infect and trouble the Church of God as also concerning the occasions through the which he hath presumed might doe the same because the Prelates do abuse the ecclesiasticall censures as well the Prelates as those that are vnder them d ee not keepe and obserue the order of the churche whych is appoynted them by God whereby it commeth to passe that whylest they themselues do walke the broken vnknowne paths their flocke falleth headlong into the ditch Wherefore let our soueraigne Lord the Pope and this most sacred Councel ordaine and depute Commissioners the which may examine the sayd Iohn Hus vpon all afore wrytten and other thyngs in the presence of them whych knowe the matter Let there be also certaine Doctors and Maisters appoynted to reade ouer and peruse hys bookes which he hath written whereof some are here present that the churche may be spedily purged and cleansed from these errours Upon this hys accusation they ordeined and appoynted 3. commissioners or iudges that is to say the patriark of Constantinople and the byshop of Castle the byshop of Lybusse The which prelates being thus deputed hard the accusation the witnes which was brought in by certaine babling priestes of Prage confirmed by theyr othes afterward recited the sayd accusation vnto the sayd Hus in the prisone at suche time as hys ague was feruent and extremely vpō him Uppon thys Iohn Hus required to haue an aduocate to answer for hym the whych was plainly and vtterly denied him And the reason that the masters Commissioners brought against it was this that the plain canon doth forbid that any man should be a defender of any cause of hys which is suspect of any kind of heresy The vanity and foly of the witnesses was suche that if in case they had not bene both the accusers and iudges themselues there shuld haue needed no distinct confutation I would haue rehersed the testimonies in thys place but that I knew them to to be such as the prudent and wise reader coulde not haue red without great tediousnes Nowheit some of them shal be declared when we come to the processe of hys iudgement Afterwarde when Iohn Husse had recouered lyttle strength or health by the commandement of the three commissioners there was presented vnto hym certaine Articles many in number which they sayd they had gathered out of his booke which he made of the Churche of whych articles some were forged and inuented by maister Palletz other some were gathered onely by halues as shall be more plainly declared hereafter whē we come to speake of the iudgement pronounced and geuen against the sayde Hus. Thus Iohn Hus remained in the prison of the couent of the Franciscanes vntill the Wednesday before Palme Sonday and certaine appoynted to keepe hym and in the meane season to employ and spende his time wythall he wrote certaine bookes That is to say of the ten commandements of the loue and knowledge of God of Matrimony of Penaunce of the three enemies of mankinde of the prayer of our Lord and of the Supper of our Lord. The same day Pope Iohn the 23 chaūged his apparell conucyed himselfe secretly out of Constance fearing the iudgemēt by the which afterward he was depriued of his Papall dignitie by meanes of most execrable abhominable forfaites and doynges This was the cause that Iohn Hus was trāsported and caried vnto an other prison for the Popes seruauntes which had the charge and keeping of Iohn Hus vnderstanding that their Maister was fled gone deliuered vp the keyes of the prison vnto the Emperour Sigismund and to the Cardinals and followed their Maister the Pope Then by the whole cōsent of the Councell the sayd Iohn Hus was put into the handes of the Byshop of Constance who sent him to a Castle on the other side of the Riuer of Rhine not very farre from Cōstance whereas he was shut vp in a Tower with fetters on his legges that he could scarse walke in the day tyme and at night hee was fastened vp to a racke agaynst the wall hard by his bed In the meane season certaine noble men and Gentlemen of Pole Boheme did al their indeuour to purchase his deliueraunce hauing respect to the good renowne of all the Realme the which was wonderfully defamed and slaundered by certaine naughty persons The matter was growne vnto this pointe that all they which were in the towne of Constance that seemed to beare any fauour vnto I. Hus were made as mockyng stocks and derided of all men yea euen of the slaues and base people Wherfore they tooke counsell and cōcluded together to present their request in writing vnto the whole Coūcell or at the least vnto the foure nations of Almaine Italie Fraunce and England this request was presented the 14. day of May. an 1415. The tenour here ensueth ¶ The first schedule or Bill whiche the nobles of Boheme deliuered vp to the Councell for the deliueraunce of Iohn Hus the 14. day of May. Anno. 1415. MOst reuerēd Fathers and Lordes The Nobles and Lordes of Boheme and Pole here present by this their present writynges doe shew and declare vnto your Fatherly reuerences how that the most noble Kyng and Lord the Lord Sigismund kyng of Romaines alwayes Augustus kyng of Hungary Croatia Dasmatia c. hearyng of the great dissention that was in the kyngdome of Boheme as heyre Kyng and Lord successour willyng mynding to foresee and prouide for his owne honour he sent these Noble men Maister Wenceslate de Duba and Iohn de Clum here present that they would bryng and assure Maister Iohn Hus vnder the kyng his name and safe conduct So that he would come to the sacred generall Councell of Constance vnder the safe conduct of the sayd kyng and the protection of the sacred Empire openly geuen and graunted vnto the sayd Maister Iohn Hus that hee might purge himselfe and the kyngdome of Boheme from the slaunder that was raysed vpon them and there to make an open declaration of his Fayth to euery man that would lay any thyng to his charge The which the sayd Nobles with the forenamed Maister Iohn Hus haue performed and done accordyng to the kynges commaundement When as the sayd Maister Iohn Hus was freely of his owne accorde come vnto Constance vnder the sayd safe conduct greuously imprisoned before he was heard and at this present is tormented both with fetters and also with hunger and thirst Albeit that in tymes past at the Councell holden at Paysan 1410. yeare of our Lord the heretickes whiche were condemned were suffered to remayne there at libertie and to depart home freely Notwithstandyng this Maister Iohn Husse neither beyng conuicted nor condemned no not so much as once heard is taken and imprisoned when as neither any kyng or any Prince Elector either any Embassadour of any Uniuersitie was yet come or present And albeit the Lord the Kyng together
with the Nobles and Lordes here present most instantly required and desired that as touchyng his safe conduct they would foresee and haue respect vnto his honour And that the sayd Maister Iohn Hus might be openly heard for so much as he would render and shew a reason of his fayth and if he were found or conuicted obstinately to affirme or maintayne any thyng agaynst the truth or holy Scripture that then he ought to correct and amend the same according to the instruction and determination of the Councell yet could hee neuer obtayne this But the sayd Maister Iohn Husse notwithstandyng all this is most greuously oppressed with fetters and yrons and so weakened with thinne and slender diete that it is to be feared least that his power and strength beyng hereby consumed and wasted hee should be put in daunger of his witte or reason And although the Lordes of Boheme here present are greatly slaundered because they seyng the sayd Maister Iohn Hus so to be tormeÌ„ted and troubled contrary to the kyngs safe conduct haue not by their letters put the kyng in mynde of his sayd safe conduct that the sayd Lord and kyng should not any more suffer any such matters for so much as they tend to the contempt and disregard of the kingdome of Boheme which froÌ„ the first originall and begynnyng since it receaued the Catholicke fayth it neuer departed or went away froÌ„ the obedience of that holy Church of Rome yet notwithstandyng they haue suffered borne all these thynges patiently hetherto least by any meanes occasion of trouble or vexation of this sacred Councell might arise or spryng therof Wherfore most reuereud fathers Lordes The Nobles and Lordes before named do wholy most earnestly desire require your reuerences here present that both for the honour of the safe conduct of our sayd Lord the kyng also for the preseruation and encrease of the worthy fame and renowne both of the foresayd kyngdome of Boheme your own also that you will make a short end about the affayres of M. Iohn Hus for so much as by the meanes of his straite handling he is in great daunger by any loÌ„ger delay cueÌ„ as they do most specially trust vpoÌ„ the most vpright consciences iudgementes of your fatherly reuereÌ„ces But forasmuch as most reuereÌ„d fathers and Lordes it is now come to the knowledge and vnderstaÌ„ding of the Nobles Lordes of Boheme here present how that certaine backbiters and slauÌ„derers of the most famous kingdom of Boheme aforesayd haue declared told vnto your reuerences how that the Sacrament of the most precious bloud of our Lord is caried vp downe through Boheme in vessels not coÌ„secrated or halowed and that Coblers do now heare confessions minister the most blessed body of our Lord vnto others The Nobles therfore of Boheme here present require and desire you that you will geue no credit vnto false promoters tale tellers for that as most wicked and naughty slaunderers backbiters of the kingdome aforesaid they do report tel vntruthes requiring also your reuerences that such slanderous persons of the kingdome aforesaid may be named knowne And the lord the king together with your reuereÌ„ces shal well perceiue and see that the Lordes of Boheme will go about in such maner to refell and put away the false fâ—â—uolous slaunders of those naughty persons that they shall be ashamed to appeare hereafter before the lord the kyng and your reuerences As soone as this their supplication was red that byshop of Luthonis rising vp said Most reuerend fathers I well perceiue and vnderstand that the last part of this writing doth touch me my familiars frends as though the kingdom of Boheme were slaundered by vs. Wherfore I desire to haue time space of deliberation that I may purge my selfe from this crime that is laid against me The principal of the counsel appointed him the 17. day of May at the which day the lords of Boheme should be present again to heare both the aunswer of the councell and also the excuse of the bishop of Luthonis yâ— which thing in dede was afterward performed for the 17. day of May which was the 4. day before the whitsontide they met there againe where first of all a certaine bishop in the name of the whole councel answered by worde to the nobles of Boheme the contentes of whose aunswer may easely be known by the secoÌ„d supplication which the Bohemiams put vp to the councel But first I haue here in these few wordes following shewed how the bishop Luthonis defended himselfe agaynst that which is before written ¶ The aunswer of the Bishop of Luthonis to the last part of the supplication which the nobles of Boheme presented vnto the Councell MOst reuerend fathers and noble Lordes as Peter de Mladoneywitz bacheler of Arte in the name of certain of the nobles of the kingdome of Boheme in his writings amongest other thyngs did propounde how that certaine slaunderers and backebiters of the sayd kyngdome haue brought to the eares of your reuereÌ„ces that the most precious bloud of Christ is caried vp and downe in Boheme in bottels that Coblers do heare confessions and minister the body of Christ vnto others wherupon most reuerend fathers and Lordes Albeit that I together wyth the other prelates doctors maisters and other innumerable catholikes of the sayde kingdome the whych doe desire as much as in them lieth to defend the faith of Christ haue laboured for the extirpation rooting out of that most wicked and detestable sect of Wickliffes which nowe alas for sorow beginneth to spring and rise in the sayd kingdome as it is well knowne Notwythstanding here in thys my oration not for any shame or reproofe but for the honour of the kingdome aforesayd I haue propounded and declared a certaine new sect whych is nowe lately sprong vp in the sayd kingdome the folowers whereof do minister communicate the sacraments in many cities townes places of the said kingdom vnder both kindes both of breade and wine and doe constantly teache the common people bothe men and women that it is so to be coÌ„municated obstinatly affirming the same and that the clergy which do repugn or say nay vnto it are to be counted church robbers as by the wrytings of their assertions being directed and presented hether shall openly appeare Moreouer by the report and fame whych goeth here abroade by the wrytings which were sent ouer vnto me I haue propouÌ„ded that it came to my knowledge that the bloud of Christ is caryed about in vessâ—ls Is not consecrated approuing the foresaide erroneous assertion of the Wicleuists that affirme it necessary for saluation that the people shuld communicate vnder both kindes of bread and wine and that it is necessary as the body of Christ is caryed in the pixe or boxe so the bloude of Christ should be caryed in bottles or other necessary vessels from
place to place and specially about the ministration of the sick Also I declared not of my selfe but I hearde it to be declared by others both great and credible persons that there was a certaine woman a folower of that secte the which taking by violence the body of Christe out of a priests handes did communicate vnto her selfe and affirmed that all men oughte to doe so if the Priests would denye them the Communion And the same woman amongst many other errours of the whych shee was conuicted did affirme that a good lay woman myght better consecrate and geue absolution then an euill priest affirming that an euill priest can neyther consecrate nor absolue But I know that neyther I neither any of my assistance in this matter haue broughte thys at any time into your cares that coblers in the sayde kingdome doe heare confession or minister the sacrament of the body of Christ as is alleaged by the sayde Peter in the behalfe of the sayde supplicantes Notwythstanding that we did feare if meanes were not founde to recounter or stoppe the offences before named that thys would immediatly folow vpon it Wherfore most reuerend fathers least that the kingdome mighte hee defamed any more by such pestiferous sectes and that the Christian faith myght happen to be indaungered with all reuerence and charity I do desire you euen by the bowels of mercy of our Lord Iesus Christe that thys most sacred Councel would prouide some speedy remedy for this kingdome as touchyng the premisses Moreouer whether be they backbiters and slanderers or wicked and false enuiers of the kingdome of Boheme the which do let the errors aforesaid many others more which are sowen by the Wicleuists in the sayd kingdome and also els where whych also both do labor and haue laboured for the extirpation and roting out of those errours out of the kingdome aforesayd and as catholicke men for the zeale of their faith haue manfully put forth themselues against the maintainers of the sayd errours or such as doe maintaine and defend the teachers of those errours This answere I haue here presented before your reuerences alwaies wholy submitting my self and assistance vnto your iudgement and to the definition of this most sacred councell of Constance ¶ The answere of the nobles of Boheme THe day before whitsontide the nobles of Boheme dyd confute this theyr aunswer made 2. dayes before in the Councel to their former wryting as here foloweth Most reuerend fathers and Lordes for so much as vpon thursday it was answered in the behalfe of your reuerences to the requests of the nobles and Lords of Boheme that the sayde Lordes were misinformed of diuers poynts contained in the declaration of their said vil therfore the foresayd Lords haue now determined and decreed to declare their former propounded requests more at large vnto your reuerences not mineding hereby to argue or reprooue your fatherly wisedomes and circumspections but that youre reuerences theyr desires being partly on thys behalf fulfilled might the more effectuously distinctly discerne and iudge as touching thys matter And first of all where as the Lordes alleaged and sayd how that maister Iohn Hus was come hether vnto Constance freely of his owne good will vnder the safe conduct of the Lorde the king and the protection of the sacred Empire It is aunswered on the behalfe of your reuerences how that the said Lords are misinformed as touching the safe conduict and that you haue vnderstand by such as are worthy credit that the frends and fauorers of the sayd M. Iohn Hus did first procure and get his safe conduicte 15. dayes after hys imprisonment The Lords of Boheme and specially the Lorde Iohn de Clum heere present whome thys matter doeth chiefely touche doeth aunswere that not onely the 15. day after but euen the very same day that Iohn Hus was apprehended and taken when as our reuerende father the Pope in the presence of all his Cardinals demaunded of M. Iohn de Clum whether M. Iohn Hus had any safeconduict from the king hys sonne he answered most holy father Cardinals knowe ye that he hath a safe conduict and when he was asked the question againe the second time he answered in like maner Yet notwithstāding none of them required to haue the safeconduict shewed vnto them and againe the thirde day following the Lord Iohn de Clum complained vnto our Lord the Pope how notwythstanding the safe conduict of oure soueraigne Lorde the king he detained and kept M. Iohn Hus as prisoner shewing the said safeconduict vnto many And for a further truth herein he referreth hymself vnto the testimonies and witnesses of diuers Earles Byshops knightes gentlemen and famous Citizens of the city of Constance the whych altogether at this present did see the said safe conduict and heard it read whereupon the sayde Iohn de Clum is ready to binde hymselfe vnder what penalty shal be required euidently to proue and cōfirme that which hee hath promised who soeuer say to the contrary Moreouer the Lordes of Boheme referre themselues vnto the knowledge of certaine Princes electors other Princes Byshops many other noblemen which were present before the kings maiestie where and when as the said safe conduct was graunted and geuen out by the speciall commaundement of our sayd Lord the king Hereby your fatherly reuerences may vnderstand and perceiue that the sayd Lordes of Boheme are not euill informed as touching the saide safe conducit But rather they which by such reportes haue falsly and vntruely informed your reuerēces And first of al they haue offended agaynst the Lord our king and hys chauncellours Secondarely against the Lords and nobles of Boheme as thoughe we had priuely by stealth purchased the sayde safe conduict Wherefore the Lords aforesaid most humbly require desire your reuerēces that you wil not so lightly beleue such as be not worthy of credit but rather hearing the contrary part to labour and discusse that the trueth may the more euidently appeare Secondly where as the Lordes aforesayde alleaging how M. Iohn Hus cōming vnto Constance of his owne free will being neither condemned nor heard was imprisoned your reuerences haue made aunswer therunto that he the sayd M. Iohn Hus in the time of Alexander 5. was infamed and slandered vppon certaine heresies and thereupon cited personally to apeare in the court of Rome and there was heard by hys procurers And for somuch as he refused obstinatly to appeare he was excommunicated in the which excommunication he continued as you affirme by the space of fiue yeares for the whych he was iudged and counted not onely a simple and plaine hereticke but an heresiarke that is to say an inuenter and sower of newe and straunge heresies and that he comming towarde Constance did preache by the way openly To this the Lordes aforesayd do aunswere that as touching hys slaunder and citation they can affirme nothing but by report But as touching
euery man which would beholde and looke vpon the same the forme and tenour wherof here followeth and is such ¶ The protestation of Iohn Hus. FOr so much as aboue all things I doe desire the honor of God the profite of the holy Churche and that I my selfe may be a faithfull member of our Lorde Iesu Christ which is the heade and husband of the holy Church whych hee hath redemed Therefore as heretofore oftentimes I haue done euen so now againe I make this protestation that I neuer obstinately sayd or heereafter will say any thing that shall be contrary vnto the truth and verity and moreouer that I haue alwayes holden do hold and firmely desire for to holde the very true and infallible trueth and veritie so that before that I would defende and maintaine any erroure contrary therunto I would rather chuse by the hope and help of the Lorde to suffer extreeme punishment euen vnto death yea and thorowe the helpe of God I am ready euen to offer this my miserable lyfe vnto death for the law of Christ the which I do beleue euery part and parcell thereof to be geuen and promulgate for the saluation of mankinde by the counsaile and determination of the most holy Trinitie and the saintes of God c. By the whiche his protestation and also other protestations by the sayde M. Iohn Hus being well obserued and noted it may be easily gathered and known that his whole intent and purpose was and is that hee neither would nor will haue spoken or written any thing in hys bookes treatises doctrines or publike sermones or els to haue affirmed any articles the whyche willingly and wittingly he did vnderstand or know to be either erroneous offensiue seditious hereticall or offending the godly eare All beit that these and suche like things are falsely imputed vnto hym by hys enemies But it hath alwayes bene his chiefe intent and purpose and so is that euery poynt conclusion or article contained in his bookes or articles to haue put and affirmed them to thys ende according to the truth of the Gospell the holy Doctors and wryters vppon the holy Scriptures and to that end and purpose as is before expressed in his protestations and if in any poynt he shoulde be founde to varie or goe astray or that he were not well vnderstanded of others by like information to be informed vnderstanded corrected and amended and that he wil by no meanes sustaine or defend any maner of article against the holy Churche of Rome or the Catholicke faith Wherefore most reuerende fathers the premisses notwythstanding his ennemies through the extreeme hatred whych they beare vnto him hath picked and taken out by piece meale certain articles out of the booke of M. Iohn Hus reiecting and not looking vppon the allegations and reasons neither hauing any relation vnto the distinction of their equiuocations haue compounded and made thereof certaine false and fained articles againste him to thys ende that all charitie and loue being sette aparte they might the better ouerthrow hym and bryng hym vnto death contrary vnto the safe conducte vppon good and iust occasion openly assigned and geuen vnto the sayde maister Iohn Hus by the most noble Prince the Lorde Sigismund king of the Romanes and of Hungarie for his iust defence against all the friuolous accusations and assaultes of the ennemies not onely of the sayd M. Iohn Hus but also of the famous kingdome of Boheme and for the quiete appeasing of all such tumultes and rumours rising and springing in the sayde kingdome of Boheme or else where the auoiding of which most perillous vprours the saide king of Romaines doth greatly desire and wish as the right heire and successour of the sayd kingdome Whereuppon the Barons and Nobles aforesayde most humbly desire and require the premisses being considered and respect had vnto the great infamie and slaunder which may happen by the premisses vnto the sayde kingdome and inhabitants thereof that you will put to your handes and take some order meane that maister Iohn Hus may be distinctly hearde by some famous men deuines already deputed or otherwise to be appoynted vpon all and singulare such articles as shall be laide vnto him to declare his owne minde and intent and also the minde of the doctours alleadged for his purpose with the manifolde distinctions and equiuocations in the which the drawers out of the most part of his articles haue also made equiuocations that so according vnto the disposition of witnesses of the which a great number of them are and haue a long time bene his mortall ennemies that at the friuolous instigation of his enemies when hee was miserably deteined prisoner that he should not be condemned vnheard For so muche as by the sayde declarations your fatherly reuerences might be the more better informed of the trueth hee hymselfe is ready alwaies to submit himselfe vnder the determination of thys most sacred councell For your reuerences by the craftie and fained perswasions of his ennemies are thus informed that M Iohn Hus hath bene vncurably obstinate by a long time in most perillous articles the which your reuerences may nowe plainely perceiue to be vntrue and for the more euidence heerein to be shewed there is presented vnto your reuerences an instrumente of publike recognition of the moste reuerend father in Christe the Lorde Nicholas Bishop of Nazareth and Inquisitour of heresies specially appoynted by the Apostolike sea in the dioces of Prage the which by your reuerences is more diligently to be hearkened vnto Wherefore it may please your fatherly reuerences to commaund the sayd M Iohn Hus neither conuicted nor condemned to be taken and brought out of his bondes and chaines in the which he is nowe most greeuously deteined and kept and to put him into the hands of some reuerend Lordes Byshops or commissioners appoynted or to be appoynted by this present councell That the sayd M. Iohn Husse may somewhat be releued and recouer againe his health and be the more diligently and commodiouslye examined by the Commissioners and for the more assurance the Barons and Nobles aforesayd of the kingdome of Boheme will prouide most sure and good sureties the which wil not breake their fidelity and faith for any thing in the worlde Which also shall promise in his behalfe that hee shall not flee or departe out of their handes vntill suche time as the matter be fully determined by the sayd Commissioners In the execution of the which promises wee haue determined to prouide and foresee vnto the fame and honour of the said kingdome of Boheme and also to the safeconducte of the moste worthy Prince the king of Romaines least that the enemies and detractours of the honoure and fame of the kingdome aforesayd might not a little slander and reproue the said Lordes pretending and shewing forth hereafter that they had made vnreasonable or vnlawfull requests for the withstāding of which mischiefe we require your fatherly
