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Huss, John (hŭs), Czech Jan Hus (yän h

s), 1369?–1415, Czech religious reformer.

Early Life

Of peasant origin, he was born in Husinec, Bohemia (from which his name is derived). He studied theology at the Univ. of Prague, was ordained a priest c.1400, and in 1402 was appointed preacher of the Bethlehem Chapel, a foundation dedicated to preaching in the Czech language. He early came under the influence of the writings of John Wyclif Wyclif, Wycliffe, Wickliffe, or Wiclif, John , c.1328–1384, English reformer. A Yorkshireman by birth, Wyclif studied and taught theology and philosophy at Oxford.
..... Click the link for more information. , and though he did not fully espouse Wyclif's doctrine, he opposed its condemnation (1403) by the Univ. of Prague and translated Wyclif's Triologus into Czech.

Attacks on the Church

In his sermons Huss attacked the abuses of the clergy, thus earning the hostility of many priests, who turned the archbishop of Prague against him. Huss, however, had the support of Wenceslaus IV (see Wenceslaus Wenceslaus, 1361–1419, Holy Roman emperor (uncrowned) and German king (1378–1400), king of Bohemia (1378–1419) as Wenceslaus IV, elector of Brandenburg (1373–76), son and successor of Emperor Charles IV.
..... Click the link for more information. , Holy Roman emperor). He furthermore represented the Czech national aspirations in conflict with the German elements in Bohemia. In 1408 the archbishop and the university opposed the king's scheme to have Bohemia observe neutrality between the rival popes Gregory XII and Benedict XIII (Pedro de Luna). Only the Czech members of the university supported Wenceslaus, who as a result changed (1409) the university charter, giving the Czechs a predominant position; he made Huss rector of the university. The Bohemian clergy thus were split into two groups.

This situation was not helped when, in the same year, the Council of Pisa deposed both popes and chose Pietro Cardinal Philarghi as Alexander V, who was shortly succeeded by Baldassare Cardinal Cossa as John XXIII. With papal support, the archbishop forbade preaching in the Bethlehem Chapel, ordered the burning of Wyclif's books, and excommunicated (1410) Huss and his followers. Wenceslaus stood by Huss and in 1411 brought about a truce, but the fight flared up again in 1412, when Huss openly denounced the bulls of the antipope John XXIII against King Lancelot of Naples and preached against indulgences.

The pope excommunicated Huss, who—to save Prague from the papal interdict—retired to a castle near Tabor. During his two years of exile he wrote his chief works, including the De ecclesia, which increasingly reflected Wyclif's influence. He denied the infallibility of an immoral pope, asserted the ultimate authority of Scripture over the church, and accorded the state the right and duty to supervise the church. Because of these ideas he is generally considered a forerunner of the Protestant Reformation.

Martyrdom

At the invitation of Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund Sigismund , 1368–1437, Holy Roman emperor (1433–37), German king (1410–37), king of Hungary (1387–1437) and of Bohemia (1419–37), elector of Brandenburg (1376–1415), son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV.
..... Click the link for more information. , who granted him a safe-conduct, Huss presented himself in 1414 at the Council of Constance to justify his views. The council refused to recognize his safe-conduct, and Huss was imprisoned and tried as a heretic. His friend Jerome of Prague Jerome of Prague, c.1370–1416, Bohemian religious reformer. During his studies at Prague and at Oxford, Jerome was influenced by the doctrinal views of John Wyclif. He continued to study and travel widely abroad, in constant conflict with the authorities.
..... Click the link for more information. was also seized and put on trial. Huss denied some of the beliefs attributed to him; others he refused to modify unless convinced of their error. The council condemned his writings and sentenced him to be burned at the stake, where he died heroically. By his death he became a national hero. He was declared a martyr by the Univ. of Prague, and the modern Czech Protestant church claims to continue his tradition.

Bibliography

See his De ecclesia (tr. by D. S. Schaff, 1915); letters (ed. by M. Spinka, 1973); biography by M. Spinka (1968, rev ed. 1978).

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No references found			1330-1384), who instituted the first English translation of the Bible; and John Huss (c. Woman among four additions to Swiss Reformation monument. (News) by Presbyterian Record He has spoken about the need to correct the record in the specific case of the Bohemian reformer John Huss, who was burned at the stake in 1415. The perils of penance: contrition is not a cardinal's virtue by O'Grady, Desmond / Commonweal After nearly 30 years, the timing was right for us to find a buyer who would appreciate what we've built and carry on our community banking tradition," said John Huss. Associated Banc-Corp to Acquire First National Bank of Hudson by Business Wire			John Goodricke John Gorrie Museum State Park John Grahame Douglas Clark John Gray John Greer Dill John Grierson John H. Chafee National Wildlife Refuge at Pettaquamscutt Cove John Hadley John Hampden John Hancock John Hanning Speke John Harold Clapham John Hawkins John Hay National Wildlife Refuge John Heartfield John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum John Henry John Henry Newman John Henry OHara John Heywood John Howard Lawson John Howard Northrop John Hubert Marshall John Hughes John Hunt John Huss John Hutchinson John Hyrcanus John I John II John II Comnenus John II the Good John III John III Ducas Vatatzes John III Sobieski John Italus John IV John Jackson John James Audubon State Park John James Rickard Macleod John Jay College of Criminal Justice John Jay Homestead State Historic Site John Jervis John Joly John Joseph Curtin John Jr Swigert John Kay John Keats John Kenneth Galbraith John Kerr John King Fairbank			John Hopkins University/Center for Communication Programs John Hoppner John Howard John Howard John Howard Lawson John Howard Northrop John Howard Northrop John Howard Society of Alberta John Howard Society of the Central and South Okanagan John Howard, 1st Duke of Norfolk John Hoyer Updike John Hoyer Updike John Hubbard Hall John Hubert Marshall John Hughes John Hughes Cooper Library John Hughes Law Practice John Hume John Humphrey Centre John Humphrey Freedom Award John Hunt John Hunt (disambiguation) John Hunter John Hunter Childrens Hospital John Hunter Print Machinery John Hunyadi John Hus John Hus John Huss John Huston John Huston John Hutchinson John Hyrcanus John Hyrcanus I John I John I John I of Bohemia John I of Constantinople John I of Constantinople John I. Rivers Associates John Ievins Style Bugger Up John II John II John II Comnenus John II Komnenos John II of Burgundy John II of France John II the Good John II, Duke of Burgundy John III John III John III Doukas Vatatzes John III Ducas Vatatzes John III of Poland John III of Poland John III Sobieski John III Sobieski John III Sobieski of Poland John III Sobieski of Poland