History of the Bohemian and Moravian brethren...

Front matter

HISTORY

BOHEMIAN AND MORAVIAN BRETHREN.

BY A. BOST, GENEVA.

Chapter I. From The Commencement Of The Christian Era, To A.d. 1373

The brethren of Moravia are descendants of a people who, like the Vandois of Piedmont, never bowed beneath the Romish yoke, but may be traced through the Greek church, directly to the primitive church. Let us briefly notice the origin of this society, which has been known in Christendom, during the last four centuries, by the name of the United Brethren.

As early as the days of the apostles the gospel was preached in Illyria and Dalmatia, Rom. xv. 19. 2 Tim. iv. 10; and, in the second and third centuries, we read of bishops and martyrs in those countries. For some time the christians in Illyria, as elsewhere, lived dispersed among their heathen neighbours. By degrees, however, the christian religion spread over those countries, so that, in the year 680, Illyrian

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2 FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE bishops were expected at the general council of Constantinople, and they were absent only because they refused to countenance the worship of images. It was not, however, till the ninth century, that the Moravians embraced Christianity as a nation, by the instrumentality of the preaching of Cyril and Methodius, two pious and learned Greek ecclesiastics, who were introduced by the king's sister. Cyril is said to have been the author of that translation of the bible which is still used among the Slavonians who remain attached to the Greek church.

Christianity gradually spread from Moravia into Bohemia ; but, in the latter country, those who received the gospel suffered cruel persecutions, from their countrymen who continued in heathenism. Their places of worship were shut up ; preachers were prohibited from teaching ; and, for more than ten years, they endured every kind of cruelty and oppression, until they were relieved by the interposition of the emperor Otho i. But he only interposed with the design of subjecting them to the church of Rome, and from that period another contest arose, which lasted for several centuries.

One event which contributed much to advance the Romish religion in that country, was a visit of the sister of the grand duke of Bohemia to Rome. The bishops and priests she had hitherto seen in Bohemia lived in humility and poverty, like their Master, and were diligently employed in teaching the people in their native tongue, without pomp or ostentation ; but the splendour of the papal court, and the Latin worship,

CHRISTIAN ERA ? TO A. D. 1373.

replete with imposing ceremonies, had such an effect upon her, that, on her return to Bohemia, she could not rest till she induced her brother to form the fatal resolution of introducing- the Romish religion into his dominions. This occasioned a succession of troubles, and of bloody persecutions for several centuries,

As the states of Bohemia opposed this innovation, the grand duke endeavoured to introduce it by degrees. He constituted a bishopric at Prague, the capital of Bohemia; nominating a German Roman catholic as bishop, and ordering the Latin ritual to be used in public worship. The Bohemians strenuously resisted this latter incroachment upon their rights. At first some concessions were made, but what one pope granted was revoked by another. The contest, on this point alone, continued more than a century, until it was terminated by pope Gregory vii. who returned the following answer to prince Wratislaus, upon his making renewed efforts to obtain for the Bohemians their former liberties : — 44 Gregory, bishop, and servant of the servants of God, sends greeting and benediction to the Bohemian prince Wratislaus. Your highness desires that we would give permission to your people to conduct their church service according to the old Slavonian ritual : but know, dear son, that we can by no means grant this your request ; for, having frequently searched the holy scriptures, we have there discovered that it has pleased, and still pleases Almighty God, to direct his worship to be conducted in hidden language, that not every one, especially the simple, might understand it. For if it were

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to be performed in a manner altogether intelligible, it might easily be exposed to contempt and disgust ; or, if imperfectly understood by halflearned persons, it might happen, that by hearing and contemplating the word too frequently, errors might be engendered in the hearts of the people which would not be easily eradicated. Let no one pretend to quote as a precedent, that formerly exceptions were made in favor of new converts and simple souls. True it is, that, in the primitive church, much was conceded to upright and well-meaning people ; but much injury was done, and many heresies thereby created ; insomuch, that when the christian church spread more and more, and became more firmly established, it was plainly perceived, that, from the root of such ill-timed indulgence, many errors had sprung up, which required great labour and pains to destroy. Therefore, what your people ignorantly require, can in no wise be conceded to them ; and we now forbid it, by the power of God, and his holy apostle Peter ; and exhort you, for the sake of the honour of almighty God, that you oppose such levity of sentiment by every possible means, in conformity to this our command. Given at Rome, in the year 479. "

