Dueing the Exile 99

But a hair of your head shall not perish: in your patience you shall possess your souls.1 If then a single hair shall not perish, how then can the faithful perish? Therefore, dear friends, study to keep the true faith and the sure hope. Stand firmly in the love of God’s word and cleave to it with earnest desire, listening to those whom the Saviour hath sent, that they may preach His gospel to you with fearless constancy, and withstand ravening wolves and false prophets. It is concerning these that Christ speaks to the faithful ones in the words : Many false prophets shall arise and shall seduce many.2 Christ bids the faithful beware of them, and teaches how they can be recog nised — to wit, by their fruits, which are pride, fornication, greed, simony, contempt of God’s word and persecution of the faithful, backbiting, sycophancy 7 zeal for the traditions of men, etc.

Now, such wear sheep’s clothing ; 3 they put on the name and office of the Christian ; and being within ravening wolves* they mangle and tear the flock of Christ. It was of these wolves that Christ spake to His disciples : Behold (saith He), I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye -therefore wise as serpents and simple as doves.5 They had to be wise as serpents, He said, so as not to suffer themselves to be deceived and to slay within them Christ their Head ; and simple as doves, so as to endure with patience the cruelty of wolves. Mark, dear friends, what a clear exposure of the wolves we have here, ay, and of their doctrine, so that we may not suffer ourselves to be enticed by them from the way of Christ, whereby we hasten to attain the joys of heaven. Preserve and

1 Luke xxi. 18, 19. 2 Matt. xxiv. 11. * Matt. vii. 15.

4 n. 5 Matt. x. 16.

100 LETTEES WEITTEN guard faith, hope, charity, humility, gentleness, justice, modesty, temperance, sobriety, patience,1 and the other virtues which adorn our lives with noble conduct and works. Rejoice in that you suffer persecution.2 For Christ saith : Blessed are they tfcat ‘mourn : for they shall be comforted? Blessed are ye when men hate you* excommunicate and cast you out with anathemas for the sake of God’s word. Rejoice in that day : for great is your reward in heaven.6 “Who, then, having faith, hope, and charity, would not for the Saviour’s sake undergo all such insults and shame, when he is sure of receiving a hundredfold in life eternal ?

Looking, therefore, as you do for these things, you will remember what Christ said : There shall be tribula tion, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be.6 How so ? The apostle himself gives us the reason : For (saith he) there shall be a time when they will not endure 7 sound doctrine, but according to their own desires they will heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and will indeed turn away their hearing from, ike truth, but will join themselves* unto fables.9

This prophecy of St. Paul you now see with your own eyes already fulfilled. For elsewhere He saith : All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer per secution. But impious men and seducers will grow worse and worse.10

Therefore, dear friends, as St. Peter exhorteth: Take heed lest, being led aside by the error of the unwise, you fall from your own steadfastness ; but grow in the

1 Gal. vi. 22-3. 2 Matt. v. 10 * Matt. v. 5.

4 Luke vi. 22. * Ib. • Matt. xxiv. 21.

7 Mon. P. : m non recipient ; read with Vulgate : cum.

8 Connectent. • 2 Tim. iv. 3-4. 10 2 Tim. iii. 12-13.

grace of God and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.1 Pray God for me that it may please Him to grant me prosperity and success in preaching His word in all places where necessity shall demand — in cities, towns, villages, castles, fields, forests — wherever I can be of help, that the word of God may not be put to silence within me.2

Salute3 one another and comfort one another in the grace of God the Father and of His dearly beloved Son and of His Holy Spirit. He can guard you from sin and settle you in eternal joy : to whom be praise and glory for ever. Amen.

XIX. To THE SAME (Without date: October 1412)

To the faithful who are zealous for the Lord Jesus Christ and His word, dwelling in the city of Prague : Master John Hus, a priest unprofitable, yet having a desire for thei** perseverance in the love of God.

D«ar friends, it is because of my strong desire that I beseech you not to draw back from the truth, the knowledge of which the Saviour in His mercy hath generously bestowed upon you. I trust indeed that the Lord will perfect what He hath begun in you the elect, and will grant unto you perseverance when you are tempted. For myself, likewise, I trust in the kindly goodness of our Saviour, although now I can say with the apostle, that to me to live is Christ and to die gain : and if to live in the flesh, this is to me the fruit of labour : and what I shall choose, I know not. But I am straitened between two, having a desire to be dissolved

1 2 Pet. iii. 17-18 ; very inexact. * Cf. supra, p. 86.

• P. : Salvate ; read with Mon. : Salutate.

102 LETTERS WEITTEN and to be with Christ, a thing by far the better. But to abide still in the flesh is needful for you.1 So wrote the apostle to the Philippians, when confined in a Roman prison. In like manner, dearly beloved, I say to you, though not yet shut up in prison, that I would gladly die for Christ and be with Him; and yet I desire to labour for your salvation and what I shall choose, I know not,2 awaiting the mercy of God. I fear, how ever, that much ill may be wrought among you and that the faithful may suffer, while the wicked may lose their souls. The latter are now rejoicing and demanding that not only should the word of God be silenced within me, but also that the place of God’s word — the Bethlehem — should be closed by force.3 But is it possible that the Lord Almighty will grant them what they are asking for? Even though He suffer them by reason of the crimes of wicked men, as He did in Bethlehem, where He was born, and in Jerusalem, where He “redeemed us, let us still sound abroad the praise of His glory, humbling ourselves under His power; He is with those who love Him, and delivers them that suffer in His behalf and reserves His scorners for perpetual fire. Hence it is, dear friends in the Lord, that I beseech you not to fail through weariness, but rather to entreat the Saviour to grant to us perseverance in that which is good. Let us trust His unbounded goodness that He will liberate His word and give us help against Antichrist, against whom by the help of your prayers, please Christ, I will wage war with God’s word for my weapon. Peace and love, advancement in all that is good, and hereafter eternal life in glory be unto you from our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1 Phil. i. 21-4. 2 Ib. s Fuste. For the incident, see supra, p. 79.

XX. To THE FAITHFUL BOHEMIANS ( Without date : December 1412 1 )

Master John Hus, priest and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ in hope, to all the faithful who are doing penance in grace and in suffering, waiting for the Advent of the Son of God ; 2 for the Son of God, ivhen He cometh with the holy angels, will render to every man according to His merits.3

Dear friends, strengthen your hearts, since the Advent of the Lord will soon be drawing near. You know, dear friends, that the Lord Jesus hath come once already. Knowing this, ponder upon it in your hearts and stablish yourselves in grace and patience. Ponder, dear friends, upon the fact, that the Founder and Lord of the world, the Word of God, God eternal and immortal, humbled Himself and was made man for us sinners, Himself to be unto such as are faithful a faithful servant. The great Physician came to heal our monstrous wound. The Lord omnipotent came, not to put the living to death, but to raise to life the dead, and to deliver the elect from everlasting death. The King of the world and the great High Priest came to fulfil the law of God by His works. He came into the world, not to lord over it, but to give His life a ransom /or many* He came not as a merchantman laden with the profits of greed, and not to heap together worldly goods, but to deliver from the devil with His own blood a people

1 This is labelled in the Ep. Piissima and Mon. ” Secunda Epistola.” It is, however, evidently written after his second departure from Prague (supra, p. 83). The text in the Monumenta has been hopelessly doctored. Better in HSfler, ii. 215.

2 P. : In adventufilii Dei ; read in adventum. 1 Matt. xvi. 27. * Matt. xx. 28.

104 LETTEES WRITTEN that had been sold tinder sin. He came, the Allpowerful, to suffer under Pilate’s power at the hand of bishops,1 priests, elders, and religious men the most cruel and shameful of deaths, and to snatch us from the power of the devil. He came not to destroy the elect, but to save them, as He Himself saith : I am come that they may have life and may have it more abundantly* that they may have a life of holiness and peace, and have it more abundantly, after death, in joy eternal. It is My elect — not the proud, the fornicators, the greedy, the wrathful, the envious, the world-sick,3 the foes of My word and My life — but it is My elect that hear and keep My word and suffer with Me in grace.

Such is the dignity of the Saviour’s Advent ! Ponder upon it, dear friends, in the depths of your hearts. Strengthen your hearts in grace and patience, if haply the Advent of the Lord leading on to judgment draws near. Stablish your hearts, dear friends, in grace, patience, and virtue. For the judgment is at hand, and the Judge is the most wise, just, and awful — wise, because His wisdom is never deceived4 — just, because He is not moved aside by gift, fear, or favour. And there will come with Him the apostles, sworn to be just, and appointed here with

1 JBpiscopis (sic). 2 John x. 10.

• Accidiosi — i.e., those suffering from the mediaeval and monastic vice acedia. It is difficult to translate, as we have lost the (Chaucerian) English equivalent, ” accidie.” It is significant that the Eeformation Monumenta omits this clause. Acedia was much dwelt on by monastic writers as one of their besetments. A full discussion of its nature will be found in Cassian, Instits. x. ; Aquinas, Summa II. ii. q. 35 ; Paget, Spirit of Discipline.

• The Man. paraphrases quern Philosophi et scientuli hujus mundi non fraudabunt. This is characteristic of their whole text.

Him to a death that was no death. Ay, and there is at hand the judgment of a Judge most awful, at Whose bidding necessity will be laid upon all men to publish their evil deeds to the whole world,1 and by Whose will their souls and bodies will be burned in everlasting fire. What He wills, He will behold 2 — to wit, their everlasting perdition in darkness and in the abode of devils, while they will also hear from His own lips the just sentence : Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels.3 Here, then, dear friends, are the two things to be pondered — the dignity of His first Advent, the justice and awfulness ;of His second Advent ! Strengthen your hearts in grace and in suffering. If you suffer aught, consider what I have said. Lift up your heads — that is, your purposes — because your redemption draweth nigh* your redemption from every misery. The just Judge will call you away from it all when He utters the words : Come, ye blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom.5 Which kingdom may it be yours and mine withal to receive at the good pleasure of the Lord Jesus, the merci ful, awful, comforting Judge, very God and man, blessed for ever. Amen.

XXI. To THE PEOPLE OF PRAGUE

( Without date : December 1412)

Master John Hus, in hope a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, to all His lovers. May it please God the Father, blessed for ever, to grant unto you the

1 P., H. : ad cvju* nutum necessitabuntur omnes nequitias vuat univerto orbi propalare.

2 The text seems hopeless. P., H. : quorum velle perditionem eeternam in tencbris ad cohabitandum dcemonibiis intuebitur.

1 Mabt. xxv. 41. 4 Lukexxi. 28. » Matt. xxv. 34.

106 LETTERS WRITTEN forgiveness of sins, confirmation in that which is good, and eternal salvation hereafter.

Dear friends, the commemoration of our Lord’s Nativity is at hand. Therefore, cleanse the inward parts of your house1 from sins in so far as you are able. Diligently and thankfully listen to God’s word; give no heed to our carping critics who forbid you from attending the Bethlehem to listen to sermons.2 Formerly, however, they used to draw you away on my account. Now they are without a reason, but assert that I have taken to flight, which I did of my own will in order to stablish the word and example of Christ. His ” word ” — because He said : If they will not receive your word in one city, flee into another, and going forth out of that city shake off the dust from your feet3 as a testimony against them. And elsewhere He saith : When you are per secuted in one city, flee into another* Again, when they drove Him from their midst and sought to slay Him, He several times fled ; and especially when they wished to take Him, John, tenth chapter, writes how he escaped out of their hands and went again beyond the Jordan into that place where John was baptising first, and there he abode.6 Also in chapter xiii.6 the same John writes that while they were devising to put Him to death He walked no more openly among the Jews, but he went into a country near the desert unto a city that is called Ephrem, and there he abode with his disciples. The Jews also sought for him,7 and they

1 So P., H. ; Mon., as usual, paraphrases.

2 P., H. : ne super sermone in B. ambuletis. Paraphased in Mon. , which throughout is valueless.

8 Matt. x. 14. 4 Matt. x. 24. • John x. 39-40.

4 Really John xi. 54. Hus is evidently quoting from memory. 7 Inaccurately quoted from John xi. 56.

discoursed one with another, standing in the temple: What think you, that he is not come to the festival day? And the chief princes of the priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment that if any man knew where he was he should point him out that he might be apprehended. This is how John writes.

It is not, therefore, wonderful that I followed His example in fleeing, and that the priests are inquiring and discoursing with one another and others in like manner, as to where I am. Besides, dear friends, if I have fled in accordance with Christ’s teaching, it is that I may not be an occasion of eternal damnation to the wicked and a cause of suffering and tribulation to the good, and also that madmen might not hinder the sacred work. But as for fleeing from the truth — why, I trust that the Lord will give me an opportunity of dying in the same truth.

You know that it behoved Christ to suffer,1 as He Himself testifies, at the time appointed to Him of His Father. Therefore, hold to it firmly that it shall be done as it pleases the Lord to work with me, so that if I shall be found worthy of death, it will please Him to call me to this ; but if it shall please Him to prolong my preaching to His people, why, all these things are stored up2 in His power and will.

Perhaps they would be glad to see me in the city of Prague that those who are touched to the quick by holy preaching against greed, luxury, and pride might find excuse for neglecting the hours, the masses, and the other offices ; 3 but you who are zealous for God’s word, to which you are being

1 Heb. ix. 26.

2 Reposita sunt ; smoothed in the Man., as usual, into situm est.

3 i.e., by resuming the interdict.

108 LETTEES WRITTEN conformed, would be glad in your love to see me a neighbour, so to speak, to you, for your good.1 In like manner I too would like to see you and preach G-od’s word to you, for it is in this that the other priests also ought to show their greatest earnestness. “Woe to the priests who count the word of God as naught ! “Woe to those who are supposed to preach and do not preach ! “Woe to those who hinder from preaching and hearing ! But praise be to those who hear the word and keep it, for it is Christ that gives to them His indulgences, saying : Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.2 May this blessedness and this hearing be granted to you by the good pleasure of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, eternally one God, blessed for ever. Amen.

