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The gospel had
been planted in Bohemia as early as the ninth century. The Bible was
translated, and public worship was conducted, in the language of the
people. But as the power of the pope increased, so the word of God
was obscured. Gregory VII, who had taken it upon himself to humble
the pride of kings, was no less intent upon enslaving the people,
and accordingly a bull was issued forbidding public worship to be
conducted in the Bohemian tongue. The pope declared that "it was
pleasing to the Omnipotent that His worship should be celebrated in
an unknown language, and that may evils and heresies had arisen from
not observing this rule."--Wylie, b. 3, ch. 1. Thus Rome decreed
that the light of God's word should be extinguished and the people
should be shut up in darkness. But Heaven had provided other
agencies for the preservation of the church. Many of the Waldenses
and Albigenses, driven by persecution from their homes in France and
Italy, came to Bohemia. Though they dared not teach openly, they
labored zealously in secret. Thus the true faith was preserved from
century to century.
Before the days of Huss there were men
in Bohemia who rose up to condemn openly the corruption in the church
and the profligacy of the people. Their labors excited widespread
interest. The fears of the hierarchy were roused, and persecution was
opened against the disciples of the gospel.
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Driven to worship in the forests and the
mountains, they were hunted by soldiers, and many were put to death.
After a time it was decreed that all who departed from the Romish
worship should be burned. But while the Christians yielded up their
lives, they looked forward to the triumph of their cause. One of those
who "taught that salvation was only to be found by faith in the
crucified Saviour," declared when dying: "The rage of the enemies of the
truth now prevails against us, but it will not be forever; there shall
arise one from among the common people, without sword or authority, and
against him they shall not be able to prevail." --
Ibid., b. 3, ch. 1. Luther's
time was yet far distant; but already one was rising, whose testimony
against Rome would stir the nations.
John Huss was of humble birth, and was
early left an orphan by the death of his father. His pious mother,
regarding education and the fear of God as the most valuable of
possessions, sought to secure this heritage for her son. Huss studied at
the provincial school, and then repaired to the university at Prague,
receiving admission as a charity scholar. He was accompanied on the
journey to Prague by his mother; widowed and poor, she had no gifts of
worldly wealth to bestow upon her son, but as they drew near to the
great city, she kneeled down beside the fatherless youth and invoked for
him the blessing of their Father in heaven. Little did that mother
realize how her prayer was to be answered.
At the university, Huss soon
distinguished himself by his untiring application and rapid progress,
while his blameless life and gentle, winning deportment gained him
universal esteem. He was a sincere adherent of the Roman Church and an
earnest seeker for the spiritual blessings which it professes to bestow.
On the occasion of a jubilee he went to confession, paid the last few
coins in his scanty store, and joined in the processions, that he might
share in the absolution promised. After completing his college course,
he entered the priesthood, and rapidly attaining to eminence,
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he soon became attached to the court of
the king. He was also made professor and afterward rector of the
university where he had received his education. In a few years the
humble charity scholar had become the pride of his country, and his name
was renowned throughout Europe.
But it was in another field that Huss
began the work of reform. Several years after taking priest's orders he
was appointed preacher of the chapel of Bethlehem. The founder of this
chapel had advocated, as a matter of great importance, the preaching of
the Scriptures in the language of the people. Notwithstanding Rome's
opposition to this practice, it had not been wholly discontinued in
Bohemia. But there was great ignorance of the Bible, and the worst vices
prevailed among the people of all ranks. These evils Huss unsparingly
denounced, appealing to the word of God to enforce the principles of
truth and purity which he inculcated.
A citizen of Prague, Jerome, who
afterward became so closely associated with Huss, had, on returning from
England, brought with him the writings of Wycliffe. The queen of
England, who had been a convert to Wycliffe's teachings, was a Bohemian
princess, and through her influence also the Reformer's works were
widely circulated in her native country. These works Huss read with
interest; he believed their author to be a sincere Christian and was
inclined to regard with favor the reforms which he advocated. Already,
though he knew it not, Huss had entered upon a path which was to lead
him far away from Rome.
About this time there arrived in
Prague two strangers from England, men of learning, who had received the
light and had come to spread it in this distant land. Beginning with an
open attack on the pope's supremacy, they were soon silenced by the
authorities; but being unwilling to relinquish their purpose, they had
recourse to other measures. Being artists as well as preachers, they
proceeded to exercise their skill. In a place open to the public they
drew two pictures. One represented the entrance of Christ into
Jerusalem,
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"meek, and sitting upon an ass" (Matthew
21:5), and followed by His disciples in travel-worn garments and with
naked feet. The other picture portrayed a pontifical procession--the
pope arrayed in his rich robes and triple crown, mounted upon a horse
magnificently adorned, preceded by trumpeters and followed by cardinals
and prelates in dazzling array.
