of Jesus Christ, for that is y e power of the Lord into salvation to all them that believe. What shall I esteem the traditions of men besides that gospel?
The leaven of Pharisees, chaff, cockle, tares, stubble, swylle, swine's draff ydeluesse, ydolatry, whoredom of the spirit, filthiness, false worshipping, the call of strangers, the fearful curse of God and abhomiuacion standing in the holy place.
Whā was this gospel first taught
Sone after the worlds beginning, whā Adā had ones offended, least he should have fallen into utter dispair and so have been lost for ener.
Yea, truly hath it, & oft sense that time been confirmed by more earnest promises from age to age, till that meek lamb come, which toke away the sins of the world, thorough the shedynge of his most innocent blood. For the scripture saith, that his mercy was plenteouse, from kyndrede to kyndred to them that feared the Lord.
Hath all men been called to grace by that Gospel of salvation?
Yea doubtless have they, yet have they not all thankefully received it. So well was it taught of our first father Adam to Cain, as to Abel. So well to the fleshely children of men as to the ghostly children of God. So well ded Noah preach it unto Cham, as unto Sem and Japheth. So well ded Abraham show it to Ishmael, as to Isaac. So well Moses to Pharaoh, as to the people of Israel. David to Amnon, and Absalom, as to Salomō, & Nathan. Helias to Ahab & Jezebel, as to the moste faithful believers. No less ded Christ open thereof to Judas, than to Peter Johan, & James. And so forth the Apostles with other true preachers to this present day, so that non is without excuse,
How cometh it then to pass, that so many are lost, and still yet doth daily perish through their lewd cōuersacyon and lycencyouse living.
No faute can be ascribed to the Gospel, but to their unthankful receiving of y e fruits thereof, so freely offered them, as I said afore. The disdayneful spurninge a side or throwinge at their tales of that necessary health in Christ is cause of their decay, and not the set ordinance of God, which willeth all men to be saved.
If Adam thus received this gospel, & so taught it unto his posterite, it hath continued much longer then I supposed.
The gospel is as y t Lord is, everlasting. For as witnesseth the Apostle saint John. In the beginning was the word, & the word was w t God, & God was that word.
Thē was not Matthew the first writer thereof with the other Evangelists, as the popish church hath taught us?
No, God wrote it first in the natural heart of man, & so yt remained here still till Moses and the prophets ded leave it in outward wrytinge to the people's farther erudicyon. For as S. Paul doeth witness, all they ded eat frō the first beginning of one spiritual meat & drank of one spiritual drink, y t hard rock following thē which was Jesus christ. And this is a clear tokē that one gospel hath reigned in y e people of god sense y t worlds beginning.
Yonge infantes departinge hence in their chyldehode, should seme to be no partyners thereof.
For they never have it taught thē. And if they had, yet should it little profyght thē having so small understanding
God never distributeth his gifts to y t measure of age & discressiō, for then had Annas been more faithful then Peter, and Caiaphas more godly then Johan. For they were both elder and wiser. As faith is an unknown gift of God, so is it of him secretelye ministered. We know not frō whence it cometh whē men are borne of the spirit. Johan Baptist knew Christ in his mothers womb, & yet had he neither age nor understanding that was seen. God is their secrete instructour & preacher, which taught it first without voice & wrote it without pen in the hidden heart of man. As the spirit of prophecyded happen unto men by the free gift of god without age, so doth faith to y e infantes. As he gave that benefyght of his grace to the babe Hieremye, so doth he secretly ministre unto thē that necessary health of salvation. He alone made y e child Daniel rightlye to judge y e ungodly. The Apostles spoke not of them selves, but out of the abundaūce of his eternal spirit also. The aged are left to the outward gospel, the children are reserved to God's secrete working. And therefore Christ said unto his Apostles suffer the childrē to come unto me, for to thē belongeth the kingdom of heavē. Theyr angels are evermore beholdinge the face of my father which is in heavē. Suche secrete doubts ought not to be moved. For nothing pertain that unto us, which is above our compass.
For the nature, time, and passage of this gospel, I am well satisfied. But now tell me what shall here after become of them which hath not of all this longe season in the true fear of god, regarded the sweet promises thereof?
As they have in their vnfaythfulnesse here, been left to them selves to work all ungodliness, and so departed hence with a desperate conscience. So shall they at the latter day be condemned to eternal fire with the devil and his angels.
Oure merciful redeemer defend us from that malediccyon. But what shall moste spedylye bring me to that Gospel of health?
The meek knowledge of thyself, that thou art of nature the sinful son of Adam, justly condemned in his transgressiō besides thine own wicked doings, and so lost forever were not that recover which thou hast in Christ Jesus.
Show me by what means I may come to that knowledge.
Seke first unto the law, which the Lord taught by Moses, and that shall declare the a sinner.
Will the law do nothing else but manifest my sin?
If these be the only fruits of the law, I will not ones behold it, least I by the search, thereof do fall into despair.
Then shalt thu not do wyselye. For if thou know not thy sore, thou shalt not be occasyoned to seek the remedy. When thu hast therefore in y t law as in a clear mirror behold̄ thy manifold mysheues & considered the depe dangers of thē, thu shalt of necessity be moved to seek unto Christ as unto an only relefe, health, comfort, peace, atonement, grace, righteousness, wisdom & redēpcion.
