The Polish Brethren were fervent advocates of religious tolerance. Johann Crell's “Vindiciae pro Religionis Libertate” (1637) is prominent among their works, because of its far-reaching and progressive arguments for freedom of religion. This article outlines the historical and intellectual context of this pamphlet, and its reception in seventeenth-century Europe. Despite being familiar with a historical situation in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth where toleration was practiced on a societal level, Crell strongly argued that freedom of religion had to be enacted through a public law. Only in this way could freedom of religion be truly effective and guarantee safety for all citizens.

中文翻译：

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宽容、社会和主权：波兰-立陶宛联邦的多元主义倒退

波兰弟兄会是宗教宽容的热心倡导者。约翰·克雷尔 (Johann Crell) 的“Vindiciae pro Religionis Libertate”（1637 年）在他们的作品中尤为突出，因为它对宗教自由进行了影响深远和进步的论证。本文概述了这本小册子的历史和知识背景，以及它在 17 世纪欧洲的接受程度。尽管熟悉波兰-立陶宛联邦在社会层面实行宽容的历史情况，但克雷尔强烈主张必须通过公法来实施宗教自由。只有这样，宗教自由才能真正发挥作用，才能保障全体公民的安全。