Jan Hus

c. 1372 – July 6, 1415

Bohemian Reformer & Martyr

A forerunner of the Reformation, burned for the truth

Biography

Czech priest and reformer who challenged church corruption a century before Luther. Burned at the stake at the Council of Constance after refusing to recant his teachings.

Faith & Testimony

Hus preached Scripture's authority over papal decrees and championed preaching in the common tongue. His followers, the Hussites, became forerunners of the Protestant Reformation. He reportedly said at his burning, 'You may roast this goose, but a swan will come whom you will not silence.'

Sources

Jan Hus — Wikipedia — Pre-Reformation Czech reformer
De Ecclesia (On the Church) — Hus's major theological work arguing for Scripture's authority over papal decrees — the treatise that led to his condemnation
Foxe's Book of Martyrs — Jan Hus — John Foxe's account of Hus's trial and execution at the Council of Constance