direst enmity. JOHN HUSS was driven from Prague, and obliged to take refuge in the village from whence he derived his name. In this retreat "he spent his time," says a catholic historian, "in translating certain books of the OLD and NEW TESTAMENT into the vulgar tongue; to which he added commentaries, and gave thereby to women and tradesmen means of disputing with the monks and clergy." The council of Constance being assembled, in 1414, he was cited to appear before it, and contrary to the expectations of his enemies, acted with that noble decision that marked his character, and fearlessly presented himself on the first day of its sitting, under the protection of the Safe-conduct, or passport, of the Emperor Sigismund, which required all the subjects of the empire, "to suffer him to pass and repass secure; and, for the honour of his imperial majesty, if need be, to provide him with good passports." But the Safe-conduct was perfidiously violated, and Huss was condemned, and burnt at the stake, A. D. 1415. His friend, and fellow-sufferer, JEROM, followed him through the flames the ensuing year. Æneas Sylvius, a cotemporary cardinal, and afterwards pope, under the name of Pius II. says, "They bore their sufferings with constancy, going to the stake as to a feast, and suffering no expression to escape, which could indicate uneasiness of mind. As the fire kindled, they began to sing hymns, which even the flames and crackling of the fire could scarcely interrupt." Thus, by the death of these two upright and excellent men, eternal infamy was attached to a council, which, whilst it professed to be assembled for the reformation of the church, decreed the martyrdom of those who dared to oppugn its superstitions and errors, violated the most solemn engagements, supported the Teutonic knights in their enormities, refused to punish the advocates of regi(27) Æneæ Sylvii Hist. Bohem. cap. xxxvi. p. 73.

Earbery's Pretended Reformers, p. 49.

cide, and amused itself with the buffooneries of the most ridiculous dramatic entertainments. (See vol. I. p. 420.)

Irritated by the death of their teacher and his friend, the Hussites flew to arms, and under the conduct of the intrepid Zisca, a Bohemian nobleman, commenced a fierce and bloody war, which terminated first in the death of Zisca, and then in the division of the Hussites into Calixtines and Taborites; the former contending for the use of the cup (calix) to the laity, in the eucharist, and the latter, who derived their name from a mountain denominated Tabor, to which they had fled, insisting upon a more general reformation, and the establishment of a purer doctrine and discipline. During the thirteen years war, carried on by the Hussites, the most destructive measures were too frequently adopted; and it must ever be lamented, that those who seceded from the Romish church, on account of its unscriptural doctrines and practices, were hurried by their violence to depredations unworthy the character they claimed. occasion they destroyed a church and monastery, adjoining the king's palace, the largest and most beautiful in all Bohemia, and the burying places of its sovereigns. The church was magnificent; the altar was decorated with gold and silver, the ecclesiastical robes were interwoven with pearls, and the windows were large and glazed. The dormitory of the monastery was capable of containing eight hundred monks; the offices were magnificently constructed; the cloister enclosed an extensive garden, and on its lofty walls the whole of the Old and New Testament was inscribed, in characters rendered sufficiently legible, by increasing in magnitude in proportion to their distance and height.29

(28) See Fox's Actes and Monumentes, I. p. 701-756; Milner's Hist. of the Church of Christ, IV. pp. 209; and Warton's Hist. of English Poetry, I. p. 242.

(29) Æneæ Sylvii Hist. Bohem. cap. xxxvi. pp. 74, 75,

Earbery's Pretended Reformers, B. ii. p. 19.

The Calixtines, having obtained the use of the eucharistical cup by papal permission, soon began to persecute, in their turn, the Taborites; who in many points resembled the Waldenses, and who having laid aside their martial principles, were become more moderate, and more deeply pious. Various sorts of torture were inflicted on them, numbers were barbarously murdered, and many died in prison; the sick were thrown into the open fields, where many perished with cold and hunger; and others were expelled from the cities and villages, with the forfeiture of all their effects. Thus driven from their homes, they were obliged to hide themselves in mountains and woods; and to escape detection by the smoke, to kindle no fires, except in the night, when they met to pray, and read the WORD OF GOD. In 1480, they received a great increase of their numbers, from the accession of Waldensian refugees, who escaped out of Austria, where their bishop, Stephen, had been burnt alive, and where a dreadful persecution had been raised against them. From these Bohemian refugees, the Moravians, or United Brethren, are descended, deriving the former term from the country they inhabited, and the latter from their brotherly union in the plan of discipline, &c. formed in 1457, by Gregory, the founder of the unity.50

Such were the noble struggles for the truth, and for the Holy Scriptures, as the grand rule of faith and practice, made by these ancient worthies: but the papal authorities knew too well, that their deeds could not bear the light, and therefore sought their safety in darkness. A striking instance of this occurred in 1418, when Eric, of Pomerania, requested permission from Pope Martin V. to found a university at Copenhagen, and only obtained it, on the express condition, that the Holy Scriptures should neither be read nor explained in it, but

(30) Milner's Hist. of the Church of Christ, IV. Cent, xv, ch. iii. passim: VOL. II. G

that the lectures should be confined to profane literature!

Other difficulties, also, beside those arising from papal opposition, presented themselves to such as were desirous of reading the Scriptures, for copies of them were rare, and expensive, and could seldom be obtained but by the wealthy; except when the indefatigable advocates of Gospel purity happened to have the opportunity, possessed the ability, and submitted to the labour of transcribing. Even those who had acquired the important art of writing, obtained with difficulty the materials requisite for transcription or epistolary correspondence.3

Happily about this period the noble and important ART OF PRINTING was discovered, and the sources of knowledge soon became comparatively easy of access. Our honest martyrologist thus enumerates the advantages resulting from this incomparable invention: "Hereby tongues are known, knowledge groweth, judgment increaseth, books are dispersed, the Scripture is seen, the doctors be read, stories be opened, times compared, truth discerned, falsehood detected, and with finger pointed, and all through the benefit of printing. Wherefore, I suppose that either the pope must abolish printing, or he must seek a new world to reign over; or else, as this world standeth, printing doubtless will abolish him. Both the pope, and all his college of cardinals, must this understand, that through the light of printing, the world beginneth now to have eyes to see, and heads to judge. He cannot walk so invisibly in a net, but he will be spied. And although, through might, he stopped the mouth of JOHN Huss before, and of JEROM, that they might not preach, thinking to make his kingdom sure: yet, instead of JOHN HUSS, and others, God hath opened

(31) Dr. Henderson's MS. Hist. of Danish Versions, in which he refers to Pontoppidan's Annal. Eccles. Dan. II. p. 521. (32) Beckman's History of Inventions, II. p. 223.

the press to preach, whose voice the pope is never able to stop, with all the puissance of his triple crown. By this printing, as by the gift of tongues, and as by the singular organ of the Holy Ghost, the doctrine of the Gospel soundeth to all nations and countries under heaven: and what God revealeth to one man, is dispersed to many, and what is known in one nation is opened to all."3

(33) Fox's Actes and Monumentes, 1. p. 837,