What shall we thē call our spiritual sacrifiars, which say they deliver us from sin with their masses, absolucions, blessings, vnccions, & holy water.
Not sauers but deceyuers, like as Christ of thē hath prophesied. Manye seducers (saith he) shall come in my name and say: Here is Christ, and there is thy maker. But beware they deceive you not.
Where shall I then seek to open unto him my grefe, and so to have remedy for my souls disease?
Not out of thyself, to thy souls behoove. For thy faithful heart is the temple of God, or that holy habitaciō that Christ hath promised to dwell in. The false worshippers seek him in outward things, & never find him. But seek thu him in spirit and verite, and thou shalt have him present.
Then is he not under the deliverance of men, nor yet bound to their dispēsacyon?
No truly is he not, no more than are the other gifts of God, as wisdom, understanding, connsell, strength, science, pyte & the just fear of God. For as testifieth saint James. Euerye perfect gift is from above, & cometh down unto us frō the father of light immediatlye.
By this your hole protestaciō it should seme than unto me, that I am ordained of God to this ende. First to acknowledge myself a wicked sinner, than to arise from it through true repentance, and so to lead a new life after the gospel, till such time as my eternal father shall wy • save to call me from this corruptible mansyon, this foren lande, this vale of myserye, this castle of sin, and this habytacle of death, into the eternal heretage of his son Jesus Christ. To whom with the holy ghost be everlasting praise, honor and glory world without ende.
A confession of the sinner after the sacred scrypturs, collected by Johan Bale, at the request of a faithful frynde of his
I Acknowledge unto my eternal & everlasting god, that of mine own nature I am non other but a carnal thing and the miserable child of Adam, justly exyled with him in his transgression. I felt also that of myself I have neither power, understanding, wisdom, knowledge, strength, grace, vertu, nor godliness, and that I cannot do so much as ones think a good thought. Here have I wandered in the regyon of dyssimylitude, all contrary to his prescrypt rewles and admonishmētes. I have followed the filthy concupiscence of an heart all earthly minded, the wantō desires of eyes replete with all vanites, & the vain glory of this world comprehendynge all inordinate vices to the utter damnation of my sowle. Satan hath suggested unto me the love of things corruptible, the desire of fleshly pleasures, the appetyte of voluptuouse fedinges, the delight of lasciuyouse fables, the couetynge of idle slouthfulnesse, the affeccions of riches, honor, bewtye, wantonness, and other execrable fantasyes without number. And unto all these have I consented, nor regardynge the godly warninges of scripture to the contrary. So that I am now become through mine own wickedness, a captive presoner under the law, the world, the flesh, death, sin, hell, and the devil, all cruel, & fierce adversaries unto me. Whan I have respect unto mine own nature, I find it all sinful in Adam, feeble, weak, & wretched. Whan I loke towards Moses, I find all to heuye for me. He burdeneth me with greuose yockes, he feareth my conscience with threttenynges, and utterly dampneth me with curses for disobedyence. I hear the law & read the commandments, but whan I confer them with my flesh, & assaye to do them in effect, I find it far unable to fulfill them. Wherupon I despair in myself as one ready to fall into the moste depe bottom of hell. Than consydre I again by the light of the Lord's calling, and by the opening of his grace, his comfortable promises in the prophets, & the glad tiding of saluacyō in the Gospel. These doth raise me up again, they confort me gratly. They witness unto me of Christ. They lead me unto him, throughlye assertanynge me that he is whollye mine own, if I truly reap̄t from the heart. Thus after the heavenlye father hath shown unto me the just cause of his indignacyon, and utterly dejected me for sin, he calleth unto mind his eternal mercy. He remembereth I am but flesh. He consydereth that I am but dust. No loving Father can be more mercyfu • l to the fruit of his own body, nor yet natural mother more pr • tefull to her child, than he is unto me his wretched creature. Though I have most ryehtously abused the gifts of nature, fortune, and grace, yet calleth home again to reap̄taunce. And so causeth me to remember that I have sinned against heaven, that I have in his sight done filthiness, and that I am not worthy from henceforth to bear name of his son. Whan he beholdeth my wretched nakydnesse without good works or deseruynges, he bringeth forth the best garment, which is the ryghtuousnesse of Christ. He putteth it upon me, and so hydeth my sin. He setteth a rynyge on my fyngar, so espowsynge me to immortalyte, in case I persevere in faith to the ende. He putteth shows upon my fete, so sequesteringe my carnal affecciōs & so preparyng my pathwayes into the gospel of peace. Christ resorteth unto me of lou • . He descrybeth him self before me in the gospel. He telleth me, his office is only to save. He calleth me unto him to refresh me. He receiveth me to ease me of my burdene. He conforteth me with promises of everlasting life. He kuytteth me unto his own mistycall body, making me a menbre thereof. He declareth unto me all other offices of comfort heavenly. As that he is my only wisdom, health, righteousness, & redēpciō. And that if I believe in him, I shall not come into judgment, but pass through from death unto the life everlasting. Thus being a fleshly thing of nature, and thrown down by the law, I am raised up again by the gospel, and so saved, no sin past being▪ imputed unto me from henceforth for Jesus Christ's sake. To whom he glory with the father and the holy Ghost world without ende. Amen.
Psalm. viii.
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklynges haste thou made perfect thy praises.