P. 526.

The pope (viz. Martyn) remained at Constance upwards of five months, but although during the whole of this time it was undoubtedly a general council and of the highest authority, since Pope Martyn presided over it,* nevertheless not many of its decrees are extant.

An Extract from Eneas Sylvius' (afterwards Pope Pius 2nd) History of Bohemia, c. 36, published at Basil.

John, therefore, was first burned, and Jerome, who was kept in bondage for a long time afterwards, refusing to recant, was visited with the same punishment. Both suffered death with constancy, and hastened to the burning as if they had been invited to a feast, uttering not a word which betokened sorrow. When they began to burn, they sang a hyun, which scarcely the flame and crackling of the fire could interrupt. None of the philosophers are related to have borne death with such firmness as they did their burning.

Bzovius' Ecclesiastical Annals, John 23, Au. Dom. 1414.

Whilst these things were transacting, the sacred militia, which is commonly called a crusade, was every-where collected against the obstinate and wicked Bohemians. Pope Martyn the 5th had or

dered it.

From the same Author.-The Number of the Forces of the Crusade.

And now from all the Christian kingdoms on every side in which the crusade was proposed by Pope Martyn against the perfidious Bohemians, forces were collected, whose number is said to have amounted to 150,000 men in arms, and to have filled with their tents all the fields in the neighbourhood of Brescia, not excepting the deer park.

The new and most complete Collection of Sacred Councils, &c. which John Dominick Manse, Archbishop of Lucca, published.

Acts of the Council of Constance, An. Dom. 1414.

PREFACE FROM THE FIRST EDITION.

Looking for these and many other things, we have deemed it to be useful and profitable, that the things done at the great council of Constance, which is well known to have been assembled for the extirpation of schism, heresy, and errors, and for the reformation of the church in her head and members, should for their perpetual remembrance be collected into one book of undoubted au

It was under John 23rd that Jerome was burned. The French consider this as a general council from the beginning, and at all events the sanctity of the general councils of the Roman church, and of the church of Rome herself, is compromised by an act of such egregious perfidy.

P. 526.

Mansit pontifex (sci. Martinus) Constantia amplius quam quinque menses, quo toto tempore quanquam generale concilium sine dubio et maxima auctoritatis fuit, cum Martinus pontifex Maximus illi præesset, non tamen multa extant ipsius concilii decreta.

Enea Sylvii Historia Bohemica, c. 36. (Basiliæ.)

Prior igitur Johannes combustus est; Hieronymus diù posteà in vinculis habitus, cum resipiscere nollet, pari supplicio affectus. Pertulerunt ambo constanti animo necem, et quasi ad epulas invitati ad incendium properarunt, nullam emittentes vocem, quæ miseri animi posset facere indicium. Ubi ardere cæperunt, hymnum cecinêre, quem vix flamma et fragor ignis intercipere potuit. Nemo philosophorum tam forti animo mortem pertulisse traditur, quàm isti incendium.

Brovii Annales Ecclesiastici, Johannes 25, An. Dom. 1414.

Inter hæc, sacra militia quam vulgò vocant cruciatum, adversus tam pertinaces tamque impios Bohemos ubique gentium colligebatur. Martinus 5, pontifex illam decreverat.

Ibidem.-Numerus Copiarum Cruciata.

Tam etiam undique ex aliis omnibus Christianis regnis, in quibus a Martino Romanorum pontifice, crux contra perfidos Bohemos proposita erat, copiæ convenerant, quarum numerus ad centum et quinquaginta M. armatorum implesse dicitur, qui campos omnes Brusca subjectos, usque ad vivarium includendis cervis destinatum, tentoriis. suis compleverunt.

Sacrorum Conciliorum nova et amplissima Collectio, in qua præter ea qua Phil. Labbæus et Gabriel Cossartius, &c. quæ Johannes Dominicus Mansi, Archiepiscopus Lucensis evulgavit.

Acta Concilii Constantiensis. An. Dom. 1414.

PREFATIO EX PRIMA EDITIONE.

Hæc autem aliaque plurima attendentes, rem utilem et admodum fructuosum esse cognoscimus, magnæ Constantiensis synodi, quæ ad extirpationem schismatis, hæresum et errorum, ac reformationem ecclesiæ in capite el membris fuisse dignoscitur congregata, gesta in unum, de quo nemo ambigere habeat, ad perpetuam rei memoriam, librum redigi. Nam cum plurima ibidem ne

thority. For whereas many affairs worthy of recollection were therein transacted, who will not approve of their being handed down to posterity? Who will not think it worth while that all faithful Christians shall know in what manner, by the operations of the holy council of Constace, the Catholic church, which for nearly forty years had been divided by a dreadful schism, returned to the unity of peace, Pope Martyn the 5th of blessed memory being raised to the height of the apostolic dignity? Who would not willingly hear and desire to learn the decisions and decrees of that council published by the declaration of the authority of the universal church and of the general councils which represent her, for the extirpation of the aforesaid schism, for the clearing away of heresies and errors, and for the reformation of the church in her head and members.

From the same Collection of Councils.

A Document, presented in the month of November, in the year 1414, near the Feast of Martyn, at a Congregation of Doctors of Divinity, from Pope John 23rd.-From the Viennese Manuscript. Forasmuch as full security and plenary liberty should be given to the faithful in Christ collected at a general council, so that, according to the saying of Sallust, the mind should be free in giving council; to this end, therefore, and in order that due decorum be observed in the despatch of business, these things appear to be requisite, which are generally ordained.

