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6. THE NEW BISHOPS AND ARCHBISHOP. 205
implied by parity of nearness. The bishops and chapters
were apparently left in charge of this matter. Thus the
course of legislation in Sweden in 1529 was not unlike that
which was followed in England in 1
5331 534 when the
dispensing power of the pope was transferred to the Arch
bishop of Canterbury, except in cases prohibited by the
"
laws of God," with reservation of a reference to the
sovereign or his council in unusual cases (25 Hen. VIII.,
c. 21). Whether Cranmer issued dispensations to the
clergy to marry I do not know ; but he had been himself
twice married before he became archbishop.
As regards discipline over persons, the penitentiaries of
cathedrals were allowed to
"
use any degree of severity
with murderers and other heinous transgressors, as the
worldly sword appears to be idle, and has not the force it
ought to have."
12
The cloisters were put under the
diocesan authorities. Monks were to show obedience to
the bishops, especially in regard to preaching. Bishops,
in their several dioceses, were to reduce the number of saints
days, keeping our Lord s principal feasts, those of the
Virgin Mary, the Apostles, and the local patron saint.
As regards ceremonies, there was no question of abolish
ing them, but only of explaining them as owing all their
virtue to the work of Christ.
Thus it was laid down about anointing with oils or
unction with chrism, that no other virtue was assigned to
it, except that it was an outward sign of the inward unction
which is given by the Holy Spirit. This explanation must
have been intended to cover all kinds of unction with oil
on the breast in making catechumens ;
with chrism on the
crown of the head directly after baptism ;
with chrism at
confirmation, in unction of the sick, and in consecration of
bishops and perhaps of the hands of priests.
13
12
Anjou :
I.e., 259.
13 "
Oelning eller Krismosmorjelse gifver ej annan magt utan
det skall vara ett utvertes tecken till den invertes smorjelse,
som sker genom den helig-e Ande." I cannot agree with F.
N. Ekdahl (who quotes this passage, Om Confirmation en ^ p.
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