ked priestes, of whō our Sauiour doth speake, that they are vnder shepes clothyng, and inwardly are rauenyng wolues. I praye such as be rulers and superiours, to behaue them selues gently towardes their poore inferiours, and to rule them iustely. I beseche the Citizens that they will walke euery man in his degree and vocation with an vpright conscience. The Artificers also I beseche, that they will exercise their occupations diligētly, and vse them with the feare of God. I besech the seruantes that they wil serue their masters faithfully. And likewise the scholemaisters I besech, that they liuyng honestly, wil bring vp their scholers vertuously, & to teach them faithfully: first to learne to feare God: then for the glory of God, & the publicke vtilitie of þ^e cōmon wealth, and theyr own health, and not for auarice or for worldly honour, to employ their minds to honest artes. I besech the studentes of the vniuersitie & all other scholes, in all honest thynges to obey their maisters, and to folow them, and that with all diligence, they will study to bee profitable both to the settyng forth of the glorye of God, and to the soules health, as well of them selues, as of other men. Together I beseche and pray you all, that you wyll yelde most harty thankes to the right honorable Lordes, MarginaliaA note for all noble men.the Lord Wencelaus de Duba, L. Iohn de Chlum, Lord Henry Lumlouio, Lorde Vilem Zagecio, Lord Nicolas, & other Lords of Boheme, of Morauia and Polonie: that theyr diligēce towards me, may be gratefull to all good men: because that they lyke valiaunt champions of gods truth, haue oftentymes set thē selues agaynst the whole Councell for my deliueraunce, contending & standing against the same to þ^e vttermost of theyr power: but especially lord Wencelaus de Duba, & Lord Iohn de Chlum. What so euer they shall reporte vnto you, geue credite vnto them: for they were in the Councell when I there aunswered many. They know who they were of Bohemia, and how many false & slaunderous thinges they brought in agaynst me, and how that Councell cryed out agaynst me, and howe I also aunswered to all thynges wherof I was demaūded. I beseche you also that ye will pray for the kyng of Romaines, & for your kyng, and for hys wife your Queene, that God of his mercy would abyde with them and with you, both nowe and hence forth in euerlastyng lyfe. Amen.

This Epistle I haue writtē to you out of pryson and in bandes, lookyng the next day after the writyng hereof, for the sentēce of the Councel vpon my death, hauing a full trust that he will not leaue me, neither suffer me to deny his truth, & to reuoke the errours, which false witnesses maliciously haue deuised agaynst me. How mercifully the lord god hath dealt with me, & was with me in meruelous tentations, ye shal know, when as hereafter by the helpe of Christ, we shall all meete together in the ioye of the worlde to come. As concernyng maister Hierome my dearely beloued brother & felowe, I heare no other but that he is remayning in strait bandes, lokyng for death as I do: and that for the fayth whiche he valiantly maytained amongest the Bohemians. Our cruel enemies of Boheme, haue geuen vs into the power and handes of other ennemyes, and in to bandes. I beseche you praye to God for them.

Moreouer, I beseche you, namely you of Prage, that you will loue the temple of Bethelem, and prouide, so longe as God shall permit, that the word of God may be preached in the same. For, because of that place, the deuyll is angry, and agaynst the same place, he hath styrred vppe priestes, and Canons, perceauing that in that place his kingdome should be distourbed and diminished. I trust in God that he will kepe that holy churche so long, as it shall please him, and in the same shall geue greater encrease of his word by other, then he hath done by me aweake vessell. I besech you also, that ye will loue together, and withholding no man from the hearyng of gods worde, ye will prouide and take care that good men bee not oppressed by any force and violence. Written at Constance, the yere of our Lord. M.CCCC.xv.

