Jan Hus

Jan Hus (1369 Husinec, Southern Bohemia – July 6, 1415 Constance) was a religious thinker and reformer. He initiated a religious movement based on the ideas of John Wyclif. His followers became known as Hussites. The Catholic Church did not condone such uprisings, and Hus was excommunicated in 1411, condemned by the Council of Constance, and burned at the stake.

Indulgences

Zbyn?k Zajíc died in 1411, and with his death the religious movement in Bohemia entered a new phase — the disputes concerning indulgences arose. In 1411 John XXIII issued his crusade against King Ladislaus of Naples, the protector of Gregory XII. In Prague also the cross was preached, and preachers of indulgences urged people to crowd the churches and give their offerings. There developed a traffic in indulgences. Hus, following the example of Wyclif, lifted up his voice against it and wrote his famous Crusade. But he could not carry with him the men of the university. In 1412 a dispute took place, on which occasion Hus delivered his Quaestio magistri Johannis Hus de indulgentiis. It was taken literally from the last chapter of Wyclif's book, De ecclesia, and his treatise, De absolutione a pena et culpa. No pope or bishop, according to Wyclif and Hus, had the right to take up the sword in the name of the Church; he should pray for his enemies and bless those that curse him. Man obtains forgiveness of sins by real repentance, not for money. The doctors of the theological faculty replied, but without success. A few days afterward the people, led by Vok Voksa z Vald?tejna, burnt the papal bulls. Hus, they said, should be obeyed rather than the fraudulent mob of adulterers and simonists. Three men from the lower classes who openly contradicted the preachers during their sermons and called indulgences a fraud were beheaded. They were the first martyrs of the Hussite Church. The theological faculty requested Hus to present his speeches and doctrines to the dean for an examination, but he refused.

Related Topics:
Zbyn?k Zajíc - 1411 - John XXIII - Crusade - 1412 - Vok Voksa z Vald?tejna - Adulterer - Simonist

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In the meantime, the faculty had condemned the forty-five articles anew and added several other heretical theses which had originated with Hus. The king forbade the teaching of these articles, but neither Hus nor the university approved of this summary condemnation, requesting that the unscripturalness of the articles should be first proved.

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