Here was a sermon which arrested the
attention of all classes. Crowds came to gaze upon the drawings. None
could fail to read the moral, and many were deeply impressed by the
contrast between the meekness and humility of Christ the Master and the
pride and arrogance of the pope, His professed servant. There was great
commotion in Prague, and the strangers after a time found it necessary,
for their own safety, to depart. But the lesson they had taught was not
forgotten. The pictures made a deep impression on the mind of Huss and
led him to a closer study of the Bible and of Wycliffe's writings.
Though he was not prepared, even yet, to accept all the reforms
advocated by Wycliffe, he saw more clearly the true character of the
papacy, and with greater zeal denounced the pride, the ambition, and the
corruption of the hierarchy.
From Bohemia the light extended to
Germany, for disturbances in the University of Prague caused the
withdrawal of hundreds of German students. Many of them had received
from Huss their first knowledge of the Bible, and on their return they
spread the gospel in their fatherland.
Tidings of the work at Prague were
carried to Rome, and Huss was soon summoned to appear before the pope.
To obey would be to expose himself to certain death. The king and queen
of Bohemia, the university, members of the nobility, and officers of the
government united in an appeal to the pontiff that Huss be permitted to
remain at Prague and to answer at Rome by deputy. Instead of granting
this request, the pope proceeded to the trial and condemnation of Huss,
and then declared the city of Prague to be under interdict.
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In that age this sentence, whenever
pronounced, created widespread alarm. The ceremonies by which it was
accompanied were well adapted to strike terror to a people who looked
upon the pope as the representative of God Himself, holding the keys of
heaven and hell, and possessing power to invoke temporal as well as
spiritual judgments. It was believed that the gates of heaven were
closed against the region smitten with interdict; that until it should
please the pope to remove the ban, the dead were shut out from the
abodes of bliss. In token of this terrible calamity, all the services of
religion were suspended. The churches were closed. Marriages were
solemnized in the churchyard. The dead, denied burial in consecrated
ground, were interred, without the rites of sepulture, in the ditches or
the fields. Thus by measures which appealed to the imagination, Rome
essayed to control the consciences of men.
The city of Prague was filled with
tumult. A large class denounced Huss as the cause of all their
calamities and demanded that he be given up to the vengeance of Rome. To
quiet the storm, the Reformer withdrew for a time to his native village.
Writing to the friends whom he had left at Prague, he said: "If I have
withdrawn from the midst of you, it is to follow the precept and example
of Jesus Christ, in order not to give room to the ill-minded to draw on
themselves eternal condemnation, and in order not to be to the pious a
cause of affliction and persecution. I have retired also through an
apprehension that impious priests might continue for a longer time to
prohibit the preaching of the word of God amongst you; but I have not
quitted you to deny the divine truth, for which, with God's assistance,
I am willing to die."--Bonnechose,
The Reformers Before the Reformation,
vol. 1, p. 87. Huss did not
cease his labors, but traveled through the surrounding country,
preaching to eager crowds. Thus the measures to which the pope resorted
to suppress the gospel were causing it to be the more widely extended.
"We can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth." 2 Corinthians
13:8.
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"The mind of Huss, at this stage of
his career, would seem to have been the scene of a painful conflict.
Although the church was seeking to overwhelm him by her thunderbolts, he
had not renounced her authority. The Roman Church was still to him the
spouse of Christ, and the pope was the representative and vicar of God.
What Huss was warring against was the abuse of authority, not the
principle itself. This brought on a terrible conflict between the
convictions of his understanding and the claims of his conscience. If
the authority was just and infallible, as he believed it to be, how came
it that he felt compelled to disobey it? To obey, he saw, was to sin;
but why should obedience to an infallible church lead to such an issue?
This was the problem he could not solve; this was the doubt that
tortured him hour by hour. The nearest approximation to a solution which
he was able to make was that it had happened again, as once before in
the days of the Saviour, that the priests of the church had become
wicked persons and were using their lawful authority for unlawful ends.
This led him to adopt for his own guidance, and to preach to others for
theirs, the maxim that the precepts of Scripture, conveyed through the
understanding, are to rule the conscience; in other words, that God
speaking in the Bible, and not the church speaking through the
priesthood, is the one infallible guide."--Wylie, b. 3, ch. 2.
When after a time the excitement in
Prague subsided, Huss returned to his chapel of Bethlehem, to continue
with greater zeal and courage the preaching of the word of God. His
enemies were active and powerful, but the queen and many of the nobles
were his friends, and the people in great numbers sided with him.
Comparing his pure and elevating teachings and holy life with the
degrading dogmas which the Romanists preached, and the avarice and
debauchery which they practiced, many regarded it an honor to be on his
side.
Hitherto Huss had stood alone in his
labors; but now Jerome, who while in England had accepted the teachings
of Wycliffe, joined in the work of reform. The two were
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hereafter united in their lives, and in
death they were not to be divided. Brilliancy of genius, eloquence and
learning--gifts that win popular favor--were possessed in a pre-eminent
degree by Jerome; but in those qualities which constitute real strength
of character, Huss was the greater. His calm judgment served as a
restraint upon the impulsive spirit of Jerome, who, with true humility,
perceived his worth, and yielded to his counsels. Under their united
labors the reform was more rapidly extended.
