compunctions of conscience, sent four prelates to him, with his two Bohemian friends, to know his final determination. An affecting scene ensued. John de Chlum anxiously addressed him; "Master John, I am an unlearned man, and therefore unable to instruct one like you; but allow me to say, that if you know yourself guilty of any of those errors which are alleged against you, do not out of false shame refuse to confess it. But I would be the last man to advise you to deny what you know to be the truth, though the most dreadful punishment awaited you." Huss was touched with the struggle which he perceived in his friend's bosom between regard for the truth and a desire for his preservation, and replied with tears, Vérily, as I have often said, I take the most high God to witness, that I am ready with all my heart to change my mind, if the Council Iwill better instruct me out of the Holy Scriptures." On which one of the bishops observed, "But I would never be so arrogant as to prefer my own judgment to that of the whole Council."-" Neither do I," rejoined Huss; "I only say, if the meanest of them will convict me of error, I will perform whatever is enjoined me.' another bishop, "how incorrigible he is!" So they broke up the conference. He was then brought before the whole Council assembled in the cathedral, the Emperor occupying the chief place. He was conducted by the Archbishop of Riga and a military guard to the centre of the church, where a platform was erected, and on a table lay the vestments of a clergyman. He knelt down and prayed, while the Bishop of Lodi, a merciless bigot, mounted the pulpit, and preached from Romans, vi. 6, That the body of sin might be destroyed; which he accommodated to the occasion by calling on the assembly to burn John Huss. See,” said “۔ ، De Looking at Sigismond, and pointing to the prisoner, he said, stroy all heresies and errors; but chiefly that obstinate heretic: so shalt thou purchase to thyself immortal honour!" Then the Bishop of Concordia commanded all men to keep silence, on pain of excommunication and two months' imprisonment. Sixty articles against him were next read; which when he would have severally answered, the Bishop of Cambray told him to be silent, and informed him he might reply to them afterwards in a nass. Lifting up his hands to heaven, he remonstrated against this unreasonable treatment, and requested to be heard. "We have heard you often enough already," said the Bishop of Florence. He then knelt down, and committed his cause to Him that judgeth righteously. He was told that a certain doctor charged him with having affirmed that there was a fourth Person in the Deity. "Name him," said the prisoner. less," was the reply. They afterwards upbraided him with appealing to Christ, when arraigned by his ecclesiastical superiors, which showed his rash and heretical pravity. The holy man answered, "O Lord Jesus, whose word is thus openly vilified, didst thou not, when evil entreated, commit thy . cause to thy Father; leaving us an example, that when we are oppressed we should have recourse to the judgment of God? Yes: I did appeal to him! And why? Because he can neither be corrupted by bribes, nor deceived by false witnesses, nor seduced by artifice." Then looking full in the face of Sigismond, who could not avoid blushing, "I came," said he, "voluntarily to this Council under the public faith of the Emperor here present!" ،، That is need The last scene in this woful tragedy now approached. Sentence of degradation and anathema having been pronounced, the Arch God, chosen before the foundation of the world, from everlasting damnation." When at the place of execution, he fell on his knees, crying, "Lord Jesus, I humbly suffer this cruel death for thy sake; and I pray thee to forgive all mine enemies." His paper crown falling off, a soldier put it on again, brutally observing, that " he should burn with the devils whom he had served." When his neck was fastened to the stake by a chain, he said with a smile, My Lord Jesus was bound with a harder chain for my sake; and why should I be ashamed of this old rusty one?" The fagots being piled round him, and the executioner on the point of bishop of Milan, assisted by five other prelates, robed him with the vestments, and put a chalice into his hand. 66 So," said he, "the Jews put a garment on Christ to mock him." When fully apparelled, they exhorted him once more to retract; but he turned to the assembly and addressed them thus with tears, "These lords and bishops exhort me to profess before you that I have erred; to which indeed, if it were a mere human concern, I might be induced but now I am in the sight of God, and cannot do so without dishonouring the truth, wounding my own conscience, and causing weak brethren to offend. Rather let this vile body die than their sal-setting fire to the wood, the Elecvation should be endangered!" Upon this they took from him the cup, saying, "O cursed Judas, thus we take from thee the cup of salvation."-" Ay," he replied, "but I shall drink of it this day in the kingdom of the Father." They stript off his garments one by one, with as many curses, and put a high paper mitre on his head, on which were painted three devils, with the inscription," Heresiarch." "This is better," said Huss, "than the crown of thorns which my Lord bore for me.' -"We commit thy soul unto the devil," said they. "But I," he replied, "commend it to Jesus Christ." Being formally delivered over to the secular power, the Elector Palatine was appointed to superintend the execution. His books were burned at the door of the church, and he was escorted to the suburbs to undergo a similar fate. As he passed on, his countenance was cheerful and dignified. One while he sang hymns, at another he prayed. He appealed to God against the judgment of the Council; and spoke of the willingness with which Christ vouchsafed, "by a most bitter and ignominious death, to redeem the children of MAY 1822. tor Palatine and Count Oppenheim rode up, and once more exhorted him to retract, as it might not yet be too late to save his life." What I have written and taught," he replied, 66 was in order to rescue souls from the power of the devil, and to deliver them from the tyranny of sin; and I do gladly seal what I have written and taught with my blood!" When the flame was applied to the fagots, he sung so loud, that his voice was heard above the crackling of the combustibles and the shouts of the populace. He called thrice upon his Saviour in these words; "Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, have mercy upon me!" As the wood was heaped very high, he was soon suffocated. When the rage of the fire abated, his body, half-consumed, appeared hanging over the chain; which, together with the post, was thrown down, and a new pile heaped over them. His ashes were carefully collected and thrown into the Rhine, lest his followers should honour them as relics. But the memory of the just is blessed. His name is had in honour by all the Protestant churches; and the United Brethren solemnly com Ꮓ memorate the day of his martyrdom*. The frame itself of this holy martyr, which was thus inhumanly consumed, was thin and spare. His visage was pale, the forehead considerably receding, the nose length ened, the mouth and chin small, the beard short and pointed, and the general expression that of sweet and modest piety, rather than striking intelligence. L'Enfant, pp. 421-429.