The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe/Volume 3/The Sentence or Judgment of the Council of Constance against John Huss

by John Foxe

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The Sentence or Judgment of the Council of Constance against John Huss.

 

The most holy and sacred general council of Constance, being congregated and gathered together, representing the catholic church, for a perpetual memory of the thing, as the Verity and Truth did witness, 'An evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit;' hereupon it cometh, that the man of most damnable memory John Wickliff, through his pestiferous doctrine, not through Jesus Christ by the gospel, as the holy fathers in times past have begotten faithful children; but, contrary unto the wholesome faith of Jesus Christ, as a most venomous root, hath begotten many pestilent and wicked children, whom he hath left behind him, successors and followers of his perverse and wicked doctrine: against whom this sacred synod of Constance is forced to rise up, as against bastards and unlawful children, and, with diligent care, with the sharp knife of the ecclesiastical authority, to cut up their errors out of the Lord's field, as most hurtful brambles and briers, lest they should grow to the hurt and detriment of others.

Forasmuch then as in the holy general council, lately celebrated and holden at Rome, it was decreed. That the doctrine of John Wickliff, of most damnable memory, should be condemned, and that his books which contained the same doctrine, should be burned as heretical, and this decree was approved and confirmed by the sacred authority of the whole council: nevertheless, one John Huss, here personally present in this sacred council, not the disciple of Christ, but of John Wickliff, an arch-heretic (after, and contrary to or against, the condemnation and decree), hath taught, preached, and affirmed the articles of Wickliff, which were condemned by the church of God, and in times past by certain most reverend fathers in Christ, lords, archbishops, and bishops, of divers kingdoms and realms, masters of divinity of divers universities; especially resisting in his open sermons, and also with his adherents and accomplices in the schools, the condemnation of the said articles of Wickliff, oftentimes published in the said university of Prague, and hath declared him, the said Wickliff, for the favour and commendation of his doctrine, before the whole multitude of the clergy and people, to be a catholic man, and a true evangelical doctor. He hath also published and affirmed certain and many of his articles, worthily condemned, to be catholic, which are notoriously contained in the books of the said John Huss.

Wherefore, after diligent deliberation and full information first had upon the premises by the reverend fathers and lords in Christ of the holy church of Rome, cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, and other prelates, doctors of divinity and of both laws, in great number assembled and gathered together,^[1] this most sacred and holy council of Constance, declareth and determineth the articles abovesaid (which after due conference had, are found in his books written with his own hand, which also the said John Huss in open audience, before this holy council, hath confessed to be in his books) not to be catholic, neither worthy to be taught; but that many of them are erroneous, some of them wicked, others offensive to godly ears, many of them temerarious and seditious, and the greater part of them notoriously heretical, and even now, of late, by the holy fathers and general councils reproved and condemned. And forasmuch as the said articles are expressly contained in the books of the said John Huss, therefore this said sacred^[2] council doth condemn and reprove all those books which he wrote, in what form or phrase soever they be, or whether they be translated by others; and doth determine and decree, that they all shall be solemnly and openly burned in the presence of the clergy and people of the city of Constance, and elsewhere; adding moreover for the premises. That all his doctrine is worthy to be despised and eschewed of all faithful Christians. And, to the intent this most pernicious and wicked doctrine may be utterly excluded and shut out of the church, this sacred synod doth straitly command, that diligent inquisition be made by the ordinaries of the places, by the ecclesiastical censure, for such treatises and works ; and that such as are found, be consumed and burned with fire. And if there be any foimd, who shall contemn or despise this sentence or decree, this sacred synod ordaineth and decreeth, that the ordinaries of the places, and the inquisitors of heresies, shall proceed against every such person as suspected of heresy.

Wherefore, after due inquisition made against the said John Huss, and full information had by the commissaries and doctors of both laws, and also by the sayings of the witnesses who were worthy of credit, and many other things 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,^[3] 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. The appeal to Christ, is derogatory to the pope's holiness!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.

Verity condemned for heresy.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^[4] deposed and degraded from his priestly orders and dignity, &c.

 

John Huss cleareth himself of obstinacy.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, They condemn the books written in the Bohemian tongue, which they never read.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.

Huss prayeth for his enemies.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.

Commanded to put on the priest's garments.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^[5] which Herod put on Jesus Christ to mock him withal. So, likewise, in all other things he did comfort himself by the example of Christ. When he had now put on all his priestly vestures, the bishops exhorted him that he should yet alter and change his mind and purpose, and provide for his honour and safeguard. Then he (according as the manner of the ceremony is), going up to the top of the scaffold, being full of tears, spake unto the people in this sort.