hys booke De sacerdotum Monachorum abhominatione desolationis pag. 84. c. I beseech the reader to note Nam ista scribens fateor ê™ nihil aliud me in illis perurget nisi dilectio Dom. Nostri Iesu crusifixi c. That is For in writing these things I confesse nothinge els to haue moued me hereunto but onely the loue of our Lorde Iesus crucified whose printes and stripes according to the measure of my weakenes and vilenes I couet to beare in my selfe beseeching hym so to geue me grace that I neuer seek to glory in my selfe or in any thing els but onely in his crosse and in the inestimable ignominy of his passion which he suffered for me And therefore I write and speake these thinges which I do not doubt will like all such as vnsaynedly do loue the Lord Christ crucified and contrary will mislike not a little all suche as be of Antichrist Also agayne I confesse before the most merciful Lord Iesus Christ crucified that these thinges which I do now write and those that I haue written before neither I could haue writteÌ„ nor knew how nor durst so haue written vnlesse he by hys inward vnction had so commaunded me Neither yet do I write these thinges as of authority to get me fame and name For as S. Augustine Hierome do say that is onely to be geuen to the scriptures and writinges of the Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes and to the Canonicall Scriptures which doe abounde in the fulnes of the spirite of Iesus And whatsoeuer is there sayd is full of veritie and wholesome vtilitie c. And here place also would require something to say to Aeneas Siluius to Antoninus and to Laziardus which falsly impute articles to him whiche he neuer mayntayned But because tyme suffereth not I wil proceed to the story of maister Hierom of Prage The Tragicall and lamentable history of the famous learned man and godly Martyr of Christ maister Hierome of Prage burned at Constance for like cause and quarrell as Maister Iohn Hus was 1416. THese thinges hetherto being discoursed touching the lyfe Actes and Constant martyrdom of M. Iohn Hus with part also of his letters adioyned to the same whose death was on the 6. of Iuly an 1416. now remayneth coÌ„sequently to describe the like Tragedy and cruell handeling of his Christian companion and fellow in bandes M. Hierome of Prage Who grieuously sorrowing the slaunderous reproch and diffamation of his couÌ„try of Boheme and also hearing tell of the manifest iniuries done vnto that man of worthy memory M. Iohn Hus freely and of hys own accord came vnto Constance the 4. day of Iprill an 1415. Who there perceiuing that Iohn Hus was denyed to be heard and that watche and wayte was layd for hym on euery side he departed to Iberling a Citty of the Empire vntill the next day the which Citty was a myle of froÌ„ Constance and from thence he wrote hys letters by me vnto Sigismund kyng of Hungry and hys Barons and also vnto the Councell most earnestly requiring that the kyng and the Councell would geue him a safe conduct frely to come and go and that he woulde then come in open audience to aunswere vnto euery man if there were any of the Councell that would lay any cryme vnto hym as by the tenour of his intimation shall more at large appeare When as the sayd king of Hungary was required therunto as is aforesayd being in the house of the Lord Cardinall of Cambray he denyed to geue M. Hierome anye safe conducte excusing himselfe for the euil speede he had with the safe conduct of Iohn Hus before and alleadging also certayne other causes The deputies also of the foure nations of the Councell being moued thereunto by the Lords of the kingdome of Boheme aunswered wee say they will geue hym a safeconduct to come but not to depart Whose aunsweres when they were reported vnto maister Hierome he the next day after wrote certaine intimations according to the tenour here vnder written which he sent vnto Constance to be set vpon the gates of the Citty and vpon the gates of the Churches and Monasteries and of the houses of the Cardinals and other nobles and prelates The tenour wherof here followeth word for word in thys maner Unto the most noble Prince and Lord the Lord Sigismund by the grace of God king of the Romanes alwaies Augustus and of Hungary c. I Hierome of Prage maister of Arte of the generall vniuersities of Paris Colleyn Heldeberg Prage by these my present letters do notifie vnto the king together with the whole reuerend Councell and as much as in me lyeth do all men to vnderstand and know that because of the crafty slaunderers backbiters accusers I am ready freely of myne owne will to come vnto CoÌ„stance there to declare openly before the Councell the puritie and sinceritie of my true fayth and myne innocencie and not secretly in corners before any priuate or particulate person Wherfore if there be any of my slauÌ„derers of what natioÌ„ or estate soeuer they be which will obiect agaynst me anye crime of errour or heresie let them come forth openly before me in the presence of the whole Councell and in theyr owne names obiect agaynst me and I will be ready as I haue written to aunswere openly and publikely before the whole Councell of myne innocencie and to declare the puretie and sinceritie of my true fayth And if so be that I shal be fouÌ„d culpable in errour or heresie then I will not refuse openly to suffer such punishment as shall be meete and worthy for an erroneous person or an hereticke Wherefore I most humbly beseech my Lord the King and the whole sacred CouÌ„cell that I may haue to this end and purpose aforesayd safe and sure accesse And if it happeÌ„ that I offering suche equitie and right as I do before any fault be proued agaynst me be arested imprisoned or haue any violence done vnto me that theÌ„ it may be manifest vnto the whole worlde that this generall Councell doth not proceede according to equitie and iustice if they woulde by any meanes put me backe from this profouÌ„d and straight iustice being come hether freely and of myne owne minde and accorde The whiche thing I suppose to be farre from so sacred and holy Councell of wise men WHen as yet he through such intimations copied out in the Bohemian Latine and Germayne tongue being set vp as is aforesayd could not get any safeconduct theÌ„ the Nobles Lords and Knightes specially of the Bohemian nation present in Constance gaue vnto maister Hiâ—rome their letters patentes coÌ„firmed with their seales for a testimony and witnesse of the premisses With the which letters the sayd M. Hierome returned agayne vnto Boheme but by the treason and conspiracy of his enemies was taken in Hirsaw by the officers of Duke Iohn and in Zultzbach was brought backe agayne to
take which part he would but his opinion was rather that the dominion of Church matters should bee in the power of Christ and the Prelates with the other Clergy are but Canonicall administratours in maner of tutors but they haue more power administration then tutors and by constitutyng a Steward or Uicegerent c. Their constitution beyng duely made the Steward or Uicegerent hath the same coactiue power and exercise of iurisdiction Also as touching the fourth Article for the declaration of the first conclusion it is agreed that these wordes Iuste requisita i. iustly gotten alledged therein determine all thynges conteined in the same Also as touchyng the second conclusion where as the sacred Canons and holy Doctours speake thus the goods of the Church the substaunce of the Church and the possessions of the Church and diuers other opinions there be amongest the Doctours in whose power the rule thereof should be as it is noted in the Glose Cap. expedit xij quaest i. they do not intend to constraine any man to any of those opinions neither to exclude any of them but that euery man should haue libertie probably to mainteine which of them he thinketh best Moreouer the Bohemians sayd that they did beleue that the Clergy are but administrators of the tēporalties of the Church and not Lordes thereof accordyng to the maner of speaking of the Scriptures holy Doctours and Canons Also the Bohemians sayd that in all occasions which shall hereafter rise they would wholy stand to the determination of the iudge agreed vpon in Egra with one consent In this maner did the Ambassadours make aunswere vnto the Bohemians At the last after much communication had to and fro a concorde and vnitie was concluded and confirmed by setting to their handes The Bohemians promised to receiue the peace and vnitie of the Church and the declaratiō of the three Articles This was done in the yeare of our Lord. 1438. About the feast of S. Martin it was afterward agreed both by the Ambassadours of that Councel and of Boheme that whatsoeuer remayned should be determined agreed vpō first at Ratisbona afterward at Bruna in the Dioces of Olymutes then at Alba in Hungary before the Emperour Sigismūd but the matter could not be ended in no place At the last the concorde was confirmed by writyng with their seales at Inglania a Citie of Morauia the fift day of Iuly in the presence of the Emperour ¶ Certaine petitions which the Bohemians put vp last of all in the sacred Councell of Basill An. 1438. in the moneth of Nouemb. VNto the most reuerēd fathers in Christ and our most gracious Lords We the Ambassadors of the kingdom of Boheme do most humbly and hartely require you that for the perpetuall preseruation of the peace concord and for the firme preseruation of all things conteined in the composition you will vouchsafe of your clemencie to giue and graunt vnto vs all and singular our requests heere vnder written with effectuall execution of the same First and aboue all things we desire and require you for the extirpation of diuers dissentions and cōtrouersies which will vndoubtedly folow amongst our people vpon the diuersitie of the communion for the abolishing of infinite euils which we are not able to expresse as we haue conceiued them that you will gently vouchsafe of your goodnes liberality to giue grant command vnto our kingdome of Boheme Marquesdome of Morauia one vniforme order of the cōmunion vnto all mē vnder both kindes that is to say vnto the Archb. of Prage the Byshop of Luthonus Olimutz other prelates of the kingdome and Marquesdome hauing charge of soules to their vicares also to their flocks subiects that according to those things which are cōteined in the Bull of the Ambassadours in the cōpositions made in the name of the whole Councel written in the chap. Pro firmitate where it is thus said and all other things shall be done which shall be meete and necessary for the preseruation of the peace and vnitie For thys done by your benefite the whole kingdome shall be comforted aboue measure and established in brotherly loue whereby an vniforme subiection and obedience shall be perpetually attributed vnto the holy Church Item we require and desire as before that for the auoiding of all false suspition and doubtfulnes of manie which suppose that the sacred Councell hath graunted the saide Communion vnder both kindes vnto vs but for a time as neither profitable nor wholesome but as the libell of diuorcement that you will vouchsafe according to this chapter alledged in the compositions First they sayde that it was not the entent of the sacred Councell c. wholesomely and speedely to prouide for our safety and your graunt in this behalfe and with the Bulls of your letters to confirme that chapter together with the other perteining to the office of your Ambassadours Item we beseech you as afore that for the confirmation of obedience and for the discipline of all the Cleargy and for the small defence and obseruation of all things determined and agreed vpon and for the good order in spiritualties ye will vouchsafe effectually to prouide for vs a good lawfull pastor Archbishops and Bishops which shall seeme vnto vs most meete and acceptable for our kingdome to execute those offices and dueties Item we require you as aforesaid that your fatherly reuerēces will vouchsafe for the defence of the worthy fame of the kingdome and Marquesdome to declare and shew our innocencie in that they haue cōmunicated do hereafter shall communicate vnder both kindes to giue out ordaine and direct the letters of the sacred Councell in maner and forme most apt and meete for such declaration vnto all Princes as well secular as spirituall Cities and communalties according to the compositions and as the Lords the Ambassadours are bound vnto vs for to do Item we desire you that in the discussing of the matter for the Communion vnder both kindes and of the commandement thereof giuen vnto all faithfull yee will not proceed otherwise then according to the concordatum agreed vpon in Egra that is to say according to the law of God the order of Christ and his Apostles the generall Councels and the mindes of the holy Doctours truly grounded vpon the law of God Item we desire that your fatherly reuerences considering the great affectiō of our people will giue vs the desired libertie to communicate vnto the yonger sort the Sacrament of the Supper For if this vse of communicating should be taken away which our kingdome being godly moued by the writings of most great and holy Doctours and brought in by examples hath receiued as Catholicke and exercised now a long time verely it shoulde raise vp an intollerable offence amongst the people and their minds would be greeuously vexed and troubled Item we require you as before that for like causes
vs leaue vs there where they had vs that is let them suffer vs to stand content with that faith and religion which then was taught brought from Rome by Eleutherius as nowe we differ nothing frō the same and we wil desire no better And if they wil not then let the wise Reader iudge where the fault is in vs or them which neither themselues will persist in the antiquitie of the Romish religion whych they so much bragge of neither will they permit vs so to do And thus much by the way to satisfie the foresayd obiection whereby we may haue now a more ready passage into the order and course of the Hystorie Beyng therefore graunted vnto them whych they so earnestly sticke vpon that the Christian faith and Religion of this Realme was brought from Rome first by Eleutherius then afterwarde by Austen thus wryteth the Chronicles of that matter About the time and yeare of the Lord. 180. king Lucius sonne of Coilus which builded Colchester king of the Britaines who then were the inhabiters possessors of thys land which now we Englishmen call England hearing of the myracles wonders done by the Christians at that time in diuers places as Monumetensis wryteth directed hys letters to Eleutherius Byshop of Rome to receaue of him the Christian faith Although about the computation of the yere and time great difference there is in authours when this shoulde be Nauclerus sayth it was An. 156. but that cannot be forsomuch as Eleutherius was not yet Byshop by the space of 20. yeres after that Henricus de Erfordia sayth it was An. 169. in the 19. yere of Verus Emperor but that agreeth not with approued hystories which all consent that Verus raigned not 19. yeres and if he had yet that yeare commeth not to the yere of our Lord. 169. but to the yere 181. Some other say that Eleutherius was made Byshop in the 6. yeare of Commodus which was the yeare of our Lorde 186. but that seemeth to goe to farre but let the authours agree as they can Let vs returne to Eleutherius the good Byshop who hearing the request of thys king glad to see the godly towardnes of his wel disposed mind sendeth him certaine teachers preachers called Fugatius or by some Faganus and Damianus or Dimianus which conuerted first the king and people of Britaine and Baptised them with the Baptisme and Sacrament of Christes faith The Temples of Idolatry and all other Monuments of Gentilitie they subuerted conuerting the people frō theyr diuers many gods to serue one liuing God Thus true religion with sincere faith increasing superstition decaied with al other rites of Idolatrie There were thē in Britaine 28. head Priestes which they called Flamines 3. Archpriests among them which were called Archflamines hauing the ouersight of their maners as Iudges ouer the rest These 28. Flamines they turned to 28. Bishops And the 3. Archflamines to 3. Archbyshoppes hauyng then theyr seates in three principall Cityes of the Realme that is in London in Yorke and in Glamorgantia videlicet in Vrbe legionum by Wales Thus the Countreys of the whole Realme being deuided euery one vnder his owne Bishop and all things setled in a good order the foresaide king Lucius sent againe to the sayd Eleutherius for the Romane lawes thereby likewise to be gouerned as in Religion nowe they were framed accordingly Unto whome Eleutherius againe writeth after the tenour of these words ensuing The Epistle of Eleutherius Bishop of Rome sent to king Lucius ANno 169. a Passione Christi scripsit Dominus Eleutherius Papa Lucio Regi Britanniae ad correctionem Regis procerum regni Britanniae and so foorth as foloweth in English Yee require of vs the Romane lawes and the Emperours to be sent ouer to you which you may practise put in vre wythin your Realme The Romane lawes the Emperours we may euer reproue but the lawe of God we may not Yee haue receaued of late through Gods mercie in the realme of Britaine the lawe and faith of Christ ye haue with you within the Realme both the parties of the Scriptures Out of them by gods grace with the Coūcel of your realme take ye a law and by that lawe through gods sufferance rule your kingdome of Britayne For you be Gods Vicare in your kingdome according to the saying of the Psalme Deus iudicium tuum Regi da c. That is O God geue thy iudgement to the King and thy righteousnes to the kings sonne c. He sayd not the iudgement righteousnes of the Emperor but thy iudgement and iustice that is to say of God The kinges sonnes be the Christian people folke of the Realme which be vnder your gouernement and liue and continue in peace within your kingdome as the Gospel sayeth like as the henne gathereth her chickēs vnder her wings so doth the king his people The people and folke of the Realme of Britayne be yours whome if they be deuided ye ought to gather in concord and peace to call them to the faith and lawe of Christ and to the holy church to cherish and maintaine them to rule and gouerne them and to defende them alwaies from such as would do them wrōg from malicious men and enemies A king hath his name of ruling and not of hauing a Realme You shal be a king while ye rule wel but if you do otherwise the name of a king shall not remaine with you you shall lose it which God forbid The almightie God graunt you so to rule the Realme of Britayne that you may raigne wyth him for euer whose Vicar ye be in the Realme After this maner as you haue heard was the Christiā faith either first brought in or els confirmed in this realme of Britayne by the sending of Eleutherius not with any crosse or procession but onely at the simple preaching of Fagane and Damian through whose ministerie this realme Ileland of Britaine was eftsoones reduced to the faith lawe of the Lord according as was prophecied by Esay as wel of that as other Ilelands mo where he sayth chap. 42. he shall not faint nor geue ouer till hee hath set iudgement in earth and Ilelands shal waite for hys lawe c. The faith thus receiued of the Britaynes cōtinued among them and florished the space of 216. yeres till the cōming of the Saxones who then were Paganes whereof more followeth hereafter to be sayde the Lorde Christ assisting thereunto In the meane time somthing to speake of this space before which was betwixt the time of Lucius and the first cōming in of the Saxones first is to be vnderstanded that all this while as yet the Emperors of Rome had not receiued the faith what time the kings of Britaine the subiects therof were cōuerted now as is sayd to Christ for the which cause much trouble and perturbation was sought
