Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-01-22
life and Times of John Huss.
~ EARLIER REroRMER THAN LUTHER.


ger that the two large volumes of Mr..
GiIlett upon the life and times of Huss
NAV be laid aside as too bulky for peru
sal This would be mistake for two
reasons the work is printed in such gen
erous type that there is less to read than
hurried glance would lead one to sup
mise and il is we'll written, and on a
subject of such abundant interest that we
sbonld be sorry to lose it. lluss was
poban,ian who lived about century
earlier than Luther, and whose efforts
LARGELY added in preparing the way Tor
the brilliant reforms OF his successor lie
was the son of simple-hearted peasants
wbo stroys TO give him learning though
tbey could hardly give him bread. Ills
father died in his boyhood, and the son
left the monastery where bis questioning
intellect had puzzled the Ignorant MONKS
and returned to his widowed mother -
.cWhat shall we now do, my son 2 she
asked. II am going to Prague was his
ranly. "Let US not be troubled on ac'
eount of our poverty; God will care for
us The monks have promised that !
shall certainly 60" His mother impel-
led by maternal anxiety, accompanied
him to the city If the story OF her jour
NV is true, it affords characteristic il
u.tration of the simple manners OF the
noe and country. She took with her,
from her humble store, goose thuss D"
Boheman) and a cake as present to the
rector. Unfortunately the goose fe"
away while she was on her journey ana
she could not recover it. The poor wo-
man. associating, perhaps, the lost tow
with the fortunes Of her sou, received tie
accident as an i'll omen. But II disturb
ed bv saperstitious fears, she bad yet that
simple piety which taught her still 10 tFus'
in God. She fell at once upon her knees
and recommended her son to the care ant
protection of divine Providence. ob'
then continued her journey much troub
Ned to think that she had only the cak'
left to present to the rector.
Humble as it was, her gift found ac
ceptance. and Huss became in due tim
a master of the university and highl,
approved preacher of the Catholic faith
The works of the English reformer, Wick
life. were then attracting great attention
Huss read them and was greatly struc
bv the perusal. He at first censure
them severely, and never indeed, acceF
ted them fully, but the seed they sowe
in his mind was destined to bear fruit
once sweet and bitter -
There is, it seems probable, strlkin
parallel between the manner in which III
preiudices of Huss were overcome IN I.
yor Of WicklifTe, and the manner IN wh'c
those of Luther were overcome IN iav'
Of Huss. 1t was Luther who said OF II
works Of Huss. When was studylr
at Frfurt. | found in the library OF II
convent a book entitled Sermons oil Jol
.Huss.' was seized with a curiosity
know what doctrines this heresiarch hi
tauoht This reading filed me WITH
credible surprise. could not compr
bend why they should have burned
great man, and one who eXplaln
scripture with so much dscernment a
wisdom. But inasmuch as 'he very mar
Of Huss was such an abominatlon tha'
imagined that at the mention OF II
heavens would fall and the sun be dar
ened. | shut the book with sad hea
consoled myself, however, by the tn
that perhaps he wrote it before he
into heresy; for, as yet, / knew nothl
of the doings of the council of Constan'
Similar to this may have been, and dou
less was, the experience of Huss W
regard to Wickliffe.
There is evidence that Huss was to
long time, if not to the last, sincere
lever in the papal code, but be was
to immortality everywhere, and he prea
ed against vice wherever he found 1t
laymen or in priests. He manifestly
not believe in the personal inIalh0'ht.
pope or clergy, and he drew bis religI
views, not from the decisions OF coun
but from Scripture as he understood
These virtues were his heresies.
priesthood found the pure morality OF
life and bis sermons perpetul reproa
his freedom of opinion they resented
an outrage. The Bohemians were
divided into partisans of the blame
priest and the bitter enemies of his "
and works. The art of printing was
yet achieved, but the quickened me
activity of the people caused grea
crease of manuscripts, some of thel
feminine origin. Cochleius, bitter
ponent of reform, speaks thus of the
movements, in which be saw only c