believing
himself to be righteous before God, or approved and acceptable to him.

25. And Noah's faith was truly great; he could rely upon God's
utterance. I, forsooth, should not have believed. I realize what
weight the whole world's hostile and condemnatory judgment must carry.
We are condemned in the judgment of the Pope, the Sacramentarians, and
the Anabaptists, but this is mere play and pleasure, compared to what
the righteous Noah had to bear, who found not a single person in the
whole world to approve of his religion or life, except his own sons
and his pious grandfather. We have, the endorsement of many Churches,
by God's grace, and our princes fear no danger in defense of their
doctrine and religion. Noah had no such protectors, and he saw his
enemies living in peaceful leisure and enjoyment. If I had been he, I
surely should have said: Lord, if I am righteous, if I am well
pleasing to thee and if those people are wicked and displeasing to
thee, why, then, dost thou enrich them? Why dost thou heap upon them
all manner of favors, while I, with my family, am greatly harassed and
almost without assistance? In short, I should have despaired in such
great afflictions unless the Lord had given me that spirit which Noah
had.

26. Therefore, Noah is a brilliant and admirable example of faith, who
opposed the judgments of the world with an heroic steadfastness of
mind in the assurance that he was righteous while all the rest of the
world was wicked.

27. Often when I think of those most holy men, John Huss and Jerome of
Prague, I view with astonishment the courage of their souls, as they,
only two in number, set themselves against the judgment of the whole
world, of pope, emperor, bishops, princes, universities and all the
schools throughout the empire.

28. It is helpful often to reflect upon such examples. Since the
prince of the world battles against us, endeavoring to kindle despair
in us with his fiery darts, it behooves us to be well armed, lest we
succumb to the enemy. Let us say with Noah: I know that I am righteous
before God, even though the whole world condemn me as heretical and
wicked, yea, even desert me. Thus did the apostles desert Christ,
leaving him alone; but he said (Jn 16, 32): "I am not alone." Thus did
the false brethren desert Paul. Hence, this is no uncommon danger, and
it is not for us to despair; but with courage to uphold the true
doctrine, in spite of the world's condemnation and curse