The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2

V. Milicz-Bohemian Herald of Already Existent Antichrist

Prophetic light likewise penetrated Bohemia in the four teenth century, where the Greek church had helped to establish Christianity in the ninth century. Bohemia was not, however, brought under papal rule until the fifteenth. In fact, owing to its Greek origin, the Bohemian church barely tolerated the Roman constitution and ritual. ⁴⁶ We now note the first of two notable prophetic expositors in this region. PFF2 31.3

John Milicz (variants: Militz, Miliz, or Milic) of Kremsier (d. 1374), eminent precursor of the Bohemian reformation, was born of poor parents in Moravia. Little is known of his early years, nor are we sure where he received his higher education; some suggest, besides Prague, even Paris or Italy. The first time he enters the arena of history is when he became a priest in 1350. He soon attracted the attention of the emperor Charles IV, king of Bohemia, who made him his secretary. Then he became canon and archdeacon of the Cathedral of Prague, and therefore occupied a conspicuous ecclesiastical position. But his fervent desire to help his fellow men led him, in 1363, to resign his handsome income and high position, with its prospects of even greater promotion. ⁴⁷ PFF2 31.4

Withdrawing to Bischof-Teinitz, he served as a humble minister, his life tinged with ascetic severity and poverty; but he soon returned to Prague. He was a powerful preacher, his preaching being characterized by fiery enthusiasm and soaring eloquence. He often spoke four or five times a day—once in Latin to the students of the University of Prague, and the other times in the vernacular German and Bohemian tongues. ⁴⁸ Rieger says that Catholic and Protestant writers agree that Milicz favored the fundamental Waldensian truths. ⁴⁹ He inveighed against the use of an unknown tongue in worship. He reproved sin, and multitudes thronged his meetings. He was noted not only for his moral earnestness but for the spiritual force of his character. He had views concerning Antichrist, which probably connect him with the Spiritual Franciscans. ⁵⁰ PFF2 32.1

1. ANTICHRIST’S COMING THE BURDEN OF HIS DISCOURSES

Milicz stressed the necessity of true conversion, attacked the mendicant system, and delved into the prophecies of the Apocalypse. In fact, his preaching was largely from the Apocalypse, the discourse of Jesus in Matthew 24, and the epistles of Paul. He saw the way preparing for divine judgments on the corrupt church, and foresaw a reformation by which the church would be prepared for the second advent of Christ. ⁵¹ He seemed to see Antichrist embodied in the variety of errors and abuses that existed in the church, and his earnest words held the throngs. Erelong, the coming of Antichrist became the burden of his pulpit discourses, as he exposed the iniquities that seemed to herald it. Priests, bishops, magistrates, and even the emperor were not spared. ⁵² His mind became fired by the prophecies of Antichrist. Says Schaff: PFF2 32.2

“Milicz’s mind became fired with the prophecies of antichrist and the last days, and he dwelt frequently, as later did Huss, on ‘the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place,’ Matthew 24:15.” ⁵³ PFF2 32.3

Such positive preaching soon brought Milicz into prison. But the pope freed him. Milicz is quoted as saying that he was- PFF2 33.1

“moved contrary to his own will by the Holy Spirit to search the Scriptures concerning the time when Antichrist would appear. While doing so, he found that this Antichrist had already appeared and is dominating the church of Christ. The Church by the negligence of her priests has become miserable and desolate. She has an abundance of worldly goods, but is lacking completely of spiritual values. The idols destroyed Jerusalem and made the temple desolate, but the abomination is covered by hypocrisy. Many deny Christ, because they keep silent and dare not to confess Christ and His truth before those who keep back the truth by their unrighteousness. There is no truth in the pope, cardinals, bishops, prelates, priests, and monks, nor do they teach the way of truth.” ⁵⁴ PFF2 33.2

2. APPLIES YEAR-DAY PRINCIPLE TO 1335 DAYS

Many in Bohemia who longed for a deeper understanding of spiritual truths leaned toward the views of the Joachimites. Milicz like wise applied himself with great zeal to the study of time prophecy, and accepted the year-day principle as had Joachim. Combining Daniel 12:12 with Matthew 24:15, he believed the 1335 year-days would end about 1363-1367—taking the crucifixion of Christ as the beginning—and that the already existent Antichrist would be fully revealed at that time. ⁵⁵ PFF2 33.3

It is to be observed that, like Joachim, Milicz adopted a true symbolic time principle. But, lacking knowledge as to what it signified and when it should be applied, he naturally erred in its chronological placement. In the initial application the tendency has always been to have these great prophetic time periods end in one’s own day. In fact, that seems to be the way in which they have usually been introduced. Fuller knowledge would correct their chronological setting. So Milicz, dating those days from the cross, ended them in his own time. PFF2 33.4

3. POSTS “ANTICHRIST” PLACARD ON ST. PETER’S AT ROME

Milicz’ studies, based on the Apocalypse, did not create the de sired effects among his fellow countrymen, so he felt himself called to go directly to Pope Urban V at Rome. He desired to place his scheme of prophetic interpretation directly before the pope, and to urge the calling of a general council for the reformation of the church. In 1367, acting on the report that the pope was about to return from Avignon to Rome, Milicz resolved to confer with him in the chief city of Christendom, there to utter his admonitions. ⁵⁶ He hoped a plan of reformation could be devised by the bishops. PFF2 34.1