God permitted great light to shine
upon the minds of these chosen men, revealing to them many of the errors
of Rome; but they did not receive all the light that was to be given to
the world. Through these, His servants, God was leading the people out
of the darkness of Romanism; but there were many and great obstacles for
them to meet, and He led them on, step by step, as they could bear it.
They were not prepared to receive all the light at once. Like the full
glory of the noontide sun to those who have long dwelt in darkness, it
would, if presented, have caused them to turn away. Therefore He
revealed it to the leaders little by little, as it could be received by
the people. From century to century, other faithful workers were to
follow, to lead the people on still further in the path of reform.
The schism in the church still
continued. Three popes were now contending for the supremacy, and their
strife filled Christendom with crime and tumult. Not content with
hurling anathemas, they resorted to temporal weapons. Each cast about
him to purchase arms and to obtain soldiers. Of course money must be
had; and to procure this, the gifts, offices, and blessings of the
church were offered for sale. (See
Appendix note for page 59.)
The priests also, imitating their superiors, resorted to simony and war
to humble their rivals and strengthen their own power. With daily
increasing boldness Huss thundered against the abominations which were
tolerated in the name of religion; and the people openly accused the
Romish leaders as the cause of the miseries that overwhelmed
Christendom.
Page 104
Again the city of Prague seemed on the
verge of a bloody conflict. As in former ages, God's servant was accused
as "he that troubleth Israel." 1 Kings 18:17. The city was again placed
under interdict, and Huss withdrew to his native village. The testimony
so faithfully borne from his loved chapel of Bethlehem was ended. He was
to speak from a wider stage, to all Christendom, before laying down his
life as a witness for the truth.
To cure the evils that were
distracting Europe, a general council was summoned to meet at Constance.
The council was called at the desire of the emperor Sigismund, by one of
the three rival popes, John XXIII. The demand for a council had been far
from welcome to Pope John, whose character and policy could ill bear
investigation, even by prelates as lax in morals as were the churchmen
of those times. He dared not, however, oppose the will of Sigismund.
(See
Appendix.)
The chief objects to be accomplished
by the council were to heal the schism in the church and to root out
heresy. Hence the two antipopes were summoned to appear before it, as
well as the leading propagator of the new opinions, John Huss. The
former, having regard to their own safety, did not attend in person, but
were represented by their delegates. Pope John, while ostensibly the
convoker of the council, came to it with many misgivings, suspecting the
emperor's secret purpose to depose him, and fearing to be brought to
account for the vices which had disgraced the tiara, as well as for the
crimes which had secured it. Yet he made his entry into the city of
Constance with great pomp, attended by ecclesiastics of the highest rank
and followed by a train of courtiers. All the clergy and dignitaries of
the city, with an immense crowd of citizens, went out to welcome him.
Above his head was a golden canopy, borne by four of the chief
magistrates. The host was carried before him, and the rich dresses of
the cardinals and nobles made an imposing display.
Meanwhile another traveler was
approaching Constance. Huss was conscious of the dangers which
threatened him.
Page 105
He parted from his friends as if he were
never to meet them again, and went on his journey feeling that it was
leading him to the stake. Notwithstanding he had obtained a safe-conduct
from the king of Bohemia, and received one also from the emperor
Sigismund while on his journey, he made all his arrangements in view of
the probability of his death.
In a letter addressed to his friends
at Prague he said: "My brethren, . . . I am departing with a
safe-conduct from the king to meet my numerous and mortal enemies. . . .
I confide altogether in the all-powerful God, in my Saviour; I trust
that He will listen to your ardent prayers, that He will infuse His
prudence and His wisdom into my mouth, in order that I may resist them;
and that He will accord me His Holy Spirit to fortify me in His truth,
so that I may face with courage, temptations, prison, and, if necessary,
a cruel death. Jesus Christ suffered for His well-beloved; and therefore
ought we to be astonished that He has left us His example, in order that
we may ourselves endure with patience all things for our own salvation?
He is God, and we are His creatures; He is the Lord, and we are His
servants; He is Master of the world, and we are contemptible
mortals--yet He suffered! Why, then, should we not suffer also,
particularly when suffering is for us a purification? Therefore,
beloved, if my death ought to contribute to His glory, pray that it may
come quickly, and that He may enable me to support all my calamities
with constancy. But if it be better that I return amongst you, let us
pray to God that I may return without stain--that is, that I may not
suppress one tittle of the truth of the gospel, in order to leave my
brethren an excellent example to follow. Probably, therefore, you will
nevermore behold my face at Prague; but should the will of the
all-powerful God deign to restore me to you, let us then advance with a
firmer heart in the knowledge and the love of His law."--Bonnechose,
vol. 1, pp. 147, 148.
