Page:John Huss, his life, teachings and death, after five hundred years.pdf/112

 to possess the books in order to refute them. Paul had quoted from Gentile writings. Nor did the New Testament condemn all books of pagan authors to the flames. Aristotle, Averrhoes, and other philosophers were studied though they might hold errors. By such a rule as Zbynek laid down, even the works of the Master of Sentences. Peter the Lombard, all of whose sayings were not accepted by the doctors, and the works of Origen and other doctors would have to be condemned.

In protesting against the closing of chapels to preaching. Huss entered into the history of Bethlehem chapel, founded by Count John Mühlheim, and the terms of the gift, including the stipulation, confirmed by the pope and Wenzel, that the preaching should be in the Bohemian language. The prohibition was against the example and teaching of Christ as well as the papal letters sanctioning the chapel. Christ had preached on the lake and on the mountain, in the street and on the highway as well as in the synagogues, and had commanded his disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. Zbynek’s sentence, setting aside the Scriptures and the decrees of the holy Fathers, denied to the priest his inherent right to exercise the office of preaching the Word of God. Huss again charged Alexander’s bull was gotten up under mendacious and crooked information, and therefore Zbynek’s bull with its inhibition was null. The case was pending at Rome. Huss and his associates affirmed that they had no purpose of advocating any errors in books condemned by Zbynek, and, for the reasons given, they intended to disregard and disobey Zbynek’s bull—parere et obedire non intendimus. In those things which pertain to salvation and the preaching of the Word of God they must obey God rather than man, and they appealed to John XXIII. In a letter written to the cardinals, 1411, and a statement made in Constance, 1414. Huss declared that there were many chapels