BOHEMIAN WRITINGS OF HUS
123
years from 1406 to 141 o, that his most important works in that language date from the last years of his life (1412-1415), and that the period of his exile from Prague was that of his greatest literary activity. The earliest important Bohemian works of Hus are a series of Expositions {Vyklad) dealing consecutively of Faith, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer.
Each Exposition is followed by
if
.
.
is
is
is,
shorter, more condensed treatise dealing with the same subject as the Of these Expositions the first longer one that precedes. It consists of a one, dealing of Faith, has most interest. continuous comment on the different articles of the Hus writes : " We believe that the Apostle's creed. twelve Apostles, immediately after Christ's ascension to heaven, composed this creed. And as there were then twelve Apostles, besides Paul and Barnabas, who were called after the ascension of Jesus, thus, according to general opinion, each article was expounded by one particular Apostle. But be it known to you, that the learned do not agree as to what particular article each Apostle expounded." Hus then proceeds to attribute to each Apostle the exposition and defence of one of the articles, obviously following the method then usual at the theological disputations at universities in which he so frequently took part. In Chapter XVIIl. the defence of the tenth article, which refers to the Holy Catholic Church, is attributed to St. Simon. It is interesting as containing some of the very distinctive ideas of Hus. He writes : " Every Christian must believe in the Holy Catholic Church. The reason that every Christian must love Christ, who the husband of that Church, and that Church . And as no one will Christ's spouse. he has no knowledge of her, honour his mother a