I like to reread the biographies of the great figures of world history. Today I decided to delve into the history of Jan Hus. You always want to understand the key principles, look into the soul and hear the most important thing, everything that created the person himself and changed the world. Jan Hus was and is a symbol of faith and love, struggle and fidelity.
If we consider the life of Jan Hus from three sides, we will get answers to key questions:
1) The fetus in life
2) The fetus after life
3) Personal life/ inner harmony.
Jan Hus has an eventful biography, and he really wanted to get away from formal phrases: he was born, studied, preached, died.
History of Jan Hus
The history of Jan Hus originates in a poor family in the village of Gusinets in 1372. His mother played a big role in the formation of the personality of the future reformer when she took him to another city - Prachatice at the age of 13 to study. Further, in 1386, Jan Hus went to Prague and in 1390 became a student of one of the universities there.
There are many beliefs and legends that create the mythical image of Hus. In fact, it was an ordinary boy who played naughty, like other children, and at one time even participated in a comic mass. As a student, he sang in the church choir.
During his studies, Jan Hus became interested in the writings of John Wycliffe, who was the first to open the church lodges of papal rule. He happily discussed new ideas with friends late in the evening until morning by candlelight. Then everything was on the rise, Gus himself lectured to students every day, and approaches this matter with the love of a friend and the heart of a mentor. During this period he found himself friends for the rest of his life.
In 1402, the most important period in the life of Jan Hus begins - he becomes the pastor of the Bethlehem church. His responsible attitude and desire to convey the truth to the people were reflected in everything, he combined work with teaching at the university and gained momentum in his writings.
Hus understood the need of the people to hear the truth and the truth in their native Czech language. Jan Hus had wisdom and knew how to get through to human souls. He used paintings from the vaults in the church to convey information intelligibly. In his cathedral, on the walls, the luxury of Papal outfits was conveyed as opposed to the modesty of Christ. His message was that man's highest attainment is absolute love for God. As proof of his love for people, Gus built houses for poor families and students. He believed that the greatest human need is absolute love for God. Due to his sincerity, devotion to God and people, Hus was very successful in his sermons.
- The Bethlehem Church before Jan Hus was headed by Milic, one of the reformers, who brought about 200 prostitutes to repentance, built a house for them and died himself during the clarification of circumstances on charges of his activities.
- the historical figure Jan Zizka, who became the leader of the gusins (radical followers of Hus) - was formerly the bodyguard of the wife of King Wenceslas, Sofia, who had friendly relations with Gus and often attended his services.
- Pope - John Paul II in 1999 asked for forgiveness for the death of Jan Hus before all nations, thereby recognizing the truth of the reformer's teachings.
Quotes:
"Truth conquers all"
“Therefore, faithful Christian, seek the truth, listen to the truth, study the truth, speak the truth, hold on to the truth, defend the truth even in the face of death; for the truth will deliver you from sin, the devil, spiritual death, and finally from eternal death.”
"Every Christian must seek the truth, even at the risk of well-being, peace and life."
“Not “my daily bread”, but “our daily bread” is said in the Holy Scriptures, which means that it is unfair that some live in abundance, while others suffer from hunger.
Jan Hus wrestling
Hus's main vision was to uphold the truth and its infallibility in the Word of God and to speak out against the supercilious luxury of the clergy, earning indulgences, waging wars, immorality, and so on. He unshakably, and at times sharply spoke out against the traditions of the Catholic Church. Hus emphasized the inner world and what kind of model of church management should be taken from the past centuries. This highlighted all the sharp corners - delusions in the church of that time and opened to the common people a vision of hope and truth. He carefully and lovingly led the parishioners to sincere deep repentance, regardless of the presence of a priest nearby, and taught them to submit to the priesthood, regardless of the position, but only looking at his morality. Now we do not understand how it could be otherwise, but then Jan Hus sought to enable people to read the Bible in their native language. He was a sincere wise teacher for the flock.
The Catholic Church could not put up with what was happening, so they sent their spies to collect information during the service - Gus always saw those and sharply ridiculed. Hus was excommunicated several times in all 4 ways.
In the future, King Wenceslas - realizing that he was losing a source of income, fiercely opposed the reformer. Gus has to go into hiding. In 1412 he lived in the vicinity of Prague, but no one knew where. Here he continued to work - he wrote letters to his followers. One of his works is called "On the Church".
Two kings - brothers Sigismund and Wenceslas plotted against the reformer - were invited to the next council in 1414. Hus's friends dissuaded him, but he, having received guarantees from the rulers, went to defend the truth of his beliefs. Initially, the trip was an opportunity to address the people once again, because the crowds greeted him with great joy. Gus was later arrested, ill in prison, and nearly died. He was not given the opportunity to freely defend his work, and the former close friend Finger made false accusations. The key position of Jan Hus is that if someone finds the truth in the Word and conveys the wrongness of Hus's views in relation to the Bible, then the reformer would accept the correction, but such proof did not follow.
Hus was ill, in prison the clergy were constantly inclined to renounce his teachings, but to all such proposals he only affirmed the truth of the Bible in the teachings. King Sigismund issued the reformer for execution, given that he had previously been supportive of Hus, the news doubly hurt the soul. The trial went on for several months.
Forgiveness
Even with a former close friend, and now a traitor Finger - a minister of the church - Jan Hus acted mercifully, forgiving and reaching tears in a conversation. With King Sigismund, the situation had the same goal - forgiveness and reached its goal, penetrated into the very heart.
