restored for the length of their lives, whereupon the lords were to be free to choose such priests as they might wish, or, where the former incumbent was already dead, the nobles could do as they pleased; (5) that all episcopal judgments in religious matters against whomsoever issued be declared null and void; (6) that the clergy be free to marry; (7) that all the clergy, whatever their rank, be declared entitled to their former incomes, according to old customs; (8) that blasphemy against the Trinity and the Eucharist as celebrated by the Roman Church, attacks upon the form of worship of that church, and forcible conversions of Catholics be prohibited; and (9) that all these provisions have the approval and guaranty of the king and be made binding until the restoration of universal peace either by a national or a provincial synod.[144] By this document Protestanism in Poland would have been placed on a basis of full equality with the Roman faith. But when this bill was presented to the bishops, they promptly rejected it. Thereupon new plans of adjustment were worked out one after another only to be rejected by the bishops. Finally, it was resolved that the king call together on his own authority, at a time most convenient in his judgment, a synod at which the king himself with his council of state should be present. Until then peace should be preserved in the country; ecclesiastical jurisdiction against whomsoever was to be suspended; the execution of all pending ecclesiastical judgments was to be abandoned; and people were to refrain from all blasphemies and disturbances growing out of religious differences.[145] The bishops, however, remained inflexible; they would not yield an inch in spite of the fact that they had considered making concessions. They protested against the suspension of their ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and through the archdeacon of Kalisz, Francis Krasiński, appealed to the Pope for counsel and for help.[146] Nevertheless, in spite of the bishops’ protests, the decision of the Diet prevailed and remained in force. By it ecclesiastical jurisdiction became suspended until the meeting of a National Synod to be called together at a convenient time by the king, and Protestantism was for the time being legally recognized, receiving full freedom of worship and the legal right to all the church property already in the hands of Protestants. It was not as much as the Protestants had hoped to gain; nevertheless it was a considerable advance and a marked victory for them. In accordance with his agreement to call a National Synod together to settle the existing religious differences, the king took steps to secure the Pope’s sanction of this move and of several contemplated reforms. He sent Stanislaus Maciejowski, castellan of Sandomir and crown court marshal, to Rome with congratulations to the new Pope, Paul IV, and with the request for his sanction of the following proposed reforms: