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Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia - James Aitken Wylie

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Lutheran -- agreed to merge all their Confessions<br />

<strong>in</strong> one creed, <strong>and</strong> comb<strong>in</strong>e their several<br />

organisations <strong>in</strong> one government.<br />

But even this was only an approximation, not a<br />

full <strong>and</strong> complete atta<strong>in</strong>ment of the object aimed at.<br />

All <strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong> was not yet ruled spiritually from one<br />

ecclesiastical centre; for the three great political<br />

divisions of the country -- Great <strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong>, Little<br />

<strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong>, <strong>and</strong> Lithuania -- had each its <strong>in</strong>dependent<br />

ecclesiastical establishment, by which all its<br />

religious affairs were regulated. Nevertheless, at<br />

<strong>in</strong>tervals, or when some matter of great moment<br />

arose, all the pastors of the k<strong>in</strong>gdom came together<br />

<strong>in</strong> Synod, thus present<strong>in</strong>g a gr<strong>and</strong> Convocation of<br />

all the Protestant Churches of <strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong>.<br />

Despite this tri-partition <strong>in</strong> the ecclesiastical<br />

authority, one form of Church government now<br />

extended over all <strong>Pol<strong>and</strong></strong>. That form was a<br />

modified episcopacy. If any one man was entitled<br />

to be styled the Father of the Polish Protestant<br />

Church it was John Alasco, <strong>and</strong> the organisation<br />

which he gave to the Reformed Church of his<br />

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