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Jan Amos Komenský: The last will and testament of the dying mother The Unity of Brethern[*]_
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by which (in the middle of its nation and in its specificity) treasures entrusted to her by The Lord God divides among its sons and daughters and heirs.
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.. [*] Published, and wrote introductiona and annotations, by Dr. JOSEF STANĚK
In Brno 1935
Published by The Havlíčkovo dědictví in Brno, HUSOVA 5 printed by F.
Obzina in Vyškov in Moravia
All following footnotes (not this one) are by the translator.
Biblical quotations used are from the The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of
Good News Publishers.
Quotations marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version
Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the
National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of
America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Year of Our Lord 1650.
J. A. K.
.. http://www.phil.muni.cz/german/mstc-php-RE.php ... staročeský slovník
Introduction
------------
The treatise of Jan Amos Komenský The last will and testament of the
dying mother The Unity of Brethern, although not large by its size,
still belongs to the most important works of his. President Masaryk in
the first chapter of his book “The World Revolution” [#]_ indicated that
it was the famous prophecy in the Komenský’s Testament was his guide in
the foreign resistance.
The Testament was created after the Thirty Years War, which brought
a yoking to the Czech nation under the foreign rule and which thwarted
by the Peace of Westfalia (1648) all hopes of our exiles to return
back to their country. Despite all promises of the Swedish chancellor
Axel Oxenstierna and despite pleading letter of Komenský to the
chancellor before the peace has been agreed, the Czechs were abandoned
by Swedish and nothing happend to help exiles. There was still a weak
hope they will take care for the exiles, when the warring sides talked
about the execution of the peace agreement in the beginning of the year
1650 in the Nürnberg. When even this hope has been frustrated, Komenský
understood that the Unity is sentenced to die in the foreign countries
when it cannot return back home. Komenský became the bishop of the Unity
of Brethern in Leštno on 1648. Therefore he writes in the name of his
unity [#]_ moving and heartfelt Testament in the beginning of the year 1650,
where the Unity bids farewell with its believers and with the Czech
nation. It was also necessary to give an order to the members of the
unity, how to behave if the Unity dissolves. (The Unity has not
dissolved then yet though, because the council in Leszno the same year
1650 decided to continue.)
The outline of the Testament having 20 chapters in total will come out
best from the following table of contents:
I. People are fleeting: they linger on this earth for some time and then
leave. Similarly all kingdoms, nations, languages, religions and
unities.
II. Also The Unity of Brethern will perish for its sins. So it wants to
make the last will and testament following an example of prudent
people.
III. The Unity calls upon its sons, so they stand up by her death bed.
IV. (This chapter and the fifth one indicates the outline of The
Testament, but that is interrupted by the grand finale and
conclusion in chapters 19. and 20., where The Unity turns to the
Czech nation.) She divides them in the four swarms [? zástupy] and
she wants to talk each of these individually: then she plans to
speak to other churches as well. She does not have the earthly
estates, because, if she had any, they were taken away from her by
her enemies. However, she has a spiritual riches and she wants to
divide it among her sons and friends.
V. Some sons of The Unity, the unfaithful ones, broke faith and left
her. Other, the timid ones, (na oko) joined enemies of The Unity, but
they long for her in their hearts. Third, the faithful ones,
unshakeably stick to the Unity in her persecutions; but some are
succumb to the suffering and they are near to their death, some are
perhaps protected for future.
VI. First the Unity turns to those who remained faithful to her and
shows for consolation many statements from the New and Old
Testament, that they achieve the kingdom of heaven after their
death. They should not grieve the loss of their earthly homeland.
VII. The timid ones, who did not stood the test, should cry over
themselves as St. Peter did, when he betrayed Christ, and they
should return to the Unity of Brethern.
VIII. Other remains of her people (i.e., the unfaithful ones?) the
Unity bequests tears and penitence so they may reform themselves.
IX. The Unity commands her children to weep for priests, who sinned by
let worldly futility, splendour, and vice entered the Unity.
X. The Unity commands penitence and prayers and fast and weeping to all
its children, old and young, and to priests to follow examples
recorded in the Old Testament. They have not done such penitence yet.
If they turn at least now with their whole hearts to the God, perhaps
the deliverance for them comes.
XI. The Unity remembers virtues, which decorated all its members: it was
love to God and hatred towards the worldly vanity, simplicity and
honesty. Their place assumed discord, selfishness, pride,
miserliness, laziness, begging, which brought disgrace to whole
nation. The Unity reminds that we do not live for the life
earthbound, but for the life eternal.
XII. The Unity thanks to the Polish Unity for accepting her children
expelled from their homeland. In the same time, she asks her to be
always remember her origin from the Unity of the Czech Brethern.
She criticizes the Polish Unity for decline in discipline and
particularly the custom to send youth to study in schools overseas,
where it looses whole good moral life style. The Polish Unity
should take care for the remedy.
XIII. If the Unity dissolves, all its preachers could serve in any
Evangelical [#]_ church; faithful should join an evangelical church as
well.
XIV. The Unity then turns to other Christian unities, first of all them
to the Roman Unity, of which all other arisen. She was not true
mother to them but like a stepmother. She should repent and reform
herself; if she will not do it, she will perish.
XV. The Unity joyfully greets other evangelical unities, which are true
brides of Christ. Christ sent as a bridegroom John Hus to the Unity
of Brethern, Martin Luther to the German unity, and Jean Calvin to
the Swiss one.
XVI. The German Unity (i.e., the Lutheran unity) was the first sister of
the Unity of Brethern. The latter leaves the former more order and
discipline and better understanding to the article on the
justification by faith. She should finish Luther’s work and not
settle on the mere faith, but it should do good deeds as well.
XVII. The Swiss Unity is bequested by the Unity of Brethern more
genuiness and less meditation about faith, because that leads to
the endless creation of religious sects.
XVIII. The Unity leaves to all Christian unity longing for unification
which has to start with agreement on the substantial matters.
XIX. This chapter, where The Unity turns to the Czech nation, whom it
leaves all spiritual treasures, is the most important from the
whole Testament. Komenský pronounces in the introductory paragraphs
memorable prophecy about the renewal of the Czech independence
(Even I do believe to God, that after the end of the gales of anger
… the government of your own matters returns to you, oh the Czech
nation!) The Unity leaves to the beloved nation:
1. love to the pure Truth of God,
2. the Kralice translation of the Holy Bible,
3. love to the church discipline and orders,
4. effort to unify all Czech evangelical unities,
5. love to the mother tongue, and
6. better ways how to educate youth.
