CHAPTER IX. EFFORTS MADE BY THE PROTESTANTS TO EFFECT A UNION OF THEIR CHURCHES, AND ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THAT OBJECT, BY THE CONSENT OF SANDOMIR (CONSENSUS SANDOMIRIENSIS). NOTWITHSTANDING the disturbances created in the reformed church by the anti-Trinitarians, and the deep injury which it inflicted on the cause of the Reformation in Poland, the Protestants did not lose sight of the important project of uniting the three churches of Poland, viz. the Reformed or Helvetian, the Bohemian, or, as it was often called, the Valdensian, and the Lutheran. This union once firmly established, would have given to the Protestant party an irresistible strength, and insured its speedy triumph over the Roman church, which was enabled to resist their attacks not so much by its own strength as by the deplorable dissensions of its antagonists. An important step towards the attainment of that great object was made by the union of the Helvetian with the Bohemian churches, effected by the synod of Kozminek in 1555,* and which deserved the warmest applause of the most eminent reformers of Europe. This union was confirmed by the synod of Pinczov in 1556, that of Vlodislav in 1557 and that of Xionz in 1560. The united churches endeavoured to extend their alliance to the Lutherans, and the synod of Vlodislav, presided over by the celebrated John Laski, or à Lasco, invited the Lutherans to join their union, but the invitation remained without effect. Laski enjoyed a paramount influence over the reformed churches of Poland, and he may be considered as having contributed the most to their establishment in his native land, and to the preponderance which they acquired over the other Protestant churches of that country. But he was by no means popular with the Lutherans; and we have already had ample opportunity, in giving a sketch of the life and labours of that eminent reformer, to mention the persecutions to which he had been exposed by the bigoted Lutherans. * Vide page 342. + "De vestro сит Valdensibus" (Bohemian Brethren), consensu optima quæque spero vobis omnibus sedulo danda est opera ut hæc pia conspiratio magis ac magis sanciatur.”—Letter of Calvin to Karminski. the Lutherans the three Pro testant churches of Poland. The hatred which the Lutherans of Germany and Denmark bore to Laski was communicated to those of Poland, and they rejected the invitation of the above-mentioned synod. The attempt which was made at the Lutheran synod of Gluchow in 1557, to promote that great object, instead of appeasing rather increased the diffiOpposition of culties. The united churches delegated to that to the union of synod, as their representatives, the Bohemian ministers Israel, Drzewinski, Laurentius, and Rokita; but Laski, who probably had foreseen the irritation of the Lutherans, did not join it. Experience proved that he was right in following that course, as the Lutherans read publicly at that synod the work of Westphalus, which, as we have already mentioned,* was a bitter and unmerited invective against Laski. This preposterous step naturally gave offence to the followers of the Helveto-Bohemian churches, and increased the difficulties to the accomplishment of a union between them and the Lutherans. The Bohemian church was meanwhile rapidly increasing under the direction of George Israel, whose great merit and devotion to its cause rendered him worthy of becoming its ruler. Its synod, which assembled at Slezany in Moravia, was composed of no less than two hundred ministers from Moravia and Poland, besides * Vide page 265. is sent by the Brethren to many noblemen and other laymen from both countries. The Lutherans did not, however, cease to attack it with accusations of heresy, and the Bohemian church, which had much at heart the union of all Protestants, adopted a wise measure in order to obtain a solemn and decisive evidence of its orthodoxy. It sent a deputation to the Protestant churches of Germany with the object of restoring the spiritual community established with Luther,* and to remove by it the ill-will of his followers which impeded the accomplishment of the desired union. The deputation, A deputation composed of James Rokita and Peter Herbert, Bohemian was favourably received by Wolfgang, palatine of the chief rethe Rhine, as well as by Christopher, duke of formers of Wirtemberg; and the confession of their church approve their was found free from errors, and comformable to the doctrines of the Gospel. The duke of Wirtemberg recommended by his letters the Bohemian church to Nicholaus prince Radziwill, Lukas Gorka, palatine of Posnania, and Stanislav Ostrorog. Rokita returned to Poland furnished with evidence sufficient to repel the attacks of the Lutherans at home and abroad; but Herbert extended his journey, and visited the most eminent reformers and the principal Protestant schools of Germany and Switzerland, in order to submit to their approbation the confession of his Europe, who confession. Synods of church he fully attained his object, and Sulcer at Basil, Peter Martyr and Bullinger at Zurich, Calvin, Viret, and Beza at Geneva, and Musculus at Berne, gave a most flattering evidence in its favour. Such eminent authorities silenced for a time the ill-will of the Lutherans, and they sent delegates to the synod of Xionz in September 1560; but these delegates remained passive auditors, instead of taking an active part at the deliberations of the synod, because, as they said, they came only in order to listen and to investigate, and not to direct, as they had no powers for concluding a religious communion. This synod introduced the final organization of the united Posnania con churches, and strengthened their alliance by a more precise definition of some points. The views of the united churches were somewhat advanced at the synod of Posnania assembled on the 1st November of the same year, and which was very numerous, being composed of many noblemen and ministers from Grand and Little Poland. The Lutherans showed themselves less obstinately adverse to the establishment of a union, and the eighth canon of that synod recommended to seek the means of accomplishing this desideratum. The greatest obstacle to the union was the strict dogmatical spirit of the Lutherans, who refused to surrender even points of minor importance. They exacted the most absolute identity, and could not be satisfied with a perfect vened in order to promote that union. |