THE ACTS AND MONUMENTS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH by JOHN FOXE Commonly known as FOXE'S BOOK OF MARTYRS Volume 4 From John Huss to the Death of Pope Julius II Published by the Ex-classics Project, 2009 http://www.exclassics.com Public Domain -1- THE ACTS AND MONUMENTS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH John Huss preaching -2- FOXE'S BOOK OF MARTYRS CONTENTS 100. The Entry of the Story of the Bohemians. .............................................................4 101. The Council of Constance....................................................................................15 102. John Huss before the Council of Constance ........................................................24 103. The Trial of John Huss.........................................................................................50 104. The Articles against John Huss, and his Answers. ..............................................60 105. The Trial of John Huss (Continued) ....................................................................85 106. Certain Letters relating to the Case of John Huss..............................................101 107. Jerome of Prague................................................................................................116 108. The Letter of the Lords of Bohemia to the Council...........................................131 109. John Claydon and Others ...................................................................................135 110. The Bohemians Resist the Pope.........................................................................148 THE SIXTH BOOK, PERTAINING TO THE LAST THREE HUNDRED YEARS FROM THE LOOSING OUT OF SATAN. ..............................................................178 111. A Preface to the Reader. ....................................................................................179 112. Further Persecutions of Wicliff's Followers ......................................................180 113. The Council of Basil ..........................................................................................207 114. The Election of Pope Felix V.............................................................................256 115. The Bohemians and the Council of Basil ..........................................................266 116. Events in England 1431-1450............................................................................286 117. The Invention and Benefit of Printing. ..............................................................302 118. The Lamentable Losing of Constantinople........................................................305 119. Reynold Pecocke................................................................................................308 120. The Papacy, 1449-1492 .....................................................................................312 121. The Wars of the Roses .......................................................................................316 122. On False Prophecies...........................................................................................332 123. Turmoil in the Empire........................................................................................337 124. John the Neatherd of Franconia, a Martyr, and Doctor Johannes De Wesalia. .350 125. The Wars of the Roses (Concluded) ..................................................................356 126 The Word of God Spread by Printing .................................................................366 127. Jerome Savanarola .............................................................................................370 128. Discontent in Germany ......................................................................................373 -3- THE ACTS AND MONUMENTS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 100. The Entry of the Story of the Bohemians. I declared a little before, how, by the occasion of Queen Anne, who was a Bohemian, and married to King Richard the Second, the Bohemians, coming thereby to the knowledge of Wickliff's books here in England, began first to taste and savour Christ's gospel, till at length, by the preaching of John Huss, they increased more and more in knowledge, insomuch that Pope Alexander the Fifth, hearing thereof, began at last to stir coals, and directeth his bull to the archbishop of Swinco, requiring him to look to the matter, and to provide that no person in churches, schools, or other places, should maintain that doctrine; citing also John Huss to appear before him. To whom the said John answering again, declared that mandate or bull of the pope utterly to repugn against the manifest examples and doings both of Christ and of his apostles, and to be prejudicial to the liberty of the gospel, in binding the word of God not to have free recourse; and, therefore, from this mandate of the pope, he appealed to the same pope better advised. But, while he was prosecuting his appeal, Pope Alexander died, as is aforesaid. After whom succeeded Pope John the Twenty-third, who also, playing his part here in this matter like a pope, sought by all means possible how to repress and keep under the Bohemians, first beginning to work his malice upon the aforesaid John Huss, their preacher, who at the same time preaching at Prague in the temple of Bethlehem, because he seemed rather willing to teach the gospel of Christ than the traditions of bishops, was therefore accused of certain to the forenamed Pope John the Twenty-third for a heretic. The bishop committted the whole matter unto Cardinal de Columna; who, when he had heard the accusation, he appointed a day to John Huss, that he should appear in the court of Rome: which thing once done, Wenceslaus, king of the Romans, and of Bohemia, at the request specially of his wife Sophia, and of the whole nobility of Bohemia, as also at the earnest suit and desire of the town and university of Prague, sent his ambassadors to Rome, to desire the bishop to quit and clearly deliver John Huss from that sentence and judgment; and that if the bishop did suspect the kingdom of Bohemia to be infected with any heretical or false doctrine, he should send his ambassadors, the which might correct and amend the same, if there be any error or fault in them; and that all this should be done at the only cost and charges of the king of Bohemia; and to promise in his name, that he would aid and assist the bishop's legates with all his power and authority, to punish all such as should be taken or found in any erroneous doctrine. In the mean season, also, John Huss, before his day appointed, sent his lawful and meek procurators unto the court of Rome, and with most firm and strong reasons did prove his innocency; whereupon he trusted so, that he thought he should have easily obtained that he should not have been compelled, by reason of the great danger, to appear the day appointed. But when the Cardinal de Columna, unto whose will and judgment the whole matter was committed, would not admit any defence or excuse, John Huss's procurators appealed unto the high bishop: yet, notwithstanding, this last refuge did not so much prevail with Cardinal de Columna, but that he would openly excommunicate John Huss as an obstinate heretic, because he came not at his day appointed unto Rome. Notwithstanding, forasmuch as his procurators had appealed unto the high bishop, they had other judges appointed unto them, as Cardinal Aquileianus and Cardinal Venetus, with certain others; the which judges, after they had prolonged and deferred the matter for the -4- FOXE'S BOOK OF MARTYRS space of a year and a half, at last returned to the sentence and judgment of Cardinal de Columna, and, confirming the same, commanded John Huss's procurators that they should leave off to defend him any more, for they would suffer it no longer: whereupon, when his procurators would not cease their instant suit, certain of them were cast into prison, and grievously punished; the others, leaving their business undone, returned into Bohemia. The Bohemians, notwithstanding, little cared for all this; but continuing still, as they grew more in knowledge, so the less they regarded the pope, complaining daily against him and the archbishop for stopping the word of God and the gospel of Christ to be preached, saying, that by their indulgences, and other practices of the court of Rome, and of the bishop's consistory, they sought their own profit, and not the glory of Jesus Christ; that they plucked from the sheep of Christ the wool and milk, and did not feed them, either with the word of God, or with good examples. Teaching, moreover, and affirming, that the commandments of the pope and prelates are not to be obeyed, but so far as they follow the doctrine and life of Christ and of his apostles; and that laymen ought to judge the works of prelates, as Paul judged the works of Peter in correcting him, Gal. ii. Furthermore, they had amongst them certain notes and observations, whereby they might discern how far, and wherein, they might obey their prelates; they derided also and scorned the pope's jurisdiction, because of the schism that was then in the church, when there were three popes together, one striving against another for the papacy. Over and besides this, at the same time John Huss did propound publicly, and by the notaries caused to be written, three doubtful questions, the tenor whereof followeth here word for word, and is this: "Forasmuch," saith he, "as it is good for men being in doubt to ask counsel, whereby all dubitation is removed, they may be able more firmly to adhere to the truth; three doubts