the great controversy-第22节

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University　of　Prague　caused　the　withdrawal　of　hundreds　of　German　students。
Many　of　them　had　received　from　Huss　their　first　knowledge　of　the　Bible；　and
on　their　return　they　spread　the　gospel　in　their　fatherland。

Tidings　of　the　work　at　Prague　were　carried　to　Rome；　and　Huss　was　soon
summoned　to　appear　before　the　pope。　To　obey　would　be　to　expose　himself　to
certain　death。　The　king　and　queen　of　Bohemia；　the　university；　members　of　the
nobility；　and　officers　of　the　government　united　in　an　appeal　to　the　pontiff
that　Huss　be　permitted　to　remain　at　Prague　and　to　answer　at　Rome　by　deputy。
Instead　of　granting　this　request；　the　pope　proceeded　to　the　trial　and
condemnation　of　Huss；　and　then　declared　the　city　of　Prague　to　be　under
interdict。

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In　that　age　this　sentence；　whenever　pronounced；　created　widespread　alarm。
The　ceremonies　by　which　it　was　accompanied　were　well　adapted　to　strike
terror　to　a　people　who　looked　upon　the　pope　as　the　representative　of　God
Himself；　holding　the　keys　of　heaven　and　hell；　and　possessing　power　to　invoke
temporal　as　well　as　spiritual　judgments。　It　was　believed　that　the　gates　of
heaven　were　closed　against　the　region　smitten　with　interdict；　that　until　it
should　please　the　pope　to　remove　the　ban；　the　dead　were　shut　out　from　the
abodes　of　bliss。　In　token　of　this　terrible　calamity；　all　the　services　of
religion　were　suspended。　The　churches　were　closed。　Marriages　were　solemnized
in　the　churchyard。　The　dead；　denied　burial　in　consecrated　ground；　were
interred；　without　the　rites　of　sepulture；　in　the　ditches　or　the　fields。　Thus
by　measures　which　appealed　to　the　imagination；　Rome　essayed　to　control　the
consciences　of　men。

The　city　of　Prague　was　filled　with　tumult。　A　large　class　denounced　Huss　as
the　cause　of　all　their　calamities　and　demanded　that　he　be　given　up　to　the
vengeance　of　Rome。　To　quiet　the　storm；　the　Reformer　withdrew　for　a　time　to
his　native　village。　Writing　to　the　friends　whom　he　had　left　at　Prague；　he
said：　〃If　I　have　withdrawn　from　the　midst　of　you；　it　is　to　follow　the
precept　and　example　of　Jesus　Christ；　in　order　not　to　give　room　to　the
ill…minded　to　draw　on　themselves　eternal　condemnation；　and　in　order　not　to
be　to　the　pious　a　cause　of　affliction　and　persecution。　I　have　retired　also
through　an　apprehension　that　impious　priests　might　continue　for　a　longer
time　to　prohibit　the　preaching　of　the　word　of　God　amongst　you；　but　I　have
not　quitted　you　to　deny　the　divine　truth；　for　which；　with　God's　assistance；
I　am　willing　to　die。〃Bonnechose；　The　Reformers　Before　the　Reformation；
vol。　1；　p。　87。　Huss　did　not　cease　his　labors；　but　traveled　through　the
surrounding　country；　preaching　to　eager　crowds。　Thus　the　measures　to　which
the　pope　resorted　to　suppress　the　gospel　were　causing　it　to　be　the　more
widely　extended。　〃We　can　do　nothing　against　the　truth；　but　for　the　truth。〃　2
Corinthians　13：8。

102


〃The　mind　of　Huss；　at　this　stage　of　his　career；　would　seem　to　have　been　the
scene　of　a　painful　conflict。　Although　the　church　was　seeking　to　overwhelm
him　by　her　thunderbolts；　he　had　not　renounced　her　authority。　The　Roman
Church　was　still　to　him　the　spouse　of　Christ；　and　the　pope　was　the
representative　and　vicar　of　God。　What　Huss　was　warring　against　was　the　abuse
of　authority；　not　the　principle　itself。　This　brought　on　a　terrible　conflict
between　the　convictions　of　his　understanding　and　the　claims　of　his
conscience。　If　the　authority　was　just　and　infallible；　as　he　believed　it　to
be；　how　came　it　that　he　felt　compelled　to　disobey　it？　To　obey；　he　saw；　was
to　sin；　but　why　should　obedience　to　an　infallible　church　lead　to　such　an
issue？　This　was　the　problem　he　could　not　solve；　this　was　the　doubt　that
tortured　him　hour　by　hour。　The　nearest　approximation　to　a　solution　which　he
was　able　to　make　was　that　it　had　happened　again；　as　once　before　in　the　days
of　the　Saviour；　that　the　priests　of　the　church　had　become　wicked　persons　and
were　using　their　lawful　authority　for　unlawful　ends。　This　led　him　to　adopt
for　his　own　guidance；　and　to　preach　to　others　for　theirs；　the　maxim　that　the
precepts　of　Scripture；　conveyed　through　the　understanding；　are　to　rule　the
conscience；　in　other　words；　that　God　speaking　in　the　Bible；　and　not　the
church　speaking　through　the　priesthood；　is　the　one　infallible
guide。〃Wylie；　b。　3；　ch。　2。