At the last trial on July 6, 1415, having heard accusations of following the teachings of Wycliffe, he said: "My Lord, Jesus Christ, I implore You that you would forgive all my enemies for the sake of Your great mercy."
On the last day, during the passage of the entire procession to the place of execution, Jan Hus once again knelt down and said: “God is my witness, I then the main goal of my sermon, as well as all my actions and writings, was the desire to turn people away from sin. And in the light of that gospel truth which I have written about, which I have taught and which I have preached in accordance with the teaching and interpretation of the holy doctors, I will gladly accept today.”
Jan Hus was burned alive, the last words, the words of a hymn and a prayer flew from his lips, and God received the soul of a martyr who was not ashamed of Him even to death.
If you answer the main questions, then:
- Fruit in life
This is the truth brought to the masses, the beginning of the reformation, an example of sincerity and faith for all generations, love that lived and acted towards the people
- Fruit after life
Opportunity learns from the example of life, the truth conveyed in the works
– Personal life / inner harmony
The one who can forgive traitors on the verge of death, unequivocally says with his whole being that he lives in God and He is in him, fulfilling the greatest law of love.
This story stirred up a lot of emotions in my heart... You clearly understand that before you is a person who knew where to go and always put God's goals above her own. Whoever knows the truth will be free (John 8:32). Those who give themselves to God and His cause will not be forgotten. Only God gives love and strength, the life of Jan Hus is a vivid example of this.
Prepared by Mila Medved
Inquisitorial bonfires did not bypass the quiet Czech Republic. Anyone who dares to openly express dissatisfaction with the Roman Church could suddenly turn into a heretic and burn alive in their flames. Jan Hus, a preacher and head of the Prague University, laughed in the face of his executioners, even when he was completely engulfed in flames. But the Pope still apologized to Jan Hus. It is a pity that his apologies were late for 5 centuries and were not heard.
On July 6, 1415, a huge fire blazed on the main square of the small German town of Konstanz. The square could not accommodate a huge crowd of people who wanted to see how the "heretic" Jan Hus would writhe in pain. What thoughts stirred their minds? Did they sympathize or curse the well-known reformer throughout the Czech Republic? What was the pious old woman thinking about, who, bringing a bundle of brushwood to a blazing fire, heard the words addressed to her: “Oh! Holy simplicity! ” - sounded from the lips of a smiling suicide bomber? Someone was angry. Someone rejoiced: "Another heretic will be punished according to merit!"
In the village of Khlistov, not far from Gusinets, everyone can still show the ancient linden under which Jan Hus read his sermons. The tree is almost 700 years old.
How, by what actions did Jan Hus deserve such a contradictory attitude towards himself? What seditious ideas brought him to the stake? Why was Jan Hus burned?
These questions can be answered only when you try to find out how this person lived, what he believed in, what he preached. life path, which Jan Hus passed, was not easy, but bright and interesting. There are a lot of white spots in his biography, but still ... - we will try to find out why, after all, the life of Jan Hus was interrupted at the bonfire.
We, unfortunately, do not even know exactly when Jan Hus was born. Presumably between 1369 and 1371. His parents were simple peasants. According to information gleaned from scattered, fragmentary, it is known that the father's name was Michael, and the mother (name unknown) was famous for her piety and fear of God. It is also known that the birthplace of Jan Hus was a small village called Gusinets. By the way, on the map of the modern Czech Republic there are two ancient villages with the same name: one is not far from Prague, the other is near the town of Prachatice. And they still dispute each other the honorable right to be called the birthplace of Jan Hus.
Having matured a little, young Jan goes to Prague. The capital beckoned him with knowledge. He managed to enroll at the famous Prague University. Hunger, a beggarly existence did not seem to him an obstacle to learning. He sang in the church choir, served in numerous churches and temples. Earned funds were barely enough to not die of hunger. Can modern students come up with the idea of molding spoons from the crumb of bread to eat pea stew with them? Jan Hus recalled that this helped him stretch the pleasure of eating, enjoy the taste of bread longer.
Soon, having graduated with honors from the lower levels of education, Jan Hus became a student of the Faculty of Liberal Arts at the same Prague University. In 1393, he became a bachelor of theology, and a few years later, in 1396, he received a master's degree in liberal arts.
The professors who lectured to them considered Jan Hus a mediocre and unpromising student. But this did not prevent him from becoming a teacher at his alma mater upon graduation. His specialty, of course, was theology. And then - the position of dean. And a little later - the post of rector.
How did it become possible that a simple boy from a poor peasant family headed one of the most famous and respected universities in Europe? The answer to this question lies, first of all, in the ambition and determination of Jan Hus. If a goal is already set, then you need to strive for it at all costs!
In parallel with the rector's duties, Jan Hus read sermons in the Bethlehem church. It was at that time (1409-1410s) that he happened to get acquainted with the books of John Wheatcliff, the famous English reformer, even whose name was banned in the Czech Republic. Jan Hus liked his views. In his sermons, which always gathered at least 3 thousand people, he openly, publicly condemned the morals of the clergy, called them depraved. “The only source of faith,” said Jan Hus, “can only be considered Holy Scripture.” He inspired the idea that the sale of church positions, the fees charged by the church for the sacraments, is contrary to Holy Scripture. And since "the power that openly violates the Commandments of God cannot be recognized by him." Thus, Jan Hus openly expressed a very seditious thought: the Church and the clergy are one thing, but God and faith are completely different.
