The John the Baptist of the Reformation

John Huss (a.k.a. Jan Hus) is regarded to be one of the earliest known religious thinkers and reformers in the world. A philosopher and a Master at Charles University (Prague), Huss was greatly influenced by the writings and teachings of John Wyclife. He made a number of followers during his time, who came to be known as Hussites. Reformers, in the later years, looked up to Huss for his unswerving commitment in the face of the church's cunning brutality, due to which he had to face extreme consequences. Condemning Huss' uprising, the Church first excommunicated him and then burned him to death, after an unfair trial.

This brief account of his life will serve as a wonderful introduction to the life of this great hero of the faith. Despite incredible cruelty that lasted for many months, even some of his enemies acknowledged his humility and godliness. This book would be very useful to use in Family Worship as the chapters are all brief and to the point.

Famous Church Historian J.H. Merle d'Aubigne said the following about Huss - "John Huss preached in Bohemia a century before Luther preached in Saxony. He seems to have penetrated deeper than his predecessors into the essence of Christian truth. He prayed to Christ for grace to glory only in his cross and the the inestimable humiliation of his sufferings. But his attacks were directed less against the errors of the Romish church than against the scandalous lives of the clergy. Yet he was, if we may be allowed the expression, the John the Baptist of the Reformation. The flames of his pile kindled a fire in the church that cast a brilliant light into the surrounding darkness, and whose glimmerings were not to be so readily extinguished."