XXII. To THE SAME (December 25, 1412)

Dear friends, although I am now separated from you, because perchance I am unworthy to preach much to you, nevertheless the love which I bear towards you urges me to write at least some brief words to my loved ones.3

Lo ! dear friends, to-day, as it were, an angel is saying to the shepherds : I bring you good tidings of great joy that shall be to all people.* And suddenly a multitude of angels breaks into praise, saying : Qlory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of goodwill 1 5

1 Hus is evidently hinting at an intended secret visit. See supra, p. 85, and cf. p. 147.

8 Luke xi. 28. 3 Verbula vestra dicam caritati.

4 Luke ii. 10 ; inexact. 8 Luke ii. 14.

As you commemorate these things, dear friends, rejoice that to-day God is born a man, that there may be glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill. Rejoice that to-day the infinitely Mighty is born a child, that there may be glory to God in the highest, etc. Rejoice that to-day a Reconciler is born to reconcile man to God, that there may be glory to God in the highest, etc. Rejoice that to-day He is born to cleanse sinners from their sin, to deliver them from the devil’s power, to save them from eternal perdition, and to bring them to eternal joy, that there may be glory to God in the highest, etc. Rejoice with great joy that to-day is born unto us a King, to bestow in its fulness upon us the heavenly kingdom, a Bishop to grant His eternal benediction, a Father of the ages to come, to keep us as His children by His side for ever : yea, there is born a Brother beloved, a wise Master, a sure Leader, a just Judge, to the end that there may be glory to God in the highest, etc. Rejoice, ye wicked, that God is born as a Priest, “Who hath granted to every penitent absolution from all sins, that there may be glory, etc. Rejoice that to-day the Bread of Angels — that is, God — is made the Bread of men, to revive 1 the starving with His Body, that there may be peace among them, and on earth, etc. Rejoice that God immortal is born, that mortal man may live for ever. Rejoice that the rich Lord of the Universe lies in a manger, like a poor man, that he may make us rich. Rejoice, dearly beloved, that what the prophets prophesied has been fulfilled, that there may be glory to God in the highest, etc. Rejoice that there is born to us a Child all-powerful, and that a 1 Refocilkt. Cf. Vulgate, 1 Eeg. xvi. 23.

Son is given to us, all-wise and gracious, that there may be glory to God in the highest, etc. Oh, dear friends, ought there; to be but a moderate rejoicing over these things ? Nay, a mighty joy ! Indeed, the angel saith : -Z bring you good tidings of great joy, for that there is born a Redeemer from all misery, a Saviour of sinners, a Governor of His faithful ones ; there is born a Comforter of the sorrowful, and there is given to us the Son of God that we may have great joy, and that there may be glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of goodwill. May it please God, born this day, to grant to us this goodwill, this peace, and withal this joy !

XXIII. TO THE SAME1 (Without date: January (?) 1413)

Master John Hus, priest and servant in hope of the Lord Jesus Christ, to all the faithful ones that hear His word in the city of Prague : grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Dear friends, I beseech you to fail not through weariness, because I am not with you and because of my excommunication, if they carry it out. I, indeed, trust in the kindness of the Saviour that all this will work out for good2 both to myself and you alike. Only let us guard ourselves from sin and be deeply concerned about those who thwart God and His word, supposing that they are doing right after the manner of the Jews, who crucified Christ and stoned St.

1 The text of this letter is hopelessly corrupt, and the meaning in places is very obscure. The text in the Mon. is a mere paraphrase. z Bom. viii. 28.

Stephen: of whom Christ, nay St. Stephen also, saith : They know not what they do.1 Am I hurt at all because in a blasphemous back-hand fashion they preach a crusade against me,2 make a covenant with Judas, throw stones at the Host, and so beget vexation for themselves ? May the Lord God grant that they do not excommunicate themselves. They planned out these devices in order to frighten the simple and lead them away just as they pleased ; but the Lord Almighty will give the faithful to know what it all means, so that they may recognise that it is a mere invention of their minds and not a command from the Lord : so that also they may pray for those who are in error and proclaim that they will be excommuni cated of God: only they must not behave in God’s temple in this blasphemous way towards those who do them no harm. They pick up stones not knowing what they mean by so doing ; but they throw stones, as is recorded in their own writings,3 in memory of the eternal damnation of Dathan and Abyron,4 who thrust themselves into the priesthood, though of inferior dignity; and who therefore by their over throw foreshadow the overthrow of all priests that have thrust themselves into the priesthood for the sake of riches, luxuries, and honours. They make a covenant with the sons of Judas, so that they be come notable sons of Judas themselves. They are all guilty of simony, excommunicated of God, Who looks upon those whose own downfall will be caused

1 Luke xxiii. 34 ; cf. Acts vii. 59.

1 Quod blaspheme modo retrogrado crucem deferunt. The meaning is obscure, but seems determined by a complaint of Jesenicz written December 18, 1412 ; see Man. i. 331«, Repetitio pro defens. JIus.

• P. : in cutibus ; read codicibus.

4 Sic, as in Vulgate, Numb. xvi. 1.

112 LETTERS WEITTEN by the excommunication they themselves pronounce. And seeing that there is a multitude of people ex communicated of God, therefore it is, dear friends, that we should flee His excommunication and entreat His grace, that it may please Him to keep us in His benediction. Any other excommunication cannot harm us one whit : but rather will the Bishop “Who is above all bishops1 grant us His benediction, saying : Come, ye blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.2 Which benediction, dear friends, let us pray for, seek, and await by living good lives, that we may withal abide for ever in infinite joy, through the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, . who is God and man, blessed for ever.3 Amen.

XXIV. To THE SAME (Without date : January (?) 1413)

Master John Hus, an unprofitable servant of God, to all the elect and to those who are zealous for the Lord Jesus Christ and His word, dwelling in the city of Prague : grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

Dear friends, I greatly rejoice in this, that you constantly attend the preaching of God’s word, and that the merciful Saviour is granting to you leaders powerful in the truth. May it therefore please the Almighty to bestow upon you grace, mercy, and

1 There is of course a subtle reference to the Pope’s excommunication in this phrase.

2 Matt. xxv. 34 ; very different from Vulgate. 1 Bom. iz. 6.

BUSINGTHE EXILE 113 peace through our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ ; grace for your good, that you may make good pro gress in that same grace, in like manner as you have begun, and come to a profitable issue therein : mercy to be kept in your remembrance and gratefully received, seeing that the Eternal God, the supreme Goodness, for us sinners deigned to become man, afflicted, spat upon, shamefully entreated, condemned of His own, vilely rejected in such wise that the common people, led away by the counsel of the priests and having to choose between two, chose, instead of Jesus the innocent Saviour, a robber and villainous homicide, and placed the Saviour in such derision and shame that He uttered a lamentation in the words of Jeremiah : Hear, I pray you, all ye people and see my sorrow. And again : 0 all ye that pass by the way, attend and see if there be any sorrow like to my sorrow.1 Also He cried to His Father saying : 0 God, why hast thou forsaken me ? 2 Such was indeed His cry, as He hung on the cruel and shameful cross and suffered the blasphemy of the priests, who surrounded the cross and shouted and hissed out the mocking words : He trusted in God : let him now deliver him.3 Vah,* thou that destroyest the temple of God … come down from the cross!6 But His cry was: 0 God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? It is that cry that calls upon us to mark His boundless mercy, to suffer blasphemy in the spirit of love along with Him, and to be thank ful for the mercy wherewith He redeemed us from everlasting damnation.

Such, then, is the mercy that comes to you from

1 Lam. i. 14 ; i. 18. 2 Matt, xxvii. 46. 3 Matt, xxvii. 43.

4 So Douai. • Matt, xxvii. 40.

God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, Who grants you also peace. Our Master, the Peacemaker, taught His disciples to be peace makers, so that, in whatsoever house they entered, they were to say : Peace be to you.1 When He rose from the dead and entered into the midst of them, He said: Peace be to you? When, too, He was minded to depart from them to His death, He said: Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.3 After His manner, therefore, I desire peace for you also, dear friends — peace to you from Him, that you may live virtuous lives and overcome the devil, the world, and the flesh — peace to you from Him, that you may love one another, ay, and your enemies* — peace to you, that that you may peace ably hear His word — peace to you, that you may speak with discretion — peace to you, that you may know how how to be silent with advantage. For he that hears in a humble spirit, doth not contend in a cause with malice ; he that speaks with discretion, overcomes the contentious ; he that keeps silence to good purpose, doth not quickly wound his conscience. For these reasons peace be unto you, grace and mercy — grace that preserves from sin ; mercy that delivers from eternal fire and the peace of eternal repose in the eternal joy, which comes to all the faithful after this paltry life — from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, to whom be praise for ever and ever.5 Amen.

1 Matt. x. 12. 2 John xx. 26. 3 John xiv. 27.

4 Matt. v. 44. 5 Gal. i. 5.

XXV. To THE SYNOD OP PRAGUE IN THE YEAR 1413

( Without date : after February 6, 1413 l)

Against the Judgment of the Doctors.2

The persons who have falsely defamed Bohemia, both before the Pope and in other quarters, or are doing so even now, declaring that in Bohemia there are many heretics or wanderers from the faith of Christ, ought by right to point out these wanderers from the faith and prove their guilt. If they fail to prove their guilt and do not withdraw their defama tion of the kingdom, they ought to be punished as betrayers of the fair fame of the Bohemian people. For whereas the doctors in their judgment record that the Bohemians who utter the calum nies, are certain clergymen in Bohemia that hold views concerning the sacraments differing from the Holy Catholic Church ; secondly, whereas they assert that some persons in Bohemia refuse to abide by the faith and law of the Holy Catholic Church ; thirdly, whereas they assert that certain persons do not obey their prelates and persuade the people not to hold in honour the authority of the Pope, bishops, and priests (though they ought to judge as in error or a heretic a man who holds a different opinion concerning the sacraments, and refuses to think or believe as the Holy Church doth) ; whereas, then, the doctors assert that there are certain heretics or persons in error in Bohemia, therefore they ought to point them out clearly and prove their

1 See »upra, p. 83. It is characteristic that this letter is written in Czech.

2 This Consilium doctorum will be found in Doc. 475-85. It was put in, both in Latin and Czech, on February 6.

116 LETTERS WRITTEN guilt, and, failing this, to undergo punishment as guilty of defamation and betrayers of the fair fame of the kingdom of Bohemia.

The doctors also state that each person is bound to obey his prelate, provided that he command not what is really bad, or forbid what is really good. This very thing they themselves failed to do, when the Pope commanded them to elect Master Maurice into their order.1 They would not obey the Pope in this matter. Moreover, they themselves and the other priests will not obey the King of Bohemia, their chief prelate,2 or give a tenth, although he neither commands what is bad in itself nor forbids what is really good. His Majesty also can, by rights, give orders that the sacred offices are not to be interrupted on account of the preaching of Master Hus ; and the priests ought to obey in this matter, for it is not an action bad in itself to serve God.

Furthermore, they censure the forty-five articles against the ecclesiastical order, though no one is allowed to censure an error, except the Holy Church alone. Master Stanislaus and Master Palecz formerly held and defended many of these articles, until they became afraid of the secular arm.

They state also that because they excommunicate Master Hus by the Fope’s authority, he is justly excommunicated, although they know that the priests drew up the excommunication acting on false counsels.

1 Marik Rwacka (Maurice) obtained a grace from Innocent VII. giving him the degree at Prague of S.T.P. The faculty at first was unwilling to grant the demand. Mauritius was one of the deputation sent in October 1408 to the cardinals at Bologna (supra, p. 73). On his return he became episcopal inquisitor at Prague.

2 This phrase marks the influence of Wyclif’s De Officio Regit. Cf. op. ait. pp. 9-14.

Furthermore, they state that though the rector ex communicates some of the doctors, they themselves are not involved in the excommunication, thereby defaming others and exalting themselves.1

Their judgment, therefore, inasmuch as it is dis graceful, should be rejected.

XXYI. To MASTER CHRISTIAN OF PRACHATICZ, EECTOR OP THE UNIVERSITY OP PRAGUE.

( Without date : early 1413)

Worshipful rector, gracious master and father, I am greatly comforted by your letter, in which among other things you write : Whatever shall befall the just manj it shall not make him sad.2 And again : All that tvill live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.3 From these words you infer that I am not broken, cast down, and saddened, but strengthened, uplifted, and gladdened by the tribulations of the moment and the absence of my friends. Very thankfully do I welcome this comfort, as I ponder the first sentence of the Scriptures you have quoted. For if I am just, nothing whatever shall make me so sad as to cause me to fall from the truth. But if / live godly in Christ and will so to do, then I must suffer persecution in Christ’s name. For if it behoved Christ to suffer and so to enter into His glory* it must needs be that we poor creatures should bear a cross and so imitate Him in His sufferings.

I assure you, therefore, worshipful lord rector, that persecution would never make me weary, if only I

1 John of Jesenicz Lad already (December 18, 1412) dwelt on this See Man. i. 329a.

2 Prov. xii. 21. * 2 Tim. iii. 12. 4 Luke xxiv. 46 ; xxiv. 26.

118 LETTERS WRITTEN did not feel my sins and the confusion of Christian people. For what harm can I suffer by the loss of this world’s riches, which are but dung ? * Or by the withdrawal of the world’s favour, which makes us fall away from the path of Christ ? Or by the attacks which, when humbly endured, cleanse and purify the sons of Q-od, so that they shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father ? 2 Or by the taking of my poor life, which is but death ; for he that loses his life in this world puts death away and finds 3 his true life.

Yet men do not think of these things, being blinded by pride, fame, self-seeking, and greed ; and some have been turned from the truth by fear, when there was nothing to fear. For bereft of patience, and thus of love and every virtue, they waste away in strange perplexity of mind, because they feel con strained on the one hand by their knowledge of the truth, on the other hand by the fear of losing their good name and risking their poor body even to death. I will risk my own, I trust, for the Lord Jesus, if in His mercy I have opportunity. I have no wish to live on in this evil world, if I cannot call myself and others to repentance according to God’s good pleasure. This is the burden of my prayer for you also, and I beseech you in Christ Jesus, with all your fellowmembers of the University, to be prepared for a battle ; for the reconnoitres of Antichrist have already begun, and the fight will soon follow. The Goose also must needs flap his wings against the wings of Behemoth, and against his tail, which always conceals the abomination of the beast Antichrist. Who is the tail ? The prophet showeth in the words :

1 Phil. iii. 8. 2 Matt. xiii. 43. » Matt. x. 39.

The prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail ; the aged and honourable, he is the head. The Lord shall destroy the head and the tail 1 — that is, the Pope2 and his prophets, masters, doctors, priests, who under the false pretext of sanctity conceal the abomination of the beast. Pray, what greater abomination can there be than a harlot who should parade herself and offer herself publicly ? Yes, there is the still greater abomination of the beast sitting in a place of honour and offering himself for worship to all comers, as though he were God : ready to sell whatever a man may wish to buy in matters spiritual.3 Yea, he sells what he doth not possess. “Woe be to me, then, if I shall not preach, weep, and write against such an abomination ! Woe is me ! See to it yourself also. To whom is there not woe? The flying eagle 4 cries : woe, woe, woe to the men that dwell upon the earth !

