ll the injury that has
fallen in days gone by upon this kingdom, as every reasonable man must
know. Doubtless there are among the clergy as well as among the people
many who are conscious of what they ought to do. But certain monks and
priests have raised this cry against us, chiefly for the reason that we
have denounced their ambitious projects and their unrighteous dealings
toward the people. If any person owes them anything, they withhold from
him the sacrament, and thus wring his money from him against the law of
God.... Again, if a man kills a bird or catches a fish on the Sabbath
day, they fine him in behalf of their bishop. This they have no right to
do unless the act is committed during church service, when the culprit
should have been listening to the Word of God. Again, whenever a priest
has wronged a layman, the layman is practically without a remedy. He
ought, however, to have the same remedy as the priest. Again, if a
layman kills a priest, he is at once put under the ban, whereas if a
priest kills a layman, he is not put under the ban. Yet God has
forbidden priests to kill laymen as well as laymen to kill priests,
making no difference in fact between them, but commanding all men to be
affectionate and peaceable toward one another. Finally, if a priest dies
intestate, his heirs lose their inheritance and his property is taken by
the bishop. Even the crown estates, which they know we are bounden by
our oath of office to protect, they have confiscated, and now they
proclaim that we have introduced new faiths and doctrines taught by
Luther. All we have done, as you already know, is to command them not to
carry on their ambitious practices to the ruin of our realm." This
explanation did not wholly calm the peasants; and when they found
Gustavus holding another contest over their religious tenets, their
suspicions were aroused again. Gustavus determined, therefore, that he
must take some drastic measure to prevent revolt. What he needed was a
vote of all the people to support his views. So he issued a proclamation
in January, 1527, informing the whole country that, since he was
reported to be introducing new beliefs, he should soon summon a general
diet to discuss the more important matters of belief, particularly the
overweening power of the pope.[150]

To this serious step Gustavus was impelled by several things. In the
first place he desired to fortify himself against the pope. During the
last three years the