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vent the youth at Upsala from promiscuously hearing »subtilities, even
perhaps sucb as tliey do not understand, like the Cartesian philosopb}’,
whose autliors say that things of faith are probably set forth by the
Holy Spirit, but not so matters in physics, chronology, etc., which are
determined by the opinion of the multitude». The Chancellor was not
pleased by this advice, practically a criticism of his govcrnment of the
University, wliere the news of the proceedings against Cartesianism was
received with much displeasure, Rtjdbeck saying that but few had read
Descartes’ philosophy and that none of the students understood it. But
not long after one of the students, Urban Hjärne, later known as an
enlightened scientist, and the chief of a Chemical institute, defended
another disputation by Hoffwenius, the Cartesian tendencies of which
were found to be so obnoxious to the theologians that a long discussion
followed, which, however, did not lead to a decisive victory for either
party. Hoffwenius refused to have his disputation altered, the theologian
Stigzelius and his supporters refused to have it ventilated unless altered,
and finally both parties rested on their arms, although personal friction
continued. One of Rudbeck’s disputations had also been found too
Cartesian and the attacks against him for this and other reasons did
not cease.
After a truce, extending from 1668 to 1686, during which
Cartesianism made steady progress at Upsala among the teachers, the
contro-versy broke out anew. The House of Priests, influenced by the
Upsala theologians, approached the King, Charles XL, with a written
application, the spirit of which was to prevent the study and
dissemina-tion of Descartes’ teachings at the University. Among the means
proposed to accomplish this purpose the following sufficiently indicate what
drastic steps were resolved upon. It was advised that the Theological
Faculty should be placed in a position of censorship over the whole
University, and not only that the Cartesian philosophy should be forbidden,
but that the study of the Aristotelian philosophy should be encouraged
by special support, and that no stipends should be granted except to
those who accepted Aristotle’s philosophy. All disputations, as well
as the authors in philosophy to be lectured upon, were to be passed
upon by the theologians. Finally, all disputations, and also all books
from foreign countries, were to be admitted only after having been passed
upon by a censor. In order to crusli Cartesianism in its former
strong-hold, the Faculty of Medicine, it was proposed that the professorship
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