Oculus

Theologia naturalis sive Liber creaturarum specialiter de homine et natura ejus, in quantum homo est, et de his, quae illi necessaria sunt ad cognoscendum Deum et seipsum omniaque quibus Deo, proximo, sibi obligatur ad salutem. A Raymundo de Sabunde ante duo secula conscriptus, nunc autem Latiniore stylo in compendium redactus et in subsidium incredulitati atheorum, Epicureorum, Judaeorum, Turcarum aliorumque infidelium, nominatim Socinianorum et aliorum Christianorum mysteria fidei suae non attendentium, a Johanne A. Comenio oblatus

(The eye of faith) A theology of nature or Book of Creation, especially of Man and his nature, of how much he his human, and of that which is required for a knowledge of God and of oneself, and all that is ordained by God, neighbours and the self that he might be redeemed. Written two centuries ago by Raymundo de Sabunde, now abridged, presented in a better Latin style and offered to aid the unfaith of the atheists, epicureans, Jews, Turks and other unbelievers, namely the Socinians and other Christians who have forgotten the mysteries of their Faith, by Johannes A. Comenius.

Origin of the work:
  1660 – 1661 Amsterdam

Editions:
  1661 Amsterdam

1983 Hildesheim, in: Johann Amos Comenius, Antisozinische Schriften I – II, pp381–815

Contents:

The Theologia naturalis (Natural theology) of Raimundo de Sabunde, as revised by Comenius.

In the introduction, Comenius speaks of his having favoured books in which the Christian truth is supported by reasoned argument. He regards this book by the Spanish philosopher and theologian Raimundo de Sabunde as one such, this having fallen into obscurity probably on account of its poor Latin. He now issues it in his own redaction, and sends it to be read by the Socinian Zwicker.

Comenius values the fact that in its first section Raimundo’s treatise starts with natural events, and gradually leads the reader to the higher religious truth. In the second section, he provides instructions on how to be recognise the accordance between the Christian religion and natural truths, and how to complement and bring these truths to a climax.

This book was published by Comenius in connection with his dispute with Daniel Zwicker, which was conducted in the form of written polemics and which concerned questions of dogma. This treatise was meant to convince Zwicker that there was no inconsistency between science and Scripture, as the Socinians proclaimed. See also the entries for the De irenico irenicorum, the De Sociniano irenico and the Admonitio tertia.

For further study, see also:

J. V. Novák & J. Hendrich, Jan Amos Komenský, jeho život a spisy. Prague 1932, pp571-574

Jan Kumpera, J. A. Komenský, poutník na rozhraní věků. Prague & Ostrava 1992, pp273-274

Erwin Schadel, Hinführung zu den antisozinianischen Schriften des Comenius. In: Johann Amos Comenius, Antisozinianishe Schriften. Teil 1. Hildesheim etc.: 1983, pp24-72