Jan Hus (1372 - 1415), a faithful servant of Christ raised in Bohemia, stood in the power of God’s truth against the corruptions of the Roman Church in the early 15th century. Rooted in the Scriptures and deeply influenced by the teachings of John Wycliffe, Hus became a bold proclaimer of the gospel and an advocate for reform. With a heart aflame for the glory of Christ, he preached against indulgences, the greed of the clergy, and the abuses of the papacy. His devotion to the sacred Scriptures and his unwavering stand for their authority set him in direct conflict with the powers of Rome. Though summoned to the Council of Constance under the guise of safe conduct, Hus was betrayed, condemned, and burned at the stake for his unwavering defense of the truth. His life and martyrdom served as a forerunner to the great Reformation, and the flames that consumed his body could not quench the truth he proclaimed. His final testimony declared, “What I taught with my lips, I now seal with my blood,” leaving a legacy that would inspire future generations to stand fast in the gospel of Christ.

In the annals of ecclesiastical history, Jan Hus stands as a luminary whose life and ministry were marked by an unwavering commitment to the truth of the gospel and a fervent desire for reform within the church.

Education

Born in the humble town of Husinec (Czech for Goosetown) in Bohemia around the year 1369, Hus received a robust education at the University of Prague by the generosity of a noblemen. He proved to possess exceptional mental ability coupled with a remarkable diligence. By the time he was twenty-six years old, Hus had become a priest and a professor of divinity. By thirty, he was appointed rector and President of the Theological Faculty at the University of Prague. This was an unusually high and honored position for a man his age.

Conversion

Though his early life was marked by dedication to the teachings and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, the grace of God stirred his heart towards the light of sacred Scripture. Moved beyond an intellectual engagement, Hus experienced a profound conversion that was rooted in his understanding of the gospel. This awakened him to the necessity of aligning his life with the sacred truths of Scripture more deeply.

Corruptions

In these days, the church was gripped by corruption and social unrest. The clergy, far from their spiritual calling, amassed wealth and indulged in vice. Indulgences were sold like commodities, offering false hope to the faithful in exchange for money. Priests lived in excess, neglecting their pastoral duties, and the laity were kept in ignorance, with the Scriptures inaccessible in their own language. Discontent simmered as the common people suffered under both spiritual and material oppression, creating an atmosphere ripe for reform.

The Great Schism of the West

The papacy, fractured by rival popes, was marked by greed and power struggles. From 1378 to 1406 Clement VII of Avignon and Urban VI of Rome were both claiming to be the rightful pope, each anathematizing the other. This fiasco was only exacerbated when Alexander V of Pisa attempted to excommunicate both Clement VII of Avignon and Urban VI of Rome, declaring himself to be the rightful pope. It would take the Council of Constance to bring an end to this schism—the same council that would bring an end to the life of Hus.

Writings of Wycliffe

Hus emerged as a voice against the church’s decay, condemning the abuses and calling for a return to the authority of Scripture and moral integrity. In 1402, Hus was appointed preacher at Bethlehem Chapel in Prague, a church founded in 1391 that came to be known as a center of reform. Just prior to this appointment, a certain Jerome returned from England, bringing with him copies of the most radical works of John Wycliffe. Hus’s encounter with the writings of Wycliffe further inflamed his zeal for reform. Wycliffe prompted Hus to study Scripture more carefully. He soon discovered that Wycliffe was right and increasingly aligned with him.

Hus began identifying with Wycliffe in his call for reform. One challenge in the whole situation was that at the time the University of Prague had a majority occupation of German voices on the board. The reform-minded Bohemians were consistently outvoted. This became especially problematic in 1403 when the university voted to condemn Wycliffe’s published forty-five theses against the church. The Bohemians resented the move. It also changed the course of reform-minded support previous received from Zbynek, Archbishop of Prague. Student riots started breaking out for and against Wycliffe. The archbishop grew restless and complained to the pope. The tensions all around—ecclesiastical, social, and political—were rising.