-Fox, Acts, vol. i. p. 709.-Cochlæus, L. ii.-Clarke, 225, 226. Among the medals which commemorate his graces and virtues, one was struck representing him having on his mitre, and holding a book in his right hand, which Luther, in a priest's habit, bareheaded, and clasping the Bible with both hands, looks on with pleasure. Another exhibits him with this inscription, "Faith alone renders us acceptable to God;" while on the reverse is seen Luther, with these words, "I was a plague to thee, O Pope, whilst living, and will be thy death when I die.' THE SUBSTANCE OF A NARRATIVE OF THE CONVERSION In the new world, for God is worshipp'd there, Who on the preacher fix'd his tearful eye, While his heart heav'd a long-drawn mournful sigh ; His soul in gratitude and ardent praise. Astonish'd at the sight, (the service done,) The priest with kindness said, "Is Abraham's son The Jew replied, "My history is brief; "One morning, as with care and woe o'ercome, And sooth the anguish of a painful day.' 'My child,' I cried, has not your whole of time, All prov'd how dear you are to my fond heart, Jesus of Nazareth, whom I little know, And ne'er was taught to love. Ah! that's my woe! He smooth'd, and rais'd and cheer'd my languid head, A Testament procure, and read his Word; Her eyes were clos'd in death-her soul was gone "Sacred was her request-the book with care I read, and lifted up my soul in prayer. I pray'd to Israel's God to lead me right, And cried with bursting heart, Thou art divine!"" R. MR. EDITOR, THE VILLAGE PASTOR, No. III. IT certainly is no small encouragement to Ministers and Christian labourers to observe, and bear continually in mind, how often the Lord is pleased to work by feeble, unpromising, and very unexpected means. Without for one moment undervaluing the great talents and gigantic acquirements of men, some or losing sight of the duty of Ministers and public instructors to read, study, and treasure up as large a store of knowledge and wisdom as possible, yet it cannot be too deeply impressed on our minds, that without God nothing is wise, nothing strong, nothing holy, nothing effectual to convert a sinner or glorify the Saviour. Instruments be rough or highly pomay lished, they may be mean or noble, they may be learned or unlearned, yet they are but instruments. Each one requires the moving hand of God; and neither one nor another can effect any thing in the salvation of souls, except as accompanied by the divine blessing; and with that blessing, neither the roughness nor the rudeness of the instrument will prevent the production of good. Sometimes the casual visit of a cultivated pious mind is blessed to the instruction and conversion of a soul. At other times, some poor man or woman, or young person, or even a child, is the instrument by which the Lord is pleased to work. Thus does the Spirit blow where it pleases. We behold its effects, but we can neither see its operation nor account for the direction it takes; only that so is the will of Him who is infinitely wise in council, and almighty in operation. The following little story may in some degree illustrate these remarks. Sir, I beg a thousand pardons," said a poor grief-worn woman one morning, as she entered my little dispensatory*; "but my poor girl is so very bad, and the parish doctor says it's of no use to give her any more stuff. But, Sir, if you could do any thing for her, poor dear child!" "Well, my good woman, dry up your tears, and tell me all about your daughter's illness." "O Sir, she has got such a bad cough, and such a pain in the When the writer lived at an insulated village, some six miles from medical assistance, he was urged by some kind and liberal-minded gentlemen of the faculty at Cambridge, to procure a few medicines, and under their inspection and instruction to dispense them among his poor neighbours. The beginning of his practice was a day of small, but, blessed be God, not of unsuecessful things. Seven years have now elapsed, and every year has more and more convinced him of the great good that a clergyman may, through the divine blessing, do in this way; not only to the bodies but to the souls of his people. True, it is a work that will involve some expense, time, and anxiety; but it will not be without its gratifications to the pastor's mind. As to the poor people, who have but few friends to sympathize with them, and fewer who can or will relieve their bodily pains, it is no small comfort for them to have a person and a place to fly to, where tale of bodily as well as mental trials. Every on every occasion they may tell their little Me one at all acquainted with the general outline of diseases must be aware of the good effect produced by the early application of a few simple remedies; many a serious illness may be thus warded off, and numberless minor complaints speedily cured. dical gentlemen of respectability are always ready to assist and direct, as occasion requires, the clergyman who thus endeavours to serve the poor and destitute, being well aware that in no other way can the mischief occasioned by rashness, ignorance, and prejudice, be so effectually counteracted. Let no village pastor be deterred from making the attempt; let him proceed cautiously, and often ask advice and information from medical friends; but above all, depending on that divine blessing which is ever bestowed in answer to prayer. Were the writer to relate one tenth part of the providential interpositions he has experienced, the world would receive the account only as the tale of a deluded mind, or as the dream of one not quite awake from his slumbers. |