Wesley Corpus

2. That he never preached or wrote anything tending to sedition; neither was there in fact any sedition, much less intestine war, in Bohemia, while he ministered there. 3. That his real fault, and his only one, was, opposing the Papal usurpations. 4. That this “most noble Prince” was a bigoted, cruel, perfidious murderer; and that the Fathers of the Council deserve the same praise, seeing they urged him to embrue his hands in innocent blood, in violation of the public faith, and extolled him to the skies for so doing; and seeing they have laid it down as a maxim, that the most solemn promise made to an heretic may be broken. But says Mr. O'Leary, “This regards the peculiar case of safe-conducts granted by Princes to heretics.” If you mean, they took occasion from a particular case to establish a general rule, this is true; but what then ? If the public faith with heretics may be violated in one instance, it may be in a thou sand. “But can the rule be extended farther?” It may; it must; we cannot tell where to stop. Away then with your witticisms on so awful a subject ! What I do you sport with human blood? I take burning men alive to be a very serious thing. I pray, spare your jests on the occasion. But you have another plea: “Sigismund only promised to guard him from any violence in going to the Council.” Why, this was just nothing. What man in his wits would have moved a step upon such a promise as this? “But this was all it was in his power to do.” It was not. It was in his power to have told the Council, “My own honour, and yours, and that of the empire, are at stake. I will not upon any account suffer the public faith to be violated: I will not make myself infamous to all generations. My name shall not stink to all future ages. I will rather part with my empire, with my life.” He could have taken John Huss out of their hands, and have sent him safe to his own country. He would have done it, had he been an honest man; had he had either honour or conscience. I ask Mr. O'Leary, Would not you have done it, had you been in Sigismund's place?