XX. In the end The Unity bids farewell to the Czech nation and blesses
Him with the words of Moses. It wishes Him strength, plenty of man,
happiness in fight and in the work. His enemies should be always
humiliated!
Writing his Testament, Komenský used form of the Last Will and
Testament: The Unity while dying calls all her children to herself, to
make the Last Will about its spiritual property. Formally his example
was to Komenský the Old Testament Apocrypha “Testaments of the Twelve
Patriarchs” (Jacob’s sons), which was translated to the Czech already in
the 14th century. However, the church opinion of Komenský is generously
extended in the 19th chapter of The Testament, where The Unity, or
perhaps Komenský himself, calls on the whole Czech nation, and moved to
the depths of his soul, escalates with the memorable prophecy of our
national renewal “after the end of the gales”. In the 20th chapter the
form of the blessing joins the form of prophecy: The Unity bids farewell
to the nation and blesses him with words of the Moses blessing of the
Old Testament, because Komenský saw even the Czech nation as the chosen
people and in the story of our exiles he saw the story of Jews dispersed
to all angles of the world.
The Testament is in accordance with the nature of the matter written in
a serious style, which quite often acquires excited even dramatic
character. Komenský here quite often quotes the Old and New Testament,
although not so often as in book “The Mournful”. In the same manner as
in the Labyrinth even in the Testament Komenský uses quite often words
contracted from German.
The original manuscript of the Testament has not been preserved.
However, we have four transcriptions from the 18th century. The first
print of the Testament, the Berlin one, is from 1757. The work was
printed in Prague only in 1848. Important editions are: publishing by
the bibliophiles club from 1909 by František Táborský and Em. Smetánka
with the illustrations by Adolf Kašpar; edition by the Czech Mission
Unity from 1912 (faithful copy of the Berlin edition); Kobr’s edition
from 1917 made by J. V. Novák; edition by Komenský society in Prague
from 1918 by Jan Herben and with illustrations of František Bílek;
ciritical edition by St. Souček in the Reichl’s Block from 1927 (which
is the foundation of our edition); then the edition by J. V. Klíma from
1928 in Prague, Rudolf Schams from 1930 in the Laichter’s collection
Lights. There are two German translations: from 1866 and the second one
by Dora Peřinová from 1907. Dutch translation is by the Amsterodam doctor
R. A. B Oosterhuis from 1928.
.. [#] Published in English as The Making of a State (1927).
.. [#] The old Unity of Brethern and thus Komenský used intentionally
term “an unity” (“jednota”), where the current term would be
probably “a denomination” or “a church”. They wanted to emphasize
their persuasion that there is only one Church of Christ comprising
of all Christians, and all communities which comprise it are just
parts of this large one Church.
.. [#] “Evangelical” was for Komenský more or less the same as what we
would call “protestant” today.
I.
--
In the name of the God Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
My dear sons and everybody who hear my voice, listen to me!
It is proclaimed in the God’s Scriptures, that the one era passes and
the other is coming while the earth stays for ever (Eccl. 1:4) it has
been fulfilled on us all, who were here before us, and it is being
fulfilled on us who are alive now, and it will be fulfilled on those who
are coming after us: that by coming to the world from the place, where
the omnipotent Lord will lead us, from the place of the eternal silence,
and after staying here for a while, how long He does measure us to live,
we will go back to where, he will lead us (oh, let him lead us!) to the
place of His stay. In the same way it goes for each person in his own
body, the same it goes for every human society in houses, cities,
kingdoms and unities, that everywhere one passes away and other comes;
you can see what’s even now going on under the heavens; some kingdoms
are passing away and change and their nations, languages, rights,
religions: it happens certainly because the new era is coming; even
churches of The Unity: it happens certainly because that the God wants
to renew the face of his land (Psalm 104:30).
II.
---
I see in the midst of all these changes I see my own change and dying
and passing aways, that I have been put under the God’s discipline and
I have been pushed away to the middle of strangers, and I have been
abandoned by my neighbors (who build peace for themselves and forgot
about myself [#]_), so if The Lord affirms what people do, I see that
while I had served to the will of god in my age, I am going to fall
asleep (Acts 13:36): so I will do what the cautious according to the
wisdom of the World do, that if they have anything to bequeath, they
establish their heirs and they divide among them the blessings of God,
so that it would not be lost or division and that they would not leave
fights behind themselves. Which is the God’s order given to the
Hezekiah: “Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.”
(Isa 38:1), and whoever gets a house from God to steward should not
leave the world without doing The Last Will and Testament.
.. [#] Here she talks about the Peace of Westfalia.
III.
----
Go, my children, because I am a widow and forsaken. I brought you up
with gladness; but with mourning and sorrow I have lost you, because you
have sinned before the Lord God and have done what is evil in my sight.
But now what can I do for you? For I am a widow and forsaken. Go, my
children, and ask for mercy from the Lord. (2. Esdras 2:2b-4 NRSV)
IV.
---
I will divide you into four groups, and speaking to the each group
individually about what’s needed, I will turn my speech to other
unities, my sisters, older and younger [#]_, with whom and amongst them
I was cared for by The Lord, and now he calls me to himself before all
of you, so that I divide amongst you what The Lord had given me to
administer from His Mercy. So, although my external likeness was that
I could tell with the Apostle [#]_: „I have no silver and gold" (Acts
3:6), and who did not have on Earth, in the same manner as my Lord, where
to lay his head; and whatever I had from these smaller earthly things,
homes and congregations, fields, vineyards, they have took off (when
forcing me into exile) in the same manner as they robbed my Lord of his
gown and divided among themselves, when they have nailed him to the
cross; but I can boast in the Christ Jesus in the God’s matters, because
he gave me a riches spiritual, so that His word could stay with me. So
that I will bequest from those treasures given me to my care, how I will
think fit, to give each of you sons and my friends what you need.
.. [#] Younger sisters mean Lutheran and Calvin unities, older sister is
the Utraquist unity.
.. [#] Meaning St. Peter.
V.
--
You, my sons, whom I gave birth and brought you up, I do not see each of
you same; and therefore I cannot speak to each of you in the same
words, but in different manner. Because some of you betrayed me and The
Father of Spirits, to whom I have born you, by not staying with me in my
temptations, but you have left me. Other ones of you persisted, and some
of you may even still persist now, ih a half-way manner, while you
flatter my enemies and warming yourself at their fires, you still long
for me, your mother, you still long for the Lord to liberate me from the
siege of my enemies and for you to return to my bosom. Others have more
courageous spirit and you followed me falling down under the cross, you
have not hesitated to share my sufferings, even drinking with me the
chalice of bitterness, which the Lord poured me who leads us from the
bitterness of the current age to sweetness of the world to come. But
still I see some of you either because of your age or because of
destitution languish and die; about others I have still hope that the
Lord will care for them until they get to better times.
