In the day of their independence, before 1620,
they were Protestants, and the most glorious and memorable events of
their history are connected with their struggle for the faith. The
history of their Church is the history of their nation, for on the one
hand was Protestantism and independence, on the other, Catholicism and
political subjection. For two centuries Bohemia was a bloody
battleground of Protestant reform. Under the spiritual and military
leadership of such men as Jerome of Prague, John Huss, and Ziska, the
Bohemians fought their good fight and lost. After the battle of White
Mountains, in 1620, national independence was completely lost, and
Catholicism was forcibly imposed upon the country. All Protestant
Bibles, books, and songs were burned, thus depriving the nation of a
large and rich literature. Those who still clung to their faith publicly
were banished, their property becoming forfeited to the state. After 150
years, when Emperor Joseph II. of Austria gave back to the Protestants
some measure of their former freedom, many of the churches were
reestablished; but Protestantism had lost much of its strength. The
political revolution of 1848 led to new subjugation, and emigration was
the result.
Pages:
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169