John Foxe

“ Behold therefore, brother Huss, most dearly beloved in Christ, although in face unknown to me, yet not in faith and love (for distance of places cannot separate those whom the love of Christ doth effectually knit together) , be comforted in the grace which is given unto thee; labour like a good soldier of Christ Jesus; preach, be instant in word and in example, and call as many as thou canst to the way of truth: for the truth of the gospel is not to be kept in silence, because of the frivolous censures and thunderbolts of Antichrist. ”

“ Hew to and fro with her evil-favoured voice, and standing upon the middle beam of the church, cast her staring eyes upon the pope sitting. The whole company began to marvel to see die night-crow, which is wont to abide no light, how she should, in the midday, come in the face of such a multitude; and judged, not without cause, that it was an ill-favoured token. 'For behold,' said they (whispering one in another's ear) , 'the spirit appeareth in the shape of an owl.' And as they stood beholding one another, and advising the pope, scarcely could they keep their countenance from laughter. ”

“ Dost thou not behold and see how great, perpetual, and famous renown and gloiy it will be unto thee? for what can be more just, what more holy, what better, what more to be desired; or, finally, what can be more acceptable, than to root out this wicked and abominable schism, to restore the church again unto her ancient liberty, to extinguish and put away all simony, and to condemn and destroy all errors and heresies from amongst the flock of the faithful? Nothing truly can be better, nothing more holy, nothing more profitable for the whole world ”

“ Paletz answered, 'Behold and see what a folly is in this man, who allegeth those things which make nothing for the purpose; for albeit any man be not a true Christian, is he not, therefore, true pope, bishop, or king? when these are names of office, and to be a Christian, is a name of merit and desert: and so may any man be a true pope, bishop, or king, although he be no true Christian.' Then said John Huss: 'If pope John XXIII. were a true pope, wherefore have ye deprived him of his office? ”

“ First, That thou do humbly and meekly submit thyself unto the judgment and sentence of the council, that whatsoever shall be there determined, by their common voice and judgment, thou wilt patiently bear, and suffer the same. Which thing if thou wilt do, we, of our part, both for the honour of the most gentle emperor here present, and also for the honour of his brother, the king of Bohemia, and for thy own safeguard and preservation, will treat and handle thee with as great humanity, love, and gentleness, as we may. ”

“ Dearly beloved, I beseech you who walk after the law of God, that you cast not away the care of the salvation of your souls, when you, hearing the word of God, are premonished wisely to understand that you be not deceived by false apostles, who do not reprehend the sins of men, but rather do extenuate and diminish them; who flatter the priests, and do not show to the people their offences; who magnify themselves, boast their own works, and marvellously extol their own worthiness, but follow not Christ in his humility, in poverty, in the cross, and other manifold afflictions. ”

“ Unto whom John Huss answered in this manner: I take God and my conscience to witness, that I never taught any thing, neither was it ever in my mind or fantasy to teach in such sort or manner, as these men here have not feared to witness against me that which they never heard. And albeit, they were as many more in number as they are, for all that, I do much more esteem, yea, and without comparison, regard the witness of my Lord God, before the witness and judgment of all mine adversaries, upon whom I do in no point stay myself. ”

“ Then one of the bishops who sat by, said unto him, that he would never be so arrogant or proud, that he would prefer his own mind or opinion before the judgment of the whole council. To whom John Huss answered: That is no right modesty that more regardeth to obey man than manifest verity.⁠"Neither do I otherwise mind or intend. For if he who is the meanest or least in all this council can convict me of error, I will, with an humble heart and mind, perform and do whatsoever the council shall require of me." ”

“ Unjustly have they accused me, that I should be the cause that certain masters of the Germans were expulsed out of Prague, when they themselves refused to hold and keep the privilege of the foundation of the famous university of Prague; neither would they obey the lawful commandments of the most noble Wenceslaus king of the Romans and of Bohemia; thinking, that, without their presence, the university of Prague could not continue or stand: whereupon, without any compulsion, they departed and went their ways. ”