the clergy as Herman bishop of Bamberge counsellor to the Emperour and other priests mo for Simony And there moreouer in the sayd Councell he threateneth to excommunicate likewise the Emperour himselfe and to depose him from his regall kingdom vnlesse he would abrenounce the heresie of simonie and do penance The councel being ended Guibertus Archbishop of Rauenna perswadeth with one Centius a Romaine the captains son whom the Pope had excommunicate to take the Emperours part against the Pope Who watching his tyme in the temple of S. Mary vpon Christmas day in the morning taketh the Pope putteth him fast in a strong tower The next day the people of Rome hearing this harnes themselues with all erpedition to helpe the bishop whom when they loosed out of prison they besieged the house of Centius and pluckt it downe to the ground His familie hauyng their noses cut off were cast out of the Citie Centius himselfe escaping fled to the Emperour Guibert the Archbishop pretending good will to the Pope departed from Rome who likewise had wrought with Hugo Cādidus Cardinall and with Theobaldus Archb. of Millaine also with diuers other bishops about Italy to forsake the Pope and take the Emperors part Gregory the Pope called Hildebrand hearing the conspiracie layeth the sentence of excommunication vpon them all and depriueth them of their dignitie The Emperor beyng mooued and worthily with the arrogant presumption of the proud prelate calleth together a Councell at Wormes In which Councell all the bishops not onely of Saxonic but of all the whole Empire of Germaines agree conclude vpon the deposition of Hildebrand and that no obedience hereafter should be geuen to him This being determined in the Councel Roulandus a Priest of Parmen was sent to Rome with the sentence who in the name of the councell should commaund Gregory to yeld vp his seate also charge the Cardinals to resort to the Emperour for a new election of an other Pope The tenor of the sentence sent vp by Rolandus was this The sentence of the Councell of Wormes against Hildebrand FOr so much as thy first ingresse and comming in hath bene so spotted with so many periuries and also the Church of GOD brought in no little danger through thine abuse and newfanglenes Moreouer because thou hast diffamed thine owne lyfe and conuersation with so much and great dishonesty that we see no little perill or slaunder to rise therof therfore the obediēce which yet we neuer promised thee hereafter we vtterly renounce neuer entend to geue thee And as thou hast neither taken vs yet for Bishoppes as thou host openly reported of vs so neither will we hereafter take thee to be Apostolike Vale. Gregory the Pope tickled with this sentence first condemneth it in his councell of Laterane with excommunication Secondarily depriueth Sigifridus Archbishop of Mentz of his dignities and ecclesiastical liuings with all other bishops Abbots and Priests as many as tooke the Emperors part Thirdly accuseth Henricus the Emperour himselfe depriueth him of his kingdome and regall possession and releaseth all his subiects of their oth of allegeance geuen vnto him after this forme and maner The tenour of the sentence Excommunicatorie agaynst Henricus the Emperour by Hildebrand O Blessed S. Peter Prince of the Apostles bowe downe thyne eares I beseech thee and heare me thy seruaunt whom thou hast brought vp euen from myne infancie and hast deliuered me vnto this day from the handes of the wicked which hate persecute me because of my fayth in thee Thou art my witnesse and also the blessed mother of Iesu Christ and thy brother S Paule fellow partener of thy martyrdome how that I entred this function not willingly but inforced against my will not that I take it so as a robbery lawfully to ascēd into this seat but because that I had rather passe ouer my lyfe like a pilgrime or priuate person then for any fame or glory to clime vp to it I do acknowledge that worthily all this to come of thy grace and not of my merites that this charge ouer christen people and this power of binding and loosing is committed to me Wherefore trustyng vpon this assurance for the dignitie and tuition of holy church In the name of God omnipotent the father the sonne the holy ghost I do here depose Henry the sonne of Henry once the Emperour from his Imperiall seat and princely gouernment who hath so boldly and presumptuously layd handes vpon thy Church And furthermore all such as tofore haue sworne to be his subiectes I release them of their othe whereby all subiects are bound to the allegeaunce of their princes For it is meete and connenient that he should be voyd of dignitie whiche seeketh to diminish the maiestie of thy Church Moreouer for that he hath contemned my monitions tending his health and wealth of his people and hath separate himselfe from the fellowship of the Churche which he through his seditions studieth to destroy therefore I binde him by vertue of excommunication trusting and knowyng most certainly that thou art Peter in the rocke of whom as in the true foundation Christ our king hath built his church The Emperour thus assaulted with the Popes censure sendeth abroad his letters thorough all nations to purge himselfe declaring how wrongfully agaynst all right he was condemned The princes of Almany partly fearing the cracke of the Popes thunderclap partly again reioycing that occasion was renued to rebell agaynst the Emperour assembled a commencement where they did consult and so conclude to elect another Emperor and to fall from Henry vnlesse the Pope would come to Germany and he there content to submit himselfe and obtayne his pardon Wherein is to be considered the lamentable affections of the Germains in those dayes so to forsake such a valiant Emperor and so much to repute a vile Bishop But this was the rudenes of the world thē for lack of better knowledge The Emperor seyng the chiefe princes ready to forsake him promiseth them with an othe that if the Pope would repayre to Germany he would aske forgeuenes Upon this the bishop of Triers was sen◠vp in commission to Rome to entreat the Pope to come into Germany The bishop at the instance of the Legate of the Princes was content He entred into Germany thinking to come to Augusta After he was come to Uercellos the bishop of that city beyng the Chancellor of Italy and desirous to disturbe peace for the old grudge he had to the Emperour falsly perswadeth with the Pope that he was certayn the Emperor was comming with a mighty great army against him counsailing him therfore to prouide betimes for his owne safegard in some stronger place Wherby the Popes mynde beyng altered hee retyred backe to Canusium or Canossus a Citie being subiect to Matilda a Countesse of Italy where he should not need to feare the
Emperour Henricus vnderstanding the false feare of the Pope of his retire to Canusium incontinent commyng out of Spires with his wife and his young sonne in the deepe sharp of Winter resorteth to Canossus All his pieres and nobles had left him for feare of the Popes curse neyther did any accompany him Wherfore the Emperour beyng not a little troubled laying apart hys regall ornamentes came barefooted with hys wyfe and childe to the gate of Canossus where he from morning to night all the day fasting most humbly desireth absolution crauing to be let in to the speech of the Bishop But no ingresse might be geuen him once within the gates Thus he continuing 3. dayes together in hys petition and sute at length answer came that the Popes maiesty had yet no leysure to talke with him The Emperour nothing moued therwith that he was not let into the Citty patient and with an humble minde abideth without the walles with no litle greuance and paynefull labour for it was a sharpe winter and all frosen with cold Notwithstanding yet through his importunate sute at length it was graunted through the intreating of Matilda the Popes paramour and of Arelaus Erle of Sebaudia and the Abbot of Cluniake that hee should be admitted to the Popes speach On the 4. day beyng let in for a token of his true repentance he yeldeth to the Popes handes his crowne with all other ornaments Imperiall and confessed himselfe vnworthy of the Empire if euer he doe against the Pope hereafter as he hath done tofore desiring for that tyme to be absolued and forgeuen Henricus the Emperour with his wife and chyld barefoote and barelegd waiting on Pope Hildebrand three dayes and three nightes at the gates of Canusium before he could be suffred to come in The Pope answereth he will neither forgeue hym nor release the bande of his excommunication but vpon conditions First to promise that he shall be content to stand to his arbitrement in the councell and to take such penance as he shall enioyne him also that he shall be prest and redy to appeare in what place or tyme the Pope shall appoint him Moreouer that he beyng content to take the Pope iudge of his cause shall aunswer in the sayd councel to all obiections and accusations layd against him that he shall neuer seeke any reuengement herein Item that he though he be quit and cleared therin shall stand to the Popes mynd and pleasure whether to haue his kingdom restored or to loose it Finally that before the triall of hys cause he shall neither vse his kingly ornaments scepters or crowne nor to vsurpe the authoritie to gouerne nor to exact any othe of allegeaunce vpon his subiects c. These things beyng promised to the bishop by an oth and put in writing the Emperour is onely released of excommunication The tenour of the writing is this The forme and tenour of the othe which Heniicus made to the Pope I Henricus King after peace and agreement made to the mynde and sentence of our Lord Gregorius the 7. promise to keepe all couenants and bandes betwixt vs and to prouide that the Pope go safely wheresoeuer he will without any daunger eyther to him or to his retinue Especially in all such places as be subiect to our Impery Nor that I shall at any tyme stay or hinder him but that he may doe that belongeth to his function where whensoeuer his pleasure shal be And these things I bynd my selfe with an othe to keepe Actum Canos 5. Calend. Februarij indic 15. Thus the matter beyng decided betwixt them after the Popes owne prescribement the Emperour taketh hys iourney to Papia The Pope with his Cardinals dyd vaunce and triumph with no little pryde that they had so quailed the Emperor brought him on his knees to aske them forgeuenes Yet notwithstanding mistrusting themselues misdoubting tyme what might befall them hereafter if fortune should turne God geue the Emperour to enioy a more quiete kingdome therfore to preuent such dangers betime they study and consult priuily with them selues how to displace Henry clean frō his kingdom And how that deuise might safely be conueyed they conclude and determine to deriue the Empire vnto Rodolphus a man of great nobilitie amongst the chiefest states of Germany and also to incite and stirre vp all other princes and subiects beyng yet free and discharged from their othes against Henry so by force of armes to expulse the emperour out of his kingdom To bring this purpose the better to passe legates were sent downe from the Pope Sigehardus Patriarch of Aquilia and Altimanus Byshop of Padway which should perswade through all Fraunce that Henry the Emperor was rightfully excommunicate and that they should geue to the bishop of Rome their consents in chusing Rodolphus to be Emperor This beyng done there was sēt to the said Rodolphus duke of Swenia a crowne from the Pope with this verse Petra dedit Petro Petrus diadema Rodolpho The rocke gaue the crowne to Peter Peter geueth it to Rodolph Here by the way of digression to make a litle glose vpon this barbarous verse two notable lyes are to be noted One where he lyeth vpon Christ the other where he lyeth vpon S. Peter First that Christ gaue any temporal diademe to Peter it is a most manifest lye and against the scriptures when as he would not take it beyng geuen to himselfe and sayth his kingdome is not of this world Agayne where he saith that Peter geueth it to Rodulph Here he playeth the Poet for neither had Peter any suche thing to geue and if he had yet he would not haue geuen it to Rodulph from the right heyre neither is it true that Peter did geue it because Hildebrand gaue it For it is no good argument Hildebrand did geue it Ergo Peter dyd geue it except ye will say Hildebrand stirred vp great warres bloudshed in Germany Ergo Peter stirred vp great warres in Germany So Peter neyther could nor would nor did geue it to Rodolphus but only Hildebrād the Pope who after he had so done he gaue in commaundement to the Archbishop of Mentz and of Collen to elect this Rodulphus for Emperour and to annoynt hym kyng and also to defend him with all force strength they might While this conspiracy was in hand Henricus the emperor was absent and the Popes ambassadors with hym also In the meane space Rodulphus was elected Emperor vnknowing to Henry Upō this commeth the bishop of Strausborough vnto the emperor certifiyng him what was done He suspecting seing the stomack and doyngs of the Saxōs so bent against hym mustreth his men with expedition marcheth forward to defend his right But first sendeth to Rome trusting vpon the league betwixt hym and the Pope and requireth the bishop to proceede with his sentence agaynst Rodulphus for the rebellious inuasiō of his
Imperye But the bishop minding nothing lesse sendeth word againe not to be right to condemne any person his cause beyng not heard thus vnder the pretence of the law colouring his vnlawfull treatory Henricus thus disappointed and forsaken on euery side with his men about him attempteth battayle against Rodulphus In which battaile a meruailous great slaughter was on both sides but the victory on neither part certain So that both the Captaines yet chalenged the Empire After the battayle great murder on both sides they sent to Rome both to know of the Popes determination to whether of them two he iudged the right title of the empire to appertayne The Bishop commaundeth them both to break vp their armies and depart the field promising that he shortly will call a councell where this matter should be disputed In the meane time they should cease from warre But before the messengers returned agayne their armies beyng refreshed they had an other conflict together but no victory got on either part Thus both the Captaines beyng weried in warres the Romish beast the bishop which was the cause therof perceiuing whether these cruel wars would tend to the great calamitie not onely of the Germains but also of other nations trusting to find another way to helpe Rodulphus and his adherentes sendeth downe a commission by Ottho Archbishop of Treuers Bernardus Deacon and Bernardus Abbot of Massilia to whom he gaue in charge that they should call together a Councell or sitting in Almany and there to be defined to whether part the Empire should pertayne by most right and publicke consideration Promising that what they should therein determine he looking vpon the matter through the authoritie of God omnipotent and of S. Peter and Sainct Paule would ratifie the same Moreouer for that no let nor impeachment should happen to the Legates by the way he geueth with them letters to the princes and nations of Germany Whereof the contents be declared briefly in Platina if any list to read them But the Emperour would not so permit the Legates to haue any Councel within Germany except they would first depriue Rodulphus of his kingdome The Legates considering that to be against the drift and intention of the Pope returned agayne froÌ„ whence they came The Pope hearing this and seing his purpose so disappointed by the Emperour draweth out another excommunication against him and agayne bereaueth him of his kingdome sending about his letters excommunicatorie throughout all places thinkyng therby to further the part of Rodulphus the better Platina hath in his booke the whole effect of the writing which tendeth after this sort The copy of the second excommunication of Hildebrand against the Emperour BLessed S. Peter prince of the Apostles and thou Paule also the teacher of the Gentiles geue eare vnto me I beseech you a little and gently heare me for you are the disciples and louers of truth the things that I shall say are true This matter I take in hand for truth sake that my brethren whose saluation I seeke may the more obsequiously obey me and better vnderstand how that I trusting vpon your defence next to Christ and his mother the immaculate virgin resist the wicked and am ready to helpe the faythfull I did not enter this seate of myne owne accorde but much agaynst my will and with teares for that I accounted my selfe vnworthy to occupy so high a throne And this I say not that I haue chosen you but you haue chosen me and haue layed this great burthen vpon our shoulders And now where as by this your assignement I haue ascended vp this hill crying to the people and shewing them their faults to the children of the church their iniquities the members of Sathan haue risen vp agaynst me and haue layd hands together to seeke my bloud For the kings of the earth haue risen vp against me and the Princes of this world with whom also haue conspired certaine of the Clergy subiectes against the Lord and against vs his annointed saying let vs break a suÌ„der their bands cast off from vs their yoke This haue they done agaynst me to bring me either to death or to banishmeÌ„t In the number of whom is Henricus whome they call kyng the sonne of Henry the Emperour which hath lift vp so proudly hys hornes and heele against the church of God making conspiracie with diuers other bishops both Italians French Germains Against the pride of whom hetherto your authoritie hath resisted who rather being broken thâ—n amended comming to me in Cisalpina made humble sute to me for pardon absolution I thinking nothing els but true repentance in him receaued him again to fauour did restore him to the communion only from which he was excommunicate but to his kingdome from which in the Synode of Rome he was worthily expulsed I did not restore nor to the rentes and fruites therof that he might returne to the faith againe that I graunted not vnto him And that I did for this purpose that if he should deferre to fall to agreement with certaine of his neighbours whom he hath alwayes vexed and to restore agayn the goods both of the church and otherwise thaÌ„ he might be compelled by the censures of the Church and force of armes therunto Wherby diuers and sundry bishops and princes of Germany such as he had long troubled being helped by this opportunitie elected Rodolphus their Duke to be king in the place of Henricus whom they for his transgressions had remooued dispatched from his empire But Rodolphus first in this matter vsing a princely modestie and integritie sent vp his messengers to me declaring how he was constrained wild he nild he to take that regall gouernment vpon him albeit he was not so desirous therof but that he would rather shew himselfe obedient to vs then to the other that offied him the kingdom and whatsoeuer our arbitrement should be therin he would be vnder obedience both of God and of vs. And for more assurance of his obedience he hath sent his owne children hither for pledges Vpon this Henricus began to snuffe and first entreated with vs to restraine and inhibite Rodolphus through the paine of our curse from the vsurpation of his kingdom I aunswered againe I would see whether of them had more right and title thereunto so send our Legates thither vpon the same to know the whole state of the matter and thereupoÌ„ I would decide betwixt theÌ„ whither of them had truer part But Henricus would not suffer our Legates to come to take vp the matter and slew diuers both secular men and of the Clergy spoiling and prophaning churches and so by this meanes hath indangered himselfe in the bandes of excommunication I therefore trusting in the iudgement and mercy of God and in the supportation of the blessed virgin also vpon your authoritie do laye the sentence of curse vpon the said Henricus all his adherents
Norwich Thus was Stephen Langton in the high Church of Uiterby by the popes hand made archbishop of Canterbury From thenceforth therefore sayth Mathew Paris the pope could do no lesse but mightily defend him from al vexation and daunger considering that he was his owne deare deareling and a childe of his owne creation Upon this occasion king Iohn conceiued an exceding displeasure against the Clergie and Monkes of Canterb. as he had good cause they doing so many euils against his Princely prerogatiue Without his licence they elected their Archb. and put by the Bishop of Norwich whome he had apointed They wasted a great part of his treasure for the warres and to bring all to the deuil they made Stephen Langton their high Metropolitane whom he tooke for a greuous enemy vnto the whole realm being alwais so familiar with the French king Wherefore in his anger hee banished them out of the laÌ„d to the number of 64. for this their contumacie and contempt of his regall power â— The monkes of Canterburie thus being expulsed the king forthwith sendeth messengers to the Pope wyth his letters wherin he doth sharply and expressely expostulate with the Pope First for that so vncourteously he repulsed the election of the bishop of Norwich and set vp one Stephen Langton a man vnknowne to him and brought vp amongest hys ennemies a long time in the kingdome of Fraunce consecrating him Archb. of Cant. and letting the other goe Also which is more it redoundeth to the subuersion and derogatioÌ„ of the liberties appertaining to his crowne for notwithstaÌ„ding his consent past being before of the monks not made priuy which should so haue done yet he rashly presumed to promote and preferre another Wherfore he can not maruaile he sayth enough that neither the sayd Pope nor the Court of Rome doth consider and reuolue with themselues how necessary his loue and fauour hath bene alwayes hetherto to the sea of Rome that they consider not what great profite and reuenewes hath proceeded hetherto to them out of the realme of EnlaÌ„d the like wherof hath not ben receiued out of any other countrey besides on this side the Alpes He addeth moreouer and sayth that for his liberties he wil stande if neede be vnto death neither can he be so remooued and shaken of from the election of the B. of Norwich which hee seeth to be so commodious to him and profitable Finally hee thus concludeth saying that in no case in this his request he be not heard hee will so prouide by the seas that there shal be no such gadding coursing any more ouer to rome suffring the riches of the lande no more to be transported ouer whereby he shoulde be himselfe the lesse able to resist his enemies And seing he hath of his own at home archbishops bishops other prelates of the Churche both of English men of other sufficiently prouided instructed in all kinde of knowledge therfore he shal not nede greatly to seeke for iudgement and iustice farther abroad When these came to the Popes intelligeÌ„ce he directeth letters to tâ—â— king againe in this forme INnocentius P. seruant of the seruants of God to our welbeloued sonne in Christ the king of England health Apostolicall blessing Where as we haue written to you heretofore exhorting and entreating you after an humble diligent and geÌ„tle sort concerning the Church of Cant. you haue written to vs againe after a threatning sort and vpbraiding manner both spitefully and also frowardly And where as we more and aboue that oure right and duety required haue borne and gâ—uen to you you againe for your part haue geuen to vs not so much as by right duety you are bound to do And though your deuotion as you say hath ben to vs very necessary yet consider againe that ours also is not a litle opportune expedient for you And where as we in such like cases haue not shewed at any time the like honor to any prince as we haue vnto you you againe haue so much derogated our honor as no prince els hath presumed to do besides you alone pretending certaine friuolous causes occasions I caÌ„not tel what why you would not condescend to the election of Steuen Langton Cardinall of S. Chrysogono chosen by the Monkes of Cant for that the said StepheÌ„ as you say hath ben coÌ„uersant brought vp amongst your enemies and his person to you vnknowne But you knowe what is the prouerbe of Salomon the net is cast but in vaine in the sight of the flying birdes c. With much other matter in the same Epistle wherein he falleth into the commendation of Steuen Langton his Cardinall declaring howe learned he was in the liberall artes and in diuinitie in so muche he was pâ—ebendated at Paris also come of an honest stocke and an Englishman borne and not vnknowen to the king seeing the king had written his letters thrise to him before Declaring moreouer in the said letter how the messengers of the King had specified to him an other cause which was for the the moÌ„ks of Cant. which had to doe in the election came not to hym before for his coÌ„sent declaring moreouer in the said letter how the said messengers of the king intreated in the kings behalfe that for so much as the popes letters wherein the king was commaunded to send his proctors to Rome for the same matter came not to the kings hande neither did the Monkes direct any such letters or message to the king to haue his consent therefore the Pope considering the same woulde graunt so much for the regarde of the kings honor that the monkes of Cant. should not procede without the kings assent therein And for as much as that hath not bene done as yet therefore they desired some delay therein to be geuen sufficient for the doing therof whereunto he said that he had graunted fulfilled their request in sending hys letters and messengers once or twise to the king for the same purpose although he sayd it was not the maner of the sea Apostolique who had the fulnesse of power ouer the Church of Cant. to waite for Princes consents in such elections who then could not be suffered to do that which they came for wherefore in knitting vp his letter he thus concludeth in these wordes And therfore seeing the matter so standeth we see no cause why we should require or tary for the kings fauour or consent any more therein but intend so to procede in this matter neither enclining on the right hand nor on the left according as the canonicall ordinances of the holy fathers shall direct vs that is that al impediments delaies set aside so to prouide that the church of Canterburie be no longer destitute of her pastour Wherefore be it knowne to your discretion or kingly prudence that for so much as this election of Stephen Langhton hath orderly concordely thus proceeded without fraud or disceit
