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diff --git a/ksaft_EN.rst b/ksaft_EN.rst index 7a55d28..1ec4453 100644 --- a/ksaft_EN.rst +++ b/ksaft_EN.rst @@ -1,5 +1,5 @@ ============================================================================================ -Jan Amos Komenský: The last will and testament of the dying mother The Unity of Brethern[*]_ +Jan Amos Komenský: The last will and testament of the dying mother The Unity of Brethren[*]_ ============================================================================================ 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. @@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ 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, +dying mother The Unity of Brethren, 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 @@ -43,13 +43,13 @@ 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 +by Swedish and nothing happened 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 +of Brethren in Leszno 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 @@ -63,23 +63,23 @@ 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 +II. Also The Unity of Brethren 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 + Czech nation.) She divides them in the four swarms groups 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 + her. Other, the timid ones, on their face they joined enemies of The + Unity, but they long for her in their hearts. Third, the faithful + ones, unshakably 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 @@ -88,11 +88,11 @@ VI. First the Unity turns to those who remained faithful to her and 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. + should return to the Unity of Brethren. 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. + let worldly futility, splendor, 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. @@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ XI. The Unity remembers virtues, which decorated all its members: it was 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. + always remember her origin from the Unity of the Czech Brethren. 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 @@ -120,15 +120,15 @@ XIV. The Unity then turns to other Christian unities, first of all them 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 + of Brethren, 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 + the Unity of Brethren. 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 +XVII. The Swiss Unity is bequest by the Unity of Brethren more + genuineness 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. @@ -184,15 +184,15 @@ 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 +critical 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 +by Dora Peřinová from 1907. Dutch translation is by the Amsterdam 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 +.. [#] The old Unity of Brethren 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 @@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ 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 +oh my sons, and do not grief any more 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] @@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ 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 +faint-hearted 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) @@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ 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. +front of the face of the almighty Lord. IX. --- @@ -393,10 +393,10 @@ 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 +dying in front of you for their sins; but you cry because this wound is coming on you and your descendants. -.. [#] Priests of the Brethern Unity. +.. [#] Priests of the Brethren Unity. X. @@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ 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 +Because fervent love to God and His honor, 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 @@ -463,29 +463,29 @@ 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. +Other fallen into disgusting malady, that you gave yourself into vanity, +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 +Zarethan [#]_, where the Heavenly Salomon [#]_ 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. +clay earth, where we roll in mud; but this Eternal Salomon 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 +.. [#] Lebanon - the mountain range, from which Salomon took the wood for the building of The Temple. -.. [#] Succoth and Zarethan - two cities near Jordan, where Salamon cast +.. [#] Succoth and Zarethan - two cities near Jordan, where Salomon cast the vessels for his Temple (1.Ki 7:46). .. [#] i.e., God himself. @@ -503,15 +503,15 @@ 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, +it is not said about you “They claim to be the seed of Czech brethren, 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 have not learnt how to keep in church in order [#]_ -against the God’s prohibition and against the exmaples of your fathers, +elsewhere; you have not learned how to keep in church in order [#]_ +against the God’s prohibition and against the examples of your fathers, following examples of others; even when the young ones live with the old ones, sons stay with their fathers, you still want the salary and you take it. [#]_ And what about elders? It is clearly obvious, that the @@ -541,7 +541,7 @@ candlesticks from their places! .. [#] literally “even the young stay with older ones, sons stay with their fathers, you want your salary and take it.” .. [#] Lasicius - the Polish noble Jan Lasicki (1534-1605) wrote - a celebratory work about the Unity of Brethern. + a celebratory work about the Unity of Brethren. XIII. ----- @@ -596,13 +596,13 @@ 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, +Jerusalem, and you are the one, but the one as it was in times of +prophets, Christ and apostles, to which 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 +under her wings, and you would not! See, your house is left to you +desolate.” (Matt. 23:37). Now you have your judgment, Jerusalem of the New Testament; wait for its enforcement. To your sons I bequest the right, which they were given by the God, to take care of the glory of the Eternal Father (to whom they were born to by you; Ezech. 