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the kindnesses he has shown me. Greet in my name your families and your friends, each and all of whom I cannot enumerate. I pray to God for you: do pray for me? To him shall we all come, since he gives us help."

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This letter of Huss, so full of Christian kindliness of feeling, was written probably on the fourth day of July, in the immediate expectation of his martyrdom. In the addition which he made to it on the following day, was a sort of postscript to inform them of his approaching execution. "Already I am confident I shall suffer for the sake of the word of God." He begged his friends, for God's sake, not to allow any cruelty whatever to be practised against the servants and the saints of God. He makes the bequest of his fur cloak with a small sum of money, to the friendly notary, Peter; to others, small legacies, or some of his books: it was nearly, if not quite all that he had to give. Instead of being rich, as was charged in prison, he had to request his friends to discharge for him a few small debts, that his creditors might not suffer.

One of the last requests that Huss had to make of his friends was addressed to the faithful Chlum. He wished this brave man whom he loved so tenderly, to remain with him to the last. "O thou, the kindest and most faithful friend," said he, "may God grant thee a fitting recompense! I conjure thee to grant me still this-not to depart until thou hast seen everything consummated. Would to God that I could be at once led to the stake before thy face, rather than be torn away in prison, as I am by

CH. I.]

ADVICE TO MARTIN.

37

perfidious manœuvres ! I still have hope—I still have confidence that Almighty God will previously snatch me from their hands to himself, through the merits of his saints. Salute all our friends for me; and let them pray to the Lord that I may await my death with humility and without murmuring."

It was in this spirit that Huss prepared himself for the final scene. Many were the letters written and messages sent, which spoke in the calm and touching eloquence of a martyr, to the persons to whom they were addressed.1 His first and last anxiety was, that they should be faithful to the truth-not of his own teachings, for they might be in some respects erroneous—but of the word of God. To some who might be called to follow him to the stake, he addressed such exhortations as were enforced by his own example. "Fear not to die," said he to priest Martin, one of his disciples, "if thou desirest to live with Christ, for he has himself said, 'Fear not them that kill the body, but cannot kill the soul."" And yet Huss gave his friend this rare counsel, as remarkable for prudence as modesty: "Should they seek after thee on account of thy adhesion to my doctrines, make them this reply: I believe that my master was a good Christian; but, in regard to his writings and instructions, I have neither read all, nor comprehended all." 2

In his adieus, Huss showed no respect of

persons.

'The letters of Huss are not chro- their date. In most cases, however, nologically arranged, and it is some- it may be ascertained from internal times, therefore, difficult to determine evidence.

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He remembered the poor as well as the rich. He speaks of the cordwainers in the same breath with the doctors and the magistrates. Several of the families of his church in Prague are mentioned in one of his letters as specially to be saluted. His words to them "recommend them to be zealous for the love of Christ, to advance in humility with wisdom, and not to indulge in comments of their own making, but to recur to those of the saints."

Among the enemies of Huss none had shown a more inveterate and unrelenting malice than Causis. Unlike Paletz, his heart was moved neither to sympathy and compassion, nor to remorse. Several times the hardened wretch had gone to the prison where Huss was confined, and exclaimed, exulting in the savage cruelty of his nature over his destined victim, "By the grace of God, we shall soon burn this heretic, whose condemnation has cost me much money."1 But even this failed to excite in Huss any revengful feelings. "I leave him to God, and pray for this man most affectionately," was the language in which he spoke of the virulent persecutor.

A noble object does Huss thus present for our study and admiration. Sometimes depressed by the fears and weakness of the flesh, but never declining the crown of martyrdom-loving his own life in the hope of future usefulness, but far more anxious for the truth he had preached-surrounded by the extreme of human terrors, yet still exclaiming, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I

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CH. I.]

LAST COUNSELS.

39

be afraid?" Kindly does he remember his friends while he forgives his enemies. His last hours and his last earthly counsels are given to the cause he loved, and to his friend3-some perhaps soon to follow him in the thorny path of suffering for the cause of truth.

