The

A. C. 1414. fufpecting his defign, ordered the avenues of the city to be guarded; and fent the patriarch of Antioch to John, requiring him to appoint proctors for making the renunciation in his name. pope declining this propofal, he was prefented with the following refolutions of the affembly: That the council had been justly called, and fairly affembled: That even, though deferted by the pope, or any other prelates, it fhould continue in being and authority, until the fchifm fhould be extirpated, and a universal reformation in faith and morals take place, both in the head and members of the church: That the council fhould not be removed to any other place, nor any prelates or others depart without fufficient reafon: That the pope himself should not quit the affembly, but appoint a proctor, to renounce in his name all title, to the papal authority. To these articles John replied, that it would be more convenient for himfelf and the council to remove to Nice, where the king of Arragon and Benedict might confer with the emperor; and that the appointment of a proctor was unneceffary, as he intended to make the renunciation in his own perfon. This anfwer plainly demonstrated the intention of the pope, who, notwithstanding the emperor's precautions, made his escape by the affiftance of the duke of Auftria, and the elector of Mentz, to Schaffhoufen, from whence he fent four cardinals to diffolve the council. This conduct produced the famous decree, importing, that this council reprefenting the catholic church militant, had received immediately from Jefus Chrift, a power, which perfons of all conditions, even popes themselves, were obliged to obey in every thing concerning the faith, the extirpation of the fchifm, and reformation of the church. John protested against their proceedings; and they fent ambaffadors, inviting him to return: but, he

infifted

1

infifted upon fuch high terms, that they altered A. C. 1414.
their strain, and fummoned him to appear in nine
days, on pain of being proceeded against as a fu-
gitive and delinquent. The emperor perceiving,
that he depended intirely upon the protection of the
duke of Auftria, invaded that dutchy with a nu-
merous army, to the great terror of the duke, who
humbled himself before Sigifmund, and purchased
his peace, by making the pope prifoner at Fribourg.
In the mean time, the council condemned the doc-
trines of Wickliff, pronounced him and his me-
mory accurfed, and decreed, that his bones fhould
be dug up and scattered about with infamy. Then
they chofe commiffioners to manage the process
against the pope, who was accused of having by
fimony obtained the dignity of cardinal: of hav-
ing fold ecclefiaftical preferments of having at-
tempted to poifon his predeceffor: fold indulgences
and relics, alienated the goods and poffeffions of
churches and monafteries, denied the refurrection,
and a future ftate: of having led a very diffolute
life, addicted to all manner of vices: of having
neglected the duties of religion of having de-
bauched nuns, and lived in criminal and inceftuous
communication with his own brother's wife. Being
convicted on these articles, the council fufpended
him from the exercise of all papal power, fpiritual
and temporal; and a deputation of cardinals was
fent to inform him of the fentence. He expreffed
the utmoft refignation to the decrees of the af-
fembly, and faid, he hoped they would have fome
regard to the condition of life in which he had
hitherto appeared; at the fame time, he wrote a
very humble letter to Sigifmund, craving his fa-
vour and protection: but, notwithstanding all his
fubmiffion and intreaties, the council proceeded to
the fentence of depofition; and decreed, that neither

of

A.C. 1414 of the three competitors fhould be mentioned in the enfuing election.

Proceedings

Hufs and
Jerome of
Prague.