Such was the imperious language held by the popes, to kings and princes in that and the following centuries. By this insolent procedure, the aversion of the Bohemians against the rites of the Romish church was increased ; but worn out by the repeated and increasingly severe mandates of the popes, they began to relax in their zeal for purity of doctrine and worship; when, in the year 1176, at a most seasonable period, a

CHRISTIAN ERA, TO A.D, 1373.

considerable body of the Vandois emigrated to Bohemia, who encouraged them to cleave firmly to the truth, as they had received it in the beginning.

Many of theWaldenses, when persecuted by the church of Rome, took refuge in Bohemia ; and it is even said that Waldo himself accompanied the exiles thither, and died in that country. The Waldenses and Bohemians having united, enjoyed rest and peace for sometime; Divine worship was conducted among them with regularity; their assemblies being held, in some places privately, in others more publicly ; they maintained good order and discipline ; administered help according to their ability, particularly to their dispersed brethren in distant countries ; and sent missionaries to England, Hungary, Brandenburg, Pomerania, and other places. Thus they proceeded quietly and unobserved for about two centuries ; when, being betrayed by the indiscreet conduct of two of their preachers, a dreadful persecution arose, and almost all of them were obliged to flee into the neighbouring kingdoms, as we shall see hereafter.

To return, more particularly to Bohemia and Moravia, the endeavours of the Roman pontiffs, till towards the middle of the fourteenth century, were principally directed to the introduction of the Latin ritual into the church service of Moravia and Bohemia. But, in the reign of the emperor Charles iv. an attempt was made to enforce the general adoption of all the corruptions and abuses of the western church. With this view, in the year 1350, the bishopric b 2

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of Prague was raised to an archbishopric by the pope and the emperor, and a university founded, which was furnished with Italian and German professors. These men not only introduced the Latin language and popish ceremonies into the churches, but prohibited the marriage of the clergy, and denied to the people the use of the cup in the sacrament of the Lord's supper. Such as desired to receive both the bread and wine, according to the institution of our Saviour, were now obliged to partake of it in their dwellings, or in remote and hidden places ; many upright ministers being yet found, who were willing, notwithstanding abuse, and at the risk of their lives, to administer it in this form. Those nobles indeed, who feared to lose the favour and emoluments of the court, were, by degrees, persuaded to adopt all the opinions and forms of the Romish church ; but yet, even among such as outwardly joined her worship, there were many, both in Bohemia and Moravia, who secretly opposed the prevailing errors. It also pleased God to raise up several men of high station in the church, who bore a public testimony against the prevailing corruptions, both in churches and colleges, and even in the castle church at Prague. Among these, John Militach, a master of arts, and a learned and pious man, born of a noble family in Moravia, was distinguished. In 1360, he was appointed minister of the castle church at Prague, where he found such acceptance that he often preached three times in one day, to crowded and eager auditories, in the Bohemian, and also, to accommo-

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date strangers, in the German language. By his spiritual exhortations, and his exemplary conduct, many were influenced to forsake their wicked course of life; this was the case even with three hundred prostitutes, who lived together, and for whom, after their conversion, he procured the means of an honest subsistence, turning their house of infamy into a church, which was called St. Mary Magdalene. He used to say, that these poor sinners, who had been brought to true repentance, were far superior to the self-righteous inhabitants of the nunnery. He also established a seminary at Prague, for the instruction of young men in scriptural divinity ; and, in general, by the bold and fearless manner in which he delivered his doctrines, both from the pulpit and by his writings, caused many people in Bohemia, and other countries, to withdraw from the communion of the church of Rome. The emperor, Charles iv. esteemed this man highly ; but the hatred of the pope against him was greatly increased by his visiting Rome, whither, as he himself writes, his conscience urged him to go, in order to bear his public testimony against the doctrines and dissolute lives of the popish clergy ; for which, on his return, he was cast into prison, by Ernest, archbishop of Prague. The prelate, however, was soon after obliged to release him, for fear of the people, by whom he was highly respected, and he went and preached in Moravia, Silesia, and Poland. Persecution followed him even into this remote country ; for the pope sent an order to the archbishop of Gnesen, to use the utmost rigour in putting the ecclesiastical laws in force against

FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE this excommunicated heretic. The cruel edict arrived too late ; for it had pleased the Lord to call his faithful servant, whom he had blessed with such success in advancing' his kingdom, into everlasting joy, by an easy and happy death.

Some years before Militach, and afterwards, in conjunction with him, Conrad Stickna distinguished himself at Prague, by boldly preaching the gospel. He was a native of Austria, where, at that time, many faithful confessors of the truth lived in peace. From the pulpit he zealously reprobated the vices of his day ; sparing neither the clergy nor the court, nor fearing the loss of fame or life. His discourses frequently produced great effect. Having once, with great zeal, declaimed against the pomp and indecency of dress then in fashion, the ladies of rank at Prague were so affected, that they immediately laid aside their vain and gaudy attire, and substituted a dress more simple and becoming. Like Militach, he exhorted his hearers to the proper and devout celebration of the Lord's supper ; and to receive both the bread and wine. He died in 1369, and was interred in the burying-ground belonging to the castle church, leaving his name in blessed remembrance, as a faithful witness of the truth.

Of the same spirit was his cotemporary, Matthew Janowsky. He had studied divinity at Paris, and was the favourite confessor of the emperor, but also a zealous preacher against the abuses and sins prevailing in the church. Ashe enjoyed the emperor's confidence, he besought him to attempt the reform of the church by a general council. The emperor answered, that

CHRISTIAN ERA, TO A. D . 1373.

this power belonged exclusively to the pope of Rome ; to whom therefore he immediately applied. The pope was so much exasperated by the proposal, that he did not rest till he had compelled the emperor to banish his faithful friend Janowsky. Being, however, soon permitted to return to his native country, he closed his useful life in peaceful retirement. On his death-bed, he comforted his friends with the hopes of better times. " The rage of the enemies of the truth," said he, " seems now to prevail, but it will not always continue so ; for there shall arise a small mean people, without sword or power, whom the adversary shall not be able to withstand." He added, that only one of that company should see it. The brethren remark that one among them, namedWenceslas, lived to so great an age, that, sixty years after, he was a witness to the formation of the church of the United Brethren, and became a member of it. Janowsky departed this life in the year 1394.

It is worthy of notice, that about this time, when so many servants of Christ appeared in Bohemia, that John WicklifT, the great witness to the truth, arose in England, and boldly opposed the corrupt principles prevailing in the Romish church. He was born a.d. 1324, and died 1384.

The most celebrated of the witnesses for the truth, whom God raised up in Bohemia at this sad period, was the martyr, John Huss. As the unity of the brethren traces its origin from the descendants of this faithful witness, we shall, in the next chapter, give a few particulars of his history.

Chapter II

FROM JOHN HUSS, TO THE ORIGIN OF THE CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN, 1373.

John Huss, who was the son of poor parents, was born at a village called Hussinez, in 1373. Having* received some education at the public school of a neighbouring town, called Prachatiz, he became servant to a professor at Prague, who lent him some books, and assisted him in prosecuting his studies. In his twentieth year be became master of arts, and soon after was appointed professor of divinity in the university of Prague. A wealthy inhabitant of that city, having just at that time built the church called Bethlehem, with a view to the preaching of the gospel in the German and Bohemia languages, John Huss was nominated minister of it, in the year 1400 ; he was also chosen by the queen of Bohemia to be her confessor, which office introduced him to great favour .at court. In these situations he distinguished himself, by his great knowledge of the scriptures, by his powerful eloquence, and by his holy and self-denying life. He openly attacked the vices of the court and the people, and, at the same time, was regarded by the clergy as a man of God.