In another letter, to a priest who had
become a disciple of the gospel, Huss spoke with deep humility of his
own errors, accusing himself "of having felt pleasure in wearing
Page 106
rich apparel and of having wasted hours
in frivolous occupations." He then added these touching admonitions:
"May the glory of God and the salvation of souls occupy thy mind, and
not the possession of benefices and estates. Beware of adorning thy
house more than thy soul; and, above all, give thy care to the spiritual
edifice. Be pious and humble with the poor, and consume not thy
substance in feasting. Shouldst thou not amend thy life and refrain from
superfluities, I fear that thou wilt be severely chastened, as I am
myself. . . . Thou knowest my doctrine, for thou hast received my
instructions from thy childhood; it is therefore useless for me to write
to thee any further. But I conjure thee, by the mercy of our Lord, not
to imitate me in any of the vanities into which thou hast seen me fall."
On the cover of the letter he added: "I conjure thee, my friend, not to
break this seal until thou shalt have acquired the certitude that I am
dead."-- Ibid.,
vol. 1, pp. 148, 149.
On his journey, Huss everywhere beheld
indications of the spread of his doctrines and the favor with which his
cause was regarded. The people thronged to meet him, and in some towns
the magistrates attended him through their streets.
Upon arriving at Constance, Huss was
granted full liberty. To the emperor's safe-conduct was added a personal
assurance of protection by the pope. But, in violation of these solemn
and repeated declarations, the Reformer was in a short time arrested, by
order of the pope and cardinals, and thrust into a loathsome dungeon.
Later he was transferred to a strong castle across the Rhine and there
kept a prisoner. The pope, profiting little by his perfidy, was soon
after committed to the same prison.
Ibid.,
vol. 1, p. 247. He had been proved before
the council to be guilty of the basest crimes, besides murder, simony,
and adultery, "sins not fit to be named." So the council itself
declared, and he was finally deprived of the tiara and thrown into
prison. The antipopes also were deposed, and a new pontiff was chosen.
Page 107
Though the pope himself had been
guilty of greater crimes than Huss had ever charged upon the priests,
and for which he had demanded a reformation, yet the same council which
degraded the pontiff proceeded to crush the Reformer. The imprisonment
of Huss excited great indignation in Bohemia. Powerful noblemen
addressed to the council earnest protests against this outrage. The
emperor, who was loath to permit the violation of a safe-conduct,
opposed the proceedings against him. But the enemies of the Reformer
were malignant and determined. They appealed to the emperor's
prejudices, to his fears, to his zeal for the church. They brought
forward arguments of great length to prove that "faith ought not to be
kept with heretics, nor persons suspected of heresy, though they are
furnished with safe-conducts from the emperor and kings."--Jacques
Lenfant, History of the Council
of Constance, vol. 1, p. 516.
Thus they prevailed.
Enfeebled by illness and
imprisonment,--for the damp, foul air of his dungeon had brought on a
fever which nearly ended his life,--Huss was at last brought before the
council. Loaded with chains he stood in the presence of the emperor,
whose honor and good faith had been pledged to protect him. During his
long trial he firmly maintained the truth, and in the presence of the
assembled dignitaries of church and state he uttered a solemn and
faithful protest against the corruptions of the hierarchy. When required
to choose whether he would recant his doctrines or suffer death, he
accepted the martyr's fate.
The grace of God sustained him. During
the weeks of suffering that passed before his final sentence, heaven's
peace filled his soul. "I write this letter," he said to a friend, "in
my prison, and with my fettered hand, expecting my sentence of death
tomorrow. . . . When, with the assistance of Jesus Christ, we shall
again meet in the delicious peace of the future life, you will learn how
merciful God has shown Himself toward me, how effectually He has
supported me in the midst of my temptations and trials."--Bonnechose,
vol. 2, p. 67.
Page 108
In the gloom of his dungeon he foresaw
the triumph of the true faith. Returning in his dreams to the chapel at
Prague where he had preached the gospel, he saw the pope and his bishops
effacing the pictures of Christ which he had painted on its walls. "This
vision distressed him: but on the next day he saw many painters occupied
in restoring these figures in greater number and in brighter colors. As
soon as their task was ended, the painters, who were surrounded by an
immense crowd, exclaimed, 'Now let the popes and bishops come; they
shall never efface them more!'" Said the Reformer, as he related his
dream: "I maintain this for certain, that the image of Christ will never
be effaced. They have wished to destroy it, but it shall be painted
afresh in all hearts by much better preachers than myself."--D'Aubigne,
b. 1, ch. 6.
For the last time, Huss was brought
before the council. It was a vast and brilliant assembly--the emperor,
the princes of the empire, the royal deputies, the cardinals, bishops,
and priests, and an immense crowd who had come as spectators of the
events of the day. From all parts of Christendom had been gathered the
witnesses of this first great sacrifice in the long struggle by which
liberty of conscience was to be secured.
Being called upon for his final
decision, Huss declared his refusal to abjure, and, fixing his
penetrating glance upon the monarch whose plighted word had been so
shamelessly violated, he declared: "I determined, of my own free will,
to appear before this council, under the public protection and faith of
the emperor here present."--Bonnechose, vol. 2, p. 84. A deep flush
crimsoned the face of Sigismund as the eyes of all in the assembly
turned upon him.
