§ 44. JOHN HUSS OF BOHEMIA. 361
Chapel of the Holy Innocents of Bethleheni. This church, usually known as the Bethlehem church, was founded in 1301 by two wealthy laymen, with the stipulation that the incumbent should preach every Sunday and on festival days in Czech. It was made famous by its new rector as the little church, Anastasia, in Constantinople, was made famous in the fourth century by Gregory of Nazianzus, and by his discourses against the Arian heresy.
As early as 1402, Husswas regarded as the chief exponent ^ and defender,of_WyGl4ffiaB^44ews-at.-th£-um.Y£j:sit:y^ -Protests, made by the clergy against their spread, took definite form in 1403, when the university authorities condemned the 24 articles placed under the ban by the London council of 1382. At the same time 21 other articles were condemned, which one of the university masters, John Hiibner, a Pole, professed to have extracted from the Englishman's writings. The decision forbade the preaching and teaching of these 45 articles. Among Wyclif's warm defenders were Stanislaus of Znaim and Stephen Paletz. The subject which gave the most offence was his doctrine of the Lord's Supper.
A distinct stage in tlie religious controversies agitating Bohemia was introduced by the election of Sbinko of Hasenburg to the see of Prag, 1403. In the earlier years of his administration Huss had the prelate's confidence, held the post of synodal preacher and was encouraged to bring to the archbishop's notice abuses that might be reformed. He was also appointed one of a commission of three to investigate the alleged miracles performed by the relic of Christ's blood at Wylsnak and attracting great throngs. The report condemned the miracles as a fraud. The matter, however, became subject of discussion at the university and as far away as Vienna and Erfurt, the question assuming the form whether Christ left any of his blood on the earth. In a tract entitled the Glorification of all Christ's Blood,^ Huss took the negative side. In spite of him and of the commission's report, the miracles at Wylsnak went on, until, in 1552, a zealous Lutheran broke the pyx which held the relic and burnt it.
1 De omni Christi sanguine glorificato, ed. by Flajshans, p. 42.
362 THE MIDDLE AGES. A.D. 1294-1517.
So extensive was the spread of Wjcliffism tliat Innocent VII., in 1405, called upon Sbinko to employ severe measures to stamp it out and to seize Wyclif's writings. The same year a Prag synod forbade the propaganda of Wyclif's views and renewed the condemnation of the 45 articles. Three years later Huss — whose activity in denouncing clerical almaesanc\,advoy^ '' cj,ting Wyclifs theology knew no abatement — was dgposed from the position of synodaLftreacher. The same year the university authorities, at the archbishop's instance, ordered that no public lectures should be delivered on Wyclif's Trialogui and Dialogue and his doctrine of the Supper, and that no public disputation should concern itself with any of the condemned 45 articles.
The year following, 1409, occurred the emigration from the university of the three nations, the Bavarians, Saxons and Poles, the Czechs alone being left. The bitter feeling of the Bohemians had expressed itself in the demand for three votes, while the other nations were to be restricted to one each. When Wenzel consented to this demand, 2000 masters and scholars withdrew, the Germans going to Leipzig and founding the university of that city. The University of Prag was at once reduced to a provincial school of 500 students, and has never since regained its prestige. ^
Huss, a vigorous advocate of the use of the Czech, was the recognized head of the national movement at the university, and chosen first rector under the new regime. If possible, his advocacy of Wyclif and his views was more bold than before. From tbistiixiainrth, \\\'^ J.n.Hr^ writings \verefilled with excerpts J from the English ten.p.hnr pjnf[ t.pp.m ^vi t.k--ULii iVlpfj^ Wyclifs writings were sown broadcast in Bohemia. Huss himself had translated the yWa?o//M8 into Czech. Throngs were attracted by preaching. Wherever, wrote Huss in 1410, in city or town, in village or castle, the preacher of the holy truth made his
^ See Kashdall : Universities of Europe, I. 211-242. The number of departing students is variously given. Tiie number given above has the authority of Procopius, a chronicler of the l^th century. Only 602 were matriculated at Leipzig the first year, and this figure seems to point to a smaller number than 2000 leaving Prag. Kiigelgen, Die Gefiingnissbriefe, p. ix, adopts the unreasonable number, 5000.