take amongest them, with condigne deathes without anye delay to punish. But fearing least to the preiudice & sclander of the foresayd catholicke fayth and religion, thorough the pretext of ignoraunce, any man herein shoulde be circumuented, or that any subtile and craftie men should vnder the vayle of friuolous excuse, cloke and dissēble in thys matter, and that as touching the cōuincing or apprehending of the foresaid hereticks, their receiuours & defēdors, fauourers, beleeuers and adherentes, and also of suche as are suspect of heresie, and with suche like peruerse doctrine in any wise spotted, we might geue more perfect instruction: Therfore as well to the kingdom of Bohemia & parts neare adioining to the same as all other where this superstitious doctrine first began to spread, we haue thought it good to send the articles here vnder written concerning þ^e secte of those Archheretickes, for the better direction of the foresayd Catholicke fayth.

Touching which articles, by the vertue of holy obedience we charge and commaund you and all other Archbishops and Bishops, all maner of commissaries and inquisitours that euery of them within the Dioces and limites of theyr iurisdiction, & also in þ^e foresaid kingdom & dukedome and places neare adioyning, although the same places be beyond the same their iurisdiction: in the fauour of the catholicke faith, do geue most dilligent and vigilent care about the extirpation and correction of those erroures, archheresies, and most pestiferous sect aforesayd: and also that they compell all diffamed persons and suspecte of so pestiferous a contagion, whether it be vnder the penaltie of the crime confessed, or of excommunication, suspension or interdicte, or any other formidable payne canonicall or legall, when and wheresoeuer it shall seeme good to them, and as the quallitie of the facte requireth, by an othe corporally taken either vpon þ^e holy Euangelistes, or vpon the reliques of Saintes, or vpon the image of the crucifixe,MarginaliaThe olde maner of the popishe othe. according to the obseruauntes of certayne places, and accordyng to the interrogatories, to make conuenient answere to euery article within written. For we intend agaynst all and singular archbishops, Byshops, Ecclesiasticall persons, or inquisitours, which shall shew themselues negligent and remisse in the extirpation of the leauen of this hereticall prauitie, and purging their territories, dioces, and places to them appoynted, of such euill and wicked men: to proceed and to cause to be proceeded, vnto the deprauation and deposition of their pontificall dignities, and shall substitute such other in their places, which can and may be able to cōfound the sayd hereticall prauitie, and proceede to further paynes agaynst such by the lawe limitted, and vnto other yet more grieuous (if neede require) we our selues will proceede and cause to be proceeded, according as the party his fact, and filthines of his crime committed, shall deserue The tenour of these articles wherof we haue made mention in this our owne writing are in wordes as follow.

1, THere is one onely vniuersall Church, whiche is the vniuersitie of the predestinate, as shall after be declared.

3. The vniuersall Church is onely one: as there is one vniuersitie of those that are predestinate.

3. Paule was neuer a member of the Deuill, although he did certayne actes like vnto the actes of the Church malignant.

4. MarginaliaSpeaking of the inuisible church the article is true.The reprobate are not partes of the Churche, for that no part of the same finally falleth from her, because that the charitie of predestination, which bindeth the same Church together, neuer fayleth.

5. The two natures (that is) the Diuinitie, and the humanitie, bee one Christ.

6. MarginaliaThis article seemeth to be wrasted out of the wordes of Hierome of Prage.The reprobate, although he be sometime in grace, according to present iustice, yet is he neuer a part of the holy Churche: and the predestination is euer a member of the Churche, although sometime he fall from grace aduentitia, but not from grace of predestinatiō: euer taking the church for the conuocation of the predestinate whether they be in grace or nor according to present iustice. And after this sort the church is an article of our beliefe.

7. Peter is not, nor neuer was the head of the holy catholicke Church.

8. Priestes, liuing viciously, doe defile the authoritie of priesthood, and so, as vnfaythfull Children do vnfaythfully beleue of the seuen sacraments, of the keyes of þ^e Church of offices, of Censures, of ceremonies, of the worshippyng of reliques: indulgences, orders, and other holy things of the Church.

9. The papill dignitie came and grew from the EmperorMarginaliaThe papall dignitie touched.and hys gouernement and institution, sprang from the emperours gouernment.