XXVII. To THE SAME

(Without date : after April 1413s)

Greetings from the Lord Jesus Christ ! Christ the Lord helping me, I will not accept the judgment of the theological faculty, though I stand before a fire prepared for me. I hope that death will take either

1 Isa. ix. 15, 14. This is a favourite thought in the writings of the times : cf. Milicz, Anatomia Antichristi (in Hon. i. 362*.) ; also Sermones de Antichristo, ib. ii. 82 (both works wrongly attributed to Hus) ; cf. Wyclif, De Antichristo, 1. i. c. ix. (in Op. Evang. iii. 34).

2 Wyclif calls the Pope ” caput Antichristi ” in Polem. Works, i. 243, Trialogus, 424.

• The allusion in this strong language is of course to John XXIII. 4 Rev. iv. 7. Cf . De Evangelica Perfectione, c. i., in Mon. i. 4790, in which we have a lengthy allegorical interpretation of the ” flying eagle.” 4 i.e. after the fruitless meeting at the house of Christian ; see p. 84.

120 LETTERS WRITTEN me or the two who have deserted the truth, to heaven or to hell, before I agree with their views. For I know that both in previous times loyally confessed the truth according to Christ’s gospel ; but, stricken with terror, they turned to flattery of the Pope and to lies. Palecz calls us Wyclinsts,1 as if we were straying from the entire faith of Christendom, and Stanislaus calls us infidels, traitors, madmen, and an accursed clergy. But I would pay no heed to this, provided they were not confirming Anti christ in his wickedness. But I hope with God’s grace, if needs be, to set myself against them even to the lighting of a fire. And if I cannot deliver the truth in spite of all I do, at least I refuse to be the enemy of the truth and will resist to the death all agreement with falsehood. Let the world run its course, as God permits. It is better to die well than to live badly. “We must not sin to avoid the punishment of death. To end in grace the present life is to be banished from misery. He that adds knowledge, adds labour. He that speaks the truth, is smitten on his own head. He that fears death, loses the joys of life. Above all else, truth is conqueror. He conquers, who is slain : for no adversity hurts him if no iniquity hath dominion over him. For the apostle Peter saith : W. ho is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good % 2 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you,3 saith the Truth. My brethren, count it all joy when you shall fall into divers temptations:4’ blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he hath been proved he

I Loserth has shown ( Wyclif and Hus, pp. 83-5) that until after the death of Bus this was the usual title of the Bohemian reformers.

I 1 Pet. iii. 18. s Matt. v. 11. 4 Jas. i. 2.

DUEING THE EXILE 121 shall receive the crown of life.1 These are my foundations: these the dishes with which my spirit is revived so that I may be courageous against all adversaries of the truth.

As for these doctors whom you mention, they refuse to act against their consciences. You know how Palecz used to talk in the old days at your house. And I know for a fact that Stanislaus held the remanence of the bread and recorded his views in a treatise ; and he asked me before he began this disturbance if I would hold the same view along with him.2 Subsequently he swore to it and then ab jured it; and two years afterwards,3 when Stiekna came with his treatise,4 in his terror of the Arch bishop and not knowing how to escape, he asserted on oath that he had not finished the treatise. Before he was summoned to the Archbishop’s court, he said, ” The monk Stiekna must go on his knees before me and beg for his life, because he dared to charge my treatise with being a fresh graft of .heresy.” How, then, can I believe that they would not be ready to act against their consciences? Is it to save their consciences that they call us

1 James i. 12. 2 See supra, p. 9. * i.e.t in 1405.

4 John of Stiekna was a Cistercian monk long confused by historians with the reforming preacher of Prague, Conrad of Waldhausen. In one of his sermons for the Commemoration Day of Charles IV., Hus speaks of him as ’ the excellent preacher with the trumpet voice ’ (Mon. ii. 41 b). Of his strong nationalist sympathies we have evidence in his association in 1397 with the citizen Crux as one of the proctors of Queen Hedwig’s Polish College ; while at one time, it would appear, be was a preacher at the Bethlehem. But in later years his sympathies with the reforming party cooled down. It is said, though the evidence is somewhat doubtful, that in 1393 he championed one of Boniface’s indulgences, while Hus tells us here of his later antagonism to Wyclif s doctrine. Stiekna’s treatise is now lost.

122 LETTERS WRITTEN infidels, traitors, madmen, wanderers from the entire faith of Christ, and an accursed clergy ? Let God be the judge of this.

As to your proposed change of benefice. It seems to me in all conscience you should on no account give it up; for I hope that you are a shield where you are, against Antichrist. It is on this account in my judgment that God hath decreed that, as there was a rector in that parish who was the greatest enemy of the truth, so you, on the other side, should be the friend of God’s word. As to the parochial clergy and their unwillingness to receive gratefully all the spiritual oversight which they enjoy, you have in Ezekiel, chapter iii.,1 a full verdict for your own justification. Read the passage. I will write to those whose names you give, and I will forward you the treatise, pending their reply to the charges of Stanislaus. Farewell in Christ Jesus. I think I sinned in giving up my preaching at the King’s wish: therefore I am not willing to live any longer in this sin.

XXVIII. To THE SAME

( Without date : after April 1413)

Greetings from Christ Jesus, the true Head of the Church ; 2 for He it is that truly gives to His members spiritually to live, move, and have their being, since it is in Himself that we live, move, and are, as Paul asserted in the schools of Athens before the philosophers (Acts 2a).3

1 Ezek. iii. 4-8.

• This sentence strikes the keynote of the letter : not the Pope, but Christ.

8 i.e,, xvii. 28. Hus was quoting by the pagination of a folio MS.

My lord rector, you have put this among the chief points — namely, whether I am willing to agree to the proposition that the Pope is the head of the Holy Roman Church, and the cardinals the body, and, further, to abide by all the rulings and decisions of the Holy Roman Church.1 Truly here latet anguis in hwba ! 2 For if the Pope is the head of the Roman Church and the cardinals the body, then they in themselves form the entire Holy Roman Church, as the entire body of man with the head is the man.3 In fact, its own disciples, the satellites of Antichrist, use interchangeably the expressions “Holy Roman Church” and “Pope and cardinals.” Suppose that Satan incarnate, together with twelve of his proudest devils, were to sit in Peter’s place, and suppose that his rule and first principle were that whatever he and his monstrous body laid down must be held as the faith ! For this was how the devil tempted Christ, declaring that he had power to grant to Him all the kingdoms of the world, if He would fall down and worship him.4 It is passing strange, moreover, that the disciples of Antichrist now wish to lay down a ruling in the matter of the sacraments. Hath not the Church existed for 1413 years without this ruling which is now to be ? I am aware that they wrote to the Curia about the

1 The two chief demands of the theological faculty at the meeting of both parties before the Commission; see p. 84. The second demand is not accurately given by Hus, who leaves out the qualifying phrase

’ in omni materia catholica.’ See Doc. 508.

2 Virgil, Eel. 3, 93. Hus’s humanistic touches are rare.

• This argument is expanded in Hus’s De Ecclesia, cc. 7, 13, 15, the main theses of which are taken from Wyclif’s De Ecclesia, pp. 5, 14, 31, 86, 92, 93. See also Hus’s Responsio ad Stanislai, c. 2 (Mon. i. 267i).

4 Matt. iv. 9

124 LETTERS WRITTEN judgment of the doctors and the prelates. They reserve these matters for Antichrist’s assent, in order to lead us astray. They admit him to be the more important, that l they may reach this conclusion : “You are a heretic! For it follows that whatever the Holy Roman Church rules (that is, the Pope along with the cardinals) must be held as the faith ; but the Pope, along with his associates, rules that indulgences ’ by pocket and purse ’ 3 are Catholic : therefore this must be held as the faith. But you, Hus, have preached the opposite. Abjure, therefore, your heresy, or be burned.”

Item, whatever the Pope rules, etc. But he rules that Hus is an obstinate fellow under ban of excom munication, and thus is a heretic. Therefore he must be condemned.

Item, whatever the Pope rules, etc. But the Pope rules that the decision of the doctors, alias the enemies of the truth, arrived at in the court, is just and holy. Therefore it must hold good.3

Item, whatever the Pope rules must hold good. But the Pope rules that all who have “VVyclifs books should give them up to be burnt, and must abjure. Therefore this also we must hold.4

Item, whatever the Pope rules, etc. But the Pope rules by an edict that preaching is not to take place in any chapel. Therefore, etc.5

Item, whatever the Pope rules must hold good.

1 P. : et concludant ; read lit.

2 A pera et a bursa, a parody of a pena et ciilpa, which, as a matter of fact, was not in the indulgence in this bare form. See Lea, Hist. Auricular Confession, iii. 54-80, and cf. Mon. i. 171-91, for further strictures by Hus.

» P. 83 4 P. 26. 5 P. 26.

Dueing the Exile 125

But Boniface with the cardinals solemnly decreed that Wenzel, King of Bohemia, is not King of the Romans, nor Sigismund of the Hungarians. There fore we must hold this.1

And which of us can search out the number of decisions that Antichrist might aim at us at his own sweet will ? Thus I observe that the doctors would like to compare Christ to Belial, on the ground, however, that Christ doth not nominate the head of the Holy Church. So also they make no mention of Christ in their written judgment. I should like to know if Pope Liberius the heretic,2

1 On August 11, 1400, the four Rhenish electors met at Loehnstein, and decreed the deposition of Wenzel from the empire, and on August 21 chose the Palatine Rupert in his place. Boniface IX. at first hesitated to commit himself to Rupert ; but on the imprison ment of Sigismund by his Hungarian subjects (1401), Boniface felt free to drive a hard bargain with Rupert for his recognition. At the end of May 1403 Boniface declared Ladislaus of Naples to be the King of Hungary, and in the August of 1403 formally deposed Wenzel.

2 A favourite argument with Hus, who repeats these illustrations, especially that of Pope Joan, more than once — e.g., in his De Eccletia (Mon. i. 2070, 220(z, 221a), Eesponsio ad Stanislai (Mon. i. 271«, 274J, 277d). He gives his authority as ’ Cestrensis, lib. 4, c. 14 ; lib. 5, c. 3 ’ — i.e., the Polyohronicon of Ralph Higden (f ca. 1363), a monk of Chester. Hus would be introduced to Higden by Wyclif (cf. De Officio Regis, pp. 128, 146), but appears to have actually read this for himself —at any rate, I cannot put my finger on the connecting link, though the inaccuracy of the references (which should be iv. c. 14, v. c. 32) would point to one. . Cf. infra, p. 131, n. 4.

Liberius, who was appointed Pope on May 22, 352, lapsed into semiArianism in the winter of 357-8, though it is difficult to settle precisely which of the many Arian formulas of the time he accepted. Before his death (September 24, 366) he returned to full orthodoxy. For the myth of Pope Joan — Agnes, as Hus calls her — see Dbllinger, Fables respecting Popes during M.A., 1-67. As to Joan, whom Hus describes, following Higden, as an ’ Anglicus ’ from Mainz, Hus would meet no opposition. Gerson had used the illustration himself (see Op. Gers. ii. 71), and Dietrich of Niem mentions the very school in which she taught.

Leo the heretic, and Pope John,1 who was delivered of a boy, were the heads of the Roman Church. If that be the case, then it matters not if some time afterwards a harlot or an Antichrist of the first order should be the head of the Holy Roman Church. Then, of course, Antichrist wishes to be placed on an equality with Christ. But what fellow ship hath Christ with Belial ?2 It is not sufficient for him and his satraps 3 that he is Christ’s vicar (at all events, if he strenuously fulfils Christ’s law), and that they themselves are the ministers of the Church, performing regularly the duty of preaching the gospel after the manner of the holy apostles, who claimed to be the ministers given to the Church to teach the very law of Christ.

I would like to see the argument of that doctor 4 — what he would prove by the fact that Christ was the Head of the Church, as without doubt He was, for the three days He was in the tomb.6 For from the beginning of His incarnate life He was the essential Head of the Church by virtue of His humanity,6 which He did not lay aside during the three days.7 The consequence was that he was the Head of the Holy Church for three days, as being the most worthy Person in the human race, excelling the

1 i.e., Joan, whose papal name was supposed to be John VIII., and whose date was given as between Leo IV. (855) and Benedict IV. (858).

2 2 Cor. vi. 16. * See p. 50, n. 7. * Stanislaus. * An argument taken from Wyclif s De Ecclesia, p. 403.

6 See Thorn. Aquinas, Op. v. 51 (ed. Venet., 1774), and compare Wyclif, De Eccleg. 132.

7 Wyclif dwells on this in his De Benedicta Tncarnacione, cc. 3 and 4. The humanity of Christ was one of Wyclif’s strong points, in the clear realisation of which he seems more modern than mediaeval.

angels and all men, and the holy fathers in Limbo, who were all members of the Church, and who were led forth by their Head behind Himself from Limbo, and thereafter placed by Him in glory.1 The virgin mother of Christ was then in a sense the Church militant in her own person by virtue of her faith and love.2 Now, she had more worth than all the apostles, and consequently more than all the prelates of to-day, including the Pope.

As for the dictum of the doctor that the Catholic Apostolic Church and the Roman Church are one and the same: if by the ” Roman Church” is under stood the Church universal of which the apostles form a part, then it is true. If, however, ” Roman Church ” means in that context ” Pope along with the cardinals,” then the Roman Church is not identical with the Catholic Apostolic Church, just as no partial Church is the universal Holy Apostolic Church.

