the light of truth, and cries with blind Bartimeus, Lord, that I might receive my sight, remember, that he should love his neighbor as himself, and not only pray, but trust and believe for others, as he does for himself, that the Lord will impartially give sight to

the blind.

From the (London) Universal Theological Magazine.

SKETCH

OF THE MEMOIRS OF JOHN HUSS AND JEROME OF PRAGUE, TWO EMINENT PROTESTANT MARTYRS.

"The holy army of martyrs praise thee, O Lord."

Having delineated the most prominent features of the lives of Wickliff, Luther, and Melancthon, we proceed to consider two other celebrated characters, who forwarded the REFORMATION, but who fell victims to the dark and merciless genius of popery. The names of John Huss and Jerome of Prague, ought to be held in everlasting remembrance! Their talents, their learning, their zeal, are entitled to the admiration and gratitude of the protestant world. We put them together because they were intimate with each other-their labors were in many respects unitedand they were still further assimilated by the nature and severity of their sufferings. They bore a joint testimony in favor of pure and undefiled religion, and sealed that testimony with their blood! Not to contemplate such characters with reverence, would argue on our part great insensibility. Let us imitate such examples of tried integrity. Let us view their exertions, tho attended with pain and ignominy, in a proper point of view, keeping in our eye the final recompence of reward.

JOHN HUSS was born at Hussenitz, a town of Bohemia, about the year 1376, and received a liberal education in the University of Prague. Having taken the degree of B. A. in 1393, and that of M. A. in 1395,

he accordingly became, in 1400, a minister of a church in that city. The writings of Wickliff had reached Bohemia, and they were admired by Huss, who acquiesced most heartily in his exposure of the errors and vices of the Romish church. The sale of indulgencies particularly roused his indignation. The archbishop of Prague began by this time to be alarmed at the increase of the Hussites,issued forth two man, dates-the one, ordering the writings of Wickliff to be burnt-the other inculcating the belief of transubstantiation. These mandates were opposed by Huss with zeal and ability. An appeal was made to the pope, and the archbishop was accordingly summoned to Rome. After various altercations, however, it was determined that Huss and his followers were heretics, a name which in every age has been bestowed upon the reformer of ecclesiastical errors and abuses. Indeed, the cry of heresy has been the bugbear of the church. The indolent, who are too lazy to inquire, and the interested, whose advantage it is to perpetuate ancient prejudices, will always be inclined to stigmatize with the appellation of heretics the cherishers of a rational and manly piety.

Huss with a courage highly commendable, continued to preach and write against the errors and superstitions of the Roman church. In consequence of his labors he was banished from Prague. Pope John having published a bull against the King of Naples, about the year 1415, our reformer exposed its wickedness and folly. On this occasion some of the Hussites were seized and put into prison, where contrary to the most solemn assurances of their safety, they were executed. Their bodies, however, were rescued by the protestants for interment, and handsome tokens of respect paid to their memory.

Huss appeared, agreeable to his summons, at the council of Constance, 1414, where he was examined and then imprisoned for heresy. This was done, notstanding the emperor had given his word for his security; nor were his efforts afterwards to release him

from this captivity attended with the least success. Tossed from prison to prison for six whole months, suffering great hardships from those persons to whose custody he was committed, he was at last condemned without a hearing. The emperor complained heavily of this injustice, and insisted upon his being heard.— He was therefore once more brought up, in the month of June, 1415,-defended himself before the councilbut after much noise and tumult, they declared for his recantation. This he nobly refused, and was carried back to prison, whence he was borne to execution with every possible degree of ignominy. He was stripped of his sacerdotal vestments by bishops appointed for the purpose-formally deprived of his university degrees and had a paper crown put on his head, painted with devils, with the word Heresiarch inscribed in large letters. Thus arrayed, he was delivered over to the civil magistrate, who burnt him alive, his books having been previously consumed by fire, at the door of the church! His ashes were gathered up and flung into the Rhine! He died with uncommon firmness and resolution.

