John Hus
The Pre-Reformer
In
the middle of Old Town Square, in the heart of Prague, Czech Republic,
stands a large discolored statue of John Huss (ca. 1370-1415). The Czech
spelling is
Jan Has – pronounced, "yan hoose."
Appropriately, Hus rhymes with the English translation of his last name –
"goose," a term he often used of himself. Not far from the statue,
about a ten-minute walk through the picturesque narrow streets and
walkways of Old Town is a relatively small, nondescript, building known
as Bethlehem Chapel. Many foreigners have passed by without realizing
its significance – yours truly among them! It is the church where Hus
preached for several
years. Who was this
man and why is his
statue in the middle
of a famous square?
Jan Hus was
born in Bohemia (part
of the region, along
with Moravia, we
now call the Czech
Republic), ca. 1370.
He studied philosophy and theology at
Prague University.
Though only regarded as an average
student, he received
an undergraduate degree in 1396 and a Masters in 1398. In 1402 he
was ordained as a priest in the Catholic Church and became rector and
priest at Bethlehem Chapel. Hus lived in a time of great political and
religious upheaval and to fully understand the man and his
circumstances, some background is necessary. Domestic political turmoil
was emerging in Bohemia and in the
early 1400s the Catholic Church was enmeshed in the Great Schism in
which three rival popes vied for control of the church. The schism led
to the formation of the Council of Constance (1414-1418). This Council
would prove pivotal to the fate of Jan Hus.
It could be said that the story of Hus actually began in
Oxford, England. Although Hus never studied there, Oxford was the home
of Hus' greatest human influence, Jon Wyclif. Wyclif died in 1384 but
several Bohemians were students at Oxford in the late 1300s and, upon
their return to Bohemia, they brought many of Wyclif's writings with
them. These were soon translated into Czech. Hus himself translated some
of Wyclif's work at the turn of the century.
Wyclif was no friend of the Catholic hierarchy, calling into
question papal infallibility and declaring that a worldly pope was a
heretic and should be removed. Contrary to accepted doctrine, Wyclif
taught that the true church was "invisible," made up of only the elect
of
God and that no
visible church or its
officers can control
entrance or exclude
membership. Further,
he taught that
salvation did not
depend on connection with the visible
church or the
priesthood, but on
one's relationship to
God. Wyclif taught
that priests and
bishops should be
held in esteem, not
because of their position, but because of their character. He
also repudiated the common practices of selling indulgences and holding
masses for the dead.
Against the will of Catholic leader-ship, Wyclif translated the
Bible into English from the Latin Vulgate. He insisted that scripture
held the supreme authority in life and that even the unlettered could
understand it. In his preaching, Wyclif was principally an expositor of
scripture – something foreign in most Catholic pulpits. Wyclif's
followers came to be known as the Lollards, experienced some growth
after his death, but went into decline in the early 1400s in part due to
the strong opposition of king Henry V (1413-1422).
Needless to say, the Catholic Church despised Wyclif. In
1415, the aforementioned Council of Constance condemned Wyclif, ordered
his writings to be burned, and directed his bones to be exhumed and cast
out of the consecrated ground where he was buried. In 1428, under papal
command, his remains were dug up, burned, and the ashes were thrown in a
nearby stream!
As the Wyclif movement waned in England, it found traction
in Bohemia through the preaching of Hus. He became the chief exponent
and defender of Wyclif at Prague University where he also was appointed
dean of the faculty of Philosophy in 1402. Drawing large crowds, he
became an extremely popular preacher among the common people and the
aristocracy. Hus sought to reach the general populace with the word of
God by preaching in Czech as well as Latin. Though not his intent, his
Czech preaching stimulated an increasingly fervent nationalism.
Hus' themes were staunchly anti-clergy. His reputation for
unblemished purity stood in sharp contrast with the corruption and
worldliness of the existing religious clergy, especially in Bohemia. He
denounced evil and immorality in the church. He once wrote, "The church
shines in its walls, but starves in its poor saints; it clothes its
stones with gold, but leaves its children naked." He held that Christ,
not Peter, was the foundation of the church, and he taught, like Wyclif,
that popes were not inerrant but some had been heretics! One might
describe Hus as
Wyclif in action.