I would like the doctors to tell me what the Roman Church stands for in the passage where (Cause 24, question 1, chapter headed ” This is the Faith”),3 on the authority of Jerome, the Holy Roman Church is said to be that which has remained ever immacu late, and in the providence of the Lord and by the help of the blessed apostle Peter will abide for all time unviolated by heretics.4 For there it cannot

1 The famous mediaeval conception of the harrowing of hell.

2 Idea repeated in Responsio ad Sta/nislai {Man. i. 285a).

1 Eepeated by Hus in his De Eccles. (Mon. i. 2070). In both cases it is taken word for word from Wyclif ‘s De Scales, p. 87, who quotes Gratian’s Decretwn, ii. C. 24, q. 1, cc. 6 and 14. Hus, in his De Eccles., gives, as often, a wrong reference.

4 Hus, following Wyclif, who borrows from Gratian, who copied ” Polycarp,” is wrong in attributing this to Jerome’s Ad Da/masum

128 LETTEES WRITTEN stand for the Pope and the cardinals, seeing that they are stained with more vices than other men, as Stanislaus and Palecz bore witness. There have been many heretical popes, and many of very doubt ful character. A woman hath sat in the chief seat of the Church. How, then, hath the Roman Church — that is, cardinals and Pope — remained always without a blemish ? * Would that the disciples of Antichrist were content to believe that the Holy Roman Church is the whole body of Christ’s faithful saints militant in the faith of Christ ! 2 This doctrine Peter, Bishop of R-ome, and, above all, Christ, the Bishop of our souls, taught. Though we could conceive of Rome as overthrown, Pope and cardinals included, as completely as Sodom, still the Holy Church would remain… . 3

XXIX. To THE SAME (Without date: 1413)

I wish to abide by this : I hold the Pope to be Christ’s Vicar in the Roman Church ; but it is not the whole of my faith. Item, I abide by this : if the Pope is predestinate and in the exercise of the pastoral office follows Christ in his own life, then he is the head of so much of the Church Militant as he rules over; and if he accordingly rules as head over what is now the entire Church Militant in expositions symboli. The sentence is really from the Epistola Maroi Papa ad Athanasium. The last clause should run : manebit, … insullatione firma et immoHlis omni tempori persisteret, and not as in Hus. See also Kichter-Friedberg, Corp. JUT. Can. i. 970.

1 Cf. Wyclif, De Eocles. 88.

2 Ib. p. 86 et passim.

• The letter seems incomplete.

according to Christ’s law, then he is the true repre sentative of the Supreme Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. If, however, his life is contrary to Christ, then he is a thief and robber climbing up another way l and is a ravenous wolf, a hypocrite and at this moment among all the pilgrims 2 the chief Antichrist.3 They ought therefore, according to the forewarning of Christ, to beware of such a wolf and attend to the prophecy of Christ, Who said : If any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ or there, do not believe him. And why ? For there shall arise false Christs — that is, popes bearing Christ’s name — and shall show great signs. There shall arise false prophets — that is, the doctors of the popes — and shall show great signs and wonders in so much as to deceive (if possible) even the elect.* Blessed therefore is he that shall not be afraid of their terrors that come as lightning from heaven — that is, excommunications whereby they terrify the righteous and provoke marvelling among the peoples ; nor of their wonders — that is, miracles wrought at a distance (for they act from the Eoman Curia to Prague, a distance of two hundred miles ! 5) such as neither Simon Magus nor the apostle Peter wrought. Blessed is he that considers the abomination of desolation which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place. He that readeth, let him understand,6 saith Christ, the Head of the Church. For what greater abomination can there be in the holy place — that is,

1 John x. 1.

2 Viantes. This word and viator are common mediaeval words for Christians.

• Loserth ( W. $ H. 257) has pointed out that this passage is com pounded from Wyclif s Trialogus, 423 and 454, and his De Xto et Adversaria, c. viii. (Polem. Works, ii. 673). See also his De Ecclet. 19.

• Matt. xxiv. 23, 24. * i.e., German miles. * Matt. xxiv. 15.

130 LETTEES WEITTEN the holy office — than that in the place— that is, the sanctity — where the holiest, most gracious, gentlest, humblest, poorest, most untiring, most patient, most chaste of all men hath sat, there is now sitting one in name the holiest, but in reality the worst, the most cruel, the most vengeful, the proudest, the richest in this world’s wealth, the most indolent,1 the most im patient, and the most unclean ? 2 Is it not an abomina tion of desolation in a place apart ? Truly is Christ set forth by the false prophets to be in a desert place, which is left forlorn of all the virtues. Christ the Lord prophesied and forewarned His own : When you shall see the abomination in the holy place : he that readeth, let him understand. And afterwards : If they shall say to you, behold Christ (sic) is i/n the desert, believe it not : go ye not out 3 — that is, from the right faith which I have declared to you — saying that he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven who is the more humble ; and he that exalteth himself, is the more abased.4 Believe not everything which the false prophets shall say to you when they set forth that Christ in person sits at Borne as the Head of the Church. Blessed is that man who shall not be offended ! 5

Item, I abide by this : whatever the Holy Eoman Church or the Pope along with the cardinals shall decree or order to be held or done according to Christ’s law, that in a humble spirit, as a faithful Christian, I wish to respect and reverently accept.

1 John XXIII. The passage is valuable as showing the popular estimate. But before his excommunication by John, Hus gave no sign that he knew that he was dealing with a moral monster. See p. 51, and for the character of John, my Age of Hits, App. C.

• Aocidiosissimus ; see note on accidia, p. 104.

8 Matt. xxiv. 26. 4 Luke xiv. 11 : xviii. 14. • Luke vii. 23.

But not whatever the Pope along with the cardinals hath laid down or ordered universally.1 For I have taken up the opposite position and abide by it : it is for this reason, as you know, that I am now under excommunication.

Hostiensis2 in his gloss on the fifth chapter of the decretals (’ A nobis ’ 3) holds that the Pope (as also the whole Roman Curia) can err in the way of morality, just as he often errs in his judgment of the truth. I hold boldly to his reading. For if the twelve apostles erred in their judgment of the truth and in the way of morality, how is it that the Pope and cardinals cannot fail in their judgment of the truth and in the way of morality ? This actually happened when Pope John — the woman Agnes 4 — and all the cardinals, nay, those belonging to the Roman Church, were deceived in the judgment of the truth : for this same John, Agnes herself, said she was the

1 This is really the central position of Wyclifism, and springs from the further position that character makes office. Cf. Wyclif, De Eccles. 34) and cf. Doc. 299, 301. At Constance Hus tried to defend it by a fine distinction between quoad meritum and quoad officium (infra, p. 217)- The whole position, of course, was absolutely incompatible with Romanism.

2 Henry de Segusia, cardinal of Ostia (d. 1271), was the greatest canonist of the Middle Ages. On his relations with England, see Matt. Paris, C’hron. Maj. iv. 33, 286, 351, 353. His work is entitled Summa aurea super titulii decretalium (ed. Basel 1573 or Venice 1605). See lib. v. De Penitentiis et Remissionilus, § 15, ’ Papa potest peccare.’

s The decretal ‘A nobis’ is dated May 6, 1199. See KichterFriedberg, Corp. Jur. Canon, ii. 899, and cf. Wyclif, De Xto et Adv. (Polem. Works, ii. 676). Hus’s attention to Hostiensis’ comment would be drawn by Wyclif’s De Ecclesia, 522.

4 Wyclif in his Cruciata calls her ‘Anna’ (Polem. Works, ii. 619), nor does he mention ’ Cestrensis.’ This again adds weight to the supposition that in this matter Hus was not following Wyclif. See p. 125, ». 2.

Holy Father ; and the cardinals, together with the others, affirmed that very same thing. May Christ Jesus then be blessed for having suffered this to take place in His Church for our instruction and warning !

XXX. To THE SAME (Without date : end of April (?) 1413 ’)

“Worshipful lord rector, reverend father and master ! I do not believe that the schism of the people can be lulled to sleep : for Christ’s prophecy must needs be fulfilled, Who came not to send peace, but a sword, to separate father from son and mother from daughter, etc.2 The prophecy of Paul also saith that the son of iniquity shall not be accomplished unless there came a schism first.3 As to the dis grace of the king and his kingdom,4 what matters it to us, if the king is good, and provided at least some of his subjects are good ? Christ in His earthly course suffered deep disgrace along with His elect, to whom He said : They will put you out of the synagogues, and will slay some of you, thinking that they are doing a service to God.5 And you shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake,6 you shall be delivered up by parents and kinsfolk. Now this is worse than to suffer at the hands of Stanislaus and Palecz ! But as to my victory, it depends not

1 This letter should be compared with the Responsio ad Scripta Stanislai in Man. i. 265 £E., some arguments of which Hus here condenses. Its date is evidently after the fruitless conference of April and before the banishment of Stanislaus or the election of the new rector ; cf. inscription in MS. ’ M° X° protunc rectori.’

2 Luke x. 34. * 2 Thess. ii. 3. 4 By the rumour of heresy. • John xvi. 2. • Matt. x. 22.

on the world’s good report; for I know that he is conqueror, who is slain.

You know the subject-matter of the dispute : first, the condemnation of the articles ; secondly, as you have heard, the robbery connected with the in dulgences ; and now a third objection has been added by the counsel of the Pharisees.1 In the first place, it is concerned with the point that my fellow-preachers and I are a pestiferous set of clerks, in error as to the sacraments; secondly, with the heretical dictum, ” There cannot be found or given upon earth any other successors of that order than the Pope, who is head, and the College of Cardinals, which is the body of the Roman Church ” ; thirdly, with this point of the judgment, ” The Pope is the head, while the College of Cardinals is the body, being clearly the true successors of the chief of the apostles ” ; and fourthly with this point, ” The Apostolic Seat — that is, the Pope with the cardinals of the Roman Church and his prelates — must be obeyed in everything whatsoever, if what is purely good is not forbidden nor what is purely evil enjoined.” By God’s grace I trust I have never disseminated such gross errors, nor ever will do so ! For what can be a greater exaltation of Antichrist above all we speak of as God — that is, above the deity and humanity of Christ — than to say that God cannot have any other successors in His Church than the Pope along with his cardinals ? If they had laid it down that God cannot have worse people belonging to His Church than the Pope and the cardinals, they would have had greater evidence for their words.

1 In consilio. Perhaps we should read in concilio, with a reference to the Synod.

Methinks therefore that God from time to time by their inventions reveals to us Antichrist and his disciples. But He will give to us knowledge and a spirit of courage to wage war on all such deceivers !

In Letter XXXI. we are reminded of the connection of Hus with that stormy petrel of the Bohemian Reformation, Jerome of Prague. The incessant travels of this rich young noble would take us far afield. The results of his journey to Oxford we have already seen (p. 8). Wherever he went, his militant “Wyclifism brought him into trouble with the authorities. In Paris, Gerson the Chancellor was taking measures for his arrest when he ’ secretly slipped away ’ ; on a second visit to Oxford in 1407-8, he was charged with heresy, and only obtained his release through the intercession of Prague. Similar troubles and similar escapes attended his visits to Buda-Pesth (October 1410), to Lithuania (March 1411), and Cracow (March 1413).

This was not the first time that Jerome had met with opposition at Vienna. In September 1410 we hear of his preach ing Lollardism in that newly founded University, and being excommunicated by the clergy of St. Stephen’s. But on September 12 he escaped, ‘like a sparrow from the net of the fowlers,’ to the castle of Bietow, in Moravia, which belonged to a friend of Hus. Whether Jerome had recently visited Vienna it is impossible to say, but on his arrival, in March 1413, at Cracow at the court of Ladislaus of Poland (Jagiello), he found letters of accusation from the University already awaiting him. Jerome, who had allowed his beard to grow in Lithuania, shaved, and presented his passports to Ladislaus, clothed in the red gown of his degree, but in a few days, at the instance of the clergy, was put over the frontier ’ that he might plough in his own country, for our soil seems too dry to receive his seed ’ (Doc. 506).

Between the Czech University of Prague and the German University at Vienna, which owed its somewhat struggling existence to the jealousy of the Habsburgs, little love was lost at any time, nor was the rivalry lessened by Prague’s expulsion of the Germans. On the occasion of Jerome’s first trouble at Vienna, the University of Prague had at once petitioned the civil authorities for his protection (September 3, 1410). Now the new rector, Michael Malenicz, hastened to support the letter of Hus by a letter dated a week later (July 8, 1413), the similarity of whose language l shows that it was inspired by Hus.

The text of this letter in Palacky and Hofler differs con siderably ; and, on the whole, the better readings will be found in Hofler (ii. 209). To some of the differences we draw attention in the notes.

XXXI. To MASTER JOHN SYBART 2 IN THE UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA

(July 1, 1413)

He deserveth no greeting, who defames his neigh bours with grievous falsehoods, but is marked out as one worthy of correction, that, when his falsehood is recognised by him, he may the more quickly turn into the way of charity. To think that you are a professor, not of theology, but of lying information ! Why do you state 3 that Master Jerome is not the least of the disseminators of heresy when you know nothing about his beliefs ? Why do you add the notorious lie that he went on a visit to the King of Cracow and to his brother in order to subvert their views ? Are you a searcher of hearts ? Do you know a man’s mind at such a distance ? 4 Are you a professor of Christ’s law, when you defame your neighbour with a lie ? It must be Antichrist who hath taught you to talk in this mad strain. What of Christ’s law, Judge not, and you shall not be

1 See DOG. 512.

2 Hofler (ii. 209) calls him ’ Sigwort de Septemcastris.’ But for the name, see Doc. 512. That he was from Siebenburgen (Transylvania) we may well believe. See infra.

s In a letter to the Bishop and Chapter of Zagrab (Agram) (see Doc. 512), whose bishop appears to have been from Siebenburgen; see Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica, or Gams, s.v.

