The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe/Volume 3/The Testimonial of the good Bishop of Nazareth

by Nicholas of Nezero

Layout 2

 

The Testimonial of the good Bishop of Nazareth.

We, Nicholas, by the grace of God bishop of Nazareth, and inquisitor, specially deputed by the apostolic seat, for heresies both of the city and diocese of Prague, by these presents do it to be known unto all men, that we in times past have often communed and talked with that honourable man, Master John Huss, bachelor of divinity, of the famous university of Prague, and have had divers and sundry conferences with him, both of the Scriptures and divers other matters; and in all his sayings, doings, and behaviour, we have proved and found him to be a faithful and a catholic man, finding no manner of evil, or sinister, or, by any means, erroneous doings in him unto this present. He witnesseth with John Huss.We do witness and protest moreover, how the said John Huss, of late, in the cathedral church of Prague, and in other both collegiate and parish churches, and in the colleges of the university of Prague, and in the gates and porches of the most noble prince and lord, the lord Wenceslaus, king of Romans and of Bohemia; also in the gates of the reverend father the lord Conrad, archbishop of Prague, legate of the apostolic see, and chancellor of the university of Prague, and of other princes and barons, then being in the city of Prague, hath set up his letters written both in Latin, and in the Bohemian tongue, containing sententially in effect, how the aforesaid Master John Huss would appear before the reverend father, the lord Conrad, the aforesaid archbishop of Prague, and all the prelates and clergy of the kingdom of Bohemia, that shall be congregated and called together by the said archbishop, at the day appointed in the said city of Prague; ready always to satisfy every man that shall desire and require him to show a reason of his faith and hope that he holdeth, and to see and hear all and every one who could prove any obstinacy of error or heresy lawfully against him, under the pain to receive the like punishment: unto whom all together he would, by God's help, answer in the council of Constance, which was now at hand, before the said lord archbishop and us, with all other prelates; and there, in Christ's name, according to the decrees and canons of the holy fathers, to declare and show forth his innocency. After which letters as is aforesaid, by the said Master John Huss openly set up, there did no man appear before us, who would accuse the said Master John Huss of any error, or of any heresy. For the evident witness of all which things we have commanded these present letters to be made, and confirmed the same with the setting to of our seal.—Dated in Prague the thirtieth of August, 1414.

 

Upon which matter also, a public instrument was drawn, testified with the hand and seal of the public notary, named Michael Pruthatietz; the copy of which instrument here under followeth: