The substance of John Wickliff's answer to the King, touching the right and title of the King and Pope. The substance of the Decree of the Council of Constance for the taking of the remains of John Wickliff. Copy of a Public Testimony of the whole University of Prague to John Huss, delivered up to the Council.
Another supplication from the nobles of Bohemia to John Huss John Huss's protest and the Council's response. Six articles taken from the treatise of Johannes Huss, written against Stanislaus de Znoyma. The sermon of the Bishop of Lodi, before the sentence was pronounced on Johannes Huss.
Condemnation or Judgment of the Council of Constance against John Hus Letter of the Emperor Sigismund to the Nobles of Bohemia. Epistle of Aeneas Silvius to the Rector of the University of Cologne in Defense of the Council.
ACTS AND MONUMENTS
RICHARD THE SECOND
The whole human race concurring, without Christ, have not power simply [or, absolutely] to ordain that Peter and all his meiny 15 should
God cannot give civil dominion to any man for himself and his heirs for ever [in perpetuum]
Many charters of human invention, concerning perpetual civil inheritance for ever, are impossible
We know that it is not possible that the vicar of Christ, merely by his bulls, or by them together with his own will and consent, and that
It is not possible that a man should be excommunicated to his damage, unless he be excommunicated first and principally by himself
Nobody ought to excommunicate, suspend, or interdict any one, or proceed to punish according to any ecclesiastical censure, except in the
Cursing or excommunication doth not bind, except in so far as it is used against art adversary of the law of Christ
There is no power exemplified [or, granted] by Christ to his disciples, 20 of excommunicating a subject chiefly for denying any
The disciples of Christ have no power coactively [or, by civil coaction] to exact 21 temporalties by censure
It is not possible by the absolute power of God, that if the pope or any other christian pretend that he bindeth or looseth at any rate, he
We must believe that then only the Vicar of Christ binds or looses when he simply obeys the law of Christ.
We ought to believe, that then only the vicar of Christ doth bind or loose, when he simply obeyeth the law of Christ
This ought to be universally believed, that every priest rightly ordained according to the law of grace hath a power, according to
If the pope, or temporal lords, or any other, shall have endowed the church with temporalties, it is lawful for them to take them away
At which words they were all so astonished, and their combs so cut off, that, as the story mentions, they became as dumb and speechless as men who had no words in their mouths to answer. 26 And so, on the part of. Moreover, it must not be passed here, how at the same time, and in the said chapel of the archbishop at Lambeth, where the bishops were sitting on John Wickliff, the historian, writing of its performance, adds these words, saying : 27 I say, not only the citizens of London, but also the vile men of the city, were supposed to be so bold in the same church at Lambeth, where the bishops were sitting over John Wickliff, that they both prayed for him. , and also to allow and forbid the same matter; believing, as I think, in the neglect they saw before, in the bishops, &c. Besides, it must not here be forgotten how the said John Wickliff, at the same time of his examination, offered and exhibited to the bishops, in writing, a remonstrance, with a declaration or exposition of his mind upon his articles of mentioned, the effect of which follows here. 28.
THE PROTESTING OF JOHN WICKLIFF.16 First of all, I publicly protest, as I have often done before, that with all my heart, by the grace of God, I intend and will to be a full Christian, and while the breath shall last . abide in me to confess and defend the law of Christ, as far as I am able. And if I fail therein through ignorance or any other cause, I ask forgiveness of my God, and now, as before, revoke and revoke it, humbly submitting myself to the correction of the Holy Mother Church. And inasmuch as an opinion of the faith which I have taught in the schools and elsewhere has been reported by children, and moreover has been conveyed by these children across the sea, even to the court of Rome; Therefore, to prevent Christians from becoming offensive because of me, I want to write my letter.
The whole human race agreeing, without Christ, has not the power to simply [or, absolutely] determine, that Peter," etc.
The whole human race concurring, without Christ, have not power simply [or, absolutely] to ordain, that Peter,” etc
God cannot give civil dominion to any man for himself and his heirs For ever [in perpetuum].”
By civil rule I mean the same thing that I meant above by political rule, and by perpetual [or, forever] the same thing that I did before, as Scripture understands "permanent dwellings." Therefore I have said, first, that God of his ordinary power cannot give man civil rule forever. I have said, secondly, that it seems probable that God in his absolute power cannot give man such dominion forever, because he cannot, as it seems, always imprison his wife on the way, nor permanently postpone its final conclusion. blessing
Many charters of human invention, concerning perpetual civil inheritance, are impossible.”
A man can give dominion to his natural or adopted son, whether that dominion be temporal or eternal, only ministerially.”
But in their own country the saints will give their brothers the dominion of good; as is evident from their manner of acting in the body, or their disposition of good things which are inferior by nature; according to that of Luke 6." Good measure pressed and shaken together and overflowing, will give people into your bosom.”.
