Editor’s Notes
Why have I bothered to do this? I became interested in Petr Chelčický when I read Tolstoy’s The Kingdom of God is Within You, in which he laments Chelčický’s obscurity and exposes the “conspiracy of silence” that surrounds the Gospel’s message of nonviolence. I found and transcribed all of the previous works that Tolstoy referred to in his book, including Chelčický’s The Net of Faith, the only English translation of which was made by Rev. Erico Molnár as a divinity school thesis. In his introduction, Rev. Molnár wrote, “[In O boji duchovním], for the first time as far as we know, Chelčický expounded the fundamental pacifist thesis[1] that a Christian must abstain from physical war and violence, since his main duty is ‘spiritual warfare’ against the evils of this world, violence being one of those evils.” It was in reliance on that recommendation that I commissioned Ms. Enns to make this translation, which is a part of my continuing small effort to break the “conspiracy of silence.”
Ms. Enns crafted an admirable but somewhat literal translation, which I have edited for readability and clarity of meaning. Unfortunately, I do not know Czech and had to use my best guess on some of the more cryptic passages. I hope and pray that I have nonetheless been faithful to the author’s original intentions.
It is worth noting that in Petr Chelčický I have not only a kindred-spirit, but a fellow countryman as well. My father’s family comes from the region around Chelčice–from an area extending 20 miles to the east and 45 miles to the northwest, to be exact–and has been traced back there to the late 1600s. Being serfs who were tied to the land, it is entirely possible that my ancestors were personally inspired by Chelčický during his lifetime.
Of Chelčický’s fifty-six known works, I know of only four that have been translated into English:
| O boji duchovním | On the Spiritual Battle |
| O církvi svaté | On the Holy Church[2] |
| O trojiem lidu řeč | On the Triple Division of Society[3] |
| Sieť viery | The Net of Faith |
Please let me know of any others. Also, please bring any mistakes in this document to my attention so that I can correct them. This translation is under no copyright protection. It is my gift to you. You may freely copy, print, and transmit it.
Tom Lock
- ↑ “Though a person would want to stand up against the devil and destroy him with the great power of this world, he will not be able to; the devil’s strength is above the strength of this world. People today, who outfit themselves with the power of this world and its weapons, wanting to destroy the devil, think futilely. When they lay siege with sling stones, wanting to tear down the fortifications in which evil people hide–people filled with the devil–the devil ignores it. Instead, the devil also enters into those who are laying siege and lives in their cruel and loveless hearts, regardless of the destruction of the fortifications and the hateful evil people inside. Sling stones do as much harm to the devil’s wily purposes as chaff that is carried along by the wind. All physical power and strength cannot destroy him because it is him who gives rise to it with his cunning. In this way, everyone who wants or presumes to destroy his dominion through the strength and power of this world is on his side by it, serves him, and exalts him more than he was exalted in his dominion before.”
- ↑ Bowsky, William. Studies in Medieval and Renaissance History, Vol. 1. University of Nebraska Press, 1964. Translation by Howard Kaminsky.
- ↑ Ibid.
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