It is noteworthy that, on the one hand, condemning the Church, Jan Hus, on the other hand, considered himself a member of it, called himself its member and minister.
Hus not only preached from the pulpit: he also ordered the walls of the Bethlehem chapel to be painted with drawings with edifying stories, composed several songs that became folk, and carried out a reform of Czech spelling that made books more understandable to the common people.
Jan Hus knew how to convince. He spoke fluently and passionately. He was listened to with interest. Were imbued with his ideas. Soaked them up. And how could ordinary people - artisans, merchants, peasants - not believe a preacher broadcasting from the church altar?
“You don’t need to blindly obey the church, you need to think for yourself, using the words from the Holy Scriptures: “If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit.”
“Beware, predators who rip off the poor, murderers, villains who do not recognize anything sacred!”
“Not “my daily bread”, but “our daily bread” is spoken in the Holy Scripture, which means that it is unfair that some live in abundance, while others suffer from hunger.
“Property should belong to the just. An unjust rich man is a thief."
How, in your opinion, should the official church react to such statements?
The first to speak out against the dissenter was the Archbishop of Prague, sharply condemning his position and ideas. He was not even afraid that the king himself favored Jan Hus. In 1410, the strictest church ban was imposed on the preaching activities of Jan Hus. Then he was summoned "for an audience" with the archbishop. There was a rigorous interrogation and investigation. But everything worked out. Till. For the time being. In defense of Jan Hus simple people, many noble persons, teachers and students of the university headed by him, and even the royal couple of Bohemia stood up for the "lost". In the Vatican - the residence of the Pope - letters began to flow with requests to allow Jan Hus to continue to occupy the rank of preacher.
But the Pope and the Vatican were adamant! A special papal bull (decree) proclaimed the renunciation of Jan Hus from the church and declared him a heretic who violated church laws. The city, in which Jan Hus will be provided with shelter and food, will be punished, it will be forbidden to perform church services in it, the decree of the Pope read.
In the vicinity of Husinets there is the Husova rock in the valley of the Blanice river. When young Hus studied in Prachatice, he came to rest and read to this stone block, leaning on it. So the trace from the head of the Master was imprinted on the stone. It is no longer possible to verify the legend: someone destroyed the footprint on the rock.
Apparently, the ideas of Jan Hus greatly hurt the papal church, because immediately after the first decree a second appeared, in which Prague, as a city harboring a heretic who was excommunicated from the church, would also be deprived of church blessings.
Jan Hus, from whom influential patrons nevertheless turned away, had to leave Prague.
For two long years he had to wander around the western and southern regions of the Czech Republic. But even in his wanderings, he did not leave his ideas about the need to reform the Church. Far from home, Jan Hus even wrote his famous treatise "On the Church", in which he outlined the main essence of his thoughts. In short, they boiled down to the following postulates: the orders and organization of the official Church are wrong. They need to be fundamentally changed. The influence of the Pope and the position he occupied in the church hierarchy were especially criticized. Jan Hus was extremely negative about the practice of selling indulgences (absolution) for money and the desire of the Church and the clergy to accumulate wealth. “The laity receive communion with one bread, and the clergy also receive wine,” wrote Jan Hus in his treatise.
This treatise finally overflowed the cup of patience of the church authorities. In 1414, the heretic and troublemaker Jan Hus was summoned to the Church Council in a German town called Konstanz. For the duration of the trip, he was issued a special safe-conduct, allowing him to freely reach the appointed place. But in Constanta they did not wait for him at the appointed time. Only more than two months later, Jan Hus was found - he languished in the Gottlieben dungeon. The safe-conduct could not save him from imprisonment.
When the recalcitrant preacher was nevertheless brought to Constance, he had to face a harsh church court. Jan Hus was given the last opportunity to renounce his heretical and "unpleasing" views. But in response, after listening to all the accusations, he only shrugged his shoulders: "It is contrary to my conscience to renounce phrases that I have never uttered."
They say that during a storm, Jan Hus, who was walking home from school, hid under a rock. Lightning struck a juniper growing near a rock, and it flared up. Jan's mother found him contemplating a burning bush. He showed his mother to the bush and said: "You see, so I will leave this world in fire."
During numerous interrogations, Jan Hus was silent, did not try to justify himself. He sincerely believed in his beliefs and did not want people to stop believing in him when they found out that he had betrayed them, fearing the death penalty.
Even after the court issued a final verdict on the death sentence for the "heretic", the archbishops and King Sigismund himself, personally and more than once, came to his cell, asking him to sign the abdication. But Jan Hus was steadfast and adamant.
And so, on July 6, 1415, the first flames began to flare up on the main square of Constanta, getting closer and closer to Jan Hus tied to a pole. Addressing the assembled crowd, he sang: "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!" Hearing the threats of the guards, the sentenced man exclaimed with a laugh: “I am a Goose! But the Swan will fly for me! These words sounded like a warning.
And indeed, a hundred years later, the ideas of Jan Hus were supported and developed by another reformer - Martin Luther. Already, as predicted by Jan Hus, they could not tie him up, shut his mouth and throw him into the fire.