VI.
---
I delight you, who are still faithful and still remaining in that
faithfulness and who are arriving the end of your faith, with delight
which delighted us our most faithful Lord, with these holy words: “You
are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as
my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my
table in my kingdom.” (Luke 22:28-30) Accept this delight, oh my sons,
and do not grief anymore for the loss of your earthly fatherland and
tabernacles of your home and tabernacles of the Lord here on the Earth;
we are led to the more glorious things by the One who said: “Tell my
people that I will give them the kingdom of [eternal] Jerusalem, which
I was going to give to Israel. Moreover, I will take back to myself
their glory, and will give to these others the everlasting habitations,
which I had prepared for Israel. The tree of life shall give them
fragrant perfume [#]_, and they shall neither toil nor become weary.”
(2. Esdras 2:10b-13 NRSV) Be ready for the rewards of the kingdom,
because perpetual light will shine on you forevermore. Flee from the
shadow of this age, receive the joy of your glory (ibid v. 35-36 NRSV)
knowing that you shall be attached after your release from here to the
great crowd which are before the throne and before the face of the Lamb,
dressed in white and having palm branches of Victory; about those the
heavenly voice says: “These are the ones coming out of the great
tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the
blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and
serve him day and night in his temple …” etc. (Revelation 7:9, 14, 15)
.. [#] Tree of life symbolises the eternal life, whereas fragrant
perfume is a symbol of the earthly life.
VII.
----
Delight more precious than whole world you have disposed of (because
what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his
life, what shall a man give in return for his life; Mt 16:26), you
fearful ones, and when you cannot stand your test, you fell; cry and
groan over yourself! Or is it right to keep faith for a time and leave
it at the time of temptation, and show yourself to be of those who fell
on the rock and not having roots? (L 8:13) Ah, not many of you declared
with Peter: “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to
death.” [#]_ and what remained? All of you fled away, when the gale hit
the Lord and His gospel [#]_. Consider the generations of old and see:
has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed? Or has anyone
persevered in the fear of the Lord and been forsaken? Or has anyone
called upon him and been neglected? Woe to timid hearts and to slack
hands, and to the sinner who walks a double path! Woe to the
fainthearted who have no trust! Therefore they will have no shelter. Woe
to you who have lost your nerve! What will you do when the Lord’s
reckoning comes? (Sirach 2:10,12-14 NRSV)
Here is advice: Do, what Peter did after his fall: recall who you are,
leave the bishop’s palaces [#]_ somewhere to a corner, where other
disciples are sheltered. Cry and howl more than others, so long as the
rooster of the God still crows and as long as the Lord still tied still
standing in front of his false judges looks at you: when you leave? Do
you want to wait when your conscience lashes at you as the one of Judas
did? It will be too late. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden
your hearts, but soften them: humble yourself, turn and while you are on
the path, walk on the path of the Truth! Such Peter’s footprints for
returning to the flock, which you left, I bequest you, oh my wandering
sons!
.. [#] Luke 22:33
.. [#] Gale means here the defeat of protestants in the Battle of White
Mountains (1620) and following recatholization of the Czech lands.
.. [#] Bishop’s palaces — Peter left the seat of the highest Jewish
priest, where Peter denied Christ, here the palace means the Roman
unity.
VIII.
-----
What should I bequest to the other remnants of the Unity in whatever
number you still remain? Weeping I bequest you, penitence and reform in
front of the face of the allmighty Lord.
IX.
---
I bequest you cry, like the one which they bequest to the whole family
of Israel. The Lord God, when he burnt His priests with fire in His
tabernacle, because they sacrificed unauthorized fire before the Lord
God; where the Lord God did not let the remaining priests cry, but He
let the people cry (see Lev 10:1-6). Even my first born sinned,
guardians [#]_ of my tabernacle, brought or let be brought the foreign
fire to the tabernacle of the Unity, fire of the human wisdom, fire of
bodily vanities, fire of pride, splendor, jewels, debauchery, your own
will, miserliness, and indifference, etc., and see they died and are
dying in front of you for their sins; but you cry nebo this wound is
coming on you and your descendants.
.. [#] Priests of the Brethern Unity.
X.
--
Repentance and prayers I order you such as the ones God ordered in the
time of his great wrath: so that everybody turns to the LORD God with
their whole heart, and with fasting and crying even with howling,
tearing their hearts, not only their robe; that the solemn assembly is
proclaimed, so that both elders and youth are assembled, even the ones
feeding on breasts; let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her
chamber; let the priests, servants of the LORD God, cry etc. [#]_; and
such repentance as it was done in times of Ahasuerus in the city of
Susa, when they were afraid of extermination, when they were not eating
or drinking day and night for three days [#]_, or the repentance done by
all citizens of Nineveh from the king to the last shepherd, from humans
to animals, from elders to babies, doing nothing other than crying to
heavens with feast and crying [#]_, and again Jews had besought the
merciful Lord with weeping and fasting and lying prostrate for three
days without ceasing [#]_.
O sons, you have never did such repentance and you have never had such
amount of fervor, but you behaved like many Judeans in their exile, that
even in the places, where you were dispersed by the Lord, you still
sinned and defiled His Holy Name in front of those, for whom you should
sanctify him. Israelites, just after being twice defeated, sit down in
front of the LORD God, cried, fasted and they offered burnt offerings
and peace offerings [#]_. You were not defeated twice, but more than
twenty times during those thirty years [#]_, but still falling into the
pit, from which you could not and cannot get out, you still have not
figured out how to manifest your repentance. And therefore at least now
return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow
to anger, abounding in lovingkindness and relenting of evil. Who knows
whether He will not turn and relent [#]_, so that there would be
liberation, as the LORD God said, in remains, who will be called by the
LORD God [#]_.
.. [#] Joel 2:12-17
.. [#] Ester 4:16
.. [#] Jonah 3:5-8
.. [#] 2. Maccabees 13:12
.. [#] Judges 20:26
.. [#] That is, during the thirty years war.
.. [#] Joel 2:12-14
.. [#] ibid v. 32
XI.
---
I bequest you even this: if you want to enjoy the mercy of the Lord, you
and your descendants would put real effort into your correction and
return to your first abandoned love. I recall only now with tears when
I lost it, what the Lord honored me with above other unities and what
jewels decorated my sons and daughters.
