To trace the Reform
movement in
A man of high stature in
the Church, Militz held positions of esteem, insuring a lucrative income as archdeacon
to the cathedral church in
“He felt himself moved
to renounce splendor, honor, comfort; to strive after a closer imitation of the
life of Christ and the apostles. The idea of following Christ in preaching the
gospel in poverty and humility had taken possession of his heart. Therefore, he
resolved to resign his post, giving up his income.”
In 1363 he retired to a small German town where he assisted
the parish priest as curate and preacher. He met with little success as a
preacher, his novel style and poor pronunciation a deficit in the view of his
small audiences. Though friends dissuaded John from continuing his labor of
preaching, he refused. “If I can save but a single soul, it will satisfy me.
The example of the Savior teaches me this, for He did not disdain accepting one
Canaanite woman,” Militz replied. In time, his sermons gathered more and more
hearers, resulting in several conversions.
“He preached twice
every Sunday and holiday, and occasionally three, four, and even five times
daily, in different churches; and his sermons, which were listened to with
constantly increasing attention, lasted several hours.”
Mathew of Janov, his disciple at the
“Having been a simple priest and secretary at the
prince’s court, before his experience of a visitation by the Spirit of Christ,
he grew so rich in wisdom and all utterance of doctrine that it was a light
matter to him to preach publicly five times in a day; once in Latin, once in
German, and then again in the Bohemian tongue, with a mighty fervor and a
powerful voice, and he constantly brought forth from his treasures things new
and old.”
Women, in particular, were strongly affected by Militz’
preaching, resulting in conversions of large numbers of single women and
prostitutes. He gathered the repentant prostitutes in a home, under the care of
godly women. Their numbers eventually grew to hundreds of converts, causing the
red-light district, once called, Little
Venice, to be re-named, Little
Jerusalem! Of this, Matthew of Janov
reports,
“O, how many vices had to give up the field having been
conquered by him. And if Militz had not come, accomplishing so much by his
voice thundering to the skies, we should truly have been as
In Chapter One of his treatise, Little Book About Antichrist, Militz relates how he felt led by the
Spirit to cease preaching, retiring to a life of contemplation and study. But
after a time, according to Neander,
“He must soon have felt himself impelled again, by that
spirit of Elijah which possessed him, instead of retiring into solitude to
stand forth and manfully contend with the corruptions of his age……..Militz
sought to interpret the signs of his day by comparing them with the prophecies
of the Old Testament, the last discourses of Christ, and the prophetical
intimations in the epistles of St. Paul. He saw the way preparing for a divine
judgment on the corrupt church. He foresaw a renovation of the church, by which
it was to be prepared for the second advent of Christ. The prophetic images
which presented themselves in his visions, appeared to him as revelations of
the Divine Spirit. From him as the source proceeded those prophetic ideas,
which further developed afterwards by his disciple, Matthew of Janov, extending
their influence also to John Huss.”
In 1367, Militz was compelled to travel to
“He caused a notification to be posted at the entrance of
St. Peter’s church, to the effect that on a certain day he would appear there
publicly to address the assembled multitude. Militz declared that he would
announce the coming of Antichrist, exhorting the people to pray for the pope
and the emperor, that they might be enabled so to order the spiritual and
temporal affairs of the church that the faithful might securely serve their
Creator…..But a notice of this sort could not fail to excite suspicion, and by
his castigatory sermons of the past, had already drawn down upon himself the
hatred of the mendicant monks of Prague. He was, therefore, waylaid and
apprehended, placed under arrest by the Dominican Inquisitor…Loaded with
chains, Militz was delivered over to the Franciscans to be kept in close
confinement. He showed the greatest patience and gentleness under his
sufferings; not a word of revenge escaped his lips; his meek forbearance
confounded his persecutors……After having been long detained, he was asked the
content of his intended sermon. He requested his examiners give him the Bible,
paper, pen and ink, all of which had been taken from him upon his arrest, so
that he could put his discourse in writing. This being granted, he was then
brought before a large assembly of prelates and learned men gathered in St.
Peter’s, where he delivered his discourse in Latin. Producing a great
impression on his hearers, he was escorted back to his cell, where he composed
his “Little Book About Antichrist.”
Upon Urban’s arrival in
“Like Militz before them, these preachers were also
ridiculed and persecuted by the worldly-minded clergy, stung with shame and
reproach by the exemplary lives of these young men. They were nicknamed
Militzans and Beghards. The benefice of Militz was without bounds. Crowds of
poor were always seen gathered by his doors. He gave all he had to help them,
reserving nothing for himself. When everything else was gone, he sold his
books…..He was often persecuted and stigmatized as a heretic, but his patience
and gentleness never failed him for a moment. He used to say, ‘Let me suffer
ever so much persecution, for when I think of that poor woman – (referring to
one of the prostitutes whom he converted) – the bitterest cup becomes sweet to
me, for all I suffer is as nothing as compared to the grief of that one woman.”
Not able to rest while Militz was free to preach the truth
against them, the hostile monks took great pains to extract twelve articles of
heresy from his anointed sermons. These they sent to the papal court in