John Hus - Opposition

OPPOSITION

To Religion

While unfolding the Word of God, Hus also spoke boldly against the abuses he saw, especially in the religious community.

He admonished them to know the Lord's presence by touching Him in His Word

In 1404 he published a booklet against forged miracles. He took a stand against the greed among the clergy. He also urged Christians to stop looking for physical signs of the Lord's presence rather than seeking Him in His enduring Word. He admonished them to know the Lord's presence by touching Him in His Word. Hus began translating the writings of Wycliffe into Bohemian, including the Trialogus.More and more he came to stand with John Wycliffe in what he believed and what he proclaimed.

From Religion
The clergy reacted to Hus as it had to Wycliffe. They railed against Hus's exposure of clerical abuses. At this time there were two popes: Gregory XII and Alexander V. The Bohemian clergy and the Archbishop of Bohemia sided with Gregory. Hus, the Czech people, and the University of Prague supported Alexander. Hus was siding with the people against the clergy and became their spokesman against the things they sensed were wrong in the Catholic Church. Opposition from the clergy intensified. In 1410, Pope Alexander issued a papal bull ordering the burning of Wycliffe's writings. The Archbishop of Bohemia was to execute the order in Hus's country. Two hundred volumes were collected by the archbishop. Hus asked that a reason be given for the condemnation of Wycliffe's teachings. The archbishop, however, had no interest in reviewing his teachings and burned the books without examination. Hus was instructed to stop preaching.

EXCOMMUNICATION

Hus did not heed the papal bull. As a result, he was officially excommunicated in 1411 by Pope John XXIII, the successor (and possibly the murderer) of Alexander. The burning of Wycliffe's writings and the subsequent excommunication of Hus resulted in a public outcry. In an attempt to rid Bethlehem Chapel of Hus, the pope gave the Archbishop of Prague authority to prevent preaching in other than appointed churches.
Hus did not waver. He boldly declared his intent to stand firm:

I avow it to be my purpose to defend the truth which God has enabled me to know, and especially the truth of Holy Scripture, even to death, since I know that the truth stands and is forever mighty and abides. [3]

Of Alexander, the deceased pope, he said that it would be hard to affirm whether he “is in heaven or in hell.” [4] He openly questioned what kind of pope it was who sought to “persecute the Gospels and Epistles and faith in Christ.” [5]

The order of excommunication forbade anyone to give Hus food, drink, salutation, discourse, purchase, sale, or hospitality. Hus reacted very much like his Master before him:

...Huss reminds his friends that Christ himself was excommunicated as a malefactor and crucified.

What shall we lose if for His sake we forfeit wealth, friends, the world's honors and our poor life?...It is better to die well than to live badly

No help was to be derived from the saints. Christ's example and his salvation are the sufficient sources of consolation and courage. The high priests, scribes, Pharisees, Herod and Pilate condemned the Truth and gave him over to death, but he rose from the tomb and gave in his stead twelve other preachers. What fear, he wrote, “shall part us from God, or what death?” What shall we lose if for His sake we forfeit wealth, friends, the world's honors and our poor life?...It is better to die well than to live badly. We dare not sin to avoid the punishment of death. To end in grace the present life is to be banished from misery. Truth is the last conqueror. He wins who is slain, for no adversity “hurts him if no iniquity has dominion over him.” In this strain he wrote again and again. The “bolts of anti-christ,” he said, could not terrify him, and should not terrify the “elect of Prag.” [6]

The followers of Hus were also put under an interdict: no food, drink, clothing, lodging, etc. was to be provided for them. To avoid subjecting the entire city of Prague to such a blockade, Hus withdrew from the city for eighteen months. However, he did not remain silent. He sent word back to Prague assuring them he was continuing to preach the gospel and to declare the truth of the Word in villages, castles, fields—wherever the occasion permitted.