If God is, temporal lords can lawfully and meritoriously take away the goods of fortune from a delinquent church.”
We know that it is not possible, that the vicar of Christ, merely by his bulls, or by them together with his own will and consent, and
It is not possible for a man to be excommunicated to his detriment, unless he be excommunicated first and foremost by excommunication.
It is not possible, that a man should be excommunicated to his damage, unless he be excommunicated first and principally by
No body ought to excommunicate, suspend, or interdict any one, or to proceed to punish according to any ecclesiastical censure, except
Cursing or excommunication doth not bind, except so far as it is used against an adversary of the law of Christ.”
There is no power exemplified [or, granted] by Christ to his disciples, of excommunicating a subject [chiefly] for denying ‘any
The disciples of Christ have no power to exact temporalties coactively by censures.”
It is not possible by the absolute power of God, that if the pope or any other Christian pretend that he bindeth or looseth at any
It ought to be universally believed, that every priest who is rightly ordained according to the law of grace, has a power according to.
This ought to be universally believed, that every priest rightly ordained according to the law of graces hath a power, according to
It is lawful for kings, in cases limited by law, to take away the temporalties from churchmen who habitually abuse them.”
- That the substance of material bread and wine doth remain in the sacrament of the altar after consecration
- That the accidents do not remain without the subject in the same sacrament, after consecration
- That Christ is not in the sacrament of the altar identically, truly, and really, in his proper corporal person
- That if a man be duly contrite, all exterior confession is to him superfluous and invalid
- That it hath no foundation in the gospel, that Christ did ordain the mass
- That if the pope be a reprobate and an evil man, and consequently a member of the devil, he hath no power over the faithful of Christ given
- That after Urban VI. none other is to be received for pope, but that Christendom ought to live after the manner of the Greeks under its
- That it is against the sacred Scripture, that ecclesiastical persons should have any temporal possessions. 47
- That no prelate ought to excommunicate any man except he first know him to be excommunicate of God
- That he who doth so excommunicate, is thereby himself either a heretic or excommunicated
- That they who leave off to preach or hear the word of God or the gospel preached, for fear of such excommunication, are already
- That it is lawful for any deacon or presbyter to preach the word of God, without the authority or license of the apostolic see or any other
- Also, that temporal lords may at will take away their temporal goods from churches habitually delinquent. 50
- Also, that special prayers, applied to any one person by prelates or religious men, do no more profit the same person, than general
- That whosoever doth give any almose unto friars, or to any friar that preacheth, is excommunicate; as also is he that taketh
- Moreover, in that any man doth enter into any private religion whatsoever, he is thereby made more unapt and unable to observe the
- That holy men, who have instituted any private religions
- That religious men living in private religions are not of the christian religion
- That friars are bound to get their living by the labor of their hands, and not by begging
- To say “that it is against the holy Scripture for ecclesiastical persons to have temporal possessions.”—If obstinacy be joined
- To affirm “that it is lawful for any deacon or priest to preach the word of God without the authority of the see apostolic, or catholic
- To affirm “that there is no civil lord, no bishop, nor prelate, while he is in mortal sin.”—We grant it is an error
- Also, All such as from their proper goods and substance shall give sufficient stipend to able soldiers, at the discretion of the aforesaid lord
- All such as engage to pray for others on condition of their providing for them in temporals, are guilty of simony
- The prayer of a reprobate availeth no man
- The confirmation of young persons, ordination of clerics, and the consecration of places, be reserved to the pope and bishops for the
- Universities, schools [studia], and colleges, and the degrees and masterships used in the same, were introduced from a vain affectation
- The excommunication of the pope or any other prelate is not to be feared, because it is the censure of Antichrist
- Such as found monasteries do sin, and all such as enter the same be members of the devil
- To endow the clergy is against the rule of Christ
- Sylvester, the pope, and Constantine, the emperor, erred in endowing the church
- Any deacon or presbyter may lawfully preach the word of God without the authority of the apostolic see or that of a bishop. 88
- The pope with all his clerics, having those great possessions which they have, be heretics for so having, as also are all secular lords and
- The church of Rome is the synagogue of Satan; nor is the pope the immediate and proximate vicar of Christ and of the apostles
- The decretal epistles be apocryphal, and tend to seduce from the faith of Christ; and the clerics that study them be fools
- The emperor and secular lords were seduced by the devil, that they endowed the church with temporal goods
- It is not necessary to salvation to believe the church of Rome to be supreme head over other churches
- It is infatuation to believe in the indulgences of the pope
- Oaths which be made for any contract or civil bargain betwixt man and man, be unlawful
