A06710:42
A comfortable epistle, too God's faithful people in EnglandA comfortable epistle, too Goddes faythfull people in Englande
A comfortable epistle, too God's faithful people in England wherein is declared the cause of taking away the true Christen religion from them, & how it may be recovered and obtained again, newly made by Thomas Becon.A comfortable epistle, too Goddes faythfull people in Englande wherein is declared the cause of takynge awaye the true Christen religion from them, & howe it maye be recouered and obtayned agayne, newly made by Thomas Becon.
printed by J. Lambrecht?, 1554
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Aman / which before 1was so much set by of the king / is now suddenly so far fallen from the kings favour / 2that he is commanded to be hanged upon those same gallows / that he had set up for good Mordecai / so that Mordecai was made ruler of all that Amā had / & was exalted unto high dignity / that that may be found true / which we read in the Psalm: I said unto the fools / deal not 3so madly / & to the ungodly / set not up your borne. Set not up your horn on high / and speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West / nor yet from the South. And why? God is the Judge / he putteth down 4one / and setteth up another. Again / the ungodly seeth the righteous / and seeketh occasion to slay him. But the Lord will not leave ⟨image 20⟩him in his hand / nor condemn him / wham he is judged. Immediately / after also was a contrary commandment sent out by the 5posts with all haste from the king / strictly charging all the inhabitants of the kings 6dominions by no means to trouble or too vex the Jews / but to take them as most dear / faithful and loving subjects of the King / and if any would withstand the Kings commandment in this behalf / that the Jews should gather them selves together / and slay their enemies / and take away their goods. Thus suddenly was sorrow turned into joy / heaviness into mirth sadness into gladness / slavery into honour / darkness into light / and death into life. O the unspeakable power of the Lord our God.
Aman / whiche before 1was so muche set by of the kynge / is nowe sodenly so farre fallen from the kynges fauoure / 2