ought to know, that bad men as well as good can work miracles *. So little does Mr. Noel's citation really prove. Huss himself actually recognises miracles in the context, as we have just seen: and the words, quoted as if they belonged to Huss, come, all but five, from Augustine and Gregory, who also recognise miracles, as we have seen in the last chapter. We But a few words more respecting Huss. have, in the chapter just referred to, considered his quotation from Isidore, brought by Mr. Noel to exhibit the sentiments of that Father; and we have shewn how little it proves. We must now refer, a second time, to the same passage; in order to see what more we can learn from the context, respecting the sentiments of Huss himself. And here, again, Huss does not by any means give up miracles. His Popish opponent urges, that the mission of a preacher must be sealed by miracles t; and the answer of Huss. refers to this. He says, speaking of false teachers, "These perform miracles, and will continue to do so ‡;" and adds, after quoting St. Gregory, who merely speaks of the church as being, with respect to miracles, not entirely destitute, but only in a very low state, "Behold, it may be inferred from these words of the Saints, that the disciples of Antichrist *Recte Christi fideles debent summam diligentiam apponere, ut viventes pure secundum legem evangelii, discredentes fabulis et mendosis miraculis, aut etiam miraculis veraciter factis per malignum spiritum, et pravos homines, possent in fide Domini quietius stabiliri. "Scire enim debent, quod et sancti et pravi possunt virtutes miraculorum operari." + Defence of Wickliffe, p. 115. ‡ "Hi dant et dabunt miracula." are more distinguished by miracles in our days than those of Christ, and will be so in the time to come It is plain, then, that Huss never meant to deny all miracles, but merely to answer the reproaches or boasts of the Papists. Neither does Huss deny all miracles in the comment upon 1 Corinthians, from which, as we have seen in the preceding chapter, Mr. Noel draws a passage from St. Augustine. On the contrary, he merely argues against those who clamoured for miracles (still, no doubt, aiming at his Popish opponents); and says, on the words, "The Jews require a sign," "Observe, that some Christians, now, require (ask for) a sign, more than the Jews t:" while he cites another passage from Augustine, in which, though we are warned in it to be on our guard as to delusion respecting miracles, it is evidently admitted that miracles might be performed. Miracles," says Augustine," are to be cautiously looked into:" and again; "For we ought not to be led into error, even by miracles. Let us maintain, therefore, the unity of the church, my brethren. Even he who works miracles out of the unity of the church is nothing." The advocates of recent miracles may safely assent to all this, without surrendering any one point that is essential to the truths maintained by them. The words of Augustine are no 66 "Ecce ex his jam dictis Sanctorum elicitur, quod nostris temporibus et futuris magis Antichristi discipuli quam Christi miraculis corruscant et corruscabunt." p. 116. + "Nota, quod jam quidam Christiani plus signa petunt quam Judæi." "Miracula caute sunt inspicienda."-" Quia et miraculis decipi non debemus.-Teneamus igitur unitatem, fratres mei. Præter unitatem etiam qui facit miracula nihil est." Hom. xiii. in Johan. more a denial of miracles, than are the words of Moses in Deuteronomy, where he speaks of signs and wonders that might possibly be wrought by a false prophet *. The above relates only to the opinions of Huss and his Bohemians respecting miracles, which, we may now infer, were not exactly such as Mr. Noel's citations, viewed alone, and unexamined, would lead us to think them. But Huss and his Bohemians were equally prudent." Whatever their opinions, they never actually wrought, or attempted to work, a miracle. On one occasion, I fear, their prudence failed. At least, if to prophesy concerning things to come be, in its way, an attempt at what is miraculous, this appears to have been actually done. And, strange to say, the imprudent endeavour succeeded, and the prophecy was most marvellously fulfilled. I refer to an occurrence, which, though cavilled at by some, one circumstance encourages me to bring forward in this place. The circumstance is