The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe/Volume 3/A Letter of John Huss to the Lord John de Clum
For other English-language translations of this work, see Letter of Jan Hus to John of Chlum (29 June 1415).
A Letter of John Huss to the Lord John de Clum.
Most gracious benefactor in Christ Jesu! dearly beloved! yet I rejoice not a little, that by the grace of God I may write unto your honour. By your letter which I received yesterday, I understand, first, how the iniquity of the great strumpet, that is, of the malignant congregation (whereof mention is made in the Apocalypse), is detected, and shall be more detected; with which strumpet the kings of the earth do commit fornication, fornicating spiritually from Christ; and, as is there said, sliding back from the truth, and consenting to the lies of Antichrist, through his seduction and through fear, or through hope of confederacy, for getting of worldly honour. Secondly, I perceived by your letter how the enemies of the truth begin now to be troubled. Thirdly, I perceived the fervent constancy of your charity, wherewith you profess the truth bodily. Fourthly, with joy I perceived that you mind now to give over the vanity and painful service of this present world, and to serve the Lord Jesus Christ quietly at home; whom to serve, is to reign; as Gregory saith, 'He that served him faithfully, hath Jesus Christ himself in the kingdom of heaven to minister unto him, as he himself saith. Blessed is that servant, whom when the Lord shall come, he shall find waking, and so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he rising shall gird himself, and shall minister to him.' This do not the kings of the world to their servants, whom they do love only so long as they are profitable and necessary for their commodities, &c.