Excommunication

The pope replied to the unrest with a clear command to root out the heresy. So in 1410, the archbishop obtained a ban on preaching in chapels. When Hus refused to obey he was excommunicated by the archbishop. Zbynek also proceeded to burn two hundred volumes of Wycliffe’s works. Hus responded by defending in writing Wycliffe’s teachings. He also continued to preach, focusing on the gospel and the rightful place of Christ as head of the church, not the pope. He extolled the Scriptures to be the sole rule of faith and life, and for Christ alone to be honored as the true Shepherd of His people.

Meanwhile, the pope launched a crusade against the king of Naples, offering full remission of sins for any who financially supported his campaign through the purchase of indulgences. It was here that Hus crossed the proverbial line. He attacked the pope’s sale of indulgences in support of his war against Naples. This bold stand brought fierce opposition from the church authorities, who saw in Hus a threat to their power. The pope, incensed by Hus’s denunciations, excommunicated him, and his writings were condemned. This also resulted in a loss of support from King Wenceslas of Bohemia and earned a papal interdict against the city of Prague. So long as Hus was in the city, there could be no weddings, baptisms, funerals, or communion. Exile was now his only option. Out of love for the church in Prague, he left the city and withdrew to the south. It was at this time that Hus wrote his classic work, The Church.

Martyrdom

In 1414, Hus was summoned to the Council of Constance, a gathering ostensibly convened to address the pressing issues within the Roman Church. The summons implied that it would afford an opportunity for Hus to officially and formerly defend his teachings. Emperor Sigismund encouraged Hus to go and promised him a safe conduct. With a heart full of hope yet aware of the potential peril that lay ahead, he journeyed to the council. However, upon his arrival, he was met not with the promised opportunity for dialogue but with imprisonment. Hus was betrayed. The authorities, threatened by his influence and the growing support for his teachings, sought to condemn him for heresy. He was imprisoned in miserable conditions for many months, yet he continued to stand firm in the truth. Hus was repeatedly urged to recant, but he steadfastly refused to deny the gospel he had preached. At his trial, he boldly declared that he would not betray his conscience, stating, “I would not, for a chapel full of gold, recede from the truth.” The trial that ensued was marked by injustice and a blatant disregard for the principles of fairness. Hus was subjected to relentless interrogation, yet he stood firm, articulating his beliefs with clarity and conviction.

Ultimately, Hus was condemned as a heretic for his unwavering commitment to the gospel and sentenced to death by burning. On July 6, 1415, as he was led to the stake, his heart was fixed on Christ, and he prayed for his enemies. He faced the flames of his earthy death with remarkable courage, declaring, "In the truth of the gospel, I have written, taught, and preached." With his dying breath, Hus affirmed the truth for which he had lived and was martyred, sealing his testimony with his blood. The ashes of his body were cast into the Rhine, but the seeds of reform he had sown would not be extinguished. Hus’s faithfulness unto death inspired many, and the cause of reformation, for which he died, would rise with greater force in the generations to come.

Jan Hus's legacy endures as a testament to the power of the gospel. His life and ministry serve as a clarion call to uphold the authority of Scripture, to denounce corruption, and to stand for righteousness in the face of adversity. In the wake of his martyrdom, the seeds of reform he had sown would take root, inspiring future generations to continue the struggle to steward the gospel, echoing the timeless truth that the Word of God shall not be silenced.

Resources

For more on Jan Hus, consider the following resources:

• The Goose
• The Goosefather on DesiringGod.org
• Jan Hus on Britannica
• Apostle of Truth by Comenius Foundation
• Schaff, David S. John Huss: His Life, Teachings and Death, after Five Hundred Years. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1915.
• Christian History Magazine — Issue 68: Jan Hus: Incendiary Preacher of Prague. Carol Stream, IL: Christianity Today, 2000.

Forerunners of Reformation