4 Bead with H. : Numquld … cordium ? Per tantam, etc.

136 LETTERS WEITTEN judged ? l “What of this : If thy brother sin against thee, reprove him?2 Why, instead of giving your brother in the first place a loving reproof by your self alone, you publish a damaging calumny ! 3 And you have had the audacity to put your sharp teeth not only into an honourable master, but into great communities. Bohemia did not suffice you but you must fix a charge of heresy (which I trust is a false charge) upon the Slavonic people before the students with diabolical rashness, and with no first hand knowledge. Judging the hidden things of the heart (forsooth !), you wrote that they were ” heresiarchs and schismatics,4 carrying honey on their lips and holding the fatal poison of asps in their hearts.” 5 This is the way you unjustly judge your neighbours, supposing also that they are attempting to stir up a mad revolt against the clergy. God is standing ready to judge. Granted that in name you are a professor of theology, yet if you do not in very deed confess the truth and do penance for this offence, you will have to give an account for every word to the strictest6 of all judges. Is it part of your professorial calling7 to fall into confusion as to individuals, to charge your brothers with heresy, and to gather together lies in different quarters against your neighbours ? Surely you have been badly instructed in the theology of love ! May God grant you the spirit of truth to speak that which is holy and right

1 Matt. vii. 1. * Luke xvii. 3.

1 Bead with H. : injwiosa diffamaoio. 4 P. omits. * Evidently a quotation from the letter (see Doc. 512). ’ P. : distriotissimo. H. : discretisiimo.

7 H. : Estne professoris in officio penonat oonfundere. P. : Etne tu profestor, in incerto penonat confvndere.

DUKING THE EXILE 137 before the Lord and not what is calumnious and defamatory, the offspring of the spirit of falsehood and error. I am writing without words of flattery, to prevent you sowing the seeds of detraction and scandal among your neighbours, and from the desire that you may abstain from such behaviour and do penance for the offences you have committed. Written on the octave of John Baptist, by the hands of Master John Hus, in hope a servant of Jesus Christ.

XXXII. To THE PEOPLE OP PRAGUE (Without date : early in 1414 !)

Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Thus saith the Lord God in the verses of the holy Jeremiah : Stand ye on the ways and hear and ask for the old paths, which is the good way, and walk ye in it, and ye shall find refreshment for your souls.2 Stand ye in the ways of God, which are the great humility of the Lord Jesus Christ, His mercy, patience, and toilsome life, afflicted and sorrowing even to His foul death ; for the blessed Saviour Himself saith : Learn of me, because I am meek and humble of heart.5 And in another place He saith : / have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also.* Moreover, the Lord Jesus obeyed His Father even unto death : surely, then, there is all the more fitness for us sinners to do so. Stand in the ways, constantly asking which are

1 For the gap in the correspondence, see pp. 86 and 139. Hus at this time was often in Prague. This letter is in Czech.

2 Jer. vi 16. Vulgate reads videte, not as Hus, audite. * Matt. xi. 29. 4 John xiii. 15.

138 LETTEES WRITTEN DUEING EXILE those that lead from eternal death to eternal life, and from misery to eternal joy. And this way is the gospel of the Lord Almighty, the apostolic epistles, the Old Testament, the lives also of the saints which are contained in the sacred letters, saints who shine forth in their lives as the sun, moon, and stars. Therefore, dear brothers and dear sisters in the Lord God, I beg you by the martyrdom of God’s Son gladly to attend the preaching, to gather together and hear it diligently ; to understand as ye hear, to observe as ye understand ; to learn as ye observe ; as ye learn well, to know your well-beloved Saviour (for to know God is the perfect righteousness) ; as ye know Him, to love Him with all your heart, and with all your will, and your neighbour as yourselves; and as ye love Him, to rejoice with Him, world without end. Amen. For on these two commands hangs the entire law, old and new. Stand in the way and hear, that you may show a noble penitence ; for thus will you attain the heavenly kingdom. For true penitence is health of the soul and restorer of virtue ; as St. Bernard testifies, saying : 0 Penitence, health of the soul, restorer of virtue, scatterer of sins, overthrower of hell, gate of heaven, way of the righteous and satis faction of the blessed.1 Oh, right blessed is he that loves the penitence of the saintly life and keeps it unto the end of his days ! Stand in the way of God, dear brothers, ever moving forward in the holy life. Cease not to do well : for when the time shall come, you will live in heaven for ever. Amen.

1 I have not traced this quotation, or its source.

Part IV* — Letters Written on the Journey to Constance

(August — November, 1414.)

ON October 30, 1413, Sigismund, at that time at Como, had summoned, as ‘the defender and advocate of the Church,’ all princes and prelates to a General Council to be held at Constance on November 1, 1414. The affairs of Christendom which led to the calling of this Council, the failure of the Council of Pisa, the ambition of Sigismund, and the struggles of the three rival Popes, must not now detain us. But it is important for the student of the life of Hus to realise that when Sigismund summoned this most momentous Council the termination of the schism was not his only object. As heir to the throne of Bohemia, he felt the need of removing from the land the stain of heresy. He realised keenly that ’ throughout the Avhole earth resounded the rumour that the Bohemians are sons of heretical baseness.’ Unfortunately, but one letter of Hus for the year between Sigismund’s summoning of the Council and the follow ing August has been preserved for us (supra, p. 137). A fuller correspondence would have been invaluable in giving us some insight into the popular anticipations as regards this great event.

Whatever steps Wenzel might take, Sigismund, as the heir to Wenzel’s domains, determined to bring the matter before the Council. He was persuaded that the affair could be peaceably settled, and that he would win the gratitude of Bohemia. He accordingly despatched from Friuli, in Lombardy, three of his court to bid Hus present himself at Constance, and to act as his escort. Th e good intentions of Sigismund are evident in his choice. John of Chlum, surnamed Kepka, and Wenzel of Lestna, of the house of Duba, were both adherents of Hus, who had served with Sigismund in 1413 in his Venetian war. The third, Henry Chlum of Lacembok, was John of Chlum’s uncle. Sigismund also promised that he would obtain for Hus a full hearing and send him a safe conduct ’ written in Latin and German.’

Hus at once prepared to obey. In view of his own appeal to a General Council, he could not do otherwise. He was too unconscious of his real dissent from Rome to know the risks he ran. His next move was not without worldly wisdom. On August 26, 1414, he posted up notices in Latin and Czech throughout the whole of Prague offering ’ to render an account of his faith and hope ’ before the Synod that would open on the following day. Numerous copies of this notice have been pre served. The Latin Notice l ran as follows : —

Notice to the Synod

Master John of Husinecz, bachelor of divinity,3 is ready to appear before the most reverend father, Conrad, Archbishop of Prague, legate of the Apostolic Seat, at the next convocation of all the prelates and clergy of the kingdom of Bohemia, being at all times prepared to give an account of the faith and hope that is in him to the satisfaction of all who may inquire of him thereof ; and, moreover, to see and to hear each and all who have a mind to charge him with obstinacy in error or with any heresy what soever, in order that they may render themselves liable in that same place, according to the require ments of the law of God and of justice, to the penalty

1 The Czech Notice is similar, but differs in tbe conclusion: ’ … And if any one is able to prefer a charge of error or heresy against me, let him get ready to set out thither, that he may accuse me there, after giving out his name before the aforesaid Council. It will give me no trouble to reply in due order as to the truths I hold, both to small and great. Therefore, good sirs, lovers of justice, consider carefully whether I make any demand in this letter which is contrary to divine or human law. If, however, I shall not be allowed a hearing, let it be known to the whole kingdom of Bohemia that this occurs through no fault of mine.’

2 Saccalarius formatus, the technical term for a bachelor of divinity who had read Peter Lombard’s Sentences^ but not yet incepted as a regent. See, e.g., Chartularium Univ. Paris, ii. 700, and for Oxford, Munimenta Aoad. (R.S.), 392, 395-6.

JOUENEY TO CONSTANCE 141 of retaliation, if they fail legally to prove against him obstinacy in error or heresy.1 To all which charges before the said Archbishop and prelates, and withal at the next General Council in Constance, he is ready with God’s help to reply, to abide by the law, and, in Christ’s name, to prove his innocence according to the decrees and canons of the holy fathers. Given on Sunday following the feast of St. Bartholomew.2

On the refusal of the Synod to receive either Hus or his proctor, Jesenicz, Hus on August 30 once more posted up notices on the door of the royal palace and throughout all Prague stating his future intentions.

Appeal to the Court

To his Majesty, to the Queen, to their advisers, the Prefect of the court, and the whole court.3

I, Master John Hus, do hereby make known and declare that, whereas I did clearly learn from certain persons that a letter was sent by the Pope to his Majesty (though I knew not by whom it was tran scribed), wherein his Majesty was advised zealously to weed out of his kingdom of Bohemia all budding heretics, and whereas, as I put my trust in God, it was without fault of my own that a rumour of that kind did arise, causing me to be pointed at with the finger, I despatched hither and thither many letters, lest on any account his Majesty should incur slander and Bohemia disgrace, and, moreover, caused them to be posted up, announcing that I would show myself in the Archbishop’s court, in order that

1 Hus is here strictly within the canon law. See Gratian, II. C. 2, q. 3. This point is emphasised in the conclusion of the Czech Notice.

2 August 26, 1414.

• A Czech copy only has been preserved. But a translation into Latin was made as early as the Ejrist. Piissimes, B. 3.

142 LETTERS WRITTEN ON THE cognisance might be taken of my beliefs : accord ingly, if there had been any one in the kingdom of Bohemia who could charge me with any heresy, he might have announced his name in the Arch bishop’s court and publicly indicted me there. But inasmuch as no one came forward and my lord the Archbishop gave me and my proctors no locus standi, therefore, in the name of justice, I entreat his Majesty, the Queen, their advisers, and the Prefect of the entire court to grant to me due attestation of this fact — namely, that I made the above declara tion, and publicly posted up a letter concerning this matter, and that no one in the whole kingdom stood forth against me. Again, besides all this, I hereby make known to the whole of Bohemia, and to the other countries from old time of vast importance, that I wish to appear in Constance at the Council that has been summoned, in the presence of the Pope, if he is to be there, and before the said General Council. If any one can lay any heresy to my charge, let him prepare to set out to the Council, that he may there in person lay before the Pope and the whole Council whatever heresy he hath heard me utter. If I shall be convicted of any heresy, I do not refuse to suffer the penalties of a heretic. But I trust G-od, whom I truly love, that He will not permit the detractors and adversaries of the truth to over come the truth.

Hus did not neglect to take other steps for his defence. The same day (August 30), ’ in the upper room of the house of the Master of the Mint,1 John of Jesenicz, the procurator of Hus, humbly but earnesly inquired of Nicholas, Bishop of Nazareth, inquisitor of heresy for the city and diocese of Prague : ” Reverend father, do you know of any error or heresy in Master John de 1 See infra, p. 211, n. 3.

Husinecz, o^‘asHus?” To which the said Lord Nicholas answered, not of compulsion, but freely and publicly in the Czech tongue : ” I have met Master John Hus many times and in many places, eating and drinking with him. I have often been present at his sermons ; I have had many talks with him on diverse matters of Holy Scripture. In all his words and deeds I have ever found him to be a true and catholic man, in no wise savouring of heresy or error ” ’ {Doc. 242).

Certain of the nobles procured a similar declaration from the Archbishop. So, on the following day (September 1), Hus despatched a letter to Sigismund, enclosing copies of the notices he had posted in Prague and elsewhere, and not forgetting, we imagine, though of this the letter says nothing, to forward a copy of the Bishop of Nazareth’s certificate of orthodoxy.

XXXIII. To SIGISMUND, KINO OF THE EOMANS AND OP HUNGARY

: September 1, 1414)

To the most serene prince and lord, Sigismund, King of the Romans and King of Hungary, etc., his gracious lord, humbly praying with heartfelt desire that salvation, peace, and grace may be multi plied to him, and that after the governments of this present life the everlasting life of glory may be granted to him.

Most serene prince and most gracious lord, when I consider with a full heart the gracious and kindly regard which your Majesty most generously cherishes towards a poor subject like myself, I am utterly unable to make reply ; but I am constrained to entreat the mercy of the Lord Almighty, Who rewardeth each man worthily, to grant a prosperous reign to your Majesty. Some time ago I forwarded an answer to your Majesty by the hands of Stephen Harnsmeister to the effect that after hearing what Lord Henry told me, and also of your Majesty’s promises, I intend

144 LETTERS WRITTEN ON THE humbly to give in my submission, and under the safe-conduct of your protection1 to appear at the next Council of Constance, the Lord Most High being my defender. Desiring to attain this object in an orderly fashion, I have caused notices, copies of which I forward, to be posted up all over Prague in Latin and Czech, and to be forwarded through the other cities and announced in sermons.

However, I beseech your Majesty, humbly entreat ing you in the Lord, by the honour of G-od and the welfare of His holy Church, by the honour also of the kingdom of Bohemia, of which the King of kings has ordained you the heir, and the welfare and honour of which He, therefore, hath disposed you naturally to desire, that it may please you to extend such kindness to my person that I may come in peace, and be able in the General Council itself to make a public profession of my faith. For as I have taught nothing in secret, but only in public, where masters, graduates, priests, barons, knights, and others most do congregate, so I desire to be heard, not privately, but before a public audience, to be examined, to make my statement, and to reply, with the help of the Lord’s spirit, to all who may wish to charge me. And I shall not be afraid, I trust, to confess the Lord Jesus Christ and to suffer death, if needs be, for His true law. For the King of kings and the Lord of lords Himself, very God, though amongst us as a poor man, meek and humble, suffered for our sakes, leaving us an example that we should folloiv in his steps : he that did no sin, neither

1 This gives the value that Hus, rightly or wrongly, attached to the famous safe-conduct. Of. infra, 184, 229,269. For a critical investigation of the whole subject, see my Age of Hus, pp. 282-93.

JOURNEY TO CONSTANCE 145 was guile found in his mouth,1 Who humbling Him self destroyed our death by His own death, and hath constrained us also to suffer with humility and not for naught, seeing that He said : Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice1 sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.*

When I pondered over these things, I, His servant in hope, albeit an unprofitable one, desired to win both clergy and people to the imitation of Himself, for which reason I have incurred the hatred, not of the whole of the people, but only of those who by their lives are enemies of the Lord Himself. It is by them that I have often been cited to appear at the Archbishop’s court, but I have always proved my innocence. When at length I was cited to appear at the Curia, I never succeeded through my defenders and proctors in getting a hearing.3 Therefore I have committed myself into the hands of the most righteous Judge, for Whose glory I trust your clemency will furnish me with a safe, public hearing, the Lord Jesus Christ being my defender. Finally, I have been comforted by the message brought by the noble and strenuous Lord Mikess Diwoky,4 your Majesty’s envoy, that your Highness remembers me so graciously and attentively by your desire to bring my case to an honourable issue, which will also redound to the glory and honour of the King of kings. I write with my own hand on St. Giles’s Day.

