A Cloud of Witnesses, Part H · Section 14
2. Mr. Hierome of Prage.
Fox Vol. 1. pag. 832.When he was brought Prisoner to Constance, several of the Bishops said unto him; Hierome, why didst thou fly, and didst not appear when thou wast cited? He answered, Because I could not have any safe conduct, &c. and I would not my self be the occasion of my perils and danger; but if I had known of this citation, although I had been in Bohemia, I would have returned again.
When certain cried out,Pag. 833. Let him be burned, let him be burned; He answered, If my death doth delight and please you, in the Name of God let it le so.
When he was welcomed to Prison by a Friend of Mr. Hus, saying to him, Be constant, and fear not death for the Truths sake, of the which, when you …ere at liberty, you did preach so much goodness; He answered, Truly Brother, I do not fear death; and for…smuch as we know that we have spoken. much thereof in times past, let us now see what may be known or done in …ffect.
Vitus asking him how he did, He answered, Truly Brother I do very well.
After a long sore imprisonment he was forced to recant and consent unto the death of Mr. Iohn Hus, that he was justly condemned, and put to death; but his hopes of freedome thereupon were disappointed,Pag. 834. for they caused him to be carried back unto the same Prison, but not so straitly chained and bound as before.
After his Recantation and Consent to the death of Mr. Hus, he refused to answer to any Questions propounded to him in private, except he might be brought before the Council; They supposing he would confirm his former Recantation, sent for him May 25. An. 1416.
When he was brought before them,Pag. 835. he began with Prayer to God, beseeching him to give him Spirit, ability and utterance, which might most tend to the profit and salvation of his own soul.
Then he spake unto them thus; I know that there have been many excellent men which have suffered much otherwise, then they have deserved, being oppressed with false witnesses, and condemned with wrong judgement, as Socrates, Plato, Anaxagoras, Zeno, Boetius, Moses, Ioseph, Isaiah, Daniel, and almost all the Prophets, &c. Iohn Baptist, Christ, Stephen, and all the Apostles who were condemned to death not as good men, but as seditious stirrers up of the people, and contemners of the gods and evil doers. — This was the old manner of ancient and learned men, and most holy Elders, that in matters of Faith they did differ many times in Arguments, not to destroy the Faith, but to find out the Verity: So did Augustine and Hierome dissent. — As for Mr. Hus, he was a good, just, and holy man (to his knowledge) and much unworthy that death which he did suffer.Pag. 836. — At last he added, That all the sin… that ever he had committed did not so much gnaw and trouble his conscience, as did that onelyonly sin, which he had committed, in that most pestiferous fact, whenas in his Recantation he had unjustly spoken against that good and holyman and his Doctrine, and especially in consenting to his wicked condemnation. Concluding that he did utterly revoke that wicked Recantation, which he made in that cursed place, and that he did it through weakness of heart and fear of death, and that whatsoever he had spoken against that blessed man, he had altogether lied upon him, and that it did repent him with his whole heart that ever he did it. —
Being again brought forth to have judgement given him, and prest to recant what he had before spoken in open audience in commendation of Mr. Wickliffe and Mr. Hus, He said unto them, I take God to my witness, and I protest here before you all, that I do believe and hold the Articles of the Faith, as the holy Catholick Church doth hold and believe the fame; but for this cause shall I now ce…oondemned, for that I will not consent with you to the condemnation of those most holy and blessed men aforesaid, whom you have most wickedly condemned, for their detesting and abhorring your wicked and abominable life.
After the Bishop of Londy had ended his Sermon, which was but an exhortation to condemn Mr. Hierome, he said unto them, You shall condemn me wickedly and unjustly; but I after my death will leave a remorse in your conscience, and a nail in your heart, and here I cite you to answer unto me before the most high and just Iudge within an hundred years.
This Prophesie was printed in the Coin called moneta Hussi, Pag. 830.of the which Coin I my self (saith Mr. Fox) have one of the Plates, having the following superscription printed about it, Centum revolutis annis D…o respondebitis & mihi.
An hundred years come and gone,
With God and me you shall reckon.
After Sentence was pronounced against him,Pag. 837. a long Mitre of paper, painted about with red Devils, was brought to him, whereupon he said, Our Lord Iesus Christ, whenas he should suffer death for me, most wretched sinner, did wear a Crown of Thorns upon his Head, and I for his sake, instead of that Crown will willingly wear this M…tre or Cap.
When the fire was kindled,Pag. 838. he said, Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit. — O Lord God, Father Almighty, have mercy upon me, and pardon mine offences, Clarks Mart. of Eccl. Hist. pag. 223.for thou knowest how sincerely I have loved thy Truth.
When the Executioner began to kindle the fire behind him, he bade him kindle it before his face; for (said he) If I had been afraid of it, I had not come to this place, having had so many opportunities offered to me to escape it.
At the giving up of the ghost he said,
Hanc animam in flammis offero Christe tibi.
This soul of mine in flames of fire,
O Christ I offer thee. —
Fox. Vol. 1. pag. 830.In his Letter to Mr. Iohn Hus. —
My Master, in those things which you have both written hitherto, and also preached after the Law of God, against the pride, avarice, and other inordinate vices of the Priests, go forward, be constant, and strong, and if I shall know that you be oppressed in the cause, and if need shall so require, of mine own accord I will follow after to help you as much as I can.
Petrie's Church Hist. Cent. 15. p. 539.In the Letter of Poggius (Secretary to the Council of Constance) to Leonard Aretin concerning Hierome's death. —
I profess I never said any man, who in talking, especially for life and death, hath come nearer the eloquence of the Ancients, whom we do so much admire. It was a wonder to see with what words, with what Eloquence, Arguments, Countenance, and with what confidence he answered his Adversaries, and maintained his own Cause: that it is to be lamented that so fine a wit had strayed into the study of Heresie, if it be true that was objected against him. — When it was refused that he should first plead his own Cause, and then answer to the railings of Adversaries, he said, How great is this iniquity, that when I have been three hundred and forty dayes in most hard prisons, in filthiness, in dung, in fetters, and want of all things, ye have heard my Adversaries at all times, and ye will not hear me one hour? — Ye are men, and not gods; ye may slip, and erre, and be deceived, and seduced, &c. When it was demanded what he could object to the Articles against him? It is almost incredible to consider how cunningly he answered, and with what Arguments he defended himself. He never spake one word unworthy of a good man; that if he thought in his heart, as he spake with his tongue, no cause of death could have been against him, no not of the meanest offence. — In the end Poggius saith, O man, worthy of everlasting remembrance among men!
This Epistle is in Fascicu…. r…. expetend. fol. 152.