In his premier work,
De ecclesia, Hus followed
Wyclif on several matters. He taught that the Roman pope and cardinals
were not the church. He held that, "Not every priest is a saint, but
every saint is a priest." E.H. Gillett summarized Hus' views on church
organization: "In the early church there were but two grades of office,
deacon and presbyter; all beside are of later and human invention. But
God can bring back his church to the old pattern." In following Wyclif,
Hus consistently elevated the Bible over church tradition and viewed it
as the only binding principle in life. Even Wyclif's teachings were only
accepted when Hus found them in agreement
with scripture. These
were dangerous
ideas to hold in the
early 15th century,
especially in the
cultural, religious,
and political
atmosphere of
central Europe.
In 1408,
Wyclif's Czech
translations came
under scrutiny from
the Catholic
hierarchy. In 1409,
the archbishop of
Prague became
openly antagonistic toward both Wyclif and Hus. By 1410, Pope
Alexander V issued a papal bull ordering the surrender and burning of
all of Wyclif's writings. Hus refused to relinquish his copies and the
archbishop excommunicated him. Hus defied this order and continued
preaching in Bethlehem Chapel. Despite receiving support from
the nobility, pressure was mounting. Yet, Hus would not be deterred. In a
letter to the Pope, Hus stated that he was bound to speak the truth and
that he was ready to suffer a dreadful death, rather than declare
something contrary to the will of Christ. That same year he antagonized
the pope when he publicly
denounced the
selling of
indulgencies in order
to finance a crusade
against the king of
Naples.
By 1412 Hus'
preaching had
alienated him from
the archbishop, the
university, and the
clergy. At the advice
of the king Hus
withdrew from
Prague. His popularity grew as he
continued preaching
in the fields, forests, and marketplaces of
southern Bohemia. About this time he
wrote that for one, "to cease from
preaching, in obedience to the mandate
of the pope or archbishop, would be to disobey God and imperil
his own salvation." Czech sentiment remained with him, but Hus' writings
and reputation began to draw negative attention across Europe.
In 1414, the
Council of
Constance began.
Sigismund (king of
the Romans and heir
to the throne of
Bohemia) convinced
Hus to appear before
the Council and guaranteed his safe conduct to Constance and
back. Hus could have remained in Bohemia under the protection of many
loyal princes, but he was hoping his arguments would be heard and was
willing to be convinced if proven wrong. It was his goal to confirm
his beliefs with the truth. He once wrote, if anyone can
"instruct me by the sacred Scriptures or by good reasoning I am willing
to follow him. From the outset of my studies, I have made it a rule to
joyfully and humbly recede from a former opinion when in any matter I
perceive a more rational opinion." Hus would not get this opportunity at
Constance.
Almost immediately upon his arrival — despite the guarantee of
safety — Hus was sent to prison on November 25, 1414. He was
interrogated, abused, and fell ill. During his lengthy imprisonment, he
was deprived of all books including the Bible. He was tried on several
counts related to his
embrace of Wyclif's writings. The
Council repeatedly aligned Hus with the
already regarded, though dead, heretic
Wyclif. Among the final charges levied
against him was that he defended Wyclif
as a good Christian, salvation did not
depend on the pope, and only God
himself could excommunicate someone
from the church.
Several attempts were made to get Hus to recant. He refused them
all. His final sentence came on July 6, 1415. At the sentencing, he was
placed on a high stool in the middle of the church and
sentenced to death. The chronicler of the events noted that they
placed a hood over his head, with pictures of the devil and the word
"heresiarch" (a leader of heretics), then committed his soul to the
devil. Hus responded, "And I commit myself to the most gracious Lord
Jesus." In a letter written the night before his sentencing, Hus prayed
that if his death would contribute anything to God's glory, then he
might be able to meet it without fear. Hands bound behind his back, Hus
was chained to the stake. Wood and hay were piled up to his chin. Rosin
was sprinkled on it. He was given
one last chance to recant and be set free. Bravely, he refused
and said, "I shall die with joy today in the faith of the gospel which I
have preached." As they lit the flames around him he sang out twice,
"Christ thou Son of the Living God, have mercy upon me." He died singing
and praying.
