A comfortable epistle, too God's faithful people in EnglandA comfortable epistle, too Goddes faythfull people in Englande

¶ The. v. Chapter.

Secondly to this hearty repentance must a true and Christen faith be annexed / ¹which apprehendeth and layeth hand on the merciful promises of God freely set forth to all faithful penitent sinners in Christs dear heart blood. For without this faith and perfect persuasion of Gods favour toward us / Repentance is vain / as ²the histories of Cain / Esau / Saul / Ahab / Judas / and of such other do manifestly declare. In consideration whereof our Saviour Christ / when he began to preach / said not only to his hearers / Repent, but he added / And believe the Gospel, teaching that true repentance must be joined ³with Christen faith / or else it profiteth ⟨image 11⟩nothing. An example hereof besides many other / have we in the history of the sinful woman / in the Gospel of saint Luke / which ⁴did not only repent earnestly / as her bitter tears / sorrowful sobbings and deep sighings do plainly declare / but she also faithfully believed / being constantly persuaded / that she although a most wicked sy•er should obtain remission of all her since at God the fathers hand for Jesus Christs sake his dearly beloved Son / whose feet at that present she ceased not too kiss / whose feet she washed with her tears / wiped with her hair / and anointed with most precious pleasant oil. Our Saviour Christ / therefore beholding her true repentance conjoined with undoubted faith / said not only to her / Thy since are forgiven thee / but he added / Thy saith hath saved thee, depart with peace, that is too say / with a quiet / free / joyful and merry conscience. Let us bring for the this faithful repentance