When　after　a　time　the　excitement　in　Prague　subsided；　Huss　returned　to　his
chapel　of　Bethlehem；　to　continue　with　greater　zeal　and　courage　the　preaching
of　the　word　of　God。　His　enemies　were　active　and　powerful；　but　the　queen　and
many　of　the　nobles　were　his　friends；　and　the　people　in　great　numbers　sided
with　him。　Comparing　his　pure　and　elevating　teachings　and　holy　life　with　the
degrading　dogmas　which　the　Romanists　preached；　and　the　avarice　and
debauchery　which　they　practiced；　many　regarded　it　an　honor　to　be　on　his
side。

Hitherto　Huss　had　stood　alone　in　his　labors；　but　now　Jerome；　who　while　in
England　had　accepted　the　teachings　of　Wycliffe；　joined　in　the　work　of
reform。　The　two　were

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hereafter　united　in　their　lives；　and　in　death　they　were　not　to　be　divided。
Brilliancy　of　genius；　eloquence　and　learninggifts　that　win　popular
favorwere　possessed　in　a　pre…eminent　degree　by　Jerome；　but　in　those
qualities　which　constitute　real　strength　of　character；　Huss　was　the　greater。
His　calm　judgment　served　as　a　restraint　upon　the　impulsive　spirit　of　Jerome；
who；　with　true　humility；　perceived　his　worth；　and　yielded　to　his　counsels。
Under　their　united　labors　the　reform　was　more　rapidly　extended。

God　permitted　great　light　to　shine　upon　the　minds　of　these　chosen　men；
revealing　to　them　many　of　the　errors　of　Rome；　but　they　did　not　receive　all
the　light　that　was　to　be　given　to　the　world。　Through　these；　His　servants；
God　was　leading　the　people　out　of　the　darkness　of　Romanism；　but　there　were
many　and　great　obstacles　for　them　to　meet；　and　He　led　them　on；　step　by　step；
as　they　could　bear　it。　They　were　not　prepared　to　receive　all　the　light　at
once。　Like　the　full　glory　of　the　noontide　sun　to　those　who　have　long　dwelt
in　darkness；　it　would；　if　presented；　have　caused　them　to　turn　away。
Therefore　He　revealed　it　to　the　leaders　little　by　little；　as　it　could　be
received　by　the　people。　From　century　to　century；　other　faithful　workers　were
to　follow；　to　lead　the　people　on　still　further　in　the　path　of　reform。

The　schism　in　the　church　still　continued。　Three　popes　were　now　contending
for　the　supremacy；　and　their　strife　filled　Christendom　with　crime　and
tumult。　Not　content　with　hurling　anathemas；　they　resorted　to　temporal
weapons。　Each　cast　about　him　to　purchase　arms　and　to　obtain　soldiers。　Of
course　money　must　be　had；　and　to　procure　this；　the　gifts；　offices；　and
blessings　of　the　church　were　offered　for　sale。　（See　Appendix　note　for　page
59。）　The　priests　also；　imitating　their　superiors；　resorted　to　simony　and　war
to　humble　their　rivals　and　strengthen　their　own　power。　With　daily　increasing
boldness　Huss　thundered　against　the　abominations　which　were　tolerated　in　the
name　of　religion；　and　the　people　openly　accused　the　Romish　leaders　as　the
cause　of　the　miseries　that　overwhelmed　Christendom。

104


Again　the　city　of　Prague　seemed　on　the　verge　of　a　bloody　conflict。　As　in
former　ages；　God's　servant　was　accused　as　〃he　that　troubleth　Israel。〃　1
Kings　18：17。　The　city　was　again　placed　under　interdict；　and　Huss　withdrew　to
his　native　village。　The　testimony　so　faithfully　borne　from　his　loved　chapel
of　Bethlehem　was　ended。　He　was　to　speak　from　a　wider　stage；　to　all
Christendom；　before　laying　down　his　life　as　a　witness　for　the　truth。

To　cure　the　evils　that　were　distracting　Europe；　a　general　council　was
summoned　to　meet　at　Constance。　The　council　was　called　at　the　desire　of　the
emperor　Sigismund；　by　one　of　the　three　rival　popes；　John　XXIII。　The　demand
for　a　council　had　been　far　from　welcome　to　Pope　John；　whose　character　and
policy　could　ill　bear　investigation；　even　by　prelates　as　lax　in　morals　as
were　the　churchmen　of　those　times。　He　dared　not；　however；　oppose　the　will　of
Sigismund。　（See　Appendix。）

The　chief　objects　to　be　accomplished　by　the　council　were　to　heal　the　schism
in　the　church　and　to　root　out　heresy。　Hence　the　two　antipopes　were　summoned
to　appear　before　it；　as　well　as　the　leading　propagator　of　the　new　opinions；
John　Huss。　The　former；　having　regard　to　their　own　safety；　did　not　attend　in
person；　but　were　represented　by　their　delegates。　Pope　John；　while　ostensibly
the　convoker　of　the　council；　came　to　it　with　many　misgivings；　suspecting　the
emperor's　secret　purpose　to　depose　him；　and　fearing　to　be　brought　to　account
for　the　vices　which　had　disgraced　the　tiara；　as　well　as　for　the　crimes　which
had　secured　it。　Yet　he　made　his　entry　into　the　city　of　Constance　with　great
pomp；　attended　by　ecclesiastics　of　the　highest　rank　and　followed　by　a　train
of　courtiers。　All　the　clergy　and　dignitaries　of　the　city；　with　an　immense
crowd　of　citizens；　went　out　to　welcome　him。　Above　his　head　was　a　golden
canopy；　borne　by　four　of　the　chief　magistrates。　The　host　was　carried　before
him；　and　the　rich　dresses　of　the　cardinals　an