Eschequer with all other the greatest exchetes of the realme were in their handes of the which if the king would demaund a count he should proue how true they were 8. Item for that neither by the kinges seale nor commaundement except it bare withall the seale of Peter Riuall almost no busines of any weight could be dispatched in the realm as thogh their counted the king for no king 9. Furthermore by the foresayd councell the naturall subiectes and nobles of the realme were banished the Court which was to be feared would grow to some inconuenience both to the kyng and to the Realme for so muche as the king seemed more to be on their side then they of his as by many euident coniectures may appeare 10. Item it was not well to be taken and liked the sayd councell standing of straungers and aliens to haue in theyr power both the kinges sister and many other noble mens daughters and other women mariageable with the kinges wardes and mariages which they bestowed and deuided among themselues and men of their affinity 11. Also the sayd councell regarding neither the lawes nor liberties of the Realme confirmed and corroborated by excommunication did confound and peruert all iustice Wherefore it was to be feared they would runne vnder excommunication and the king also in communicating with them 12. Item because they kept neither promise nor sayth nor oath with any person neither did obserue an instrument made neuer so formall by law nor yet did feare any excommunication Wher fore they were to be left for people desperate as which were departed from all truth and honesty These thinges sayd the Bishops we as your saythfull subiects before God men do tell and aduertise your grace desiring and beseching you that you will remoue seclude from you such councell and as the custome is of all other kingdoms to do that you will so gouern in like maner your kingdome by your owne natural liege people such as be sworne vnto you of your own realm For thus said they in verity we denounce vnto you that unles in short time you will see these thinges reformed we according to our duety will proceed by y◠consure of the church agaynst you and all other that gaynstand the same tarying no other thing but onely the consecration of this our reuerend Archbyshop These wordes of the Bishops thus sayd and finished the king required a little time of respite wherein to aduise with himselfe aboue the matter saying that he could not in such a sodeine remoue from him his counsell before he had entred with them a coūt of his treasure committed to them and so that assemble brake up It followed then after this communication so broken vp that the king resorted to the parts of northfolk where cōming by S. Edmunds bury where the wife of Hubert y◠Iustice was he being moued with zeale of pity toward the woman who very humbly behaued her self to y◠king did graunt vnto her 8. manor places which her husband before with his mony had purchased being then in the custody and possession of Robert Passelew one of the kings new counsellors aboue specified It was not long after this but Edmund the Archbishop was inuested and consecrated in the church of Caunterbury who shortly after his consecratiō about the moneth of April comming with his Suffraganes to the place of counsell where the kyng with his Earles and Barons was assembled opened to him the cause and purpose of his comming of the other Prelates which was to put him in remembrance of their former talke had with him at Westminster Denouncing moreouer to him expresly that vnles with speed he would take a better way fall to a peaceable and godly agremēt with the true faithfull nobles of his realme he incontinent with the other Prelates there present would passe with the sentence of excommunication against him and against all them that should be enemies to the same peace main teiners of discord The king after he heard the meaning of the Bishops with humble and gentle language answered them again promising to condescend to them in all things whereupon within few dayes after the king comming to some better remembrauce of himselfe cōmaunded the forenamed byshop of Winchester to leaue the court and return home to his Bishoprick there to attend vnto the spiritual charge and care of his flocke committed to him Moreouer he cōmanded Peter Riual the Bishops cosin some storyes say his sonne who had then the disposing of all the assayres of the Realme to render vnto him his castles and to geue a count of all his treasures whereof he had the keeping and so to voyd the Realme swearing moreouer vnto him but for that he was benefised and was within orders of the Churche else he woulde haue caused both his eyes to be pluckt out of his head He expelled likewise the Pictauians out of the court and from the custody of his munitions sending thē home into theyr coūntry and bidding they should no more see his face And thus the king wisely dispatching himselfe of his wicked counsellers first did send Edmund the Archbyshop with the bishops of Chester and of Rochester into Wales to Leoline and to Richard Earle Marshal and other to intreat with them of peace Also he receiued to hys seruice agayne men of his naturall countrey to attend about him offering himself willing to be ruled by the counsell of the Archbishop and the Bishops by whose prudēce he trusted his Realme should be reduced agayne to a better quietnes But in the meane time while these thinges were doing in England the foresayd Richard Earle Marshall by the falshood of the bishop of Winchester and Peter Riuall forging the kinges letters to the Irishmen against him partly by the conspiracy of Gilbert de Marisco was circumuented by the Irishmen in war and there taken and wounded was by them through the meanes of his Surgean slayne Great slaughter the same tune was of thē which were called Latini about the partes of Almaine These Latini were estemed of pope Gregory and the Papistes to be heretickes But what their opinions were I finde it not expressed In Parisienà In like sort the Albigenses afore mentioned recounted also of the popes flocke to be heretickes with theyr bishops a great number and company of thē were slaine by the commaundemēt of pope Gregory at the same time in a certayne playne in Spayne Ex Ma. Priens fol. 87. Now the Archbishop of Canterbury with other two Byshops were sent into Wales for intreatye of peace ye heard before At whose returne agayne after the time of Easter the king going toward Glocester to meet them by the way as he was in his iourney at woodstocke came messengers from Ireland declaring to y◠king the death of Richard Earle Marshall and the order thereof through y◠forged letters of Winchester and other whereat the
good is not forbidden or that which is mere ill is not commaunded but is meane or indiffereÌ„t betwene both Which mean or indifferent thing yet notwithstanding by circumstances of time place or person may be either good or euill 4 Item that euery one shall sweare confesse by his oth that the opinions of Wickliffe and others touching the 7. sacraments of the church and other things aboue notified being contrary to the sayd church of Rome be false 5. Item that an othe be required of them all that none of them shall hold defend or maintaine any of the 45. articles of Iohn Wickliffe aforesayd or in any other matter catholick and especially of the 7. Sacraments and other articles aboue specified but only as doth the Church of Rome and no otherwise 6. Item that euery ordinary in his dioces shall cause the sayd premisses contained in the 1.2.3.4 articles aforesayde to be published in his Sinodes and by his preachers to be declared to the people in the kingdome of Boheme 7. Item that if any Clerke student or lay man shal with staÌ„d any of the premisses that the ordinary haue authority if he be conuicted therof to correct him according to the old lawes and Canons and that no man shal dâ—â—end such one by any meanes for none but the ordinary hath power to correct such a man because the Archbishop is chauncellour both of the kingdome and vniuersity of Prage 8. Item that the songes lately forbidden being odious â—auÌ„derous and offensiue to others fame be not long neyther in streetes tauernes nor any other place 9. Item that maister Iohn Hus shall not preach so long as he shall haue no absolution of the court neither shal hinder the preaching in Prage by his presence that by this his obedience to the Apostolicall sea may be knowne 10. Item that this Councell doth appeare to be good and reasonable for the putting away of ill report and dissentioÌ„ that is in the kingdome of Boheme 11. Item if maister Iohn Hus with his complices will performe this which is conteined in the 4. former Articles then we will be ready to say as they woulde wishe vs and haue vs whensoeuer need shall require that we do agree with them in matter of fayth otherwise if they wyll not so doe we in geuing this testimony should lye greatly vnto our Lord the King to the whole world And moreouer we will be content to write for them to the Court of Rome and do the best we can for them our honors saued This counsell and deuise being considered amongest the head of the vniuersity of Prage the foresayd administrator named Conradus presented to the king and to the barons of the realme and also to the Senate of Prage Whereof as soone as word came to Iohn Hus and his adherents they likewise drew out other Articles in maner and forme of a councell as foloweth For the honor of God the true preaching of hys gospell for the health of the people and to auoyd the sinister false infamy of the kingdome of Boheme and of the Marquiship of Morauia of the city and vniuersity of Prage and for the reforming of peace vnity betweene the clergy and the scholers of the vniuersity 1. First let the right and iust decrement of the princes and of the kinges councell be holden and stand in force which betwene the L. Archbi Suinco on the one party and betwene the rector maister Iohn Hus on the other party was made proclaimed sâ—aled and solemnly on both parts receiued and allowed in the court of our soueraigne Lord the king 2. Item that the kingdome of Boheme remain in his former rites liberties common customes so as other kingdomes landes do enioy that is in all approbations condemnations and other actes concerning the holy mother vniuersall church 3. Item that maister I. Hus agaynst whom the foresayd Lord Suinco could obiect no crime before the couÌ„cell that the sayd Iohn Hus may be present in the congregation of the Clergy and there whosoeuer will obiect to him either heresy or error let him obiect binding himself to suffer the like payne if he do not proue it 4. Item if no man will set himselfe on the contrary part against him then let the coÌ„maundement be made by our soueraigne Lord the king through all his Cittyes and likewise let it be ordeined and proclaimed through all villages and townes that maister Iohn Hus is ready to render account of his fayth and therfore if any will obiect vnto him any heresy or errour let him write his name in the chauncery of the Lord Archbishop and to bring forth his probations openly before both the parties 5. Item if no such shal be founde to obiect or which will write his name then let them be called for which caused to be noised rumored in the Popes Court that in the kingdome of Boheme in the Citty of Prage and in the Marquesdome of Morauia many there be whose harts be infected with heresy and error that they may proue who they be and if they be not able to proue it let them be punished 6. Item that commaundement be directed to Doctors of Diuinity and of the Canon law and to the Chapter of Cathedrall churches and that it be required of them all and of euery one particularly that they wil bring forth his name if they know any such to be an heretick or erroneous And if they deny to know any such then let them make recognition therof before the publike Notary confirming the same with their seales 7. Item these things thus done premised then that our soueraigne Lord the king also that the Archb. will geue commaundement vnder payne that no man shall call one another hereticke or erroneous vnles he will stand to the probation of that heresy or error as it becommeth him 8. Item after these thinges obteined that our soueraigne lord the king with the consent of his Barons will theÌ„ leuy a subsidy or collect of the clergy direct an honest ambassy to the Popes court with the which embassadors let theÌ„ also go vpoÌ„ theyr owne proper charges or expenses for theyr purgation which haue caused this kingdome falsly greuously to be infamed in the Apostolicall court 9. Item in the meane season for the presence of master I. Hus no Interdict ought to be made as it was made of late contrary to the order and determination of our holye mother church c. As this matter was thus in altercatioÌ„ betwene the two parts the one obiecting the other answering in articles as is aforsayd In the meane time it happened by the occasioÌ„ of Ladislaus king of Naples who had besieged the Popes townes and territories that Pope Iohn raising vp warr agaynst the sayd Ladislaus gaue ful remission of sinnes to all them which would warre of his side to defeÌ„d the church When this Bul of the popes indulgeÌ„ce was come to Prage and there published
he notifyed hys presence by hys letters which he sent abroade and especially in euery good towne or citie of name the tenour whereof ensueth ¶ The copy of the letters which Iohn Hus set vp in the common places of the Cities which he passed thorough going to the Councell MAister Iohn Hus goeth now vnto Constance there to declare his fayth which he hath hitherto holden and euen at this present doth hold and by Gods helpe will defend and keepe euen vnto death Therefore euen as he hath manifested throughout all the kingdome of Boheme by his letters and intimations willing before his departure to haue satisfied and giuen an accompt of his fayth vnto euery man which should obiect or lay anie thing against him in the generall conuocation holden in the Archbishop of Prages Court So likewise he doth manifest and signifie that if there be any man in this noble and Imperiall Citie the which will impute or lay any errour or heresie vnto him that he should prepare himselfe to come vnto the Councell for so much as the sayd maister Iohn Hus is ready to satisfie euery man at the sayd Councell which shall lay any thing vnto hys charge as touching his faith In all Cities as he passed by and principally when he was parted out of Boheme and entred into Almaine a great number of people did come vnto him and he was very gently receiued and entertained of hys hostes thorough all the townes of Germany and specially of the Citizens and burgeses and oftentimes of the Curates Insomuch as the sayd Hus did confesse in a certayne Episâ—le that hee founde in no place so great enimies as in Boheme And if it happened that there were any brute or noise before of his comming the streetes were alwayes full of people which were desirous to see Iohn Husse and gratifie him and amongst all other specially at Nurremberge where as certaine Merchaunts which went before certified the Citizens of his comming In the same Citie there were many Curates which came vnto hym desiring that they might talke with him secretly aparte vnto whome he aunswered that he loued much rather to pronounce and shew foorth his mind and opinion openly before all men than in huggermugger for he would kepe nothing close nor hidden So after dinner vntill it was night he spake before the Priests and Senatours and diuers other Citizens insomuch that they all had hym in great estimation and reuerence one onely doctor except which was a Charterhouse Monke and the Curate of Sainct Sebaulde which did improue all that he had said The twentith day after that he parted out of the towne of Prage which was the third day of Nouember he came vnto Constance and lodged at an honest matrons house being a widow named Faith in saint Galles streete The morrow after the Gentleman maister Iohn de Clum and maister Henry Latzemboge went to speake with the Pope and certified him that Iohn Husse was come whome they had brought to Constance to the generall Counsell vnder the Emperour his safe conduict desiring him also that he on his part would graunt the sayd Iohn Husse libertie to remaine in Constance without aâ—ue trouble vexation or interruption vnto whome the Pope aunswered that albeit that Iohn Husse had killed his brother yet would he go about as much as in him lay that no outrage or hurt should be done vnto him during his abode in the towne of Constance In this meane time the greatest aduersary that Iohn Husse had named maister Steuen Palletz the which was also a Bohemian was come vnto Constance But hys companion maister Stanislaus Znoma was not yet passed the borders of Boheme when he was striken with an impostume whereof he died As soone as the said Palletz was come to Constance he did associate vnto him one Michael de Causis the which had before falsly accused and blamed the saide Iohn Husse And this may not be forgotten that the said Palletz had bene familiarly conuersant and acquainted with the said Iohn Husse from hys youth vpward but after that there was a bull brought vnto Prage from Pope Iohn the 23. against the king of Apulia named Ladislaus the sayd Iohn Hus withstood it openly for so much as he saw that it was wicked and nought And as touching the said Palletz albeit that he had coÌ„fessed at a certaine banquet in the presence of the said Iohn Hus that the said Gull was contrary to al equity right yet notwithstanding forsomuch as he was obliged bouÌ„d vnto the Pope by meanes of certain benefices receiued at his hand he mainteined and defended the said bull against Iohn Hus. And this was the cause of the discord and falling out betwene theÌ„ As for Michaell de Caulis the companion of maister Palletz he was somtime the Curate of new Prage but he not being content therwith but seking after a further pray dreamed and imagined out a new denise how to attayne vnto it for he made a semblaunce that he had found out a new inuention or meane whereby the mines of gold in Gilory which were perished and lost might be renued and set on worke againe By this means he did so much with the king wenceslaus that he did put a great summe of mony into his hands to do that withall which he had promised This honest man after he had laboured and trauelled certaine daies about it and perceiuing that he brought nothing to passe and that by that meanes he was vtterly in despaire of his purpose hee conueied himselfe priuily out of the Realme of Boheme with the rest of the money and withdrewe himselfe as a worthy bird for such a nest into the court of Rome Such a man of such conditions was easily corrupt with mony and that by the aduersaries of the said Hus promised theÌ„ to do what he coulde for them the which hee did shortly after The two â—olly roisters Steuen Palletz Michaell de Causis drew out certaine articles against the said Husse sayeng that they had gathered them out of his own writings and specially out of his treatise which he had written of the Church They troited vp downe hither thither taking great paines to shewe the saide articles vnto the Cardinals Bishops Monks and such others of that sort doing them also to vnderstand that there were other matters of greater importance which the said I. Hus had committed and done against the holy constitutions and other ordinances of the Pope and the Church which if neede were they said they would propound before the Councell Through the kindling of this their fire they did so incense the Cardinals all the Priests that all they with one mind and consent thought to cause the good man to be taken and laid hands on The 26. day after the said Hus was come to ConstaÌ„ce during all which tune he was occupied in reading writing and familiar talke with his
reuerences that you will decree most graciously consent that this our petition and supplication may be drawen out againe by your Notarie and reduced into a publicke forme and order After this supplication was read before the deputies of the 4. nations the Patriarche of Antioch answered in the name of them all vnto euery article of the sayd supplication but it was done in few wordes First as touching the protestation of Iohn Hus whether it be true or false it shal be made euident in the processe of his cause Moreouer wheras they say that the aduersaries of Iohn Hus hath peruersly drawen certaine thinges out of his bookes that also the matter it selfe shall declare in the end Where as if it shal be found decreed that Iohn Hus is vniustly vntruly accused that thē it shal come to passe that his aduersaries shall incurre perpetuall ignominy and slaunder But as touching sureties albeit there might be a thousand put in or boūd yet can it not by any meanes be that the deputies of the Councell with a safe conscience may receiue or take them in this mans cause vnto whome there is no faith or credite to be geuē Howbeit thus much they wil do vpon the 5. day of Iune next Iohn Hus shall be brought againe vnto Constance and there haue free libertie to speake his minde before the Councell that they wold louingly and gently heare him but the matter in the ende fell out farre contrary to thys promise The same day the saide Barons and Lordes presented a supplication of thys tenour vnto the Emperor Vnto the most highe and mighty Prince the Lorde Sigismund king of the Romaines alwaies Augustus king of Hungarie Croatia and Dalmatia our most gracious Lord faithful true seruice in al things and at all times Most noble Prince and gracious Lord we signifie vnto your worthinesse that we all together with one minde consent and accord haue deliuered vp vnto the reuerend fathers and Lordes the deputies of the 4 nations and to the whole sacred Councel of Constance this our supplication here vnder wrytten as reasonable iust and worthy of consideration the tenour wherof here followeth word by word and is this ¶ The copie of the supplication which was presented vnto the deputies of the councel is before written whereunto this which followeth was annexed WHerefore we most humbly require and desire your princely maiestie that both for the loue of iustice and also of the fame and renowme of that moste famous kingdome of Boheme whereof wee acknowledge you vndoubtedly the true Lorde and heire successour and also foreseeing vnto the liberty of your safe-conduct that you wil with your fauourable countenance beholding these most reasonable and iust supplications which we haue put vp to the Lordes aforesayd put to your helping hand toward the sayd most reuerend fathers and Lordes that they will effectually heare vs in this our most iust petition which we haue offered vp to them as is aforesaide least that the enemie of the renowme and honour of the famous kingdome of Boheme and such as oure slaunderers also hereafter may detracte and sclaunder vs that wee should make vnreasonable and vnlawfull requests vnto the sayde reuerend fathers and Lordes and therefore we required and desired of them that it would please them to decre by setting to their publicke hand seale to authorise our said supplication Likewise we do most hartily require your highnes that you would vouchsafe in like maner to geue vs your testimonie of the premises But what answere the Emperor made heereunto we could neuer vnderstand or know but by the processe of the matter a man may easily iudge that thys good Emperour was brought and lead euen vnto thys poynt through the obstinate mischiefe of the cardinals and bishops to breake and falsify his promise and faith whych hee had made and promised and this was their reason whereby he was driuenthereunto that no defence coulde or might be geuen either by safe conducte or by any other meane vnto hym whych was suspected or iudged to be an hereticke But by the Epistles and letters of Iohn Hus a man may easily iudge what the kings minde was Now we will procede in the historie The 5. day of Iune the Cardinals Byshops and the rest of the priests al that were almost in Constance assembled to a great number at the Couent of the Franciscanes in Constance and there it was commaunded that before Iohn Hus shoulde be brought foorth in hys absence they should rehearse the witnesses and articles which they had slaunderously gathered out of his bookes the whych articles with Iohn Husses answer we will hereafter repeate By chance there was then present a certaine Notary named Peter Mladoniewitz the whych bare great loue and amity vnto the said Hus who assoone as he perceiued that the Bishops and cardinals were already determined and appoynted to condemne the sayde articles in the absence of Iohn Hus hee went withall speede vnto maister Wencelate de Duba and Iohn of Clum tolde them al the matter who incontinent made report therof to the Emperour Who vnderstanding their intent sent Lewes the Countie Palantine of Heydelberge and the Lord Frederick Burgraue of Nuremberge to signify vnto them whych ruled the councel that nothing should be resolued or done in the case of Iohn Hus before that it wer first heard with equity and that they should send him all such articles as were said against the sayd Hus which were either false or hereticall he would do so much that the said articles shoulde be examined by good and learned men Then according to the Emperors will the iudgement of the principals of the Councell was suspended vntill suche time as Iohn Hus were present In the meane season these gentlemen master of Dube and of Clum did geue vnto the two Princes whych the Emperor had sent certaine smal treatises which the sayde Hus had made out of the which they had drawn certain articles to present vnto them which ruled the councel vnder this condition that they would render them againe when they should demand them The intent meaning of these Barons was that by thys meanes the aduersaries of Iohn Hus might the more easily be reproued the which of a naughty and corrupt conscience had picked out corrupt sentēces out of the said bookes of Iohn Hus. The bookes were deliuered vnto the Cardinals and Byshops and that done Iohn Hus was brought forth and the Princes whiche were sent by the Emperour departed backe agayne After they shewed the bookes vnto Iohn Hus and he cōfessed openly before the whole assembly that hee had made them that he was ready if there were any fault in thē to amend the same Now harken a litle to the holy proceedynges of these reuerēd fathers for here happened a straunge shamefull matter With much a do they had scarsly read one article brought forth a