In the meantime ... while the fire was burning, devouring the already lifeless body of Jan Hus, the main work of his life, the Bible translated into Czech, was thrown into the flames.
Why did they burn the Bible together with Jan Hus? It is, after all, a holy book. But she was for the Roman Church the same "heretic" as her author. It was completely unprofitable and unacceptable for the Pope and the Church that divine services in Czech churches were held in their native language. They understood that language and words were weapons that would turn against their power. After reading the Bible in a simple, accessible native language, ordinary people, and even those who knew, could understand how far the decrees and decrees of the Pope were from God's precepts. But manuscripts, as you know, do not burn. Let a century later, but the Czech people got the opportunity to study the Bible, translated into Czech.
The ashes of the first Czech reformer were scattered over the waters of the Rhine. But his ideas did not die with him! The news of the execution of Jan Hus spread throughout the Czech Republic within a few days. A wave of indignation and indignation shook the quiet Czech villages and cities. A Protest was sent to the Church Council, which was signed by more than half a thousand rich and noble families of the Czech nobility. And ordinary peasants and the urban poor began to gather in armed detachments and go into the forests. The national consciousness that Jan Hus managed to awaken was the main reason for the beginning of a new era in the history of the Czech Republic - the era of the Hussite wars. This era, of course, had its own hero - the one-eyed Jan Zizka, originally from Trocnov. But the Czech people will keep the memory of Jan Hus for many centuries.
In 1999, five centuries after the execution of Jan Hus, an international symposium was held in the Vatican. It became notable for the fact that Pope John Paul II publicly acknowledged the groundlessness of the accusations against Jan Hus. The Pope also expressed regret on behalf of the church about his execution and martyrdom.
Although Jan Hus publicly accused representatives of the clergy and nobility of various sins (adultery, depravity, the pursuit of profit, and the like), he himself lived far from being an ascetic. In addition, at the time of his student youth, studying theology, Jan Hus was a frequent guest of public baths, which at that time were known as a place of sinful carnal pleasures.
Portrait images, according to which we can form an idea of the appearance of Jan Hus, refer to XIX century when romanticism flourished in most countries. In most of the paintings, the appearance of Jan Hus is idealized and somewhat reminiscent of the appearance of Jesus Christ: the same oval face, the same beard, hair. But in fact, historical, including Jan Hus's own records, paint a completely different picture: a fat, bald and beardless man.
An interesting fact is that shortly after the burning of Jan Hus and his Bible, the remains of the ideological inspirer of Jan Hus, John Witcliff, were also betrayed to the fire. The English reformer was fortunate enough to die in his bed, he was buried in accordance with Christian customs. The Vatican Church has already posthumously declared Whitcliff an apostate. His remains were removed from the grave and publicly burned.
Pope John Paul II, recognizing Jan Hus as a martyr, nevertheless abandoned the idea of canonizing him as a saint. He motivated his refusal by the fact that Jan Hus shared the ideas of the apostate John Whitcliffe.
On July 6, 1915, the official opening ceremony of the monument to Jan Hus took place in Prague on the Old Town Square. The author of the monument is Ladislav Šaloun, a well-known Czech sculptor at that time. The monument represents Jan Hus, proudly standing on an inquisitorial fire. Unfortunately, today the monument is under reconstruction.
A report about Jan Hus, a Czech religious reformer, a national hero of the Czech Republic, will tell you about his short biography and some Interesting Facts from his life. The information of the report will help you in preparing for the classes.
Jan Huss short biography
The future reformer was born around 1370 in Southwestern Bohemia in a family of peasants. Around 1390, Jan entered the University of Prague, graduating in 1393 with a master's degree. Deciding to connect his life with spirituality, Hus in 1400 took the priesthood. And after 2 years, the figure received the position of a preacher in the Prague Bethlehem Chapel.
Jan Hus began to study the scholastic dispute between the supporters of realism and nominalism. A fierce national and religious struggle began in the country. And these questions were of great interest to the young reformer. Simultaneously with the work of the preacher, Hus served as rector and dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Prague. From 1403, on the instructions of his student and Archbishop of Prague, Zbynek Zaichik, Jan Hus began to preach at cathedrals and congresses in Prague before the clergy.
Why did Jan Hus criticize the Catholic Church?
The activity of Jan Hus was aimed at exposing the shortcomings of the clergy, condemning the luxury and wealth of the Church. Although he considered himself a son of the Catholic Church, he adhered to 2 Protestant theses - he believed that the Holy Scriptures were more authoritative than the decision of the councils and the pope and supported the teachings and views of Augustine the Blessed. His sermons attracted a large number of listeners, but the clergy, especially the German ones, showed dissatisfaction with them.
Finally, in 1403, the German party came out decisively against Jan Hus. At the University of Prague, a dispute took place, in which the clergy, by a large number of votes, forbade him from preaching at the congresses of the Church, and then from priesthood. In 1409, the Pisa Cathedral was assembled, which dealt with the Great Schism between the Czech and German clergy. In 1410, a new accusation was brought against the former priest. The verdict of Jan Hus by the church council was as follows: he was even banned from any teaching activity at the university and excommunicated from the church.
At that time, Pope John XXIII announced crusade against King Vladislav of Naples, who supported the antipope Gregory XII. Gregory XII issued a bull of indulgence to those who would take his side. Hus made a condemnation of indulgences, and appealed to King Wenceslas, but received no support. In October 1412, he retired to the Koziyhradek castle to his friend, continuing to preach secretly. A treatise in Latin "On the Church" and other works in Czech were written in the castle.