About this time, the writings of WicklifF, the great English reformer, made their appearance

JOHN HUSS.

4n Bohemia, and fell into the hands of Huss. At r ;st he thought them rather too bold, and even dangerous ; the university of Prague having, in the year 1403, condemned, as heretical, twenty-five of the propositions contained in them, and forbidden any one to teach or profess them, on pain of being burnt to death. The more, however, Huss studied these works, the more he became convinced of their agreement with the scriptures, and with the ancient fathers of the church ; and he boldly avowed in his preaching, that he considered WicklifF a righteous and holy man. From this time he made constant progress in these principles, and when he subsequently witnessed the manner in which the reformer was persecuted, he no longer doubted that the papal tyranny was the reign of antichrist.

For a considerable time, as long as he abstained from attacking the clergy, he was suffered to proceed in peace. Of this we may mention a striking instance. When, at the beginning of his course, he dwelt merely upon the general principles of a strict morality, and confined his reproofs to the court and the people in general, some of the courtiers complained of him to the bishop, in the presence of the king ; the prelate replied, that Huss, at his ordination, had taken an oath to speak the truth without respect of persons. Afterwards, when Huss began to attack the irregularities of the clergy, and the archbishop, in his turn, appealed to the king to silence him, the monarch replied, in his own words, " Has not Huss taken an oath to speak the truth without respect of persons V*

FROM JOIIX HUSS, TO

Another circumstance that increased the adherents of this faithful witness to the truth wa. this : the people had not forgotten that the country had been originally connected with the Greek church, and had only been brought under the Romish yoke by a long course of intrigue and oppression. The people still remembered their ancient religious liberty, when Divine service was conducted in their own language and they partook of the communion in both kinds, and when the marriage of their priests was lawful. These privileges were frequently adverted to by their faithful preachers, while Rome itself ceased not, by its continual attacks upon the remaining freedom they enjoyed, to excite and irritate their feelings. Thus it was, that, in complaisance to the pope, Charles iv. in the year 1361, granted to the Germans in the university of Prague (who as Roman catholics might be supposed to favour the papal influence) privileges and rights which properly belonged only to the Bohemians. This occasioned a long and obstinate struggle between the foreigners and the natives of the country, which ended in Huss obtaining from the king a decree, restoring to the Bohemians their ancient rights. Upon this, many thousands of the Germans quitted the city ; and Huss, who, in reward for his service, was elected rector of the university, was so much the more hated by the partisans of the pope. The most formidable of these was archbishop Sbinek, who obtained from the court of Rome an order, interdicting Huss from preaching in the chapel of Bethlehem ; but he paid no attention to it, and replied, that he must obey God rather than man. The mass of the population agreed in the same sentiments ; and when, in 1410, the archbishop ordered more than 200 volumes of WicklifTs writings to be burned in the court of his palace, they ridiculed his ignorance in their songs. In fact, this intolerant man had never learned to read till he was nominated to the bishopric, which induced the people to say that he condemned authors which he could not even read.

Huss publicly protested against this unreasonable conduct, which had no other object than the debasement of the people, and tended only to provoke them to revolt. Upon this protest of Huss, the clergy accused him of heresy to the pope, John xxiii. He was summoned to Rome, and, as he could not safely go in person, he sent an advocate thither to defend him. The latter was thrown into prison ; Huss was denounced as a heretic, and excommunicated with his partisans, and the pope pronounced, by anticipation, an interdict on every place where he should be received. The protection of the king, however, prevented the execution of the sentence ; Huss appealed to a general council, and continued to spread the doctrines of WicklifF, adding however, as the witnesses for the truth have always done, that he was ready to retract his opinions if it could be proved from the scriptures that he was in error. At the same time, he began to prepare for the martyrdom that awaited him.

