Touching The Articles Of Their Faith, Laid Before Them By The Inquisition, For Recantation.

A. D. 1415.—At this time John Huss lived, who, having examined and studied the books and writings of John Wickliffe (of whom we said in the preceding century, that he opposed infant baptism, and the swearing of oaths), retained and accepted therefrom, among other articles, that it does not become a Christian to swear.

How and in what manner the writings of John Wickliffe fell into the hands of John Huss, and how eagerly he exercised himself therein, is described by A. Mellinus, 2d book, p. 495, col. 1; but that he ever, by this means or otherwise, learned the article of non-swearing, Mellinus, as well as other Calvanists, would deny, saying: “That which is imputed 324to him, regarding his unwillingness to swear, has respect only to the abjuration of his faith, or religion, but not to the oath itself.”

Besides that I have never found such an explanation in any credible writer of that time, though I have earnestly sought to investigate it; the circumstances of the matter itself, however, indicate that the article of non-swearing was one of the articles of his faith.