Protestantism in Sweden and Denmark - James Aitken Wylie
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Chapter 10<br />
<strong>Protestantism</strong> Under Christian<br />
III., <strong>and</strong> Its Extension to<br />
Norway <strong>and</strong> Icel<strong>and</strong><br />
AN attempt was made at this time (1532) to<br />
turn the flank of the Reformation. Jacob<br />
Ronnovius, the Archbishop of Roeschildien, a man<br />
of astute but dangerous counsel, framed a measure,<br />
professedly <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>terest of the Gospel, but fitted<br />
to br<strong>in</strong>g back step by step the ancient superstition<br />
<strong>in</strong> all its power. His scheme was, <strong>in</strong> brief, that the<br />
Cathedral-church of Copenhagen, dedicated to<br />
Mary, should be given to the Franciscans or to the<br />
Friars of the Holy Ghost; that the mass <strong>and</strong> other<br />
rites should not be abolished, but reta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> their<br />
primitive form; that the offices <strong>and</strong> chant<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
should be performed, not <strong>in</strong> the popular, but <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Lat<strong>in</strong> tongue; that the altars <strong>and</strong> other ornaments of<br />
the sacred edifices should not be removed; <strong>in</strong> short,<br />
that the whole ritualistic mach<strong>in</strong>ery of the old<br />
worship should be ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed, while "learned<br />
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