 

His oration unto the people.'These lords and bishops do exhort and counsel me, that I should here confess before you all that I have erred; which thing to do, if it were such as might be done with the infamy and reproach of man only, they might peradventure easily persuade me thereunto; but now truly I am in the sight of the Lord my God, without whose great ignominy and grudge of mine own conscience, I can by no means do that which they require of me. For I do well know, that I never taught any of those things which they have falsely alleged against me; but I have always preached, taught, written, and thought contrary thereunto. With what countenance then should I behold the heavens? With what face should I look upon them whom I have taught, whereof there is a great number, if, through me, it should come to pass that those things, which they have hitherto known to be most certain and sure, should now be made uncertain? Should I, by this my example, astonish or trouble so many souls, so many consciences, indued with the most firm and certain knowledge of the Scriptures and gospel of our Lord Jesu Christ and his most pure doctrine, armed against all the assaults of Satan? I will never do it, neither commit any such kind of offence, that I should seem more to esteem this vile carcase appointed unto death, than their health and salvation.'

 

At this most godly word he was forced again to hear, by the consent of the bishops, that he did obstinately and maliciously persevere in his pernicious and wicked errors.

Then he was commanded to come down to the execution of his judgment, and in his coming down, one of the seven bishops before rehearsed, first took away the chalice from him which he held in his hand, saying; "O cursed Judas! why hast thou forsaken the council and ways of peace, and hast counselled with the Jews? We take away from thee this chalice of thy salvation." But John Huss received this curse in this manner: "But I trust unto God, the Father omnipotent, and my Lord Jesus Christ, for whose sake I do suffer these things, that he will not take away the chalice of his redemption, but have a steadfast and firm hope that this day I shall drink thereof in his kingdom." The degrading of John Huss.Then followed the other bishops in order, who every one of them took away the vestments from him which they had put on, each one of them giving him their curse. Whereunto John Huss answered: That he did willingly embrace and hear those blasphemies for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. At last they came to the rasing of his shaven crown; but before the bishops would go in hand with it, there was a great contention between them, with what instrument it should be done; with a razor, or with a pair of shears.

His words unto the emperor.

The crown of Huss cut with shears.In the mean season, John Huss, turning himself toward the emperor, said: "I marvel that forasmuch as they be all of like cruel mind and stomach, yet they cannot agree upon their kind of cruelty." Notwithstanding, at last they agreed to cut off the skin of the crown of his head with a pair of shears. And when they had done that, they added these words: "Now hath the church taken away all her ornaments and privileges from him. Now there resteth nothing else, but that he be delivered over unto the secular power." But before they did that, there yet remained another knack of reproach; for they caused to be made a certain crown of paper, almost a cubit deep, on which were painted three devils of wonderfully ugly shape, and this title set over their heads, 'Heresiarcha.' Which when he saw, he said: "My Lord Jesus Christ, for my sake, did wear a crown of thorns; why should not I then, for his sake, again wear this light crown, be it ever so ignominious? The marvellous constancy and courage of the blessed martyrs. The paper with the inscription set upon the head of Huss.Truly I will do it, and that willingly." When it was set upon his head, the bishop said: "Now we commit thy soul unto the devil." "But I," said John Huss, lifting his eyes up towards the heavens, do commit my spirit into thy hands, O Lord Jesus Christ! unto thee I commend my spirit which thou hast redeemed." These contumelious opprobries thus ended, the bishops, turning themselves towards the emperor, said: " his most sacred synod of Constance leaveth now John Huss, who hath no more any office, or to do in the church of God, unto the civil judgment and power." Then the emperor commanded Louis, duke of Bavaria, who stood before him in his robes, holding the golden apple with the cross in his hand, that he should receive John Huss of the bishops, and deliver him unto them who should do the execution; The protestation of John Huss, as he was led to the place of execution.by whom as he was led to the place of execution, before the church doors he saw his books burning, whereas he smiled and laughed. And all men that passed by he exhorted, not to think that he should die for any error or heresy, but only for the hatred and ill will of his adversaries, who had charged him with most false and unjust crimes. All the whole city in a manner being in armour, followed him.

The place appointed for the execution was before the gate Gottlieben, between the gardens and gates of the suburbs. When John Huss was come thither, kneeling down upon his knees, and lifting his eyes up unto heaven, he prayed, and said certain Psalms, and especially the thirty-first and fiftieth Psalms. The prayers of John Huss well liked of the people.And they who stood hard by, heard him oftentimes in his prayer, with a merry and cheerful countenance, repeat this verse: "Into thy hands, O Lord! I commend my spirit," &c.; which thing when the lay-people beheld who stood next unto him, they said: "What he hath done before, we know not; but now we see and hear that he doth speak and pray very devoutly and godly." Others wished that he had a confessor. There was a certain priest by, sitting on horseback, in a green gown, drawn about with red silk, who said: "He ought not to be heard, because he is a heretic:" yet, notwithstanding, while he was in prison, he was both confessed, and also absolved by a certain doctor, a monk, as Huss himself doth witness in a certain epistle which he wrote unto his friends out of prison.^[6] Thus Christ reigneth unknown unto the world, even in the midst of his enemies. At the prayer of John Huss the paper with the devils fell down.In the mean time while John Huss prayed, as he bowed his neck backwards to look upward unto heaven, the crown of paper fell off from his head upon the ground. Then one of the soldiers, taking it up again, said: "Let us put it again upon his head, that he may be burned with his masters the devils, whom he hath served."

