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Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia - James Aitken Wylie

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chief support, after the crown, of the Papal reaction<br />

<strong>in</strong> the Polish dom<strong>in</strong>ions. Not only were their<br />

<strong>in</strong>fluence <strong>and</strong> wealth freely employed for the<br />

spread of the Jesuits, but all the Protestant churches<br />

<strong>and</strong> schools which their father had built on his<br />

estates were made over to the Church of Rome.<br />

The example of the Radziwills was followed by<br />

many of the Lithuanian nobles, who returned<br />

with<strong>in</strong> the Roman pale, br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g with them not<br />

only the edifices on their l<strong>and</strong>s formerly used <strong>in</strong> the<br />

Protestant service, but their tenants also, <strong>and</strong><br />

expell<strong>in</strong>g those who refused to conform.<br />

By this time the populace had been sufficiently<br />

leavened with the spirit <strong>and</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>ciples of the<br />

Jesuits to be made their tool. Mob violence is<br />

commonly the first form that persecution assumes.<br />

It was so <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong>. The caves whence these<br />

popular tempests issued were the Jesuit colleges.<br />

The students <strong>in</strong>flamed the passions of the<br />

multitude, <strong>and</strong> the public peace was broken by<br />

tumult <strong>and</strong> outrage. Protestant worshipp<strong>in</strong>g<br />

assemblies began to be assailed <strong>and</strong> dispersed,<br />

Protestant churches to be wrecked, <strong>and</strong> Protestant<br />

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