10. No man can reasonably affirme eyther of himselfe or other that he is the head of any particular Churche, or that the bishop of Rome, is the head of the Church of Rome.

11. A man ought not to beleue, that he which is byshop of Rome is the head of euery particuler Churche, vnles god haue predestinate hym.

12. None is the vicare of Christ, or els of Peter, vnlesse he follow him in maners and conditions, seing that there is no other following more pertinent, nor otherwise apte to receiue of God this power procuratory. For vnto þ^e office of a vicegerent of Christ is required, the conformitie of maners and the authoritie of the institutor.

13. The pope is not the manifest and true successor of Peter the Prince of the Apostles, if he liue in maners contrary to Peter: and if he hunt after auarice, then is he the vicar of Iudas Iscarioth. And likewise the Cardinalles be not the true and manifest successors of the Colledge of the other Apostles of Christ, vnles they lyue according to the maner of the Apostles, keeping the commaundementes & counsels of our Lord Iesus Christ.

14. The Doctors alledging, that if a man, which will not be amended by the Ecclesiasticall censures, is to be deliuered to the secular powers: do follow in this poynt, the byshops, Scribes and Phariseis, that deliuered Christ to the secular power (saying it is not lawfull for vs to kill anye man) because he would not obey them in all thinges, and that such be greater homicides then Pilate.

15. The ecclesiasticall obedience is such an obedience as þ^e Priestes of the church haue found out, besides the expresse authoritie of the scripture. The immediate deuision of humaine works, is þ^t they be either vertuous or vicious, & if a man be vicious, and doth any thyng, then doth he it vitiously, & if he be vertuous, and doth any thinge, thē doth he it vertuously. For like as vice which is called a great offēce or mortall sin, doth stayne all þ^e doyngs of a vicious man: so vertue doth quicken all the doinges of a vertuous man.

16. A priest of God liuing after hys lawe, and hauing the knowledge of the scripture, and a desire to edify the people ought to preach, notwithstanding any excommunication, pretended of the pope, And further, if the pope, or anye other magistrate doeth forbid a priest so disposed to preache, he ought not to be obedient vnto him. For euery one that taketh vpō him the order of priesthood, receiueth in charge the office of a preacher: and of that burden ought he well to discharge himselfe, any excommunication against him pretended in any wise notwithstanding.

17. By the Censures ecclesiasticall, as of excommunication, suspending, and interdicte, the clergy to their owne aduauncement cause the lay people to ayd them: they multiply their auarice, they defend their malice, and prepare the way to Antichrist. And it is an euident signe that such censures proceede from Antichrist, which in their proces they call Fulminationes, that is, their thunderboltes wherewith the clergy principally proceedeth agaynst those that declare the wickednes of Antichrist, who so greatly for hys owne commoditie hath abused them.

18. If the pope be euill, especially if he be a reprobate, thē is he with Iudas a very deuill, a theefe and the sonne of perdition, and is not the head of the holy Church militant nor any member of the same.

19. The grace of predestination is the band, wherwith the body of the church and euery member of the same is indissolubly ioyned to their head Christ.

20. The pope or Prelate that is euill and a reprobate, is a Pastor in name, and not in deede, yea he is a theefe and a robber in very deede.

21. MarginaliaIohn Hus expoundeth this article with this distinct. non ratione meriti, sed ratione officii.The P. ought not to be called the most holy one for his office sake, for then ought a king to be called by hys office þ^e most holy one: and hangmen with other such officers also were to be called holye, yea the deuill hymselfe ought to be called holy, for asmuch as he is Gods officer.

22. MarginaliaIohn Hus declareth his mind touching this article sufficiently before.If the pope liue contrary vnto Christ, although he clime vp by the right and lawfull election according to the common custome of men: yet notwithstanding shoulde he otherwise clime then by Christ, yea though wee admitte that he shoulde enter by the election principally made by God. For Iudas Iscarioth was lawfully elect of GOD Christ Iesus to hys byshopricke, and yet came not he the same way he ought to do vnto the shepefold.

23 The condemnation of 45. articles of Iohn Wickleffe by the doctors made, is vnreasonable, wicked and naught, & the cause by them alledged is fayned that is, that none of them are Catholicke, but euery on of them heteticall, erroneous, or slaunderous.

14. Not for that the electours, or the most part of thē haue