Christ. FOrsomuch as euery man both by the law of nature and also by Gods law is commaunded to doe that vnto an other man which he woulde haue done vnto himselfe and is forbidden to do that thing vnto an other which he would not haue done vnto himselfe as our Sauiour sayth all things whatsoeuer you wyll that men should do vnto you the same doe you vnto thē for this is the law and the Prophetes yea the lawe is fulfilled in this one poynt thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy self We therfore God being our author hauing respect as much as in vs lieth vnto the said law of God the loue of our neighbor before did send our letters vnto Constaunce for our dearelye beloued frende of good memorye Mayster Iohn Husse Bacheler of Diuinitye and Preacher of the Gospell Whome of late in the Councell of Constaunce wee knowe not with what spirite beeing ledde you haue condemned as an obstinate hereticke neither hauing confessed any thing neither being lawfully conuict as were expediét hauing no errours or heresies declared or layde agaynst him but onely at the sinister false and importune accusations suggestiōs and instigations of his mortall enemies and the traytours of our kingdome and Marquesdome of Morauia And being thus vnmercifully condemned you haue slayne him with most shamefull and cruell death to the perpetuall shame and infamy of our most christian kingdome of Boheme and the famous Marquesdome of Morauia as we haue written vnto Constance vnto the most noble Prince and Lord the Lord Sigismund king of Romaynes and of Hungary the Heyre and Successor of our kingdom the which was also read and published in your congregations whiche wee will here also haue enrolled and haue burned him as it is reported in the reproch and contempt of vs. Wherfore we haue thought good euen now to direct our letters patentes to your reuerences nowe present in the behalfe of Maister Iohn Hus openly professing and protesting both wyth hart and mouth that he the sayd Mayster Iohn Hus was a iust good and Catholicke man and a long season worthely commended and allowed in our kingdome for his life and conuersation He also preached and taught vs and our subiectes the law of the Gospell and of the holy Prophets and the bookes of the olde and new Testament according to the exposition of the holy Doctors approued by the church left many Monumēts in writing most constantly detesting and abhorring all errors and and heresy continually admonishing both vs and all faithfull christians to do the like diligently exhorting all men as muche as in him lay by hys words writings and trauel vnto quietnesse and concord so that vsing all the diligence that we might we neuer heard or coulde vnderstand that Mayster Iohn Hus had preached taught or by any meanes affirmed any error or heresy in his Sermons or that by any maner of meanes he had offended vs or our subiectes either by word of deed but that he alwayes led a quiet and a godly life in Christ exhorting all men diligently both by his word and workes as much as he might to obserue and keepe the law of the Gospel and the institutiōs of the holy fathers after the preaching of our holy mother the church to the edifying of mens soules Neither did these premisses which you had so perpetrated to the reproch both of vs and our kingdom and Marquesdom suffice content you but that also without all mercy and piety you haue apprehended imprisoned and condemned and euen now peraduenture like as you did Mayster Iohn Hus you haue most cruelly murdered the worshipfull man Mayster Ierome of Prage a man abounding in eloquence Mayster of the seuen liberall artes and a famous Philosopher not being seene heard examined neither conuict but onely at the sinister and false accusation of hys and our accusers and betrayers Furthermore it is come to our knowledge and vnderstanding which we do not without great griefe rehearse as we may also euidently gather by your writings how that certayne detractors odible both to God and men priuy enuyers and betrayers haue wickedly and greuously albeit falsly and trayterously accused vs our kingdome and Marquesdome aforsayde before you in your councell that in the sayde kingdome of Boheme and Marquescome of Morauia diuers errors are sprong vp which haue greuously and manifoldely infected both our hartes and also the hartes of many faythfull men in so much that without a speedy stop or stay of correction the sayd kingdome and Marquesdome together with the faythfull Christians therein should incurre an irrecuperable losse and ruine of theyr soules These cruell and pernitious iniuries which are layd vnto vs and to our sayd kingdome and Marquesdome albeit most falsly slaunderously howe may we suffer for so muche as through the grace of God when in a maner all other kingdomes of the world haue oftentimes wauered making Schismes and Antipapes our most Christian kingdome of Boheme and most noble Marquesdome of Morauia since the time they did receiue the Catholicke fayth of our Lord Iesus Christ as a most perfecte quadrant haue alwayes without reproofe stucke vnto the Church of Rome and haue sincerely done theyr true obedience Also with how greate costes and charges and great trauell with what worship and due reuerence they haue reuerenced the holy mother the church and her pastors by theyr princes and faythfully subiects it is more manifest then the day light vnto the whole world and your selues if you will confesse the truth can witnes the same also Wherfore that we according to the mind of the Apostle may procure honest and good thinges not onely before God but before men also and least by neglecting the famous renowne of the kingdom and Marquesdom we be foūd cruel towards our neighbours hauing a stedfast hope a pure and sincere conscience and intent and a certayne true fayth in Christ Iesu our Lord by the tenour of these we signify and declare vnto your fatherhoods to all faythfull Christians openly professing both with hart and mouth that whatsoeuer man of what estate preheminence dignity condition degree or religion so euer he be which hath sayd or affirmed eyther doth say or affirme that in the sayd kingdome of Boheme and Marquesdome of Morauia heresyes haue sprong vp which haue infected vs and other faythfull Christians as is aforesayd the onely person of our most noble prince and Lord Sigismund king of Romaynes and of Hungary c. our Lord and heire successor being set apart whom we trust and beleue not to be guilty in the premisses all and euery such man as is aforesaid doth lye fasly vpon his head as a wicked and naughty traytour betrayer of the sayd kingdome and Marquesdome and most traiterous vnto vs most pernitious hereticke the sonne of all malice and wickednesse yea and of the deuill himselfe who is a lyar and the father of all lyes Notwithstanding we for
done they suppressed diuers monasteries pharisaicall temples and idolatrous phanes beginning first with the great monasterie of the blacke Friers eight miles from Prage and driuing away the wicked and vicious Priests Monkes out of them or compelling them vnto a better order And thus their number more and more encreasing vnder the conduict of a certaine noble man named Nicholas they went againe vnto the King requiring to haue more and ampler Churches graunted vnto them The King seemed at the first willingly and gently to giue care vnto the said Nicholas intreating for the people and commaunded them to come againe the next day When the people were departed the kyng turning himselfe to that noble man Nicholas which taried still behynde said Thou hast begun a webbe to put me out of my kingdome but I will make a rope of it wherewithall I will hang thee Whereupon he immediatly departed out of the Kings presence and the King himselfe went into the Castle of Uissegrad within a while after into a new Castle which he himselfe had builded fiue stones cast froÌ„ thence sending Ambassadours to his brother to require aide These Protestants beeing assembled in the Towne of Praâ—e holding their conuentions the king sent forth his Chamberlaine with CCC horsemeÌ„ to runne vpoÌ„ them but he hauing respect vnto his life fled WheÌ„ newes thereof was brought vnto the king all that were about him being amased vtterly detested the fact but the Kings cup-bearer staÌ„ding by said I knew before that these thynges would thus come to passe Whom the king in a rage taking hold of threw him downe before his feete and with hys dagger would haue slaine him but being letted by such as were about him with much ado he pardoned him his life Immediatly the king being taken with a palsey fell sicke and within 18. daies after wheÌ„ he had marked the names of such whom he had appointed to put to death incessantly calling for aide of his brother and other his frends he departed this life before the Princes which he had sente vnto were come with aide wheÌ„ he had raigned 55. yeares and was about the age of 57. yeares The story of Zisca IMmediatly after the death of Wenceslaus there was a certaine noble man named Zisca borne at Trosnouia which from his youth vpwarde was brought vp in the kyngs court and had lost one of his eies in a battel where as he had valiantly borne himselfe This man beeing sore greeued for the death of I. Hus and Hierome of Prage minding to reuenge the iniuries which the Councell had done greatly to the dishonour of the kingdom of Boheme vpon their complices and adhereÌ„ts he gathered together a number of meÌ„ of warre and subuerted the Monasteries and idolatrous temples pulling downe and breaking in peeces the images and idols driuing away the Priestes and Monkes which he saide were kept vp in their Cloysters like swine in their styes to be fatted After this hys army beeing increased hauing gathered together aboute fortie thousande men hee attempted to take the Castle of Uissegrade which was but slenderly warded FroÌ„ thence the said Zisca vnder the conduict of Coranda wente speedely vnto Pelzina whereas he knew he had many frends of his faction and tooke the towne into his power fortifieng the same very strongly and those which tarried behinde tooke the Castle of Uissegrade Then the Queene Sophia beeing very carefull sente letters and messengers vnto the Emperour Sigismund and other nobles adioining vnto her requiring aide and helpe but the Emperour made preparation against the Turke which had then lately wonne certaine Castels of him Whereupon the Queene seeing all ayde so farre off together with Zenko Warrenberge gathered an host with the kings treasure and fortified the Castle of Prage and the lesser Citie which ioineth vnto the Castle making gates and Towers of wood vpon the bridge ouer the Riuer Multane to stoppe that the Protestants shoulde haue no passage that way Then it hapned that at the I le of S. Benedict one Peter Steremberge fought an equall or indifferent battaile with them In the meane time the number of the Protestantes beeing increased in Prage they fought for yâ— bridge In which battaile many were slaine on both parts but at the length the Hussites wanne the bridge and the neather part of lesser Prage the Queenes part fleeing into the vpper parte thereof whereas they turning againe fiersly renued the battaile and fought continually day and night by yâ— space of fiue daies Many were slaine on both parts goodly buildings were rased and the councell house which was in a low place was vtterly defaced and burned During the time of this troublous estate the Ambassadours of the Emperour Sigismund were come whyche taking vpon them the rule and gouernaÌ„ce of the Realme made a truce or league with the Citie of Prage vnder this condition that the Castle of Uissegrad beeing rendred it should be lawful for theÌ„ to send Ambassadours to the Emperour Sigismund to intreat as touching their estate and that Zisca should render Pelzina Piesta with the other forts which he had taken These conditions thus agreed vpon and receiued all the forreine Protestants departed out of the Citie and the Senate of the Citie began to gouerne againe according to their accustomed manner and all things were quieted Howbeit the Papists which were gone out of the Towne durst not returne againe but still looked for the Emperour by whose presence they thought they should haue bene safe But this their hope was frustrate by meanes of certaine letters which were sent from the Emperour wherein it was written that he woulde shortly come and rule the kingdome euen after the same order and maner as his father Charles had done before him Whereby the Protestants vnderstoode that their sect and Religion should be vtterly banished which was not begon during the raigne of the sayd Charles About Christmasse the Emperour Sigismund came to Brunna a Citie of Morauia and there he pardoned the Citizens of Prage vnder condition that they woulde let downe the chaines and barres of the City and receiue his rulers and magistrates Wherunto the whole city obeied and the Magistrates thereof lifting vp their handes vnto heauen reioiced at the comming of the new king But the Emperour turned another way and weÌ„t vnto Uratislauia the head city of Slesia where as a little before the coÌ„munalty of the City had slaine in an insurrection the magistrates which his brother WeÌ„ceslaus had set in authority the principals wherof he beheaded The newes wherof when they were reported at Prage the CitizeÌ„s being seared by the example of the Vratislauians distrusting their pardoÌ„ rebelled out of hand and hauing obteined Cencho on their part which had the gouernaunce of the Castle of Prage they sent letters into all the Realme that no man should suffer the Emperour to enter which was an enemie vnto Boheme and sought nothing else but to destroy
wherwith heretickes are punished or are wont and are commaunded by canonical sanctions to be vsed and if they be clerkes by degradation doe correcte and punishe and cause them to be corrected and punyshed with all dilligence Furthermore that you do rise vp stoutly and couragiously agaynst such heretickes and the goodes as well of them as of the lay men according to the canonicall sanctioÌ„ made agaynst heretickes and their followers vnder the which we will and commaunde them and their partakers to be subiect And also such persons as shall be infamed of the heresies or errors aforesayd or any of the premisses shall be bounde to purge themselues at your arbitrement but the other which either be witnesses or by their owne confessions or other allegations or probations shal be conuicted of the foresaid heresies or articles or of any the premisses they shal be compelled to reuoke and abiure publikely and solemnly the sayd articles and erroures and to suffer condigne penaunce and punishment yea euen to perpetuall imprisonment if need be for the same And to the intent that they shall not nourish any kinde of heresies hereafter either in word deede or gesture or shall induce other either in worde or deede priuely or apertly directly or indirectly to beleeue the same they shal be forced to put in sufficient suretie Who if it so chaunce that they wil not publikely and solemnly renounce and abiure their articles and errors and take at your handes condigne penaunce though it be to perpetual or teÌ„poral punishment according to your discretion neither wil be coÌ„tented to put in sufficient suretie that they will not hereafter holde nor nourish those erroures and heresies neither wil induce other by word or deed priuily or apertly directly or indirecly or by any other maner of colour to beleue the same that then you shall proceede agaynst them according to the qualty of their erroures and demerites yea and if you see it so expedient as against heretickes as infected with heresie by our authoritie according to the canonical sanctions suâ—marily and simply and plainly sine strepitu figura iudicij of office all appellatioÌ„ or appellations whatsoeuer ceasing and that you punish the same according to the sanctions traditions canonicall yea if neede be in leauing and committing them to the secular power and agayinst such as be superiors or learned doctors laying the censures of ecclesiasticall excoÌ„munication al appellation set aside also innocating if neede shall require ayd of the secular arme The constitution as wel of our predecessor P. Boniface 8. of blessed memory wherein is decreed that no man without hys City or dioces except in certayne cases or in places being one daies iornye distant from thence where he inhabiteth shal be called into iudgement that no man do presume to depute iudges froÌ„ the sea Apostolicke wtout the city dioces where they are deputed to proceede agaynst any or do presume to coÌ„mit their authority to any other person or persoÌ„s or to fetch remoue any man beyond one dayes iorny froÌ„ out his Dioces where he dwelleth or at most two dayes iourny if it be in a generall councell as also all other constitutions of any byshop of Rome touching as well Iudges delegate as persons not to be called to iudgement beyond a certaine number or els any other edict indulce priuelege or exemption generall or special graunted from the Apostolike sea for anye person or persons not to be interdicted suspended or excommunicated or cited vp to iudgement without the compasse of certaine limites or els what soeuer thing otherwise may hinder stop or impeache your iurisdiction power and free proceeding herein by anye meanes to the contrary notwithstanding Dat Constant. the first yeare of our popedome ¶ This bloudy and abhominable commission of pope Martine which I haue copied out of a certaine olde monument remaining in the handes of Maister Hackluyt student in the Temple seemeth to be directed and geuen out to the publike destruction of all faithful Christen men about the latter end breaking vp of the councel of Constance an 1418. By the which the prudent reader hath this to note and consider what labour what pollicie what couÌ„saile what lawes haue bene set what wayes haue bene takeÌ„ what seueritie hath bene shewed how mens power wit and authoritie of the whole world haue conspired together from time to time coÌ„tinually by all maner meanes to subuert and supplant the worde and way of the Lorde And yet notwithstanding man hath not preuayled but all his force deuised pollicies haue bene ouerthrown dispatched and with the councell of Achitophell and Ammon haue bene brought to nought and contrary to the furye of the world the gospell of Christ hathe still increased Neither yet for all this will the Pope cease to spurne and rebell still against the kingdome of Christe and of hys Gospell agaynst which neyther he nor yet the gates of hell shall euer preuayle The Lord of hostes be mercifull to hys poore persecuted flocke Amen Agaynst this pestilent Bull and Inquisition of Pope Martine the great antechrist I thought good here to adioyne and annexe an other contrarye writing of the Bohemians bearing the name and subscription of Procopius Conradus and other Captaynes of the Bohemians which seemeth not long after the death of Zisca to be written agaynst the pestiferous sea of Rome the tenour whereof here followrth A fruitfull and Christian exhortation of the Bohemianes to kinges and princes to stir them vp to the zeale of the Gospell THe almighty God the father by hys welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ may in hys holy spirite open the vnderstanding both of you and of all Christians lighten your hartes with the light of hys doctrin of righteousnes and may make you to continue therin surely established to the end This we desire of you for your saluation all ye honourable wise honest noble men al the Comminaltie ye rich and poore heare and consider with dilligent heede the wordes of this present letter which is sent vnto you from the Country of the Bohemianes It is manifest and well knowne to you and many other citties Kynges princes and Lordes that now a certayne number of yeares there hath ben great discord betwixt vs and you and there haue bene some which haue moued you by letters and prouoked you to make warre against vs and to destroy vs. And as well on your part as on ours many men as wel noble as vnnoble haue foolishly lost their lyues Yet neuer hetherto haue ye in any parte vnderstoode our fayth by our owne confession neither whether we be able to proue the same out of the scriptures yea or no and yet in the meane time kinges Princes Lordes and Citties haue sustayned great dammage And hereof we greatly meruaile that ye do so much trust and beleue the pope and hys priestes which geue you drinke full of poyson and
