the disciples of John Hus, a Bohemian, and curate of the chapel of Bethlehem at Prague; who, about the year 1414, embraced and defended the opinions of Wickliff of England, for which he was cited before the council of Constance, and, refusing to renounce his supposed errors, he was condemned to be burnt alive, which sentence was accordingly executed upon him at Constance.

It is evident in what the pretended heresy of John Hus and Jerom of Prague, who suffered with him, consisted, from the answer they made to the council, when they were admonished to conform to the sentiments of the church: They were lovers, they said, of the holy gospel, and true disciples of Christ: that the church of Rome, and all other churches of the world, were widely departed from the apostolical tradition; that the clergy ran after pleasures and riches, lorded it over the people, affected the highest feats at entertainments, bred horses and dogs; and the revenues of the church, which belonged to the poor members of Christ, were consumed in vanity and wantonness; and that the priests were ignorant of the commandments of God, or, if they did know them, paid but little regard to them. The followers of Hus were also called Calixtins, Taberites, and Bohemian brethren.