Letters of John Huss Written During His Exile and Imprisonment/Letter 29, To one of his Friends
LETTER XXIX.[1]
TO ONE OF HIS FRIENDS.
The Lord, to-day, gave me a firm and intrepid heart. Two articles were struck out, and I am in hope that a greater number will be treated in like manner. They were all crying out, like the Jews against Jesus. They have not yet come to the principal count, viz., to the avowal that all the incriminated articles are found in my writings. You committed an error in judgment in presenting the treatise against an unknown adversary. Do not shew, with the treatise on the Church, anything besides that against Stanislaus and Paletz.
It is well that they had desired my book to be given back to them; for some persons cried out loudly to have it burned, particularly Michael de Causis, whom I myself heard. I never thought that I had, in that multitude of priests, only the brother, and a Polish doctor whom knew to be such. I rendered thanks to the Bishop Lytemissel, for he said but these few words: “Atzo Huss to bie utzmil.”[3]
I am grateful to you for the manner in which you have arranged the articles: it will be well to have them published under that form. The presidents have asserted that I elsewhere published another definition of the Church, and they wanted to know what it was.
Greet the lords who are believers, and the friends of the truth, and pray to God in my behalf, for I have need of it. I think they will not pardon me the opinion which I quoted from St Augustin respecting the Church, the predestinated members, the elect, and the bad bishops.
Oh! that an audience may be accorded me, in order that I may reply to the arguments by which they attack the articles of my treatises; many of them, now crying out, would then be silent: but the will of God be done!