Jerome of Prague (1379–1416)
Jerome of Prague was a scholar, philosopher, and the closest companion of John Huss. Educated at Oxford, Paris, Heidelberg, and Cologne, he was one of the most brilliant minds of the early Reform movement in Bohemia.
Arrest and Recantation
Jerome followed Huss to Constance and was arrested. Under prolonged imprisonment and pressure he initially recanted his views. But after witnessing the steadfast death of Huss, Jerome repented of his weakness publicly.
The Withdrawal
Standing before the Council of Constance, Jerome withdrew his recantation and endorsed the teaching of Wycliffe and Huss. He was condemned and burned at the stake on May 30, 1416 — singing hymns as the flames rose.
Ellen White and the Great Controversy
Ellen White devotes special attention to Jerome's story in The Great Controversy, noting that even the pagan historian Poggio Bracciolini — an eyewitness hostile to the reform movement — was compelled to record Jerome's extraordinary courage. His death is presented as a testimony that truth is stronger than fire.