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Protestantism in Sweden and Denmark - James Aitken Wylie

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were united <strong>in</strong> favor of Christian. A third party,<br />

who thought to come <strong>in</strong> at the breach the other two<br />

had made for them, turned their eyes to the<br />

deposed K<strong>in</strong>g Christian II., <strong>and</strong> even made<br />

attempts to effect his restoration. The distracted<br />

country was still more embroiled by a revival of<br />

the priestly pretensions. Frederick was <strong>in</strong> his grave,<br />

<strong>and</strong> a bold policy was all that was needed, so the<br />

bishops thought, to hoist themselves <strong>and</strong> their<br />

Church <strong>in</strong>to the old place. They took a high tone <strong>in</strong><br />

the Diet. They brow-beat the nobles, they<br />

compelled restoration of the tithes, <strong>and</strong> they put<br />

matters <strong>in</strong> tra<strong>in</strong> for recover<strong>in</strong>g the cathedrals,<br />

monasteries, manors, <strong>and</strong> goods of which they had<br />

been stripped. These successes emboldened them<br />

to venture on other <strong>and</strong> harsher measures. They<br />

stretched forth their h<strong>and</strong> to persecute, <strong>and</strong> made<br />

no secret of their design to extirpate the Protestant<br />

faith <strong>in</strong> <strong>Denmark</strong>.<br />

Their first blows were aimed at Taussan. The<br />

removal of that bold Reformer <strong>and</strong> eloquent<br />

preacher was the first step, they saw, to success. He<br />

had long been a thorn <strong>in</strong> their side. The manifesto<br />

169

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