Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia - James Aitken Wylie

of their tithes from Protestant landlords, and
attempted to take back the churches which had
been converted front Romanist to Protestant uses.
To make trial of how far the nation was disposed to
yield to these demands, or the tribunals prepared to
endorse them, they entered pleas at law to have the
goods and possessions which they claimed as theirs
adjudged to them, and in some instances the courts
gave decisions in their favour. But the hierarchy
had gone farther than meanwhile was prudent.
These arrogant demands roused the alarm of the
nobles; and the Diets of 1581 and 1582
administered a tacit rebuke to the hierarchy by
annulling the judgments which had been
pronounced in their favor. The bishops had learned
that they must walk slowly if they would walk
safely; but they had met with nothing to convince
them that their course was not the right one, or that
it would not succeed in the end.
Nevertheless, under the appearance of having
suffered a rebuff, the hierarchy had gained not a
few substantial advantages. The more extreme of
their demands had been disallowed, and many
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