Jerome of Prague, so called from the place of his birth, next claims our attention. He was not, indeed, either a monk or an ecclesiastic, but appears to have had a learned education. At Paris, Heidelberg, Cologne, and (some say) Oxford, he pursued his studies with great application. Particulars of this early part of his life have not reached us. It is, however, certain, that the universities where he had studied, conferred on him degrees,-a circumstance indicative of their approbation. Why Jerome never enrolled himself among the ecclesiastics, it has not been in our power to ascertain; but his knowledge of divinity, and his zeal to propagate the doctrines of the reformnation, seem nevertheless to have capacitated him for the faithful discharge of the duties of the christian ministry. Tho we cannot determine the precise year of his birth, yet we know that in the year 1408, he began to publish the doctrines of Hussites. The council of

Constance were alarmed at his conduct, and resolved to keep a watchful eye over him. Accordingly, looking upon him as a dangerous person, he was cited be. fore them in the year 1415, to give an answer of his faith. Thither he went, but finding, on his arrival at Constance, that John Huss had been thrown into prison, he immediately withdrew to Aberlingen, whence he sent to the emperor for a safe conduct, but that favor was refused. He now gave public notice that he was willing to attend the council, and answer to the charges brought against him, provided he had an assurance given him of personal safety during his journey and he also added, that he had recourse to this public declaration, because, in case he should be seized by the council, the injustice of such a procedure might be the more fully known to the world.

No notice being taken of this declaration, Jerome was determined to return to his native country; but the council after some deliberation, despatched a safeconduct to him, importing that "as they had the extirpation of HERESY, above all things, at heart, they summoned him to appear in the space of fifteen days, to be heard in the first session that should be held after his arrival-that for this purpose they had sent him by these presents a safe-conduct, so far as to secure him from any violence, but they did not mean to exempt him from justice, as far as it depended on the council, and as the catholic faith required." This pass and summons reached him; but he was nevertheless seized on his way home, and sent to Constance in chains! He was carried, after a kind of examination, to a tower in St. Paul's Church, there fastened to a post, and his hands tied to his neck with the same chains! In this posture he continued two days without the least nourishment, upon which he fell dangerously ill, and desired a confessor might be allowed him, which was granted, whereby he obtained a little more liberty. Being interrogated about his faith, he explained himself upon the subject of the eucharist in the following manner: "that in the sacrament of the

altar, the particular substance of that piece of bread which is there, is transubstantiated into the body of Christ, but that the universal substance of the bread remains." Some time after he retracted this opinion, and approved the condemnation of Wickliff and John Huss. But this recantation he soon renounced in these pointed terms-" I am not ashamed to confess here publicly my weakness. Yes, with horror, I confess my base cowardice! It was only the dread of punishment by fire, which drew me to consent against my conscience, to the condemnation of Wickliff and John Huss." This was deemed explicit; he was delivered over to the secular arm, and burnt alive, with circumstances of peculiar ignominy! We are, however, informed that Jerome, as the executioner led him to the stake, testified, with great steadiness, his perseverance in his faith, by repeating his creed in a foud voice, and singing hymns to the Virgin Mary!! Hence he was deemed by his followers to have merited a martyr's crown, and his name has been enrolled along with the names of Wickliff and Huss, among the most illustrious promoters of the Reformation. Who can read this brief narrative of the lives of John Huss and Jerome of Prague, these illustrious martyrs of the Reformation, without dropping a tear of commiseration over their sufferings? Their crime was that of endeavoring to free their fellow creatures from the shackles of superstition and religious tyranny. They indeed perished in the attempt; but their names live, and the cause which they sealed with their blood flourishes among their descendants! Their meritorious efforts are remembered with gratitude. The religion which required such atrocious acts of cruelty to support it, must be a false religion. Accordingly these bloody deeds are held in execration by the professors of pure christianity. An intolerant zeal has uniformly proved the source of innumerable calamities to mankind. Persecution is the parent of hypocrisy. The rack, the gibbet, and the stake, may frighten poor human nature from the acknowledge