rchbishop to pay damages to those
whose manuscripts had been burned. Hus defended the writings of Wiclif
in public debates. The Wiclifites in England were delighted. Hus wrote
them: "The whole Bohemian people thirst for the truth, it will have
nothing but the Gospel and the Epistles, and wherever in a city or
village or castle a preacher of the holy truth appears, the people
stream together in great crowds. Our king, all his court, the barons,
and the plain people favor the word of Christ." Hus continued to preach
in the Bethlehem Chapel in ever bolder tones. He said: "We must obey God
rather than men in things which are necessary for salvation." Against
the authority of the Church Hus placed the individual conscience. The
decisive step of a breach with the Papal system had been taken.

Hus, the King, and the Queen repeatedly appealed to the new Pope, but
John XXIII twice confirmed the sentence of Pope Alexander V; Hus was
declared a heretic and Prag placed under interdict. This was done on the
advice of Cardinal Otto Colonna, later Pope Martin V. Hus was summoned
to appear before the Pope. Hus did not appear; he was pronounced
excommunicated in February 1411, published in Prag on March 15, 1411.

The bold preacher said: "I avow it to be my purpose to defend the truth
which God has enabled me to know, and especially the truth of the Holy
Scriptures, even to death, since I know that the truth stands and is
forever mighty and abides eternally; and with Him there is no respect of
persons. And if the fear of death should terrify me, still I hope in my
God and in the assistance of the Holy Spirit that the Lord will give me
firmness. And if I have found favor in His sight He will crown me with
martyrdom."

In June the King's commission requested the removal of the interdict. On
September 28, the Archbishop died; they say he poisoned himself. In the
attempt to sacrifice Hus, he sacrificed himself.

VII.

Hus Opposes the Pope.

On Dec. 2, 1411, Pope John XXIII decreed a crusade against King Ladislas
of Naples, who favored the rival Pope Gregory XII, "the heretic,
blasphemer, schismatic," as John called him, and offered a plenary
indulgence, or forgiveness of sins, to all who would give money for the
war.

Tiem, the papal pedler, like Tetzel a century later, caused trouble. He
came to Prag and with beating of drums ordered the people into the
churches, where contribution boxes had been placed; even the
confessio