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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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