Sentence having been pronounced, the
ceremony of degradation began. The bishops clothed their prisoner in the
sacerdotal habit, and as he took the priestly robe, he said: "Our Lord
Jesus Christ was covered with a white robe, by way of
Page 109
insult, when Herod had Him conducted
before Pilate."-- Ibid.,
vol. 2, p. 86. Being again exhorted
to retract, he replied, turning toward the people: "With what face,
then, should I behold the heavens? How should I look on those multitudes
of men to whom I have preached the pure gospel? No; I esteem their
salvation more than this poor body, now appointed unto death." The
vestments were removed one by one, each bishop pronouncing a curse as he
performed his part of the ceremony. Finally "they put on his head a cap
or pyramidal-shaped miter of paper, on which were painted frightful
figures of demons, with the word 'Archheretic' conspicuous in front.
'Most joyfully,' said Huss, 'will I wear this crown of shame for Thy
sake, O Jesus, who for me didst wear a crown of thorns.'"
When he was thus arrayed, "the
prelates said, 'Now we devote thy soul to the devil.' 'And I,' said John
Huss, lifting up his eyes toward heaven, 'do commit my spirit into Thy
hands, O Lord Jesus, for Thou hast redeemed me.'"--Wylie, b. 3, ch. 7.
He was now delivered up to the secular
authorities and led away to the place of execution. An immense
procession followed, hundreds of men at arms, priests and bishops in
their costly robes, and the inhabitants of Constance. When he had been
fastened to the stake, and all was ready for the fire to be lighted, the
martyr was once more exhorted to save himself by renouncing his errors.
"What errors," said Huss, "shall I renounce? I know myself guilty of
none. I call God to witness that all that I have written and preached
has been with the view of rescuing souls from sin and perdition; and,
therefore, most joyfully will I confirm with my blood that truth which I
have written and preached."--
Ibid., b. 3, ch. 7. When the
flames kindled about him, he began to sing, "Jesus, Thou Son of David,
have mercy on me," and so continued till his voice was silenced forever.
Even his enemies were struck with his
heroic bearing. A zealous papist, describing the martyrdom of Huss, and
of
Page 110
Jerome, who died soon after, said: "Both
bore themselves with constant mind when their last hour approached. They
prepared for the fire as if they were going to a marriage feast. They
uttered no cry of pain. When the flames rose, they began to sing hymns;
and scarce could the vehemency of the fire stop their singing."--
Ibid., b. 3, ch. 7.
When the body of Huss had been wholly
consumed, his ashes, with the soil upon which they rested, were gathered
up and cast into the Rhine, and thus borne onward to the ocean. His
persecutors vainly imagined that they had rooted out the truths he
preached. Little did they dream that the ashes that day borne away to
the sea were to be as seed scattered in all the countries of the earth;
that in lands yet unknown it would yield abundant fruit in witnesses for
the truth. The voice which had spoken in the council hall of Constance
had wakened echoes that would be heard through all coming ages. Huss was
no more, but the truths for which he died could never perish. His
example of faith and constancy would encourage multitudes to stand firm
for the truth, in the face of torture and death. His execution had
exhibited to the whole world the perfidious cruelty of Rome. The enemies
of truth, though they knew it not, had been furthering the cause which
they vainly sought to destroy.
Yet another stake was to be set up at
Constance. The blood of another witness must testify for the truth.
Jerome, upon bidding farewell to Huss on his departure for the council,
had exhorted him to courage and firmness, declaring that if he should
fall into any peril, he himself would fly to his assistance. Upon
hearing of the Reformer's imprisonment, the faithful disciple
immediately prepared to fulfill his promise. Without a safe-conduct he
set out, with a single companion, for Constance. On arriving there he
was convinced that he had only exposed himself to peril, without the
possibility of doing anything for the deliverance of Huss. He fled from
the city, but was arrested on the homeward journey and brought back
loaded with fetters and under the custody of a band of soldiers. At his
first appearance before
Page 111
the council his attempts to reply to the
accusations brought against him were met with shouts, "To the flames
with him! to the flames!"--Bonnechose, vol. 1, p. 234. He was thrown
into a dungeon, chained in a position which caused him great suffering,
and fed on bread and water. After some months the cruelties of his
imprisonment brought upon Jerome an illness that threatened his life,
and his enemies, fearing that he might escape them, treated him with
less severity, though he remained in prison for one year.
The death of Huss had not resulted as
the papists had hoped. The violation of his safe-conduct had roused a
storm of indignation, and as the safer course, the council determined,
instead of burning Jerome, to force him, if possible, to retract. He was
brought before the assembly, and offered the alternative to recant, or
to die at the stake. Death at the beginning of his imprisonment would
have been a mercy in comparison with the terrible sufferings which he
had undergone; but now, weakened by illness, by the rigors of his prison
house, and the torture of anxiety and suspense, separated from his
friends, and disheartened by the death of Huss, Jerome's fortitude gave
way, and he consented to submit to the council. He pledged himself to
adhere to the Catholic faith, and accepted the action of the council in
condemning the doctrines of Wycliffe and Huss, excepting, however, the
"holy truths" which they had taught.--
Ibid, vol. 2, p. 141.
