No Requirements for Public Reading

You’ll want to remember that title when you take this quiz. You wouldn’t want to get #5 wrong like I did.

More about John Calvin at Calvin 500

Words to Die By

A couple of years ago I posted a short biographical sketch of the martyr Jan Hus. While researching that piece, I became a little confused about the last words of Hus. Here’s the deal: Different sources list very different quotes as his last spoken words before he was burned at the stake. There are two stories with small variations of each found among the accounts of the last day of Jan Hus.

The most impressive version is this—and I quote my own old post:

Before he was martyred, Jan Hus supposedly said this:

“You, this day, burn a goose, but a hundred years hence a swan will arise, whom you will not be able to roast or boil.”

It’s a play on words, since Hus meant goose in Hus’s language. I’m not completely certain this quote is authentic, since the historical sources I consider most trustworthy don’t mention it.

This version of the story makes the last words of Hus an accurate prophesy of future events, because it was almost exactly a century later that Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, and the rest, of course, is reformation history. It’s makes a perfect ending to the story of the life of Hus—the kind of perfect ending that makes my inauthenticity radar start beeping.

It’s this last words quote found in the story of the martyrdom of Jan Hus in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs—known, I’ve been told, for occasionally including legend as fact—and many other sites and blogs.1

The second version of the story is the one found in the accounts of the reputable church historians and church history sites.2 Here’s Philip Schaff in History of the Christian Church, Volume 6:

The straw and wood were heaped up around Huss’ body to the chin, and rosin sprinkled upon them. The offer of life was renewed if he would recant. He refused and said, “I shall die with joy to-day in the faith of the gospel which I have preached.” When Richental, who was standing by, suggested a confessor, he replied, “There is no need of one. I have no mortal sin.” At the call of bystanders, they turned his face away from the East, and as the flames arose, he sang twice, Christ, thou Son of the living God, have mercy upon me. The wind blew the fire into the martyr’s face, and his voice was hushed. He died, praying and singing.

Which rings true to you?

I have to admit that this discrepancy has bothered me ever since I posted that piece two years ago. I wasn’t pleased that I recounted something I doubted was right, even though I mentioned that I doubted its authenticity. But it’s such a traditional part of the Hus life story that I chose to include the alleged quote anyway.

Today I decided to look into things a little more. There are now, you know, many more church history resources online than there were two years ago. In a footnote in The Life and Times of Master John Hus by Frances Lutzow I found this:

The tale that Hus had said that they would indeed burn the goose (“hus” signifies goose in Bohemian), but that afterwards a swan would come, whom they would not burn, is founded on the totally erroneous supposition that “Luther” signifies “swan” in Bohemian.

Does that settle it? I’m not sure. It does make me doubt the goose and swan story even more than I did two years ago. If I were writing the piece on Hus today, I wouldn’t include those famous last words, even with a caveat.

Come to think of it, I prefer the last words of Hus in the second story anyway: “I shall die with joy to-day in the faith of the gospel which I have preached,” and “Christ, thou Son of the living God, have mercy upon me.” Faith in the gospel and trust in Christ. Are there better words to die by?

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1Like these, for example: Awesome Stories, Wikipedia, Higher Praise.
2Including John Hus by Wratislaw, History of the Moravian Church by Hutton, Christian History Institute and more.

Round the Sphere Again

Theology
On the history of theological thought (The Upward Call).

Yes, I’m linking to Of First Importance quoting Michael Horton quoting Dororothy Sayers on the Christian faith as “the most exciting drama.”

And central to the story is the Kingdom. (DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed)

Testimony
That the work of God in the small acts of faithful believers can bring eternal results. (168 hours)

The Hymn List
The top 100 hymn list continues at Semicolon:

• When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (10) (This one is number 1 on my list.)
• Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (11)
• How Firm a Foundation (12)
• O, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus (13)
• Before the Throne of God Above (14)
• Christ the Lord Is Risen Today (15)

New Blogger Review Guidelines
As you’ve probably heard, the FTC has new rules (pdf) for bloggers who endorse products, and by “endorsing,” they seem to mean “give a positive review.” These rules also seem to apply to reviews posted on Amazon.

The new rules won’t apply directly to me because I’m blogging and reviewing from Canada, but since the publishers who send me free review copies of books are all American, I’m guessing I’ll have to disclose the relationship on my reviews anyway. I don’t mind doing that, but I’m a little annoyed by the whole thing, especially since newspaper reviewers don’t have to disclose that they receive free review copies.

As I mentioned at the end of my last book review, I receive most of the books I review free from the publishers. Some are books I request, but many show up in my mailbox unsolicited.

Why I Blog
Yes, I know you’ve probably seen this linked elsewhere, but this is exactly how I feel about blogging: It’s a tool for learning (Between Two Worlds). I learn best as I try to explain things in writing. How about you? How do you learn?

Monergism Sale
From Monergism Books:

Come get the best prices available anywhere, guaranteed. Use coupon code inventory09 to receive an additional 12% discount off our already low prices on your entire order. Here’s how:

• Register for free as a MonergismBooks user.
• Add at least $35 worth of books to your shopping cart.
• Enter the coupon code inventory09 during the checkout process and click ‘Apply.’
• A 12% deduction will applied to the sub-total price of the products in your shopping cart.

This offer ends at midnight, October 15th. Does not apply to previous orders. No exceptions. All titles have limited availability during clearance. If we become out of stock, your order for that title will be automatically canceled and the remainder of your order will ship as normal.

Extreme Biking
Max Hirschberg tells us the story of his bike ride from Dawson City, Yukon to Nome, Alaska in 1900.

The day I left Dawson, March 2, 1900 was clear and crisp, 30° below zero. I was dressed in a flannel shirt, heavy fleece-lined overalls, a heavy mackinaw coat, a drill parka, two pairs of heavy woolen socks and felt high-top shoes, a fur cap that I pulled down over my ears, a fur nosepiece, plus fur gauntlet gloves.

Icebike