y, other faithful
workers were to follow, to lead the people on still farther in the path of
reform.

The schism in the church still continued. Three popes were now contending
for the supremacy, and their strife filled Christendom with crime and
tumult. Not content with hurling anathemas, they resorted to temporal
weapons. Each cast about him to purchase arms and to obtain soldiers. Of
course money must be had; and to procure this, the gifts, offices, and
blessings of the church were offered for sale.(131) The priests also,
imitating their superiors, resorted to simony and war to humble their
rivals and strengthen their own power. With daily increasing boldness,
Huss thundered against the abominations which were tolerated in the name
of religion; and the people openly accused the Romish leaders as the cause
of the miseries that overwhelmed Christendom.

Again the city of Prague seemed on the verge of a bloody conflict. As in
former ages, God's servant was accused as "he that troubleth Israel."(132)
The city was again placed under interdict, and Huss withdrew to his native
village. The testimony so faithfully borne from his loved chapel of
Bethlehem was ended. He was to speak from a wider stage, to all
Christendom, before laying down his life as a witness for the truth.

To cure the evils that were distracting Europe, a general council was
summoned to meet at Constance. The council was called at the desire of the
emperor Sigismund, by one of the three rival popes, John XXIII. The demand
for a council had been far from welcome to Pope John, whose character and
policy could ill bear investigation, even by prelates as lax in morals as
were the churchmen of those times. He dared not, however, oppose the will
of Sigismund.(133)

The chief objects to be accomplished by the council were to heal the
schism in the church, and to root out heresy. Hence the two anti-popes
were summoned to appear before it, as well as the leading propagator of
the new opinions, John Huss. The former, having regard to their own
safety, did not attend in person, but were represented by their delegates.
Pope John, while ostensibly the convoker of the council, came to it with
many misgivings, suspecting the emperor's secret purpose to depose him,
and fearing to be brought to account for the vices which had disgraced the
tiara, as well as for the crimes which had secured it. Yet he made his
entry into the city of Constance with great pomp, attended by