Manuscript Releases, vol. 9 [Nos. 664-770]

Line for Line Transcript of Page From the Huss Manuscript

[What, John Huss, have you] not one murmuring reflection against God, not one word of bitterness on condemnation of your enemies—the heads of the nations as the shadow of death already has fallen upon you. Yet he manifested the spirit of his master Jesus Christ when he was betrayed and condemned. He did not complain and murmur at his lot. He had not preached Christ in vain himself, had tasted the powers of the world to come and he now in his last hours enjoyed a feast of heavenly peace and love. In his prison he was cheered with the prophetic glimpse of the dawn of better days that would certainly open upon the church of God on earth, and he felt the loss of his own life would would indeed be seed for the church. Once in his sleep he thought he was again in his own beloved Chapel of Bethlehem. Envious priests were trying to efface the figures of Jesus Christ which he had painted upon its walls. He was filled with sorrow. But next day there came painters who restored the partially obliterated portraits so that they were more brilliant than before. Now, said these artists, let the bishops come forth; let them efface these if they can, and the crowd was filled with joy. Occupy your thoughts with your defence rather than with visions, said John Chlum to whom he had told his dream. And yet replied Huss I firmly hope that this life of Christ which I engraved on men's hearts at Bethlehem when I preached his word will not be effaced and that after I have ceased to live it will be still better shown forth by mightier preachers to the great satisfaction of the people, and to my own most sincere joy, when I shall be again permitted to announce his gospel, that is when I shall arise from the dead. 9MR 244.1

[Page 245 is a reproduction of the handwritten original for the above paragraph.]