Page:The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe Volume 3.djvu/450



sundry things; whereupon the patriarch of Constantinople, one of the commissioners, proceeded against him, pronouncing the sentence definitive, which he had in writing, against the said Jerome, which sentence being read and approved by the council (the tenor whereof ensueth in his history), the said Jerome was delivered unto the secular power, and burned.

The twenty-second and twenty-third sessions contain no worthy matter, but only the placing of the ambassadors of Alphonsus, king of Arragon, and granting them voices in the council.

In the twenty-fourth session, citation was given out against Benedict, keeping with Alphonsus, king of Arragon.

The twenty-fifth session containeth nothing but a certain 'Commendam' given to the church of Olmutz.

In the twenty-sixth session there was nothing else handled, but the uniting incorporating of the ambassadors of the king of Navarre into the council, and also concerning the derogation of the priority of voices.

After this followed the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth sessions, which were in the year 1417; wherein were treated the relation and declaration concerning the cause betwixt duke Frederic and the bishop of Trent, and process given out against the said duke, accusing him of sacrilege; and also excommunicating him for not obeying the admonition of the council, concerning the usurpation and detaining of the city of Trent and other possessions from bishop George, as is before specified.

In the twenty-ninth and thirtieth sessions, proctors and notaries were given out in the cause against pope Benedict, and order decreed upon his obstinacy; wherein also the withdrawing of the king of Arragon from the same pope was recited, and approved by the council.

In the thirty-first session, certain instruments and special letters monitory were directed from the council to a certain earl of Italy, named Comes Virtutum, for laying violent hands upon Albert, bishop of Asce, and for bringing him to prison; requiring the said earl, under pain of interdiction and excommunication, to set the said bishop at liberty. Also another decree was set forth for restoring again the liberties of the church of Beron.

In the thirty-second and thirty-third sessions, the accusation of pope Benedict was renewed, and his obtinacy accused, and witness brought in; at doing which the emperor Sigismund was present.

In the thirty-fourth session, the cause of the aforsaid pope was heard, and process given out against him.

In the thirty-fifth session, the ambassadors of the king of Castile were brought in, and united to the council, and instruments thereof made and read. Also, that notwithstanding the oaths made to the aforesaid pope, men might lawfully forsake his obedience.

In the thirty-sixth session, a certain citation was made and read against the pope, containing his deprivation and the sentence against him, and instruments made upon the same. And whereas this pope had thundered out his curses, deprivations, and excommunications against them, the said synod did annihilate all his doings.

The thirty-seventh session did renew again the accusation of the aforesaid pope, and the sentence definitive against him was published.

In the thirty-eighth session, certain decrees were made touching the annihilating of the penalties of the ambassadors of king Henry, son of Alphonsus, king of Arragon. Also, another decree was made touching the revocation of the voices granted to the ambassadors of the king of Arragon.

Thus pope Benedict being deposed and excommunicated, as is aforesaid, in the next sessions following they addressed themselves to the election of a new pope, beginning first in the thirty-ninth session, to give out decrees concerning general councils, and provision for the avoiding of such like schisms hereafter; decreeing every tenth year to have a general council, after the two councils that should follow immediately after this, of which the one should be kept within five years then next following, and the second within seven years after that. Item, In the same session was drawn out a form touching such things as the pope should profess and bind himself to observe at the time of his election, of which form the order and tenor is this:

"I, N., elected for pope, profess with heart and mouth unto Almighty God,