Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia - James Aitken Wylie

capital, and the chief emporium of Poland with
Western Europe. In that city a monk, called James
Knade, threw off his habit (1518), took a wife, and
began to preach publicly against Rome. Knade had
to retire to Thorn, where he continued to diffuse his
doctrines under the protection of a powerful
nobleman; but the seed he had sown in Dantzic did
not perish; there soon arose a little band of
preachers, composed of Polish youths who had sat
at Luther's feet in Wittemberg, and of priests who
had found access to the Reformer's writings, who
now proclaimed the truth, and made so numerous
converts that in 1524: five churches in Dantzic
were given up to their use.
Success made the Reformers rash. The town
council, to whom the king, Sigismund, had hinted
his dislike of these innovations, lagged behind in
the movement, and the citizens resolved to replace
that body with men more zealous. They surrounded
the council, to the number of 400, and with arms in
their hands, and cannon pointed on the councilhall,
they demanded the resignation of the
members. No sooner had the council dissolved
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