A History of Bohemian LiteratureLützow, Francis, hrabe
History
A History of Bohemian Literature
Lützow, Francis, hrabe
Czech literature -- History and criticism
Skála gives a very able account of the ancient Bohemian constitution,
of which he writes as a fervent admirer. He then states what in his
opinion was the cause of the destruction of that constitution. "The
Bohemian nation," he writes, "has indeed this peculiarity, that it can
endure neither complete tyranny nor complete liberty unfettered by
law. And as the Bohemians defended their ancient liberties with such
true zeal, they might have been happier than other nations had they
but at home maintained sincere concord among themselves. I doubt that
any one would have been able to overcome them by force of arms if they
had been bound together by the bond of patriotic mutual confidence;
but in consequence of religious differences, great discord reigned
among them, and therefore mutual distrust. One section, which conformed
to the Church of Rome, assumed the name of Catholics or communicants
in one kind. The other section, which loved to worship and serve God
according to the definitions and rules of the Holy Scripture, and not
according to the fancies of men, are called communicants under both
kinds (Utraquists), or Evangelicals or Hussites, from the name of
their teacher, that true martyr for Christ, John Hus, or 'of Husinec,'
who in his time re-established pure doctrine in the Bohemian land,
and from the darkness of Papacy raised it to light.... Many years ago
regulations, which the Bohemians obtained by the bravery with which
they defended God's truth, stipulated that nobody who did not receive
the flesh and blood of our Lord Christ in both kinds should occupy
the offices of the state and of the towns.... Thus almost all men
acknowledged the salutary doctrine that man is redeemed by his faith
in Christ and through His holy merit, and that he thus obtains eternal
salvation."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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