The Catholic Church and King Wenceslas of the Czech Republic did not like the growing popularity of Jan Hus and he was constantly watched, put spokes in the wheels. Therefore, the figure had to hide. It is known that in 1412 the former priest lived in the vicinity of Prague, but no one knew exactly where. The two kings Wenceslas and Sigismund plotted against him - Hus was invited in 1414 to the next church council. His friends dissuaded him from attending this event, but the reformer nevertheless went to defend the truth of his beliefs. What sentence was passed on Jan Hus at this council? He was arrested, deprived of the opportunity to defend his work. In prison, the figure was sick, the clergy constantly persuaded him to renounce his teachings. And King Sigismund issued a decree on the execution of the Czech hero, the trial of which lasted for many months.
The last court session on July 6, 1415 sentenced Jan Hus to death by burning alive at the stake. And even being tied to a pillar, in the midst of a kindling fire, the reformer did not lose faith and continued to say hymns and prayers in the name of God.
- In his student years he liked to visit the baths.
- According to the lifetime image, Gus was bald, fat and beardless.
- In the Czech Republic, Jan Hus is a national hero.
- While studying at the University of Prague, he constantly lacked money for food. And in order to stretch the “pleasure” of food, Gus made a spoon out of bread and ate pea soup with it.
- When the reformer was engaged in preaching work, he built houses for the poor people and students.
Life story
The famous figure of the Reformation, Jan Hus, was of simple origin and was left an orphan at an early age. After graduating from the University of Prague, he became a priest and quickly rose to a high position. A few years later, the humble student became the pride of the country, and his name became known throughout Europe. Jan Hus mercilessly denounced the vices prevailing in society in order to establish the principles of truth and purity that he instilled in people. He believed that the cause of immorality lay in the fact that the people did not know the Bible, and therefore he defended, as a matter of the greatest importance, the preaching of the Holy Scriptures in the language of the people.
A resident of Prague, Jerome, who became a close associate of Hus, brought with him from England the works of Wyclif. Hus read these works with interest, he believed that their author was a sincere Christian, and favorably reacted to the proposed reforms.
At this time, two preachers arrived in Prague from England, speaking out against the unlimited domination of the Pope. Soon they were forced to stop their performances due to pressure from the authorities. But, not wanting to give up their goal, they drew two pictures and put them on public display. One depicted the entry into Jerusalem of Christ “meek and sitting on a donkey” (Matthew 21:5). He was followed by disciples in shabby clothes and with bare feet. Another painting depicted a papal procession - the pope was dressed in rich clothes, sat on a majestically decorated horse and had a crown on his head. Before him walked the trumpeters, and behind them followed the cardinals and prelates in brilliant robes. What a contrast between the meekness and humility of Christ the Lord and the pride and arrogance of the Pope, His servant! The pictures made a deep impression on Hus's mind and motivated him to study the Bible and the works of Wyclif zealously. He began to understand more clearly the true nature of the papacy, and with great boldness denounced the pride, vanity and corruption of the Church hierarchy. From Bohemia, light entered Germany. Many German students, having received Bible teaching from Hus, returned to their homeland and began to preach the Gospel.
Soon news of this reached Rome. Hus was called for an audience with the pope, which meant a death sentence. The king and queen of Bohemia, the university, representatives of the nobility, officials requested the head of the Roman Church to have Hus stay in Prague, to which the pope declared the city of Prague excommunicated. At that time, such a sentence aroused general anxiety, it was calculated to instill fear and horror in people who exalted the pope as the representative of God Himself and who had the power to execute secular and spiritual judgment. It was believed that the gates of heaven were closed to the excommunicated region, and until the pope removed the curse from the city, the dead would be expelled from the abodes of bliss. In connection with this terrible disaster, all worship services were suspended. Churches were closed. The marriage was consecrated in the churchyard. The dead, who refused to be buried on consecrated ground, were buried in ditches or in the field without burial rites.
Thus, by means of measures that struck the imagination of the inhabitants, Rome tried to control the minds of the people.
Prague was in turmoil, many blamed Hus for everything. The reformer retired to the countryside and left a letter to his friends in which he wrote that he had followed the example of Christ. “I also retired for fear that ungodly priests would forbid the preaching of the Word of God. But I do not want to reject the Divine truth, for which God help I'm ready to die."
Hus fought against the abuse of power. The priests became the same as in the days of Christ: wicked and used their power for illegal purposes. This led him to accept for his guidance and preach to others the principle that the infallible guide is God speaking through the Bible, not the church speaking through the priests.
To heal the ulcers that were tearing apart Europe, a general council was convened in Constance. At the council, it was proved that Pope John himself was guilty of the gravest crimes, in addition to murder and adultery - sins that are indecent to name aloud. So the cathedral stripped him of his tiara, and a new pope was chosen. But the same council that deposed the pope intended to destroy the reformer as well. Upon arrival in Constanta, Hus was arrested and imprisoned. During the long trial, he stood firm for faith and truth. When he was asked to renounce his teachings or die, he chose the fate of a martyr.