During his exile in Bohemia, Hus wrote the following:
"What fear shall part us from God, or what death? What shall
we lose if for His sake we forfeit wealth,
friends, the world's honors and our poor life? It is better
to die well than to live badly. We dare not sin to avoid the
punishment of death. To end in grace the present life is to be banished
from misery. Truth is the last conqueror. He wins who is slain, for no
adversity `hurts him if no iniquity has dominion over him."
It is no wonder that historians
refer to Wyclif and Hus as "pre-reformers." Luther was not
directly
influenced by Hus, and was unaware
of his work when he began his own
reform movement. But, as he learned
of Hus he grew to admire him. Luther
condemned the burning of Hus and
wrote of him, "If such a man is to be
regarded as a heretic, then no person
under the sun can be looked upon as a
true Christian." In the Prague library,
there is a hymn to Hus' memory,
dating from 1572, with three medallions pictured. On the first
medallion
is a picture of Wyclif striking sparks against a stone. The second
shows Hus kindling fire from the sparks. And the third depicts Luther
holding aloft a flaming torch.
Lessons Learned
Hus' example of moral integrity contrasted sharply with the
immoral and corrupt clergy of his day. There is no less need for such
integrity among God's people today! We live in a morally deteriorating
culture. May the Lord give us the strength to withstand the temptations
and seductions that so easily beset us!
John Wyclif was a maverick that rejected traditional doctrines –
the kind of preacher many elders and preachers warn their assemblies
not to hear. Yet, Hus ignored Wyclif's poor reputation with the
`church,' exhibited a mind open to honest inquiry, and demonstrated the
courage to repeat the truths he learned regardless of the consequences.
0, that such courage and strength of faith would be instilled in our
hearts today!
It requires a genuine faith and a courageous will to maintain
the independent spirit of a Jan Hus – to be so devoted to the word of
God that we stand with it, knowing that this may result in being
ostracized from many of one's own brethren and friends. The fear of
being shouted at from pulpits, written up in journals, and put on
"trial" as a victim of populist politicking and paranoid combat is real.
Hus also exhibited the humility to subject his will to
the will of God, even if his most cherished beliefs were proven wrong.
So often pride dominates us and keeps us from changing our minds once
we've defended a position. Such pride will never result in the discovery
of truth!
There are lessons to be learned from the reaction of the
Catholic Church. In part, the unstable political and religious climate
of the day was instrumental in bringing about the persecution and murder
of Hus. Instability creates fear. When men, especially religious men,
feel they are in danger of losing a hold over others – fear dominates.
Attacks against any who are deemed a threat are inevitable. Honest,
humble, patient
investigation is discarded.
When a group of preachers or
brethren claim a "lock" on the truth,
they become reactionary toward
anything that differs from a long held
practice. Such was the case with the
Pharisees toward the Lord (Matt 15;
Mark 7). The reliance on their own
past interpretations hindered the
search for and ability to see the truth
of the Lord's instruction. This mentality is the seed of the Catholic error.
The Catholic error rests not only
in particular erroneous practices, but
also in the mentality toward their
understanding of truth (that we own
the truth – and should place our trust
in one group's collective, general
understanding of what is true). Surely
we must guard against this mentality
today! There is always a danger that in
our fear of change we will quash what
is actually true! We may not look like the Catholic Church of
Hus' day, but do we regard our beliefs as they regarded theirs? Might we
be guilty of persecuting,
with pen and pulpit, honorable brethren seeking the truth – who
may, in the end, actually be right?
The scriptures are the word of God. They are God-breathed. They
are, and must always remain in our hearts, the final authority in life.
One man's, or one group's, understanding of the scriptures is not the
final authority. The scriptures are infallible — we are not. We are
finite beings susceptible to error. I am convinced that Jan Hus would
not seek others to follow his beliefs per se, but would encourage men to
seek the Lord and his word above all. It is not my place to judge Hus –
one way or another. He is in the hands of the Lord and only he knows
his heart. Yet, the spiritual distance he traveled in the environment of
his day is impressive. Would we have had that courage? Do we have that
courage? Can we say we have moved that much closer to the Lord in our
spiritual walk? In Jan Hus' life of moral integrity and determined
commitment to scripture, unwavering in the face of death, we have before
us an affecting example.
