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John Huss and the Hussite Wars - James Aitken Wylie

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Chapter 2<br />

<strong>Huss</strong> Begins his Warfare<br />

Against Rome<br />

AN incident which is said to have occurred at<br />

this time (1404) contributed to enlarge <strong>the</strong> views of<br />

<strong>Huss</strong>, <strong>and</strong> to give strength to <strong>the</strong> movement he had<br />

originated in Bohemia. There came to Prague two<br />

<strong>the</strong>ologians from Engl<strong>and</strong>, <strong>James</strong> <strong>and</strong> Conrad of<br />

Canterbury. Graduates of Oxford, <strong>and</strong> disciples of<br />

<strong>the</strong> Gospel, <strong>the</strong>y had crossed <strong>the</strong> sea to spread on<br />

<strong>the</strong> banks of <strong>the</strong> Moldau <strong>the</strong> knowledge <strong>the</strong>y had<br />

learned on those of <strong>the</strong> Isis. Their plan was to hold<br />

public disputations, <strong>and</strong> selecting <strong>the</strong> Pope's<br />

primacy, <strong>the</strong>y threw down <strong>the</strong> gage of battle to its<br />

maintainers. The country was hardly ripe for such a<br />

warfare, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> affair coming to <strong>the</strong> ears of <strong>the</strong><br />

authorities, <strong>the</strong>y promptly put a stop to <strong>the</strong><br />

discussions. Arrested in <strong>the</strong>ir work, <strong>the</strong> two visitors<br />

did not fail to consider by what o<strong>the</strong>r way <strong>the</strong>y<br />

could carry out <strong>the</strong>ir mission. They bethought <strong>the</strong>m<br />

that <strong>the</strong>y had studied art as well as <strong>the</strong>ology, <strong>and</strong><br />

21

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