this that Luther, who lived one hundred years after, and who, wholly or in part, was the subject of the prophecy, plainly refers to it as a true prediction, and as one that received accomplishment in himself. The name Huss (Hus, pronounced hoose) signified a bird, not much esteemed for its wisdom, which is metamorphosed, in our language, by exchanging the H at its beginning for G: much *Deut. xiii. 1, &c. Remarks, p. 17. as the Latin, anser, a goose, stands in German, gans. This meaning of the name Hus is alluded to in a copy of verses, that stands under a picture which represents the martyr burning at the stake, in a work to which I have already referred *. The common account, then, is this; that Huss, when in prison, previous to his execution at Constance, uttered a remarkable prediction, signifying, 1. that Luther should afterwards arise; but, 2. that he should not, like himself, suffer martyrdom. The alleged words of the prediction were to the following effect: "This day you roast a goose; but an hundred years hence you shall hear a swan sing, that you shall not roast t." I cite the words as they are given in Arnold's history, a work of bad principles: but this matters little, as the tradition is generally known in Germany; as a wax image of the martyr may still be seen at Constance, where he suffered, with a copy of verses to the same effect; and, especially, as the circumstance is referred to by Luther himself. Modern cavils have been raised: and there is some little discrepancy as to the wording of the Historia et Monumenta. The lines (In Icona Joannis Hussii S. Martyris) are as follows: "Albicolas niveo vincens candore volucres Salve Boiœmis, anser amande, tuis. Te manet eternum decus, et memorabile nomen, Atra licet cornix, furtivis abdita pennis, Candorem spurco vellicet ore tuum. Nulla sed est Boœmis, nec erit præstantior ales, Grex avium vanis oblectat cantibus aures, Tu mentes niveo pectore, et ore pias." "Heute bratet ihr eine Gans; aber über 100 jahr werdet ihr einen Schwan hören singen, den solt ihr ungebraten lassen."-Arnold's Kirchen-und-Ketzer-historie; Frankfort, 1699. Th. I. b. xv. c. v. p. 429. prediction. But with respect to the fact itself, Luther's testimony is decisive. Writing respecting an Imperial Edict, he says, "In God's name and calling, I will tread upon the lion and adder, and trample the young lion and dragon under foot. This shall commence during my life, and be accomplished after my death. St. John Huss prophesied of me, writing out of prison to Bohemia: Now shall they roast a goose' (for Huss means a goose), but an hundred years hence shall they hear a swan sing, that they shall be forced to endure.' So must it be, God willing *. This prophecy of Huss concerning Luther was also mentioned, after the death of the latter, in his funeral sermon, by his beloved Pomeranus : "He repeats" (i. e. Pomeranus, in his sermon)" the prophecy of John Huss concerning a swan that should come an hundred years after, whom they should not be able, like Huss (so is a goose called in the Bohemian tongue), to roast +." Some other accounts of prophecies, respecting Luther and the Reformation, are mixed up with this; especially one by Jerome of Prague, of which I cannot ascertain any thing with sufficient accuracy to wish to insist upon it. This prediction, also, referred to what should happen an *"Ich wil in Gottes Namen and Beruff auff dem Lewen und Ottern gehen und den jungen Lewen und Drachen mit Füssen treten, und das sol bey meinem Leben anfangen, und nach meinem Todt aussgericht seyn. S. Johannes Huss hat von mir geweissagt, da er aus dem Gefängnis in Behemerland schreibt. Sie werden jetzt eine Ganss braten (den Huss heist eine Ganss) Aber über Hundert Jahr werden sie einen Schwanen singen hören, den sollen sie leiden, da sols auch bey bleiben, ob Got will."-Auff das vermeynte Keyserlich Edict. See Works, Ed. Altenberg, 1662. vol. v. p. 559. +"Recitat etiam Joh. Hussi vaticinium de cygno post centum annos venturo, quem assare, ut Hussum (ita lingua Bohemica anser vocatur) non possent."-Seckendorf, Lib. iii. §cxxxv. add. d. p. 648. The narrative is also given, from Luther, by Vlenberg, a Roman Catholic_writer, in his Historia de Vita, &c. Prædicantium Lutheranorum. Coloniæ Agrip. 1622. p. 433. Huss, in his writings, often alludes to himself both by the name anser and auca. |