Page:The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe Volume 3.djvu/521

 openly read before the said John Huss, and before the fathers and prelates of this sacred council (by which allegations of the witnesses, it appeareth, that the said John Huss hath taught many evil and offensive, seditious and perilous heresies, and hath preached the same by a long time), this most sacred and holy synod, lawfully congregated and gathered together in the Holy Ghost, the name of Christ being invocated and called upon, by this its sentence which is here set forth in writing, determineth, pronounceth, declareth, and decreeth that John Huss was and is a true and manifest heretic, and that he hath preached openly errors and heresies lately condemned by the church of God, and many seditious, temerarious and offensive things; to no small offence of the Divine Majesty, and of the universal church, and detriment of the catholic faith and church; neglecting and despising the keys of the church, and ecclesiastical censures. In the which his error, he hath continued with a mind altogether indurate and hardened by the space of many years, much offending the faithful Christians by his obstinacy and stubbornness, when he made his appeal unto the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Most High Judge, omitting and leaving all ecclesiastical means. In the which his appeal he allegeth many false, injurious, and offensive matters, in contempt of the apostolic see, and of the ecclesiastical censures and keys.

Whereupon, both for the premises and many other things, the said synod Verity pronounceth John Huss to be a heretic, and judgeth him, by these presents, to be condemned and judged as a heretic; and reproveth the said appeal as injurious, offensive, and done in derision unto the ecclesiastical jurisdiction; and judgeth the said Huss not only to have seduced the christian people by his writings and preachings, and especially in the kingdom of Bohemia, neither to have been a true preacher of the gospel of Christ unto the said people, according to the exposition of the holy doctors, but also to have been a seducer of them, and also an obstinate and stiffnecked person, yea and such a one as doth not desire to return again to the lap of our holy mother the church, neither to abjure the errors and heresies which he hath openly preached and defended. Wherefore this most sacred council decreeth and declareth, that the said John Huss shall be famously deposed and degraded from his priestly orders and dignity, &c.

While these things were thus read, John Huss, albeit he was forbidden to speak, notwithstanding did often interrupt them, and especially when he was reproved of obstinacy, he said with a loud voice: "I was never obstinate, but, as always heretofore, even so now again I desire to be taught by the holy Scriptures; and I do profess myself to be so desirous of the truth, that if I might by one only word subvert the errors of all heretics, I would not refuse to enter into what peril or danger soever it were." When his books were condemned, he said, "Wherefore have you condemned those books, when you have not proved by any one article, that they are contrary to the Scriptures, or articles of faith? And moreover what injury is this that you do to me, that you have condemned these books written in the Bohemian tongue, which you never saw, neither yet read?" And oftentimes looking up unto heaven, he prayed.

When the sentence and judgment were ended, kneeling down upon his knees, he said: "Lord Jesus Christ! forgive mine enemies, by whom thou knowest that I am falsely accused, and that they have used false witness and slanders against me; forgive them, I say, for thy great mercy's sake." This his prayer and oration, the greater part, and especially the chief of the priests, did deride and mock.

At last the seven bishops who were chosen out to degrade him of manded his priesthood, commanded him to put on the garments pertaining unto priesthood; which thing when he had done until he came to the putting on of the albe, he called to his remembrance the white vesture