The text here is taken from the 1831 edition of The Works of the English Reformers, vol. I, Ed. Thomas Russell (published in London). Minor edits were made.

Let it not make you despair, nor yet discourage you, O reader, that it is forbidden you, upon pain of life and goods, or that it is breaking the king’s peace, or treason to his highness, to read the word of your soul’s health. But much rather, be bold in the Lord, and comfort your soul: forasmuch as you are sure, and have an evident token through such persecution, that it is the true Word of God, which is ever hated by the world. Nor was his word ever without persecution (as you see in all the stories of the Bible, both in the New Testament and also in the Old), nor can it be, no more than the sun can be without light. And contrariwise, you may be just as sure that the pope’s doctrine is not of God, which (as you see) is so agreeable to the world, and is so received by the world. Or rather, the pope’s doctrine receives the world and the pleasures of the world. It seeks nothing but the possessions of the world, and the authority in the world, and to bear rule in the world. It persecutes the Word of God, and with all wiliness, it drives people from it. With false and sophistical reasons, it makes them afraid of it. Indeed, it curses and excommunicates them, and brings them to believe they are damned if they look at it. That is but doctrine to deceive men. It moves the blind powers of the world to slay with fire, water, and sword, all who cleave to God’s Word. For the world loves what is the pope’s, and it hates what is chosen out of the world to serve God in the Spirit. As Christ says to His disciples (John 15:19), “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but I have chosen you out of the world, and therefore the world hates you.”

Another comfort you have is that, just as the weak powers of the world defend the doctrine of the world, so the mighty power of God defends the doctrine of God. You will evidently perceive it, if you call to mind the wonderful deeds which God has ever wrought for His word in extreme necessity, since the world began, beyond all man’s reason. These are written (as Paul says, Romans 15:4) “for our learning, (and not for our deceiving), that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope.” The nature of God’s Word is to fight against hypocrites. It began at Abel, and it has ever since continued, and shall continue, I do not doubt, until the last day. Hypocrites always have the world on their side, as you see in the time of Christ. They had the elders, that is, the rulers of the Jews on their side. They had Pilate and the emperor’s power on their side. They also had Herod on their side. Moreover, they brought all their worldly wisdom to bear, and all that they could think or imagine to serve their purpose. First, to frighten the people with, they excommunicated all that believed in Him, and put them out of the temple, as you see in John 9:34. Secondly, they found the means to have Him condemned by the emperor’s power, and made it treason to Caesar to believe in Him. Thirdly, they sought to have Him hanged as a thief or a murderer, which, after their fleshly-wisdom, was a cause above all causes that no man should believe in Him. For the Jews take it for a sure token of everlasting damnation, if a man is hanged. For it is written in their law, Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (Gal. 3:13), “Cursed is everyone that hangs on a tree.” Moses also in the same place commands, if any man is hanged, to take him down the same day and bury him, for fear of polluting or defiling the country; that is, lest they bring the wrath and curse of God upon them. Therefore, the wicked Jews themselves, with so venomous a hatred, persecuted the doctrine of Christ. They did all they could to shame Him, though they would have had Christ continue to hang on the cross and rot there (as He should have done by the emperor’s law), yet for fear of defiling their Sabbath, and bringing the wrath and curse of God upon them, they begged Pilate to take Him down (John 19), which went against themselves.

Finally, when they had done all they could, and all that they thought was sufficient, and when Christ was in the heart of the earth, and so many bills and pole-axes were around Him to keep Him down, and when it was past man’s help, then God helped. When man could not bring Him back again, God’s truth fetched Him again. The oath that God had sworn to Abraham, to David, and to other holy fathers and prophets, raised Him up again, to bless and save all that believe in Him. Thus the wisdom of the hypocrites became foolishness. Look, this was written for your learning and comfort.

How awfully were the children of Israel locked in Egypt! In what tribulation, suffering, and adversity they were in! Also the land that was promised to them was far off, and full of great cities, walled with high walls up to the sky, and inhabited with great giants. Yet God’s truth brought them out of Egypt and planted them in the land of the giants. This was also written for our learning. For there is no power against God’s, nor any wisdom against God’s wisdom. He is stronger and wiser than all His enemies. What did it help Pharaoh to drown the male children? So little (I fear not) shall it at the last help the pope and his bishops, to burn our male children who manfully confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord, and that there is no other name given to men to be saved by, as Peter testifies in Acts 4:12.

