Letters of John Huss, written during his exile and imprisonment

"Letters of John Huss, written during his exile and imprisonment" by Jan Hus is a collection of religious correspondence written in the early 15th century. It presents the Bohemian reformer’s private letters and related materials that chart his defense of conscience and the gospel amid ecclesiastical censure, exile, and the lead‑up to his martyrdom, often offering pastoral counsel to disciples and lay believers. The opening of the collection frames the letters with an editor’s introduction portraying Hus’s piety, moral courage, and historic importance for freedom of conscience, followed by a preliminary notice on how his friend Peter the Notary preserved the letters and how Martin Luther first published them. Luther’s preface praises Hus’s steadfast faith, denounces the Council of Constance and indulgence abuses, and recounts Luther’s own early admiration for Hus’s sermons. The first series of letters then begins: Hus appeals to cardinals for a dispensation from personal appearance, admonishes a calumniator, seeks counsel on whether to endure interdiction or withdraw, and repeatedly argues that obedience to God outweighs the commands of erring churchmen. He encourages Prague believers to stand firm under persecution, warns against “Antichrist,” defends his temporary withdrawal by Christ’s example, and offers seasonal meditations on Christ’s first and second comings, all while urging unity, humility, and perseverance.

Letters of John Huss, written during his exile and imprisonment, by Jan Hus. Republished by OpenStories from Project Gutenberg eBook #77359.