- Augustine, Benedict, Bernard, with all such as have held endowments, and such as have instituted or entered into [private]
- That all in the order of mendicants be heretics, and all who give them alms be excommunicate. 90
- The substance of the bread remaineth after the consecration thereof upon the altar, and ceaseth not to be bread
- As John was figuratively Elias, and not personally, so the bread is figuratively the body of Christ, and not naturally the body of Christ
- The sacrament of the Eucharist is naturally true bread, speaking as before of material ]bread, white and round: and so hath the court of
- They who do affirm that the infants of the faithful, departing
- The administration of the sacrament of confirmation is not reserved to the bishops
- Such as marry in old age either for covetousness of temporal lucre, or in hope of mutual succor, or in order to excuse their lust, although
- Causes of divorce on account of consanguinity or affinity be unwarrantable human ordinances
- These twelve are the proctors of Antichrist, the pope, the
- There is not a greater heretic or Antichrist than the clerk who teacheth that it is lawful for the priests and Levites of the law of grace
- Not only can the lords temporal take away the goods of fortune from a church habitually delinquent, that is, not only is it lawful for
- He that is the more humble and more devoted in the love of Christ, and more loving toward the church, is the greater in the church militant,
- If corporal unction [‘or anoyling] were a sacrament (as is now feigned), Christ and his apostles would not have passed in silence the
- Unto true secular dominion is requisite the virtuous life [justiris] of him that claimeth the dominion, so that no man who is in mortal sin is
- All things that are to happen will so happen absolutely and of necessity
- Whatsoever the pope or his cardinals can deduce, clearly out of holy Scripture, that only is to be believed or to be done at their
THE MANDATE OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY34 DIRECTED TO THE BISHOP OF LONDON, AGAINST JOHN. That the substance of the substantial bread and wine after consecration remain in the sacrament of the altar.” MANDATE OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF OXFORD TO THE CHANCERY OF THE SAID NICHOLAS AND PHILIP.
Wickliff,90 touching the Preaching and Hearing of the Word of God, made in the year of our Lord 1412.
THE STORY OF WILLIAM SWINDERBY. 111 11
- Also the conclusions, which by the same William were first openly taught and preached, and afterwards abjured and revoked, as is
- conclusion is this, that friers and priestes falsly putten vppon me: That a priest taking anie thing for annuell, through
- concluson is this, that friers and priestes putten vnto me falsly,saying that I beleeue sadly as my sell sayes: That yche
- conclusion is this, that friers and priestes falsly putten vppon, me: That no priestes entres into anie house but euill for to
That every priest absolves any sinner who repents; and is obliged, notwithstanding the inhibition of the bishop, to preach the Gospel to the people. That any priest who is in mortal sin, if he gives himself to consecrate the body of the Lord, commits idolatry rather than consecrates. Nor will I preach any sermon in the diocese of Lincoln, but to first ask and obtain the license of the aforesaid reverend father and lord, the bishop of Lincoln.
Also the conclusions, which by the same William were first openly taught and preached, and then rejected and recalled, as they are taught and preached, and then mitigated and recalled, as they are. aforesaid, are contained before in the process of the bishop of Lincoln, even as they are there written word for word. And as for us, we will not fail to proceed against such as do the contrary, according to the holy canons and precepts of the holy fathers. The same William said and affirmed in many places, in the presence of many faithful Christian people, that after the words of communion which the priest has pronounced for the purpose of consecration, the body of Christ itself is not made in the sacrament of the altar.
Point, That accidents cannot be in the altar sacrament without a subject; and that the material bread remains there for those who partake, "in sympathy"15 with the body of Christ in the same sacrament. A point which is in mortal sin cannot by the power of sacramental words make the body of Christ, or bring to perfection any other sacrament of the church, nor minister it to the members of the church. Point, it is not in the Pope's power to grant to any person who repents remission of punishment or guilt.
Item, the same William hath also presumed to do such things in a certain profane chapel, situate in the park of Newton, near the town of Leintwarden, of your same diocese. On Friday, which is the last of the month of June, in the year above, 16 around six o'clock, in the parish church in question. And he, willing to fulfill the term appointed to him, as above specified, has read verbatim before the whole crowd of faithful Christian people, many answers made and placed by the same William on a hook of paper of folded sheet. in four parts of the aforesaid articles, and the same answers he has sufficiently presented to us, requiring them to be in accordance with the law of Christ.
As to the purport of the same answers, shown to them by the same William, as before specified, we have attached them below word for word, and in the same ancient language then used when it was exhibited. With his replies to the articles of the promoters brought against him, to the Bishop of Hereford, extracted from the registers in the same old English in which he wrote it. And if I should suppose by doing or affirming the contrary, I should be plump in view of the severity of the law,17 as I have sworn under the law.