Boj s Bohem

Boj s Bohem modlitbami: naposledy pak oddání a poddání se Bohu na všelikou vůli jeho, k životu i smrti. Vysvětlený kázáním 24. září učiněným, po přejití dne minulého velikých strachů smrti a zahynutí od rozlícených proti městu L. nepřátel

The struggle with God in prayer: latterly devotion and subjugation to God whatever His will, in life and in death. The explanatory sermon of September 24th intended to sooth the great fear of recent days of death and demise at the hands of the enemies of the town of L.

Origin of the work:
  1655 Leszno

Editions:
  1655 Leszo

1941 Tábor

1974 Prague, Vybrané spisy J. A. Komenského, vol. VII

Contents:

During the First Northern War between Sweden and Poland (1655 – 1660), Leszno sided with the Swedes and had a Swedish garrison. After the enormous initial success of the Swedish King Charles X Gustav, the tides of war began to turn in favour of Poland. Comenius waited in vain for envoys to come from the Prince of Transylvania, György II Rákóczi, but the latter’s aid had been rejected by Charles Gustav, who was confident of conquering Poland alone. The Polish Catholic nobility vented their displeasure on Leszno; Polish artillery gathered in the neighbourhood of the town, and the non-Catholic inhabitants of foreign extractions, Germans and Czechs, were overcome by fear. In these straits, Comenius, as a minister of the Unitas Fratrum, felt it incumbent upon him to calm the faithful. He did so with this sermon, which was issued in print.

Given the presence of adversaries, it outlines the duties of the pious person: 1. to call on God for aid; 2. to appeal with persistent tenacity and trust for His help; 3. in the case that God does not wish to provide such assistance, to place the soul in His hands.

For further study, see also:

Vybrané spisy J. A. Komenského, vol. VII. Prague 1974, p60

J. V. Novák & J. Hendrich, Jan Amos Komenský, jeho život a spisy. Prague 1932, pp508-509

Jan Kumpera, Jan Amos Komenský, poutník na rozhraní věků. Prague & Ostrava 1992, p207