the commonwealth was an important european center for the development of modern social and political ideas. it was famous for its rare quasi-democratic political system, praised by philosophers, and during the counter-reformation was known for near-unparalleled religious tolerance, with peacefully coexisting roman catholic, jewish, orthodox christian, protestant and muslim (sufi) communities. in the 18th century, the french catholic rulhiere wrote of 16th century poland: "this country, which in our day we have seen divided on the pretext of religion, is the first state in europe that exemplified tolerance. in this state, mosques arose between churches and synagogues.” the commonwealth gave rise to the famous christian sect of the polish brethren, antecedents of british and american unitarianism.