Who dried up the Red sea? Who slew Goliath? Who did all those wonderful deeds which you read about in the Bible? Who delivered the Israelites evermore from thralldom and bondage, as soon as they repented and turned to God? Faith truly, and God’s truth, and trust in the promises which He had made. Read the 11th chapter to the Hebrews for your consolation.

When the children of Israel were ready to despair, because of the greatness and the multitude of the giants, Moses ever comforted them, saying, Remember what your Lord God has done for you in Egypt, His awful plagues, His miracles, His wonders, His mighty hand, His stretched out arm, and what He has done for you up to now. He shall destroy them; He shall take their hearts from them and make them fear and flee before you. He shall storm them, and stir up a tempest among them, and scatter them, and bring them to nothing. He has sworn; He is true; He will fulfill the promises that He has made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This is written for our learning: for truly He is a true God; and He is our God as well as theirs; and His promises are with us, as well as with them; and He is present with us, as well as He was with them. If we ask, we shall obtain; if we knock, He will open; if we seek, we shall find; if we thirst, His truth shall fulfill our desires. Christ is with us until the world’s end. Let His little flock be bold therefore. For if God is on our side, what does it matter who is against us, be they bishops, cardinals, popes, or whatever names they may have?

Mark this also, if God sends you to the sea, and promises to go with you, and to bring you safe to land, He will raise up a tempest against you, to prove whether you will abide by His Word, and so that you may feel your faith, and perceive His goodness. For if it was always fair weather, and you were never brought into such jeopardy, from where His mercy alone could deliver you, then your faith would be but a presumption, and you should be ever unthankful to God, and merciless to your neighbor.

If God promises riches, the way to them is poverty. Whom He loves, He chastens: whom He exalts, He casts down: whom He saves, He first damns. He brings no man to heaven, except He sends him to hell first. If He promises life, He slays first: when He builds, He first tears all down. He is no patcher; He cannot build on another man’s foundation. He will not work until all is past remedy, and brought to such a case, that men may see how His hand, His power, His mercy, His goodness and truth, has wrought it all together. He will let no man partake with Him of His praise and glory. His works are wonderful, and contrary to man’s works. Who but God delivered His own Son, His only Son, His dear Son, to death, and did that for His enemies’ sake, to win His enemy, and to overcome Him with love, so that He might see love, and love again, and of love, to do likewise to other men, and overcome them with well doing?

Joseph saw the sun and the moon and the eleven stars worshiping him. Nevertheless, before that came to pass, God laid him where he could neither see sun nor moon, nor any star of the sky, and that was so for many years; and also undeserved. It was done to nurture him, to humble him, to make him meek, and to teach him God’s ways, and to make him apt and fit for the place and honor he came to; so that he might perceive and feel that it came from God, and that he might be strong in the spirit to minister it in a godly fashion.

He promised the children of Israel a land with rivers of milk and honey; but He brought them for the space of forty years into a land where not only rivers of milk and honey were absent, but where not so much as a drop of water was to be had. He did it to nurture them, and teach them, as a father does his son, and to do them good at the end; and so that they might be strong in their spirit and souls, to use His gifts and benefits in a godly fashion, and after His will.

He promised David a kingdom, and immediately stirred up King Saul against him to persecute him; to hunt him as men hunt hares with greyhounds, and to ferret him out of every hole, and he did that for the space of many years. He did it to tame him, to make him meek, to kill his lusts; to make him feel other men’s diseases; to make him merciful; to make him understand that he was made king to minister to and to win his brothers. He did it so that David would not think that his subjects were made to minister to his own lusts, or that it was lawful for him to take away from them their life and goods at his pleasure.

Oh that our kings were so nurtured now-a-days! Our holy bishops teach in a far different manner, saying, “Your grace shall take your pleasure; indeed, take what pleasure you are inclined to; spare nothing; we shall dispense with you; we have the power, we are God’s vicars. Leave us alone with the realm; we will make it painful for you, and see that nothing is well with you. Your grace will but defend the faith only.”

Let us, therefore, look diligently to what we are called (Christians), so that we do not deceive ourselves. We are not called to dispute, as the pope’s disciples do; but to die with Christ, so that we may live with Him; and to suffer with Him, so that we may reign with Him. We are called to a kingdom that must be won with suffering only, just as a sick man wins his health. God is the One that does all things for us, and fights for us; and we do but suffer only.