Because fervent love to God and His honour, hatred of the world and its
futilities, meekness shared by all children and honesty towards yourself
left you; on the other hand unfaithfulness, suspicion, differences and
conflicts, seeking your own things, pride against yourself together, and
discords sneaked between you forever. And in the same manner you started
at home, you have not stopped to behave in the same manner in exile,
only that you have spread out even more in exile. Some of you fallen in
places, where you are honored, and you got into pride and boasting; and
some for stinginess worse than in your homeland forgot why you left it,
that is the Word of God.
Other fallen into disgusting malady, that you gave yourself into
vainess, idleness, laziness, even into begging, which leads to the
ugliness and defamation not only the fate of exiles, but also
themselves, and what is even worse, of whole nation. Some of you have
already unhitched from the yoke of discipline, settling in places, where
you could do whatever you feel is right.
Oh, my children, that is how you remember what you were called for and
what path you were lead to? We are not here for this life and its
things, we are just pilgrims and we have just ordinary things pilgrims
have; our home is in the heavens, and so we should be also concerned
only with the heavenly matters. Just Lebanon [#]_ is here, Succoth and
Zarethan [#]_, where the Heavenly Salamon [#]_ collects for His Eternal
Temple collects and prepares the alive wood and stones, logs them, cuts,
chops, and chisel and planes them and us, its metals, dissolves and
casts into proper vessels, on this side of Jordan, in the country of
clayish earth, where we roll in mud; but this Eternal Salamon leads us
to the to the Upper Jerusalem, where, if we let him well form us
everything will fit.
.. [#] Lebanon - the mountain range, from which Salamon took the wood
for the building of The Temple.
.. [#] Succoth and Zarethan - two cities near Jordan, where Salamon cast
the vessels for his Temple (1.Ki 7:46).
.. [#] i.e., God himself.
XII.
----
Especially you, my beloved daughter, The Polish Unity, who the Lord God
gave me to be born in the middle of my life, when I was strong, so that
(as I can see it now) when grown up you could be a nurse of my other
children: you did well to accept them in your lap when they had to leave
their country and that you brought them up. God give you reward for it
and not letting you into loneliness and protect you from being
abandoned! I ask you however, remember from which trunk you came, so
that you care to be a good grape, well planted vineyard, and do not
change into the wild grape (Isaiah 5). Christ told about those who
fallen apart: “They claim to be Jews, but they are not, they are
mistaken.” (Rev 3:9 translated from Czech). Take care therefore so that
it is not said about you “They claim to be the seed of Czech brethern,
but they are not.” This is the time, my beloved daughter, to prevent
such disappointments; because such disappointments truly happen, when
not few of your sons are wild in their flesh, leaving the yoke of the
discipline and enjoy the freedom of flesh, temporary comforts and
plentiful rents and collecting of money, so that for many the office of
the shepherd (pastor) turned into mere tenancy with you as it is
elsewhere; you learnt to close and open the God’s house freely [#]_,
against the God’s prohibition and against the exmaples of your fathers,
following examples of others; FIXME ; i mladí při starších, synové při
otcích zůstávajíce, platu chcete a jej béřete. And what about elders?
It is clearly obvious, that the spirit of my fathers left you, my sons;
you have lost the keys of art, which Lascius wrote about [#]_, that your
fathers were special masters of maintaining order, discipline, holiness
and love of one towards another, without the compulsion and without the
help of the world arm. But you, oh mine ones (being from the Polish, as
well as Czech and Moravian nation), came to that you cannot keep in
order neither yourself, nor your priests, nor the people, not even
younger ones; whom, so that you do not have to labor with them, you sent
(and you still do so) to the foreign schools, that they may purify them,
but they bring back only the wildness, foreign customs, awful style of
clothes, wiseacrity in their brains, and everything in other style, than
what the Christ’s and ancestors’ simplicity sought; they do what they
do, so that everything lost the original style and not much is
recognizable. Therefore even people, and listeners, and patrons being
mostly void and cold and mostly emptied by winds of many temptations
from their roots, uprooting oneself, so that everything with you slowly
getting tired and is in danger of fall. Therefore, recall yourself, my
sons, before you will be also uprooted by the Lord, and by true
correction and repair of everything good prevent His anger, so that he
will not move even your candlesticks from their places!
.. [#] or “you have learnt neither to close nor to open …” — the layer
of double negatives here is so thick, that it is difficult to
understand which way it goes. FIXME ani zavírati, ani otvírati domu
božího darmo, naučili jste se proti boží zápovědi a příkladu otců,
za příklady cizími odšedše (neznamená “ani” ve StČ něco jiného?)
.. [#] Lasicius - the Polish noble Jan Lasicki (1534-1605) wrote
a celebratory work about the Unity of Brethern.
XIII.
-----
If he moves and let you vanish (the One, who starting judgment at the
household of God, demolishes what he does not like, and concludes the
demolition, so that he may start afresh on new foundations), so that all
my order, discipline, apostolic succession and all religious service
terminates, what will you do, my last remainders, being priests or lay
persons? I give you this advice, sons!
If any preachers remain, who will have nobody to preach and serve at
home, serve the Christ where you can, in any Evangelical church which
would ask your service; just remember, that you should take care of your
simplicity, which I born you in and which I have led you to, walking on
the middle road, don’t flatter one or another, and discourage any newly
created division, but rather encourage love, concord, and common good in
the Church; with people develop only the faith in Christ pure and
religion passionate and hope of the sweet future age, so that you may be
witness of where you come from.
You then, orphaned listeners, if if comes to that you would not be able
to attend our (FIXME přených???) religious services built on the orders
of the Unity, take the advice that you care for those who still walk in
the this fashion, as we can be the example (Phil. 3:17), meaning those
who will not teach you to make on Earth masters, fathers, leaders, but
who lead to the only one, who is in the heavens, master, father, leader
(Matt 23:8); join the unity where you will see the truth of the Christ
gospel, pray for its peace and take care for its building in good, also
by an example shine to others, also by the true prayers, so that at
least on me and you, my sons, the Almighty wrath stopped, which is
justly imposed on the Christianity so fallen into many heresies and
divisions (3. Mach 7:39 FIXME 3. Maccabees 7 has only 23 verses)!
XIV.
