Constantine, Theodosius and Justinian, the bishop of Lodi, pressed upon the king the obligation to bind up the lacerated wounds of the church, to heal the gaping schism and to extirpate heresy. For that work the king was elected of God, deputed from heaven before he was chosen on earth. By executing it he would secure unending fame and unfading glory—perpetua fama et celebris gloria.
The sermon over, the council’s proctor, Henry of Piro, announced that the council would continue the prosecution of John Huss, and an admonition was made forbidding all demonstrations with hand or foot, all applause or words of disapproval or other interruption of any sort. The articles drawn from Wyclif’s writings and condemned by the university of Oxford were read. A bishop then read from the pulpit the thirty articles taken from Huss’s writings and the proceedings connected with his hearing. At the reading of the very first article, defining the church as the totality of the elect, Huss attempted to speak, but was interrupted by d’Ailly, who bade him keep silence and wait till the whole list had been read, when he might make a reply. To this method Huss objected on the ground that he would not be able to remember all the charges. Cardinal Zabarella exclaimed, “be silent. We have already heard you enough,” and bade the beadles keep Huss quiet. Then, with folded hands and in a loud voice, Huss cried out: “In the sight of God, I demand that you hear me lest I be believed to have held errors. Afterward do with me what you please.” When it was evident that the council was in no mood to listen, he bent on his knees and, lifting his eyes to heaven, prayed fervently.
When the charges were read that the accused held to the remanence of the bread and the invalidity of acts done by a priest in mortal sin, Huss again attempted to reply; and again Zabarella commanded him to be silent. But Huss persisted, saying that he had never held, taught or preached that the
