The Goose
Jan Hus, a Bohemian reformer, was condemned on this day (July 6) in 1415 and burned at the stake for heresy by the Roman Catholic Church (b. ca. 1370). Among his alleged last words is the prophecy, “You, this day, burn a goose, but a hundred years hence a swan will arise, whom you will not be able to roast or boil.” 102 years later Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.
Here is Hus’ final declaration, written July 1st, 1415, followed by a collection of Hus’ letters written during his exile and imprisonment, with a preface by Martin Luther.
Start Slide Show with PicLens LiteI, Jan Hus, in hope a priest of Jesus Christ, fearing to offend God, and fearing to fall into perjury, do hereby profess my unwillingness to abjure all or any of the articles produced against me by false witnesses. For God is my witness that I neither preached, affirmed, nor defended them, though they say that I did. Moreover, concerning the articles that they have extracted from my books, I say that I detest any false interpretation which any of them bears. But inasmuch as I fear to offend against the truth, or to gainsay the opinion of the doctors of the Church, I cannot abjure any one of them. And if it were possible that my voice could now reach the whole world, as at the Day of Judgment every lie and every sin that I have committed will be made manifest, then would I gladly abjure before all the world every falsehood and error which I either had thought of saying or actually said!
I say I write this of my own free will and choice.
Written with my own hand, on the first day of July.