It was in 1412 that he made his boldest attack c upon the pope, John xxiii. in consequence of the latter having proclaimed, through all Europe, a crusade against the king of Naples, and the twoanti-popes, Gregory xii. and Benedict xiii. promising remission of sins to all who should assist him in that war. Huss, and his friend Jerome, strenuously opposed this scandalous measure, and published doctrinal theses against it. The sellers of the papal indulgences were publicly insulted by the citizens ; and when the magistrates, regardless of the remonstrances of Huss, caused three of the rioters to be beheaded, the people honoured them as martyrs, and buried their bodies in the chapel of Bethlehem. In consequence of these proceedings, Prague was laid under an interdict ; the churches were closed, and all public worship was suspended, so long as Huss should continue in the city. He now judged it best to yield to the storm, and retire ; but he still preached in the neighbouring towns and villages, and in the open fields, with such power and success, that, as it always happens in such cases, his expulsion contributed to the spread of the gospel. He, moreover, drew up a solemn appeal from the decree of the pope, to Christ the righteous Judge.

At this time the whole western church was looking forward to the general council, which was to assemble at Constance on the 1st of November, 1414. The primary object of this council, was to put an end to the disgraceful troubles arising from the competition of three popes for the papacy. There was also throughout Christendom a universal cry for a reformation in the church, and the Romish authorities wished to adopt some means to allay the religious excitement that had been caused by the labours of WicklifT and Huss. Before this council Huss was summoned to appear ; and, as the emperor had promised him a safe conduct, he declared publicly, by placards fixed on the doors of all the churches, seminaries, and convents of Bohemia, that he was ready to go and answer the summons, calling upon all, who could convict him of any error, to meet him upon that occasion. At his request, not only the archbishop of Prague, but even the judge of heretics in Bohemia, gave him a certificate of orthodoxy ; and the king sent with him as companions three distinguished noblemen, one of whom was John de Chlum, whose name will appear in the subsequent history.

On taking leave of his friends the reformer thus addressed them : — " You know that I have taught you no error : continue in the truth, and trust in the mercy of God : beware of false teachers. I am going to this great assembly, where the Lord will give me grace to endure trials, imprisonment, and even the most dreadful death, if it be his will. Whatever happens, however, our joy will be great, when we meet in the everlasting mansions."

On the 11th of October, Huss set out for Constance. In all the towns and villages through which he passed, the people flocked in crowds to see this celebrated man ; everywhere he was received with enthusiasm. At Nuremburg he received the emperor's safe conduct, which seemed to ensure his safety, being couched in the following terms : — " The emperor has taken under his protection, and that of the holy Roman empire, the honourable master John Huss, who is going to the council of Constance, commanding all his states, magistrates, and subjects to let him pass, stop, go and come, rest, and return in safety to his home, by all the roads, gates, bridges, lordships, cities, towns, villages, and castles, without any hindrance or obstacle to himself, his attendants, horses, carriages, and property of every kind." We shall soon see how this safe conduct was afterwards observed !

At Nuremburg, Huss posted up, as he had done before in all the great cities, placards, announcing that he was going to Constance to defend the faith against his accusers. He arrived in that city on the 3rd of November, and took up his lodging at the house of a baker's widow, not far from the place which the pope had chosen for his residence. The next day he sent to inform the latter of his arrival, adding, that since he had the emperor's safe conduct, he hoped that the head of the clergy would also grant him his protection. The pope received the Bohemian gentlemen, the bearers of this message, with the greatest politeness, saying, among other things, that even if Huss had assassinated his own brother, no harm should be done to him while he was at Constance. He, even after a conference with the cardinals, took off the interdict which he had pronounced against Huss. But these favourable appearances soon vanished. Some of the clergy, among whom was one of his youthful associates, represented him in public placards as a heretic : they presented to the pope and cardinals garbled extracts, to prove his doctrines erroneous ; and accused him of acting as a rebel against the authority of the church.

