Letters of John Huss Written During His Exile and Imprisonment/Letter 43

For other English-language translations of this work, see Letter of Jan Hus to his friends (after 8 June 1415) (1).

 

LETTER XLIII.^[1]

 

[Huss relates another combat of the flesh and spirit for the confession of the truth, a combat worthy of fixing the attention of pious men.]

 

Salutation to you, through Jesus Christ! I beseech you, for God’s sake, not to shew my letters, nor to publish them; for I fear they might place several persons in jeopardy. If Vitus remains, let him be prudent. I rejoice greatly to learn that my gracious Lord is coming to me. Our Saviour raised up Lazarus to life on the fourth day, when he already began to decay. He preserved Jonas in the belly of the fish, and restored him to his preaching; he drew Daniel in safety from the lion’s den that he might write his prophecies; he preserved from the flames the three young men in the furnace; and he delivered Susannah, already condemned and on the point of perishing.

Wherefore, he could as easily snatch also from prison and death me, unfortunate man that I am, were it conducive to the glory and advantage of the faithful, and to my own welfare. The power of Him who drew Peter out of prison by his angel, when condemned to die at Jerusalem, and who caused the chains to fall from his hands, is not diminished. But let the Lord’s will be done; may it be fully accomplished in me for his glory and my sins! A Doctor said to me—“If in all things I would submit to the Council; every thing would then be good and legitimate for me.” He added —“If the Council asserted you had but one eye, although you have two, still it would be necessary to say the Council was right.” “If the whole world,” replied I, “should affirm such a thing, I could not, as long as I possess the use of my reason, assent to it, without wounding my conscience.” After other conversation he abandoned his argument and said to me, “I confess I have not chosen my example well.”

The Lord is with me like a valiant warrior; the Saviour is my light and salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord defends my life; who shall make me tremble? In these latter times I often repeat this sentence—“Lord, I suffer violence, answer for me; for what shall I say to my enemies?”

 

John Huss, servant in hope of Jesus Christ.

 

1. Hist. et Monum. Johann Huss, Epist. xxxii.