menu_book Chapter 21

great men and famous women volume three by charles f horn john huss by rev dr tweedy thirteen seventy three to fourteen fifteen john huss a reformer before the reformation and the martyr of constance was born about the year thirteen seventy three his birthplace was husinets a village of bohemia his parentage was humble and his early toils and privations formed the school in which he was trained for future hardships and sufferings he studied at the university of prague and some of his teachers were men somewhat in advance of their age in the year thirteen ninety six who received his master's degree and began to lecture in his university in thirteen ninety eight in fourteen hundred he was appointed confessor to the queen of bohemia and in fourteen o one he became president of the philosophical faculty of prague the corruptions of his day especially among the romish priesthood early suggested deep thoughts to this ardent man and he found a few who were like-minded with himself among those who resided at prague

some of these entered into an arrangement for spreading truth as purely as it was then known whose was chosen their preacher and there in a place appropriately called bethlehem or the house of bread he refreshed the common people with the bread of holy preaching the impression which he produced was profound a fervent love a holy life glowing appeals and a gentle manner all helped to make him a master in grace but soon brought him into collision with dark medieval minds here then is another decided and heroic man who has entered the ranks of the friends of truth he will have much to do and much to endure his patron will become his persecutor and his friends will cast him out if he is to assail the corruptions of the year but whose was not the man to be dumped by danger his only inquiry was what is duty he will do it at all hazards and let us consider how for in considering it we'll see another example of the needs of heroic decision in a world like ours if man would really benefit his brother man as early as the year thirteen ninety one the bohemian reformer was studying the works of the great englishman of that age and all these things helped to urge him forward in the path in which he resolved to move

an archbishop might thwart him and try to put him down a whole university might oppose some of his measures wickliffe's books might be burned and loud remonstrances be heard as a result students variously estimated that from five thousand to forty-four thousand might forsake the university of prague but unmoved by such commotions huss went boldly forward but intrepid as he was huss needed all his intrepidity one of his friends was first thrown into prison and then banished for his boldness and huss had to appeal to the archbishop the chief agent in the persecution what is this he cried that men stained with innocent blood men guilty of every crime shall be found walking abroad with impunity while humble priests who spend all their efforts to destroy sin are cast into dungeons as heretics and must suffer banishment for preaching the gospel matters soon reached a crisis hus was summoned to italy to defend his doctrines and all bohemia was roused by that step the future martyr was not permitted to go it would have been to sacrifice his life meanwhile queen sophia used her influence on his behalf the king wrote to the pope and the cardinal in his favour he demanded liberty for hus to preach and insisted that all actions against him should cease so that for a while the persecution was stayed

but at last huss was pronounced a heretic and now he is one stage nearer to constance and the funeral pile on the way however he could exclaim where i see anything at variance with the doctrines of christ i will not obey though the stakes were staring me in the face that was his maxim all through life and in such an age such heroism in such a cause was the harbinger of death at one stage of these life and death struggles huss had to do battle against a whole theological faculty and that and similar contests trained him to a boldness and decision which was constantly growing but he had now to separate for the truth's sake from friends whom he had prized through life his pathway indeed is gradually becoming more narrow as well as more rough he is one of those who must often walk alone indulgences were now attacked by him in public disputations about this period some of his friends were condemned to death because they objected to indulgences and hus took up their cause he hastened to the senate-house and pleaded for the three condemned men he made their danger his own and declared that he the teacher not they the disciples should die

in spite of his efforts and in violation of promises given that no blood should be shed all three friends were hurried to execution and what could be the result of that step but a more intense antagonism a more resolute decision on a subsequent occasion accordingly huss appeared before the king and his council to defend what he reckoned the right he offered with characteristic ardour to be bound to die at the stake if he did not make good his views provided his eight opponents would do the same but all other struggles were soon merged in the great conflict with rome itself the pope had determined to put down huss and he was excommunicated with the most terrible of papal forms if he did not submit in twenty days the ban was to be proclaimed against him in all churches all who harboured him were to be laid under an interdict and huss himself was to be burned according to law the king of bohemia had urged huss to leave prague for a time in the hope that peace might thus be restored he complied and like luther in the wardburg in the castle of kosichradek wrote some of his most important works

never was more determined courage displayed by any man in similar circumstances than by huss in that castle from his hiding-place huss often went abroad and preached to the crowds who flocked to hear him but the council of constance is now at hand for we are referring to the year fourteen fourteen and he is to proceed thither under a safe conduct from sigismund emperor of germany with the assurance that if he could not submit to the decision of the council the emperor would send him back unharmed to bohemia this was an opportunity for which huss had longed he would now he thought deliver his message and uphold the truth before assembled potentates and proceeded to prague to prepare for the council he there publicly challenged all his opponents to convict him of error if they could and proved that he was valiant for the truth as long as he was free huss set out for constance on october eleventh fourteen fourteen with two faithful knights to protect him by the way even in germany he was cordially welcomed by many he courted opportunities of making known his views and at nürnberg in particular he enjoyed such an opportunity to the full