Accordingly, Huss was cited, on the 28th of November, before the pope and several of the cardinals, who informed him that he was accused of heresy. He replied, that he would rather die than knowingly propagate any error ; and that he was ready to retract what he had advanced, as soon as it was proved to be false. Although they appeared satisfied with this answer, they did not suffer him to return to his lodging, but sent him under a guard to the house of a prebendary of the cathedral, where he was confined for a week. His friend De Chlum complained loudly of this violation of the emperor's safe conduct ; but the pope replied, that he could do nothing, being himself in the power of the cardinals. On this De Chlum wrote to the emperor, who ordered Huss to be set at liberty ; but the pope opposed the execution of the order. De Chlum, and many of the Bohemian noblemen, protested vehemently against this act of treachery, but without effect. When the emperor himself arrived at Constance, about christmas, the clergy brought him over to their sentiments, and persuaded him that he had no power to take under his protection a man, who, if not guilty, was at least accused of heresy.

Huss was then removed from his more tolerable prison, to a loathsome dungeon in a monastery of the Dominicans, situated on the Rhine, where c 2 lie was taken dangerously ill. A commission was issued for his trial, and while his enemies sought everywhere for witnesses against him, they refused him the assistance of an advocate for his defence.

Two months afterwards, on the 3rd of March, 1415, Huss was again removed to another prison, where he remained until the 20th of the same month. At this time, a striking example occurred of the vicissitude of human affairs ; for, on that same day, pope John xxiii. who had imprisoned him, fled in disguise, in order to avoid the abdication to which the council were about to compel him. Huss, in the mean time, had been carried to the castle of Gottleben, on the other side of the Rhine, whither, very soon after, the pope was also brought, having been apprehended in his flight. Huss was allowed to walk in the day-time, chained, under the vaults of this prison ; but in the night he was fastened by a padlock to the wall near his bed. During this gloomy captivity, which lasted more than six months, he composed several religious works ; and wrote letters to his friends in Bohemia, to strengthen them in the faith, and to inform them of the sufferings he was enduring for Christ. These letters furnish abundant proof of the constancy of his faith, and his fervent piety.

Jerome of Prague, the friend of Huss, was also imprisoned at the same time, having gone to Constance with a similar promise of safe conduct.

The nobles of Bohemia and Moravia did not cease to complain, both to the emperor and to the council, that their beloved teacher, whom they considered perfectly innocent, should be suffered thus to languish in prison; and, at length, the 5th of June was fixed upon for his solemn examination, previous to which he was removed from the castle of Gottleben to a monastery of the Franciscans. A commission of cardinals, bishops, and other ecclesiastics having assembled, they examined the charges laid against him, and were about to condemn him without a hearing, when De Chlum, and another Bohemian lord, protested against such a proceeding, and obtained an order from the emperor that the accused should be heard. But when he began to reply to the accusations against him, by appealing to the scriptures and the writings of the fathers of the church, they raised an uproar, and poured upon him such a torrent of reproaches, that he was compelled to keep silence. The emperor then resolved upon being present at the meetings on the 7th and 8th of June, to maintain order. This measure had the effect of procuring for Huss a hearing ; but it was of no avail to his cause. His enemies required him to submit, without any reserve, to the judgment of the council ; to retract all that he had erroneously advanced, and even what had been falsely imputed to him ; as for example, among other absurdities, that he had pretended to be a fourth person in the Deity, &c. Huss conjured the assembly, that they would not compel him to abjure errors which he had never held ; but as neither the entreaties of the emperor, nor those of the council, could induce him to make the absolute recantation which they required, he was pronounced an obstinate heretic, and threatened with the punishment inflicted on such persons. Huss, upon this, commended his cause to God the heavenly Judge, and was led back to his prison. De Chlum, in the most friendly manner, took him by the hand, comforted him, and exhorted him to be stedfast. The emperor however declared, that if he did not recant, he deserved to be burned. Several of the more moderate prelates endeavoured to prevail upon him, while in prison, to make the required recantation ; but he refused to the last to submit to the imputation of heresy, although it were to save his life.