“ The cardinal's army run away for fear.⁠But this exhortation was all in vain, for fear had put away all boldness; for the ensigns were snatched up, and, as though there had been no captain in the host, every man ran headlong away. No man regarded any commandment, neither once took his leave of his captain, but, casting away their armour, with speedy flight they ran away, as though their enemy had been at their backs. ”

“ I wrote thus in my treatise; 'If the pope be humble and meek, neglecting and despising the honours and lucre of the world; if he be a shepherd, taking his name by the feeding of the flock of God (of which feeding the Lord speaketh, saying. Feed my sheep) ; if he feed the sheep with the word, and with virtuous example, and become even like his flock with his whole heart and mind; if he do diligently and carefully labour and travail for the church, then is he, without doubt, the true vicar of Christ. ”

“ Moreover, I do confess his most holy church to be so surely founded and set upon the most strong and steadfast rock, against which the gates of hell can, by no means, prevail; and, in the hope of this head, our Lord Jesus Christ, I am ready to sustain the punishment of most cruel death, rather than, under the hope of election, to say or do any thing which should be contrary to the will of Christ and his church. Whereupon, boldly and truly I do affirm, that, wrongfully, I am accused unto the apostolic see by such as are enemies unto the truth, for which, falsely, they have accused me ”

“ But if, peradventure, you go about to let the same (which is not to be expected at your hands) , all men will reprove you of impiety; heaven and earth will conspire against you; all men will forsake you. For how is he to be followed, who, with one word, may restore peace and quietness to the church, and refuseth to do it? But I conceive a better hope in you, how that your holiness, without any excuse, will, with your whole heart and mind, favour this most sacred council, and give thanks unto Almighty God for his great goodness, that this congregation hath not departed. ”

“ Forasmuch as without any desert, as I trust by God's grace, the fame or noise is sprung and blown abroad, it shall be our part to foresee and take heed, that neither the king's majesty, nor the noble kingdom of Bohemia, should be driven to bear or suffer any reproach or slander for me. ”

“ For in those spiritual wars the holy catholic church, through the virtue and power of faith, being illustrated with the beams of the heavenly light by the providence of God, and being holpen by the help and defence of the saints and holy men, hath always continued immaculate, and, the darkness of errors, as her most cruel enemies, being put to flight, she hath most gloriously triumphed over all. ”

“ Master Martin, my dear brother in Christ, I exhort you in the Lord that you fear God, keep his commandments, and flee the company of women, and beware of hearing their confession, lest, by the hypocrisy of women, Satan deceive you; trust not their devotion. ”

“ The cardinal was not yet come into the camp, but meeting them in their flight at Tacovia, he marvelled at the cowardly flight of so many noble and valiant men, desiring them that they would turn again unto their enemies, who, he said, were far weaker than they. Like captain, like soldier.⁠Which thing when he had long travailed about in vain, he was fain to be a companion with them in their flight. They had scarcely entered the wood, when the Bohemians, coming upon them, set upon the rearward. ”

“ Flourishing invocation of God's name.⁠The glorious name of the Prince of Peace, and his counsel (whose counsellor no man is, and whose providence in his disposition is never deceived) being invovocated, To all and singular believers of Christ, who shall see or hear this our process underwritten, John, by the sufferance of God bishop of Hereford, greeting, and peaceable charity in the Lord. ”

“ Albeit I do not find my conscience guilty that I ever have spoken or written any such thing amongst you.
I desire you, moreover, if any man at any time have noted any levity either in my talk or in my conditions, that he do not follow the same; but pray to God for me, to pardon me that sin of lightness. I pray you that ye will love your priests and ministers, who be of honest behaviour, to prefer and honour them before others; namely, such priests as travail in the word of God. ”

“ And when a man hath found all things therein which he hath profitably learned elsewhere, he shall much more abundantly find those things which are found in no place else, but are learned in the marvellous depth and marvellous profoundness of those most sacred Scriptures only." Thus writeth Augustine. And Gregory, in his twenty-third book of Morals, saith thus: "God, in the holy Scripture, hath comprehended whatsoever thing may happen unto any man, and in the same hath, by the examples of those who are gone before, taught those who are to come, how to reform their lives." ”

