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Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia - James Aitken Wylie

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thought it very possible that if he were himself to<br />

mediate <strong>in</strong> the matter he would, at least, succeed <strong>in</strong><br />

soften<strong>in</strong>g the fall of the bishops, if only he could<br />

persuade them to make certa<strong>in</strong> concessions. But he<br />

was mistaken: the ecclesiastical dignitaries were<br />

perverse, <strong>and</strong> resolutely refused to yield one iota of<br />

their powers. Thereupon the Diet issued its decree,<br />

which the k<strong>in</strong>g ratified, that the clergy should<br />

reta<strong>in</strong> the power of judg<strong>in</strong>g of heresy, but have no<br />

power of <strong>in</strong>flict<strong>in</strong>g civil or crim<strong>in</strong>al punishment on<br />

the condemned. Their spiritual sentences were<br />

henceforward to carry no temporal effects<br />

whatever. The Diet of 1552 may be regarded as the<br />

epoch of the downfall of Roman Catholic<br />

predom<strong>in</strong>ancy <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong>, <strong>and</strong> of the establishment<br />

<strong>in</strong> that country of the liberty of all religious<br />

confessions. [15]<br />

The anger of the bishops was <strong>in</strong>flamed to the<br />

utmost. They entered their solemn protest aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />

the enactment of the Diet. The mitre was shorn of<br />

half its splendor, <strong>and</strong> the crozier of more than half<br />

its power, by be<strong>in</strong>g disjo<strong>in</strong>ed from the sword. They<br />

left the Senate-hall <strong>in</strong> a body, <strong>and</strong> threatened to<br />

25

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