CHAPTER II.

FINAL AUDIENCE AND EXECUTION OF HUSS.

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PERSUASIONS TO INDUCE HUSS TO RECANT.-MICHAEL DE CAUSIS. THE EMPE-
ROR'S ABSENCE FROM CONSTANCE. THE REFUSAL OF HUSS TO ABJURE. - Der-
CTATION FROM THE EMPEROR. ADVICE OF CHLUM. REPLY OF HUSS. THE
DEPUTATION FAILS OF ITS OBJECT. -FIFTEENTH SESSION OF THE COUNCIL. -
SERMON OF THE BISHOP OF LODI. THE SABBATH COUNCIL'S DECREE, ENJOINING
SILENCE. SIXTY ARTICLES OF WICKLIFFE Condemned.-STATEMENT IN REGARD
TO HUSS. THIRTY ARTICLES OF HIS CONDEMNED.-HE ATTEMPTS TO REPLY TO
EACH.-IS SILENCED.-AGAIN SILENCED.-ENTREATS TO BE HEARD.-DENIES SOME
OF THE CHARGES.-CHARGE OF CLAIMING TO BE THE FOURTH PERSON IN THE
GODHEAD.-HE INDIGNANTLY DENIES IT.-CHARGE AGAINST HIM FOR HIS APPEAL.
-CALLS ON CHRIST TO WITNESS THE COUNCIL'S SCOFF AT APPEAL TO HIM.-CON-
TEMPT OF PAPAL EXCOMMUNICATION.-REPLY OF HUSS.-THE EMPEROR'S BLUSH AT
THE MENTION OF THE SAFE-CONDUCT.-SENTENCE PRONOUNCED AGAINST THE BOOKS
OF HUSS. HIS REPLY.-SENTENCE AGAINST HUSS.-HIS COMMENTS UPON IT AS
READ. HIS PRAYER. THE CEREMONy of DegradaTION. THE WHITE ROBE. -
ADDRESS TO THE ASSEMBLY. MURMURS. HUSS STRIPPED OF HIS SAcerdotal
HABITS. TONSURE. LUDICROUS DISPUTE. THE PAPER CROWN. - Remark of
HUSS. HE IS GIVEN Over to the SeculAR ARM. - IS LED OUT TO EXECUTION
UNDER CHARGE OF THE ELECTOR. INDIRECT ROUTE. — BURNING OF THE BOOKS
OF HUSS IN FRONT OF THE EPISCOPAL PALACE.
DRESS OF HUSS, IN GERMAN, TO THE CROWD.

CROSSING OF THE BRIDGE. - AD

HUSS PRAYS ON REACHING THE

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PLACE OF EXECUTION. FAVORABLE IMPRESSION. A CONFESSOR. THE PRIVILEGE OF ADDRESSING THE CROWD IS DENIED. HUSS PRAYS.-HIS MITRE FALLS OFF. SPEAKS TO HIS KEEPERS. THE STAKE AND CORDS. IS NOT ALLOWED TO FACE THE EAST. THE SOOTY CHAIN. HUSS ONCE MORE ASKED TO RECANT. -BRUTALITY OF THE EXECUTIONERS.

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HIS REFUSAL. THE CLOSING SCENE.
TESTIMONY OF ENEAS SYLVIUS. WHY HUSS WAS BURNED.-NOT FOR HIS HETE-
RODOXY. NOT HIS REPROOF OF SIN. HIS ATTACK OF PROFITABLE ABUSES.

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THE ODIUM PHILOSOPHICUM OF THE NOMINALISTS. THE PERSECUTING Zeal of THE ENGLISH. THE PREJUDice of the GERMANS. - PALETZ AND MICHAEL DE CAUSIS. BRIBERY. - HUSS REJECTS THE SUPREMACY OF THE COUNCIL OVER SCRIPTURE. HIS CHARACTER.

JULY 1, 1415-JULY 6, 1415.

Up almost to the last moment, urgent persuasions were addressed to Huss to induce him to recant. In

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