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Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia - James Aitken Wylie

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historian styles him had to pass through Silesia <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong> on their way to Prussia. Arriv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> Posen<br />

<strong>in</strong> June, 1548, they were welcomed by Andreas<br />

Gorka, first magistrate of Gr<strong>and</strong> <strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong>, a man of<br />

vast possessions, <strong>and</strong> Protestant op<strong>in</strong>ions, <strong>and</strong> were<br />

offered a settlement <strong>in</strong> his States. Here, meanwhile,<br />

their journey term<strong>in</strong>ated. The pious w<strong>and</strong>erers<br />

erected churches <strong>and</strong> celebrated their worship.<br />

Their hymns chanted <strong>in</strong> the <strong>Bohemia</strong>n language,<br />

<strong>and</strong> their sermons preached <strong>in</strong> the same tongue,<br />

drew many of the Polish <strong>in</strong>habitants, whose speech<br />

was Slavonic, to listen, <strong>and</strong> ultimately to embrace<br />

their op<strong>in</strong>ions. A missionary army, it looked to<br />

them as if Providence had guided their steps to this<br />

spot for the conversion of all the prov<strong>in</strong>ces of<br />

Gr<strong>and</strong> <strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong>. The Bishop of Posen saw the danger<br />

that menaced his diocese, <strong>and</strong> rested not till he had<br />

obta<strong>in</strong>ed an order from Sigismund Augustus, who<br />

had just succeeded his father (1548), enjo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g the<br />

<strong>Bohemia</strong>n emigrants to quit the territory. The order<br />

might possibly have been recalled, but the brethren,<br />

not wish<strong>in</strong>g to be the cause of trouble to the<br />

gr<strong>and</strong>ee who had so nobly enterta<strong>in</strong>ed them,<br />

resumed their journey, <strong>and</strong> arrived <strong>in</strong> due time <strong>in</strong><br />

15

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