By this expedient Jerome endeavored to
silence the voice of conscience and escape his doom. But in the solitude
of his dungeon he saw more clearly what he had done. He thought of the
courage and fidelity of Huss, and in contrast pondered upon his own
denial of the truth. He thought of the divine Master whom he had pledged
himself to serve, and who for his sake endured the death of the cross.
Before his retraction he had found comfort, amid all his sufferings, in
the assurance of God's favor; but now remorse and doubts tortured his
soul. He knew that still other retractions must be made before he could
be at peace with Rome. The path upon
Page 112
which he was entering could end only in
complete apostasy. His resolution was taken: To escape a brief period of
suffering he would not deny his Lord.
Soon he was again brought before the
council. His submission had not satisfied his judges. Their thirst for
blood, whetted by the death of Huss, clamored for fresh victims. Only by
an unreserved surrender of the truth could Jerome preserve his life. But
he had determined to avow his faith and follow his brother martyr to the
flames.
He renounced his former recantation
and, as a dying man, solemnly required an opportunity to make his
defense. Fearing the effect of his words, the prelates insisted that he
should merely affirm or deny the truth of the charges brought against
him. Jerome protested against such cruelty and injustice. "You have held
me shut up three hundred and forty days in a frightful prison," he said,
"in the midst of filth, noisomeness, stench, and the utmost want of
everything; you then bring me out before you, and lending an ear to my
mortal enemies, you refuse to hear me. . . . If you be really wise men,
and the lights of the world, take care not to sin against justice. As to
me, I am only a feeble mortal; my life is but of little importance; and
when I exhort you not to deliver an unjust sentence, I speak less for
myself than for you."-- Ibid.,
vol. 2, pp. 146, 147.
His request was finally granted. In
the presence of his judges, Jerome kneeled down and prayed that the
divine Spirit might control his thoughts and words, that he might speak
nothing contrary to the truth or unworthy of his Master. To him that day
was fulfilled the promise of God to the first disciples: "Ye shall be
brought before governors and kings for My sake. . . . But when they
deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall
be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye
that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you."
Matthew 10:18-20.
The words of Jerome excited
astonishment and admiration, even in his enemies. For a whole year he
had been
Page 113
immured in a dungeon, unable to read or
even to see, in great physical suffering and mental anxiety. Yet his
arguments were presented with as much clearness and power as if he had
had undisturbed opportunity for study. He pointed his hearers to the
long line of holy men who had been condemned by unjust judges. In almost
every generation have been those who, while seeking to elevate the
people of their time, have been reproached and cast out, but who in
later times have been shown to be deserving of honor. Christ Himself was
condemned as a malefactor at an unrighteous tribunal.
At his retraction, Jerome had assented
to the justice of the sentence condemning Huss; he now declared his
repentance and bore witness to the innocence and holiness of the martyr.
"I knew him from his childhood," he said. "He was a most excellent man,
just and holy; he was condemned, notwithstanding his innocence. . . . I
also--I am ready to die: I will not recoil before the torments that are
prepared for me by my enemies and false witnesses, who will one day have
to render an account of their impostures before the great God, whom
nothing can deceive."--Bonnechose, vol. 2, p. 151.
In self-reproach for his own denial of
the truth, Jerome continued: "Of all the sins that I have committed
since my youth, none weigh so heavily on my mind, and cause me such
poignant remorse, as that which I committed in this fatal place, when I
approved of the iniquitous sentence rendered against Wycliffe, and
against the holy martyr, John Huss, my master and my friend. Yes! I
confess it from my heart, and declare with horror that I disgracefully
quailed when, through a dread of death, I condemned their doctrines. I
therefore supplicate . . . Almighty God to deign to pardon me my sins,
and this one in particular, the most heinous of all." Pointing to his
judges, he said firmly: "You condemned Wycliffe and John Huss, not for
having shaken the doctrine of the church, but simply because they
branded with reprobation the scandals proceeding from the clergy--their
pomp, their pride, and all the vices of the prelates and priests.
Page 114
The things which they have affirmed, and
which are irrefutable, I also think and declare, like them."
His words were interrupted. The
prelates, trembling with rage, cried out: "What need is there of further
proof? We behold with our own eyes the most obstinate of heretics!"
Unmoved by the tempest, Jerome
exclaimed: "What! do you suppose that I fear to die? You have held me
for a whole year in a frightful dungeon, more horrible than death
itself. You have treated me more cruelly than a Turk, Jew, or pagan, and
my flesh has literally rotted off my bones alive; and yet I make no
complaint, for lamentation ill becomes a man of heart and spirit; but I
cannot but express my astonishment at such great barbarity toward a
Christian."-- Ibid.,
vol. 2, pp. 151-153.
