The Great Controversy The Great Controversy | Page 107

rich apparel and of having wasted hours in frivolous occupations.” He
then added these touching admonitions: “May the glory of God and the
salvation of souls occupy thy mind, and not the possession of benefices
and estates. Beware of adorning thy house more than thy soul; and,
above all, give thy care to the spiritual edifice. Be pious and humble
with the poor, and consume not thy substance in feasting. Shouldst thou
not amend thy life and refrain from superfluities, I fear that thou wilt be
severely chastened, a s I am myself.... Thou knowest my doctrine, for
thou hast received my instructions from thy childhood; it is therefore
useless for me to write to thee any further. But I conjure thee, by the
mercy of our Lord, not to imitate me in any of the vanities into which
thou hast seen me fall.” On the cover of the letter he added: “I conjure
thee, my friend, not to break this seal until thou shalt have acquired the
certitude that I am dead.”—Ibid., vol. 1, pp. 148, 149.
On his journey, Huss everywhere beheld indications of the spread
of his doctrines and the favor with which his cause was regarded. The
people thronged to meet him, and in some towns the magistrates attended
him through their streets.
Upon arriving at Constance, Huss was granted full liberty. To the
emperor’s safe-conduct was added a personal assurance of protection by
the pope. But, in violation of these solemn and repeated declarations, the
Reformer was in a short time arrested, by order of the pope and cardinals,
and thrust into a loathsome dungeon. Later he was transferred to a strong
castle across the Rhine and there kept a prisoner. The pope, profiting
little by his perfidy, was soon after committed to the same prison. Ibid.,
vol. 1, p. 247. He had been proved before the council to be guilty of
the basest crimes, besides murder, simony, and adultery, “sins not fit to
be named.” So the council itself declared, and he was finally deprived of
the tiara and thrown into prison. The antipopes also were deposed, and
a new pontiff was chosen.

106