23:37), @@ -625,8 +625,8 @@ 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 happened to us that the Eternal Bridegroom through his -bridesman invited us and betrothed us to be his bride. +grace, grace happened to us that the Eternal Bridegroom through his best +man 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 @@ -637,11 +637,11 @@ 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 +And you, the Swiss Unity, was sent John Calvin, to betroth 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) +in blossom and gave 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 @@ -671,13 +671,13 @@ your faint; however those who came to his place were not fighting well. His work for almost all his life was to destroy Babylon; it could not be otherwise (because no work of human construction could endure in a place where the city of the Most High was to be revealed; 2. Esdras 10:54 -NRSV) However, when Sion should be built and the Lord called Him from +NRSV) However, when Zion should be built and the Lord called Him from his work to rest, his helpers, who should build, let it be, and kept only what he did, and whatever he did, they decided to live in the ruins. Therefore, you don’t have much more than what he did not destroy -from the Pappism, and what he thought could stay; those are your +from the Papism, and what he thought could stay; those are your palaces, those are your triumphs. What others considered and consider to -be desotryed yet, you don’t want to finish, you don’t want to even hear +be destroyed yet, you don’t want to finish, you don’t want to even hear about it, and even less you care about building of the new beautiful order of the whole Church and founding it on that foundation of unity, and building for it fortifications of order and raising up gates and @@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ Oh my friends, I being disciplined by the God Almighty teach you (Job without the following of Christ and having delight in the gospel without following the law of love which aims towards the gospel is nothing, just misuse of the Gospel and certain (although opposing that first one -by the Pappacy) temptation and deceit. +by the Papacy) temptation and deceit. XVII. @@ -713,7 +713,7 @@ thinking to have something precious, had it truly, but not being misled by your thoughts, you were not feeding on shells, but broke into the kernel. -I ask for you first of all more diligent act of unamity in taking care +I ask for you first of all more diligent act of unanimity in taking care for the religion and the act of guarding the discipline supporting it, so that it would be not only surface but the thing itself. Concerning theology I wish you more simplicity, less contemplation, and more @@ -742,7 +742,7 @@ XVIII. ------ To all Christian unities I bequest yearning for the unity of thoughts -and reconcilliation and unity in faith and love to the Unity of spirit. +and reconciliation and unity in faith and love to the Unity of spirit. Oh if only that spirit, whose I got in the beginning from the Father of all spirits [#]_, could come to all of you, so that you would long from all your heart, as much as I was longing, for the true unity in the @@ -751,9 +751,9 @@ only God give you to find the foundations of all things essential, things of service, and accidental, as he did it to me, so that all of you, would know what is necessary to enthuse about and what not, what to be enthusiastic about more or less, knowing, when to avoid the -enthusianism which is without wisdom does not bring building and +enthusiasm which is without wisdom does not bring building and improvement, but which brings destruction of the Church, where the -enraged enthusianism is necessary, where to venture fight in rage for +enraged enthusiasm is necessary, where to venture fight in rage for the Glory of God (all the way to sacrificing your lives)! Oh if only all of you longed for the true participation in the Mercy of God, for the true participation in the merits of the Christ, for the true @@ -767,9 +767,9 @@ faith as if given by God without by humans invented beauty of rites. Oh if only you understand, what Our Lord said: “The Kingdom of God is not coming in things that can be observed, but it is among you.” (Luke 17:20,21 NRSV); also “there is need of only one thing” (Luke 10:42 -NRSV), that is being wholy invested into the one (that is the good part, +NRSV), that is being wholly invested into the one (that is the good part, chosen by Maria [#]_, sitting silently at the Lord’s feet and letting go -all anxious actviity), hit at least sometime something which would make +all anxious activity), hit at least sometime something which would make happy the heart of Our Compassionate One, who prayed for all of us to the Father saying: “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us” (John 17:21 NRSV), so @@ -802,7 +802,7 @@ end of all gales of anger (introduced on our heads for our sins) the rule of your things will return back to your hands, oh Czech people! And for this hope I make you heir of all I have inherited from my ancestors and preserved during the hard and difficult times, and even what I have -accquired through the work of my sons and God’s blessing. All that +acquired through the work of my sons and God’s blessing. All that I bequest to your and give, namely: First of all, love for the pure God’s truth, which the Lord started to @@ -829,7 +829,7 @@ original languages (which God ordered them to be written in) to the Czech language translated with great diligence (several learned men spent fifteen years on this work) [#]_, and the Lord God so blessed this effort so much, that only few nations can listen to the holy prophets -and apostles speak in their own langauge. Accept it as your own jewel, +and apostles speak in their own language. Accept it as your own jewel, my beloved country, and use it for the God’s glory and your own good education; and although the enemies burned copies of this book, wherever they can find it, by the mercy of the same God, who ordered Jeremiah to @@ -851,9 +851,9 @@ not doubt! Third, I am commend you special love for the Church orders and the loving discipline (which should and must exist among the children of God), so that the Christ would have not only pulpit as a prophet, or an -altar as a priest and bishop, but throne and staff to make judgements +altar as a priest and bishop, but throne and staff to make judgments over the disobedient. That discipline which I got from the Lord I have -never hiden, it was given in the light; use, my beloved country, for +never hidden, it was given in the light; use, my beloved country, for your benefit even that, either according to my style, or whatever best can be found in the Holy Scriptures and in the example of the first apostolic Church, because it is the most safe to build on old @@ -867,21 +867,21 @@ except that I have joined the common confession of the nation in 1575 and to the common consistory in 1610. However, let be given by God for his mercy (the wish I am sealing either with my life or my death, as the Lord will call me), that the third link be the most perfect, of all my -remaints with other remaints of faithful Czechs, so that the wood of -Juda and the wood of Ephraim [#]_ be the only wood in the hand of God, +remains with other remains of faithful Czechs, so that the wood of +Judea and the wood of Ephraim [#]_ be the only wood in the hand of God, when our scattered bones the Almighty Lord collects again, covers with flesh and skin and fills with the spirit of Life, for Him nothing is impossible! .. [#] Czech brethern always very carefully kept detailed historical - records, The Acts of the Unity of Brethern. + records, The Acts of the Unity of Brethren. .. [#] Meaning the south and north kingdom of Juda and Israel. Fifth, I submit to you and your sons also diligence in cultivation, cleaning and building up of adored and beloved language of our fathers. My sons were always watchfulness was known for this in times past, so much so, that wise told us there was no better Czech language than the -one among the Brethern and in their books. +one among the Brethren and in their books. Ale pilněji se na to ještě někteří vydali nyní, teď z vlasti vypuzeni byvše, aby přihotovením knih užitečných a nad předešlý způsob |