Chronicle of The Expulsion of The Greyfriars - Chapter 6 Concerning The Friary in Kolding

Chapter 6 Concerning The Friary in Kolding

In 1529 from the Saviour of the world's incarnation, about the time of the Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary1, while our order suffered persecution under King Frederik, the son of the most Christian King Christian II's son, came the aforementioned king, the opponent of all Christian religion and corrupted by the Lutheran heresy to Kolding. At the urging of some few Lutheran citizens and the nobleman, Hartvig Andersen Ulfeld, who desired our friary, was there sent a few noblemen from the aforesaid king to those of our brethren who lived there, to tell them that they must abandon the friary and move to another place because the king would not permit them to remain, and he sent them some money, exactly 100 marks, as travel money.

When the brothers under no circumstance would accept the money, it was deposited at the friary hospital where it remained untouched until the next day. Now the king realized that they would not comply with his wishes or even receive his gifts, so he sent people there who should drive them out of the friary by force and by the king's command.

The aforementioned king offered the monks a chalice, equipment, and the attire required for celebrating the Mass. But out of love for Jesus Christ they spurned the offer. They departed and for their Christian faith's sake were robbed of the alms collections and everything else that was in the friary, and they knew not where they should go. Meanwhile, all the brethren who had been driven out were received in other locations, except a brother by the name of Martin, who laid aside his habit and remained inside the friary. Monks before the expulsion had suffered much evil because of the heretics in Kolding and their preacher, a lapsed Dominican monk, who had been expelled from Haderslev Priory.

1 The Feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was celebrated on 8 September.