After the verdict was announced, the demolition ceremony began. As the bishops dressed him in sacred robes, Hus said, "Our Lord Jesus Christ was clothed in purple to mock Him when Herod sent Him to Pilate." When he was again asked to abdicate, he replied: “With what face will I then appear before God?” When a paper miter was put on his head, on which was written "Notorious Heretic", Hus said: "I will gladly wear this shameful crown for Your sake, my Jesus, because for me they put on You a crown of thorns." When he was dressed in this shameful dress, they said: "Now we betray your soul to the devil." “And I,” said Hus, raising his eyes to heaven, “I commit my spirit into Your hands, Lord Jesus, for You have redeemed me.”
When he was tied to a stake, and everything was ready to light the fire, he was once again asked to renounce his delusions and save his life. “What delusions should I renounce? Gus asked. “I do not consider myself guilty of delusions. I call upon God to be my witness that all that I have written and preached was for the purpose of saving souls from sin and destruction, and therefore I will gladly defend with my blood the truth that I have preached.” As the flames ignited around him, he began to sing, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me,” and continued until his voice was forever silent.
Even the enemies of the reformer were shocked by his heroic behavior. When Hus's body burned, his ashes, along with the ground where he lay, were collected and thrown into the Rhine. His persecutors were sure that they had uprooted the truth, they did not even suspect that the dust carried into the ocean would be like a seed scattered over all countries, that it would bear fruit in the form of witnesses to the truth in new places.
The execution of Jan Hus demonstrated to the whole world the treacherous cruelty of Rome. The enemies of truth, without realizing it themselves, were advancing the cause which they had tried in vain to destroy.
Prepared by V. Melnikov
Huss Jan (Huss, John) (c. 1372-1415), Czech. religious reformer. As a preacher in Prague and a zealous supporter of the views of Wycliffe, he aroused the hostility of the church and was excommunicated (1411), put on trial and burned at the stake. After his death, he was declared a martyr, his followers ("Hussites") began a war against the "Holy Roman Empire", and at first inflicted several. serious defeats of the emperor's army.
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Jan Hus
The great Czech religious leader Jan Hus was born around 1369 in the town of Husinec, on the border of Bohemia and Bavaria. His parents were apparently poor peasants. Hus lost his father early, and his mother was engaged in raising him. After graduating from the Prahatice school located near Husinets, Hus went to study in the capital around 1390, where he enrolled as a student at the Faculty of Liberal Arts at the University of Prague. In 1393 he received a bachelor's degree in liberal arts, and in 1396 a master's degree. Shortly thereafter, around 1401, he was ordained to the priesthood and in the same year was elected Dean of the Faculty of Arts. Finally, in October 1402, Hus was elected for the first time to the highest academic position of rector of the university. Around the same time, there was a significant change in Hus's lifestyle. Under the influence of books - primarily the writings of Wycliffe - he turned from a cheerful man of the world almost into an ascetic. Much evidence has been preserved of the profound influence on Hus of the ideas of the English reformer. One of Hus' acquaintances later recalled that he once admitted: "Wycliffe's books opened my eyes, and I read them and reread them." However, this influence should not be exaggerated. Although Hus's own writings are in places verbatim extracts from Wycliffe, he did not accept his teaching in its entirety. In particular, on the important question of the Eucharist, he had his own opinion. If Wycliffe taught that during transubstantiation bread remains bread and Christ is present in the sacrament only symbolically, and not bodily, then Huss (in full agreement with Catholic teaching) believed that Christ is really contained in holy communion approximately in the same way as the soul is contained in a person - the appearance of the bread covers him as the body covers the soul. Hus did not share many of Wycliffe's other radical views. He did not completely deny papal authority, deeply revered the sacrament of the priesthood and accepted the general view of the Catholic Church on the important mediating role of the clergy in relations between God and the laity. Their views on the meaning of Scripture also differed. If for Wycliffe the Scriptures comprised all Christian teaching, then for Huss it was only its foundation. Like all Catholics, he believed that the doctrine continues to develop by the rules of the holy popes and the decrees of the councils. Without touching on Catholic dogmas, Hus, however, very severely scourged the vices of the modern church. His speeches met with a lively response from the laity and had a huge impact on his contemporaries. During the time of Hus, Czech society was experiencing a rise in national consciousness, accompanied by opposition to the Catholic clergy. Prague citizens loudly demanded that the sermons in the churches be delivered not only in Latin and German, but also in Czech. King Wenceslas IV supported this demand, and soon a new chapel was opened in Prague, called Bethlehem. Several very eloquent preachers have spoken here, but not one of them has acquired even a small fraction of the importance that the speeches of Hus gave to this chapel. His pale, emaciated face, his thoughtful eyes startled the parishioners even before his voice could be heard. Against the backdrop of a general decline in the morality of the clergy, its reputation has always been crystal clear. One of Hus's personal enemies later wrote about him: "His life was harsh, his behavior was impeccable, his disinterestedness was such that he never took anything for the needs and did not accept any gifts and offerings." In his sermons, he did not seek to impress the parishioners with the beauty of his style, Hus's speech was neither ardent nor brilliant, so that the listeners were mainly affected by the strength and sincerity of his convictions. Hus's denunciations were always harsh and merciless; he did not spare either secular or clergy, he constantly talked about the arrogance of the clergy, about the pursuit of hierarchical promotions, about self-interest and greed. There were more than enough reasons for this. The condition of the church then was the most bleak sight. It seemed to many believers that it had turned from