he reached constance on november the third where his enemies were busily employed and he was speedily posted as a vile heretic indeed it was soon made plain that if he was a bold intrepid man he needed to be so officials from the pope who was then at constance desired him as an interdicted priest to abstain from the church services but he declined to comply had he chosen even to equivocate he might have escaped but whose was not the man to trim such a course was formally proposed to him but though he was far from being buoyed up by false promises he resolutely and without hesitation declined all underhand suggestions he would uphold the truth but that was all that he would do i fear nothing he said for i hope that after a great conflict will ensure a great victory and after the victory a still greater reward to me and a still greater discomfiture to my enemies huss was not kept long in suspense he sought various opportunities of proclaiming his views but these were all denied him and moreover on november twenty eighth he was made a close prisoner

he was removed in trains to the castle of gotleben by night and day he was kept trained there and all was done that was likely to bow down or to break the undaunted men but though one form of disease after another assailed him no wavering thought was harboured no wavering word escaped all his sorrows only led him deeper and deeper into the truth which he prized so well and in the face of crowding dangers his resolution actually became more and more fixed and heroic the cruel mockery of justice at constance was carried on by tribunal after tribunal but the victim was steadfast and unmovable now gleams of hope broke forth for him and his friends and then darkness gathered round them once more but huss found one thing unchanging the word of his god and when the council met in the franciscan convent which had become the martyr's prison formally to try his case they cruelly attempted to prejudge the matter without hearing him at all

but the emperor interfered and hus appeared before them ready to retract whatever was contrary to scripture but whenever he attempted to plead a savage outcry arose around till the voice of truth was drowned in the din on june the seventh he stood forth the second time before the council but it was a wrangle rather than solemn trial for hus would not abate one jot of his convictions except as the scriptures condemned them on june eighth his third examination took place huss was told at the close that if he would suppliantly submit and retract opinions which he declared he never held his judges would be lenient otherwise his danger was obvious he was thus asked to confess his errors to swear that he would never more preach them and publicly recant but he constantly refused such terms unless he were convicted by the word of god even the emperor pleaded with him to yield the judges also urged him and professed a desire for his escape but he was not to be moved and must therefore hasten back to his cell an outcast heretic in chains if he would recant he would be permitted to live but little more for imprisonment for life was to be his lot

but little did those judges know either the man whom they held in their grasp or the principles and the power which bore him up he could die but he could not be anything but a true man an emperor's safe-conduct was found to be a worthless thing and trust not in princes was a portion of the word of god which huss learned thoroughly to understand it was with unruffled self-possession that huss gave himself to martyrdom as he had never abandoned the romish church he calmly engaged in its functions preparatory to his death indeed some touching scenes were witnessed in his prison he unshaken his friends his very enemies weeping like womanhood beside him deputation after deputation visited him one of them from the emperor himself and recantation was constantly the burden of their pleading but hus would not recant except upon conviction and on july sixth fourteen fifteen he appeared once more before the council where the emperor was present on his throne

many of the judges were hus's bitter personal enemies for he had assailed the measureless corruptions of their order that was an unpardonable sin besides history is careful to tell that bribery was largely employed to make sure of his destruction and now the last act of the dark tragedy has arrived no further defence was permitted to hus yet he uttered one solemn appeal once and again he prayed for his enemies being clothed in his priestly robes he was stripped of them by seven bishops while he still persisted in holding fast his convictions except as the truth of god could be shown to condemn them the mark of his tonsure was next removed and that with great cruelty a cap daubed over with the figures of demons was then placed on his head and thus the heroic martyr of bohemia was led forth to be burnt in the name of religion at the place of execution who prayed and often repeated the words into thy hands lord i commit my spirit when compelled to rise from his knees he still appealed to the saviour and prayed for a strong and steadfast soul to endure that shameful death even after he was placed at the stake and had actually been surrounded by fagots he declared that he willingly wore his chains for christ who wore yet heavier bonds with his last breath he repelled a temptation to recant and when the fire was kindled he began to sing with a loud voice

jesus son of the living god have mercy upon me when he was repeating the words for the third time his voice failed he was stifled by the flames and soon reduced to ashes these ashes were cast into the rhine thus perished one of the noblest men who ever walked our world his death led to the hussite war in his native bohemia he was so loved that the peasants rose in great bodies crying for vengeance many of the nobles joined them and for fifteen years battle and bloodshed avenged his execution the