Again the storm of rage burst out, and
Jerome was hurried away to prison. Yet there were some in the assembly
upon whom his words had made a deep impression and who desired to save
his life. He was visited by dignitaries of the church and urged to
submit himself to the council. The most brilliant prospects were
presented before him as the reward of renouncing his opposition to Rome.
But like his Master when offered the glory of the world, Jerome remained
steadfast.
"Prove to me from the Holy Writings
that I am in error," he said, "and I will abjure it."
"The Holy Writings!" exclaimed one of
his tempters, "is everything then to be judged by them? Who can
understand them till the church has interpreted them?"
"Are the traditions of men more worthy
of faith than the gospel of our Saviour?" replied Jerome. "Paul did not
exhort those to whom he wrote to listen to the traditions of men, but
said, 'Search the Scriptures.'"
"Heretic!" was the response, "I repent
having pleaded so long with you. I see that you are urged on by the
devil."-- Wylie, b. 3, ch. 10.
Erelong sentence of condemnation was
passed upon him. He was led out to the same spot upon which Huss had
Page 115
yielded up his life. He went singing on
his way, his countenance lighted up with joy and peace. His gaze was
fixed upon Christ, and to him death had lost its terrors. When the
executioner, about to kindle the pile, stepped behind him, the martyr
exclaimed: "Come forward boldly; apply the fire before my face. Had I
been afraid, I should not be here."
His last words, uttered as the flames
rose about him, were a prayer. "Lord, Almighty Father," he cried, "have
pity on me, and pardon me my sins; for Thou knowest that I have always
loved Thy truth."--Bonnechose, vol. 2, p. 168. His voice ceased, but his
lips continued to move in prayer. When the fire had done its work, the
ashes of the martyr, with the earth upon which they rested, were
gathered up, and like those of Huss, were thrown into the Rhine.
So perished God's faithful light
bearers. But the light of the truths which they proclaimed--the light of
their heroic example--could not be extinguished. As well might men
attempt to turn back the sun in its course as to prevent the dawning of
that day which was even then breaking upon the world.
The execution of Huss had kindled a
flame of indignation and horror in Bohemia. It was felt by the whole
nation that he had fallen a prey to the malice of the priests and the
treachery of the emperor. He was declared to have been a faithful
teacher of the truth, and the council that decreed his death was charged
with the guilt of murder. His doctrines now attracted greater attention
than ever before. By the papal edicts the writings of Wycliffe had been
condemned to the flames. But those that had escaped destruction were now
brought out from their hiding places and studied in connection with the
Bible, or such parts of it as the people could obtain, and many were
thus led to accept the reformed faith.
The murderers of Huss did not stand
quietly by and witness the triumph of his cause. The pope and the
emperor united to crush out the movement, and the armies of Sigismund
were hurled upon Bohemia.
Page 116
But a deliverer was raised up. Ziska,
who soon after the opening of the war became totally blind, yet who was
one of the ablest generals of his age, was the leader of the Bohemians.
Trusting in the help of God and the righteousness of their cause, that
people withstood the mightiest armies that could be brought against
them. Again and again the emperor, raising fresh armies, invaded
Bohemia, only to be ignominiously repulsed. The Hussites were raised
above the fear of death, and nothing could stand against them. A few
years after the opening of the war, the brave Ziska died; but his place
was filled by Procopius, who was an equally brave and skillful general,
and in some respects a more able leader.
The enemies of the Bohemians, knowing
that the blind warrior was dead, deemed the opportunity favorable for
recovering all that they had lost. The pope now proclaimed a crusade
against the Hussites, and again an immense force was precipitated upon
Bohemia, but only to suffer terrible defeat. Another crusade was
proclaimed. In all the papal countries of Europe, men, money, and
munitions of war were raised. Multitudes flocked to the papal standard,
assured that at last an end would be made of the Hussite heretics.
Confident of victory, the vast force entered Bohemia. The people rallied
to repel them. The two armies approached each other until only a river
lay between them. "The crusaders were in greatly superior force, but
instead of dashing across the stream, and closing in battle with the
Hussites whom they had come so far to meet, they stood gazing in silence
at those warriors."--Wylie, b. 3, ch. 17. Then suddenly a mysterious
terror fell upon the host. Without striking a blow, that mighty force
broke and scattered as if dispelled by an unseen power. Great numbers
were slaughtered by the Hussite army, which pursued the fugitives, and
an immense booty fell into the hands of the victors, so that the war,
instead of impoverishing, enriched the Bohemians.
A few years later, under a new pope,
still another crusade was set on foot. As before, men and means were
drawn
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from all the papal countries of Europe.