a "House of God" into an institution dedicated solely to raising money. The popes imposed an annual tax on the entire Christian world and took more in excess of the established. The papal court openly traded in church positions. The sale of indulgences gave great income to the Roman Curia, which outraged all respectable Christians to the depths of their souls. To all this was added many years of dual papacy. In 1378, Urban VI and Clement VII were elected to the papacy at the same time. After that, for half a century, Europe saw "the abomination of desolation in a holy place." Some states recognized the Roman high priest. Others preferred his opponent, who established his court in Avignon. Popes and antipopes now and then cursed each other and quarreled obscenely. There was no end in sight to the schism, and respectable Christians began to doubt that Christ was vigilant of his church. It was clear to everyone that both high priests were false vicars of Christ, both antichrists, and that the only way to improve the matter was to overthrow and depose both. The Czech Church also presented a sad picture of decline. Many Prague priests almost openly lived with mistresses, arranged feasts with dancing, dice games, hunting and other inappropriate acts. The monks (there were more than a thousand in Prague alone) spent most of their time in idleness and indulged in a wide variety of vices. Many of them were noticed in relationships with women. But worst of all was the unbridled thirst for gold that then engulfed the whole church. “The last penny that the old woman ties into her veil to protect him from a thief or a robber, this penny will be able to lure a priest and a monk from her ... - said Hus - Wealth poisoned and spoiled the church. Why wars, excommunications, quarrels between popes and bishops? The dogs are biting over the bone. Take away the bone and the world will be restored. Where does bribery come from, simony, where does the impudence of clergy come from, where does adultery come from? Everything from this poison. The sharp speeches of Hus greatly offended the clergy. Numerous complaints began to come to the Prague Archbishop Zbynek. “In our country,” wrote one of the scammers, “outrageous sermons are heard that torment the souls of pious people, destroy faith and make the clergy hated by the people.” Hus' assertion that a priest who demands money for the performance of the sacraments, especially from the poor, was guilty of "simony and heresy" was extremely irritating to many. They were also indignant at the fact that Huss, regarding the death of one canon, said: "I would not like to die with such income." Angry at Hus, the enemies for a long time did not have the opportunity to accuse him of anything serious. But then more and more often (and completely unreasonably) they began to attribute heretical delusions to him. In 1403, a controversy erupted at the University of Prague over the theological teachings of Wycliffe. The German master Hübner extracted 45 heretical provisions from his treatises, for the discussion of which rector Gerraser called all the doctors and masters of Prague. The meeting was stormy. When the public notary read the reprehensible paragraphs, a whole phalanx of Czech masters stood up for new ideas, seeing in Wycliffe their teacher. But they could not achieve victory, and at the end of the debate, the majority decided: "That no one should teach, preach, or assert, either publicly or secretly, the above paragraphs under pain of breaking the oath." This decision was not initially followed by any punitive measures. There were many Wycliffists among the courtiers and colleagues of Huss, and in his sermons he himself never concealed his affection for the English teacher. But over the years, the hostility of the official church to the ideas of Wycliffe became more and more irreconcilable. At the end of 1407, Pope Gregory XII sent a bull to the Archbishop of Prague demanding that sectarians preaching against the doctrine of Holy Communion be rooted out. After that, in 1408, a new, more severe persecution began. Again the notorious 45 paragraphs were condemned, Wycliffe's ideas were strictly forbidden to be taught and defended. The Wycliffe party in Bohemia was failing and was soon to disappear altogether, but here, fortunately for it, serious friction arose between the king and the archbishop. The reason for them was the church schism: while Archbishop Zbynek with the entire chapter continued to focus on Rome, King Wenceslas (who advocated the deposition of both rivals - both the Roman Gregory XII and the Avignon Benedict XIII) demanded neutrality from his subjects. (The Council of Pisa, whose convening Wenceslas actively supported, was supposed to finally elect a legitimate pope, ending years of schism.) The debate over neutrality had important implications for the University of Prague. From its very foundation, it was not a purely Czech national institution, since it served as the main intellectual center not only for Czechs, but also for Germans. According to the charter, the university staff - both professors and students - was divided into four nations - Czech, Polish, Bavarian and Saxon. In all matters of internal self-government, each nation had one vote. Formally, this proclaimed the equality of nations, but in fact such an organization ensured the complete dominance of the German party, for the Bavarians and Saxons were natural Germans, and the Polish nation was enrolled mainly by people from Silesia. The issue of neutrality, raised by the king, caused a split along national lines in the university. The German professors and the higher Czech clergy stood firmly for Gregory, and the Czech party, headed by Hus, unanimously declared itself in favor of neutrality. The enraged archbishop called Hus a "rebellious son of the church" and forbade him to perform any priestly duties. Together with him, the rest of the supporters of neutrality were dismissed. But this measure, instead of frightening the Czech nation, encouraged it. The sympathies of the Prague population were entirely on their side. Hus proposed to apply to the king with a request to change the university charter in such a way that the voices of the Germans and Czechs would be equalized when deciding all issues. The king at first received Hus very unfriendly, but then granted his wish. The result of all these movements was the split of the University of Prague. The Germans, outraged by the innovation, began to demand the restoration of their rights. Vatslav flared up, ordered the rector to be driven away, the seal and keys were taken away from him. Then, on May 16, 1409, more than five thousand Germans - professors and students - left Prague and retired to Leipzig, where