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ii. JOHN III. AND THE CHURCH ORDER. 235
old chapters had now ceased to exist, or to be effective.
Yet Laurentius desires that the bishop should have one
or two capable clergy with him on his visitation, which
ought to be annual, and that if he cannot visit in person
he should do it
by his official or provost with some other
good men. He must also have his provosts in the country
districts, whom he is to choose from among the priests of
the neighbourhood (Kyrko-ordningar, I.e., pp. 147-8).
The subject of confirmation of children naturally arises
in connection with the subject of visitation. Laurentius
writes as follows (I.e., 150) :
11
The confirmation with oil (then olio-fermelse), which
bishops have universally used under the pope, seeing that
there is no commandment of God for it, and that it has also
brought with it a very great superstition, shall no longer be
at all used; but when a visitation takes places, they may
have preaching and public prayers in the churches, especi
ally for the young children, that God will strengthen them
in the articles which were promised in their baptism, and
afterwards do what is aforesaid (och sedan gora thet som
tilforenne sagdt ar). The same thing may be said of all
other things which the bishops have taken upon them
without God s commandment, such as are manifold
consecrations of churches, churchyards, towers, bells,
vestments, vessels, etc." The words "afterwards do
what is aforesaid
"
are not clear. They seem to refer to a
further action by the bishops which had been elsewhere
prescribed. Was there such an action prescribed in the
Vesteras ordinantia of 1544 or the Vadstena articles?
In a previous passage it is laid down that children
should not come to communion before they are nine, or at
least eight years of age (Ordning medh Messonne, p. 84).
In the little book On ordinances and ceremonies (quoted at
the end of 10) he mentions the traditional practice of lay
ing hands on those who have been baptized as one of those
rightly received by the Church, like the canon of Scrip
ture, baptism of infants, and a distinction of orders, etc.
(I.e., fol. 19, ed. 1585). I am, therefore, inclined to think
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