Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-01-22


class of mechanics, by their frequent at
tendance on sermons, and their Jealous
reading of the scriptures that had been
translated for them into the vernaeular
tongue, were led to open discussion with
the priests before the people. And not
men only, but women also, reached sueh
a measure of audacity and impadence as
to venture to dispute in regard to the
doctrines of the scripture, and maintain
themselves against the priests. Some OF
them moreover composed books, one OF
which is thus characterized by a country
man 'Jezebol author, mad with rage IN
her threatenings against the servant OF
God. and from the Holy Scriptures eX-
tollino not the church Of God but her own
sect. thus deals out her lies; She says,
that in every class, especially among the
ecelesiastics, not an individual can be
found. with the exception of the Huss-
ties, whose life is truly pure and spirItu-
al. and who can preach the word OF God
/ by the Holy Spirit And yet this work
was received and treated with the high
est regard by the sect, Of both sexes !;
and its author was looked upon rs wo-
man of wonderful subtilty in the Holy
/ Scriptures, and an able defender OF Mas
ter Huss and his sectaries.
Meantime Master Huss preached bold
" on. and Bethlehem chapel was throng-
ed with edited hearers. The books OF
WickIiffe having been burned by order
Of the archbishop, Huss fearIessIy re-
} i5ined Fire does not consume truth II
is always a mark Of little mind to ven
anger upon inanimate or uuipjurious oh
iaets. The books which are burned are
loss to the whole nation Opinions So
liberal we're Of course assailed with vio
! Ienee. Eight learned doctors offered +
GROVE them erroneous. Huss was in ar
eament a match for the eight, and aite
foiling them with their own weapons, OF
fered. as Savanarola afterwards did, t
!, test his own sincerity by submitting to tn
ordeal by FIRE -
But with The good sense that must hav
characterized his estimate OF a barbarou
and absurd custom, lie insisted that t
make the terms equal all his accuseT
should submit TO the same ordeal. !
this. however they very naturally obJac
ted. They had not sufficient confidence
either in the justice Of their cause, or ih
harinlessness Of the flames, to warrar
\ them in walking one after another int
the midst Of the blazing fagots. The
proposed that one Of the accusers shouI
i be selected. and that he and IIuss togetl
,t er should undergo the ordeal. Huss II
sisted-we can scarcely believe witho'
,g something of a grave waggery-on h
10 own proposition. 1t was too much Il
bis clerical opponents. They were a
- frichted and declined the terms.
or At length he was summoned beto
he the council of Constance, there to be II
no ed AS a hereto; he went, protected by
he safe-conduct from Ssismund, Emper
I'm of Bohemia, but after brief examln
- ton he was thrown into a noisome a
al pestilential prison, where he speed
;o contracted fever that was near bel
e. fatal. The pope, fearing that the sta
81 might lose its predestined victim, sent
cd own physician to attend him, and whit
"a nnder his orders, Huss was removed
,,a more tolerable place of confneme
: 7 his health Immediately improved. Bel
the reproved for their disregard OF the II
/ perial pledge, the council pacitied
-, emperor by assuring him that no ia
~, was due to man suspected of heresy
e.u For that crime alone, accusation
;ro proof
Meantime, new dssensions arose,
-, pope himself was threatened with
-, peachment, and at length fed from G
stance, leaving Huss a prisoner in
,r Franciscan monastery. His friends
no. once urged the emperor to set him
Goo liberty, but tue faithless monarch Q
,cb. permitted them to pay him a brlet
n in his cell. They did not arrive to So
did He lay stretched on miserable col
:, of emaciated and wasted almost to SIX
ions ton. On the ground before him la
ellis small strip Of paper. They picked it
I il and though the writing upon it
The scarcely legible, it told the story OF
f his neglect which would soon have saved
,cb state a victim. If you still love me
d as treat the emperor to allow his peopl
soon provide for me, or else enable me to
eless sustenance for myself Such were
-ords words they read huss hau ioru
5 not been scantIy supplied from the p'
entail kitchen. but since his fight had beer
1t in tirely overlooked. For three days
m orl vaok enfsebled prisoner had been