----
I cannot forget even you, my beloved sisters, evangelical unities, but
even you, our mother, from which we came from, the unity of Rome! You
were our mother, but you turned into stepmother, or even female bison
[#]_ sucking the blood of your children. I wish that you at least in
your old age turned to repentance and left the Babylon of your
hideousness. Where I can show you my example, if it helps, where pay
honor to the God even in my vices remembering on us, and following the
light of his word, I left through His mercy from clouds of your
idolatry.
If you do not want, I will not bequest you anything, only the worm of
bad conscience within; from the outside I put as my witness blood of my
sons and other witnesses of Jesus Christ, whom you killed between the
sanctuary and the altar. You make yourself to be the spiritual
Jesusalem, and you are the one, but the one as it was in times of
prophets, Christ and apostles, to wich the Lord spoke as the witness,
that I bequest you to inheritance: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city
that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often
would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her
brood xunder her wings, and you would not! See, your house is
left to you desolate.” (Matt. 23:37).
Now you have your judgement, Jerusalem of the New Testament; wait for
its enforcement. To your sons I bequest the right, which they were given
by the God, to ujmouce se o FIXME the glory of the Eternal Father (to
whom they were born to by you; Ezech. 23:37), they will raise the
resistance against you, their mother, proving that you are not his wife,
but FIXME odvazuješ smilství svých od tváři své (Hoseah 2:2). If you do
not even then correct yourself and you will not please your sons by the
return to their Father, I bequest to the kings of the Earth, who until
now have carried you on their backs, the God’s zeal, by which they found
you ugly and burn you as a dist with fire (Rev. 17:16).
.. [#] female bison — it was said about the Lithunian bison that
he deals badly with its offsprings if they are touched by a human.
XV.
---
I speak to you also, my beloved sisters, who lead the uprising according
to the will of God (Hosea 2:2) against our mother, and who (against the
will of that unfaithful our mother) betrothed yourself to the Eternal
Bridegroom in faith, as I did as well, so that we may know the LORD God
(Hosea 2:20). Rejoice with me, that we obtain the mercy for Christ not
only to trust in Him, but also to suffer for Him (Phil. 1:29)! Grace,
grace, grace (FIXME or mercy?) happened to us that the Eternal
Bridegroom through his bridesman invited us and betrothed us to be his
bride.
To me the faithful friend of the bridegroom (John 3:29) was sent, Master
John Hus, whose testimony I accepted even more gladly, because he sealed
it with his martyrdom.
To you, the German Unity, was sent the doctor Martin Luther, in the
spirit and power of Eliah (L 1:17) and you did well to not reject with
the burning and shining candle, but you have celebrated in his given
light (J 5:35).
And you, the Swiss Unity, was sent John Calvin, to bethroth you and
marry as a pure virgin to that one man, Christ (2Cor 11:2); and you did
well that when hearing the voice of turtledove, you got up and you have
prepared yourself and your fig tree ripened its figs and the wines were
in blossom and gaves forth fragrance. (Song 2:12f)
Let us greatly rejoice in the Lord; let us exult in our God, for he has
clothed us with the garments of salvation; he has covered us with the
robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself as a bride adorning
herself with her jewels. (Izai. 61, 10)! However, I, your now leaving
sister have something to tell you, my beloved sisters, listen to me!
XVI.
----
You, the German Unity, were my most beloved sister,
Ty, Jednoto německá, bylas mou nejmilejší sestrou, kterouž mi nejprvé,
když jsem v samotnosti [#]_, své se ohlédala, ku potěšení vzbudil Pán
a kterouž jsem já srdečně milovala, ačkoli tvá ke mně láska pro mou
sprostnost brzo vychladla. Co jsem nejmilejšího za klénot ode Pána svého
sobě odevzdaného měla, toho jsem tobě hned od počátku podávati
nepominula, tím se s tebou sděliti žádostivá jsouc; aniž vinšovati
přestávám, abych i umírajíc prospěti mohla, a čehoť nejvíc k tvému
dobrému vinšuji, za dědictví tobě odkazuji: řádu více, než ho máš,
a kázně spořádanější a lepšího rozumu při artikuli [#]_ o ospravedlnění,
bez tak hanebně zlého užívání, jakéž se při synech tvých rozmohlo.
Dobře začal ten, jehož tobě za vůdce tvého z mrákot vyvedení dal Pán;
ale nedobře dobrou při vedli, kteříž na místo jeho přišli. Jeho práce po
všecken téměř života čas byla bořiti Babylon [#]_; aniž jinak býti mohlo
(nebo nemohlo dílo lidského stavení trpíno býti na tom místě, kdež se
počínalo Nejvyššího město ukazovati, 4. Ezdr. 10, 54). Ale když
k stavení Siona přijíti mělo a jeho od práce k odpočinutí povolal Pán
[#]_, pomocníci, majíce stavěti, nechali tak, a držíce se toho toliko,
co on udělal a pokudž udělal, kořist sobě záložili v zbořeninách
bydleti. Nebo aniž téměř co jiného máte, kromě co on z papežstva
nedobořil, a že státi může, soudil; to paláce vaše, v tom triumfujete.
Co jiní, že vybořeno býti ještě musí, soudili a soudí, ani toho
dobořovati, ani o tom slyšeti nechcete, nerci-li aby k vystavěni
krásného řádu celé církve a založení ho na gruntu jednomyslnosti
a vzděláni mu hradby kázně a vyzdvižení bran [#]_ i zavěšení k ním vrat
a závor a zámků s klíči Kristovými přistoupeno bylo, nýbrž počavše
duchem, konáte tělem, jako onino jinak horliví Galatští (kap. 3, 3)
[#]_, ačkoli naopak. Oni, počavše křesťanství své věrou, končiti chtěli
skutky zákona; vy počavše věrou živou, dokonáváte věrou mrtvou, jakáž
bez skutků jest.
Ó přátelé moji, já, v kázni Boha silného postavena jsoucí [#]_, učím vás
(Job 27, 11) a vinšuji, abyste porozuměli, že známost Krista [#]_ bez
následování Krista a těšení se v evanjelium [#]_ bez ostříhání zákona
lásky [#]_, na kteréž jde evanjelium, nic není, než evanjelium zlé
užívání [#]_ a jistý (ačkoli k prvnímu onomu v papežstvu odporný) svod
[#]_ a oklamání.
.. [#] V samotnosti = v osamocenosti.
.. [#] Artikul = článek víry.
.. [#] Babylon = církev římská; Sion = pravá církev Kristova.
.. [#] Jeho od práce k odpočinutí povolal Pán = Luthera... k smrti.
.. [#] Vyzdvižení bran = vystavění bran.