MASTER JOHN Hus,

Your Majesty’s obedient petitioner in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 1 Pet. ii. 21, 22. » Matt. v. 10. ’ Supra, p. 60 n.

• This is rather contradictory of the statement infra, p. 230.

Sigismund was anxious that Hus should journey in his suite. The Kefonner would have fared better, as the King pleaded in his own excuse at a later date, if he had accepted the offer. Such, however, was his confidence in his own integrity, his eagerness to confront his enemies, that Hus set off without even waiting for the safe-conduct. As soon as he had received Sigismund’s official promise of the safe-conduct — dated Rothenburg, October 8 — Hus started (October 11, 1414), leaving the formal document to overtake him as best it might. Hence the allusion in the following letter, written in Czech, to his congregation at the Bethlehem, immediately after his departure from Bohemia.1 This letter, we may add, fell into the hands of Hus’s enemies, and gave him much trouble at Constance, owing, as Hus avers, to the faulty way in which it was mis-translated into Latin. The latter part of the letter is very beautiful. At the same time Hus sent a sealed letter to ’ Master Martin, his disciple,’ which forms one of the treasures of the collection, invaluable for its insight into the tender, somewhat self-upbraiding, spirit of the writer. This letter (XXXV.) should be compared with similar passages in Bunyan’s Grace Abomiding.

XXXIV. To HIS BOHEMIAN FRIENDS ON STARTING FOR CONSTANCE

( Without place : near Krakowec ; without date : October 12, 1414) Master John Hus, in hope a priest and servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, to all the faithful and beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus who have heard and received the word of God through me, beseeching for them grace and peace from God our Father and from the Holy Spirit, that they may dwell undefiled in His truth.

Faithful and beloved friends ! You know that I faithfully instructed you for a long period, preaching to you the word of God without heresy and without

1 See p. 159, n. 2. But though not posted until after he left, Hus tells us himself (p. 159, n. 2) that it was written before the arrival of Chlum and Wenzel Duba. For Krakowec, see infra, p. 151.

JOUKNEY TO CONSTANCE 147 errors, as you are aware : further, I always sought your salvation ; I seek it now, and will seek it unto death. I had resolved to preach to you before starting on my journey to Constance, and in par ticular to declare to you the false testimonies and the false witnesses who gave evidence against me. I possess all their signatures l together with their depositions, and I intend to declare their names to you for these reasons — that if I shall be evilly spoken against or condemned to death, you may not be terrified when you know of it, as if I were con demned on account of any heresy that I hold ; 2 and also that you may persevere without fear and wavering in the truth which the Lord G-od hath brought to your knowledge through faithful preachers and through me, feeble though I be ; and thirdly, that you may guard against crafty and pretended preachers.

Now, however, I have started on my journey, without safe-conduct.3 into the midst of many of my greatest enemies, among whom the most relent less are those of my ovm household,* as you will discover from the depositions and will certainly learn at the close of the Council. I shall be opposed by more foes than our gracious Eedeemer — bishops, doctors,

1 As Lea has shown, Hist. Inquis. ii. 477, any knowledge by a prisoner of the Inquisition of the names of the witnesses was a most unusual advantage. But there was no papal Inquisition in Bohemia, only the more lax episcopal.

2 This was much twisted and made into a further charge at Constance. See pp. 173, 180, 207. Hus complained more than once that his enemies treated his Czech writings very unfairly.

3 For explanation, see supra, p. 146. This fixes the date.

4 Matt. x. 36. These depositions are printed in Doo. 174 ft, and bear out Hus’s contention. Hus was probably thinking most of all of the deposition of his former friend Andrew Brod.

148 LETTEES WEITTEN ON THE princes secular, and canons regular. But I put my trust in my gracious, wise, and mighty Saviour that He will give to me, by reason of His own promise and your faithful prayers, the wisdom and constancy of the Holy Spirit ; for only so shall I persevere and not be led astray by them to the side of evil, though I suffer at His will temptations, revilings, imprisonment, and death — as indeed He too suffered and hath subjected His own loved servants to the same trials, leaving us an example that we may suffer for His sake and our salvation. For He is God ; we are His creatures. He is Lord ; we are servants. He is King of the whole world ; we are poor weaklings. He is without sin ; we are sinners. He needeth nothing ; we are needy. If He suffered, being what He is, why should not we ? In truth our suffering by His grace is our cleansing from sins and our deliverance from eternal torments. Surely it cannot fall to the lot of His faithful servant that he shall perish, if with His help he shall persevere. Therefore, beloved brothers, pray earnestly that it may please Him to grant me perseverance and to keep me undefiled. And if my death contribute aught to His glory and your advantage, may it please Him to enable me to meet it without sinful fear. But if it shall be more to your advantage, may it please Him to bring me back to you, guiding me to and fro undefiled, that united a while longer we may be taught His gospel and tear asunder some of Antichrist’s nets and leave a good example to our brothers to come.

Perhaps you will not see me again at Prague before I die ; but if it please Almighty God to bring me back to you, we shall be all the more joyful when

JOURNEY TO CONSTANCE 149 we see each other again, and assuredly so when we meet in the joy of heaven. May it please the merciful God, “Who giveth to His own a stainless peace both here and hereafter, who brought again from the dead the great pastor of the sheep l after He had shed His blood, Who is the eternal witness of our salvation, to fit you in all goodness that you may do His will in harmony, free from all dissension, and that in enjoyment of peace you may by your good deeds attain to the eternal peace through our Lord Jesus Christ, “Who is God eternal and true man, born of the Virgin Mary. Unto Him there is praise and ever shall be with all the company of the elect, with “Whom, if here we shall persevere in the truth, we shall dwell in the joy of heaven. Amen.

XXXV. To MASTER MARTIN, HIS DISCIPLE 2 (Prague, beginning of October 1414)

Master Martin, dear brother in Christ, I entreat you in the Lord to fear God and keep His com mandments, to flee the society of women and to be careful when hearing women’s confessions, that Satan may not deceive you by the hypocrisy of women ; for Augustine saith: ” Put not your trust in their sanctity: for the more earnest it is, the more wanton it is, and under the guise of piety the marrow of lust is secretly hidden.” Therefore beware that you lose not for ever the chastity which I trust you retain. Remem ber that I taught you from a child to serve Jesus

1 Heb. xiii. 20.

2 That is, probably, one of the junior members of the University who had attached himself to Hus spiritually. (Of. pp. 80, 235, 274.)

Christ, and how gladly I would have taught you in one day, if I could, all that I knew. You know, too, that I abhorred the greed and the inordinate lives of the clergy ; on which account by God’s grace I am suffering the persecution which is soon to do its worst with me ; yet I am not afraid of being brought to confusion for the name of Jesus Christ. I beg you also with all my heart not to run after benefices ; nevertheless if you should be called to a living, may your motive be the glory of God, the salvation of souls and hard work, not the possession of fine clothes and lands.1 But if you are made a rector, beware of having a young woman as cook and of building your house rather than your soul ; see that you are a builder of a spiritual building, and to the poor be gracious and of a humble mind. Don’t spend your substance on feasts. I am afraid also if you don’t mend your ways by leaving off your fine unnecessary garments, you will receive evil at the Lord’s hands ; as I, too, shall receive evil, poor wretch ! who also wore such things, led astray by the evil habits of the men among whom I suffered hurt to my soul, contrary to God’s will, through my proud spirit. But as you have known full well my way of life and my preaching from your youth up, there is no need for me to write more to you on this score. But I beg you, by the mercy of Jesus Christ, not to follow me in any frivolity that you have seen in me. You know that, alas ! before I

1 Habitio soropharum vel prcediorum. I take scropharum to be a mistake for schof arum— i.e. (following the changes, usual in Hus, of / for &) schubarum, from schuba, a kind of Persian garment, on which see Ducange-Carpentier. Otherwise the word is inexplicable. One MS. reads ambitio for habitio—” the desire for fine clothes.”

JOURNEY TO CONSTANCE 151 became a priest, I was fond of chess and often played it, wasted my time, and through, my playing was unfortunate enough to provoke myself and others to anger. For this sin and for the other innumerable sins that I have committed, I commend myself to your prayers for forgiveness to our dear Lord. Do not be slow to ask for His mercy that it may please Him to guide my life, and when I have overcome the evils of this present life, the world, the flesh, and the devil, to give me a place at least on the Judgment Day1 in the heavenly country.

Farewell in Christ Jesus with all who guard His law.2 You may keep, if you like, my grey cloak as a memento ; but I think you are shy of grey, so give it to any one you prefer to have it. My white gown give to the rector. To my pupil George — I mean Girzik3 — give a guinea4 or my grey cloak, because he has been a faithful servant to me.

(The superscription is as follows.)

I beg you not to open this letter, unless you hear for certain that I am dead.

When Hus received Sigismund’s call to Constance, he was staying at the castle of Krakowec. This castle, not far from Prague, belonged to a friend of Hus, Henry Lefl of Lazan and

1 Saltern in diejudioii — i.e., Hus does not expect to escape in his case the Retardation of the Beatific Vision.

2 Legem. The usual word with Wyclif for what we should now call the gospel. So passim in the Letters of Hus.

8 Vel GirziJtoni. Cf . pp. 206, 236.

4 Sexagena. Thfee Prague ’ sexagenae ’ of groats were worth twelve florins. Cf. the oath of the poor students in 1371 in Man. Univ. Pragensis, i. pt. i. p. 47.

Bechyne, whose name we shall meet with more than once in the letters. From this retreat Hus set off on October 11, under the escort of John of Chlum, Wenzel Duba, and Henry Lacembok. With these also rides John Cardinalis of Reinstein. The whole escort consisted of thirty mounted men and two carts, in one of which Hus rode with his books. Among the retinue we may note Peter Mladenowic, the secretary of Chlum, who has preserved for us the letters of these last months, to whom therefore the reader owes much gratitude.

Hus left Bohemia by the valley of the Mies. This was not the usual route over the Bohmerwald, which lay either north or south ; but at Neustadt he would regain the more frequented highway. His route thence to Constance can easily be followed on a map. On arriving at Nuremberg Hus wrote the following most interesting letter to his friends at Prague. Hus, we might add, might reasonably expect a warm welcome at Nuremberg, which was at this time one of the head centres of that remarkable band of mystics, the Friends of God. .

XXXVI. To HIS BOHEMIAN FRIENDS (Nuremberg, October 20, 1414)

Greetings from Christ Jesus! Let me tell you that I never rode in a shortened1 hood, but undis guised and without anything over my face. As soon as I had crossed the frontier, I reached Baernau2 first of all, where the rector with his curates was on the look-out for me before I arrived. When I entered the inn-parlour,3 he at once set before me a big tankard of wine, and in right friendly fashion he with his companions welcomed all my views and remarked that he had always been my friend. Next

1 Czatato. Probably the same as scotatus ’ incisus, in orbem diminutus.’ See illustrations of the word applied to dress in Ducange-Carpentier.

• MSS., Pernow. ” B ” with Hus generally in names of places becomes ” P.” The place must not be confused, as often, with Beraun, near Prague.

• Stubam. The room of the great stove, so familiar to tourists.

JOURNEY TO CONSTANCE 153 at Neustadt the whole German population had much delight in seeing me. We passed through Weiden l with a big crowd agape with admiration. Arrived at Sulzbach, we entered the inn, where a court was sitting (landrecht).* I said to the sheriffs 3 and magis trates sitting by the stove, ” I am Master John Hus, about whom I suppose you have heard much scandal ; ask me any questions you like.” 4 We had a long conversation and they received everything I said in a good spirit. After this we passed through Hersbruck, and spent the night in the town of Lauf, where the rector, a great canonist, met us with his curates. I had a talk with him and he also took everything in good part. And here we are at Nurem berg ! The merchants, who had preceded us, an nounced our coming. Accordingly the people were standing in the streets looking about and asking, ” Which is Master Hus ? ” Before dinner, the rector of St. Lawrence’s, Master John Helwel, sent me a letter saying that he had long wished to have a good talk with me. On the same sheet I wrote back a message to him to come, and he came. I had, more over, already written out my notice of appeal,5 wishing to post it up ; but in the meanwhile Baron Wenzel sent me word that the burghers and magis trates were assembled at the inn wishing to see me and to have a conference with me. I at once rose from the table and crossed over to where they were. The magistrates gave instructions that our conference should be in private, but I said to them, ” I preach in public, and I want every one, who wishes, to hear me.” From that moment until dusk we talked

1 MSS., Vaydam. 2 MSS., lantricht — i.e., a provincial court.

1 Consulibut. * Cf. Wesley’s Journal*, i. 428. s i.e., to Constance.

154 LETTERS WRITTEN ON THE together in the presence of consuls 1 and burghers. A Carthusian doctor was there who was a famous debater. I noticed that Master Albert, rector of St. Sebald’s, was vexed because the burghers took my side. In the end all the magistrates and burghers were convinced. In fact, I have not met a single enemy as yet. In every inn I leave the host as a parting gift a copy of the Ten Commandments,2 and elsewhere I leave it as a leaven to work in the meal-tub.3 All the hostesses and their husbands give me a right hearty welcome. Nowhere do they put into force the edict of excommunication, while my notice of appeal, written in German, meets with universal praise. I assure you then that no greater hostility is shown me than by the Bohemian people.4 And what more can I say? Both Baron Wenzel [of Duba] and Baron John [of Chlum] treat me very graciously and kindly ; they are like heralds of the truth, or rather, to speak more truly, they are advocates of the truth. With them on my side all goes well, the Lord being my defender. The King 5 is down the Rhine 6 and Baron Wenzel

1 Consulibus. The word, whether designedly or not, is very appro priate. Over the gates of Nuremberg was the motto ” S.F.Q.N.”

• Do decem mandata hospiti. This may be Hus’s tract on the Ten Commandments, the date for which, however, is usually given a few weeks later (see Man. i. 29J). The subject, at any rate, was clearly a favourite with Hus.

• Applico in farina. An Italian proverb for a ’ willing mind.’ Some translators have taken the passage literally, that Hus left his tracts in the flour-bin !

