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ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS. 487
who had attained a due knowledge of the divine truths were difperfed here and there
through the mountains by the command of the bifhop, among the Laplanders to be
yet inftructed in their duty. Yet this diftribution did not produce, from a variety of
obftacles that occurred, that inftruction and converfion of the Laplanders to the extent
that was wifhed for.. But the royal miffion, which was moft gracioufly inftituted in the
year 1714, has brought the Laplanders to that degree of Chriftian knowledge; fur-
rounded before with thick clouds of error, that the light of the divine evangelifts and
the glory of the Lord now fhines on them, which as being the fingular blefling of the
ever adored and Almighty God, united with the unwearied and chriftian endeavours
of the Danifh kings, the whole band of Chriftian princes fhould follow with gratitude.
This miffion extended through all the governments under the Danifh fceptre, and of
courfe through three provinces, namely, Finmark, Norland, and no fmall part of the
province of Drontheim.
This pious and glorious work was begun in the folowing manner: Frederick IV.
of blefled memory, when he came to the throne, fent a certain expert and able man,
(for he had long before turned over this miffion in his mind,) named Paul Refen, to
the northern countries and Finmark ; who, on examining thele countries, fhould bring
inan exact report of them to his Serene and: Royal Majelty. This Paul Refen, who
was afterwards commiflary and camp matter at Bergen, reported his knowledge on this
matter in the year 1707.. When this was done, his Majelty iflued his mandate to
Doétor Peter Krog, bifhop of the diocefe of Drontheim,. for the purpofe of felecting
capable men for difcharging the duty of the miffion in the northern countries, and in
Finmark. In the year 1714 a ftrong hand was put to this work, as mentioned above,
yet itis as yet referved for the glorious undertaking of their Serene Majefties of Den-
mark. A college was_therefore erected at Copenhagen, for promoting the progrefs
of evangelical learning, by the father of his country and of the church, in the feat of
empire, who, that he might the more eafily compafs his objeét, joined his counfels with
men of confiderable knowledge, and fuch as were zealous for the extenfion of the
church of Chrift, natives as well as foreigners, concerning the completion of this pious
and glorious work. ‘This plan made for the conyerfion of the Gentiles, containing
thirty-one articles, he took care fhould be printed, on the 19th of January 1715, in
Danifh and German, which, by a circular letter, figned on the gth of March of the fame
year, he fent not only toall the governors of the provinces and the bifhops, in Denmark
and Norway, commanding that they fhould publifh it in their provinces, but fent it alfo to
others, natives.as well as foreigners, particularly in a letter written in Latin,. to the: So-
ciety at London for propagating the knowledge of the Chriftian religion, When. this
was done promifes of aid and counfels for fupporting this work came from all quarterss
Seven very learned men and divines of the kingdom. peculiarly zealous for the propa-
gation in the diocefe of Drontheim compofed this glorious. counfel: .thefe were -
Janus Juul, paftor of the church and prefident of the Nordmaern prefidency =
Amund Barhorv, paftor of the church of Quernaes, in the fame prefecture. Tho-
mas von Weften, then paftor of the congregation in the prefidency of Romfdal,
afterwards reader of theology at Drontheim, and. vicar, of the college of miflion,
&c. &c. &c.
After thefe had fuccefsfully difcharged the duties of their truft, three pious and
worthy miffionaries were fent into Finmark, in three divifions ; the firft into Waranger:
and Thana, in the eaft ; the fecond into Laxefiord bay, in the eaft, and to the bay of
Porfanger ; the third, to Halfund, and the diftrict.of the bay of Alten, in the weftern
Finmark,
But
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