A Pocket Pastor YouTube video (uploaded April 12, 2017) recounts events at the Council of Constance (1415): the resolution of a three-way papal schism, the condemnation and ordered exhumation/burning of John Wycliffe’s writings and remains, and the trial and execution of John Hus. It narrates Hus’s arrival under imperial safe-conduct, his imprisonment and trial in the Munster (reportedly seated in aisle 24), and the later story of Jerome, who was captured, imprisoned, recanted under duress, and ultimately publicly repented—used by the speakers as a pastoral lesson about returning to faith after backsliding.
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Here in Constance, Germany, a council was convened in in the year 1415, three significant things took place. Firstly, it was called to discuss the schism between the popes. At that time there wasn't one nor two, but three rival popes, all declaring themselves to be the truth and right pope. This council settled that schism and appointed someone who would rule after those three. It was also here where they declared the writings and and John Wycliffe to be a heretic and ordered that his bones be exhumed and burned. It was also at this council where John Hus was ordered to appear to defend his teachings.
When Huss left for Constance, he said goodbye to his friends as if he wasn't going to see them again, even though he had a letter of safe passage from the emperor and the pope. Soon after arriving here in Constance, by order of the pope and the cardinals, he was thrust into prison. This building behind me, though today a nice hotel, was one of the places used to imprison John Hus. Whilst he was here in Constance.
The trial of Hus took place here in Constance, in the Munster. It is said that he sat on aisle 24. He was asked if he wanted to recant, to which he said he would prefer death over recantation. He was thrown back in prison and brought back here again. And the last time he spoke at the trial, he fixed his eyes on the emperor and said that he had traveled here under his own free will and under the public protection of the emperor sat here. It is said that when everyone's eyes turned on Sigismund, that his face turned crimson red.
Sitting here in aisle 24, where Huss sat during his trial, our minds go back to Jerome. When Huss left for Constance, Jerome told him that if he heard of any misfortune, he he would come and help right away. Hearing of his imprisonment, he left and traveled down here, but without a safe passage. On arriving in Konstanz, he realized there was not anything he could do, and so he headed back to Prague. But he was captured on the way and brought back here to Constance. Some people wanted to kill him right away, but they put him in prison, where he almost died for lack of food. They wanted to keep him alive. They realized that Hus death hadn't accomplished very much, and so they wanted Jerome to recant. He was left in prison for about a year in terrible, terrible conditions. Suffering from doubt, he eventually renounced the teachings of Wycliffe. He renounced the teachings of Huss and pledged to adhere to the Catholic faith. He went back to prison, but the Council was not done with him, either wanting more blood or wanting a fuller and broader surrender of faith. They called him again, but this time he renounced his former recantation. He asked to address the house, and this was denied. But he remonstrated and was given the opportunity to speak. He stood up and pledged his support of Husband and the influence he had had on his life. And he went on to say, of all the sins that I have committed since my youth, none weighs so heavily on my mind and caused me such poignant remorse as that which I committed in this fatal place when I approved of the iniquitous sentence rendered against Wycliffe and against the holy martyr John Huss, my master and my friend. Yes, I confess it from my heart and declare with horror that I disgracefully quailed when, through a dread of death, I condemned their doctrines. I therefore supplicate Almighty God to pardon me my sins, and this one in particular, the most heinous of all.
One thing we learn from the story of Husband and Jerome is that although at the end of his life, Jerome fell away, he then came back. Maybe you have fallen away in your walk with the Lord. Maybe you've backslidden. Maybe you've done things that you wish you had never done. Jerome was once strong in his faith and fell away. But at the very end, he came back. There's always time for us to come back to God. If you've fallen down, the most important thing is that you get back up and renew your acquaintance with the Lord. Maybe today, if you've fallen away, you need to renew that acquaintance with God again.
