or rather by himselfe were appoynted and put into parish churches, the which they haue long ruled and kept, not being appoynted by the Apostolike sea, neither yet by the ordinarie of the cite of Prage.

MarginaliaThe office of preaching.Eightly, he erreth as touching the Churche, in that he holdeth opinion, that a man being once ordained a Priest or a deacon cannot be forbidden or kept backe from the office of preaching, this is likewise manifest by his own doings, for somuch as he himselfe could neuer be letted from preaching, neither by the Apostolick sea, neither yet by the Archbishop of Prage.

MarginaliaLupus agnū accusat quod turbarit fontem.And to the intent that the sayd Iohn Hus, who is clothed in sheepes clothing, & inwardly a rauing Wolfe, may be the better knowen by his fruits, for the better information of you most reuerend fathers, I say, MarginaliaA heaping togeather of many greeuous crimes.that from the first time þ^t he tooke in hand or went about to sow hys errours and heresies, þ^e which afterward he did in deede, he vnderstanding and perceiuing himself to be w^tstanded and gainsayde by the Germaines, which were in the vniuersitie of Prage, for somuch as he coulde conclude nothing, because they had 3. voyces, and he on hys parte, had but one onely voyce: he went about and brought to passe, and that by the secular power, that the Germaines shoulde haue but one voyce, and he and his partes 3. voyces, the which thing, when þ^e Germanes once perceiued, rather then they wold loose or forsake any parte of their right, whych they had in voyces, or be in danger in theyr persons, the which would then haue ensued vppon it, to saue themselues, they wholy with one consent agreed together to depart out of Prage,MarginaliaThe departure of the Germaines from the vniuersitie of Prage. and by this meanes this solemne & famous vniuersitie of Prage was made desolate that had brought forth so many notable mē in diuers sciences. Beholde this his first fruits which deuided that so famous vniuersitie, for so muche as grapes are not gathered of thornes, neyther figs of brambles.

Moreouer, when there were questiōs moued amongst the deuines of the vniuersitie of Prage vppon the 45. articles of Iohn Wickliffe,MarginaliaThe 45. articles of Wickliffe. and that they had called a conuocation, and all the deuines of Boheme, for the Germaines were all ready departed, they concluded that euery one of those Articles were either heretical, seditious, or els erroneous. He alone held the cōtrary opinion, þ^t none of those articles were either hereticall, seditious, or erroneous, as afterward he did dispute, holde, and teache in the common schooles of Prage, where by it is euidētly inough foresene, that he doeth affirme those articles of Wickliffe, the whych are not onely condemned in England, but also by þ^e whole church, because they were first inuented and set forth by the members of Antichrist.

Moreouer, he being complained of to the Archbyshop of Prage, þ^t he preached & set foorth certaine articles which were heretical, false and seditious, he was forbidden by the sayd Archbishop to preach any more, and proceded against him, according to the canonicall sanctions, the whych processe is confirmed by the Apostolike sea, and published as well in the courte of Rome, as wythout: the whych Iohn Hus and his adherents haue diuers and manifold wayes violate & prophanate. MarginaliaThe office of preaching forbidden by the Archb.And whosoeuer did speake against him, they were depriued of their benefices, and others placed in, which haue ruled, and yet do rule the said churches, & the flockes pertaining to the same, not hauing any cure or charge of the soules cōmitted vnto them, neyther by the Apostolike sea, neither yet by the ordinary of the place.

Also as many, as well priests as lay men in the citie of Prage & kingdome of Boheme, which haue spoken against the doctrine of Hus, and the prophanation of the processe aforesaid, or at the least not alowing the same, haue suffred most mortall hatred and persecutions, and yet to thys day do suffer. But that at this present it is dissimuled vntill the ende of the processe against Iohn Hus. Wherefore if he be nowe let goe againe, without doubt they shall suffer great persecution both in body and goodes, and throughout all the realm of Boheme, house shalbe against house, and this mischiefe will creepe, yea sodeinly spring vp throughout al Germany, and innumerable soules shalbe infected, MarginaliaInsurrectiōs feared in Boheme against the clergie.so that there shall be such persecution of the cleargie and faithfull, as hath not bene since the time of the Emperor Constantine to this present day, for he ceaseth not to mooue and stir vp the laity, against the clergy and faithfull christians. And when any of the clergie would draw him away, or cal him from his heresie, & for that cause doth forbid him to preach, that he doe not teach no heresies: Then sayeth he, and teacheth that the clergie doth that of enuie and malice, because he rebuketh their vices and faultes: that is to say, their simonie and pride, and couetousnesse.

Moreouer, hee stirreth vp the seculare princes against the prelates of churches, monasteries, & vniuersities, andgenerally against the whole clergy. Going about by thys meanes, he preacheth and teacheth that prelates and other men of the church ought not to haue any temporal goodes or possessions, but only to liue vppon almes. And by thys meanes he hath done already very much hurt, and anoied diuers and many Prelates, clearkes and Churches in the kingdome of Boheme and citie of Prage. For so muche as thereby they are already spoiled and robbed of their possessions. Yea, hee teacheth also that it is lawfull for the lay people wythout sinne, to wythholde and keepe backe the tithes and oblations, or to geue the Church goodes to any other minister: all the seculare princes are greatly inclined hereunto, but specially the laitie, who foloweth euery mā his owne will.

He hath generally to lay for himself all those heretikes which do but very smally regard the ecclesiastical censures and hate the authority of the Romaine church, yea doe vtterly detest & abhorre the same, the which thing will more and more encrease, except it be effectually and manfully w^tstand,MarginaliaCayphas prophesied. and if he do by any meanes escape from the councel, he and his fauourers wil say that hys doctrine is iust and true, and that it is allowed by the authority of the vniuersall sacred Councell, and that all hys aduersaries are wicked and noughty men, so that he would do more mischief, then euer any hereticke did since the tyme of Constantinus Magnus.

Wherefore most holy fathers prouide and take heede to your selues, and to the whole flocke, amongst whome the holy Ghost hath placed you to rule the Churche of Christ,MarginaliaMaister Palletz lyeth, for the holy Ghost had no leasure to come to that councell. the whych he hathe purchased wyth his owne bloude, and whilest the desease is new and fresh, helpe and remedye it, as well touching him which doth so 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 doe 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.

Vpon 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, MarginaliaI. Hus sicke of an agew in prison.at suche time as hys ague was feruent and extremely vpō him.

Vppon thys Iohn Hus required to haue an aduocate to answer for hym, MarginaliaI. Hus debarred of his aduocate.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 rchersed 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. Howbeit 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:MarginaliaThe bookes which I. Hus wrote in prison. That is to say, of the ten comman-