“ And now also I do say, affirm, and declare, that it was never my intent and purpose to prove that there should be faith, speaking of faith as faith is commonly defined, but knowledge far exceeding faith. And, generally, whatsoever I said, either here, there, or at any time before, I do refer, and most humbly submit myself unto the determination of this sacred council of Constance. ”

“ A great miracle to love a man's enemy.⁠ Item, St. Augustine, in his book of confessions, saith thus: "There is no greater miracle amongst men, than to love our enemies." By these words of these holy men a man may easily gather, that, both in our days, and in the time to come, the disciples of Antichrist both do and shall flourish and show themselves more by strange signs and miracles, than did the disciples of Christ, according to the saying of our Saviour Jesus Christ; "There shall rise up amongst you false prophets, which shall work strange miracles." ”

“ And the God of peace, who hath raised from the dead the shepherd of the sheep, the mighty Lord Jesus Christ, make you apt in all goodness, to do his will, working in you that which may be pleasant in his sight. ”

“ Bernard saith, 'Like as in the unity and concord of the faithful, there is the habitation and dwelling of the Lord; so likewise in the schism and dissipation of the Christians, there is made the habitation and dwelling of the devil.' Is not schism and division the original of all subversion, the den of heresies, and the nourisher of all offences? for the knot of unity and peace being once troubled and broken, there is free passage made for all strife and debate. They cannot abide the laity to rule in any case.⁠Covetousness is uttered in others for lucre's sake ”

“ Wherefore, most reverend fathers! you shall understand that the king of Bohemia did never favour with his heart these men, whose unshamefastness is such, that they feared not even of late to treat me evil, being so much in the king's favour and credit." After him stepped forth Paletz, saying, Paletz speaketh against John Huss."Verily most reverend fathers, not only the learned men of other nations, but also of Bohemia itself, are, through the counsel of John Huss and his adherents, banished out of Bohemia, of which number some remain yet in exile in Moravia." ”

“ What other thing do we see in this brittle life, than sorrow, heaviness, and sadness, and, that which is most grievous of all to the faithful, too much abusing and contempt of the law of the Lord ? Let us therefore endeavour ourselves, as much as we may, to lay hold of the things that are eternal and abiding, despising in our minds all transitory and frail things. ”

“ And behold, I demand of the scribes, if the pope be a reprobate, and the stock of vipers, how is he the head of the holy church of God, that the Scribes and Pharisees, who were in the council-house of Prague, may make answer hereunto? For it is more possible that a reprobate man should speak good things, forasmuch as he may be in state of grace according to present justice, than to be the head of the holy church of God. ”

“ For, because of that place, the devil is angry, and against the same place he hath stirred up priests and canons, perceiving that in that place his kingdom should be disturbed and diminished. I trust in God that he will keep that holy church so long as it shall please him, and in the same shall give greater increase of his word by others, than he hath done by me, a weak vessel. I beseech you also, that ye will love one another, and withholding no man from the hearing of God's word, ye will provide and take care that good men be not oppressed by any force and violence. ”

“ The corruption of the church of Rome detected.A thousand ways are invented and devised, how the see of Rome may, by subtlety and craft, extort and get gold and treasure from us, even as it were of the Turks or barbarians; whereby our nation, which was sometime famous and valiant, which by their power and blood conquered the Roman empire, and was once the lady and queen of all the world, now, being brought unto poverty, is made a hand-maid, and become tributary ”

“ Before you my lord of Canterbury, and all you my lords here being present, and before you all here gathered at this time, I Thomas Granter, priest unworthy, dwelling in this city of London, feeling and understanding that afore this time I affirmed open errors and heresies, saying, believing, and affirming, within this city, that he that christian men call pope, is not very pope, nor God's vicary on earth, but I said he was Antichrist. ”

“ The last judgment is near at hand: death shall swallow up many, but to the elect children of God the kingdom of God draweth near, because for them he gave his own body. Fear not death; love together one another; persevere in understanding the good will of God without ceasing. ”