John Hus was a Bohemian priest and preacher, rector of the University of Prague, who taught that Scripture stands above church authority roughly a century before Martin Luther. He was condemned at the Council of Constance and burned on 6 July 1415.

What were John Hus's last words?

His secretary Peter of Mladonovice, an eyewitness, records that Hus prayed and sang as the fire was lit. He is also traditionally reported to have said 'O sancta simplicitas', O holy simplicity, to a woman adding wood to his own pyre. That line is traditional rather than certain.

Was John Hus given a safe conduct?

Yes. He travelled to Constance under a written imperial safe conduct, which was not honoured.

Last words of the faithful

John Hus

Died 6 July 1415 · burned at Constance

John Hus, the Bohemian preacher whose work ran a century ahead of Luther, was burned at Constance on 6 July 1415. His secretary Peter of Mladonovice followed him to the stake and recorded that Hus sang and prayed in the flames. The words traditionally reported from that day include his response to a peasant adding wood to the pile.

The last words

“O holy simplicity!”John Hus, traditionally reported at the stake

Sources: the eyewitness Relatio of Peter of Mladonovice, Hus's own secretary, who was present at Constance; the 'O sancta simplicitas' line is long reported of the scene and is traditional rather than certain, and is given here as such.

The story behind them

Hus went to Constance under a written safe conduct from the Emperor. It was not honoured. He was tried, condemned, and on 6 July 1415 led out of the city to be burned, wearing a paper crown painted with devils.

His own secretary, Peter of Mladonovice, followed him and wrote down what he saw, which is why we have the day in this much detail. The Relatio records that Hus prayed aloud and sang as the fire was lit, and that he kept singing until the flames stopped him. A hundred and two years later a German monk would nail a list to a door and be told he was only saying what the Bohemian had said.

He sang. That is the detail the eyewitness thought worth writing down.

The sentence he is best remembered for belongs to the same scene and a gentler kind of grief. An old woman, or by other accounts a peasant, came forward to add her own stick to the pile, believing she was doing a pious thing. Hus is reported to have looked at her and said, 'O sancta simplicitas', O holy simplicity. The line is traditional rather than certain, and it is repeated here as tradition, not as record. It has lasted because of what it is: a man with minutes to live, feeling sorrier for the person burning him than for himself.

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What they died for, you can meet

None of these people died for an idea. They died holding onto a Person, convinced that death was not the end because he had already walked out of a tomb. The Living Bread is a quiet place to meet that same Jesus, read the Gospels for yourself, and ask your honest questions.

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Jesus Christ is Lord.

Frequently asked questions

Who was John Hus?: John Hus was a Bohemian priest and preacher, rector of the University of Prague, who taught that Scripture stands above church authority roughly a century before Martin Luther. He was condemned at the Council of Constance and burned on 6 July 1415.
What were John Hus's last words?: His secretary Peter of Mladonovice, an eyewitness, records that Hus prayed and sang as the fire was lit. He is also traditionally reported to have said 'O sancta simplicitas', O holy simplicity, to a woman adding wood to his own pyre. That line is traditional rather than certain.
Was John Hus given a safe conduct?: Yes. He travelled to Constance under a written imperial safe conduct, which was not honoured.

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