The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-02-19
Of It's inouIsition merges into that Of the rest Of

W. ~
the kingdom"
with the tragic story Of the Templars re-
served for future investigation, the reader Is
not inclined to finger over the chapter OF this
volume allotted TO France, but hastens to Boz
hemia, where, in the Hussites, Catholicism had
q formidable enemy. 1t is not surprising that
the Waldensian heresy gained a firm foothold
among tho Czechs at an early date, for 80 de-
fective we're the means Of enforcing Papal reg
| ~ulations, that as late as the close OF the twelfth
century the law OF cclibacy was unknown
among It's secular clergy. BY 1881 tho wal
denses had a thoroughly organized church in
Bohemia, whose emissaries were active
throughout Moravia and Silesia, then ap-
panaees OF the Bohemian crown, as well as In
saxony and Poland.
In the latter part Of the same century we De-
| hold in Bohemia n curious counterpart OF the
state OF things which had existed In Langue-
| doc two centuries before. This was the golden
age Of the native Czech civilization. From the
founding of tho University of Prague In 1347
| the advance was particularly rapid. We repro
| duce q passage on the subject from Mr.. Lea's
seventh chapter: During the latter half OF the
fourteenth century Bohemia was one OF the
most nourishing kingdoms OF Europe. It's
mines OF the precious metals gave 1t wealth.;
the freedom enjoyed by its peasantry raised
them mentally and morally above the level OF
the serfs Of other lands culture and enlighten-
mont were diffused from its university. 1t was
renowned throughout the continent for the
splendor OF its churches. which in size and
number were nowhere exceeded. At the mon
sstry OF K5nigsaal. where the Bohemian kings
lay buried, around the walls OF the garden the
whole OF the Scriptures from Genesis to Reve-
lations was engraved. with letters enlarging in
otvA 18th fhair 5iatanpa from tha Drnund an
that all could be easily read. Wealth and cul-
ture. however. were accompanied with COR
ruption. Nowhere were the clergy moro world
ly and depraved. ~Concubinage was well-nigh
universal. and simony pervaded the Church in
all its ranks tho sacraments were sold and
penitence compounded for. All the abuses, for
which clerical immunity furnished opportuni-
ty. fourished. and the land was overrun by va
grants whose tonsure gave them charter to
rob and brawl and dice and drink" 1t was the
popular revolt against these clerical abuses
which paved the way for the HUSTLE protest
against some Of the dogmas of the Catholic
Church.
To English students the feature of special in
terest in the history Of Hussism is the fact that
this heresy was as unQuestionably an out
growth Of Wicklif1sm as the latter was a sue
cessor Of Waldensianism 1t was the impunity
Of Wicklihe's career, Notwithstanding the belief
Of his disciples that the Popes Of the time
were Antichrist, which caused Huss to deem
1t impossible that he himself could be punished
as q hereto. and it is a curious circumstance
that he suffered at tho stake on the pretext of
preaching the one Wicklifite doctrine. that in
relation to the Eucharist. which he repudi-
ated. Another incident In Huss's life is
worth recalling. now that We are Witness
ing a vigorous revival Of the Czech sentiment
Of nationality. We refer to the decree which he
procured in 1409 from King Wenceslaus, where
by the Czech nation in the Prague university
was in all elections to have three votes. and the
other three nations combined only one. 1t was
this innovation that caused the German pro-
fessors and students to abandon Prague In a
body and found the university Of Leipsic.
There Is no doubt that the burning of Huss at
Constance, Notwithstanding his safe conduct.
was an Infamous act of per1dy. On this head
Mr.. Lea cites a pertinent ~colloquy which took
place In the council: He could truly say. when
he stood up in tho council to meet his accusers:
I came hither OF my own free will. Had 1 re-
fused to come, neither the King nor the En-
peror could have forced me, so numerous are
the Bohemian lords who love and who
would have afforded me protection And
when the Cardinal Peter daily exclaimed:
Soc the impudence Of the man, John
Of Chlum calmly arose. and said: He
speaks the truth, for. though I have
little power compared with others in Bohemia,
I could easily defend him for a year against the
whole strength Of both monarchs. Judge, then,
how much more could they whose forces are
greater and whose castles are stronger than
mine!" The execution Of Huss and his dis
ciple. Jerome Of Prague. was followed by a
resolution Of the Council Of Constance to rigor-
nlNllv anp1v II ~ n l Siforin | v,athNla tN A. lila
dom Of Bohemia. But against a whole nation
in revolt these Of course proved imperative.
and it was necessary. as it had been in the case
OF Languedoc. to resort to q crusade. Yet 1t
was ten years before the united resources OF
Catholic Christendom suflced to crush the
HUSTLE heresy In Bohemia Rooted out 1t never
was. 1t survived in the Bohemian Brethren
and in their successors, the Moravian Brethren,
who through emigrants and missionaries have
become 80 we'll known in the United States.
In the chapter on the "Inquisition in the
Spanish Peninsula" Mr.. Lea does not omit to
emphasize a fact likely to surprise a good many
readers. namely. that In the great Kingdom of
CASTLE and Leon, the Holy Office can scarcely
be said to have existed before tho marriage Of
Its Queen, Isabella. with Ferdinand Of ARA
gon. Far from being a congenial, CASTLE was
q rebellious soil to that institution with which, |
J. u Inc Si4t0enIu century, IL was TO DO fnSeper-
ably associated. Mr.. Lea dismisses as utterly |
unworthy OF belief tho Dominican legend |
which relates how st. Dominic returned
from Rome to Spain. as Inquisitor- General,
on the errand Of establishing there the %inauisi-
ton, for the purpose OF furnishing the renegade
Jews and Moors; how he was warmly |
by San Fernando ILL.,. and organized
the tnquisition throughout the land, cole
himself the first to-dn-G ut Buroos.
where three hundred apoststes were burned"
This myth Mr.. Lea classes with tho statement
another chronicler that "St. Boniface was
an inquisitor. and. with the support OF Pepin lie
Bret. burned many heretics." 1t is true that
lists are given Of successive Inquisitors-Gen-
oral OF the peninsula throughout the thirteenth
and fourteenth centuries, but these. according
10 the author. were simply the Dominican
provincials. who wore empowered by the Popss
TO appoint inquisitors, but whose exercise Of
that did not extend beyond Aragon."
It is in truth imperative, II We would
rightly understand medieval Spanish his
torv IN kaan in mind TINT nm ~ Aha