The chronicle is not objective; it is vehemently anti-Lutheran, and certainly lionizes those who were being persecuted, but the details the authors provide give first-hand insight into a turbulent time period in Danish history.
But in the year 1528 after the Saviour of the world's incarnation (on) the second day after Palm Sunday1, the above-mentioned Mogens Gjø, and his priest by the name of Svend came to Flensborg (in order to), with the citizens help, drive our brethren out of that town's friary.
On Trinity Sunday3 when the brethren in the choir had begun to sing the Kyrie eleison the aforementioned priest, Svend came back and invaded the friary together with a crowd of citizens to drive the brothers out immediately.
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 after having heard the lesson, the king was walking in the choir, and Niels Tybo who at one time was Guardian of the place went toward his royal highness and asked him as humbly as he could if the brethren might receive permission as before to remain there and serve God.
Those two went to Haderslev and were filled with Danish hymns and the Lutheran heresy's poison, next they came to Malmø, encouraged by the king's letter of immunity and went up and down (the region) undermining the altars, sent priests fleeing, and destroyed chapels near St Peter the Apostle's Church.
And then upon a time Brother Jacob who was gathered with others in the church in the aforesaid town, namely in St George's Chapel, at the day of consecration for that holy place after he had preached courageously the truth about faith and works, after the lesson and he was about to go out of the door of the church, another heretic broke in, it was Urnarius, the same Hans Spandemager, lapsed from the Order of the Holy Spirit who had gathered a great crowd of people in the area to the south and then proceeded to the friary.
Shortly before this tumultuous time namely in 1529 after the Saviour of the world's incarnation near the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin Mary2 there came a preacher to the town especially learned in the heretics wrong teaching, Brother Frans Lector or Luther-Frans he was called.
He also travelled to Lund to obtain a preaching licence from Archbishop Aage, and he was received in an especially friendly fashion, as one who would be the truth's preacher in Malmø; who would set all falsehoods back onto the correct path.
Though Jørgen Møntmester told the brothers to hold services in another place namely in the vestry, though with the condition that they themselves at God's judgement should stand to answer for these 'ungodly masses' as he called them.
He didn't figure that that type of person's adultery meant much, but to prevent the service of God after the holy Catholic Church's usage is so criminal that one shudders for day of judgement.
Then their hate grew daily and their minds were filled with mischief, which was their soul's sickness, that focused all their energy upon the ways they could discover to get the brethren to leave the friary, our home.
In the meantime there came the masters of the city and the councilmen with deceitful promises and temptations to soften the brother's minds and at the same time frighten them with threats so that they (might flee) to another place away from our friary.
In the fourth week after Easter, (8–14 May 1529) many citizens one day, driven to rage by their violent hate, at the 8th hour (2 o'clock) came to the friary while the Guardian was holding services in the vestry.
But when they ended two lessons about dinner time and could not convince the brethren of their heresy, they drove them by force out of the friary, every one of the brothers received his bedclothes and a washbasin that was retrieved from the cells.
In 1530 after many regrettable events, whereof the most frequent happened during Brother Laurens Hansen's time, who had been the vicar and minister, (the citizens) asked the monks, who were heavily burdened by the heretics and suffered from want of provisions, about postponing their expulsion.
Brother Mads Madsen, who at the time was the Guardian answered him for all the brethren and a great crowd of the congregation's hearing: "St Paul commanded in 2 Timothy 2:14, where he says 'Strive not about words to no profit, which only subverts the hearers.'
Therefore I reject you as one who renders only spite and are not our judge, and I will appeal the case against you before the archbishop and the chapter in Lund, where I can cleanse myself and mine before learned men against this false charge which you have brought against us and witness as clear as the sun that our rule is apostolic and truly evangelical."
This concerns the following: First Master Gerhard Olsen, mayor of the town of Halstad in 1530 shortly before Christmas took by force a gilded chalice which his father, Oluf Petersen gave the convent; it was never recorded in the royal register4 because his mother, who lived at the time, continually encouraged him to leave it for ecclesiastical use for which it was given.
Brother Siger received the large comforter on behalf of Herr Holger's persistent petition which the town bailiff permitted him to obtain until he should return it when it was required.
This is the story of the inhuman and sorrowful ways the Grayfriar monks were persecuted or hounded out of Ystad Friary by the Lutheran sect in the Lord's year 1532, shortly before the Annunciation of the birth of Jesus1 to the blessed Virgin Mary.
The first violent episode took place when the Lutheran party driven and inflamed by a devilish and fire-spouting spirit came to the Ystad Friary, encircled it, and forced their way inside, and it would have succeeded if the brethren had not strengthened the gate and church door with heavy beams and pieces of wood and personally offered strong resistance.
The year after the above-named events, that is 1532, before the Feast of the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary1 just as we were finished with vespers and the official service, the town mayor, Hans Hjort, came together with his Lutheran party and a great part of the citizens and pounded violently on the gate and demanded to be admitted.
At last the town scribe, Søren was his name, took out a wad of paper without a seal and read aloud to the Guardian and his brothers the articles and reasons for which they should be expelled: First, the brethren did not preach the holy Gospel.
A few days after the expulsion two other brother priests, Thomas and Kristoffer died because of their wounds and blows which they received from the cursed Lutherans, but that must be left to the righteous judge, he who knows the depth of all things.
That and much else must the Ystad brethren at the time of the expulsion endured from the unholy Lutherans side; and this has Father Anders Bertelsen himself told me, Brother Erasmus Olavi in good faith and forthrightly; he protested and proved it with word and script and called upon the Almighty God to witness that the preceding explanation is true as spoken.
When that didn't work, he sent some of those who had left the order namely, Johannes from Køge and Niels Christensen, two good-for-nothings who respected the preaching of Brother Rasmus Olsen, he who was lector and a defender of the faith.
Mogens Gjø used this as an opportunity to send word and forbid Brother Rasmus and others permission to preach until they met with that strict knight to answer the points (that had been noted).
When they (Brothers Rasmus and Jacob) were examined and condemned by their (Lutheran's) blind judgement, Mogens wrote secretly to Næstved that the articles under investigation were heretical according to the State Council.
Therefore, the two Horsens citizens namely master of the town, Lars Jensen and another went away to the king's majesty who was staying at Gottorp (in southern Jutland) and obtained from him a letter concerning the brothers' friary.