The New York herald., 1869-11-13
pass in review certain events in the life OF the srea.

friends Huss was enabled study mt the peighboriu
| town OF Prahatis. and later at the University o
| Prague. where he obtained the degree OF docro
OF laws III 1895. TWO years later he wa
| made professor OF theology ana philosophy. and II
1902 preacher In the afterwards famous Beth.
chapel and spiritual director to the Queen Sophia
| In Iluss' time Prague was the seat or one OF tn
three great universities OF Europe. the other tws
being at Paris aud oxford. And it was very naIura
that the first great movement towards intellectua
freedom IN Eastern Europe should take place within
its walls. Before entering upon a consideration O.
the career OF Huss and the religious movement Ii
Bohemia during his life, ana for twenty OF thi,ty
years after his death, 1t ID necessary 20 take shor
survey OF the peculiar condition and history OF Eo
hemla ITSELF which in every respect differs from
Germany.
bohemia is remarkable in the religious and poltl
cal history OF Europe because 1t Is the country
where the two opposing systems represented by the
Eastern and Western Churches, or more correctly
the Eastern and Western divisions OF the Church,
met IN deadly conflict.
All Eastern and the greater part OF Western Bohe-
mia were converted by missionaries from Greece
before tho Church had be ome divided In tle nj nth
century the Moravians aud Bohenians in common
with most OF tile other Slavonc peoples had the Ola
and New Testament In the Slayonc language, as
well as the Church ritual, according TO the usage
still preserved IN Bulgaria, Servla, Russia ana other
kindred nations The Eastern Church has always
maintained the principle that all bishops are equal
in authority; that each mas jurisdiction IN iis 0wa
diocese aud not beyond ~, anu that II precedence Is
granted TO one IL is granted because lie IL acaaow
ledged to be the first among equals, and not az
having supreme authority over a. The principo
was To allow the autonomy OF eacn national UAucen,
allowing IL the popular language, ana sncl pecular-
ities as might DO permitted by geaera! council Of all
the Churches. ms Is usage which obtains
IN the Eastern Cnurch to tue presens day. In
Greece IN Russia IN Georgia, Ia Bulgaria. IN Serv-a
the Clurcn uses tue language OF The country. NO
Wnere trying to impose tie authority or one Charch
upon another or to force the language Of one people
upon another, 1t has relraned ifonl centiaizat!on
ana preserves unity hy L colnia1lion betwee,l the
different Churche5, or rather different divisions OF
tho Church. According to this system, whlch was
undoubtedly accepted both In Tie West and the
East during the iirsS centuries, the Church bore a
close resemblance to o government oil 5tates In ono
confederation, rs Is the case with US ia America.
Each council was a congress OF tho Churches. IL
was constiutlouallSu. la Rome alter ConSJaatines
conversion Christianity became state ol religion,
anu after the tomoYat OK tho cptios OF le 2lqlce
Constantlnope the Bishop OF Rome begSn 10 acquire
NOR and more power, aud eXCeltiag ms authority
beyond his own episcopate, ended by caimihy Juri3
dicton over The wnoe CHRISTIAN world. Tnls Il the
real cause OF tha rupture beJweea the Churches OF
the East and the West. rms Is tne reason Wlly the
patrlarcns OF the Ea5t not Only ala nOG accept the
inyatlon to appear at Tue coming council at iiome
but would not even receive tho Letter conveying
SAID invitation. Ihey do no. acknowledge tAat any
one bishop be he or Rome or Alexandria or con.
stantinorle, has any authority 10 call councn of
Vac WHO'S CuTStidu IuG Two 0ur9SlnE
forces then Represented by the Eastern aud Western
Churches arc local autonomy and union hy means
OF councils OF the whole Chnrcn on the one hand,
and the sJricvest capitalization unier one foreign
chief on the other. In Bohemia tnese two systems
met Bohem q was first converted according TO the
idea represented by the East to THIS day,
ana afterwards came IN conilct With
the centralizng tendencies OF the West. rms
contlict first broke cut IN Huss' time was tue
first vctIm though not the Iifst to struggle
formation OF abuses which arose everywhere through
Europe because there were no means OF local con-
formation Of aouses could be eaectel IN the bosom
OF the Church in manner similar to the reforms IN
constitutional government. tho Ohurcn had lost
les ancient democratic structure aud mad now be-
come imperial In ITS form vi government.
