Marginalia24. q. 1. Hæc est fides. they do apply the wordes of Ierome most impertinently to the Pope of Rome, which he writeth to S. Austen, calling him a most blessed Pope.

11. By the which place of Ierome, it is manifest that the first Article of those doctours is false. Forasmuch as by these wordes appeareth that other besides the Byshop of Rome and hys Cardinals, are called blessed Popes, holdyng the faith and seat of Peter, and are successours of the Apostles, MarginaliaAusten called Pope.as was Austen and other holy Bishops moe.

12. Whereof it followeth moreouer, that þ^e Church of Rome is not that place, where the Lord did appoint the principall sea of his whole Church. For Christ, which was the head priest of all, did first sit in Ierusalem and Peter did sit first in Antioch, & afterward in Rome. Also other popes did sit some in Bonony, some at Perusium, some at Auinion.

13. Item, The foresayd Prelates are falsefiers of the holy Scriptures and Canons, and therfore are worthy to be punished: Which affirme and say, that we must obey the pope in all thynges. For why, it is knowen that many Popes haue erred, MarginaliaPope Ioane a woman.and one Pope was also a woman. To whome not onely it was not lawfull to geue obedience, but also vnlawfull to communicate with them. As all Rubrices, and infinite Canons do declare.

14I. tem, their vi. vij. viij. ix. x. xi. Articles do stand and are grounded vpon vntrue and false perswasions. And therfore are to be reiected and detested lyke the other before: Seyng they doe induce not to peace and veritie, but to dissention and falsitie.

15. It is manifest also to the laitie, that this dissension among the clergie riseth for no other cause, but onely for the preaching of the Gospell, which reprehendeth such Simoniakes, and such heretickes in the church of God, as namely haunt the court of Rome, spreading out their braunches abroad into all the world. Who deserue to be remoued & extirpate not onely of the clergie Gospellers, but also of the seculare power. MarginaliaSimonie, Luxurie, Auarice, three causes of dissentiō in the clergie.And so these three vices, to witte, Simony, Luxurie, and Auarice (which is Idole worshyppe) be the causes of all thys discention among the clergie in the kyngdome of Boheme, and not the other, which they falsely ascribe to the Gospellers of Prage. These three vices beyng remoued, peace and vnitie would soone be reformed in the Clergie.

16. Moreouer, their last article is to much grosse, and not onely is without all law, but also without all coulour of law: where as they fondly and childishly doe argue thus: that the processes made agaynst M. Iohn Hus ought to be obeyed, because forsooth the common sorte of the Clergie of Prage, hath receaued them: By the same reason they may argue also, that we must obey the deuil, for our first parents Adam and Eue obeyed him. Also our fore auncetours before vs were Paganes, wherfore we must obey them, and play also the Paganes.

17. But let this friuolous opiniō go, this is certaine truth, that the said processes made agaynst maister Iohn Hus, by law are none. Forsomuche as they were obteyned, drawen, wrought, and executed contrary to the commission of the Pope, against the determination of the holy mother church, as appeareth Cap. Sacro. de Sententia excom. and a thousand other lawes beside.

18. Finally, whosoeuer wittingly & obstinately doe defend and execute (the saide processes made), or consenteth vnto them, are all to be counted as blasphemers, excommunicate, and heretickes, as hath bene afore written, and exhibited to the Lord generall bishop Olomucense. And more shalbe declared and proued, if audience may be geuen openly before all the Doctours. Ex Aenea. Sylui. & Chocleo.

¶ Vnto these obiections of I. Hus and his part, the Catholique Doctors againe did answer in a long tedious proces: The scope whereof principally tended to defend the principallitie of the Pope, and to maintaine his obedience aboue all other potētates in the world: affirming & contēding, that although Christ is the head alone of the whole multitude of them that are sleeping in Purgatory, and which are labouring in the Church militant and which are restyng in heauen: yet this letteth not, but the Pope is heade of the church here militant, that is, of all the faithfull, which here in this world liue vnder his office. Like as Christ is kyng of all kinges, and yet Charles may be the king of Fraunce: MarginaliaAs Charles may be king of Fraunce: So also we graunt, the pope may be Bish. of Italy, & so it is a good consequent.So say they, Christ may be the vniuersall head, and yet the Pope may be head vnder hym of the whole Church. And thus concluded they that the Pope is the head, and that the Colledge of Cardinals is the body of the Romish Church, which church of Rome is placed in the ecclesiasticall office here ouer the earth, to know and define vpon euery ecclesiasticall and catholike matter, to correct errours, and to purge them, and to haue care vpon all such vniuersall matters, andcure vpon all vniuersall churches, and vpon the vniuersall flock of faythful christians.MarginaliaHe may so be, if God had so appointed him, but where doth he so appoint.For as much as in the regimēt of the church through the vniuersal world, there must nedes remayne in such office alwayes some such manifest & true successors of Peter, prince of the Apostles, and of the college of the other Apostles of Christ: neyther can there be found or geuen vpon earth any other successors, but only the Pope which is the head, and the colledge of Cardinals, which is the body of the foresayd church of Rome.MarginaliaEx Cochleo in hist. Hussit. And although the whole vniuersall MarginaliaCatholique that is, vniuersall.multitude of the faythfull do make the body of Christ, yet the same body of Christ is not placed here in office to exercise such autoritie vpon earth. Because that vniuersal multitude was neuer yet, nor euer can be congregate together.

