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Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia - James Aitken Wylie

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Chapter 3<br />

Acme of <strong>Protestantism</strong> <strong>in</strong><br />

<strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong><br />

IS follow<strong>in</strong>g the labors of those em<strong>in</strong>ent men<br />

whom God <strong>in</strong>spired with the wish to emancipate<br />

their native l<strong>and</strong> from the yoke of Rome, we have<br />

gone a little way beyond the po<strong>in</strong>t at which we had<br />

arrived <strong>in</strong> the history of <strong>Protestantism</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong>.<br />

We go back a stage. We have seen the Diet of 1552<br />

<strong>in</strong>flict a great blow on the Papal power <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong>,<br />

by abolish<strong>in</strong>g the civil jurisdiction of the bishops.<br />

Four years after this (1556) John Alasco returned,<br />

<strong>and</strong> began his labors <strong>in</strong> <strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong>; these he was<br />

prosecut<strong>in</strong>g with success, when Lippomani was<br />

sent from Rome to undo his work.<br />

Lippomani's mission bore fruit. He revived the<br />

fa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g spirits <strong>and</strong> rallied the waver<strong>in</strong>g courage of<br />

the Romanists. He sowed with subtle art suspicions<br />

<strong>and</strong> dissensions among the Protestants; he stoutly<br />

promised <strong>in</strong> the Pope's name all necessary<br />

58

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