of the priests, and abide by their decision; Huss replies, that it is impossible not to despise the Pope and cardinals for their greedy avarice and other vices, while it is false that he and his friends would have, neither God nor the Apostles, nor holy teachers, nor the Church Catholic for their judges, while the passage cited works directly against his opponents, inasmuch as it teaches, according to Lyra's exposition, that we are to follow the opinion of none, not even the most distinguished men, if it is evidently false, for every one is bound to decide according to the law of God. Besides we are to distinguish between the old law and the new. According to the former, he who refuses to obey the high priest or judge was punished with death, but Christ never ordained death penalties, nor mixed himself up with civil transactions. A letter of Jerome to the Roman bishop Damasus is cited, in which he assures the latter that in matters of faith he abides by his decisions, yet this devotion to an orthodox Pope might easily be extended to many who were schismatic and heretical, of which Huss cites several instances. He defines, moreover, in what cases the Apostolic See may be applied to, namely, when it remains faithful to the doctrines and life of the Apostles; but he points out, much at length, when and why one is not bound to obey pope or prelate, nay, one may be in some cases justified in rejecting the Pope altogether. As to his sentences of excommunication, suspension, and interdict, Huss makes some very bold observations. He points out the abuses of these ecclesiastical inflictions, and undertakes to show that they can injure none, unless they have first been pronounced by the Supreme Judge. Here we see the scope of his argument as bearing upon his own circumstances, and justifying his treatment of the Pope and his censures.*

Beside his work on the Church, several other of the treatises of Huss, bear internal evidence of having been composed dur ing the time of his first withdrawal from Prague, on account of the Interdict in 1410-11. Not far from this period, must we date his discussion of "The Three Doubts;" one of them as to whether belief in the Pope, and another, as to whether confession to a priest, are essential to salvation. He decided both points in such a way as to provoke the wrath of the ecclesiasti * Schrockh, xxxiv. 611. Op. Hussi, I. 248-318.

cal party. Stephen of Dola, afterwards of Olmutz, a respectable man, so far as we know, and nowhere personally reprobated in the writings of Huss, produced a feeble reply, which has been preserved in the collections of Marten.* He speaks approvingly of some parts of the work of Huss "On the Church," and seems at some time to have sustained relations of friendship to the reformer. His treatise is entitled Anti-Hussus, and is mainly valuable for its historic incidents. It commences with a play on the name of Huss, whom it warns not to fly so high as to scorch his wings. It charges him with having made his pulpit in Bethlehem chapel, one, not of preaching, but of prevarication, "an ensnaring den of Wicliffites, whence you speak against your fathers and brethren, and the common Pastor of the church, to the grave scandal of the people." From this course, "you would not desist, and you are justly a vagabond, skulking from place to place." Stephen then admonishes Huss of the duty of obed ence to his superiors, and the substance of all the arguments which he employs, is the authority of ecclesiastical law and usage; a feeble ground of appeal to a man, who had already, again and again, boldly declared his allegiance to the authority of Scripture alone.

To the effect produced already by the labors of Huss, Stephen bears witness: "So far has he prevailed, that I have heard and understood, that many of the laity say, 'what so great necessity is there that we should confess to a mortal priest, when with contrite hearts we confess to the High Priest, God Almighty alone?'"

The letter of Huss to the author of Anti-Hussus is found in this work, though not in the writings of Huss. It is a substantial refutation of the treatise with which it is incorporated. Huss complains of Stephen for his speaking and exerting his influence against him. Yet he says-thus showing his independence of Wicliffe's authority, an independence which he maintained from first to last-"Though Wicliffe, or an angel from heaven, taught otherwise than the Scripture teaches, I could not follow him. My heart abhors the errors that by some have been ascribed to me. I disobey the perverse mandates of my superiors, because Scripture teaches me to obey

* Marteni Anecdota, vol. iv.

God rather than man. The Apostles preached Jesus Christ, even when forbidden by the chief priests." As to his noncompliance with the papal citation, Huss gives his reasons for it, and closes his letter with the admonition, "Judge not."

The author of "Anti-Hussus" issued other treatises, as "Anti Wicliffus" and "Dialogus Volatilis," bearing upon the general question, of which Huss seems to have taken no further specific notice, yet their aim was directly at the preacher of Bethlehem chapel. They give us indeed some valuable information of the state of things resulting at Prague from the labors of Huss, but otherwise their insignificance does not deserve to be rescued from oblivion.

There is a treatise "On Antichrist," included in the works of Huss, which has repeatedly been ascribed to him, but internal evidence satisfies us, that while in tone and spirit it is wor thy of his pen, it is the production of a previous age; in fact, it is to Matthias of Janow, one of the boldest of the predeces sors of Huss, that its authorship must be ascribed.

