The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18

which was OF vast importance for the whole
| Christian world. The schsm In the Western
| Church still continued, In spite oil many
| efforts to effect reconciliation between
| the two rival groups OF Cardinals. France
now determined to recognize no longer
| as legitimate either OF the two claimants to tho
| Papal throne. Ben edIct XIII. and Gregory XII.
but to remain neutral UP to the time that
| general meeting ofthe Cardinals Of both parties
| should have chosen n new pontiff. Bohemia
| was one OF the countries that had hitherto rec
| ognised the Roman Pope" Gregory NIL. but
| King Wenceslas determined to follow the ex
| ample Of the King OF France. The Archbishop
| OF Prague on the other hand. refused to re-
| nounce allegiance to Pope Gregory. At tho
! university opinions differed. The Bohemian
nation" OF which Huss was now the recoE-
nined leader. was strongly in favor OF the
| Kings proposal The Bavarian and Saxon
nations" as we'll as tho Polish nation"
| which then consisted principally OF Germans
from Slesia. took an opposite stand. Al a general
| meeting held under the presidency OF a Ger
| man who was then Rector. 1t was voted that
the university should continue to recognize
| Gregory XII as the legitimate Pope. BY en-
| erRetically defending the proposal that tho
| university should remain neutral. Huss in
| Cured the particular enmity OF the Archbishop.
| and. at tho end OF 1908. decree was pacarded
| on the doors OF the churches Of Prague, stating
| that Huss, las disobedent son OF tho Holy
| Mother tho Church" was forbidden to exer-
crcise any ecclesiastical functions. In jan
uary. 400. however. King Wenccslas is
sued decree assuring to the bohemian
| nation" as many votes in the university
| 40 tho other three nations" united pos
| sessed. and little later he forbade all per-
sons in Bohemia. both ecclesiastics and lay
men. to persist In allegiance to Pope Gregory.
All the German professors and students now
| left the university, which. accordingly. be-
| came stronghold OF the party favorable to
Church reform. and to tho national aspirations
of the Bohemian people. 1t was but natural
| that the reconstructed body should choose
| Huss to be again its Rector. The Archbishop
| remained as hostile as ever. but for the moment
| circumstances rendered it difficult for him to
| harm the Bohemian reformers. The Council
| ofPiea had deposed both claimants to the Papal
throne. and had elected new pontifT who. un-
| der the name Of Alexander ". was recognized
by the greater part OF Europe
| In September. 14Oo, an event occurred which
had decided influence upon the fate OF Huss
| The recognition at that time of Pope Aexan-
| der V. by the Archbishop OF Prague was fol-
! lowed by Papal decree ordering the destruc-
| ton OF oil the writings Of Wyclffe existing in
! Bohemia o decree evidently aimed at Huss,
who had Of late been preaching Wycliffite doc
trines at Bethlehem Chapel. On July 10. 14lO,
|
| burned. and this m easure was followed two
| days later By a sentence OF accommodation
| pronounced by the Archbishop against Huss
| and his adherents. The sentence was subse-
| quently ratified by the Papal court and the
| city OF Prague. which had evnced sympathy
| for Huss. was placed under an interdot
At the end OF the year 1412 Huss
| left the Bohemian capital at the request OF
| King Wenceslas. in order to avcrt the disturb
I,,a tx fa.k -
| the population Of the city remained devoted to
him. 1t Is well known that. TWO years later
| Huss attended the Council at Constance under
| a safe conduct given him by Sigismund King
I OF the Romans and brother Of Wenceslas. In
| spite OF this safe conduct he was arrested
| tried. condemned. and in July. 1415. he was
| burned at the stake. No accommodation
| seems to have been possible between Huss and
the Council Of Constance for. while Huss main
| tanned that he had been summone d for the pur-
| pose OF expounding his views freely the Council
| held that their mission was confined so far
| as he was concerned. to hearing his recanta-
| ton OF all the opinions rightly or wrongly as-
| cribed to him. rocantation which he refused to
make. It's evident from his treatise De Eccle-
| STA. that Huss's views were irreconciable with
the pretensions OF tho Papacy 1t is not GER
tain. Huss maintains. that tho Pope 10 Christ's
successor in this world. He is then only
Peter and the Cardinals are then only the sue
| cessors OF the Apostles when they follow the
examples OF faith. modesty and love which
| the former gave Many Popcs and Cardi-
! nails. he said. had not done this. and. indeed
many sanity men who never were Popes
were truer SUCCESSORS OF the Apostles. ST.
| Augustine. for example. did moro for the
welfare OF the Church than many Popes have
DONE and studied Its doctrines more pro-
fOnnIly ha hoe
| tho last. III Pope and Cardinals he continued
give their attention to worldly affairs. II they
| ecandalize the faithful by ambition and ava
| rice. then they are successors. not OF Christ
| not OF Peter and not Of the Apostles, but OF
| Satan. OF Anti Christ. OF Judas Iscariot. Re-
turning to his former point it is not certain
| Huss asserted. that the Pope Is really the head
OF the Church; he cannot he sure that he is a
| member Of the true Church at all. ST. Peter
erred even after he had been called by Christ
Pope Leo was hereto and Pope Gregory
had been but recently condemned by the
Council OF Pisa 1t is. in truth. popular
;sssss ill., Ill.,. SSa1ss ass
hs to 5Hs as GA sbsls
Cardinals with the cerics and the c aen sp e
saint Sriss may here e'i add V that tV ths
| stand which Huss took with reference to indul-
| gences was practically identical with that as
spmed century, later by Martin Luther
| With regard to the giving Of indulgences for
they are worthlese when he refused to give for
| money TO Simon the power ia lay his hands on
| neopls so that they might receive the gift OF
| the Holy Ghost. No. the Apostles laid their
hands on the people, not for money. but gratu-
| itously for their salvation. obeying the words
OF their Saviour who said. Freely ye have re-
".
| The name OF Jerome OF Prague was by older
writer's 90 closely connected with that OF Huss
that the writer OF the book before us feels 1t
necessary to mention his name. although what
| influence he obtained was not through the
pen. but by the spoken word. 80 that his place
Ia a history OF Bohemian literature Is a very
modest one. The death. or. as his adherents