In his seventeenth Homily, and St. Bernard, upon the Canonicals. The third part of this article is also proved by experience; for who defendeth the wickedness of any schism but only the clergy, alleging Scriptures, and bringing reasons there-for? Who excuseth simony, but only the clergy? likewise covetousness (in heaping together many benefices), luxuriousness, and fornication? For how many of the clergy are there now-a-days who do say, it is no deadly sin; alleging (albeit disorderly) the saying of Genesis, 'Increase and multiply?' Hereby also is the fourth part of the article easily verified. For the way of Antichrist is wickedness and sin, of which the apostle speaketh to the Thessalonians; Gregory in his Register, Pastoral, and Morals: also St. Bernard, upon the Canonicals, plainly saith; 'Wicked and evil priests prepare the way for Antichrist.'
Fifteenth article.
The dishonesty of such as gathered charges against Huss.The fifteenth article: 'John Huss doth openly teach and affirm, that these conclusions aforesaid are true.' The answer is manifest by that which I have before written. For some of these propositions I did write and publish; others mine enemy did feign; now adding, then diminishing and taking away; now falsely ascribing and imputing the whole proposition unto me: which thing the commissioners themselves did confess before me; whom I desired, for the false invention and feigning of those articles, that they would punish those whom they themselves knew and confessed to be mine enemies.
Sixteenth article.The sixteenth article. Hereby also it appeareth, that it is not true which they have affirmed in the article following; that is to say, that all the aforesaid conclusions be false, erroneous, seditious, and such as do weaken and make feeble the power and strength of the church, invented contrary to the holy Scriptures and the church. But if there be any such, I am ready most humbly to revoke and recant the same.
Seventeenth article.The seventeenth article. There was also an objection made against me as touching the treatises which I wrote against Paletz and Stanislaus de Znoyma; which I desired, for God's sake, they might be openly read in the audience of the whole council; and said that I, notwithstanding my former protestation, would willingly submit myself to the judgment of the whole council.
Eighteenth article.The eighteenth article. There was also another article objected against me in this form: 'Item, John Huss said and preached, that he should go to Constance, and if so be that for any manner of cause he should be forced to recant what he had before taught, yet, notwithstanding, he never purposed to do it with his mind; forasmuch as whatsoever he had before taught, was pure and true, and the sound doctrine of Christ.' Answer: This article is full of lies, to the inventor whereof I suppose the Lord saith thus; 'All the day long thou hast imagined mischief and wickedness, and with thy tongue, as with a sharp razor, thou hast wrought deceit: thou hast delighted and loved rather to talk of wickedness and mischief, than of equity and justice.' Verily I do grant, that I left behind me a certain epistle to be read to the people, which did contain, that all such as did weigh and consider my careful labours and travails, should pray for me, and steadfastly preserve and continue in the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing for a certainty, that I never taught them any such errors, as mine enemies do impute or ascribe unto me; and if it should happen that I were overcome by false witness, they should not be vexed or troubled in their minds, but steadfastly continue in the truth.
Nineteenth article.The nineteenth article. Last it was objected against me, that after I was come into Constance, I did write unto the kingdom of Bohemia, that the pope and the emperor received me honorably, and sent unto me two bishops to make agreement between me and them; and that this seemeth to be written by me to this end and purpose, that they should confirm and establish me and my hearers in the errors which I had preached and taught in Bohemia. This article is falsely alleged, even from the beginning; for how manifestly false should I have written, that the pope and the emperor did honour me, when I had otherwise written before, that as yet we knew not where the emperor was? And before the emperor himself came to Constance, I was, by the space of three weeks, in prison. And to write that I was honoured by my imprisonment, the people of the kingdom of Bohemia would repute the honour as no great renown and glory unto me. Howbeit, mine enemies may in derision say unto me, that according to their wills and pleasures I am exalted and honoured. Wherefore this article is wholly, throughout, false and untrue.
