CHAP. VI.

THE BROTHERS PETRI.

111

punishment might be closed, and those of the paradise of bliss immediately opened." And lest this pardon should be thought nullified by subsequent transgressions, it was reserved and to take effect in the article of death.1

The preaching of the Petris, during the continuance of the war, attracted comparatively little notice. Men were too much occupied with immediate interests to attend much to religious controversies. But when the struggle was over, their sermons in Strengness church, and the lectures of Olaus, who was Rector of the school at that place, began to make an evident impression. They had found a convert and a protector there in the Archdeacon, Lars Anderson (Laurentius Andreae), who afterwards became the King's Chancellor; and a vigorous opponent in Nicolaus Dean of Strengness, who maintained with them a constant controversy. Rumours of this controversy having reached the ears of Gustavus, he desired to hear the disputed points discussed in his presence. The result was that, having consulted first his Chancellor, and afterwards Luther himself, concerning the doctrines of the Reformation, he became

1 Seckendorf; Luther, vol. i. p. 14; apud Dalin. 1517 missus est in Daniam a Leone X. Pont. Max.

"Anno Domini D. Angelus Ar

cumboldus. Hæc (legatio) adeo fuit scandalosa ut omnem pietatem et religionem merâ licentiâ extinxerit. Eo quod inciderat in commissarios luxu, fastu, et ambitione perditissimos, quorum culpâ factum est, ut sancta illa Romana Ecclesia, totius orbis magistra, nunc male audiat per multas orbis nationes, voceturque infamis Babylonia, quæ olim habita est Christianæ religionis præcipua mater victrix et gubernatrix."-Chron. Skibyense-Dan. Rer. Script., vol. ii. p. 566.

a firm though at first a secret supporter of them. In 1524 he appointed Olaus Petri preacher and townsecretary at Stockholm, and his brother Laurentius Rector of the school at Upsala.'

The Bishop of Linköping, the most able and courageous of the Swedish prelates, was the most determined opponent of the Lutherans, warning the people and priesthood against their "honeyed poison," and entreating the Pope to appoint inquisitors in every diocese to search out that pernicious heresy. He urged Gustavus also not to shield those who promulged the new opinions, and to prohibit the sale of Luther's writings. To the first point Gustavus answered that he was bound to protect every one of his subjects until they should have been convicted of some crime or misdemeanour. To the second he wrote " As to your request that we should forbid the purchase of Luther's books, we do not see how we can grant it until we hear them condemned by impartial judges, especially since books against Luther are brought into the country. It seems, therefore, according to our poor understanding, that there should be an opportunity of reading the one as well as the other." 2

If it should appear somewhat contrary to the principle of fair discussion thus maintained, that Gustavus

The King sent Luther a silver-gilt goblet, which in 1703 was still preserved in the Council-house at Lubeck.-Dalin, vol. ii. p. 89; Westen, Swensk. Kong. Hofclericiets Historia, Stockholm, 1799 ; Scond. Illust., tom. v. p. 12.

2 Tegel, 1524.

CHAP. VI.

THEOLOGICAL DISCUSSIONS.

113

two years afterwards forbade the same prelate to publish translations of the edicts of the Emperor and Duke George of Saxony, on the ground that they might produce disturbances, and stopped the working of a printing press which the Bishop had established in Söderköping to maintain the cause of his party,' yet it was no doubt the array of armed authority, "the logic of kings," and not the force of argument, that he feared on that side of the question. To free discussion he continually invited the abettors of Popery. Thus at Christmas, 1524, Olaus Petri, in his presence and by his desire, challenged any of the canons of Upsala to defend the doctrines of the Romish Church. At first the Chapter declined to engage in the contest, but finally appointed Peter Gallé as their champion. The questions submitted for discussion were twelve, involving the chief topics of controversy between the Protestant and Roman Churches, e. g.-Whether God's word be the sole rule of faith: what are the limits of ecclesiastical authority whether more particularly the lordship exercised by the Pope and his abettors be for Christ or against him whether man can be saved by his own works and deservings, or otherwise than by God's grace and mercy: whether the monastic system is sanctioned by Scripture: whether men have a right to order the administration of the Lord's Supper in a way different from Christ's institution: whether there is any scriptural warrant for the doctrine of purga

:

Skand. Handl., 16; Del. s. 43, apud Geijer, vol. ii. p 49.

tory and lastly, whether the saints are to be worshipped and prayed to, and are our protectors, patrons, mediators, and intercessors before God.

A sharp discussion followed, in which Peter Gallé relied upon the Fathers, Olaus upon Scripture alone. After it had continued some time, Gustavus stopped the disputants, and requested them to reduce their arguments to writing, to be examined at a future convocation of the Swedish Church. The questions and answers were afterwards printed and circulated throughout the kingdom. But the great publication on the Protestant side was that which appeared in 1526-the New Testament in the language of the people! This translation was made by the Chancellor Lars Anderson, at the King's command.'

The Bishop of Linköping, when invited by the King to defend his faith and convince the gainsayers, prudently declined, declaring that "it would be rash, or rather a heinous crime, to cast a doubt upon that doctrine, which had flourished intact for so many ages, which had been sealed with the blood of so many martyrs, which had been confirmed by the testimony of so many Fathers, and approved by so many Councils throughout the world." He was

1 Troils. Hand., 1; Del. apud Geijer. Messenius seems to be in error in assigning 26th December, 1525, instead of 1524, as the date of the conference.-Scond. Illust., tom. v. p. 27. The translation of the whole Scriptures now in use in the Swedish Church was made by Laurentius Petri, assisted by his brother, in 1541.-Vita. Laur. Petri, in Script. Rerum Suecarum, vol. ii.

"Braschius vero haud inops consilii, prohibito Sudercopensis usu typographiæ, ex Hafniensi suos publicat tractatus, et Regi, quoad dis

CHAP. VI. TRANSLATIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES.

115

angry with the Archbishop for consenting to undertake even a Roman Catholic translation of the Scriptures, "when he could not be ignorant that the doctrines of Luther would spread by this means; nor that Christ had left teachers in his Church, that they might explain the Scriptures to the people, and not that the stupid populace, having obtained the opportunity from their publication, might rashly dispute concerning them.”

In 1525 Olaus Petri practically protested against the Romanist restrictions upon marriage by marrying himself, an example followed by other ecclesiastics. The King defended him at the moment, and in 1528 he himself published a formal vindication of the step which he had taken.

Gustavus, however, while encouraging the Reformed doctrines, and vindicating Christian liberty, took care to discountenance the wild and enthusiastic ideas which sprang up amid the good seed of the Reformation, and sometimes threatened to render it unfruitful.

putationem cum Lutheranis respondet, sibi, nec de suo ullum esse dubium presbyterio, nec de fide pristinâ, ut illud novâ indigeret discussione illustrationeque. Temerarium quoque vel potius nefarium esse scelus illam in dubium vocare doctrinam, quæ tot floruisset seculis intaminata; tot martyrum sanguine esset obsignata, tot SS. patrum testimonio roborata, et tot per orbem consiliis approbata.”. Scond. Illust., tom. v. p. 33.

Scond. Illust., tom. v. p. 26. "Queritur in literis Upsaliam Doctori Petro Galle perscriptis, de Archiepiscopo Bibliorum translationi consentiente, cum non ignoraret incrementa hinc doctrinam Lutheri sumpturam, et propterea Christum Ecclesiæ Doctores reliquisse, ut ipsi sacras explicarent populo scripturas, non stolida hinc nacta occasionem plebicula de illis perperam disputaret."