A06710:48
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.
When Christ and his disciples were in the shipp• / Christ at a certain time slept. In the mean while their arose a great 1tempest in the sea / in so much that the ship was covered with the waves. The disciples perceiving them selves too be in great danger and peril of drowning / and not knowing what to do / nor how to escape / came unto Christ / awoke him and said: Master / save us / we perish. Christ answered: Why are ye afraid / O ye of little faith? Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea / & there followed a great calm. O the tender mercy of the Lord our God / toward all such as in the time of their trouble fie unto his name as unto a strong bulwark. This history teacheth us / that though the seas and the winds / yea / though the devil & the world rise / roar / rage & ruffle against us never so much / yet if we fie unto God with hearty & ⟨image 22⟩faithful prayer / he will surely help us / so that nothing shall hurt us / seem our case never so miserable / & our danger never so perilous. The waves of the sea are mighty / sayeth the Psalmographe / & rage 2horribly / yet the Lord that dwelleth on high / i• mightier.
Whan Christ and hys disciples were in the shipp• / Christe at a certayn tyme slept. In the meane whyle their arose a greate 1tempeste in the sea / in so muche that the shyppe was couered wyth the waues. The disciples perceauynge them selfes too be in greate daunger and peryll of drownynge / and not knowynge what to do / nor how to escape / came vnto Chryste / awoke hym and sayde: Master / saue vs / we peryshe. Christe aunswered: Why are ye afrayde / O ye of littell faythe? Then he arose and rebuked the wyndes and the sea / & there folowed a great calme. O the tender mercye of the Lorde oure God / towarde all suche as in the time of theyr trouble fie vnto his name as vnto a stronge bulwarke. Thys historye teacheth vs / that thoughe the seas and the wyndes / yea / though the deuel & the worlde ryse / rore / rage & ruffle against vs neuer so much / yet if we fie vnto God with harty &