ation to study.

In 1398, Huss commenced bachelor of divinity, and was after successively
chosen pastor of the church of Bethlehem, in Prague, and dean and rector
of the university. In these stations he discharged his duties with great
fidelity; and became, at length, so conspicuous for his preaching, which
was in conformity with the doctrines of Wickliffe, that it was not
likely he could long escape the notice of the pope and his adherents,
against whom he inveighed with no small degree of asperity.

The English reformist Wickliffe, had so kindled the light of
reformation, that it began to illumine the darkest corners of popery and
ignorance. His doctrines spread into Bohemia, and were well received by
great numbers of people, but by none so particularly as John Huss, and
his zealous friend and fellow-martyr, Jerom of Prague.

The archbishop of Prague, finding the reformists daily increasing,
issued a decree to suppress the farther spreading of Wickliffe's
writings: but this had an effect quite different to what he expected,
for it stimulated the friends of those doctrines to greater zeal, and
almost the whole university united to propagate them.

Being strongly attached to the doctrines of Wickliffe, Huss opposed the
decree of the archbishop, who, however, at length, obtained a bull from
the pope, giving him commission to prevent the publishing of Wickliffe's
doctrines in his province. By virtue of this bull, the archbishop
condemned the writings of Wickliffe: he also proceeded against four
doctors, who had not delivered up the copies of that divine, and
prohibited them, notwithstanding their privileges, to preach to any
congregation. Dr. Huss, with some other members of the university,
protested against these proceedings, and entered an appeal from the
sentence of the archbishop.

The affair being made known to the pope, he granted a commission to
cardinal Colonna, to cite John Huss to appear personally at the court of
Rome, to answer the accusations laid against him, of preaching both
errors and heresies. Dr. Huss desired to be excused from a personal
appearance, and was so greatly favoured in Bohemia, that king
Winceslaus, the queen, the nobility, and the university, desired the
pope to dispense with such an appearance; as also that he would not
suffer the kingdom of Bohemia to lie under the accusation of heresy, but
permit them to preach the gospel with freedom in their places of
worship.

Three proctors ap