Great were the inducements held out to those who should engage in this
perilous enterprise. Full forgiveness of the most heinous crimes was
ensured to every crusader. All who died in the war were promised a rich
reward in heaven, and those who survived were to reap honor and riches
on the field of battle. Again a vast army was collected, and, crossing
the frontier they entered Bohemia. The Hussite forces fell back before
them, thus drawing the invaders farther and farther into the country,
and leading them to count the victory already won. At last the army of
Procopius made a stand, and turning upon the foe, advanced to give them
battle. The crusaders, now discovering their mistake, lay in their
encampment awaiting the onset. As the sound of the approaching force was
heard, even before the Hussites were in sight, a panic again fell upon
the crusaders. Princes, generals, and common soldiers, casting away
their armor, fled in all directions. In vain the papal legate, who was
the leader of the invasion, endeavored to rally his terrified and
disorganized forces. Despite his utmost endeavors, he himself was swept
along in the tide of fugitives. The rout was complete, and again an
immense booty fell into the hands of the victors.
Thus the second time a vast army, sent
forth by the most powerful nations of Europe, a host of brave, warlike
men, trained and equipped for battle, fled without a blow before the
defenders of a small and hitherto feeble nation. Here was a
manifestation of divine power. The invaders were smitten with a
supernatural terror. He who overthrew the hosts of Pharaoh in the Red
Sea, who put to flight the armies of Midian before Gideon and his three
hundred, who in one night laid low the forces of the proud Assyrian, had
again stretched out His hand to wither the power of the oppressor.
"There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath
scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put
them to shame, because God hath despised them." Psalm 53:5.
Page 118
The papal leaders, despairing of
conquering by force, at last resorted to diplomacy. A compromise was
entered into, that while professing to grant to the Bohemians freedom of
conscience, really betrayed them into the power of Rome. The Bohemians
had specified four points as the condition of peace with Rome: the free
preaching of the Bible; the right of the whole church to both the bread
and the wine in the communion, and the use of the mother tongue in
divine worship; the exclusion of the clergy from all secular offices and
authority; and, in cases of crime, the jurisdiction of the civil courts
over clergy and laity alike. The papal authorities at last "agreed that
the four articles of the Hussites should be accepted, but that the right
of explaining them, that is, of determining their precise import, should
belong to the council--in other words, to the pope and the emperor."--
Wylie, b. 3, ch. 18. On this basis a treaty was entered into, and Rome
gained by dissimulation and fraud what she had failed to gain by
conflict; for, placing her own interpretation upon the Hussite articles,
as upon the Bible, she could pervert their meaning to suit her own
purposes.
A large class in Bohemia, seeing that
it betrayed their liberties, could not consent to the compact.
Dissensions and divisions arose, leading to strife and bloodshed among
themselves. In this strife the noble Procopius fell, and the liberties
of Bohemia perished.
Sigismund, the betrayer of Huss and
Jerome, now became king of Bohemia, and regardless of his oath to
support the rights of the Bohemians, he proceeded to establish popery.
But he had gained little by his subservience to Rome. For twenty years
his life had been filled with labors and perils. His armies had been
wasted and his treasuries drained by a long and fruitless struggle; and
now, after reigning one year, he died, leaving his kingdom on the brink
of civil war, and bequeathing to posterity a name branded with infamy.
Tumults, strife, and bloodshed were
protracted. Again foreign armies invaded Bohemia, and internal
dissension
Page 119
continued to distract the nation. Those
who remained faithful to the gospel were subjected to a bloody
persecution.
As their former brethren, entering
into compact with Rome, imbibed her errors, those who adhered to the
ancient faith had formed themselves into a distinct church, taking the
name of "United Brethren." This act drew upon them maledictions from all
classes. Yet their firmness was unshaken. Forced to find refuge in the
woods and caves, they still assembled to read God's word and unite in
His worship.
Through messengers secretly sent out
into different countries, they learned that here and there were
"isolated confessors of the truth, a few in this city and a few in that,
the object, like themselves, of persecution; and that amid the mountains
of the Alps was an ancient church, resting on the foundations of
Scripture, and protesting against the idolatrous corruptions of
Rome."--Wylie, b. 3, ch. 19. This intelligence was received with great
joy, and a correspondence was opened with the Waldensian Christians.
Steadfast to the gospel, the Bohemians
waited through the night of their persecution, in the darkest hour still
turning their eyes toward the horizon like men who watch for the
morning. "Their lot was cast in evil days, but . . . they remembered the
words first uttered by Huss, and repeated by Jerome, that a century must
revolve before the day should break. These were to the Taborites
[Hussites] what the words of Joseph were to the tribes in the house of
bondage: `I die, and God will surely visit you, and bring you out.'"--
Ibid.,
b. 3, ch. 19. "The closing period of the
fifteenth century witnessed the slow but sure increase of the churches
of the Brethren. Although far from being unmolested, they yet enjoyed
comparative rest. At the commencement of the sixteenth century their
churches numbered two hundred in Bohemia and Moravia."--Ezra Hall
Gillett, Life and Times of John
Huss, vol. 2, p. 570. "So
goodly was the remnant which, escaping the destructive fury of fire and
sword, was permitted to see the dawning of that day which Huss had
foretold."--Wylie, b. 3, ch. 19.
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