The papacy being thus declared vacant, they again John began the trial of John Hufs the famous Bohemian reformer, who was convicted of herefy, and committed to the flames, in direct violation of the fafe-conduct which had been granted to him by Sigifmund; a breach of faith that will reflect eternal difgrace on the memory of that emperor. His friend and companion Jerome de Prague met with the fame fate; and both behaved with the courage, fimplicity, and chriftian charity of the primitive martyrs. They were accufed of having maintained impious, horrible, and damnable opinions. They were condemned as feditious, obftinate, incorrigible difciples and defenders of Wickliff; hardened, crafty, malicious, and convicted heretics. Notwithstanding this heavy charge, John Hufs adopted no part of Wickliff's doctrine, but what concerned the hierarchy of the church, and the manners of the clergy. He believed tranfubftantiation and the expediency of image-worship: but, he affirmed the hierarchy of the church was not founded in fcripture: that the exceffive authority of popes, cardinals, and bishops, was mere ufurpation that the clergy in general were corrupted in their manners; and the benefactions to the church fhamefully mifapplied. The council used all their art to draw him into a doubt or denial of tranfubftantiation; and as he would not confefs any fuch principle, he was convicted of it on the depofition of evidence. This article was inferted in his fentence merely as a pretext, but every unprejudiced perfon will perceive and own, that he and his companion were facrificed to the temporal interest of the clergy. It was not the faith but the authority of the church they thought

in danger the fame principle manifested itself in A. C. 1414. thus condemning the adminiftration of the communion in both fpecies. This they did not condemn as a thing evil in itfelf; on the contrary, they owned it had been practifed in the ancient church. But, they pronounced an anathema against thofe who afferted, that the church had no right to abolish that practice. With refpect to fome other strange doctrines which fell under their cognizance, as they did not affect the power of the clergy, the council proceeded upon them with surprising indifference. John Petit, a lawyer in the dominions of the duke of Burgundy, maintained, that each individual had a right to flay a tyrant even by treachery and this propofition being presented to the council, that affembly, after much folicitation, declared it erroneous, without punishing, or even naming the author. The fect of Flagillators afferted many capital errors, which being difcuffed by the council, it was refolved to find out fome gentle means for bringing them back into the pale of the church. The fame coldness they manifefted in the work of reformation which was fo neceffary. A lift of abufes indeed was made out, and they agreed upon the model of reformation: but, by the artifice and intrigues of the cardinals and others, the execution of this plan was poftponed, and afterwards wholly laid afide. The council now resolved to choose a new pope; and, for this purpofe, fix prelates were chofen out of each of the five nations, and joined as affeffors to the cardinals, in whom the power of electing was formerly vefted: it was decreed that no perfon fhould be deemed duly elected without having in his favour two thirds of the cardinals and affeffors; and that the stadthouse of the city fhould be prepared as a conclave to be guarded by the emperor and magiftrates. They accordingly entered their cells; and, being fhut

A.C. 1414. up, elevated to the papal chair Otho de Colonna, cardinal deacon of St. George, a Roman nobleman, Martin V. who affumed the name of Martin V. John, who chofen pope. had been depofed, was committed to the cuftody of the bishop of Winchefter, from whom he made his efcape; and the new pope diffolved the council on the twenty-fecond day of April, after it had continued fitting for the fpace of four years.

Baronius.
En. Sylv.

Poggius.
Rapin.

A. C. 1418.

England.

In the mean time the perfecution raged among Perfecution the Lollards in England, where John Cleyden, a of heretics in citizen of London, and one Richard Turming, a baker, were burned in Smithfield. The archbishop, in convocation, enacted a conftitution, directed to his fuffragans, enjoining them to make strict search and enquiry twice a year after the perfons fufpected of herefy, that they might be proceeded againft according to law, and either committed to prifon or to the flames, as the nature of their crimes might require. A fynod, being convened by the archbishop of Canterbury at London, granted two tenths as a fupply for the war in France; and the duke of Bedford notified to the affembly the election of pope Martin V. whofe elevation was celebrated with rejoicings, anthems, and other acts of devotion. The affembly then enacted a decree for regulating the graduations at the two univerfities, which decree met with great oppofition at Oxford and Cambridge; though it was at last received by the interpofition of Henry V. who was himself a patron of learning. Pope Martin began to encroach upon the liberties of the English church with the fame arbitrary power which had been exercised by his predeceffors he difpofed of bifhoprics by way of provision, and vacated the elections of the chapters. Henry, in order to put a stop to this ufurpation, as alfo to reform a number of abufes which had crept in among the clergy, fent John Ketterick, bifhop of Coventry and Litchfield, to demand of the pope

an