2-705-842 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

'The burning of maister Hierome of Prage', (c1563). The martyrdom of Jerome of Prague in 1416. Jerome (1379-1416) was a Czech/Bohemian religious reformer who preached against the church hierarchy and the profligacy of the clergy. He believed that God's teachings were directly accessible to a Christian without need for the church or church officials. He taught that one should obey the direct teachings of Jesus, even when they conflicted with those of the Catholic Church. He was put on trial and burned at the stake as a heretic.