woodes and had a great pray spoile of them Notwithstanding Albertus when he heard tell that the Cardinall was entered into Boheme with all speede came agayne out of Austrich with his army besieged the strong town of Prezorabia but when he vnderstoode howe the Cardinall was fled he left of his purpose and returned through Morauia which was not yet subiecte vnto him and destroyed aboue 50. townes wyth fire and sword toke many of their cities by force and spoiled them committing great murther and slaughter and so afflicted them that they toke vpon them his yoke and promised to be subiecte and obedient to him vnder this condition that as touching religion he would be bounde to doe that whych the Councel of Basil should determine Then was there an ambassade sent out of Boheme vnto Basil where as Sigismund held the Councel who during the time of warres had kept himself at Noremberge When as hee shoulde take his iourney vnto Rome to bee crowned Emperour hee wrote letters vnto the nobles of Boheme wherin was contained how that he was a Bohemian borne and how he was not more affectioned to any nation then to his own and that he went to Rome for none other cause but to be crowned the which his honor shoulde also be a renowne to the Bohemians whome to aduaunce it hath bene alwaies his speciall care Also how that through his endeuor the Councel was begon at Basill exhorting all suche as were desirous to be heard as touching religion that they shuld come thether and that they woulde not maintaine any quarell contrary to the holy mother church that the Councel wold louingly and gentlely heare their reasons that they should onely endeuour themselues to agree wyth the Synode as touching religion and reserue and kepe a quiet and peaceable kingdome for hym against his returne Neyther shoulde the Bohemians thinke to refuse his regiment whose brother father and vncle had raigned ouer them and that hee would reigne ouer them after no other meane or sort then other Christian kings vsed to doe The councel of Basil also wrote their letter to the Bohemians that they should send their Ambassadors which should shew a reason of their faith promising safeconducte to go come and free liberty to speake what they woulde The Bohemians in this point were of 2. opinions for the Protestants almost all the common people sayd it was not good to go alledging the examples of Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage which going vnto Constance vnder the safeconduct of the Emperour were there openly burned But the nobility folowing the minde of Maynardus prince of the new house sayde that they ought to goe vnto the Councell and that they are not to be suffred which had inuented those new and strange opinions of faith newe kinde of religion except they would render accōpt of theyr doings and sayings before the vniuersall church defend those things which they had openly taught before learned men This opinion tooke place and an ambassade of 300. horse was sent vnto Basil. The chiefe wherof were William Cosca a valiant knight Procopius surnamed Magnus a mā of worthy fame for his manifold victories Ioh. Rochezana preacher of Prage Nicolas Galecus minister of the Thaborites and one Peter an Englishman of excellent prōpt and pregnant wit The people came in great number out of the towne and many out of the synode and councell attending before the gates to see the comming of this valiāt and famous people other some gathered together in great nōber into the streetes where as they should passe through The matrones maids and children filled the windowes and houses to behold and se◠and to maruel at their strange kinde of apparel and stoute couragious coūtenāces saying that it was not vntrue which was reported of them notwithstanding all men behelde Procopius saying this is he which hath ouerthrowne the papistes in so many battels which hathe subuerted so many townes and slaine so many men whom both his enemies and also his owne souldiours do feare and reuerence also that hee was a bold valiant and inuincible captaine which coulde not be ouercome with no terrour labour or trauaile These Bohemian Ambassadors were gently receyued The next day after Cardinall Iulianus sending for them vnto the councell house made a gentle long and eloquent Oration vnto them exhorting them to vnitie and peace saying that the church was the spouse of our sauior Christ and the mother of all faithful that it hath the keyes of binding and losing and also that it is white and fair without spot or wrinkle and cā not erre in those poynts which are necessary to saluation and that he which doeth contemne the same church is to be coūted as a prophane Ethnike publicane neither can this church be represented better by any meanes then in this councel Hee exhorteth them also to receiue the decrees of the councell and to geue no lesse credite vnto the councell then vnto the Gospell by whose authority the scriptures themselues are receiued allowed Also that the Bohemians which call them selues the children of the church ought to heare the voice of their mother which is neuer vnmindful of her children how that nowe of late they haue liued apart from their mother albeit said hee that is no newe or straunge thing for there haue bene many in times past which haue forsakē their mother and yet seeking after saluation haue returned to her againe That in the time of Noes floud as many as were wythout the arke perished That the Lordes passeouer was to be eaten in one house that there is no saluation to be sought for out of the church and that this is the garden famous fountaine of water wherof whosoeuer shal drinke shall not thirst euerlastingly That the Bohemians haue done as they ought in that they haue sought the foūtains of this water at the councel and haue determined nowe at length to geue care vnto their mother Nowe all hatred ought to cease all armor and weapon is to be laid apart all occasion of warre vtterly to be reiected For the fathers would louingly and gently heare whatsoeuer there they would say in their owne cause or quarell requiring onely that they woulde willingly receiue and embrace the good counsels and determinations of the sacred synode whereunto not onely the Bohemians but also all other faithfull Christians ought to consent and agree if they wil be partakers of eternall life This Oration of the Cardinal was heard very wel allowed of the fathers Wherunto the Bohemians answered in fewe woordes that they neither had contemned the Church nor the councels that the sentence geuen at Constance against those which were vnheard doeth diminishe nothing of the Christian religion that the authoritie of the fathers hath alwaies remained amongst them inuiolate and whatsoeuer thing the Bohemians had taught to bee confirmed by the scriptures and Gospell and that they are
Christ the sonne of God came not to be ministred vnto but to minister to serue how then can his vicar haue any dominion or be called Lord as you Panormitane will affirme forsomuch as the disciple is not aboue his maister nor the seruaunt aboue his Lord. And the Lord himselfe saith be yee not called maisters for so much as your only maister is Christ and he which is the greatest among you shal be your seruant Panormitane being somewhat disquieted with this aunswere the councell brake vp and departed The next day there was a generall congregation and they returned all againe vnto the chapter house after dinner whereas the Archbishop of Lyons the Kings Orator being required to speake his minde after he had by diuers and sundry reasons proued Eugenius to be an hereticke he bitterly complained detesting the negligence and ignauie of those that had proferred such a man vnto the papacie and so moued all their harts which were present that they altogether with him did bewaile the calamities of the vniuersall Church Then the Byshop of Burgen the Ambassadour of Spaine diuided the conclusions into two parts some he called generall othersome personall disputing very excellently as touching the three first cōclusions affirming the he did in no point doubt of them but only that the additiō which made mention of the faith seemed to be doubtfull vnto him But vpon this point he staied much to proue that the Councell was aboue the Pope The which after he had sufficiently proued both by Gods law and mans lawe he taught it also by Phisicall reason alledging Aristotle for witnesse He said that in euery well ordered kingdome it ought specially to be desired that the whole realme should be of more authoritie then the King which if it happened contrary it were not to be called a kingdome but a tirannie so likewise doth he thinke of the Church that it ought to be of more authoritie then the Prince thereof that is to say the Pope The which his Oration he vttered so eloquently learnedly and truly that all men depended vpon him and desired rather to haue him continue his Oration then to haue an end thereof But whē as he entred into the other cōclusions he semed to haue forgottē himself to be no more the same mā that he was for neither was there the same eloquēce in his wordes neither grauitie in Oration or cherefulnes of countenance so that if he could haue sene himselfe he would peraduēture greatly haue marueiled at himselfe Euery man might wel see perceiue thē the power force of the truth which ministred copy of matter vnto him so long as hee spake in the defēce therof But whē as he begā once to speak against hir she tooke away euē his naturall eloquence frō him Notwithstanding Panormitane and the Bishop of Burgen shewed this example of modesty that albeit they would not confesse or grant the last cōclusions to be verities of faith yet they would not that any mā should folow or leane vnto their opiniō which wer but meane diuines but rather vnto the opinions of the Diuines But the king of Aragons Amner being a subtill crafty man did not directly dispute vpō the conclusions but picking out here and there certaine argumēts sought to let and hinder the Councell Against whome an Abbot of Scotland a man of an excellent wit disputed very much and Thomas de Corcellis a famous Diuine alledged much against him out of the Decrees of the sacred Councell and with a certaine modest shamefastnes alwaies beholding the ground did very largely dispute in the defence of the conclusions But now to auoide tediousnes I will only proceed to declare arguments wherby the conclusions were ratified and confirmed not minding to intreate of th v. last cōclusions which cōcerne the person of Eugenius but only vpō the three first whereunto I wil adioine certaine probable argumēts gathered out of the disputation of the fathers In the first cōclusion is the greatest force and first to be discussed touching the which two things are to be required examined The one whether the generall Councel haue authoritie ouer the Pope The other whether the Catholike faith commaundeth it to be beleued As touching that the Pope is subiect to the generall Councell it is excellently well proued by the reason before alledged by the Bishop of Burgen For the Pope is in the Church as a king in his kingdome and for a king to be of more authority then his kingdome it were too absurd Ergo neither ought the pope to be aboue the Church For like as oftentimes Kings which do wickedly gouerne the cōmon wealth exercise cruelty are depriued of their kingdome euē so it is not to be doubted but that the Bishops of Rome may be deposed by the Church that is to say by the generall Councels Neither do I heere in allow them which attribute so ample and large authoritie vnto kings that they will not haue them bound vnder any lawes For such as so do say be but flatterers which do talke otherwise thē they think For albeit that they do say that the moderation of the law is alway in the Princes power that do I thus vnderstād that when as reason shall perswade he ought to digresse from the rigour of the law for hee is called a King which careth and prouideth for the common wealth taketh pleasure in the commoditie and profite of the subiectes and in all his doings hath respect to the cōmoditie of those ouer whom he ruleth which if he do not he is not to be counted a King but a tyraunt whose propertie it is onely to seeke his owne profit for in this point a King differeth from a tyraunt that the one seeketh the commoditie and profit of those whom he ruleth and the other only his owne The which to make more manifest the cause is also to be alledged wherefore Kings were ordeined At the beginning as Cicero in his Offices sayth it is certaine that there was a certaine time when as the people liued without kings But afterward when lands and possessiōs began to be deuided according to the custome of euery natiō then were kings ordeined for no other cause but only to exercise iustice For when as at the beginning the common people were oppressed by rich mighty men they ran by and by to some good and vertuous man which should defend the poore frō iniurie ordeine lawes whereby the rich and poore might dwell together But when as yet vnder the rule of Kings the poore were oftentimes oppressed lawes were ordeined and instituted the which should iudge neither for hatred nor fauour and geue lyke eare vnto the poore as vnto the riche whereby we do vnderstand and know not only the people but also the King to be subiect to the lawes For if we do see a King to contemne and despise the lawes violently rob and
spoile his subiects defloure virgins dishonest matrones and do all things licentiously and temerariously do not the nobles of the kingdome assemble together deposing him from his kingdome set vp another in his place which shall sweare to rule and gouerne vprightly and be obedient vnto the lawes Verely as reason doth perswade euen so doth the vse thereof also teach vs. It seemeth also agreeable vnto reason that the same should be done in the Church that is to say in the Councell which is done in any kingdome And so is this sufficiently apparant which we haue before sayd that the Pope is subiect vnto the Councell But now to passe vnto the argumentes of Diuinitie the foundation of the matter which we do intreate vpon are the wordes of our Sauiour Iesu Christ in diuers places but specially where as he speaketh vnto Peter Tu es Petrus super hanc petram aedificabo Ecclesiam meam portae inferi non praeualebunt aduersus eam i. Thou art Peter and vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Vpon whyche words it seemeth good to begin this disputatiō forsomuch as some were wont to alledge these words to extoll the authority of the Bishop of Rome But as it shall by and by appeare the words of Christ had another sense and meaning then diuers of them do thinke for he saith the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it Verely this is a great promise and these wordes of the Lord are of great importance For what greater word could there haue bene spoken then that the gates of hell should not preuaile against the church These gates of hel as S. Hierome saith do signifie sins Wherfore if sinnes can not preuaile against the Church neither can any maligne spirites preuaile against the same which haue no power at all ouer mankinde but only through sinne And for that cause where as it is sayd in Iob that there is no power vpon the earth that may be cōpared vnto the power of the maligne spirite whereby it followeth that the power of the Church is aboue all other power We may also vpon the same saying reason after an other sort for somuch as the gates of hel that is to say sinnes can not preuaile agaynst the Church the Church thereby is declared to be without sinne the which cā not be spoke of the pope which is a mortall mā for somuch as it is written seuen tymes in the day the iust mā doth offend If the Church be without spot because it can not be defiled with sinne who is it that will preferre a sinnefull mā before an vndefiled Churche Neither let vs geue eare vnto those whiche will not referre these woordes of Christ vnto the Church where as he sayth Oraui pro te Petre vt non deficiat fides tua That is to say Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy fayth should not fayle thee For as S. Augustine sayth in the exposition of the Psalmes certaine thyngs are spoken as though they seemed properly to pertaine vnto the Apostle Peter notwithstanding they haue no euident sense but when they are referred vnto the Churche the person wherof he is vnderstāded figuratiuely to represent Wherupō in an other place in the questiōs of the new old Testament vpon the wordes Rogaui pro te Petre I haue prayed for thee Peter What is doubted Did he pray for Peter did he not pray for Iames and Iohn beside the rest It is manifest that vnder the name of Peter all other are conteyned For in an other place of S. Iohn he sayth I pray for them whom thou hast geuen me I will that wheresoeuer I am they shall be also with me Wherupon we do oftentymes by the name of Peter vnderstand the Church which we do nothing at all doubt to be done in this place otherwise the truth could not consist for somuch as within a while after the fayth of Peter fayled for a tyme by the deniall of Christ but the fayth of the Church whose person Peter did represent did alwayes perseuere inuiolate As touching the Bishops of Rome if time would suffer vs we could rehearse many crāples how that they either haue ben heretickes or replenished with other vices Neither are we ignoraunt how that Marcellinus at the Emperours commaundement did sacrifice vnto Idols that an other whiche is more horrible did attaine vnto the Papacy by a deuilish fraude deceite Notwithstandyng the testimony of Paule vnto the Hebrues shall suffice vs at this tyme who sayth euery Bishop to be compassed in with infirmitie that is to say with wickednesse and sinne Also the testimonies of Christ him selfe do approue that the Church remaineth alwayes without sinne for in Mathew he saith I am with you euen vnto the end of the world The which wordes were not onely spoken vnto the Apostles for they continued not vnto the end of the world but also vnto their successours neither would Christ then signifie that he was God dispersed throughout all the world as he is also perceiued to be amongest sinners but would declare a certain gift of grace through his assistaūce whereby he would preserue the holy Churche consisting amongest his Apostles and their successours alwayes immaculate and vndefiled And agayne in an other place I sayth he will pray he shal geue you an other cōforter that he may remaine w e you for euer euē the spirite of truth whō the world cānot receaue because the world seeth him not neither knoweth him but you shall know him because he shall remayne with you The which wordes being spoken vnto the Disciples of Iesus are also vnderstāded to be spokē vnto their successours so cōsequently vnto the Church And if the spirite of truth be cōtinually in the Church no man cā deny but that the Church ought to continue vndefiled By the same authoritie also that Christ is called the spouse of the Church who seeth not but that the Church is vndefiled For the husband the wise as the Apostle sayth are two in one flesh as he doth also adde no mā hateth his own flesh thereby it commeth to passe that Christ can not hate the Church for somuch as she is his spouse and one flesh with him no mā cā hate himselfe Ergo the Church doth not sinne for if it did sinne it should be hated for sinners the Lord doth hate The which authorities being gathered together we ought with the Apostle to confesse that the Church of God hath neither spot nor wrincle Also he writyng vnto Timothe affirmeth the Churche to be the piller foundation of the truth whereupō in this song of the spouse it is sayd My frend thou art altogether fayre beawtifull neither is there any spot in thee These wordes peraduenture may abash some that I do go about to proue the Church to be without
Arelatensis published vnto thē the name of the elect bishop After this al the prelats in their robes pōtificalibus and miters and all the clergye of the city cōming vnto the conclaue the electours being likewise adourned they brought thē vnto the great church where as after great thankes geuen vnto God and the electiō agayne declared vnto the people a Hymne being song for ioy the cōgregation was dissolued This Amedeus aforesayd was a man of reuerent age of comely stature of graue and discreet behauiour also before maried Who thus being elect for Pope about Nouember was called Felix the v. and was crowned in the city of Basill in the month of Iuly There were present at his coronation Lewes Duke of Sauoy Philip Earle Gebenēs Lewes Marques of Salutze The Marques of Rotelen Cōrade of Winsperghey Chāberlain of the Empire The Earle of Dierstein The Ambassadours of the Cittyes of Strasbrough Berne Friburge Solatorne with a great multitude of other beside to the vew of 50000. persons At this coronatiou the Popes two sonnes did serue and minister to theyr father Lewes Cardinal of Hostia did set on his head the pontificall Diademe which was estemed at 30. thousand crownes It were long here to recite the whole order and solemnity of the procession or the Popes ryding about the City First proceeded the Pope vnder his Canaby of cloth of gold hauing on his head a triple crown and blessing the people as he went By him wēt the Marques of Rotelen and Conrade of Winsperge leading his horse by the bridle The procession finished they went to dinner which lasted foure full houres being excessiuely sumptuous where the Popes two sonnes were butlers to his cup. The Marques of Salutze was the stuard c. Of this Foelix thus writeth Uolaterane in his 3. booke that he being desired of certayne of the Ambassadours if he had any dogges or houndes to shew them he willed them the next day to repayre to him and he woulde shew vnto them such as he had When the Ambassadours according to the appoyntment were come he sheweth vnto them a great number of poore people and beggers sitting at his tables at meat declaring that those were hys hoūdes which he euery day vsed to feede hunting with them he trusted for the glory of heauen to come And thus you haue heard the state of this Councell hetherto which Councell endured a long season the space of 17. yeares About the 6. yeare of the Coūcell Sigismund the Emperour dyed leauing but one daughter to succeede hym in his kingdomes whom he had maryed to Albert 2. Duke of Austricke which first succeeded in the kingdome of Hūgary and Boheme being a sore aduersary to the Bohemians and afterward was made Emperour an 1438. and raigned Emperour but 2. yeares leauing his wyfe which was Sigismūd his daughter great with childe After which Albert succeeded his brother Frederick the third Duke of Austrich in the Empire c. wherof more Christ willing hereafter In the meane time Eugenius hearing of the death of Sigismund aboue recited began to worke the dissolutiō of the Councel of Basill and to transferre it to Ferraria pretending the comming of the Grecians Notwithstanding the Councel of Basill through the disposition of God and the worthines of Cardinall Arelatensis constantly endured Albeit in the said Councell were many stops and practises to empeach the same beside the sore plague of pestilence which fell in the Citie during the sayd Councell In the which plague time besides the death of many worthy men Aeneas Syluius also himselfe the writer compiler of the whole history of that Councell sitting at the feete of the Bishops of Tournon and of Lubecke lay sicke iij. dayes of the same sore as is aboue touched and neuer thought to escape They that died departed with this exhortation desiring mē to pray to God that he would conuert the harts of them that stooke to Eugenius as Pope against that Councell as partly is afore noted and now repeated againe for the better marking Arelatensis being most instantly exhorted by his frends to flie that danger could by no meanes be intreated to auoide fearing more the daunger of the Church then of his owne life Beside these so great difficulties obstacles to stay and hinder this Councell strange it was to behold the mutation of mens minds Of whom such as first seemed to fauour the Councell after did impugne it and such as before were against it in the end shewed themselues most frends vnto the same The chiefe Cardinals prelates the more they had to loose the sooner they slipt away or els lurked in houses or townes neare and absented thēselues for feare so that the stay of the Councell most rested vpō their Proctours Doctours Archdeacōs Deanes Prouostes Priours and such other of the inferiour sort Wherof Aeneas Syluius in his 183. Epistle maketh this relation where one Caspar Schlicke the Emperours Chauncelour writeth to the Cardinal Iulian in these words Those Cardinals saith he which so long time magnified so highly the authoritie of the Church and of generall Councels seeming as though they were ready to spend their liues for the same now at the sight of one letter from their king wherin yet no death was threatned but onely losse of their promotions slipt away frō Basil. And in the same Epistle deridingly commendeth thē as wise men that had rather lose their faith then their flocke Albeit saith he they departed not farre away but remained about Solotorne waiting for other commandements from their Prince Wherby it may appeare how they did shrinke away not willingly but the Burse quoth he bindeth faster then true honour Quid enim saluis infamia nummis That is to say what matter maketh the name of a man so his money be safe Haec Aeneas Moreouer in one of the Sessions of the said Councell the worthy Cardinall Arelatensis is sayde thus to haue reported that Christ was sold for xxx pence but I saide he was solde much more deare For Gabriell otherwise called Eugenius Pope offered 60. thousand crownes who so would take me present me vnto him And they that tooke the said Cardinall afterward excused their fact by another coulour pretending the cause for that the Cardinals brother what time the Armiakes wasted Alsatia had wrought great dammage to the inhabitants there and therfore they thought said they that they might lawfully lay handes vpon a Frenchman wheresoeuer they might take him At length by the Bishop of Strasbrough Rupert and the said City the matter was taken vp and he rescued Wherein no doubt appeared the hand of God in defending his life from the pestilent danger of the Pope his aduersary Ex Paralip Abbat Vrsper And thus farre hauing proceeded in the matters of this foresayd Councell vntill the election of Amadeus called Pope Foelix v. before we prosecute the rest that remaineth thereof to be