And therefore necessary it is, that some such true and manifest successors and iudges be appointed, to whom recourse must be had, in all such catholicke and ecclesiasticall matters determinable. For lyke as in earthly regiments, euery case of discord is brought before his iudge, and hath his place assigned, where to be decided: MarginaliaIf ye go to humaine policie, who euer saw any priuate case of Englād brought to the Emperours court to be decided. If ye goe to gods policy, then shewe gods worde for it.So like reason would require, that in principall matters and controuersies of fayth, some such presidents and places be limited for the purpose to haue such doubtes resolued. And this beyng graunted, then the doctors procede, and here must nedes cōclude (say they) that there can not be geuen in all the worlde any other place, but onely the church of Rome: the head whereof is the Pope, & the body is the colledge of Cardinals. MarginaliaThe promise of Christ doctourly applyed.For lyke as Christ departyng out of this world in his corporal presence, left his body here with vs vnder the Sacrament in another forme, whereby he remayneth with vs (accordyng to his promise Mat. vlt.) vnto the consummation of the world: Euen so while Christ walked here in earth in his bodily presence, he was Pope himself and chief bishop, and so hed of the church here militant in earth, corporally conioyned with the same, as the hed is so his body. But after that he departed out of the world, because his body, which is the church militant, vpon the earth, should not be headlesse, MarginaliaO deepe diuinitie of these doctours.therfore he left Peter, and his successors to his church, for an hed in his place, vnto the consummation of the world, saying to him: Thou art Peter, & vpon this rocke I will build my church. &c. Mat. 16. And agayne he sayth, feede my shepe. Ioan. vlt. That is to say, be thou Peter, the hed ouer thy brethren.

Tedious it were to recite all the bibbelbabble of these doctors in this theyr long responsall. MarginaliaVid. Eneam Silui. & Cocleum. De Hist. Hußit. lib. 1.Who so liueth to see the bottom of their profound writing and knowledge, may resort either to the history of Siluius, or els to M. Cochleus, in his first boke De hist. Hussit.

Thus then M. Iohn Hus beyng driuen out of Prage (as is afore touched) by the motion of these doctours, and moreouer beyng so excommunicate, that no Masse nor other must be sayd there, where he was present. The people began mightily to grudge and to cry out agaynst the Prelates and other popish priests, which were the workers thereof, accusing them to be Simoniakes, couetous, whoremaisters, adulterers, proud, sparyng not to lay open theyr vices to theyr great ignominy and shame. And much crauing a reformatiō to be had of the clergy.

The kyng seyng the inclination of the people, beyng also not ignoraunt of the wickednes of the Clergy, vnder pretense to reforme the Church, began to require greate exactions vpon such Priestes and men of the Clergy, as were knowen and accused to be wicked liuers. Wherupon they on the other part, that fauoured Iohn Hus, taking that occasion present, complayned of all, accused many, and spared none, whom soeuer they knew to be of the Catholicke factiō, or enemies to Iohn Hus. MarginaliaThe priests of Boheme despayled & taxed for their ill life.By reasō wherof the priests of the Popish Clergy were brought, such as were faultie, into great distresse, and such as were not faultie, into great feare. In somuch that they were glad to fall in, at least not to fall out with the Protestants, beyng afrayde to displease them. By this meanes maister Hus began to take some more libertie vnto hym, & to preach in his Church at Bethleem, and none to controlle him: by the same meanes the people also receaued some comfort, and the kyng much gayne and money by the reason.

And thus the popish Clergie, while they went about to persecute Iohn Hus, were inwrapped thēselues in great tribulation, and afflicted on euery side, as well of lay men, as of learned men of the clergy. In somuch that women also & children were agaynst thē. And by þ^e same reason, wherewith they thought to intangle him, they were ouerthrown themselues. For the Doctors which before condemned this doctrine in Iohn Hus, for an intollerable heresie, & cried out so much agaynst him, for teaching þ^t tēporal lordes might take away temporal liuyngs frō the clergy sinnyng habitualiter, that is, lyeng and continuyng still in the custome of iniqui