.. [#] Galatští - viz epištolu sv. Pavla ke Galatským.
.. [#] Jsouci = jsouc.
.. [#] Známost Krista = znalost Krista a jeho učení.
.. [#] V evangelium = v evangeliu.
.. [#] Ostříhání zákona lásky, na kteréž jde evangelium = k němuž (t. j.
k ostříhání) směřuje evangelium.
.. [#] Evanjelium zlé užívání - evanjelium je tu genitiv.
.. [#] Svod = blud.
XVII.
-----
Tobě pak, Jednoto helvetská, kteráž mi za milovnici řádu a kázně přidána
byla k mému potěšení, což odkazovati mám? Úmysl k stálosti, nýbrž
k rozhojňování se ve všem dobrém podle poručení Kristova, aby spravedivý
ospravedlnil se ještě a svatý posvětil se ještě (Zjev. 22, 11),
a zaslíbení jeho, že majícímu bude dáno, aby se rozhojnil (Mat. 13, 12)
[#]_.
Jestližeť tedy, sestro milá, i ty jsi z počtu těch, kterýmž darů
a milostí božích nabývati dáno, nechažť přidám i já něco tobě mající
[#]_: vinš aspoň, abys, domnívajíc se míti něco vzácného, měla vpravdě,
a domněním se nesvozujíc [#]_, nekrmila se škořepinami [#]_, ale
pronikla k jádru. Žádám tedy tobě předně v ostřihání pobožnosti a k ní
sloužícího řádu kázně jednomyslnosti pilnějšího skutku, aby nebyla barva
[#]_, ale věc sama. V smyslu [#]_ pak žádám tobě více sprostnosti, méně
hloubání, a šetrnějšího o Bohu a přehlubokých tajemstvích jeho mluvení,
než to něktěří z synů tvých činili, skrze což i na roztrhání žalostné
sebe a tebe přivedli, srotivše se proti tobě a vespolek: novokřtěnci,
sociniáni [#]_, arminiáni [#]_ a jiný mnohotvárný z tebe vyšlý hmyz
(zvláště teď v Anglii, když hrůza moci světa popřestala [#]_, jak tvoji
nových vždycky věci hledající a na ničem se ustanoviti nemohoucí synové
smutné a pohoršlivé církvi boží z sebe divadlo, tobě pak zlé u národů
jméno učinili, po vrchu leží [#]_).
Ó sestro milá, kéž Bůh všechněm synům tvým dá, aby se s Davidem modliti
učili: "Sprostnost a upřímnost nechť mne ostříhají" (Žalm 25, 21)!
.. [#] Aby se rozhojnil = aby měl ještě více.
.. [#] Přidám... tobě mající = přidám ti, ač máš.
.. [#] Domněním se nesvozujíc, t. j. nedávajíc se svésti.
.. [#] Nekrmila se skořepinami = povrchnostmi. Větu, jež se začíná
slovem Žádám, sluší seřaditi takto: Žádám tedy tobě předně
pilnějšího skutku jednomyslnosti (= pilnějšího projevování
svornosti) v ostříháni pobožnosti a k ní sloužícího řádu kázně.
.. [#] Aby nebyla barva = aby nebyl jen povrch.
.. [#] V smyslu = pokud se týče věrouky.
.. [#] Sociniáni = sekta, kterou založil Ital Sozzini v 16. století
v Polsku a jež zavrhla víru v sv. Trojici.
.. [#] Arminiáni = kalvinská sekta, kterou založil Jakub Arminius v 16.
století v Holandsku a jež zavrhla nauku o předurčení.
.. [#] Když hrůza moci světa (v Anglii) popřestala = narážka na konec
monarchie a začátek anglické republiky roku 1649.
.. [#] Po vrchu leží = je jasné.
XVIII.
------
Všechněm pak spolu jednotám křesťanským odkazuji roztoužení se po
jednomyslnosti a smíření se a spojení v víře a lásce k jednotě ducha.
Ó byť duch ten, kteréhož mně s počátku hned udělil byl Otec duchů [#]_,
přijíti mohl na všecky vás, abyste tak srdečně toužily, jak jsem já
toužila, po sjednocení vpravdě v křesťanství se všechněmi vzývajícími
jméno Kristovo vpravdě! O byť vám Bůh dal trefiti na grunty [#]_ věcí
podstatných, služebných [#]_ a případných [#]_, jako i mně trefiti dal,
abyste všickni, oč horliti třeba neb netřeba aneb horliti víc neb méně
třeba, rozumějíce, horlení tomu, kteréž jest bez umění a s sebou ne
vzdělání, ale zkázu církve nese, vyhýbati a zase, kde zuřivé horlivosti
třeba, tu zuřivě pro slávu boží horliti (až do vynaložení na to životů
svých) směli [#]_! Ó byste se roztoužili všickni po pravdivé účastnosti
milosrdenství božího, po pravdivé účastnosti zásluhy Kristovy, po
pravdivé účastnosti přesladkých vnitřních darů Ducha svatého, kterýchž
se skrze pravdivou víru, pravdivou lásku a pravdivou k Bohu naději
dochází, v čemž podstata křesťanství záleží! Těchto pak zase nabývá se
přisluhováním od Boha zřízených služebných pomocí: slova, klíčů
a svátostí, jejichž moc prokazuje se nejlépe vnitřní mocí Ducha, když se
jich sprostně a upřímně, pokorně a důvěrně jakožto podaných od Boha
prostředků bez vymyšlených lidmi křtaltů a šperků [#]_ užívá. Ó kéž
všickni rozumíte, co to Pán náš řekl: "Království boží nepřichází
patrně, nebo v vás jest" (Luk. 17, 20, 21), item [#]_: "Jednoho jest
potřebí" (Luk. 10, 42), abyste na to jedno (totiž na tu dobrou stránku,
kterouž byla vyvolila Maria [#]_, tiše se u noh Páně posadivši a běháni
těkání zanechavši) všickni se vynaložíce, někdy aspoň již trefili do
toho, čímž by obveseleno bylo srdce Slitovníka našeho, kterýž se za
všecky nás tak Otci modlil, "aby (prý) všickni jedno byli jako ty, Otče,
ve mně a já v tobě, aby i oni v nás jedno byli" (Jan 17, 21), abyste
všickni k domu církve se hlásající [#]_ byli jeden toliko dům boží,
dobře sám v sobě spořádaný a odevšad spojený, a jedna v jednom domu
čeládka boží, pod jednostejným řádem božím v svornosti, lásce a pomáhání
sobě vespolek stojící jako jedno tělo, ač z mnohých oudů, avšak po všech
kloubích přisluhování spojené k vzrůstu a k zdělání svému v lásce (Efez.
