Kotter, Christopher

, born in 1585, was one of the three fanatics whose visions were published at Amsterdam in 1657 (by Comenius, as noticed in his life), with the following title: “Lux in Tenebris.” He lived at Sprottow in Silesia; and his visions began in June 1616. He fancied he saw an angel, under the form of a man, who commanded him to go and declare to the magistrates, that, unless the people repented, the wrath of God would fall dreadfully upon them. His pastor and friends restrained him for some time, nor did he execute his commission, even though the angel had appeared six times; but in 1619, being threatened by the same spirit, he divulged his commission. This brought upon him some ridicule, but his visions continued, and were followed by extasies and prophetic dreams. He waited on the elector Palatine, whom the protestants had declared king of Bohemia, at Breslaw, in 1620, and informed him of his commission, and published it in other places, and, in 1625, at Brandenburg, He became acquainted, the same year, with Comenius, | who greatly favoured his prophecies but, as they chiefly presaged happiness to the elector-palatine, and the reverse to the emperor, he became at length obnoxious, and, in 1627, was closely imprisoned, as a seditious impostor, afterwards set on the pillory, and banished the emperor’s dominions. Upon this he went to Lusatia, which was then subject to his electoral highness of Saxony; and lived there unmolested till his death, in 1647. Whether fool, or knave, he was not discouraged from prophesying, though his predictions were continually convicted of falsehood by the event. ¹