Friderike Marques of Brandēberge and Iohn Duke of Bauaria bound themselues of their owne good will The like also did William Duke of Bauaria at the request of the Councell Likewise also did the Councel and the Emperour Sigismūd Furthermore promise was made that all the Princes and Cities shoulde do the like thorough whose dominion they should come and the Citie of Basill also The copie of which safeconduict was afterward sent vnto Prage This also was required by the Bohemians that if it were possible the Emperour should be present at the Councell This conuention at Egra continued xxj daies But the Bohemiās albeit they heard the Coūcels Ambassadours make great promises yet did they not fully giue credit vnto them Whereupon they chose out two Ambassadours Nicholas Humgolizius Iohn Zaczenses which should go to Basill diligently enquire out all thinges These men Conrade Bishop of Ratisbone and Conrade Seglauer Deane of Esteine brought vnto Cattelspurg where as the Marques dwelt being sente out by the Synode a little before to enquire whether the Bohemian Ambassadours woulde come or not When they were come vnto Biberacke one being ouercurious enquired of one of the Bohemian Ambassadours of what Countrey he was He aunswered that he was a Zaczen There said he are most execrable heretickes and noughty men c. Who for that slaunderous word as a breaker of the truce was straightway carried to prison and there shoulde haue suffered more punishment if the Bohemian Ambassadours and the Abbot of Ebera had not intreated for him When they came vnto Basill they were honourably receiued wyth wine and fish They tarried there fiue daies and a halfe The tenth day of October they came vnto the Synode which was assembled at the Friers Augustines These Ambassadours when as they were returned home with the Chartour of the Synode and declared those things which they had seene and that the matter was earnestly handled without fraud or disceipt there were Ambassadours chosen to be sent vnto the Councell both for the kingdome of Boheme and the Marquesdome of Morauia which comming vnto Tusca were brought from thence with xxxij horse diuers noble men vnto Chambia From thēce they came to Swenkendorph and so vnto Noremberg where as beside their entertainement of wine fish xxij horsemen accompanied thē vnto Ulmes from thence they of Ulmes brought thē vnto Biberacke and Sulgotia there Iames Tunches a Knight receiuing them brought them to Stockacum and from thence the hands of the Duke of Bauaria brought thē vnto Schafhuse There they taking ship the fourth day of Ianuary came vnto Basill the ix day of the same moneth What were the names of these Ambassadours of the Bohemians which were brought vp with 300. horse and how they were receiued at Basill mention is made before pag. 675. When as they came vnto the Synode Cardinall Iulian made an Oration that whatsoeuer was in any place in doubt the same ought to be determined by the authority of the Councell for somuch as all men are bounde to submit themselues to the iudgement of the holy Church which the Generall Councell doth represent Which Oration was not allowed of all the Bohemians Then Rochezanus made an Oration requiring to haue a day appointed whē they should be heard which was appointed the xvj day of the same moneth Upō which day Iohn Rochezanus hauing made his preface begā to propound the first Article touching the Communion to be ministred vnder both kindes and disputed vpon the same by the space of three daies alwaies before noone Then Uenceslaus the Thaborite disputed vpō the second article touching the correctiō and punishing of sin by the space of ij daies After whome Uldaricus priest of the Orphanes propounded disputed vpon the third Article by the space of ij dayes touching the free preaching of the worde of God Last of all Peter Paine an English man disputed iij daies vpō the fourth article touching y◠ciuill dominion of the Clergy and afterward gaue copies of their disputations in writing vnto the Councell with hartie thanks that they were heard The three last did somewhat inuey against the Councell Commending Iohn Hus Iohn Wickliffe for their doctrine Whereupon Iohn de Ragusio a Diuine rising vp desired that he might haue leaue to aunswere in his owne name to the first article of the Bohemians The Councell consented thereunto so that by the space of viij daies in the fore noone he disputed therupō But before he began to answer Iohn the abbot of Sistertia made an oration vnto the Bohemians that they should submit themselues to the determination of the holy church which this councell doth represent This matter did not a little offend the Bohemians Iohn Ragusinus a diuine after Scholers fashion in his answere spake often of heresies and of heretickes Procopius could not suffer it but rising vp with an angry stomacke complained openly to the councel of this iniury This our countreymā saith he doth vs great iniury calling vs oftētimes heretickes Whereunto Ragusinus answered for somuch as I am your coūtrymā both by toung and nation I do the more desire to reduce you againe vnto the Church He was a Dalmatian borne and it appeareth that the Dalmatians going into Boheme tooke their name by their coūtrey which they possessed It came almost to this point that through this offence the Bohemians woulde depart from Basill and could scarsly be appeased Certaine of the Bohemians would not heare Ragusinus finish his disputation After him a famous Diuine one Egidius Carlerius Deane of the Church of Cambrey answered vnto the second article by the space of iiij dayes To the third article answered one Henricus surnamed Frigidum ferrū iij. daies together Last of all one Iohannes Polomarius maister of the requests of the pallace aunswered vnto the fourth article likewise by the space of three daies so that the long time which they vsed in disputations seemed tedious vnto the Bohemians Notwithstanding this answere the Bohemians still defended their articles specially the first insomuch as I. Rochezanus did strōgly impugne Ragusinus answer by the space of vi daies But forsomuch as one disputation bred another and it was not perceiued how that by this meanes any concord could be made the prince William Duke of Bauaria Protector of the Councell attempted another remedie that all disputations being set apart the matter should be friendly debated There were certain appointed on either part to intreate vpō the concord who comming together the eleuenth day of March those which were appointed for the Councell were demanded to say their mindes It seemeth good said they if these men would be vnited vnto vs be made one body with vs that this body might then accord declare and determine all maner of diuersities of opinions and sects what is to be beleeued or done in them The Bohemians when they had a while paused sayd this way seemed not apt
inough except first of all the four articles were exactly discussed so that either we should agree with them or they with vs for otherwise it woulde be but a friuolous matter if they now being vnited againe disagree in the deciding of the articles Here aunswere was made to the Bohemians that if they were rightly vnited and the ayde of the holy Ghost called for they should not erre in the deciding of the matter for somuch as euery Christian ought to beleeue that determination which if they woulde do it would breede a most firme strong concord and amity on either part But this answer satisfied them not in so much the other three rose vp and disputed against the answers which were geuen At that time Cardinall Iulian President of the Councell made this oration vnto the Bohemian Ambassadours This sacred Synode sayth he hath now by the space of ten daies patiently heard the propositions of your foure articles and afterward he annexed you haue propounded saith he four articles but we vnderstand that beside these foure you haue many other strange doctrines wherein ye dissent from vs. Wherefore it is necessary if that a perfect vnity and fraternity shall follow betweene vs that al these things be declared in the councell to the end that by the grace of the holy Ghost which is the author of peace and truth due prouision may be made therein For wee haue not gathered these things of light coniectures but haue heard them of credible persons and partly heere are some present which haue seene them with their owne eies in Boheme and partly we do gather it by our owne report for maister Nicholas which was the second that did propound amongst other things alledged that Iohn Wickliffe was an Euangelicall Doctor If ye beleeue him to be a true Doctor it followeth that you must repute his works as authentike If ye do not so thinke it is reason that it should be opened vnto vs. Wherefore we desire you that you will certifie vs vpon these and certaine other pointes what you do beleue or what credite you do giue vnto them But we do not require that you should now declare your reasons but it shall satisfie vs if you will answere vnto euery article by this word Credimus aut non credimus that is we beleeue or beleeue not Which if you will do as we trust you will then we shall manifestly perceiue that you desire that wee should conceiue a good estimation of you If there be any thing whereof you would be certified by vs aske it boldly and we will giue you an answere out of hand For we are ready according to the doctrine of S. Peter to render accompt vnto euery man which shall require it touching the faith which we hold Heereunto the Bohemian Ambassadours aunswered in few words that they came only to propound those four articles not in their owne name but in the name of the whole kingdome of Boheme and speake no more Wherupon William the noble protectour of the councell calling vnto him four men on either part intreated touching the pacifieng of the matter by whose aduice the Coūcell decreed to send a famous Ambassade with the Bohemian Ambassadors vnto Prage wheras the people should assemble vpō Sonday But they would not receiue these conditions of peace which were offred but made hast to depart Whereupon the foureteene day of Aprill there was ten chosen out of the councell to go with the Bohemian Ambassadours vnto Prage It were to long here to declare what honour was done vnto these Ambassadours all the way in theyr iourney and specially when they came vnto Boheme by the Citizens of Prage when as a great number of Bohemians were assembled at Prage at the day appointed both of the Cleargy Nobility and common people After the comming of those Ambassadours much contention begā to rise betwene the parties First begā Ioh. Rochezanus who speaking in the publike person of the commutaltie laboured to commend and prefer the iiij verities of the Bohemians before propounded charging also the Prelates and Priests for their slandrous obtrectatious and vndeserued contumelies wherwith they did infame the noble kingdome of Boheme complaining also that they would not receiue those christian verities left allowed by their king Wenceslaus now departed Wherefore he required thē in the behalfe of the whole nation that they would leaue off hereafter to oppresse thē in such sort that they would restore to thē againe their Iosephes vesture that is the ornament of their good fame and name whereof their brethren their enimies had spoyled them c. To this Polomar maketh aunswere againe wyth a long and curious oration exhorting them to peace and vnitie of the Church which if they woulde embrace all other obstacles and impediments said he shoulde be soone remoued promising also that this their vesture of honor and fame should be amply restored again and afterward if there were any doubtfull matters they might shoulde be the better discussed But all this pleased not the Bohemians vnlesse they might first haue a declaration of their four articles which if they might obteine they promised then to embrace peace and concord Which peace said they began first to be broken by themselues in that the Councell of Constance by their vniust condemnation burned Iohn Hus and Hierome of Prage and also by their cruel Buls and censures raised vp first excommunication then warre against the whole kingdome of Boheme Heereunto Polomar reclaiming againe began to aduance and magnifie the honor and dignity of general coūcels To conclude as much as the sayde Polomar did extoll the authoritie of the Councels so much did the answere of the Bohemians extenuate the same saying that the latter Councels whiche are not expressed in the law of God haue erred might erre not onely in faith but also in maners For that which hath chaunced to the greene wood may also chaūce vnto the dry But of other the most strōg pillers of the militant Churche the Apostles I meane seeme all to haue erred and the Catholicke faith to haue remained three dayes sound incorrupt onely in the virgin Mary No Christian man therefore ought to be compelled to stād to the determination of the Pope or the Coūcell except it be in that whiche is plainely expressed in the law of God For it is euident that all the generall Councels whiche haue bene of long tyme haue reformed very few thinges as touching the faith peace and maners of the Churche but haue alwayes both in their life and decrees notoriously swarued and haue not established themselues vpon the foundatiō which is Christ. Wherfore the sayd Bohemians protested that they would not simply plainly God being their good Lord yeld themselues to their doctrine nor to such rash and hasty decrees least thorough that their hasty and vncircumspect submission they should binde their faith and life cōtrary to the
wholesome and sound doctrine of our Lord Christ Iesus In summe in no case they would enter into any agreement of peace except their foure Articles which they counted for Euangelicall verities were first accepted and approued Which being obtained sayd they if they would condescend with them in the veritie of the Gospell so would they ioyne together be made one with them in the Lord. c. Ex Cochleo Hist. Lib. 7. Whē the Ambassadours saw the matter would not otherwise be brought to passe they required to haue those Articles deliuered vnto them in a certaine forme whiche they sent vnto the Councell by three Bohemian Ambassadours Afterward the Councell sent a declaration into Boheme to be published vnto the people in the commō assemblies of the kingdome by the Ambassadours which were commaunded to report vnto the Bohemians in the name of the Councell that if they would receiue the declaration of those three Articles and the vnitie of the Church there should be a meane founde whereby the matter touching the fourth Article of the Communiō vnder both kindes should be passed with peace and quietnesse They propounded in Prage in an open assembly of the Nobles and commons the declarations of the three Articles in forme folowing For somuch as touching the doctrine of the veritie we ought so to proceede soberly warely that the truth may be declared with wordes being so orderly conceiued vttered that there be no offence geuē to any mā whereby he should fall or take occasion of errour to vse the wordes of Isidore that nothing by obscuritie bee left doubtfull whereas you haue propounded touching the inhibition correction of sinnes in these wordes all mortall sinnes specially open offences ought to be rooted out punished inhibited by them whose dutie it is so to do reasonably according to the law of God here is to be marked and vnderstand that this word whose duty it is is too generall and may be an offence according to the meaning of the Scripture we ought not to lay any stombling stocke before the blinde and the diches are to be closed vp that our neighbours Oxe do not fall therein all occasion of offence is to be takē away Therfore we say that according to the meaning of the holy Scripture and the doctrine of the holy Doctours it is thus vniuersally to be holden that all mortall sinnes specially publicke offences are to be rooted out corrected and inhibited as reasonably as may be according to the law of God the institutiōs of the fathers The power to punish these offenders doth not pertaine vnto any priuate person but onely vnto them which haue iurisdiction of the law ouer them the distinction of law iustice being orderly obserued As touching the preaching of the word of God which Article you haue alledged in this forme that the word of God should be freely and faithfully preached by the fit and apt ministers of the Lord least by this word freely occasion may be taken of disordred libertie which as you haue often said ye do not meane the circumstaunce therof is to be vnderstand and we say that according to the meaning of the holy Scripture and doctrine of the holy Fathers it is thus vniuersally to be beleued that the word of God ought freely but not euery where but faithfully orderly to be preached by the Priests and Leuites of the Lord beyng allowed and sent by their superiours vnto whom that office apperteineth the authoritie of the Byshop alwayes reserued who is the prouider of all thynges accordyng to the institution of the holy fathers As concerning the last Article expressed vnder these words it is not lawfull for the Christian Cleargy in the time of the law of grace to haue dominion ouer temporall goods we remēber that in the solemne disputation holden in the sacred Councell he which was appointed by that Coūcell to dispute propounded two conclusions in this sorte First that such of the Cleargy as were not religious and had not bound thēselues thereunto by a vow might lawfully haue and possesse any temporall goods as the inheritance of his father or any other if it be left vnto him or any other goodes iustly gotten by meanes of any gift or other lawfull contract or else some lawfull arte The second conclusion The church may lawfully haue and possesse temporall goods moueable and vnmoueable houses landes townes and villages castles and Cities and in thē haue a priuate and ciuill dominion Your Ambassadour which disputed against him graunted those cōclusions saieng that they did not impugne the sence of his Article being well vnderstand for somuch as he vnderstandeth his Article of ciuill dominion formally meant Whereby and also by other things it may be vnderstand that those wordes to haue secular dominion expressed in the foresaid Article seemeth to be referred to some speciall maner or kind of dominiō But for somuch as the doctrine of the Church is not to be intreated vpon by any ambiguous or doubtfull words but fully and plainely therefore we haue thought good more plainly to expresse that which according to the law of God and the doctrine of the holy Doctours is vniuersally to be beleeued that is to say the two aforesayde conclusions to be true And also that the Cleargy ought faithfully to distribute the goodes of the Church whose administratours they are according to the decrees of the holy fathers and that the vsurpation of the administration of the Church goodes done by any other then by them vnto whome the administration is Canonically committed can not be without gilt of sacrilege Thus the sacred Councell sayd they hath diligently gone about according to the verity of the Gospell all ambiguitie set apart to expounde the true sence of the three foresayd Articles Wherefore if there do yet remaine any doubt according to the information which we haue receiued in the sacred Councell we are ready by Gods helpe who is the principall veritie to declare the truth vnto you If ye do receiue and embrace the declaration of the sayd three Articles which is grounded vpon the veritie of the holy Scripture as you are bound and will effectually haue a pure simple and perfect vnitie touching the libertie of the communion vnder both kindes which you desire and require which also you can not lawfully haue without the licence of holy Church we haue authoritie from the generall Councell by certaine meanes to intreate and conclude with you trusting that you will shew your selues as you will continue These things thus declared after the Bohemians had taken deliberation they said that they would giue no answere vnto the premisses before they vnderstoode what should be offered them as touching the Communion Wherefore it shall be necessary to declare the matter as it was written in forme following In the name of God and our sauiour Iesus Christ vpon the Sacrament of whose
