ye not condemn, and ye shall not be condemned:" therefore, to avoid this great danger, the university of Prague, and the whole commonalty thereof, the rector, masters, doctors, bachelors, and students, in their general assembly, not agreeing a to the condemnation pronounced by the doctors in their council-house, require of the said doctors a reasonable proof of their condemnation, and that theyThe whole university of Prague is against the judgment of the doctors who cendemned the forty-five articles. should by Scripture, authority, or infallible reason, prove the falsehood of every those five and forty articles; the which being once done, the said university will agree to the said condemnation as just. For the university doth well know, that, as Augustine saith, at the end of his second book of Christian Doctrine, "Whatsoever a man doth learn besides the holy Scriptures, if it be hurtful, there it is condemned; if it be profitable, there it is found. 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." Whereby it appeareth that if every of the five and forty articles containeth in it wholly the thing that is false and untrue, the same is either plainly or darkly condemned in the holy Scriptures.
Secondly, it followeth by the sentence and mind of this holy man, that if the condemnation of the five and forty articles be profitable, the same is found in the holy Scriptures. And whereas again St. Augustine writeth unto St. Jerome, in his eighth epistle, and the ninth distinction, "I," saith he, "have learned to attribute this honour and reverence unto those writers only who are called canonical, that I dare affirm none of them to have erred in their works or writings. As for all other writers, I do so read them, that although they abound with never so much holiness, or excel in doctrine, I do not by and by think it true because they themselves do so judge; but if they can, by other canonical authors or probable reasons, persuade or prove that they do not digress from the truth."
Also the said Augustine, in his book 'De Unico Baptismo,' lib. ii., saith thus: "Who doth not know or understand the holy canonical Scripture to be contained in his own bonds and limits, and the same to be preferred before all other letters and decrees of bishops," &c. And, a little after, he hath the like saying, as for the letters of other bishops which have been written, or be written (after the canon, being confirmed), they may lawfully be reprehended and reproved, both by the word of them that be more skilful in that matter, and also by the ancient authority of other bishops, or by the prudence and wisdom of such as be better learned, or more expert, or else by general councils, if it so chance that they in any point have erred and gone astray from the sincere truth.
By these sayings of St. Augustine and others, &c., the university of Prague hath concluded and determined, that they will not receive the condemnation of the five and forty articles, made by the doctors in their council-house, as just and true, unless they who condemned them will prove their condemnation by the holy Scriptures and probable reasons upon every of the five and forty articles.
Wherefore, for the due examination of the aforesaid condemnation, whether it be effectual or no, we will at this present take in hand the fourteenth article of the number of the five and forty; which article is this:—
"They who leave off preaching and hearing of the word of God, for fear of excommunication of men, are already excommunicate, and in the day of judgment shall be counted the betrayers of Christ."
This article containeth: First, that all priests, omitting the preaching of the word of God for fear of excommunication of men, are already excommunicated.
Secondly, It containeth that all such as do omit the hearing of the word of God, for fear of excommunication, are already excommunicated.
Thirdly, That both these sorts of men in the day of judgment, shall be counted traitors to Christ.
