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written on the work of a pastor; but a book such as this gives, not rules, but experiments put before the reader-the thing done, rather than the method of doing it.

We do not wonder that a man live Dr M'Gavin of Dundee should have written this book, and done it so well. A long experience in a most fertile field, and a rare combination of shrewdness, sympathy, and earnestness, have given him endless stores from which to gather these cases, which, we trust, will be followed by a farther gleaning. We are bound to say, from thorough knowledge, that few men in any denomination exercise, at this time, a more human, earnest, persuasive ministry than Dr M'Gavin. This book, as one might expect, is remarkably interesting. Varied observation, insight, pathos, humour, the essential interest of the situation described, -gleams now and again of fine fancy, constant warmth of Christian like love for souls,-pictures of life in deplorable depths, and in noble elevations, these are all here.

Some of the chapters are specially impressive. That entitled "Princes of the People," might well be printed by itself, and distributed among the working classes. We can unfeignedly say that a second reading of this book has only made us determine to read it still oftener; and so we heartily commend it to all, and specially to ministers entering upon their work.

Notices of the following works, which were in type, have been unavoidably deferred, from want of space, till our next number, viz.,

Lectures on Early Scripture, by H. F. Crosse; The Philosophy of Evangelism; Lamps, Pitchers, and Trumpets, by E. Paxton Hood; Imaginism and Rationalism, by John Vickers.

The following works have come to hand too late to be noticed in this number, viz.,

History of Israel to the Death of Moses, by Ewald; Parting Counsels, by the Rev. John Allan; Thoughts on Reading the Bible, by Thoms; Life of Pastor Fleidner; Coming Events and Present Duties, by the Rev. C. J. Ryle; The Work of God in Every Age, by the Rev. W. Froggat; Devout Thoughts by Deep Thinkers, by Susan Coalbank; Short Family Readings for Sundays; Pastoral Counsels, by the late Dr Robertson of Glasgow; The Holy Child, and other Poems, by Stephen Jenner; Joel: a Translation in Metrical Parallelisms, by Adam Clarke Rowley; Truths for the Times, &c.; Light and Truth, by Dr Horatius Bonar; A Being Filled with the Spirit, by John Goodwin; The Life and Reign of King David, by Dr G. Smith; Memoirs of Olivet, by Dr Macduff; Pulpit Echoes, by Dr Macfarlane; Home Sundays, by the Rev. George Everard; Life of Stonewall Jackson, abridged from Professor Dabney: The Pulpit Assistant, vol. II. ; The Increase of Faith, &c., &c.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN

EVANGELICAL REVIEW.

APRIL 1868.

ART. I.-The Swedish Reformation.

1. Svenska Kyrkans Historia. Af Dr H. REUTERDAHL. Fjerde Bandet. Sverige under Konung Gustaf I. Lund, 1866. (History of the Swedish Church. By Dr H. Reuterdahl. Fourth Volume. Sweden under Gustavus the First. Lund, 1866.)

2. Svenska Kyrkoreformationens Historia. Í tre afdelningar. Af L. A. ANJOU. Upsala, 1850. (History of the Reformation in Sweden. In three divisions. By L. A. Anjou. Upsala, 1850.)

Ν

IN a previous article* we were privileged to trace the deeply interesting history of the Swedish Reformation from its earliest commencement until the election of Laurentius Petri to the metropolitan see of Upsala in 1531. Following, for the main part, the guidance of Bishop Anjou,† in his learned and singularly lucid work, we pursued the path of ecclesiastical reform, through all its various turns and windings, and saw it at last emerge upon the broad and firm platform of a total, or almost total, severance from the communion of the Romish Church. With the elevation of Laurentius Petri to archiepiscopal rank, as remarked at the close of our previous paper, there begins a new era in the ecclesiastical annals of Sweden. The extreme energy and ability of the youthful metropolitan-who, although young in years, was old in wisdom. and in knowledge of the world-were required to consolidate the freshly-reared Protestant fabric, and impart to it the

* British and Foreign Evangelical Review for July 1867.

Professor Anjou, it may be stated, is now, and has for some time been, bishop of the diocese of Wisby in Southern Sweden.

VOL. XVII.-NO. LXIV.

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strength and permanence of which it stood so much in need. At this date, 1531, the Swedish church had indeed fully organised itself, retaining the ancient constitution, yet independent of, and separate from, the Papal system, of which it had formed an integral part for ages. It possessed bishops who wrought zealously in behalf of the reformed doctrines; and in the reigning monarch, with his unquestioned Protestant leanings, it enjoyed a warm friend and an influential protector. But in many respects the state of matters was still the reverse of stable. No fixed form of creed had been adopted; the Augsburg Confession of the German Protestants is not so much as named in any record of the transactions of the period; and the old code of ecclesiastical law remained in a chaotic condition, being neither held formally binding to its former extent, nor formally abrogated in all or even some of its details. Much, therefore, was still left to be done; and with characteristic fervour the king and the new archbishop addressed themselves to the herculean task of consolidation. Olaus Petri, too, the brother of Laurentius, was no less active, and continued that career of authorship which had so largely contributed to the successful progress of the protestant cause. In 1535 he published two works, the one a treatise on justification, in which he discusses this important subject with his usual force and clearness, and in conformity with the generallyreceived opinions of the evangelical church, and the other, a commentary on the tenth chapter of Matthew's gospel, designed in special manner for the times, and exhorting believers to steadfastness in the midst of persecution. Along with various compilations of psalms and spiritual songs, they were the last of Olof's writings in the reformed cause, and, like his earlier literary labours, lent a mighty stimulus to the progress of the principles they were designed to benefit. Laurentius Petri himself, notwithstanding his numerous public avocations, found time to appear as an author a year or two afterwards, in 1538. His first production related to a comparatively unimportant subject-the use of consecrated water-a practice which he unequivocally condemns. More onerous studies were then, however, in his few leisure moments, occupying his thoughts; and the fruit of them was soon to ripen in a completed translation of the Bible, part of which, the Psalter, was ere long published, along with a version, in Swedish, of the Athanasian creed. Thus, as in other lands, during the earlier portion of reformation history, administrative genius and literary talent wrought side by side in unison for the accomplishment of the one common end.

