Digging Out the Embedded Church - The Maranatha Community

eligion; for Descartes the pure rational analysing of things sufficed. Komensky was
concerned that Descartes lacked human sympathies.
In 1645 Komensky, with Calixtus, attended the Colloquy of Thorn in Poland where an
attempt was made to bring together Lutherans, Catholics and Reformed. The time was not
ripe: petty wrangling defeated the purpose of the gathering.
In 1648 Komensky‟s second wife died, and the next year he married Jana Gajusova, the
daughter of a Czech Protestant pastor. Now Komensky severed his links with the Brethren.
He subsequently had some time in Transylvania, where there was an anti-Hapsburg coalition.
Komensky may have been the first educator to produce a picture book for children, Orbis
Pictus, which appeared in 1653.
From 1654 the Swedes invaded Poland and, for the second time in his life, Komensky saw his
library go up in flames. This time his home was burnt as well, as the opposing Polish soldiers
sacked Leszno. Itinerant and homeless, he turned to live in the Netherlands again, where he
was granted an honorary professorship. In 1657-58 the Amsterdam City Council published
his comprehensive work Opera Didactica Omnia, which reflected his passionate hope that
men should form „one all-inclusive world society by reason of common knowledge, common
law and common religion‟ (Panegersia, or „Universal Awakening‟).
Ecumenical in spirit as he was, Komensky was uncompromising in his opposition to the
Socinians, who denied the Deity of Christ and the atoning value of his death. In his youth he
had passed through a spiritual crisis but came out of it with a deep commitment to the truth of
the Deity of Christ. His hopes for humanity rested on this truth and on the literal return of
Christ. It is interesting to note that the dispute between Socinians and Protestants brought
Protestants and Catholics together.
Komensky collected „prophecies‟ uttered from time to time by people connected with his
circle of friends. In 1663 he wrote The Last Trombone Over Germany in which he saw the
Turks as God‟s punishment on a corrupt Christendom. Fellow Calvinists tended to be
embarrassed by his belief in prophecies and his chiliastic 57 view. In his last years he softened
in tone towards the Hapsburg Emperor Leopold I and Pope Alexander VII.
At 75 years of age Komensky attended the Breda Peace Conference, which in 1667 brought
to an end the sea-wars between England and Holland. His Angelus Pacis (1637) called,
optimistically, for the ending of all wars.
His whole philosophy of life was that mankind, learning and the universe were one and that
the Christian faith was sent to bring this about. Divisions among Christians were therefore
particularly reprehensible. He hoped for a universal language, a universal education and a
universal religious body. He envisaged a World Consistory composed of Jews, Muslims,
Christians and pagans. For the resolution of political conflict there was to be a World Senate
and an International Court of Peace to meet every 10 years alternately for Europe, Asia,
Africa and America. Work was not to be done on a feudal basis but through officials
answerable to public control. In most of these plans Komensky was ahead of his time. He had
57 Chiliastic. Holding as doctrine that Jesus will reign on earth for 1,000 years.
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