Martin gaue me autority by the aduice of the councel to rote out heresies to pacifie kingdoms to reforme the maners of euery state of christendome yet they wil say that I can not cite them Power is geuen me to iudge to condemne and haue I not also power to cite The law doth say vnto whom any power or iurisdiction is committed all things seme to be committed vnto him without the which he cānot exercise his iurisdiction for howe coulde all the premisses be done if the Prelates or others shuld not come hither Also why is it said in the chapter Ego enim de iure iurando I will come vnto the Sinode if I be called if he can not be called By whome then is it presupposed that he shuld be called but only by the councel or by him which ruleth the councell Also the whole 18. distinction intreateth of no other matter but that the bishops being called vnto the councel if they come not that they may be excommunicate and suspended Let these men read the boke of councels of S. Isidore and they shall finde howe that in many councelles the Prelates haue bene called by the Sinode Nowe it remaineth that we shuld declare whether the dissolutiō be of force or no. Wherin I do againe feare to moue your holines vnto anger But charity forceth me therunto for peraduenture your holines doth thinke the dissolution to be effectual therfore do perseuer in it wherby for somuche as many offences may rise my conscience doeth moue me not to hold my peace First of all the chapter Frequens declareth that it is not of force for if prorogation be forbidden prohibited which is a smal mater much more is dissolutiō which is a greater matter for it is a greater matter to take away then to defer for by proroging a thing is but deferred by dissoluing it is vtterly taken away Also these men say that the said cōstitution in the chapter Frequens may be made void for somuch assone as the councel is begon it may be dissolued without any thing don as it is said that it was done at Senes and nowe they say also that your holines hath ben peruersly informed touching the dissolution They say also that the sayd dissolution doth manifestly tend to the subuersion of faith the ruine of the church and the trouble of the christian people Therfore it can not be done neither obeid They say moreouer that the said dissolutiō could not be made by meanes of a certen decree of the councel of Constance in that behalfe prouided That in such matters as pertaine vnto faith the extirpation of sinne and reformation of the church in the head in the members that all men of what estate or condition so euer they be yea the Pope himself shuld be bound to obey the statutes precepts and ordināces of euery general councell except they did obey to punish them Marke how that these things to haue power to determine vpon any man to commaund him and punish him if he be not obedient are signes of superioritye in those matters which he doth decree command or punish and to be bound to obedience to be subiect and obey the same are signes of inferiority in the said cases Ergo in the foresaid cases seeing that the Pope as they say is vnder the coūcel which also hath ben In that for one of the said 3. cases the councel did depriue Iohn for the other Benedict neither coulde the Pope dissolue the councell in that he is inferior vnto the councel cannot bind or cōpel the superior As in the chapiter Cum inferior otherwise it shoulde containe in it a contradiction that hee is bounde to obey and is not bound to obey because he may dissolue for howe should he be obedient vnto the ordinance and decree of the councell if he may anihilate and take away the same ordinaunce and decree Thys councell is cōgregate for the rooting out of heresies for the making of peace and reformation of maners and in the first Session it did ordeine that their whole intent and respect should be thereunto and that he which should procure to let the coūcell to proroge or alter it should be punished and haue processe against him as against a common disturber of the peace c. If it may be dissolued it is euident that they doe not obey the saide ordinaunce whereby this also must of necessity be graunted that if it may be dissolued the decree of the councell of Constance is of no force This is also proued by an other reason No man doubteth but if any controuersie of heresie shoulde be mooued against any Bishop of Rome that he coulde not dissolue the Councell For if he might dissolue the councell he could not be iudged whych were cōtrary to the cha Si Pa. dist 40. Ergo like as it is inheresy so is it in the two other cases For these three were pacified by the coūcel of Cōstance for thus speaketh the councel As it is in the Chapter Si Papa in illo vno And as I haue before saide the Councell of Constance allowed this decree thorow the which they depriued Peter de Luna for making of a Schisme and Pope Iohn for the deformitie of his life And all be it there be certaine lawes that say the principall seat can not be iudged of any man and againe no man iudgeth the chiefe seate And no man sayth vnto him selfe why doest thou so There are to be vnderstande in these three cases first that there was prouiso made for the faith in the chapter Si Papa and in the other two poynts by the decree of Constance Otherwise it shuld be vnderstande without any exception that the first seate c. and then the chapter Si Papa 40. Distinct. and the sayd decree of Constance shoulde be false If the chapter Si Papa had added causes of heresies no man would haue doubted vpon these two cases touching the sayd sentence so likewise no man ought to doubt of the decree of the councell that it was made by the authoritie of the Pope and representeth the vniuersal church and if any man wold say that in all councels the authoritye of the Pope is excepted I aunswere that it is true when as the persone of the Pope is not specially included But if hee be specially included he can not be excepted because it should sauour of contradiction Most blessed father God is my witnesse that I haue spoken these thinges wyth great anguish and sorowe of minde but I am forced so to speake that your holinesse may cease from the saide dissolution lest there might happen infinite euels in the church of God If your holines did see my pure mind my vpright conscience and entier affection towardes you whereby I am mooued to wryte those thinges euen for very loue you would embrace and kisse me and wythout doubt loue me as your owne sonne I haue often sayde and nowe doe say
into his owne handes by whose meanes the sayd Gemes afterwarde was poysoned as is in maner before expressed Unto these poysoned actes of the Pope let vs also adioin his malicious wickednes with like fury exercised vpoÌ„ Antonius Mancinellus which Mancinellus being a maÌ„ of excellent learning because he wrote an eloqueÌ„t oratioÌ„ against his wicked maners filthy life with other vices he therfore commaunded both his hands his tong to be cut of playing much like with him as Antonius the tirant once did with M. Cicero for writing agaynst his horrible life At length as one poyson requireth another this poysoned Pope as he was sitting with his Cardinals other rych Senatours of Rome at dinner his seruauntes vuwares brought to him a wrong bottell wherewith he was poysoned and his Cardinals about him In the time of this Pope Alexander also it happened whiche is not to bee pretermitted how that the Aungell whiche stood in the high toppe of the Popes Churche was beaten downe with a terrible thunder which thing semed then to declare the ruine and fall of the Popedome After this Pope next succeded Pius the 3. about the yeare of our Lord 1503. After whome came next Iulius the second a man so farre passing all other in iniquity that Wicelius such other of his owne friendes writing of him are compelled to say of him Marti illum quam Christo deditiorem fuisse that is that he was more geuen to warre and battayle then to Christ. Concerning the madnesse of this man thys is most certaynely knowne that at what time he was going to warre he cast the keyes of S. Peter into the riuer of Tybris sayinge that for as much as the keyes of Peter would not serue him to his purpose he woulde take himselfe to the sword of Paule Wherupon Philip MelancthoÌ„ amongest many other writing vpon the same maketh this Epigrame Cum contra Gaellos bellum papa Iulius esset Gesturus sicút fama â—etusta docet Ingentes martis turmas contraxit â—rbem Egâ—essus saeuas edidit ore minas Iratus'que sacras claues in flumina iecit Tibridis hic â—rbi pons â—bi iungit aquas Inde manustrictum Gagina diripit ensem Exclamans'que truci talia â—ocerefert Hic gladius Pauli nos nunc defendet ab hoste Quandoquidem clauis nil iuuat ista Petri. Whereupon also Gilbert Ducherius maketh this Epigrame In Gallum â—â— fama est bellum gesturus acerbum Armatum educit Iulius â—rbe manum Accinctus gladio claues in Tibridis amnem Proÿcit soeuus talia â—erba faecit Quum Petrinihil efficiant ad praelia claeues Auxilio Pauli forsitan ensis erit ¶ The sense of these Epigrammes in English is this When Iulius Pope agaynst the French determined to make warre As fame reportes he gathered vp great troupes of men from farre And to the bridge of Tybur then marching as he were wood His holy keyes he tooke and cast them downe into the floud And afterward into his hand he tooke a naked sword And shaking it brake forth into this fierce and warlike word This sword of Paule quoth he shall now defend vs from our foe Since that this key of Peter doth nothing auay le thereto Of this Iulius it is certaynely reported that partly with his warres partly with his cursinges within the space of 7 yeares as good as 200000. Christians were destroyed Fyrst he besieged Rauenna agaynste the Uenetians then Seruia Imola Fauentia Foroliuium Bononia and other cities which he gate out of Princes handes not with out much bloudshed The Chronicles of Iohn Steban maketh mention that when this Iulius was made Pope he tooke an oathe promising to haue a Councell within two yeares but when he had no leysure thereunto being occupyed with his warres in Italy amoÌ„g the Uenetians and with the French king and in Ferraria and in other countryes 9. of his Cardinalles departing from him came to Millayne and there appoynted a Councell at the Citty of Pise amongest whome the chiefe were Bernardus Cruceius Gulielmus Prenestinus Franciscus CoÌ„stantinus with diuers others amongest whome also were adioyned the Procuratours of Maximilian the Emperour and of Charles the French king So the Councell was appoynted the yeare of our Lord 1511. to begin in the Kalendes of September The cause why they did so call this Councell was thus alledged because the Pope had so brokeÌ„ his oth and all this while he gaue no hope to haue any councell also because there were diuers other crimes whereupoÌ„ they had to accuse him Theyr purpose was to remoue him out of his seat the which he had procured through bribes and ambition Iulius hearing this geueth out contrary commaundement vnder great payne no man to obey them calleth himselfe another councell agaynst the next yeare to be begon the 19. day of Aprill The French king vnderstading Pope Iulius to ioyne with the Uenetians and so to take theyr part agaynst him couented a councell at Thurin in the month of September in the which councel these questions were proposed Whether it was lawfull for the Pope to moue warre agaynst any prince without cause Whether any Prince in defending himselfe might inuade his aduersary and deny his obedience Unto the which questions it was answered that neither the bishop ought to inuade and also that it was lawfull for the king to defende himselfe Moreouer that the Pragmaticall sanction was to bee obserued thorowe the realme of Fraunce Neyther that any vniust excommunications ought to be feared if they were founde to be vniust After this the king sent vnto Iulius the aunswere of his councell requiring him either to agree to peace or to appoynt a generalll Councell some other where where thys matter myght bee more fully decided Iulius woulde neyther of both these but forthwith accursed Charles the French king with all his kingdome At the lenth at Rauenna in a great war he was ouercome by the freÌ„ch king and at last after much slaughter and great bloudshed and mortall warre this Pope dyed in the yeare of our Lorde 1513. the 21. day of February If it were not that I feare to ouerlay this our volume with heapes of foreigne historyes which haue professed chiefly to entreat of Actes and Monuments here done at home I woulde adioine after these popes aboue rehearsed some discourse also of the Turkes story of theyr rising and cruell persecution of the sayâ—tes of God to the great anoiance and perill of Christendome yet notwithstanding certayne causes there be which necessarily require the knowledge of theyr order and doinges and of theyr wicked procedings theyr cruell tyranny and bloudy victories the ruine subuersion of so many Christen Churches with the horrycle murders and captiuiâ—ye of infinite Christians to bee made playne and manifest as well to this our countrey of England as also to other nations First for the better explayning of the Prophecies of the new Testament as
miracles what straunge sightes this Berthwalde or Drithelm did see after hys death read the ix booke of Henr. Huntington King Etheldred made Abbot of Bardney Adelmus Gu. Malmesâ— lib. 5. de pontifiâ— Lying miracles Malmesbery commended for hys stile Lying miracles reproued Aldelme Byshop Swithune Bishop of Wine Bedo lib. 5. cap. 23. Ex historia Iornalensi do regib us Northumb S. Iohn of Beuerlay Anno. 717. Annother lying fable of Sainct Eguyne Ranulphus in Polychro lib. 5. cap. 23. Beda lib. 5. de gestes Angl. Polycron lib. 5. cap. 17. A generall rule seruing for the obseruation of Easter day This rule of Easter seemeth to be taken out of the booke of Numer And they going out of Ramesse the 15. day of the first moneth the next day after held their Easter c. Why priestes crownes were shauen Bede de gest lib. 5. The copy of a Monkish letter of Colfride to King Naiton for the shauing of Priestes crownes How proueth he that the Apostles Iob and Ioseph were shauen Much sayd nothing proued Diuersitie of rites hurteth not the Church See how these shauelinges would father their shauing vpon Peter which is neyther found in Scripture nor in any approued story but onely in paynted clothes Why Priestes and Monkes be shauen in the crowne The shauing of the crowne what it representeth How doth the signe of the crosse defend Churches from euill spirites when it cannot keepe them from euill Priestes If shauing of the crown doth each men patience in suffering how commeth it that we see none more washpish and irefull then these shorne generations of Monkish vipers Simon Magus 〈◊〉 as he sayâ— The difference betweene the shauing of Peter and Simon Magus In outward habite christians ought not to reliâ—â—ble wicked doers * There is but one mediator betweene God and man Christ Iesus The Scottish monke and the Englishe monkes differed in their shauing If Peter shall let in the elect of God into heauen Christ theâ— serueth in little stede A note to admonish the reader Fabia cap. 141. Guliel Malmesb de Reg. An. 724. Ethelburge the Queene perswadeth her husbaÌ„d to be a monke The crafty head of a woman King Iue resigning hys kingdome went to Rome and became a Monke Ethelburga the Queene made NuÌ„ne of Barking Peter pence first graunted and payd to Rome The lawes made by King Iue to his people Celulphus King of Northumberland Bede An. 729. The life of Bede briefly described This Benedict maister to Bede was the first that brought in the vse of glasse windowes into England Also the sayd Benet 〈…〉 An Epistle of Pope Sergius The famous learning of Bede Bede commended for integritie of lyfe Anno. 735. S. Iohns Gospell translated into English by Bede Celulfus of a King made a Monke Egbert Kyng of Northumberland Anno. 747. Ex Malmesb. lib. de gestis pontifi Anglo Cutbert Archbishop of Caunterbury The rogation dayes had not then that superstition in them as they had afterward Boniface an English man Archb. of Mentz Ethelwold kyng of Merceland Edelhim a strong 〈◊〉 valiant warriour Pride ouerâ—throwne A letter of Boniface otherwise called Winfridâ— sent to kyng Ethelbald Nihil factum quod non factum prius The corrupt lyfe of Nunnes noted The popish actes and doynges of Boniface Archbishop of Magunce The Monastery of Fulda in Germany builded by Boniface Childericus The French king deposed and Pipinus intruded Dist. xl cap Si Papa Images in Churches subuerted by Emperours mayntained by Popes Philippicus for holding agaynst Images lost hys Empyre his eyes The author of the book called the dialogues of Gregory Memoriall of reliques offring and sacrifice for the dead brought into the masse Canon The Popes feete first kissed of the Emperours Segebert king of Westsaxons Sigebert slayne Cruell tyranny with like cruelty reuenged Kenulphus king of Westsaxons Anno. 748. Murder reuenged with murder Offa King of Mercia An vntruth noted in the story of Fabianus The primacy of Canterbury remoued to Lichfield Lambrith Archbishop of Cant. This Alcuinus is commended for hys learning nex to Adelmus and Bede aboue all Saxons Ethelbert king of Eastangles wrongfully murdered by Offa. The vayne suspicion and wicked counsell of a woeman Ex historia Iornalensi Malmesocriensi Cruell murder reuenged Offa and Kenredus of Kinges made monkes at Româ— Egfretus King of Mercia Alcuinus Osbâ—â— to patritio The fathers fault punished in the childe Egbert King of Kent taken prisoner A princely example of clemency in a noble king The Church of Winchcombe builded by K. Kenulphus Egbert King of Kent released out of prison A place of Fabian doubted Pope Steuen the second The donation of Pipinus falsely taken to be the donation of Constantine Ex polyer lib. 5. cap. 25. Pope Paule the first Images agayne mayntayned by the Pope agaynst the Emperour A lay man pope who was deposed and had hys eyes put out Pope Steuen the third The counsell of Constantinople the 7. condemned of the Pope for condemning Images The pope also ordayned Gloria in Excelsis to be song in the masse at S. Peters altar by the Cardinals Pope Hadrian the first Images agayne mayntayned by the Pope to be mens Kalenders The body of S. Peter clothed iâ— siluer The order of the Romish masse book when it came in Ex Duraâ—do Nauâ—â—ro Iacobâ—â— Voragine in vita Greg. Et tameâ— ipsis commentum placet Terent Note well the practise of Prelates in planting their popish masse Gregories masse taketh place in Europe Carolus Magnus beneficiall to the sea of Rome Rex Christianissimus intituled to Fraunce A letter of Charles the great sent to king Offa. How the Pope heareth the cry of poore widowes and Orphanes The Empire translated from Greece to Fraunce Images written agaynst as contrary to the true fayth This Albinus was Alcuinus aboue mentioned The Bishops and Princes of England against Images King Egbert made a monke Anno. 757. Osulphus Mollo otherwise called Adelwold Alcredus or Aluredus Ethelbert otherwise named Adelred or Eardulphe Alfweld Osredus Adelred agayn kinges of Northumberland Anno. 764. Northumberland kingdome ceaseth Alcuinus otherwise called Albinus The troubles of the kingdome of Northumberland and described by Alcuinus Ex Historia MalmesberieÌ„si How it rayned bloud in Yorke Anno. 780. Brigthricus K. of Westsaxons Edelburga daughter to Offa poysoned her husband Wickednes reuenged Irene Anno. 784. Images restored agayne by Irene at Constantinople The second councell at Nicea The wickednes of Irene condingly rewarded Kenelmus king of Mercia innocently slayne Celulphus Ceolulphus Bernulphus kings of Mercia The kingdome of Mercia ceaceth Vniust dealinges of men iustly rewarded Paules Church The first aultar and crosse set vp in England The church of Winchester The church of Lincolne The church of Westminster The scholes at Cambridge Abbey of Knouisburgh Malmesb. Abbey of Glocester Mailrose Heorenton Hetesey The monastery of S. Martin at Douer Lestingey Whitbie This Hilda was first conuerted to the fayth by Paulinus a godly and learned
generall councell The councell of Constance decreeth the Pope to be vnder the Councell The actes of the Apostles The cauncell of Nice The title of the Councels The constitutions of the B. of Rome are not the lawes of the church By the church the councell is vnderstand Simons obedience necessary in the Byshops of Rome The fauourers and mainteiners of the pope goe about to mainteine preferre the pleasure profit of one before a common commoditie The pope can abide no generall Councels Non obstante In the Popes Bulles The councel to be aboue the pope The full iudgemét of the church is not to be found but in the generall Councel No appealâ— to be made froÌ„ the couÌ„cel to the P. Acts 13. Gal. 2. Peter constrayned to obey the generall councell The decree of the councel of Constance The pope bound vnder the obedience of the generall Councel Diuers places rehearsed out of the Gospels and Apostles for authoritie of the Church and generall councels aboue the Pope Weight is matters intreated but onely in generall councels The Pope not sufficient of him selfe to connince or iudge heretickes The pope may erre Whether the pope may be deposed by the councell or not The places Tibi dabo claues regniâ—exlorum Pasce oues meas make nothing for the popes supremacye The Popes supremacie consuted Peter representeth the person of the church and not of the Pope The keyes geueÌ„ to the church and not to one man Pope Boniface erreth The B. of Rome vnproperly called the head of the Church The dote which say that the pope cannot be deposed for any other cause then for heresie Fruiteles braunches are to be cutt of If the pope be vnsauery salt he is to be cast away A note for all naughty prelats The wordes of â— Peter to Clement The epistle of Clement to Iames doubted The pope may and ought to be both accused punished for ill doing Whether the pope may be deposed by the counsell or no. The pope is rather to be called the vicar of the Church then of Christ. Pope Iohn 23. deposed and yet for no heresie Whether councells may be coÌ„gregated without the authority of the Pope They erre that say the Pope ought onely to appoint the councells Marke wherefore the popes will haue no generall couÌ„cell The first councell of the apostles The 2. couÌ„cell of the Apostles The 3. couÌ„cell of the Apostles The 4. couÌ„cell of the Apostles Generall councells in tymes past coÌ„gregated by Emperours not by popes If the greater part of the Church do consent a councell may be holdeÌ„ whether the Pope will or no. How the Pope is a schismaticke The Pope can not dissolue a generall councell against the will of the same The saying of Macrobius Whether the pope in certaine cases may dissolue the councell The definition of faith The definition of the catholicke faith Rom. 3. Catholicke what it is The councel of CoÌ„stance Vid. supra pag. 650. The wordes of the councel of ChalcedoÌ„ where by he is declared an hereticke that holdeth any opinion contrary to the councell Panormitan is noted and veriâ— well nipped by his owne supposition Tell the church that is to say the generall councell The Byshop of Burgen Panormitanes oration Foure thinges to be considered in euery request Panormitane would haue dignitie to be coÌ„sidered in couÌ„cell not voices Panormitane seemeth to delay the proces against the pope The 3. part of Panormitans oration Persuations of Panormitane The praise of Lodouicus the prothonotarie Bishops onely to haue determining voyce in councells It is no maruell why he alleadged no more or better matter for of noughty Lether no man can make a good shoe And note here how God with draweth his giftes when men dissemble cloke the truthe Truth seeketh no corners The patieÌ„ce and answere of Arelatensis Didimus reprehended that which was in his owne booke founde He meaneth Panormitane and Lodouicus the Prothonotary Marke O ye Bishops the couÌ„cell of Basill contendeth for you and ye will not vnderstaÌ„d it This was a â— true Cardinall out of whose mouth the veritie did speake which feared not the threatnings of princes neither sought any worldly glory or dignitie Marke what worldly pompe dignitie and wealth had brought the prelates to in those dayes Note here the great godlynes most christian saying of this good Bishop Truth many times dwelleth vnder the ragged cloke Steuen the first martir Note the finâ—etitie ritie of this good Bishop which stayed himselfe vpon the examples of the primitiue church not vpon customes popes Athanasius beeing but a priest and no Bishop vanquished an Archb. The name of priests or elders commoÌ„ both to Bishops and priests Paule Bishop of Antioch Paule the hereticke with his godly eloqueÌ„ce S. Augustines minde vpon this sentence Tibi dabo claues regni caelorum Byshops are of greater power then priests rather by custome then dispensation of truth Byshops and priestes ought to rule the church together Aeneas Siluius Note that Abbots were not instituted by Christ. Italy surmounteth all other nations in number of Byshops Note the terrible persecution of those dayes and the great constancie of the godly for the truthes sake O zeale of fayth worthie the crowne of martyrdom Eccle. 7. The bishops â—eare the earthly power but not God The bishops of the primitiue church what they were Poore men more meete to geue iudgement then riche for riches wealth and dignitie bringeth feare but pouertie causeth libertie * The Byshoppes in this age of the church what they are In matters of faith and religion there ought to be no delayes The eight yeare of the councell of Basill How subtelly they sought delayes The decrees of the councell of Constance If these thinges seeme so vntollerable what shall we say wheÌ„ as they make the Pope a God They which teach this doctrine are heretickes schismaticks but blessed are those heretickes for theirs is the kingdome of heauen A christian exhortation to constancy and martirdome This came so to passe 23. yeares after when Christendome lost Constantinople and all the east partes vnto the Turkes Examples of good men dying for their couÌ„trey The noble Laâ—cedemonians The blessed state of the life to come The worthy aunswere of Theodorus Cyrenensis No death to be feared for christs Church Example of Mariners HuÌ„ters Example of the 11. thousand virgins Iewes Patriarke of Aquileia Duke of Decke in â—weuia The Earle of Diersten The prayse of the citizens of Basill Humilitie sister to nobilitie Amodeus Archbishop of Lions Anno. 1438. Bishops that he at home haue toÌ„gue here to speake for the Pope Marke how they are turned back which somtime fauoured the truth are now become liers flatterers Constancie lacked in diuers of this councell Panormitane speaketh like himselfe Nicholas Amici a diuine of Paris The oration of Segouius Ambros. ad Valentinianum How farre wherein Bishops ought to iudge vpon Emperours He excuseth the Patriarke