We now come to a singular, and no less obscure than singular, episode in the history of Swedish Protestantism. We

Trial of Laurentius and Olof.

231

allude to the breach between Gustavus and his two firm friends and supporters, Laurentius Andreæ and Olaus Petri, hitherto the foremost champions of the Reformation. The circumstances connected with this event are sufficiently mysterious; and but little light has, in our estimation, been thrown upon them in the pages of the Swedish historians. Bishop Anjou's account of the incident in question is, without doubt, more perspicuous than any we have hitherto seen; yet even his version of the trial and condemnation of Laurentius and Olof is far from satisfactory. It will ever be difficult, we suspect, to form aught like a true idea of all the causes which led to so sweeping and startling a change in the relations which had hitherto subsisted between the king and his two faithful counsellors and friends. But it would appear that about the year 1538 the mind of Gustavus had become partly alienated from both Olof and Laurentius, by reason of various minor incidents-none of them individually of any special importance, but when combined capable of unfavourably influencing a character such as that of the Swedish sovereign.* Gustavus was on the point of developing those Erastian tendencies which afterwards not seldom brought him into lamentable collision with the ecclesiastical authorities of the kingdom over which he ruled. The tendencies to which we refer were fostered by the arrival in Sweden of the adventurer Conrad Peutinger or Pyhy, who acquired considerable influence at court, and still further when another stranger, George Norman, recommended by Luther and Melancthon as tutor to the king's son, the young Duke Eric, ere long became the chief adviser of Gustavus in all matters appertaining to ecclesiastical reform and the consolidation of the church. Doubtless the monarch experienced in Olof and Laurentius unflinching opponents to his new-born zeal for a more radical reformation, and to his semi-Erastian or wholly Erastian schemes; while it is certain that Norman and Pyhy (especially the former) were prime instigators of, and actors in, the surprising and melancholy events which shortly followed. On these events we cannot here enlarge. Suffice it to say that at the close of 1539 a judicial process was instituted against both Laurentius

Bishop Anjou and other historians lay too much stress, in our opinion, on Olof's "Predikan emot de grufveliga eder och Guds försmädelse" (Sermon against hideous oaths and blasphemies of God's name), published in 1539, and in which the preacher vigorously attacked the practice of profane swearing, then carried to excess among the Swedes-not obscurely hinting at the monarch himself as a chief sinner in this respect. Doubtless the bolt struck home, and galled Gustavus to the quick; but, had it not been for the concurrence of other circumstances, the king's natural magnanimity would, we think, have revolted at the thought of punishing so severely the author of the righteous and well-merited rebuke.

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Andreæ and Olaus Petri, in which they were accused of sundry treasonable crimes. The articles of impeachment are too long to enumerate; but the reader may credit us when we affirm that they exclusively bear the character of vamped-up charges, -accusations either of the most trivial nature, or destitute of any basis in truth. Notwithstanding, on the 2d January 1540, the two were found guilty, and sentence of death pronounced against them. Intercession, however, being made with the king in their behalf, their lives were spared, in consideration of the payment of heavy fines, which, in the case of Olof, were raised for him by his friends at Stockholm, but in that of Laurentius, who had no resource but his private income, nearly absorbed his entire fortune. The whole mysterious transaction has left a dark stain of ingratitude on the character of Gustavus Vasa; and so keenly was his father's unjust and ungenerous conduct felt by his son and successor, Charles the Ninth, that he expunged from Tegel's "History of Gustavus" the narrative of the proceedings against Laurentius and Olof, out of filial regard for his illustrious parent's memory.

Having thus effectually removed the chief obstacles to his new ecclesiastical plans, the king,-urged on and assisted by George Norman and by Pyhy,-whom he had now made his chancellor,-lost no time in putting them into execution. In the August of 1539, he had already issued an edict appointing the former of the two "Superintendent" of the Swedish Church, with full power over bishops, deans, and all other ranks and degrees of the clergy. This was followed by the establishment of a semi-presbyterian system of church government, which reduced the existing episcopal rank and authority to a mere empty name; and, in a word, virtually subverted the "recess" and "ordi nances" of Vesteraas. By a stroke of the sovereign's pen, the entire ecclesiastical constitution of the realm was radically changed; and the transformation was declared to be the result solely of his own good will and pleasure. Gustavus declared himself empowered, by right of the royal office, to exercise full influence in the regulation of ecclesiastical affairs. Hardly a vestige of their former spiritual functions was left in the hands of the bishops; and it only remained for the king to complete the metamorphosis by abolishing the episcopal order altogether, and declaring, in common with the German Protestants, that the goverment of the church exclusively appertained to the temporal power, which had the same right to decide concerning matters of Christian faith and worship, as about the affairs of ordinary secular legislation. Now, with regard to the propriety of such a step on the part of the Swedish monarch and his advisers, there can, we should fancy, be but one opinion. It was a political mistake of the grossest kind. Presbyterians

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