multitudes withdrew themselves from the public places of worship, and followed the dictates of their own consciences by worshipping God in private houses, woods, and caves. Here they were persecuted, dragooned, drowned, and killed; and thus matters went on till the appearance of John Huss, and Jerome of Prague.*

It was in the latter part of the life of Wickliff, that King Richard II. of England married Ann, the sister of Winceslaus, King of Bohemia; and in consequence of this family alliance, a free intercourse was opened between the two kingdoms. About the same time John Huss, who had been a student in the University of Prague, where he had taken his degrees, became a zealous disciple of Wickliff. He was born in the village of Hussinetz, in 1373, of parents not in affluent circumstances; at the age of twenty he was raised to the dignity of professor in the university of Prague, and in 1400 appointed preacher in one of the largest churches of that city. He was a person of eminent abilities, and of still more eminent zeal; his talents were popular, his life irreproachable, and his manners the most affable and engaging. He was the idol of the populace; but in proportion as he attracted their esteem and regard, he drew upon himself the execration of the priests.

Peter Payne, principal of Edmund Hall, in the University of Oxford, a man equally distinguished for his talents and his inflexible opposition to the friars, appears to have been the instrument of first conveying into Bohemia the writings of our countryman Wickliff, of which he was a great admirer. Payne is said to have been a good disputant, and to have signalized himself in a controversy with Walden, the Carmelite, on the subjects of pilgrimage, the eucharist, images, and relicts, &c. &c.—in

Crantz's History, p. 1. sect. 4. and Robinson's Eccles. Researches, p. 480. SYNOPSIS Hist. Persecut, Eccles. Bohem, cap. vii.

consequence of which he became so obnoxious to the clergy, that he was obliged to quit the University and flee into Bohemia, where he carried with him a number of Wickliff's tracts, which were highly esteemed by Huss, Jerome, and the greater part of the University of Prague. The introduction of Wickliff's writings, however, into that University, gave great offence to the Archbishop of Prague, who issued his orders that every person who was in possession of them should bring the books to him, in order that such as contained any thing heretical might be burnt! And we are accordingly told that two hundred volumes of them, finely written, and adorned with costly covers and gold borders, probably belonging to some of the nobility, were committed to the flames by Archbishop Sbynko; a conduct which excited great disgust in the minds of the students of the University of Prague, and of Huss in particular, who took every opportunity to persuade the members of the university that the conduct of the archbishop was an infringement on the rights, liberties, and privileges of their Seminary, whose members had a right to read all sorts of books without molestation. Huss and his friends consequently appealed from the mandate of the archbishop to Gregory XII. who was then acknowledged Pope in Germany; and the latter cited the archbishop to Rome. The prelate, however, informed his holiness how deeply the writings of Wickliff had taken root in Bohemia, on which he obtained a bull authorising him to prevent the propagation of Wickliff's doctrine in his diocese; at the same time condemning them in the most pointed manner as heretical, and issuing processes against four eminent doctors of the university, who had refused to deliver up the writings of Wickliff which were in their possession, and prohibiting them, notwithstanding their ecclesiastical dignities, from preaching in any congregation. Huss, and the members of the university, entered a protest against VOL. II. B b

these proceedings, and on the 25th of June, 1410, appealed from the sentence of the archbishop to the court of Rome. The affair was carried before Pope John XXIII. who granted a commission to Cardinal Colonna to cite Huss to appear personally before him at Rome, and there answer to the accusations laid against him of preaching both errors and heresies. Huss desired to be excused a personal appearance, and so greatly was he favoured in Bohemia, that King Winceslaus, his queen, the nobility, and the university at large, joined in a request to the Pope, that he would dispense with such an appearance; and moreover, that he would not suffer the kingdom of Bohemia to be subject to the imputation of heresy, but permit them to preach the Gospel with freedom in their places of worship; and that he would send legates to Prague to correct any presumed abuses, the expence of which should be defrayed by the Bohemians.*

Three proctors were dispatched to Rome to tender Huss's apology to his holiness; but the excuses alleged were deemed insufficient, and Huss being declared contumacious, was accordingly excommunicated. This excommunication extended also to his disciples and friends; he himself was declared a promoter of heresy, and an interdict was pronounced against him! From these proceedings he appealed to a future council; and notwithstanding the decision of the court of Rome, he retired to Hussinetz, the place of his nativity, where he boldly continued to propagate his sentiments both from the pulpit and by means of his pen. The letters which he at this time wrote are very numerous; he also drew up a Treatise defending. the character and writings of Wickliff, and justifying his own conduct in reading his works.