Rieger states that Milicz asked the Lord to free him from these convictions if they were not from God. “But finding no rest, he undertook a pilgrimage to Rome, meeting a number of cardinals in their own homes to whom he fearlessly proclaimed that the Antichrist has already appeared.” ⁵⁷ Milicz took with him a few companions, and awaited the pope’s arrival. But the pope was delayed. So Milicz gave himself to prayer, fasting, and the reading of the Scriptures for a full month, preparing for the work he felt called to do. Gillett and Neander describe the astonishing episode of posting an “Antichrist” placard on the doors of the original St. Peter’s, at Rome: PFF2 34.2

“Still the pope did not arrive. Milicz could no longer restrain himself. He posted on the doors of St. Peter’s that on a certain day he would appear and address the multitude. It is said, moreover, that he added, ‘The Anti-christ is come; he has his seat in the church.’ ⁵⁸ PFF2 34.3

“Milicz could no longer keep silent. He caused a notification to be posted up at the entrance of St. Peter’s church, that on a certain day he would there make his public appearance and address the assembled multitude; that he would announce the coming of Antichrist and exhort the people to pray for the pope and the emperor, that they might be enabled so to order the affairs of the church, in things spiritual and temporal, that the faithful might securely serve their Creator.” ⁵⁹ PFF2 34.4

4. PREACHES TO ASSEMBLED CLERGY IN ST. PETER’S

The terse expression, “The Antichrist is come,” epitomized the thought that had long occupied his mind, and he zealously warned both clergy and people to withdraw from iniquity. It was almost as dramatic an act as Luther’s later posting of his Theses on the church door at Wittenberg, and was a century and a half earlier. This could not pass. The Inquisitor, spurred by reports of Milicz’ course in Bohemia, ordered his arrest and imprisonment. He was turned over to the Franciscans to be kept in close confinement. From his prison he was summoned to ad dress an assembly of the Roman clergy, but his full release did not occur until the pope’s arrival in Rome in 1368. ⁶⁰ Neander describes the remarkable sermon, preached in St. Peter’s itself: PFF2 35.1

“After having been long detained in close confinement [in Rome], he was asked, what it had been his intention to preach. He requested his examiners to give him the Bible, which had been taken from him at the time of his arrest, with paper, pen, and ink, and he would put his discourse in writing. This was granted, and his fetters were removed. Before a large assembly of prelates and learned men, in the church of St. Peter, he delivered a discourse in Latin, which produced a great impression. He was then con ducted back to his prison, but treated with less severity.” ⁶¹ PFF2 35.2

5. WRITES TRACT ON ANTICHRIST FROM PRISON CELL

While in his cell at Rome, Milicz composed his remarkable tract De Antichristo (On the Antichrist), which has been preserved by his disciple Matthias of Janow in the latter’s writings, and which later influenced Huss, ⁶² according to Neander. PFF2 35.3

“Antichrist, he supposes, is not still to come, but has come already. He says in his tract on the Antichrist: Where Christ speaks of the ‘abomination’ in the temple, he invites us to look round and observe how, through the negligence of her pastors, the church lies desolate; just as, by the negligence of its pastors, the synagogue lay desolate.” ⁶³ PFF2 35.4

This treatise Milicz took back with him to Prague, upon his release from prison by Cardinal Albano, after the return of Urban V. PFF2 35.5

6. ESTABLISHES PREACHERS’ TRAINING SCHOOL IN PRAGUE

Back in Prague, he was distressed because his influence was limited to his own personal preaching. He often said, “Would that all were prophets.” After the death of Konrad of Waldhausen, ⁶⁴ in 1369, a large field of activity opened up before him. So he set up a school for preachers, ⁶⁵ multiplying books through copying. These exerted a wide influence, disseminating his doctrines through Bohemia, Poland, and Silesia. In fact, Raynaud com plains that he “weaned away many people from the Catholic faith in Poland, Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia, and neighboring countries.” ⁶⁶ PFF2 36.1

“He founded an association composed of two or three hundred young men, all of whom resided under the same roof with himself, were trained under his influence, and by his society. He copied the books which they were to study, and gave them devotional books to copy themselves, for the sake of multiplying them.” ⁶⁷ PFF2 36.2

Prague was stirred by this powerful preaching of the gospel. Milicz’ labors also transformed more than two hundred fallen women in “Little Venice,” an evil district of Prague. For these women who abandoned their life of shame Milicz established a chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalene. More than that, the emperor helped him rebuild a large institution for the care of these reclaimed souls. ⁶⁸ PFF2 36.3

7. DIES AT AVIGNON UNDER PAPAL CENSURE

However, Milicz was not to escape the wrath of his enemies. Charges against him were lodged before Pope Gregory XI - that he disparaged the clergy, from the pope down ⁶⁹ In 1372, Gregory XI dispatched bulls to the archbishop of Prague and bishops of Luturmysl, Breslau, Ollmütz, and Krakau, and to Charles IV, based on twelve serious accusations. He commanded them to excommunicate Milicz for asserting that Antichrist was already come. ⁷⁰ One article specifically asserted that “Antichrist was come.” ⁷¹ He ex pressed surprise that they should have so long waited until such heretical, schismatic doctrines had spread through so wide a circle. ⁷² PFF2 36.4

Milicz went fearlessly to Avignon for examination in 1374, appearing in person before the pope, under the protection of his friend Cardinal Albano. On May 21 he was permitted to preach before the cardinals, ⁷³ and his accusers were compelled to withdraw their charges. However, he died before judgment was passed on his case, ⁷⁴ to the sorrow and grief of many. PFF2 37.1