It undoubtedly furnished Huss with many valuable sugges tions, which he has improved and employed in his collection of "Twenty-eight Sermons," most of them on the same subject, but the style of it displays a studied wit, which is alien from the free impromptu tone of the greater portion of Huss' writ ings. It was found among Hutten's collection of the writings of Huss, which was incorporated with them by Otho of Brunefelt, in that edition of the works of the Bohemian Reformer, which he dedicated to Luther, and which drew from the latter the wish "that his name was worthy the dedication of the works of such a man, who had been a blessing to the world; the true canonization, even though the Papacy were abolished."

"The Anatomy of Antichrist" is a most searching exposure of all those varied features of the Romish Church, in which it contrasted with a primitive Christianity. No class or order is spared. A rigid scrutiny is carried to high places, as well as low. Every part of "the beast" is delineated; the crown of the head, hair, forehead, face, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue, saliva, teeth, lips, voice, cheek, beard, neck, &c., to the very skin and toes.

The three great lies of Antichrist are: "First, that the Pope

is Christ's vicegerent and head of the Church, which is a pure lie and blasphemy, though no one is better fitted from his position to become Antichrist, than the Roman Pontiff." The second lie is, "That the decrees of the Pope are to be received as Gospel." The third is, "That pontifical laws must take precedence of all others."

The contrast is drawn between Christ and Antichrist; between the simple institutions and commands of the founder of Christianity, and those of a proud and corrupt hierarchy, that lords it in His name. One is true, the other false; one gentle, the other harsh and overbearing; one poor, the other rich; one chaste, the other wanton, &c. Christ chose the poor, and sent them forth. The Popes themselves are the authors of the schisms that rend the Church.

The place of Antichrist is fixed at Rome, the mystic Babylon. Against him, the word of God is the great antagonist. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. The description of "the rule, people, life, and manners, of Antichrist," is in a style of the boldest reprehension. His preachers are the locusts of the Apocalyptic vision; like the noise of buzzing wings is the noise of strife for place and preeminence. One is of Dominic, one of Francis, one of Bernard. It is in the fixing of the period of the prevalence of these ecclesiastical locusts, that the question is definitely settled in regard to the work being from another pen than that of Huss. He, however, had evidently studied the work with great care; had incorporated these views with his own; and has reproduced them in substance, in the connected series of discourses which he preached in Bethlehem chapel.

In regard to another treatise not less scathing in its severity, there can be no question but that Huss was its author. It bears the title, "On the horrid abomination of desolation of the priests and monks in the church of Christ."* Opening with a fearful picture of the state of the Church, rent by conflicting parties and schisms, with the rivalries of priests and monkish orders, the insolence and pride of ecclesiastical superiors, the oppression of merit, the intrusion of the worst men into office, the luxurious and Dives-like life of the monks, the multiplicity of

* De sacerdotum et monachorum abhorrenda abominatione desolationis in Ecclesia Christi.

VOL. V.-16

ignorant and unworthy candidates outnumbering the benefices, so that among modern as among ancient Pharisees, Christ has not where to lay his head; it proceeds to group together the several passages of Scripture in which the pencil of prophecy has drawn the outline and sketched the picture of "the abomination of desolation." With Ezekiel, it presents anew the spouse of Christ become a harlot; shameless in the effrontery of her guilt; in her love of the world persecuting prophets; her priests unfruitful and greedy of gain; mute dogs, and paying court to the great of this world, and not to Christ; ostentatious with prelatic pride and title, and tolerating the evidences of her shame in priestly brothels. It exposes the sale of masses and indulgences, which make the sacraments venal. It opens the secret chambers of imagery, and exposes the iniquity of prelates, whose guilt left that of Caiaphas, Pilate, and Judas in the shade. "God incited me to it," says Huss, "and I have dug through the wall into the chamber, and have seen their abominations." He insists that the reform required is one that shall be thorough and radical, that shall make all things new. The word of God, he declares, is held of less account than the canon law, and the authority of the Bible is made to bow to the mandates of men. Prophets and Evangelists are no longer studied. Here is Antichrist, indeed. The harlot sitteth upon the beast with seven heads and ten horns. Her face represents the priesthood in its unblushing effrontery. It is abomination to honor God with the lips, while the heart is far from him; to teach for divine doctrines, the commandments of men; to call evil good, and good evil; to put darkness for light, and light for darkness. Yet this is the work of Antichrist, that has assumed to exalt itself above all that is called God. The crimes that prevail in the church and among the priesthood, are fear of the rich and powerful; the perverting of judgment; straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel; indulging in the lusts of the flesh; being mute dogs or hypocrites; worshipping the creature more than the Creator.

The beast upon which the woman sitteth is lay-iniquity. The Church does not rule kings and princes, but persuades them to comply with her designs. The seven heads of the beast are the seven vices; among which are, avarice, gluttony, pride,