4, 16), aby jednou aspoň křešťanské církvi a při tom anjelům čas přišel
zpívati: "Aj, jak dobré jest a utěšené, když bratří v jednomyslnosti
přebývají (Žalm 133)!"
.. [#] Otec duchů = Bůh.
.. [#] Grunty = základy.
.. [#] Věci služebné jsou (viz níže v kapitole XVIII): 1. slovo, t. j.
úřad kazatelský 2. klíče = úřad kněžský 3. svátosti
.. [#] Věci případné, t. j. vedlejší, nepodstatné, na př. obřady.
.. [#] Směli = odvažovali se.
.. [#] Bez křtaltů a šperků = bez nádhery obřadů.
.. [#] Item = rovněž tak.
.. [#] Maria poslouchala slova Kristova, sedíc u jeho nohou, zatím co
její sestra, pečlivá Marta, Pána horlivě obsluhovala (viz evangelia).
.. [#] Hlásající se = hlásící se.
XIX.
----
Na tebe, národe český a moravský, vlasti milá, zapomenouti také nemohu
při svém již dokonalém s tebou se loučení; nýbrž k tobě nejpředněji se
obracejíc, tebe pokladů svých, kteréž mi byl svěřil Pán, nápadníkem
a dědicem nejpřednějším činím, příkladem některých bohatých měšťanů
římských i králů jejich pomezních, kteříž umírajíce dědicem věcí svých
obec římskou, vládu okršlku zemského ujímající, kšafty svými nařizovali.
Věřím i já Bohu, že po přejití víchříc hněvu (hříchy našimi na hlavy
naše uvedeného) vláda věcí tvých k tobě se zase navrátí, ó líde český!
A pro tu naději tebe dědicem činím všeho toho, co jsem koli po předcích
svých byla zdědila a přes těžké a nesnadné časy přechovala, nýbrž
i v čemkoli dobrém skrze práci synů mých a požehnání boží rozhojnění
jsem přijala. To všecko zcela tobě odkazuji a oddávám, zejména:
Napřed, milost [#]_ k pravdě boží čisté, kterouž nám před jinými národy
prvé službou mistra Husa našeho ukazovati začal Pán a kteřouž on
s pomocníkem svým [#]_ i jinými mnohými věrnými Čechy krví svou zpečetil
a od níž Antikrist [#]_ na onen čas chytrostmi svými na sněmu
bazilejském, teď pak [#]_ mocí válečnou ukrutnou tebe byl odvedl, já pak
s syny svými, kteří za světlem jíti chtěli, posavád se přidržeti
hleděla. Tvéť to jest dědictví, tobě před jinými národy dané, ó vlasti
milá, ujmiž se zase práva svého, jako svého, když tobě milosrdenství
prokáže a pravdě své průchod navrátí Pán, slitovník tvůj!
Druhé, poroučím tobě horlivou žádost k vyrozumívání vždy plnějšímu
a jasnějšímu též pravdy boží [#]_, aby znajíc Hospodina, hojněji jej
poznávati ses snažovala (Oz. 6, 3). A poněvadž Pán náš Písma svatá
zpytovati poručil (Jan 5, 39), odkazuji tobě za dědictví knihu boží,
biblí svatou, kterouž synové moji z původních jazyků (kterýmiž je Bůh
psáti byl poručil) do češtiny s pilností velikou (do patnácte let na té
práci ztrávivše několik učených mužů) [#]_ uvedli, a Pán Bůh tomu tak
požehnal, že málo ještě jest národů, kteříž by tak pravdivě, vlastně
[#]_, jasně svaté proroky a apoštoly v svém jazyku mluvící slyšeli.
Přijmiž to tedy za svůj vlastní klénot, vlasti milá, a užívej toho
k slávě boží a svému v dobrém vzdělání; a ač knihy této boží exempláře
popálili nepřátelé, kde které dostati mohli, že však milosrdenstvím
tohoto Boha, kterýž pořezané a spálené od bezbožného Joakima [#]_ knihy
Jeremiášovy psáti znovu kázal (Jerem. 36) a potrhaný i popálený od
Antiocha tyrana Zákon boží (2. Mach. 1, 59) brzy potom, zbudiv pobožného
Ptolomea [#]_, v jazyk řecký uvésti a národům jiným v známost uvésti
dal, i tobě kniha tato boží dochována bude, důvěř se a nepochybuj!
Třetí, poroučímť obzvláště tak zvláštní k církevním řádům a milostné té
kázni (kteráž mezi dítkami božími býti má a musí) milost, aby se napotom
u vás Kristu nejen jako proroku kazatedlnice, nejen jako knězi a biskupu
oltáře, ale jako králi trůnu a berly [#]_ ke konání soudu nad
neposlušnými přálo. Tu co mně byl z milosti své udělil Pán, nekryla jsem
se s tím, na světlo to dáno; uživ, vlasti milá, k svému dobrému i toho
[#]_, buď jakž u mne bylo, aneb jak nejvzdělavatedlněji vyhledáno býti
může z Písem svatých a příkladem prvotní apoštolské církve, neboť na
staré grunty stavěti, kdykoli se obnovuje chrám boží, nejbezpečněji (1.
Ezdr. 3, 3)!
Čtvrté, odevzdávámť horlivost k sloužení Pánu Bohu a sloužení jemu
jedním ramenem [#]_, po čemž že jsem já od svého začátku toužila, paměti
předků mých [#]_ i historia od Jana Lasicia o mých věcech sepsaná
svědčí. Užíti sic toho jsem zúplna nemohla, kromě že jsem léta 1575
k společné národu svého podobojích konfessí a léta 1610 k společné
konsistoři přistoupila. Ale dej Bůh pro milosrdenství své (kterýž vinš
já buď životem neb smrtí svou, jak Pán káže, zapečeťuji), aby třetí
spojení bylo nejdokonalejší, všech ostatků dítek mých se všechněmi
jinými ostatky Čechů věrných, aby dřevo Júdovo a dřevo Efraimovo [#]_
bylo jedním dřevem v ruce boží, když rozmetané kosti naše zase
shromáždi, masem a kůží potáhne a duchem života naplní všemohoucí ten
Pán, jemuž nemožného nic není!
