Chronicle of The Expulsion of The Greyfriars - Chapter 2 Concerning The Friary at Viborg

Chapter 2 Concerning The Friary At Viborg

But in the year 1527 there came a certain lapsed (one) of the Order of St John's1 Abbey at Antvorskov, Master Hans Tausen2, who until that time had borne his monk's habit3 or (in other words) his clothing of virtue and began in his priory's church to preach the Lutheran heresy. And that day when he finished preaching, he removed his habit in the church which he had upon the pulpit and left there together with the citizens who had heard his preaching. They went to St. John's Church in the same town and there he gathered the people often who would hear his infectious Lutheran heresy and pour out his poisoned tongue's oaths.

And then day after day (he preached) his disease-infested lessons, dripping with error great and small; he encouraged the citizens that our brethren should be expelled from there (the priory) during his Luther lessons, and that they should establish a school. St Johns' Church was not large enough for the numbers (of citizens) who wanted to hear the new and unheard of teaching. They asked if the church at our friary could be opened for his sect's preaching in the afternoon. But since that couldn't be permitted, the citizens in that town sent a letter to his royal highness in which they asked for permission to tear down the parish churches in that town because there were too many of them, namely 12 (in number). They also asked his royal highness if they might obtain the Blackfriars (Dominican) and Greyfriars (Franciscan) churches, so that instead of the many churches in the town they could meet together to hold the new lesson services there, and so tear down the other churches. When they received permission to (do this), they seized our friary church. But even before that the brethren were used to preaching before noon and the heretics in the afternoon by which they put many difficulties and obstacles in the brothers' way. First and foremost because they pushed (their way) through an open door into the friary and brought their preacher into our church. And on the Feast of All Saints4 their preacher spoke twice in the afternoon and allowed six of their psalms to be sung by those present. Whereby they prohibited us from holding vespers and vigils for the dead which the brethren were used to sing.

But later they also took the church from the brethren, so that they might conduct their songs of praise and masses in the chapel at the cloister nearly the whole year through. But when the aforementioned citizens saw that the brethren refused to leave their friary, they stationed four soldiers in our friary and commanded the brethren under direction of the royal warrant to pay the cost of upkeep for the soldiers. But the Guardian Niels Tybo, had in the meantime decided to travel to Salling to gather alms. When he had begun his journey and was a mile from the town, there came a message from the brother's own servant to him telling him the sad news and asked him to return immediately. When he returned, and found out what had happened in the friary, he was resigned (to the fact) that the soldiers had come into the friary, but he was sadder to have to gather provisions for them.

But one soldier came in before midday and attacked the Guardian, grabbed hold of his collar and struck him with his sword and later attacked the Guardian twice, once with a tankard of beer, the second time with his sword. The brethren in the meantime remained in the friary together with the aforementioned soldiers despite (the fact) that they endured much (that was) not right and many difficulties. One time it happened that two of the soldiers wanted to visit their comrades in Hostenborg. They demanded therefore of the Guardian the friary's wagon. But he determined that it could truly not be allowed because the wagon was used to carry grain to the mill. He rented therefore another wagon in place (of the first) then the Guardian paid for it with the friary's alms money.

And furthermore, when he (the soldier) returned, he began to require of the Guardian just as much money as the wagon had cost otherwise he would let it be known that he had stayed home. Despite this the Guardian would not of his own free will give him (the money), he was at last forced to give him what he wanted. By the end the number of the soldiers grew to 15, and they used up our alms so that there was nothing remaining neither wet nor dry (goods).

The Guardian decided to turn the keys of the friary over to another and travel to the king to complain about the wrongs against him and the brethren, but a town master5, who he had asked to take the keys, counselled him against the journey because it would be dangerous for himself and for the friary brothers if he fled and did not take care of his majesty's servants (the soldiers). The Guardian remained at the friary with the brethren and pawned a chalice to procure their food. But at last the Guardian travelled to Copenhagen to the king and received from him a sealed letter. When it was opened in Viborg and read out in the presence of the citizens, the monks were chased out, but with what right or authority only the Almighty can see and judge. This was all told to me, Brother Jacob (Jensen), by the worthy Father Niels Tybo, at the time the Guardian of the aforementioned Viborg Friary, now Vice-Guardian in Ribe.

1 Order of St John Hospitallers was one of the fighting orders that came about as a result of the Crusades. The Hospitallers were especially important to pilgrims and the sick. The Hospitallers operated hospitals, poor houses, and their priories offered space to religious travellers. The priories were supposed to produce a surplus that could be sent to the mother house on the Island of Rhodes to fund similar facilities to pilgrims to the Holy Land. The Hospitallers had several names, including Templars.

2 The habit of the Greyfriars consisted of the grey woollen ankle-length gown. A simple cord served as a belt. In inclement weather they might add a matching cowl.

3 Hans Tausen was perhaps the most influential individual in the Danish Reformation. He was a monk of the order of St John's Hospitallers and went to study in Augsburg with Martin Luther and came back persuaded that the church needed reform. He preached a Lutheran sermon at Antvorskov Abbey on Good Friday 1525 creating an instant controversy. He was shuttled off to St John's Priory in Viborg to give him time to come to his senses. Instead Viborg became the earliest centre for the Reformation in Denmark as a result of Tausen's fearless preaching. He was named Frederik I's own chaplain to give him some measure of protection. After the Count's Feud and Denmark's becoming officially Lutheran in October 1536, Tausen lost much of his influence and was later Bishop of Ribe for twenty years until his death.

4 Feast of All Saints was the 1st of November the day after All Hallows Eve.

5 Danish towns were presided over by the town masters (Danish:borgmestre), a group of wealthy merchants or others who were responsible to carry out local laws. The council, composed of other influential town leaders, served in an advisory capacity to the masters of the town. In the Chronicle individual town masters influenced events of the expulsions, and once the town master decided the monks had to go, it didn't take very long before the friary was dissolved, often with the complicity of the king or his officials.