God to my witness, that I speak nothing but with my heart and mind."
The cardinal of Cambray appointeth John Huss certain conditions whereby he may be delivered.Then said the cardinal of Cambray: "Forasmuch, then, as thou dost submit thyself unto the information and grace of this council, this is decreed by almost threescore doctors, whereof some of them are now departed hence, in whose room and place the Parisians have succeeded; and also it is approved by the whole council, not one man speaking the contrary thereunto: First of all, that thou shalt humbly and meekly confess thyself to have erred in these articles which are alleged and brought against thee. Moreover, that thou shalt promise by an oath, that from henceforth thou shalt not teach, hold, or maintain, any of these articles. And, last of all, that thou shalt openly recant all these articles.
Upon which sentence, when many others had spoken their minds, at length John Huss said:
'I once again do say, that I am ready to submit myself to the information of the council; but this I most humbly require and desire you all, even for His sake, who is the God of us all, that I be not compelled or forced to do the thing which my conscience doth repugn or strive against, or which I cannot do without danger of eternal damnation: that is, that I should make revocation, by oath, to all the articles which are alleged against me. For I remember, that I have read in the Book of Universalities, that to abjure, is to renounce an error which a man hath before holden. And forasmuch as many of these articles are said to be mine, which were never in my mind or thought to hold or teach, how should I then renounce them by an oath? But as touching those articles which are mine indeed, if there be any man who can teach me contrariwise unto them, I will willingly perform that which you desire.'
