The History of the Church through 100 Masterpieces

The First Protestant

The History of the Church 130 The First Protestant He wasn’t just anyone. A renowned theologian, rector of the University of Prague in 1409, and confessor to the queen of Bohemia, Sophia of Bavaria, John Huss at first appeared to be a reformer seeking to restore morality to the clergy. However, the influence of an English heretic, John Wycliffe, gradually led him to preach in a way that foreshadowed Protestantism. He rejected the validity of indulgences, the cult of the Virgin Mary, and the authority of the pope. And since he preached and wrote in the local language, Czech, his influence in the region grew steadily. Excommunicated as a result, he went to the Council of Constance in 1414 to present an appeal, bearing a safe-conduct from Emperor Sigismund. However, the imperial guarantee was of no help to him. When he refused to recant after having been declared a heretic, John Huss was burnt to death at Constance the following year. TheCouncil of Constance was convened by John XXIII (rumored by some malicious tongues to be an old pirate captain) who was deposed by the same council and declared an antipope. He then declared his submission to his successor, Martin V, thus bringing an end to the Great Western Schism. In 1958, Angelo Roncalli took the name John XXIII, thereby signifying that the first John XXIII had never existed as pope. Anonymous (sixteenth century) John Huss ...