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234 Proposition for a general
consistory.
HISTORY OF THE SWEDES. The king’s solicitude for the
promotion of learning.
[1611—
ings of the synod of Upsala in 1593,
—where tlie
largest portion of the bishops and clergy had but
to excuse their own defection, while the minority,
with the schoolmasters and the temporal estates,
established with duke Charles the work of the
Swedish reformation,
—must be astonished that they
should now venture to quote that assembly among
the examples of exclusive judicature by the clergy
in the congregation. They add that "otliers^ might
rather be termed defensors, directors, patrons, or
the like, because they were present only for out-
ward fitness and commodity, and the spirituality
without them would possess perfect consistency and
entity."
—" The same grounds apply in like man-
ner to the consistories, which may be regarded as
lesser and ordinary councils for matters of daily
occurrence ;
whence it might well be useful to
appoint €ome political person of authority to pro-
tect and assist the clergy in case of need ;
but that
he should generally dispose of all cases would serve
no good end. Else he would be virtually the same
as a priest and chief bishop, and thus the highest
voice in both spiritual and temporal government,
after the king, would fall to one person."
—" If lay-
men took part in the consistory, ecclesiastics might
demand the same with respect to the palace court,
and other secular judicatories, before which were
often brought subjects affecting the clergy, churches,
and God’s congregation. It were best that ever’y
matter were treated in its own place. In the con-
sistory no other matters are desired to be handled
than such as appertain thereto by divine right and
the usage of the church; and a general consistory
might be held when the clergy were summoned to
the diet."
The king, who avers himself to be the " defender
of the church," and bound as such to have inspec-
tion over the congregation of God in his realm,
made two new propositions on the same subject to
the diet of 1 625. According to the one, the General
Consistory was to consist properly of ecclesiastics,
with some political persons competent to the office,
who should attend on the king’s behalf, yet with-
out the right of voting. In the other no mention
is made of these, but only that " his majesty would
take to his aid sundry discreet and learned theo-
logers who had the fear of God ;" the new college
to consist of three of the royal chaplains, the
leading professor of theology at Upsala, and the
minister of Stockholm, as the bishops could not
easily be spared from their dioceses. But the
bishops were found to be as reluctant to submit
to a judicatory of the inferior clergy, as the eccle-
siastics in general to acknowledge one of laymen.
The whole proposition fell to the ground, not with-
8
Consequently kings likewise.
’ "
King Gustavus Adolphus declared to the bishops,
when they would not consent, that if they transgressed or
committed any misdemeanour, they should be brought be-
fore the palace court, and there be amerced as the matter
required. The principal end designed by the general con-
sistory was to bind the bishops to give an account of their
administration." Jacob de la Gardie, in the council, 163(j.
—" His majesty wished to be relieved from the great weight
of business that oppressed him. If one came in a matter of
justice, the king referred him to the palace court; in a
matter of finance, to the exchequer ; but whither he should
refer the complaint of a clergyman his majesty was uncer-
tain, and therefore he wished to erect the sixth college."
Gabriel Oxenstierna, in the council, 1636.—" The intention
out the king’s great discontent "
;
and when it was
again brought forward by the administration of
the guardians under Christina, became a mere party
question between the clergy and nobility.
In the University of Upsala the dissensions
among the teachers, especially Messenius and John
Rudbeck, with their factions among the students,
continued under the first years of this reign. The
scenes thus occasioned were so scandalous as to
elicit a royal letter to the professors, in which the
king says:
" If we did not our.selves know by ex-
perience what use and profit learning brings with
it,
we should have small reason to interest ourselves
in the least touching this academy, or to show any
special favour or grace to those who are there
stationed, and attend not to the functions of their
office more diligently than serves their own am-
bition, envy, and hatred ; yet that this shame may
not have the upper hand, and we may be once for
all spared such trivial matters, we will by this our
royal mandate have it strictly enjoined, that the
professors shall forthwith choose by their suffrages
a rector, and neither the last elected nor the former
rector shall intermeddle in the direction of the
academy, tmtil we shall have found it convenient to
despatch some men in whom we repose trust to in-
quire thereinto ’." On this account the mode in
which he restored order, as well as the wisdom and
bounty which marked his care of the university,
redound the more to his honour. Messenius and
Rudbeck, men both as hot-tempered as they were
able, were removed,—but to honourable and weighty
charges 2,
—and the work of instruction continued to
be a main object of the king’s solicitude. In the
year 1G20 he proposed to the bishops the question,
in what manner art and knowledge might be fur-
thered in his dominions ?
taking notice that the
university and the schools were ill-conducted, so
that there were few fit for the office of the minis-
try, and none at all for affairs of government; the
magistrates of the towns were so ignorant that they
could not write their names; the students were
hindered from making progress by their poverty,
and instruction at the university by too many holi-
days. The teachers were ecclesiastics, whence the
instruction in religion might be passable, but as the
clergy themselves did not understand matters be-
longing to government and civic life, they could not
teach these to others ; so that however hard the
times were, there was a yet greater want of com-
petent persons, especially for war and the court,
than of money. Therefore the bishops should
state, how many royal schools and seminaries were
needful in the kingdom; what course of education
was most desirable to be given there ; how good
was to preserve concord among the estates, but the bishops
sought only an augmentation of their jurisdiction, and the
contraction of that of the magistracy. Dr. John Rudbeck,
bishop of Westeras, spoiled the general consistoiy, and was
also the cause of all this confusion and opposition in king
Gustavus Adolphus’ time." Axel Oxenstierna, in the council,
1636. Palmsk. MSS. t. 190.
1
Hallenberg, ii. 766.
2 Messenius was appointed Historiographer Royal and
Assessor of the Palace Court; Rudbeck, first the king’s
chaplain, afterwards bishop of Westeras. Suspicions as to
the religion of Messenius had doubtless a principal part in
creating the contention. He was secretly a Catholic, sus-
pected of connexions with Poland, and ended his life in
prison.
/
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