EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Hus was born of peasant parents in the Bohemian village of Husinec, from which his name is derived. From an early age he was singled out as having great intellectual ability. It was surely the exercise of divine sovereignty to raise up such a vessel in an obscure village in Bohemia for the maintenance and spread of the truth. Hus was a gift given by Christ to His Church to be a witness and “to bear, in his turn, 'the torch of truth, and to transmit it with a martyr's hand to a long succession of witnesses—and he was worthy of the heavenly office.'” [1] Like Paul, he was set apart from his mother's womb for a particular purpose. Because he was a promising young man, some hoped that his intellectual abilities would be put to use for the Catholic Church. Ultimately, he attended the University of Prague, where he received his master's degree in 1396.
PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PRAGUE
After Hus received his degree, he remained at the university as a
the works of Wycliffe found their way into the hands of Hus, who embraced the teachings of Wycliffe as his own |
faculty member. Again the sovereignty of God is evident in the life of Hus: as a result of the marriage of Richard II of England to Ann of Bohemia, sister of King Wencelas IV, a bond of friendship was formed between England and Bohemia. Students freely moved between the Universities of Oxford and Prague. In this way the lecture materials of Oxford reached Prague, and the works of Wycliffe found their way into the hands of Hus, who embraced the teachings of Wycliffe as his own.
In 1400 Hus was ordained a priest. The following year he became Dean of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Prague. In 1402 he became head of the whole university. The sphere of his influence increased as he won the respect of those around him.
PREACHER AT BETHLEHEM CHAPEL
As the new head of the University of Prague, Hus took on the responsibility of preaching at the Bethlehem Chapel. With a seating capacity of over 1000, this chapel was the largest and most influential in Prague. It had been built in 1391 expressly for the preaching of the Word of God in the language of the people, rather than in the usual Latin. So when John Hus stood up and preached in the chapel, he spoke in the language understood by the people.
In Hus's day discontent with the Catholic Church was widespread and growing.
Hus stood for the truth in God's Word |
Men were beginning to question what had hitherto been accepted without thought. There was a general longing for a return to the simplicity of the early churches, but someone was needed to give direction and focus to this stirring, someone able to think clearly, speak forcefully, and, above all, stand by conviction. Such a man God provided in John Hus. Thus, when he declared in the Bethlehem Chapel, “The Bible says...,” the heart of the congregation was with him. He gave clear expression to what they had only vaguely felt.
Hus stood for the truth in God's Word, taking the same stand that Wycliffe had taken. This was his distinguishing mark, as one biographer points out:
...if it be asked what particular thing it
The Bible became the standard and norm by which John Hus tested everything |
was which characterized the preaching and witness of John Hus, the answer is simple. He rediscovered the Bible. Discovered or uncovered its simple yet profound truths which custom and tradition had obscured. The Bible became the standard and norm by which John Hus tested everything...whether in men or institutions. [2]