MarginaliaA worthy lesson for all ministers and preachers. THe peace of our Lord Iesus Christ. &c. My deare brother, be diligent in preaching the Gospell, and do the worke of a good Euangelist: neglect not your vocation: labour lyke a blessed souldiour of Christ. First lyue godly and holyly. Secondly teach faythfully and trulye. Thirdly be an example to other in well doyng, that you bee not reprehended in your sayinges: correct vice and set foorth vertue, To euill lyuers threaten eternall pu-nishement: but to those that be faythfull and godlye, set forth the confortes of eternall ioye. Preach continually, but be shorte and frutfull, prudently vnderstandyng and discretly dispensing the holy Scriptures. Neuer affirme or maintayne those thynges that be vncertaine & doubtfull, lest that your aduersaryes take holde vppon you, whiche reioyce in deprauyng their brethrē, wherby they may bryng the ministers of God into contempt. Exhort men to the cōfession of their fayth, & to the communiō of both kindes, both of the body and bloud of Christ, wherby such as doo repent earnestly of their sinnes, may the more often come to the holy communion. And I warne you that you enter into no tauernes with gesse, and bee not a common company keper: For the more a preacher keepeth hym frō the company of men, the more he is regarded. Albeit, denye not yet your helpe and diligence, where soeuer you may profite other. Agaynst fleshly lust preach continually all that euer you can: For that is the ragyng beast whiche deuoureth men, for whom the flesh of Christ did suffer, Wherfore my hartely beloued, I beseche you to flye fornication: for where as a man would most profit & do good, there this vice vseth most to lurk. In any case flye the company of yonge women, and beleue not their deuotiō: MarginaliaS. Augustine meaneth not here of all, but of the cōmon sorte of lyght person.For S. Austen sayth, the more deuout she is, the more procliue to wantonnes, and vnder the pretence of religion the snare and venome of fornication lurketh: And this know my welbeloued, that the conuersation with thē, subuerteth many, whom the conuersation of this world could neuer blemish nor begile. Admit no womē into your house, for what cause so euer it bee, and haue not much talke with them otherwise, for auoyding of offence. Finally howe so euer you do, feare God and kepe his preceptes: so shall you walke wisely, & shall not perish: so shall you subdue the flesh, contemne the world, and ouercome the deuill: so shall you put on God, finde life, and confirme other, and shall crowne you selfe with the crowne of glorye, the whiche the iust iudge shall giue you, Amen.

MarginaliaThys Palletz was the chiefest enemie of Iohn Hus, and procutour of his death. HEalth be to you from Iesus Christ. &c. My deare frend, know that Palletz came to me to persuade me that I should not feare the shame of abiuration, but to consider the good which therof will come. To whom I sayd, that the shame of condemnation and burning is greater then to abiure: and why should I feare then that shame? But I praye you tell me playnly your mynde. Presuppose þ^t such Articles were layed to you which you knew your self not to be true: what would you do in þ^t case? would you abiure? Who aunswered. The case is sore, and began to wepe. Many other thyngs we spake whiche I did reprehend. MarginaliaMichaell de Causis an other bitter enemye of Iohn Hus.Michaell de Causis, was some tymes before the prison with the deputies. And whē I was with the deputies, thus I heard him speake vnto the kepers: Wee by the grace of God will burne this hereticke shortly: for whose cause I haue spent many Florenes. MarginaliaIohn Hus praieth for hys enemyes.But yet vnderstand that I write not this to the intent to reuenge me of him, for that I haue committed to God, and pray to God for him wyth all my hart.

Yet I exhort you agayne, to be circūspect about our letters: for Michaell hath takē such order þ^t none shalbe suffered to come into the prison: noo nor yet the kepers wiues are permitted to come to me. O holy God, how largely doth Antichrist extende his power and crueltie? MarginaliaA prophecie of Iohn Hus.But I trust that his power shalbe shortned, and hys iniquitie shalbe detected more & more amōgest the faithfull people.

Almighty God shal confirme the hartes of his faithfull, whom he hath chosen before the constitution of the world, that they may receaue the eternall crowne of glorye. And let Antichrist rage as much as he will, yet he shall not preuaile agaynst Christ, whiche shal destroy him with the spirit of his mouth, as the Apostle saith: And then shall the creature be deliuered out of seruitude of corruption, into the libertie of the glory of the sonnes of God, as saith the Apostle in the woordes folowyng: wee also within our selues doo grone, wayting for the adoption of the sonnes of God, the redēption of our body.

I am greatly comforted in those wordes of our Sauiour: happy be you when men shall hate you and shall separate you, & shall rebuke you, & shall cast out your name as execrable, for the sonne of man. Reioyce & be glad, for behold, great is your reward in heauen, Luke. 6. O worthy, yea O most worthy consolation, whiche not to vnderstand, but to practise in tyme of tribulation, is a hard lesson.

This rule S. Iames with the other Apostles, did well vnderstand, which sayth: count it excedyng ioye my brethren, when ye shall fall into diuers tentations, knowyng that the probation of your fayth worketh patience: let patience haue her perfect worke. For certeynly it is a great matter for a man to reioyce in trouble, and to take it for ioye to be in diuers tentations. A light matter it is to speake it and to expounde it: but a greate matter to fulfill it: MarginaliaThe example of Christ.For why, our most patient and most valiaunt champion hym selfe knowyng that he should ryse agayne the thyrd day, ouercommyng his enemyes by his death, and redemyng from dānation his elect