Hus Offends the Clergy.
In 1405, Archbishop Sbynko appointed Hus the Synodal preacher, and he
often with fierce and fiery fervor severely scored the avarice and
immorality of the clergy. He held sin no more permitted to a clergyman
than to a layman, and indeed more blameworthy--a most astonishing
novelty, especially to the priesthood. They honored him with their
undying hatred.
About this time two followers of Wiclif, James and Conrad of Canterbury,
came to Prag and in their house outside the city painted a cartoon
contrasting the lowly Christ and the proud pope. Crowds went to view it,
and Hus recommended it from the pulpit as a true representation of the
opposition between Christ and Antichrist. Later Luther edited similar
cartoons--"Passional of Christ and Antichrist."
When amid the wreckage of a church at Wilsnack in Brandenburg a red
wafer was found, it was proclaimed the blood of Christ, preserved
through thirteen centuries or sent direct from heaven, had baptized and
reddened the white wafer, or host. The miracle drew many pilgrims from
even distant countries to be cured of their incurable diseases; of
course, they left much money to the pious priests. Hus condemned this
coarse fraud, and Archbishop Zbynek, or Sbynko, forbade the pilgrimages
from his diocese.
In order to justify his step, Hus wrote a book asserting a Christian
need not seek for signs and miracles but need only hold by the Holy
Scriptures.
Hurt in pride and pocket, the enraged clergy lodged complaints against
Hus as a pestiferous heretic, who had to be suppressed; he lost his
position as the Synodal preacher in 1408.