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- XIV. Charles IX. A.D. 1599—1611
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302 Religious opinions of
Cliarles. HISTORY OF THE SWEDES.
His controversy with tlie
arclibislioj).
[1590—
from introducing a new order of worship in his own
household *. This was brought into scandal as
Calvinistic, and the archbishop Olave Martinson
wrote against its errors, among wliich is enume-
rated the position that heretics should obtain Chris-
tian burial. In the year 1601 Charles published,
but without his name, a collection of Swedish
Psalms’’. He composed, and left behind him in
manuscript, Swedish and Gei-man Hymns, as also
Prayers, of which that for the guidance of rulers
reflects honour on the autlior ^. In 1604 appeared
a Catechism written by himself in 1593 *. Herein
he followed the refoi’med catechism of Heidelberg,
which awakened new controversy, not allayed by
his attempt to introduce an amended translation of
the Bible. Charles stood forth iu his own defence,
and exchanged controversial tracts with the arch-
bishop, in which the king’s learning and acuteness
appear by no means inferior to those of his op-
ponent ^. The proposition most earnestly urged by
Charles in these writings was, that holy Scripture
should be the only rule of faith ;
for which reason
he combated the practice of those who delineated
this by the confession of Augsburg, and still more,
of those who held out that the acts of the assembly
of Upsala should be a new law for the church. " We
cannot and will not allow," he writes to the council
respecting the clergy,
" that the decrees of the
council of Upsala should be set up for a new creed,
since there nothing else was treated than what the
confession of Augsburg, founded upon the prophetic
and apostolic writings, contains. Therein we will
not quarrel with our kinsmen in Germany." It has
often been alleged that Charles’ journey thither and
his alliance by marriage with the Piilatine house
made him inclined to the reformed confession. In
the second place he maintained, that the sacra-
ments were only confirmatory signs of grace, and
did not in themselves impart forgiveness of sins,
whence he zealously contended against regarding
the Lord’s Supper as necessary to God’s grace in
the hour of death, which caused trouble and anguish
to many who were debarred from being partakers
thereof. He wished also that the absolution of sins
should be proclaimed by the priest only in the fol-
lowing way :
" In virtue of the power which Christ
hath bestowed upon his church, and pursuant to
thy confession of sins, I proclaim to thee in the
name of God, ivho alone forgireth sins, forgive-
ness of thy sins and the grace of God." He de-
fended, thirdly, the use of reason and pliilosophy
in theology. In the " Answer of the high and mighty
prince and lord, Charles, &c., to the Book of Proofs,
wliich Master Olave, archbishop of Upsala, with
*
Christian order and method, how in the court-chapel of
the high-born prince and lord, Charles, by God’s grace
reigning prince hereditary of the realm of Sweden, &c.
worship shall he performed. Stockholm, 1604.
’
Naghra nyttigha andheliga Lotfsanger och Wijser.
(Divers profitable spiritual Songs and Lays.) Stockholm,
1601. Compare Sundel (Afhandling, &c.)> Treatise on the
books and writings, printed and unpriuted, which have been
composed in Sweden by royal personages ; Academical Trans-
actions, V. ix. Charles’ psalms are copied in the Palmskiild
Collections ; among them is one in German by his first wife.
7 L. c. Acta ad Hist. Reg. Caroli IX. t. ii. 105.
8
Catechism, or right Christian Knowledge of the most
necessary Articles, Head-points, and Parts of our Christian
Faith, collected for the simple Christian from the right
ground and understanding of Holy Scripture. (Catechismus
sundry others of the bishops and clergy hath pro-
mulged," he shows from the words of Scripture the
duty and right of men in this respect.
" Christ
saith, Search the Scriptures ;
as also king David in
the 32d Psalm, Be ye not as horses and mules,
which have no understanding; also in Colossians iii..
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom. So too the holy Scriiiture elsewhere,
1
Timothy iii., ordaineth that a preacher shall be
competent to give instruction. How can he be
that, if he be not gifted with reason and wisdom ?
We see also iu holy Scripture, especially in the
Psalms and in the Epistles of St. Paul, how noble
a use is made both of definitions and divisions, syl-
logisms and method. Thei’efore Augustine (lib. i.
contra Crescenthtm) extolleth the Apostle Paul here-
in; yea, he saith also, that Christ employed the art
of reasoning in his disputations. Now if all these
have employed reason in things divine, so likewise
may we well do, so far as reason reaches in things
divine, and as it is revealed in God’s word. And it
helps nothing that the archbishop will allege this
instance and say, that God’s true knowledge cometh
from heaven, wherefore men cannot attain there-
unto by any industry or art. To which we answer,
that the subordinates {subordinata) are not repug-
nant to one another. True it is, that knowledge of
Scripture and God cometh from heaven; but there-
on must be remarked, that this imderstanding and
knowledge of God is given to man either imme-
diately, without any means, or mediately, with
means. Immediately the apostles had knowledge
of God; but now is God’s true knowledge and tlie
right understanding of Scripture only mediately
im]>arted to us, and therefore need we tlie arts
which guide us thereto. Hence we may learn,
that reason doth not oppugn faith, if it be rightly
used, and have holy Scripture on its siile. And we
cannot so generally exclude it from things divine
as the archbishop doth."
He that knows Charles will not be inclined to
doubt that the book in its principal contents is his
own. Of the learned sons of Gustavus he had been
the best grounded in his studies; in acuteness of
intellect he excelled them all, as well as the crowd
of his contemporaries. Yet we would not rob the
archbishop of the praise that is his due. He dared
to raise his voice for his convictions against a king,
and that king Charles IX. Olave Martinson en-
joyed great consideration, and was indefatigable in
his calling. If not hindered by other labours, he
preached almost every Suud.ay in the cathedral of
Upsala, and besides read lessons from the Bible for
the young students *
heller ratt Christelig kannedom om vare Christelige troos
Nodtorftigeste Artikler, Hufvudpunkter och Stycker, af den
Heliga Skrifts ratta grund och fbrstand sammandragen for
the enfaldige Christne.) Stockholm, 1604.
9 He had printed in 1604, "Sundry particular Proofs ex-
tracted from the writings of the old Doctors of the Church,
and of Luther and Mclancthon, upon the personal union
which exists in the two natures of our Lord .Tesus Christ, as
also upon the Sacrament of the Altar, &c." The archbishop
published against this, "Proof that the Opini(ms, &c. re-
specting the union of the natures in Christ by no means
authorize the tenets of the Calvinists upon the person of
Christ and the Lord’s Supper;" whereupon Charles in 1600
replied by the book of which extracts are quoted in the
text.
’
Baazius, Invent. Ecel. Suiog. 615.
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