*

Dupin's Eccles. Hist. xvth cent. Lewis's Life of Wickliff. Rolt's Lives of the Reformers, p. 13.

The extraordinary state of affairs at this juncture, in reference to the chair of St. Peter, tended for a while to screen Huss from the vengeance of his adversaries, by diverting their attention from him. In the year 1378, Pope Gregory XI. died, and was succeeded by the Archbishop of Barri, a Neapolitan, who assumed the name of Urban VI. This pontiff, a man of a haughty temper, began his reign in so arbitrary a manner, that he alienated from him the affections of his subjects; and his own cardinals so highly resented his behaviour that they set aside his election, and chose Clement VII. in his room. The consequence was, that Urban refusing to vacate his office, there were two popes, laying an equal claim to St. Peter's chair, each strenuously exerting himself to strengthen his party; their quarrel immediately became, in the opinion of their deluded votaries, the cause of God; each found adherents in every part of Europe, and a deluge of human blood was spilt in the contest. During a period of more than twenty years were these ambitious prelates roaming up and down Europe, like wolves or beasts of prey, until at length, to put a termination to this disgraceful schism, Alexander V. was elected to the popedom, hoping that by this event the other two popes would relinquish their claims. But restless ambition intervened; neither of them would give up his power, and from this time the church was governed, if such a state of anarchy may be called government, by three popes at a time-their names now were John, Gregory, and Benedict. With a view to heal this fatal schism, and repair the disorders that had sprung up during its continuance, as well as to bring about a reformation of the clergy, which was now loudly and generally called for, in the year 1414, the Emperor Sigismund convened the council of Constance. Hither, from all parts of Europe, princes and prelates, clergy, laity, regulars and seculars flocked together. Fox, the martyrologist has

given us a humourous catalogue of this grotesque assembly. "There were," says he, " archbishops and bishops 346; abbots and doctors 564; princes, dukes, earls, knights and squires 16,000; prostitutes 450; barbers 600; musicians, cooks and jesters 320."

The council of Constance was assembled Nov. 16, 1414, to determine the dispute between the three contending factions for the papacy, and thither Huss was cited to appear, in order to justify his conduct and writings. The Emperor Sigismund, brother and successor of Winceslaus, encouraged Huss to obey the summons, and as an inducement to his compliance, sent him a passport with assurance of safe conduct, permitting him to come freely to the council, and pledging himself for his safe return. Huss consented, and in all the cities through which he passed he caused placards to be issued, stating that he was going to the Council to answer all the accusations that were made against him, inviting his adversaries to meet him there.

No sooner had Huss arrived within the Pope's jurisdiction, than, regardless of the Emperor's passport, he was arrested and committed close prisoner to a chamber in the palace. This violation of common law and justice was noticed by the friends of Huss, who had, out of the respect they bore his character, accompanied him to Constance. They urged the imperial safe-conduct; but the Pope replied, that he never granted any safe-conduct, nor was he bound by that of the Emperor.*

As the affair of the safe-conduct, on which the aggravation of the injuries done to Huss so greatly depends, is placed in different lights by protestant and popish writers, it may not be improper to inquire into the merits of it, and to lay before the reader the principal topics of the argument on both sides of the question.

In answer to the protestants' exclamations against so notorious a breach of faith, the papist thus apologizes:

"We allow," says Maimburgh," that Huss obtained a safe-conduct from the Emperor: but for what end did he obtain it? Why, to defend