There was surely no period In which reform
rest OF Europe, than during the timo OF nuss' acbi
vi5y. A fruitful source oil abuse was the Immense
number OF religious foundations and eadowments.
The CHURCH haa acquired an amount Of property
dlsproporionate 10 its needs Tna number OF clergy
men was such as 10 seem almost incredible IL our
deacons. &C.. attached 10 II, and in churches
now one priest anu two ASSISTANTS are saaclent
there were often upwards OF twenty priests There
were many clergynlen who held slneoures or whose
duties were performed by hired curates.
whom were occupied, disorders We're inegicsole.
The government OF the University also in u very
unsatisfactory state. Disputes were continual be-
tween the bohemian ana foreign professors aud
students This arose from tho fact thar the foreigners
HAD tnree voices III the government OF The unlyer-
sty while the Bohemians had only one. IL was very
natural that the natives OF the country should ind IL
unjust that the different sLipends ana foundations
attached To tue University and maintained at tue
nations expense should be used mostly for iae beu-
eht oil foreigners. This distribution of votes besides
beng unjust in Rational point OF view, was the
source OF abuse Ia tue disposition oil offices IN the
Church.
The influence OF foreigners in the University was
such as TO give them command OF the best bencdces
and the fattest livn9s. When the reform party
began to attack the prevalent abuses tAey could
point 10 numerous cases waero priests had care or
souls without knowing the language oi the people
over whom they were placed. IL was natural that
all efforts at reform would 90 opposed by men Ike
these who, occupying an eSeeptonai and tylleged
position were interes .ed M tphoidlng tie ancient
a1uses whca were 80 probable TO them.
The STATE OF tae Cnurch outside OF bohemia was
such as To aiord little cause Tor rejoicing. IL pre-
sented the spectacle oE one Pope at Aygaen Benedco
and another al Rome, innocent NILl each maintain-
Ing that he wa, the iawIui mead oi the Christian
world. Even the outward siga OF unity, for winch
50 much had Deel 5acriiiced, Was not Kept up. To
put an end 10 TINS unortunae dissen5ioD the Card-
mails assembled council. at Pisa Ia 1903, with the
purpose OF dep0SIng both P0pes and olectiug a new
one IN their pace. IN Boienia this movement was
looked upon with favor AMI IL was hoped that the
moment would soon arrive when 1t might be posi-
bic 10 bring about The refOrns they so much desired.
II was soon found however, that lsost OF the ccrS
VINO proitei BY The abuses h,tRerto existing were
opposed TO giving their adhesion to tho Council OF
Psa The aIalr was laid before the University,
foreigners, mostly Germans, were opposed TO the
Council. Huss seized this opportunity To carry
bohemian larty--to deprive tne foreigners
OF their undue influence. IN this undertaking he
ana his frends were successful. In l4j3 Il de-
creed tnat henceorth foreigners should nave and
Bohemians four votes Tie University now sustained
tie Council, and Il was hoped tdat better days were
about to dawn Ihis nope was soon shown 60 10
futile. The new Pope, Alexander ", dissolved the
Council, With the promise that IL would be reasseip
bled In three years for the purpose OF Carrying out
new reforms The reactionary party In Bohemia
now took courage, aud began to act on the of1en-
svc. 2bynek, Archbishop or Prague, alter coming
TO % goou understanding with the new Pope ordered
Wyckiies wrltings TO be burned ana forbade preach
ing In private cnapes. As iiuss continued to preach
nj Bethehem ne VAS put under tue ban of Interuict
Xbyuex soon died, and was succeeded by bishop
more friendly TO HGss who, 1t would scent
mlght now rest from his struggles; but q
circumstance soon arose winch brought him into
direct conflict with Rome, and was the cause OF
sumrn0ning him TO Constance, where he was con-
demned 10 oe. The Councll oi Pisa, instead Of re-
storing unity, only seemed TO make matters worse.
There were how three Popes instead OF two. Gre
CORY XII. took refuge with the nlag OF Naples, and,
with his assistance, hoped to obtain Rome. John
XIII. now preached crusade against the King Of
Naples and announced that iudugences would be
granted 10 all who would either take gctlvc part In
This crusade or assist In any way in carrying It out.
Monks were sent TO Prague TO dispose OF these indul