Páté, odevzdávám tobě také i synům tvým snažnost [#]_ v pulerování [#]_,
vyčišťování a vzdělávání milého našeho a milostného otcovského jazyka,
v čemž synů mých bedlivost známá byla časů předešlých, když od
rozumnějších říkáno, že češtiny lepší není jako mezi Bratřími
a v knihách jejich. Ale pilněji se na to ještě někteří vydali nyní, teď
z vlasti vypuzeni byvše, aby přihotovením knih užitečných a nad předešlý
způsob vybroušenějším perem psaných napomohli synům tvým k uvedení tím
snáze všeliké ušlechtilé spanilosti ve věcech i v řeči, v moudrosti
i výmluvnosti, k šťastnému vynahrazení podešlého [#]_ teď zpuštění, jakž
by jen časy k rozvlažení přivedl Pán. Cokoli tedy toho se nadejde [#]_,
knih starých neb nových, to od synů mých přijmouc, za své vlastní měj
k užití toho, jak nejlépe viděti budeš!
Šesté odkazuji tobě mládeže lepší, pilnější, zdárnější cvičení, nežli
bývalo. Přehlídla jsem já tuto [#]_, svěřujíc se cizím, kteří mi syny mé
povášnili a pokazili; kdyby se líbilo Bohu navrátiti mne k časům
zvolnějším [#]_, napraviti bych v tom hleděla; ale sama o sobě naději
tratíc, tebe prosím, vlasti milá, s ósvědčováním [#]_, abys to
napravila. Popracovaliť i v té věci někteří z synů mých [#]_
a zhotovili pro lepší mládeže cvičení metod [#]_, jehož se již chytati
začali jiní národové bez rozdílu v náboženství, ale tobě to předně
náleží, nezanedbávejž dědictví svého, kteréž tobě odvedou, když čas
přijde, synové moji!!
Summou [#]_, všecky své pozůstalosti, jako popel po svém shoření, tobě,
vlasti milá, poroučím, abys sobě z něho luh [#]_ k smývání dítek svých
špín připravila; jakož mně v počátcích mých učinil Pán, že z popela
Husova mne a dítky mé vzbudil.
.. [#] Milost = láska.
.. [#] S pomocníkem svým = mistrem Jeronymem.
.. [#] Antikrist = církev římská.
.. [#] Teď pak = za války třicetileté.
.. [#] Též pravdy boží = téže pravdy boží.
.. [#] Do patnácte let bible Kralická byla přeložena v l. 1579-93.
.. [#] Vlastně = správně.
.. [#] Joakim byl král judský kolem r. 600 př. Kr.
.. [#] Antiochos a Ptolemaios v tomto pořadí - toť omyl Komenského:
Antiochos IV. Epifanes vládl v Syrii v l. 175-164 př. Kr.,
Ptolemaios v Egyptě v l. 285-247 př. Kr.
.. [#] Aby se Kristu přálo nejen kazatedlnice (genitiv), nejen oltáře
(rovněž), ale jako králi i trůnu a berly (gen.)
.. [#] Uživ... toho = užij toho.
.. [#] Jedním ramenem = jednotně.
.. [#] Paměti předků mých = Akta Jednoty.
.. [#] Dřevo Júdovo znamená jižní říši židovskou, dřevo Efraimovo pak
severní.
.. [#] Snažnost = píle.
.. [#] Pulerování = třibení.
.. [#] Podešlého = nastalého.
.. [#] Nadejde se = najde se.
.. [#] Přehlídla jsem já tuto = chybila jsem tuto.
.. [#] K časům zvolnějším, t. j. lepším.
.. [#] S osvědčováním = se zapřísaháním.
.. [#] Někteří z synů mých, t. j. Komenský.
.. [#] Metod, masculinum, zpravidla: metoda (způsob vyučování).
.. [#] Summou = úhrnem.
.. [#] Luh = louh.
XX.
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Ale což více mluviti? Přestati mi přijde a rozžehnati se s tebou, vlasti
milá! Ale jakžpak? Jako Jákob patriarcha, na smrtedlné posteli své
žehnaje se s syny svými, a dával jim požehnáni; jako i Mojžíš, odcházeje
od lidu svého; z jejichž úst já vezmouc slova, tobě, národe český, na
rozžehnanou požehnání vyhlašuji od Hospodina Boha tvého, abys ty předce
byl a zůstával ratolestí rostoucí, ratolestí rostoucí podle studnic,
ratolestí rostoucí nad zeď. Ačkoli hořkostí naplnili tebe a stříleli na
tebe, v tajné nenávistí měvše tě střelci [#]_, zůstaniž však v síle
lučiště tvé a zsilte se ramena rukou tvých z rukou Mocného Jákobova
[#]_, od silného Boha, jemuž sloužili otcové tvoji, kterýž spomáhá tobě,
a od Všemohoucího, kterýž požehná tobě požehnáním nebeským s hůry [#]_,
požehnáním propasti ležící hluboko, požehnáním prsů a života! Požehnáni
silnější při tobě buď nad požehnání předků mých, až ke končinám pahrbků
věčných (1. Mojž. 49, 22 etc.)!
Živ buď, národe posvěcený Bohu, a neumírej; muži tvoji ať jsou bez
počtu! Požehnejž, ó Hospodine, rytěřování [#]_ jeho a v práci rukou jeho
zalib se tobě! Slomuj [#]_ ledví [#]_ nepřátel jeho a těch, kteříž ho
nenávidí, aby nepovstali! Přijdiž čas tvůj, aby říkali národové:
Blahoslavený jsi, Izraeli [#]_; kdo jest podobný tobě, lide vysvobozený
skrze Hospodina, jenž jest pavéza [#]_ spomožení tvého a meč důstojnosti
tvé? Tvoji zajisté nepřátelé padnou, ale ty po vyvýšenosti jejich
šlapati budeš (5. Mojž. 33, 6. 11. 29).
Tvéť, ó Hospodine, spasení, nad lidem tvým požehnání tvé. Sélah. [*]_ (Žalm
3, 9.)
.. [*] Sélah je slovo hebrejské nejasného významu, kterým se zpravidla končí
žalmy.
.. [#] Střelci = nepřátelé.
.. [#] Mocného Jákobova = Boha Jákobova.
.. [#] Požehnání nebeské s hůry = dešť; požehnáni propasti ležící
hluboko = hojnost studní.
.. [#] Rytěřování = bojování.
.. [#] Slomuj = lámej!
.. [#] Ledví, ledviny = sídlo mužné síly.
.. [#] Izraeli = národe vyvolený (zde český).
.. [#] Pavéza = štít.
Přetiskla a vydala Nadace J.A. Komenského
Praha 1995