4 Cf. pp. 147, 165, 263.

5 Sigismund, as often. See infra, p. 163, ». 5.

6 As a specimen of the faulty readings of the Epist. Piissinue and Monumenta, note here : Rex est in regno, quern sequitw Dominut Wencesslaus, et nog de node per gimus Constantiam, ad quam appropinquat Papa Joannes. Judicamus enim quod nequatur Regem forte per 60

JOUBNEY TO CONSTANCE 155 de Lestna1 is setting out after him. “We are going direct2 to Constance. Pope John is getting near there.3 For we judge it would be useless to go after the King, perhaps a distance of sixty [German] miles, and then return to Constance.

Written at Nuremberg on the Saturday before the Feast of the Eleven Thousand Virgins.4

From Nuremberg the direct road to Constance lay through Ulm, Biberach, and Ravensburg to the Lake. One incident of the journey has been preserved for us by Mladenowic. On the occasion of Hus disputing with certain persons in the little Suabian town of Biberach — at that time a free city of the empire, — John of Chlum argued so strenuously ’ with the priests and other men of culture on obedience due to the Pope, excommunication, and other matters, that the rumour spread through the whole town that he was a doctor of theology ’ ; ” Doctor Biberach,” as Hus afterwards jestingly calls him in his Letters (see p. 159, n. 4).

On reaching the Lake, Hus and his escort would finish the journey by boat. With considerable shrewdness they decided not to take their horses with them to Constance, but to send them back for sale to Ravensburg. On arriving at Constance they discovered the wisdom of the step. The city of the Council, as Ulrich v. Reichental tells us in his famous Diary, cannot at this time have had fewer than twenty to thirty thousand horses in it. Reichental’s special duty, in fact, was to provide adequate stabling.

Hus entered Constance on Saturday, November 3, ‘riding through a vast crowd.’ There he lodged with ’ a certain widow Faithful in the street of St. Paul,’ who kept a bakery with the milliaria et revertatur Constantiam. Bonnechose translates this non sense literally.

1 i.e., Duba. See pp. 160 and 169, n. 2.

2 MS. and editions read de node. Read with P., directs, and cf. p. 161 infra.

• Pope John was at this time crossing the Arlberg. Reichental in his Diary (ed. Buck, 1882) tells us how he was violently hurled from his sledge into the snow. ’ Here I lie,’ he cried, ’ in the devil’s name. I should have done better to have remained at Bologna.’

4 See p. 1 5 for comment on this name.

156 LETTEES WRITTEN ON THE sign of the White Pigeon close by the Schnetzthor, or road to St. Gallen. From this house — still visible to the tourist — Hus never stirred until his arrest, as we learn on the direct testimony of Chlum.

The ’ vast crowd ’ of which Hus writes was probably not due to curiosity only concerning the Reformer, but, as we learn from the Journal of Cardinal Fillastre, to a different cause. ’ On Sunday, October 28, the Lord Pope entered Constance in state, and took up his quarters in the Bishop’s palace. It was after wards arranged that the Council should be opened with a procession and high mass on Saturday, November 3 ’ — the very day on which Hus and his friends rode into the city. But on that Saturday, continues Fillastre, ’ Pope, cardinals, and all the prelates and clergy were gathered together in the palace, vest ments donned, and the procession arranged. This was ready to start — in fact, the Pope had come out of his room — when illness seized him. He was obliged to go back, doff his vestments, and lie down on his bed.’ Two days later John had recovered, and opened the Council.1

Three letters of Hus written from widow Faithful’s have been preserved for us, as well as a letter from John Cardinalis, all of them addressed to the friends in Prague. The gossip they retail on the whole turned out correct. But Benedict never intended to come to the Council, though he sent envoys, accredited to Sigismund, who arrived in Constance on January 8, and caused much stir by their claim to wear red hats. The Dukes of Brabant and Berg had succeeded by their threats in preventing Sigismund’s early coronation, and in driving him back in the early autumn from Coblenz to Heidelberg and Nuremberg. Their opposition had now been overcome, and on Sunday, November 4, Sigismund arrived in Aachen, and was crowned on the 8th. He fulfilled Hus’s guess by entering Constance at 2 A.M. on Christmas Day.

As regards the number of Parisians at the Council, Hus was mistaken. On December 6 John wrote to expostulate with the French ecclesiastics because they had not yet arrived. In reality, the Paris deputation, with Gerson at the head, did not reach Constance until February 18 or 26 — the exact date is somewhat doubtful, probably the latter (Finke, Forschungen, 259). The number of cardinals in Constance at this time was but fifteen out of twenty-nine. As John Cardinalis points out (p. 163), the outlook 1 See Fillastre in Finke, Fortchungen des Kon. Konzils, p. 163.

JOURNEY TO CONSTANCE 157 at Constance did not at first point to a large attendance. It was not until after the arrival of Sigismund that the princes of Europe sent their embassies.

With the ‘seller of indulgences,’ Michael Tiem, now Dean of Passau, we have met before (p. 68). The negotiations with John to which Hus and Cardinalis refer were characteristic of the Pope. John was too uncertain of the future to make up his mind, as yet, to a breach with Sigismund, while his future conduct shows that he was not sorry to find a subject which might possibly divert attention from himself, and embroil Sigismund in a conflict with the cardinals. So when, on the Sunday after their arrival, ’ Chlum and Lacembok waited on the Pope, informing him that they had brought Hus to Constance under the safe-conduct of Sigismund, and begging that the Pope would not allow violence to be done to him, the Pope replied that even if Hus had killed his own brother he should be safe ’ (Mladenowic’s Relatio in Doc. 246).

That same night Hus wrote the following letter to his friends in Bohemia : —

XXXVII. To THE SAME (Constance, November 4, 1414)

Greetings from Christ Jesus ! “We reached Con stance the Saturday after All Saints’ Day, having escaped all hurt. As we passed through the various cities we posted up the notices of appeal in Latin and German. We are lodged in a street near the Pope’s quarters.1 “We came without a safe-conduct.2 The day after our arrival Michael de Causis posted up writs against me in the Cathedral, and affixed his signature to them, with a long preamble to the effect that “the said writs are against that excom municated and obstinate John Hus, who is also under the suspicion of heresy,” and much else besides. Nevertheless, with God’s help, I take no notice

1 The Pope was lodged in the Bishop’s palace. 1 See p. 146, supra, for explanation.

168 LETTERS WRITTEN ON THE of this, knowing that God sent him against me to say evil things of me for my sins, and to test my power and willingness to endure suf fering. Barons Lacembok and John Kepka1 had an audience with the Pope, and spoke with him about me. He replied that he desired no violence to be done. ‘Tis reported, though on poor authority, that Benedict, the Pope of the Spaniards, is on his way to the Council. “We heard to-day that the Duke of Burgundy,2 with the Duke of Brabant, had left the field, and that King Sigismund in three days ought to be at Aachen and be crowned, and that the Pope and the Council should be on the look out for him. But as Aachen is seventy [German] miles from here, I imagine that the King will scarcely arrive before Christmas. I think therefore that the Council, if not dissolved, will perhaps end about Easter. The living here is dear, a bed cost ing half a florin a week. Horses are cheap: one bought in Bohemia for six guineas is given away here for seven florins.3 Baron Chlum and myself sent our horses to a town called Ravensburg, four [German] miles off. I think it will not be long before I shall be hard up for common necessaries. Mention therefore my anxiety on this score among my friends, whom it would take too long to name and it would be irksome to think of separately.

1 i.e., Barons Henry and John of Chlum. See p. 139.

2 Dux Burgundia. I imagine that this a slip, whether on Hus’s part or the copyist’s, for ’ dux Berg.’ See supra, p. 156. So far as I know, the Duke of Burgundy had nothing to do with the matter. But Adolph of Berg was up in arms because Sigismund did not support his brother’s claim to the vacant archbishopric of Cologne. See Aschbach, Kaiser Sigmund, i. 401-9.

1 i.e., a third the price, For prices at Constance, see Hardt, v. 50-52.

Baron Lacembok is riding off to-day to the King. He has urged me to attempt nothing definite before the arrival of the latter. I am hoping that I shall have a public hearing for my reply. There are many Parisians and Italians here, but few arch bishops as yet, and even few bishops. The cardinals are present in great force, riding about on mules, but such sorry scrubs ! l When I rode into Con stance I heard at once of their riding about — I was riding myself through a vast crowd — but I could not see them for the great throng about me. Many of our Bohemian friends spent on the journey all the money they had, and are now in sad straits. I am full of sympathy with them, but cannot afford to give to all. Baron Lacembok took over the horse of Baron Pfibislaus ; but my horse, Rabstyn, beats them all for hard work and spirit. He is the only one I have by me, if at any time I should have to go out of the city to the King. Greet all my friends without exception, etc. This is the fourth 2 letter written away from home. It is sent off on Sunday night after All Saints’ Day in Con stance. None of the Bohemian gentry 3 are here except Baron John of Chlum, who escorted me and looks after me like a knight, and everywhere does more preaching than I, in declaring my innocence.4 Sent off from Constance. Pray God for my con stancy 5 in the truth.

1 Has falls back on Czech to express his feelings. z That is, counting Letters XXXIV. and XXXV. as sent away after leaving Krakowec. Otherwise we must assume some are lost.

• Militaribus.

4 See ” Doctor Biberach,” pp. 155, 192, 195, 198.

• The pun is characteristic and very frequent. Cf. pp. 160, 195, 197.

XXXVHI. To THE SAME (Constance, November 6, 1414)

Greetings from Christ Jesus ! Dear friends, I am quite well through it all. I came without the Pope’s1 safe-conduct to Constance ; pray God then that He may grant me constancy, because many powerful adversaries have risen up against me, stirred up in particular by that seller of indulgences, the Dean of Passau, now the head of the chapter there,2 and Michael de Causis, who is always posting up writs against me. But I fear none of these things, nor am I affrighted, for I hope that a great victory is to follow a great fight, and after the victory a greater reward, and the greater confusion of my persecutors. The Pope is unwilling to quash the writs. He said, “What can I do? your side are the aggressors.” But two bishops and a doctor had some talk with Baron John Kepka [Chlum] to the effect that I should come to terms under a pledge of silence. By which I apprehend that they are afraid of my public reply and sermon,3 which I hope by the grace of God to deliver when Sigismund comes. Of the latter Baron “Wenzel de Lestna 4 has sent news that he expressed

1 This version differs from that which Hus gives elsewhere, and glosses over the fact that actually Hus had set off without Sigismund ‘s promised safe-conduct. In reality the Pope’s safe-conduct could alone have guaranteed his immunity from the Inquisition. Sigismund’s safe-conduct did not reach the spiritual sphere. See p. 144 n. and p. 146, and cf. p. 180.

2 Jam prcepositus. See Ducange.

• The sermons which Hus expected to give are still preserved for us in Mon. i. 44-57. They are chiefly from Wyclif, and in reality cut at the root of the mediaeval system.

4 i.e., Wenzel de Duba, who had ridden from Nuremberg to the King. See p. 155,

JOUENEY TO CONSTANCE 161 pleasure when lie (the noble Baron “Wenzel) told him that I was riding direct l to Constance without safeconduct. In all the cities we were well treated and had respect paid to us, while we posted up notices in Latin and German in the free cities where I had interviews with the magistrates. I had a herald on the journey in the Bishop of Lebus,2 who was always one night ahead of us. He spread the news abroad that they were conducting me in a cart in chains, and that people must beware of me, as I could read men’s thoughts ! So whenever we drew near a city, out came the crowds to meet us, as if to a show ! But the enemy was put to confusion by his lie, while the people were glad when they heard the truth. Surely Christ Jesus is with me as a strong warrior ; therefore I fear not what the enemy may do. Live holy lives, and pray earnestly that the Lord in His mercy may help me and defend His law in me to the end. Sent off on the evening of St. Leonard’s Day.

I imagine I shall be hard up for necessaries, if the Council is prolonged. So ask for an interest in me from those whom you know to be my friends, but in the first instance let the request be conditional. Greet all my friends of either sex, urging them to pray God in my behalf, for there is much need.

1 See p. 155, n. 2.

2 Epis. Lulucensem, usually, but wrongly translated, ” Bishop of Liibeck” (Lubicensem). John de Bornsnitz, Bishop of Lebus, was a canon of Prague, a doctor of decrees, and ‘auditor Pal. Apostolici.’ (See infra, p. 162.) He was Bishop from September 24, 1397—1420, when he was translated to Gran. In January 1410 we find him des patched by Alexander V. on special business into Bohemia. He was one of the special inquisitors appointed to examine Hus. See infra, p. 174.

In addition to the letters of Hus written at this period, we possess a most valuable letter by John Cardinalis of Reinstein, at one time (e.g. Mon., Ep. Piiss.) mistakenly attributed to Hus himself.

John Cardinalis of Reinstein, vicar of Janowicz, Master of Arts and Bachelor of Common Law, had been for many years the trusted diplomatic agent of Wenzel. But he had never concealed his sympathies with the reforming party, and in an anonymous squib written in 1418 he is called ‘haereticus principalis ’ (Doc. 693). His influence was great, as we see from a remark made to him by Palecz a few days later, on the occasion of the arrest of Hus : ” Master John, I grieve over you that you have allowed yourself to be seduced ; formerly you were a man of weight with the Curia, more noted than all other Bohemians, and now they account you nothing, on account of that sect’ (Doc. 250). When Christian Prachaticz was arrested (infra, p. 196), no attempt was made against Cardinalis. On the death of Hus he returned to Prague and was twice rector of the University, from October 16, 1416 — April 23, 1417, and again for the same period in the following year. His name ’ Cardinalis ’ was mistranslated by Luther, and, as we shall see, led the great Reformer astray. See infra, p. 237.

MASTER JOHN CARDINALIS TO HIS BOHEMIAN FRIENDS (Constance, November 10, 1414)

Dear fellow-suspects * and friends ! Although we remember that we sent several letters to you, truthfully setting forth the manner of our journey and present lodging in Constance, now, however, to afford you a special proof of our abiding affection for your community, I desire to inform you that yesterday the chamberlain ’ of the sacred apostolic palace, as it is now called, came along with the Bishop of Constance 3 and also the burgo master of Constance to our lodging and told our master how a fine dispute was going on between the Pope and the cardinals concerning the edict of excommunication, fulminated as it was

1 Fautores, a technical word of the Inquisition.

2 Auditor sacri utinam palatii apostoliti. Possibly the Bishop of Lebus. See p. 161, n. 2.

1 The Bishop was Otto de Hachberg-Rotteln, a canon of Cologne. Appointed December 10, 1410, he resigned in 1434. See p. 257.

