p. 218 | The Missionary by Stephen Nelson Haskell

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Apr 2, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 14.

The Missionary.

By Stephen Nelson Haskell

The Reformation at Prague.

Huss, like other reformers, was destined to have his courage and faith tested. While the doctrines of the Reformation continued to gain many friends, and prominent members of the university spoke out boldly in their defense, the popular party decided against them. Late in the year 1408 preparations were made by the "faithful" for holding a council to devise some means of relief from the extraordinary evils and embarrassments which endangered the church. The German students, who constituted a large majority in the university, decided against the Reformation, while those from Bohemia, and the small countries adjoining, were in favor of it. The latter, who were the founders of the university, and in whose territory it was located, desired to control it, and to this end appealed to the Bohemian king for certain privileges afforded to the founders of other universities. These, which gave the Bohemians three votes to one of the other countries, were granted on January 18, 1409. This was a cause of joy to Huss and the friends of the Reformation, but it resulted disastrously to the temporal welfare of the university and of Prague itself. The following month four thousand of the students left en masse for their homes. Only five hundred remained. This move resulted in the founding of the university at Leipsic.

Huss and Jerome were placed in an odious light by the world-loving multitude, and the students who left the university carried unfavorable reports concerning their views and the reformation to all parts of Europe. But Huss was treated with deserved honor at home. Rising from a sick bed, he was elected rector of the university. The archbishop of Prague, who was an enemy to the Reformation, secured a papal bull against its doctrines, which reached Prague in March, 1410. Huss brought forth the works of Wycliffe and desired that the errors contained in them should be pointed out by the Scriptures. But the strength of Romanism did not lie in that direction. The archbishop resorted to error's logic. More than two hundred of Wycliffe's books, in beautiful bindings, were burned. This was July 16, 1410. Huss was forbidden to preach in the chapel, but he entered it fearlessly and preached with more than usual energy and power. "Where is there any authority of Holy Writ, or where are there any rational grounds, forbidding preaching in so public a place, fitted up for that very purpose, in the great city of Prague? Nothing else can be at the bottom of this but the jealousy of antichrist," said he. The noble spirit of the reformer rose above the storm that was about to burst upon him.

It was at these times, and under such circumstances, that he wrote the following words: "I avow it to be my purpose to defend the truth which God has enabled me to know, and especially the truth of the Holy Scripture, even to death, since I know that the truth stands, and is forever mighty, and abides eternally. And if the fear of death should terrify me, still I hope in my God and in the assistance of the Holy Spirit, that the Lord himself will give me firmness. And, if I have found favor in his sight, he will crown me with martyrdom. But what more glorious triumph is there than this? Inviting his faithful ones to this victory, our Lord says, 'Fear not them that kill the body.'"

S. N. HASKELL.