A History of Bohemian LiteratureLützow, Francis, hrabe
History
A History of Bohemian Literature
Lützow, Francis, hrabe
Czech literature -- History and criticism
"Beloved brethren, I write to you while sitting in prison, but I am
not ashamed, for I suffer hopefully for the sake of the Lord God who
has graciously visited me with a severe illness and has again restored
me to health, and who has permitted that those should become my bitter
enemies to whom I have done much good and whom I have sincerely
loved.[52] I beg of you to pray for me to the Lord God, that He may
deign to be with me; for it is on Him and on your prayers that I rely
to remain unto death in His grace. If the Lord deigns now to call me
to Him, may His holy will be fulfilled; and if He deigns to return me
to you, then also be His holy will fulfilled! Verily I am now much in
want of help; but I know that God will submit me to no misfortune or
temptation except such as are for my own and for your benefit, so that
having been tried and found steadfast we may obtain a great reward...
I have no one to advise me except our merciful Lord Jesus, who said
to His faithful: I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your
adversaries shall not be able to resist. Dearly beloved, remember that
I have worked with you with great devotion, and that I am anxious for
your salvation even now when I am in prison and suffering grievous
persecution."
Want of space obliges me to quote but from one other letter of Hus,
written in prison, though they all well deserve to be better known.
This is the letter written on June 10th, two days after his trial
before the Council had ended. Hus was then in expectation of immediate
death, though, as already stated, attempts were still made to obtain
his recantation, and his execution only took place on July 6th. The
letter, also written in Bohemian, is addressed "To the whole Bohemian
nation." Hus writes: "Faithful in God, men and women, rich and poor,
I beg and entreat you to love the Lord God, praise His word, hear it
gladly, and live according to it. Cling, I beg you, to the divine
truth, which I have preached to you according to God's law. I also beg
that if any one has heard either in my sermons or privately anything
contrary to God's truth, or if I have written anything such--which,
I trust to God, is not the case--he should not retain it. I further
beg, then, if any one has seen levity in me in word or deed he should
not retain it; but let him pray to God for me that God may forgive
me. I beg you to love, praise, and honour those priests who lead a
moral life, those in particular who strive for God's word. I beg you
to beware of crafty people, particularly of unworthy priests, of whom
our Saviour has said they are clothed like sheep, but are invariably
greedy wolves. I beg the nobles to treat the poor people kindly
and rule them justly. I beg the burghers to conduct their business
honestly. I beg the artisans to perform their labours conscientiously.
I beg the servants to serve their master and mistress faithfully. I
beg the teachers to live honestly, to instruct their pupils carefully,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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