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 The constant wars with the Turks gave Ferdinand a plausible excuse for making frequent calls upon the States for special taxation, who, intimidated by his strong will and energy of character, dared not oppose him. In this way the money carried out of the country amounted to such vast sums that there was scarcely enough left to defray the expenses of the home government. There was, however, one redeeming feature in this arbitrary form of government. Ferdinand succeeded better than his predecessors in curbing the proud nobles, and bringing law and order into the land. With law and personal security came also prosperity; consequently the people did not murmur much, even though they were obliged to pay exorbitant taxes to enable their king to carry on a war in which, as a nation, they had no interest.

Lutheranism spread so rapidly in Bohemia that its adherents, called Evangelicals, soon became the strongest sect in the country. King Ferdinand hated this sect, and his taking them under his protection against the persecution of Pasek was done from political, not religious motives. As soon as he could find any plausible pretense, he tried to repress their growth. This, however, was quite a difficult undertaking. He could, to some extent, abridge the rights of the Evangelicals in Prague and in other royal cities, but he had no power to do so upon the estates of the nobility. He determined to oppose them in their Church organization, which, at this time, they were trying to bring to some permanent form. Thus far they had allied themselves with the Calixtines, then recognized as one of the State Churches; and, being in the majority, they tried to give this Church