First, that certain distinguished men be deputed by the council, who may be the proctors of the council and the originators of what is to be done, respecting, namely, the peace and integrity of the church, and its union, and concerning its universal reformation as well in the head as in the members, for thus it was decreed in the council of Pisa, wherein such proctors were deputed,

From the same. An. Dom. 1415.

After which exhortation, the same lord cardinal of Florence, according to the decision of the aforesaid council and synod, pronounced the following decrees.

To the honour, praise and glory of the most holy Trinity

also, that the same holy council ought not and may not be dissolved until the thorough rooting out of the present schism, and until the church be reformed in faith and morals, in the head and members.

From the same. An. Dom. 1415. Character of Pope John 23. In the name of the Holy and undivided Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Since it fully appears to us that the Lord Pope John 23d, from

+ This document is highly important, as admitting what the Romanists perseveringly deny, a corruption of faith.

gotia et digna memoratu peracta fuerint, quis non illa collaudet ad posteritatis memoriam recondi perpetuam? Quis non operæ pretium duxerit sciri ab omnibus Christi fidelibus, quomodo sancta Constansiensi synodo operante, ecclesia Catholica, quæ per quadraginta ferè aunos horrendo schismate divisa fuerat, ad perfectam unitatem pacis rediit, felicis recordationis Martino Papa 5, ad summum apostolicæ sedis apicem assumpto? Quis determinationes et decreta illius synodi per declarationem auctoritatis universalis ecclesiæ et generalium conciliorum eamdem representantium, pro extirpatione prædicti schismatis, pro eliminatione hæresum et errorum, ac pro reformatione ecclesiæ in capite et in membris edita, non libenter audire et cognoscere velit ?

Schedula presentata an. Dom. 1414, mense Nov. proximo a Festo Martini, in Congregatione Doctorum in Theologia, ex parte Papa Johannis 23. dein oblata.-Ex MS. Vindobonensi. Quia Christi fidelibus congregandis in concilio generali dari debet plena securitas, et secura libertas, ut sit animus in consulendo liber juxta verbum Sallustii: ideo ad hunc finem, et ut in rebus agendis ordo debitus observetur, illa expedire videntur, quæ ordinariè po

nuntur.

Primò, quod per concilium deputentur certi notabiles viri, qui sint procuratores concilii, et promotores rerum agendarum, videlicet super pace et integratione ecclesiæ, et unionis, et super ejus universali reformatione tam in capite quam in membris, sic enim decretum fuit in concilio Pisano, ubi etiam tales procuratores seu promotores fuerant deputati.

Anno. 1415. Ibidem.

Quâ exhortatione factâ, idem dominus cardinalis Florentinus, juxta deliberationem concilii et synodi prædictorum, pronuntiavit constitutiones quæ sequuntur, videlicit has-ad honorem, laudem et gloriam' sanctissimæ Trinitatis, &c.

Item, quod istud sacrum concilium non debet dissolvi, neque dissolvatur usque ad perfectam extirpationem præsen. tis schismatis, et quousque ecclesia sit reformata in fide et moribus, in capite et membris.

An. Dom. 1415. Ibidem.

In nomine sanctæ et individuæ Trinitatis, Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Amen.

Quia nobis legitimè constat, Dominum Joannem Papam, vicesi

the time when he was raised to the papacy until now, has badly administered, ruled and governed the popedom and the church, to the notorious scandal of himself and the church, and has afforded and does afford, by his damnable life and wicked manners, the example of a bad life to the people, and that he has notoriously disposed of the cathedral churches, the monasteries, the conventional priories, and the other ecclesiastical benefices simoniacally and notoriously at a settled price, and has notoriously impaired the property and rights of the Roman and of many other churches, and that, having been respectfully admonished he is unwilling to desist, but has constantly persevered and does persevere, in openly scandalising the church by the aforesaid practices; for this cause we pronounce, decree and declare, by this our sentence, the said Lord John the Pope to be suspended for the aforesaid causes, and we do suspend him from all papal, spiritual, and temporal government.

Council of Constance, Archbishop Manse's Councils, An. Dom. 1415. Vol. 27, p. 791. Pope John 23.

Concerning the safe conduct of Huss.

The holy synod, &c. Since certain over-wise or evil-disposed persons, or perhaps knowing more than they ought, not only blaspheme the king's majesty, but also, as it is reported, this holy council, both in public and in private, saying or insinuating that the safe-conduct given some time ago by the invincible prince the Lord Sigismund, King of the Romans, and of Hungary, to John Huss, the heresiarch of damnable memory, was unduly violated contrary to justice and honour; whereas the aforesaid Huss, by his obstinate opposition to the orthodox faith, had placed himself without the pale of all safe-conduct and privilege, and no faith or promise by natural, divine or human right, was to be observed in prejudice of the catholic faith, therefore the aforesaid holy council declares by the tenor of these presents, that the said invincible prince acted towards the said John Huss according to the demands of justice, and in a manner that became his royal majesty, decreeing and ordaining to all and each of the faithful in Christ, whatever be their dignity, degree or pre-eminence, condition, rank or sex, that no one shall henceforth malign the sacred council or the king's majesty for what was done to the aforesaid John Huss, or in any way find fault with them, and if any one shall act differently, let him be punished as the abettor of heresy, and as guilty of treason.

Decree of the Council of Constance, "That notwithstanding the safe conducts of the Emperor, Kings, &c., a competent Judge may inquire into heretical wickedness.

The present holy council declares that any safe-conduct granted by the emperor, kings, and other secular princes, to heretics, or persons suspected of heresy, with the idea of recalling them from heresy, by whatever tie they may have bound themselves, can work no prejudice to the catholic faith, and can present no impediment to We have already seen the decree which declares the two antipopes to ben otorious heretics.