recantation Hus were quietly removed to a secluded monastery in distant Sweden, Sigismund’s plans on Bohemia would be greatly furthered. The council so deeply indebted to him would be quite willing to bring against King Venceslas and Queen Sophia the accusations of heresy that were already being prepared.
It would not, however, be fair to suggest that all the members of the council were devoid of pity for the pious and God-loving Bohemian priest. Among those who secretly felt sympathy for Hus was a prominent prelate whose name is not known to us. Von der Hardt’s statement,[1] that Hus’s secret friend was John of Brogni, cardinal-bishop of Ostia, is almost certainly incorrect. This prelate, whom Hus merely describes as “pater,” entered into correspondence with him. The kind-hearted priest strongly endeavoured to persuade Hus to renounce the opinions which had been condemned—not only those he had actually expressed, but also those that had been wrongly ascribed to him. Among other arguments, the “father” impressed on Hus that it was not he personally, but his superiors and the entire council which would bear the responsibility should he abandon the opinions which he had formerly held.[2] As Dr. Lechler has well pointed out, the question whether Hus should yield to the authority of others, or rely on his own conscience, was the all-important one. “Hus had,” Dr. Lechler[3] writes, “either to subject his own conscience to that of others, to that of very weighty men certainly as they included the members of a great council of the church, or to follow resolutely and fearlessly the dictates
- ↑ The form of recantation submitted to Hus is thus described: “Revocationis forma a Johanne Ostiensi, cardinali Vivariensi vice-cancellario Husso proposita.” (Von der Hardt, iv. 329.)
- ↑ “Non moveat vos istud, quod condemnetis veritates quia non vos, sed ipsi damnant, qui sunt majores vestri, et etiam nostri de praesenti. Attendite hoc verbum: ne innitaris prudentiae tuae; multi scientifici et conscienciosi viri sunt in concilio; fili mi audi legem motris,” (“Pater," M. Joanni Hus, Palacky, Documenta).
- ↑ Dr. Lechler, Johann von Wiclif, vol. ii. p. 217. Dr. Lechler writes from the point of view of a Protestant divine.
