World Assembly or Ecumenical Council

Panorthosia and the Authority For Universal Reform

By John Taylor; 2009 Sep 14, Izzat 07, 166 BE

Panorthosia, Chapter 25; The world assembly or ecumenical council, the authority for universal reform.

Never in the history of the world has there been a single language and government for all humanity -- at least, for Comenius, not since the destructive event described in the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel. According to this myth, God dispersed humanity into many political, cultural and linguistic solitudes indefinitely, and millennial prophesy ever since is concerned with a coming restoration in world peace. The enormity of the lack of precedent for this, Comenius recognizes, is daunting but should not be regarded as insurmountable. The chief obstacle to coming together again in one world culture is our long-established custom of thinking of the function of government as making war rather than peace.

"The world has never yet seen jurisprudence and politics in their rightful state, that is, in the fulness of peace. Therefore we must now try to establish this." (Panorthosia, Ch. 25, para 10, p. 141)

The 25th chapter of Panorthosia describes a "World Assembly or Ecumenical Council" which is essentially what we would call a world government. The "authority for universal reform," comes out of this Assembly or Council. The nature of this authority is what I want to discuss today.

The World Assembly, as I understand it, would be a joint meeting of the three ruling bodies, the College of Light for education, the Ecumenical Consistory for religion and the Dicastery of Peace, for politics. Each standing institution was already discussed in its own separate chapter in Panorthosia. Presumably the College, the Consistory and the Dicastery would deliberate apart on a day-to-day basis and only occasionally come together when an issue or concern involves all three of their specialties.

"The procedure of the council entails a definite order of persons, things, and actions. The question which arises concerning the order of persons is, Will the affairs of politics or the church or philosophy be dealt with separately by politicians, churchmen, and philosophers respectively? My answer is No, they will all join forces and deal with them in order of subjects, firstly with education, since educators are torch-bearers for the others, then with the church, considering how we must walk and hold converse with God, and lastly with politics as the foundation, pinnacle, and bond of the others." (Ch. 25, para 10, p. 134)

A World Capitol City

This World Assembly would meet in a planetary capitol city, which Comenius calls, again using Biblical imagery, the Valley of Jehoshaphat. This valley is thought to exist, by some accounts, just outside of old Jerusalem. The valley has long been thought to be the site where the final judgement will take place. Comenius did not take any of this literally. He suggested the following cities to begin with:

"If the question were raised, what site would be a suitable choice for the valley of Jehoshaphat? My answer would be: it must be a place which is 1. conveniently situated so as to be easily accessible by the whole Christian world. 2. able to accommodate the large numbers expected to attend, and 3. equipped with all the facilities required for such organizations. It appears, therefore, that the site most suitable for this task will be some large and wealthy city by the sea, such as the city of Venice, especially with a view to the invitation of Christians from Asia and Africa." (para 9, p. 132)

Comenius cites one authority, Brocardus, who thought that Venice is the modern city of Hamonah where Gog is prophesied to be buried (Ezekiel 34:16). Brocardus "suggests that an assembly of the Christian people should be held there to reform the church and the laws of the whole world..." Comenius is not dogmatic about where the capitol should be, and in other places suggests that it be London, the most cosmopolitan city that he had had contact with.

An Assembly, not a Summit

As we have seen, Comenius saw a large number of representatives convening in the world capital, especially for its opening session, an event literally of world forming significance. Although for practical reasons he accepted that the convention might have to be restricted to Christian Europe, he ultimately intended to become a world constitutional convention.

"But if it is impossible to invite every nation including those who are still unbelievers, or if it seems inexpedient to do so, it will be sufficient in the meantime to hold an assembly of the Christian world, and thereafter to despatch ambassadors with letters to the other nations..." (para 8, pp. 131-132)

This is to be a universal event and every effort should be made to include every country and culture.

"But whom will they invite? I have said that the world should be invited, that is, all nations and peoples under heaven, so that they should be represented by men of their own specially elected from the ranks of scholars, churchmen, and politicians, and in this way they will all be partners in forming common policies for their common welfare, through the philosophers, churchmen and politicians who are delegates from academies, churches, kings, and republics. The situation will require the inclusion of some experts in languages for the purpose of translating decisions and communications affecting many nations." (para 8, pp. 131-132)

Although it may start off staffed by appointees and ambassadors, Comenius saw this world institution broadening its base by setting up a procedure of appointment, hiring and election.

"A very suitable way of enrolling such a council will be to extend the practice which exists elsewhere in the world, where scattered areas assemble in some kind of group, and small groups join larger ones, and so on up to a supreme group. Similarly, colleges of scholars, synods of churches, and assemblies of provinces and kingdoms, being smaller groups, will eventually set up a supreme group, which will finally become a congress or college or council or assembly of the world as fully representative as one could possibly expect on earth." (para 4, p. 130)

A Universal Calendar

This inclusive gathering is a far cry from the national delegates in the United Nations and the sporadic summits of world leaders and conferences held in the name of world federalism. Instead, Comenius saw the convention including everybody on earth by the use of what we now would call a personal planner.

"Finally, consideration can be given to the question of a private calendar which each individual can start for himself on an attached sheet of blank paper, as a record of past activities and future engagements." (para 10, p. 147-149)

This is not just a personal planner, important as that may be. It is a world reforming organization system. Comenius indeed devotes Chapter 20 of Panorthosia to the individual planning process, but subsequent chapters also discuss the complementary planning processes of families (Ch. 21), schools (ch. 22), churches (ch. 23) and politics (Ch. 24). By having a common planning process each level of society is not only synchronized but also engaged in a common educational program that, in effect, affiliates them with the world council and one another.

If there is a greater stroke of genius in the history of human thought than this -- a universal franchise and affiliation of every level of society based on a common planner -- then I do not know of it.

::