which doth rule, and doth say or commaund any thing cōtrary and besides the will of God, or that which is euidētly commaunded in the Scriptures, he is honoured as a false witnesse of God, and a Church robber. Whereupon we are bounden to obey no Prelate, but in such case as he do commaund or take counsell of the Councels and commaundements of Christ.

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Likewise S. Augustine vpon this saying: vpon the chayre of Moyses. &c. sayth: Secondly, they teach in the chayre of Moyses the law of God: Ergo, God teacheth by them: but if they will teach you any of theyr owne inuentions, do not geue eare vnto them, neither doe as they cōmaund you. Also in the saying of Christ, he hath heareth you heareth me, all lawfull and honest thinges be comprehended, in the which we ought to be obedient, according to Christes saying: it is not you which doe speake, but the spirite of my father whiche speaketh in you. MarginaliaConcilia. præcepta.Let therfore my aduersaryes and slaunderers learne that there be not onely 12. Counsels in the Gospell, in the which subiectes ought to obey Christ and his appoynted ministers, but that there are so many Counsels and determinations of God, as there be lawfull and honest thinges ioyned with preceptes and commaundementes of God, bindinge vs thereunto, vnder the payne of deadly sinne: for euery such thing doth the Lord commaund vs to fulfill in tyme and place, with other circumstaunces at the will and pleasure of their minister.

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Marginalia

12. Article.

The clergie and laitie may iudge of the works of their prelates.

The 12. Article. It is lawfull for the clergy and laytye by their power and iurisdiction to iudge and determine of all things pertayning vnto saluation, and also of the workes of the Prelates. The aunswere. I haue thus written it in my booke, that it is lawfull for the clergy and laity to indge and determine of the works of their heades and rulers. It appeareth by this, that the iudgement of the secret counselles of God, in the court of conscience is one thyng, & the iudgement of the authority and power in the church is an other.Marginalia

Iudgement double.

Secret in the court of cōscience.

Open in the court of authoritie.

Wherefore subiectes first ought principally to iudge and examine themselues 1. Corinthians. 11. chapter. Secondly they ought to examine all thinges whiche pertayneth vnto their saluation, for a spirituall man iudgeth and examineth all thinges. And this is alleadged, as touching the first iudgement, and not the second, as the enemy doth impute it vnto me. Whereupon in the same place I doe say that the lay man ought to iudge and examine the workes of his Prelate, like as Paule doth iudge the doinges of Peter in blaming him. Secondly to auoyd them according to this saying: Beware of false Prophets. &c. Thirdly to rule ouer the ministery: For the subiect ought by reason to iudge and examine the works of the Prelats. And if they be good, to prayse God therefore and reioyce: But if they be euill, they ought with patience to suffer them, and to be sorry for them, but not to do the like, least they be damned with them: according to this saying: If the blinde lead the blinde, both fall into the ditch.

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Marginalia13. Article.The 13. Article. God doth suspend of himselfe, euery wicked Prelate from his ministery, while he is actually in sinne. for by that meanes that he is in deadly sinne, he doth offend and sinne whatsoeuer he do: and consequētly is forbidden so to do: therefore also is he suspended from his ministery. The aunswere. MarginaliaTo Godwarde all wicked ministers be suspended.This is proued as touching suspension from dignitie, by Osee the iiij. chapter, and Esay, and Malachy the first. And Paule in the 1. Corinthians. 11. chapter, suspendeth all such as be sinnefull or in any greeuous crime or offence, from the eating of the bodye of the Lord, and the drinking of his bloud, and consequently suspendeth all sinneful Prelates from the ministration of the reuerent Sacrament. And God doth suspend the wicked and sinnefull from the declaration of his righteousnesse. Psalme. 49. For so much then as to suspend in effect, is to prohibite the ministery or any other good thing for the offence sake, or as the new lawes do terme or cal it, to interdict or forbidde: It is manifest by the Scriptures afore rehearsed, that God doth prohibite the sinnefull, being in sinne to exercise or vse theyr ministerye or office, whiche by Gods commaundement ought to be excercised without offence. Whereupon he sayth by Esay the Prophet: ye that cary the vessels of the Lord, be ye clensed and made cleane. And to the Corinthians it is sayd: Let all thinges be done with loue and charity. &c. The same thing also is cōmaunded by diuers and sundry Canons, the which I haue alleged in my treatise.

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Marginalia

14. Article.

The laye people supplanted by the Clergy.

