led from their brethren, forming
i'-iastiial organization,
Its members the Minor Reformed chin, h i>l Po
nd in 1579
led to tl ie Antitrinitaiians being thrown
• finite form, and to the formation of Socillian
i ,iis. chiefly composed of nobles, among whom there were m iny wealthy landowners. " Whei n hided in
• utantism in P - highest
- . \i i liurches i d scho
irious denominations, had been Scriptures bad been translated nud print- nal language; and religious liberty wa- in,known in any other
• ivorable circum
■ -. who sou-lit an asylum from
i number
• d in different i
mil there at this dav.
b we have now arrived Romnn-
- hold of the Polish n:i- mi of the nobility were •
■ in prov- i H within
- the primate m- • ii of the il the laity, '■'
■ Church. 1 tubers
k I linrch- ; lenuinc ■
irch in Poland, uln; lmt in this
one of the most remarkable men of his acre. This zealons
Romish di_'iiitarv had early made himself conspicuous
-tiliiy to the Protestants, and now that he had
been nominated a cardinal, he used every effort to check
Ri formation in Poland, 1 however, that his own Church was fast losing ground, and that Reformed principles were almost certain erelong • ■ udeucy, he called to his aid the newly I Order of Jesuits, several of whom arrived from Rome in 1564, and by their intrigues and agitation the whole country was made for a Ion;,' period the - the most in e, m!.\ c, ,n, motions,
•• During the life of Sigismuud Augustus the Protestants indulged i i though naturally of a wavering
and uudei . he might possibly dei
the establishment ofa Reformed Natioual Chnrch; but the death of that monarch without issue, in 1572, put an end to all such expectations. The Jagellonian dynasty, which had governed Poland for two centuries, was now extinct. An earni mmenced, therefore, be-
tween the Protestants and Romanists, each party being anxious that the vacant throne should be filled bj a zeal- ous Supporter of their Church. The Romanists, headed by cardinal Commendoni, were anxious to confer the crown upon the archduke Ernest, son of the emperor Maximilian II. and were even ready to secure their object by force. Coliguy and the Freuch Protestants had for some time, even before the death ofSigismund Augustus, entertained the project of placing Benry ofVaJefie, duke of Anjou, on the Polish throne; and Catharine di Mi ,. the mother of the duke, eagerly lent her approbation to the proposal.
"The diet of convocation assembled at Warsaw in Janu- ary, 1573, for the purpose of taking steps for the mainte- nance of the peace and safety of the country during the interregnum. At this diet, notwithstanding the opposi- tion of the Romish bishops, instigated by Commendoni,
a law was passed establishing a perfect equality of rights
among all the christian confessions of Poland, guaran- teeing the dignities and privileges of the Roman Catho- lic bishops, but abolishing the obligation of Church pa- trons to bestow the benefices iu their gift exclusively on Roman Catholic clergymen. The election ofa new mon- arch was arranged to take place on April 7. at Kamiuietz, near Warsaw. The prim i| ors for the throne
of Poland were the two princes already mentioned ; and although meanwhile the hon ,1 massacre ol St. Barthol- omew had rendered the Polish Protestants somewhat afraid to commit their interests to a French prince, yet, being unwilling to involve their country in a civil war, they accepted Henry, duke of Anjou, who was according- ly elected king of Poland.
"A deputation of twelve noblemen were immediately despatched to Paris to announce to Henry his election, and on Sept. Ill, 157."., the ceremony of presenting the diploma of election took place in the church of Notre Dame. The circumstances attending the presentation are interesting as manifesting the intolerant spirit of the Polish Romanists. 'The bishop Karnkowski, a member of the Polish embassy, at the beginning of the ceremony, entered a protest against the claiise for securing religious liberty inserted in the oath which the new monarch was to take on that occasion. This act produced some con- fusion, the Protestant Zborowski having interrupted the solemnity with the following words, addressed to Mont- Inc: "Had you not accepted, in the name of the duke, the conditions of religions liberty, onr opposition would have prevented thi- duke from being elei ted our mon- arch." Henry feigned to !,«■ astonished, as if he did not understand the subject in dispute; but Zborowski ad- dressed him, savin-, "I repeat, sire, thai ifyour ambas- sadors had not accepted the Condition of liberty to the contending religious persuasions, our opposition would have prevented you from being elected kin.'; and that if you do not confirm these conditions, you shall not be our king." After this the member- of the embaBSJ sir- rounded their new monarch, and Herburt, a Roman Cath- olic, Had the formula of the oath prescribed bj tl ing diet, which Henry repeated without any opposition. 'lie- bishop Karnkowski. who had stood aside, approached the king after he had sworn, and protested that the relig- ious liberty seen red by the royal oath was not to injure the authority of the church of Rome; and the kini: gave him n written testimony in favor of that protest.'