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106 [Doc. 10.
SWEDENBORG’S ANCESTRY.
9 he
of spiritual training both in schools and in the Church. The
King allowed the words of the severe preacher their full force,
by immediately afterwards collecting information about the
actual condition of the schools. One of the clergymen of Stock
holm , Magister Iser, was summoned. The King asked, " How
is it with the schools in the capital ? They are talked about
in sermons. ” “ By whom ? " asked Iser. “ It does not matter ”,
answered the King. " What is said about them in sermons ? "
“ That the teachers are good for nothing, and that we must
get better ones," replied the King. Iser said, that so long
as the pay was so small, we could not expect to get better
teachers. The King expressed his displeasure that he had never
been informed of this before; he wished to raise the pay of
all the teachers in the land ; and he sent the same day
to Swedberg, whom he overjoyed by declaring to him his
determination to do so. “I thanked him most humbly,"
writes, “ but I added, I have a better proposition to make,
by which the same result will be obtained , without burdening
your Majesty’s exchequer. Issue an order for the government
ofschools ; that henceforth schoolmasters shall have an honour
able rank among the better classes ; and that after having
served industriously and well in the schools for three years,
they shall be presented with a good curacy. In this case
Johan Lohe, Hildebrand, and other rich and distinguished men
would send their sons into the schools, and we should get good
teachers.” On the same day, the King sent Virænius to
Swedberg commanding him to serve as ordinary royal chaplain.
How he looked upon this call, appears from his own words,
where he points to Amos vii. 12. 13. “ Thou seer, go, flee thee
into another land, and there eat bread, and prophesy not
again at Bethel: for it is the King’s chapel, and the King’s
house . " On the other hand, he was afraid of incurring the
royal displeasure, if he should not accept the offer, because,
with Fresenius, he looked upon this office as the most difficult
in the whole world. This new dignity produced little change
otherwise in the work he hitherto had been doing, for with
the exception of "a considerable rise” in rank, he was obliged
to perform this duty without remuneration, and to continue to
do so for four years (1686-1689). When the question was
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