Page:John Huss, his life, teachings and death, after five hundred years.pdf/166

 such as the seven sacraments, the worship of relics and regard for indulgences, Bohemia’s glory had consisted in its strict orthodoxy. Bohemia had always felt and taught as the Roman Church taught and not otherwise. This reputation must be sustained and, if necessary, by recourse to the severest measures. The memorial affirmed that the pope is the head and the college of cardinals the living body of the Roman Church—corpus romanæ ecclesiæ. They are the successors of Peter and the other Apostles. It is theirs to define the theology of the Catholic Church in all the world and to purge it of all errors. The causes of the trouble in Prague, it asserts, were three. The first cause was the refusal to accept the condemnation of the XLV Wyclifite Articles, including Wyclif’s views of the seven sacraments. No one of these articles was Catholic.

The second cause was the dispute in regard to the source of authority. Some made the Scriptures the only rule in matters of faith and judicial decision. This view set aside the ordinance of God, who had chosen to appoint the apostolic see as the tribunal of judgment. The true view Innocent III had laid down in his bull, per venerabilem, by his interpretation of Deut. 17: 8–12. To confirm this interpretation as the memorial quotes. Innocent adduced the Lord’s fictitious conversation with Peter outside the walls of Rome, when Peter was fleeing from the holy city. The Apostle, meeting the Lord, said to him: “Lord, whither art thou going?” He replied, “I go again to Rome to be crucified.” Understanding what the Lord’s meaning was, the Apostle returned again to the city.

The third cause of the trouble was the denial to the decisions of the holy see finality in cases where what is purely good is not forbidden and the purely evil not com-