500th Anniversary of the Reformation Sample

The Reformers: John Huss

A century before Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, John Huss was speaking against the church’s selling of indulgences to parishioners. In 1406, Huss helped publish a Czech translation of the Bible called the St. Mikulovsky Bible, which included the New Testament, the Psalms, and the Wisdom literature. Under a guise of safety, Huss was ultimately called before the Holy Roman Emperor to account for his doctrine. Instead he was arrested and condemned as a heretic. He was commanded to recant or be burned at the stake. On July 6, 1415, as his sentence was about to be carried out, he was given one more chance to recant. He refused. “I pray thee to have mercy on my enemies!” According to one account, as the flames engulfed him, John Huss was heard reciting the Psalms.