The 14. Article. The aunswere which he made to the 25. Article in prison suffiscth for this, that is to say, that the Clergye for their owne preferment and exaltation, doth supplant and vndermine the lay people, doth increase and multiply theyr couetousnes, cloaketh and defendeth theyr malice and wickednes, and prepareth away for Antichrist.

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The first part he proueth by experience, by the example of Peter de Luna, which named himselfe Benedict: by the example of Angelus Coriarius, which named himselfe Gregory the 12. and also by the example of Iohn 23. Like wise by the xiij. and xxiiij. of Ezechiel, and out of Gregory, which sayth, what shalbe come of the flock, when the shepheardes themselues, are become Wolues. &c. Also out of Osee, Miche, and other of the Prophets, and many places of S. Barnard.

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The second part is proued by the 8. chapter of Ieremy, Gregory in his 17. Homely, and S. Barnard vpon the Canonicals.

The third part of this Article is also proued by experience: for who defendeth the wickednes of any schisme but onely the Clergy alledging Scriptures, and bringing reasons therfore? Who excuseth Simony, but onely the Clergy? likewise couetousnes in heaping together many benefices, luxuriousnes and fornication? For how many of the Clergy is there now a dayes which do say it is no deadly sinne alledging (albeit disorderly) the saying of Genesis, increase and multiply.

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Hereby also is the 4. part of the Article easily verified. For the way of Antichrist is wickednesse and sinne: of the which the Apostle speaketh to the Thessalonians: Gregory in his register Pastorall and moralls: Also S. Barnard vpon the Canonicalles playnely sayth: wicked and euyll Priestes prepare the way for Antichrist.

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Marginalia

15. Article.

The dishonestie of such as gathered false accusatiōs against Iohn Hus.

The 15. Article. Iohn Hus doth openly teach and affirme that these conclusions aforesayd are true. The aunswere is manifest by that which I haue afore written. For some of these propositions I did write and publishe, other some my enemy did fayne, now adding, then diminishing and taking away, now falsely ascribing and imputing the whole proposition vnto me: the which thing the commissioners themselues did confesse before me. Whome I desired for the false iuuention and fayning of those Articles, that they would punish those, whom they thēselues knew and confessed to be mine enemies.

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Marginalia16. Article.The 16. Article. Hereby also it appeareth, that it is not true which they haue affirmed in the article followyng: that is to say, that all the aforesayd conclusions be false, erronious, seditious, and such as do weaken and make feeble the power and strength of the Churche, inuented contrary to the holy Scriptures and the Churche. But if there be any such, I am ready most humbly to reuoke and recant the same.

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Marginalia17. Article.The 17. Article. There was also an obiection made agaynst me as touching the Treatises whiche I wrote agaynst Paletz and Stanislaus de Znoyma. The which I desired for Gods sake, they might be openly read in the audience of the whole Councell, and sayd that I, notwithstanding my former protestation, would willingly submit my selfe to the iudgement of the whole Councell.

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Marginalia18. Article.The 18. article. There was also an other article obiected agaynst me in this forme. Item, Iohn Husse sayd and preached that he shoulde goe to Constance, and if so be that for any maner of cause he shoulde be forced to recant that he had before taught, yet notwithstanding he neuer purposed to doe it with his minde: for so much as what so euer he had before taught, was pure and true, and the sounde doctrine of Christ. The aunswere. This article is full of lyes: to the inuenter whereof I suppose the Lord sayth thus: All the day long thou hast imagined mischiefe and wickednesse, and with thy toung as with a sharpe rasour, thou hast wrought deceypte. Thou hast delighted and loued rather to talke of wickednesse and mischiefe then of equity and iustice. Verely I do graunt that I left behinde me a certayne epistle to be read vnto the people, the which did conteine that all such as did wey and consider my carefull labors and trauelles, should pray for me, and stedfastly perseuere and continue in the doctrine of our Lord Iesu Christ, knowing for a certainty that I neuer taught them any such errours as mine enemies do impute or ascribe vnto me, and if it should happen that I were ouercome by false witnesse, they shoulde not be vexed or troubled in their mindes, but stedfastlye continue in the truth.

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Marginalia19. Article.The 19. Article. Last it was obiected agaynst me, that after I was come into Constance, I did write vnto the Kingdome of Boheme, that the Pope and the Emperour receiued me honourablye and sent vnto me two Byshoppes to make agreement betweene me and them, and that thys seemeth to be wrytten by me to thys ende and purpose, that they shoulde confirme and establishe me and my hearers in the errours, whiche I had preached and taught in Boheme. Thys Article is falsely alledged euen from the beginning. For how ma-

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