When, by the commandment of the tormentors, he was risen up from the place of his prayer, with a loud voice he said: "Lord Jesu Christ! assist and help me, that with a constant and patient mind, by thy most gracious help, I may bear and suffer this cruel and ignominious death, wherunto I am condemned for the preaching of thy most holy gospel and word." Then, as before, he declared the cause of his death unto the people. In the mean season the hangman stripped him of his garments, and turning his hands behind his back, tied him fast unto the stake with ropes that were made wet.John Huss fastened to the stake.
John Huss turned towards the west. And whereas, by chance, he was turned towards the east, certain cried put that he should not look towards the east, for he was a heretic: so he was turned towards the west. Then was his neck tied with a chain unto the stake, which chain when he beheld, smiling he said, that he would willingly receive the same chain for Jesus Christ's sake, who, he knew, was bound with a far worse chain. Under his feet they set two faggots, admixing straw withal, and so likewise, from the feet up to the chin, he was enclosed in round about with wood. Pardon offered again to John Huss.But before the wood was set on fire, Louis, duke of Bavaria, and another gentleman with him, who was the son of Clement, came and exhorted John Huss, that he would yet be mindful of his safeguard, and renounce his errors. To whom he said: "What error should I renounce, when I know myself guilty of none? For as for those things which are falsely alleged against me, I know that I never did so much as once think them, much less preach them. The last confession of John Huss.For this was the principal end and purpose of my doctrine, that I might teach all men penance and remission of sins, according to the verity of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the exposition of the holy doctors: wherefore, with a cheerful mind and courage, I am here ready to suffer death." When he had spoken these words, they left him, and shaking hands together, departed.

The martyrdom of blessed John Huss.Then was the fire kindled, and John Huss began to sing with a loud voice: "Jesu Christ! the Son of the living God! have mercy upon me." And when he began to say the same the third time, the wind drove the flame so upon his face, that it choked him. Yet notwithstanding he moved awhile after, by the space that a man might almost say three times the Lord's Prayer. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
The heart of Huss beaten with staves, and consumed with fire. His ashes cast into the Rhine.When all the wood was burned and consumed, the upper part of the body was left hanging in the chain, which they threw down stake and all, and making a new fire, burned it, the head being first cut in small gobbets, that it might the sooner be consumed unto ashes. The heart, which was found amongst the bowels, being well beaten with staves and clubs, was at last pricked upon a sharp stick, and roasted at a fire apart until it was consumed. Then, with great diligence gathering the ashes together, they cast them into the river Rhine, that the Ieast remnant of the ashes of that man should not be left upon the earth, whose memory, notwithstanding, cannot be abolished out of the minds of the godly, neither by fire, neither by water, neither by any kind of torment.

I know very well that these things are very slenderly written by me^[7] as touching the labours of this most holy martyr John Huss, with whom the labours of Hercules are not to be compared. For that ancient Hercules slew a few monsters; but this our Hercules, with a most stout and valiant courage, hath subdued even the world itself, the mother of all monsters and cruel beasts. This story were worthy some other kind of more curious handling; but, forasmuch as I cannot otherwise perform it myself, I have endeavoured according to the very truth, as the thing was indeed, to commend the same unto all godly minds; neither have I heard it reported by others, but I myself was present at the doing of all these things; and as I was able, I have put them in writing, that by this my labour and endeavour, howsoever it were, I might preserve the memory of this holy man and excellent doctor of the evangelical truth.

 

What was the name of the author who wrote this story, it is not here expressed. Cochleus, in his second book 'contra Hussitas,' supposeth his name to be Johannes Pizibram, a Bohemian, who, afterwards succeeding in the place of John Huss at Prague, at last is thought to have relented to the papists.

This godly servant and maytyr of Christ was condemned by the cruel council, and burned at Constance, a.d. 1415, about the month of July.

How grievously this death of John Huss was taken among the nobles of Bohemia and Moravia, hereafter, Christ willing, shall appear by their letters which they sent unto the council; and by the letters of Sigismund, king of Romans, written unto them, wherein he laboureth all that he can, to purge and excuse himself of the death of John Huss.^[8] Albeit he is not altogether free from that cruel fact, and innocent from that blood, yet, notwithstanding, he pretendeth in words so to wipe away that blot from him, that the greatest part of that crime seemeth to rest upon the bloody prelates of that council; as the words of the king do purport in form as followeth.^[9]

 

1. They shall bring you before iheir councils, they shall persecute you, and cast you in prison, and bring you before kings and presidents for my name, etc. Luke xii.
2. The said concilium malignantium.
3. Many shall come in my name, and shall deceive many. Mark xiii.
4. "Famously," publicly.—Ed.
5. "Scarlet robe." Matt. xxviii. 28.—Ed.
6. Ex Epist. Joan. Huss. 31.
7. Probably Johannes Pizibram, a Bohemian, as Foxe afterwards suggests.—Ed.
8. Ex Cochleo de Hist. Huss. lib. 4.
9. Interea (inquit) nobis adhuc in partibus Rheni existentibus, pervenit ad Constantiam, &c.