HUSS, Joint, the Bohemian reformer, whose name is associated with that of Jerome of Prague (q.v.), both on account of the work which they wrought and the death which they suffered, was b. in 1373 at Hussinecz, near Prachaticz, iu the s. of Bohemia. He studied at the university of Prague, where he soon made great progress in the branches of learning most valued in that age, took his degree of master of arts in 1896, and began to lecture publicly in 1398. In 1402 he became preacher in the Bethlehem chapel in Prague, and labored with the greatest earnestness for the instruction of the people, and in the discharge of all his clerical functions. As a preacher he was greatly esteemed both by the common people and by the students; whilst as confessor to queen Sophia he obtained access to the court. • At this time he became acquainted with the writings of Wickliffe, which exercised a great influence over him. The monks and clergy were of course violent enemies to Huss, as lie denounced, with continually increasing bold ness, their corruptions. Archbishop Sbinko burned the writings of Wycliffe in 1410, in compliance with a brief of pope Alexander V., and complained to the pope of Huss as a Wycliftite. Hereupon he was summoned to Rome; hut he did not go, and the combined influence of the people, the court, and the university, compelled the arch bishop to remove a prohibition which he had issued against his preaching. But in 1412, pope John XXIII. published a bull of indulgence in order to a crusade against Ladislaus, the excommunicated king of Naples, whose kingdom the pope claimed as a papal lief, Huss boldly raised his voice against the whole procedure as unchristian, whilst Jerome of Prague also stood forth to condemn, in the strongest manner, both the bull and the vendors of indulgences. An interdict against HuSs, in 1413, was the con
sequence. Huss, however, appealed from the pope to a general council and to Christ, and wrote a book, On the Church, in which he condemned the abuses of the papacy, and denied the unconditional supremacy of the Roman pontiff. Thinking himself no longer safe in Prague, he now retired to his native place, where he preached the gospel with great power. In 1414 he went to Constance to the general council, summoned thither, indeed, on a charge of heresy, but under the protection of king Wenceslaus, and having a safe-conduct from the emperor Sigismnnd. Having reached Constance Nov. 3, he was, on the 28th of the same month, apprehended in spite of the remonstrances of the Bohemian and Polish nobles. His trial was conducted with little regard even to the appearance of equity. July 6, 1415, thirty-nine charges were exhibited against him, some of which he acknowledged as exhibiting his doctrine, whilst others he utterly denied. Being required to recant his alleged errors, he refused to do so until they should be proved to be errors. He and his writings were now condemned to the fire, and in spite of his safe-conduct, the sentence was carried out on the same day, and the ashes of the martyr were thrown into the Rhine. See Palacky's Gesch, ton Batmen.