Ohlášení

Na spis proti Jednotě bratrské od M. Samuela Martinia etc. sepsaný a na vyvrácení k řádu jejímu v pobožných lidech dověrnosti v třidcíti pěti příčinách (jakž je nazývá) vůbec vydaný potřebné, mírné, křesťanské starších kněží též Jednoty bratrské na ten čas v Lešně Polském v exilium zustávajících ohlášení

A proclamation on the tract against the Unity of Brethren drawn up by M. Samuel Martinius etc and to intended confound the faith of the pious in their order through thirty-five causes (as they are termed), issued by the moderate Christian elder priests of said Unity of Brethren at this time remaining in exile at Leszno in Poland  

Origin of the work:
  1635 Leszno

Editions:
  1635 place not given

1912 Veškeré spisy J. A. Komenského, vol. XVII

Contents:

In 1609 the Unity of Brethren acceded to the Bohemian Confession of 1575, in order that they not lose the advantages of Rudolf II’s Letter of Majesty. To the outside world, they presented a united front with the Neo-Utraquist Church, but within retained complete independence in ecclesiastical administration, their orders and Mass. All of this was retained in emigration. In Saxony, however, where the Lutheran elector required a single confession, that of Augsburg, to be adopted by the immigrants, the local leader of the Czech Neo-Utraquist emigration Samuel Martinius of Dražov called on the Brethren to submit to the Neo-Utraquist (Lutheran) authorities, and in order that they be administered together took up a collection for the benefit of the Brethren exiles. This led to a dispute in which Martinius assailed the Brethren in 1635 with a tract beginning with the words “Five and thirty powerful... reasons”. The elder priests of the Brethren replied to his invective with this Proclamation, which was drawn up by Comenius.

In the document, the Brethren protest the claim that seceding from the Bohemian Confession disrupted the peace within the Church. Disconnecting from the Roman Church they did found a separate sect, but considered themselves a part of the Church. Their existence is based on the advocacy of the Truth of Christ’s teaching. Even Martin Luther himself, in his relations with the Brethren, never called on them to surrender this independence. Martinius responded to this reply, and the dispute continued (see the entry for the Cesta pokoje).

For further study, see also:

Veškeré spisy J. A. Komenského, vol. XVII. Brno 1912, pp255-260

J. V. Novák & J. Hendrich, Jan Amos Komenský, jeho života spisy. Prague 1932, pp255-260

Jan Kumpera, Jan Amos Komenský, poutník na rozhraní věků. Prague & Ostrava 1992, pp268-270