JOUENEY TO CONSTANCE 163 alleged1 against our master. They cut the matter short by coming to our master to inform him that the Pope in the plenitude of his power had suspended the aforesaid edict and sentence of excommunication passed on Master John, requesting him none the less, in order to prevent scandal and gossip among the people, not to present himself at any rate at their high masses,2 though he might freely go about elsewhere, not only in the city of Constance, but in the churches and any place he liked. We learn for a fact that they are all undoubtedly afraid of the sermon which Master John proposes to deliver to the clergy at no distant date.3 For some person, whether friend or enemy is unknown, announced yesterday in church that Master John Hus would preach next Sunday to the clergy in the cathedral church of Constance, and would give a ducat to every one present ! So we can roam as we like in Constance, and our master daily celebrates mass, as he has done hitherto on the whole journey.4 The master has accepted the King’s advice in his own interests and those of the truth not to force any issue until the arrival of the King of Hungary.5 In fact, nothing so far has been done in the Council ; no embassy of any king or prince has arrived ; nothing for certain is heard about the movements of Gregory, or Benedict, or their embassies ; nor do we expect the Council to begin for several weeks. You should know, and tell the others, that all our party have been cited to appear in person, and that the rest, as is well known, have had open threats against them posted up on the porches and doors of the churches ; so let them look out for themselves.6 Michael de Causis is making a great noise 7 over what he has done. Baron John and Baron Wenzel8 are warm, zealous supporters and defenders of the truth. Written at Constance the Saturday before Martinmas. The Goose9 is not yet cooked, and is not afraid of being cooked, because this year the noted eve of St. Martin’s falls on a Saturday, when geese are not eaten ! 10

1 Fulminate prtetenso. 2 For explanation see p. 166, n. 1. * See p. 160, n. 4. This, of course, in the case of one excommunicated was open defiance. Cf. p. 159. The ’ King ’ is Sigismund in both cases. So passim. Ut sibi videantur. 7 Hus falls back on Czech : rycrie.

i.e., Chlum and Duba, as usual. 9 The usual pun for Hus.

1 P. : quid preesenti anno sabbato ante Martini festum ipsius occurrit Celebris vigilia, for which read Celebris vigilia ante festum Martini ipsius sabbato oocurrit.

XXXIX. To THE FAITHFUL BOHEMIANS l (Constance, November 16, 1414)

To all the faithful and beloved brethren and sisters in God, lovers of the truth of Jesus Christ ! Peace be to you from God our Father and from Jesus Christ, so that ye may be kept free from sins, dwell in His grace, increase in good works and after death enter into eternal joy. Dear friends, I beseech you to live according to God’s law and to give heed to your salvation, hearing the word of God with circumspectness, lest ye be deceived by the apostles of Antichrist, who make light of men’s sins and afflict no chastisement upon sins, who flatter the priests and do not show the people their sins, who seek their own glory, boasting of their good works and extolling their power, but will not imitate Jesus Christ in His humility, poverty, patience, and tribu lation. It was of these that our most gracious Saviour foretold when He said : False prophets shall rise and shall seduce many.2 Again warning His beloved beforehand He saith : Beware of false prophets who come to you in the clothing of sheep ; but inwardly they are ravening wolves.3 Surely there is much need that faithful Christians should keep careful watch over themselves ; for the Saviour saith that even the elect (if possible) shall be deceived.* Therefore, dear friends, watch, lest the devil’s craftiness deceive you ; and be the more cautious, the more Antichrist troubles you. For the day of judgment is approach ing, death is laying many low, and the kingdom of

1 This letter is written in Czech. * Matt. vii. 15.

z Matt. xziv. 11. « Matt. zziv. 24.

JOUENEY TO CONSTANCE 165 heaven is drawing near to the sons of God. For the sake of obtaining this kingdom, keep your bodies under, lest ye be afraid of death, love one another, and in memory, reason and will abide steadfast in God. Let the terrible day of judgment live before your eyes, that ye sin not ; and the eternal joy likewise that ye may seek after it. May the crucified Lord, the beloved Saviour, ever be in your thoughts, that with Him and for His sake we may gladly and patiently suffer all things ; for if you will keep His crucifixion in your memory, you will gladly undergo all tribulations, revilings, insults, stripes, fetters, and if His dear will demand it, even death for the sake of His beloved truth.

Ye know, dear friends, that Antichrist hath attacked us with insults, and many so far he hath not hurt one whit, myself for example, although he hath set upon me sorely. Wherefore I entreat you to pray God earnestly that it may please Him to furnish me with wisdom, patience, humility, and energy, in order to stand firm in His truth. He hath brought me now to Constance without let or hindrance ; for although I rode the whole way dressed as a priest without disguise, and in all the towns called out my name in a loud voice, I met no open enemy ; in fact, I should not have many enemies in Constance if the Bohemian clergy, in their greed for livings and their bondage to avarice, had not been leading people astray on the journey.1 Yet I trust to the mercy of the Saviour and to your prayers that I shall stand firm in God’s truth unto death. Know that the sacrament hath not been interrupted on my account anywhere, not even at Constance, where the Pope 1 Cf. p. 161, n. 2.

166 LETTERS WEITTEN ON THE himself administered it, though I was in the town.1 I commend you to the gracious Lord God, to the Lord Jesus, very God, the son of the chaste Virgin Mary, Who by His cruel and shameful death redeemed us without any merits of our own from everlast ing tortures, from the devil’s power and from sin. I write this at Constance, on the feast day of St. Othmar,3 a strenuous servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is blessed for ever. Amen.

MASTER JOHN Hus. priest and servant of God, in hope.

The rumour to which John Cardinalis alludes, that Hus intended to preach — which, after the manner of rumours, grew into a report that he had actually preached — was not the only rumour afloat. Another tale, more damaging still, obtained wide circulation. A hay waggon with a large cover had been noticed in his street. In this, it Avas said, Hus had attempted to escape ; he was actually in the cart when his friends Chlum and Lacembok, who were not in the secret, ran and informed the burgomaster and charged Hus with having broken his safeconduct. The report was undoubtedly false, for Hus, as we know on the evidence of Chlum himself (Doc. 292), never left the house until his arrest. Nevertheless, it was widely believed, among others by the gossiping burgher, Ulrich von Reichental, from whose pages it has found its way into history. At any rate it furnished the managers of the Council, ill satisfied with the Pope’s vacillation in his negotiations with the heretic, with an excuse for bringing Hus under the grip of the Inquisition. The

1 In the case of an excommunicated person under an interdict this should have been done until the said person had been surrendered. This was expressly provided in the excommunication of Hus in July 1412. See Doc. 462. The usual translation ’ when I was present ’ is ruled out by p. 163 (the request of John himself).

2 Othmar, appointed by Pepin abbot of St. Gall, in 720, was forced to defend the independence of the monastery against the Bp. of Constance, and died a prisoner on an island near Constance, November 19, 759. Hence the allusion of Hus. For his life, see Pertz, Man. Germ. ii. 40-58.

JOUKNEY TO CONSTANCE 167 method they adopted showed either hesitation or duplicity. On November 28, the cardinals, led on by Palecz and Michael the Pleader, sent at breakfast-time the Bishops of Augsburg and Trent, and the burgomaster of Constance, to inform Hus ’ that they were now ready to hear him.’ Cblum at once detected the plot, for the house was surrounded with soldiers. ’ The devil himself,’ he said to the burgomaster, ’ if he came to plead, ought to have a fair hearing.’ ‘I have not come,’ added Hus, rising from the table, ’ to address the cardinals, but the whole Council.’ The envoys replied, ‘that they had come only for the sake of peace, to avoid a tumult.’ After further parley, Hus consented to go with them. ’ God bless you,’ he said, bidding farewell on the stairs to his weeping hostess. The two bishops for their part could not conceal their joy. ’ Now,’ they said, ’ you will not say mass here any more.’ ’ So Hus rode away on a small horse to the Pope’s palace.’ Interrogated by the cardinals , ’ Kather than hold any heresy,’ he replied, ’ I would prefer to die.’ ’ Your words are good,’ replied the cardinals, and retired to dine, leaving Hus to be badgered by a Franciscan friar, who posed ’ as a simple monk desirous of information,’ but was really, as Hus learned from the soldiers, one ’ Master Didaco, reputed the subtlest theologian in all Lombardy.’ After dinner, ‘at four in the afternoon, the cardinals returned to consider further what they should do with the said Hus. His adversaries Palecz and Michael the Pleader continued instant in their demand that he should not be released. Dancing round the fire, they called out in their joy, ” Ha, ha, we have him now. He shall not leave us until he has paid the last farthing.” ’ Chlum, meanwhile, sought out the Pope. John took refuge in characteristic evasions. As for the friar — Didaco — ’ he is a clown, he is not one of my people.’ The imprisonment was the act of the cardinals. ’ You know, very well,’ he added, ’ the terms on which I stand with them.’ Had Hus, he continued, really a safe-conduct ? ’ Holy Father,’ replied Chlum, ’ you know that he has ’ (Mladenowic’s Relatio in Doc. 248-52).

The fate of Hus was really sealed. That night ’ about nine he was led away to the house of one of the precentors of the cathedral.’ Eight days later (December 6) he was removed ’ to a dark cell hard by the latrines,’ in the monastery of the Blackfriars, in those days on an island in the lake, though now joined to the town. In later prints we can still see it strongly surrounded with its own walls. (See map in Hardt, v . iv.)

For several days carpenters had been hard at work in the monastery preparing the prison for his reception, fitting in bolts, locks, and irons, making up six beds for his gaolers, and fixing up a stove for their comfort. But the comfort of Hus was the last thing considered, and the pestilential latrines brought on a grievous sickness so severe that his friends ‘despaired of his life. But the Pope sent his own physician, who administered to him clysters.’ The death of the prisoner before his condemnation would not have suited the purposes of the Council.

Chlum, in spite of his rebuff by the Pope, was not inactive. He reported the matter to Sigismund, and ’ showed and read aloud the said safe-conduct to the notables of Constance.’ On December 24, knowing that Sigismund would shortly arrive, he posted up a notice on the doors of the Cathedral, ’ complaining that the Pope had not kept faith with him ’ ; the insult to the safe-conduct was a step upon which they would not have ventured ’ if Sigismund had been present.’ Honest Chlum was mistaken. Whatever Sigismund’s previous intentions, when he arrived he blustered a little, but did nothing except procure for Hus a better lodging in the refectory. Sigismund probably realised his own powerlessness ; for, on January 1, a deputation from the Council warned him that he must not interfere with the liberty of the Council in the investigation of heresy. If he did it would be at the peril of the break-up of the Council. So Sigismund capitulated, assuring the deputation ’ that the matter of Hus and other details of small consequence must not be allowed to interfere with the reformation of the Church.”

Hus meanwhile lay grievously ill in his cell. From November 16, 1414, to January 19, 1415, his letters ceased, at any rate none have been preserved for us. The following letter from Chlum is the only one that we know of that reached him in this interval from the outer world. The letter is without date, but from internal evidence must have been written before Hus’s removal from the fever-trap. The date on which Hus was removed to the refectory is a little uncertain— either January 3 (following Hardt) or January 8. If we take the 3rd as the correct date, for the dates of sick men in prison are not altogether trustworthy,

1 Finke, Forschungen und Quellen zur Oetch. Acs Konstanzer Konzilt, pp. 253-4.

JOUENEY TO CONSTANCE 169 this letter of Chlum was despatched on the evening of January 1, after Sigismund’s capitulation to the deputation and refusal to liberate Hus from prison. To this the letter makes reference at the close.

JOHN OP CHLUM TO MASTER JOHN Hus ( Without date : Jamiary 1, 1415 ?)

My beloved friend in Christ, you ought to know that Sigismund was present to-day with the deputies of all the nations of the whole Council, and spoke about your case, and, in par ticular, pleaded for a public hearing.1 In reply to his words, it was unanimously and finally decided that, whatever happens, you shall have a public hearing. Your friends will insist on this. They are also insisting that at any rate you be placed in a wellventilated place, so that you may recover yourself and get fresh strength.

Therefore, for God’s sake and your own salvation and the furtherance of the truth, don’t yield a point through any fear of losing this miserable life, because it is surely for your great good that God has visited you with this His visitation. The Prague friends are very well, in particular Baron Skopek,2 who is greatly rejoiced that you have got what you have so long prayed for, persecution in behalf of the truth.

We urge you strongly to set down on this sheet of paper, if you think well, your grounds and final intentions respecting the communion of the cup, so that it can be shown at the proper time to your friends ; for there is still a kind of split among the

1 See supra, p. 168. But the date of this letter is very doubtful.

2 i.e., Henry de Duba. The line of Duba was divided into two main divisions, the first of which was again subdivided into the family of Berka and the family of Skopek. Wenzel de Duba of Lestna belonged to the second main division (Benesovien). Henry’s castle was at Auscha. Henry, whose health at Constance gave Hus some concern (p. 176), died in 1417 without children, and was succeeded by his elder brother, Ales of Drazic, who had been from 1404 the chamberlain of Bohemia, and was a great enemy of the Hussites. To Henry Skopek (Skopkon) de Duba, as one of the chief patrons of Hus, we find frequent reference in the Letters (infra, pp. 227, 229, 234).

170 THE LETTERS OF THE JOURNEY brethren, and many are troubled about this matter, and appeal to you and your judgment in reference to certain writings.1

Your principal friends * are grieved over the reply given about the prison,3 and especially Jesenicz. However, the past is beyond recall. They are loud in their praises of your constancy.

1 See for this matter p. 177, infra. The ‘writings’ are those of Jakoubek of Mies. It is curious that Chlum says nothing of the little tract of Hus, De Sanguine Christi sub specie vini (see Man. i. 42-44), According to the inscription, this was written before Hus was cast into prison, and in it Hus had already summed up on the side of the Utraquists. It is possible the inscription is a mistake, and this is really the tract ’ set down on this sheet of paper.’ But see pp. 177 and 185.

2 P. : amici prcecipui. Perhaps we should read pracipue tristantur, 1 are especially grieved.’

3 i.e., Sigismund’s refusal to release, or if the letter be assigned to a different date, to difficulties experienced in obtaining the transfer of Hus to the refectory.