Forerunners of the Reformation

John Hus (1373-1415)

Hus was born in Susinec, a town in southwestern Bohemia. Soon after he w
as ordained in 1400, he began preaching fiery sermons in Prague. He attracted ma
ny followers, especially Czech nationalists. Hus attacked the morals of the cler
gy and called for reform in the church. He was influenced by the works of John W
ycliffe, an English religious Reformer of the 1300’s. Unlike Wycliffe, Hus did n
ot attack the sacrament of the Mass.
In 1409, the king of Bohemia turned the University of Prague over to the
Czechs, and Hus became Rector. This action angered the German teachers and stud
ents at the University. They left and established the University of Leipzig. The
Germans spread the story that Hus was a notorious heretic. In 1413, Hus complet
ed De Ecclesia (On the church), a highly spiritualized view of the church that b
orrowed heavily from Wycliffe’s writings. In 1414, Hus was called before the cou
ncil of Constance, a meeting of church leaders at Constance, Germany. There he w
as condemned, largely for the ideas expressed in De Ecclesia. He was then burned
at the stake on a charge of heresy, even though he had been promised safety if
he attended the council to defend himself. Hus’s Reform movement was carried on
for several years after his death by followers known as Hussites.
Principles/lessons learned:
• Hus attacked the Roman clergy for their immorality. This should encourag
e us to expose error within the ranks of Christian leadership.
• Hus was a Roman Catholic (he did not attack the sacrament of the Mass) a
nd yet he did not hesitate to speak against the errors of Roman Catholic Church.
This reminds us that we are not bound by blind obedience to a denomination. Our
sole authority is the Bible – God’s Word for our faith and practice.
Conclusion
When the council condemned Hus, they removed his priestly robes and upon
his head they placed a tall paper hat covered with painted devils and the word
heresiarch (leader of heresy). As the council committed his soul to the Devil, h
e quickly replied, “And I commit it to my Most Gracious Lord Jesus Christ. The c
rown my Savior wore on His Most Sacred Head was heavy and irksome. The one I wea
r is easy and light. He wore a crown of thorns even to His most awful death, and
I will wear this much lighter one humbly for the sake of His Name and Truth.” W
hen Hus arrived at the stake, he knelt down with tears in his eyes and prayed. H
is hands were quickly tied behind him, and a rusty chain put about his neck held
him to the stake. The executioners heaped wood and straw up to his chin and pou
red pitch over the entire pile. At this moment, the Roman Catholic Church offere
d Hus one final chance to recant and live, but Hus replied, “I shall die with jo
y today in the Faith of the Gospel which I have preached.” The Roman Catholic Ch
urch was successful in burning John Hus, but they could not burn that which real
ly mattered – his example. The courage of John Hus and his fidelity to the Scrip
ture remain a shining light in a dark and sinful age.
Girolamo Savonarola (1452-1498)
Savonarola was born in Ferrara, Italy of a noble family. He joined the D
ominican order in 1474. By 1490, he had begun his attempts to reform the city of
Florence through preaching. He was a highly emotional, but effective, preacher.
His charm, colorful language, and theatrical manner made him a leading figure.
He criticized the immorality of Pope Alexander VI. He predicted punishment of th
e Roman Catholic Church and Italy.
Pope Alexander VI ordered Savonarola to Rome in 1495 to explain his clai
m to special revelation, but the friar refused. He said his health and fear of v
iolence on the way made it impossible and stated, “It is not the will of God tha
t I leave Florence.” The Pope then ordered him to stop preaching.
When Savonarola resumed preaching during Lent in 1496, the Pope excommun
icated him for disobedience. When he continued his defiance, Alexander VI threat
ened to place Florence under an Interdict (Ban on Worship) unless the city could
force him to go to Rome or could force him to be silent until he asks for absol
ution (pardon). Savonarola surrendered to the civil authorities. He was tried an
d condemned by an ecclesiastical court, which turned him over to the civil autho
rities for punishment. Savonarola was hanged and his body burned.
Principles/lessons learned:
- Like Hus, he attacked the Roman Catholic clergy for their immorality.
- Savonarola was a fiery preacher of righteousness. He named names, called
sin, sin. As preachers of God’s Holy, Inspired, Inerrant Word, we also should d
o the same.
- Pope Alexander VI ordered Savonarola to stop preaching, for a while he d
id, but he resumed. I believe in Righteous Defiance for as long as the one you d
efy is clearly and blatantly violating God’s Word.
Conclusion
Again, Savonarola was known as a fiery preacher of righteousness. Here i
s a sample of one of his sermons:
That iniquitous monster, we cannot call him man nor Vicar of Christ, bec
ause he commits a mass of the most abominable wickedness!
The catalog of Pope Alexander VI’s sin is full. Within its pages are fou
nd bribery, lewdness, incontinence, fornication, lechery, nepotism (too much fav
or to his relatives), simony, debauchery, inordinate ambition, perfidy (betrayer
; disloyal; traitor), gross obscenity, blasphemy, robbery, concubinage, and murd
er. He did all these in the most evil way you could ever imagine. He did not do
anything sacred, although he occupied the most sacred seat. Surely the pontifica
te of Alexander VI alone is one of the clearest arguments against the divine ori
gin of the Papal institution. Would God commit His Church for twelve years to su
ch a monster?
In Florence today, there is a bronze plaque set in the pavement of the p
ublic square, marking the place of Girolamo Savonarola’s burning. Truly, you may
silence a prophet in death, but you cannot suppress the truth, it shall prevail
.