they founded a new German university. As a result, Wycliffe's Czech followers grew stronger again. The victory over the Germans made the name of Hus extremely popular in the Czech Republic, and especially in Prague. In October 1409, elections were held for the first rector of the university after the split. Jan Hus became them for the second time. The council of prelates in Pisa, which met at the same time with the support of Wenceslas, elected (in opposition to Gregory and Benedict) Alexander V as the new pope. The archbishop, after a futile struggle with the king, was forced to recognize this choice. But he continued to be an enemy of Gus. In March 1410, Zbynek obtained from the pope a bull condemning Wycliffe's heresy and giving him the broadest authority to eradicate it. Four months later, he ordered the public burning of all the books of Wycliffe, which he managed to get, and then cursed Hus and his supporters. But when the priests began, according to his order, to proclaim the excommunication of Hus, the people violently opposed this in all the churches. Most of the Prague priests were so intimidated that they no longer dared to repeat the curse. But in some places the supporters of the archbishop mastered it. For almost a month, riots and confusion continued in Prague churches. Finally, the king stopped them with strict measures. In general, in the Czech Republic, the victory remained with the followers of Hus. The university and the royal court were entirely on his side, he was ardently supported by the inhabitants of Prague. But outside the kingdom, the attitude towards him remained exactly the opposite - under the influence of papal bulls, the opinion was gradually asserted here that Hus was a real heretic. They began to demand him to Rome for trial, but Hus did not go, as he was afraid of reprisals. Then in February 1411 he was cursed by the papacy. However, Hus, paying no attention to either archiepiscopal or papal excommunications, continued to preach in his chapel. AT last years in his life he, like Wycliffe, devoted much effort to translating the Bible into Czech. By this time, there were already Czech translations of many books of the Holy Scriptures, but not all of them were of satisfactory quality, they differed in style and language (a single literary Czech language did not exist at that time, there were several dialects). Hus carefully reviewed all these translations, correcting errors and flaws, and, like Wycliffe, finally created a Bible for the people, which they could read without difficulty. Meanwhile, the persecution of Hus intensified. In 1412, Pope John XXIII ordered that he be subjected to a new excommunication. The curse was to be repeated at the ringing of bells, with the lighting and extinguishing of candles. The curse formula said that from now on no one should give Hus food, drink, or shelter, and the place on which he stands is subject to an interdict. All faithful sons of the church were charged with the duty to detain Hus wherever they met him, and hand him over to the archbishop or bishop. The Pope ordered the destruction of the Bethlehem chapel, as a hotbed of heresy. There was no way to carry out these threats in Prague, where Hus had many supporters. When once the enemies of Huss tried to disrupt the service in the Bethlehem chapel, crowds of people immediately fled, and the frightened opponents left with nothing. The king also remained the patron of Hus, although he really did not like the quarrel between the latter and the pope - it cast a shadow on the reputation of Wenceslas, because the enemies spread rumors about him in Europe as a defender of heretics. At the end of 1412, he persuaded Hus to leave Prague and thereby put an end to the turmoil. Being outside the capital, he wrote his main work "On the Church". It became his testament to the Czech reformers. In the autumn of 1414, at the request of Emperor Sigismund, a church council met in Constance, which was supposed to put an end to the protracted schism in the Western church. (The Council of Pisa could not do this; in fact, it even strengthened it, since instead of two popes there were three). Along the way, other complicated ecclesiastical matters were decided in Constance. The case of Hus was one of them, and the emperor sent him a personal invitation to the cathedral. Sigismund wrote that he would give Hus the opportunity to express his views, and promised to let him go to his homeland even if Hus did not obey the decision of the council. Many of Hus's friends, knowing Sigismund's inconstancy, dissuaded him from this trip. However, Gus decided to go. It seemed to him that, having appeared at the council, he would justify himself before his accusers and convince not only the laity, but also the prelates of the truth of his ideas. When Hus arrived in Constance, it was already noisy and crowded, although the cathedral had not yet opened. At first, no one paid attention to him and it seemed that no one cared about him. But it was only an illusion. His enemies hated him too much to let him escape from their grasp. The massacre of the Czech reformer was a foregone conclusion. Hus expected a fair trial or a public dispute and was sure of his success. However, his fate was decided in a completely different way. On November 28, 1414, the cardinals, meeting with Pope John XXIII, discussed in private the teachings of Hus and decided that he should be taken into custody. On the same day, the unfortunate man was imprisoned in a Dominican monastery, in a gloomy, damp cell adjoining the sewer. This happened without the knowledge of the emperor. At first, Sigismund was very angry and announced his intention to free the prisoner by force. But after some time, he sharply lowered his tone and gave the clergy full power over the fate of his client. Hus was transferred to Gottlieben Castle, which belonged to the Bishop of Constance, was put in chains and kept in great severity. In June 1415, the public trial of Hus began. There were three meetings in total, but Gus was not allowed to speak freely at any of them. In order to give a legal appearance to the impending massacre, they tried to attribute to him the dissemination of the heretical provisions of Wycliffe. Hus skillfully defended himself, although he was in a very difficult position - he had to stand alone against a whole cathedral of hostile bishops. Formally, his guilt has never been proven. Most of the members of the council were ready to be satisfied with life imprisonment for the accused. But this required Hus to admit his delusions. He flatly refused. The prelates had no choice but to declare him a stubborn heretic and sentence him to be burned at the stake. The execution took place on July 6, 1415.
