Page:History of the Literature of the Scandinavian North.djvu/166

148 He declared that Luther in his attack on the Roman church went much further than he could follow him. As the fundamental principles of the Reformation developed, it became manifest that it aimed at nothing less than a complete overthrow of the existing church, and to this Povel Helgesen could not lend his support. He was in favor of a reformation on the basis of the old church by simply removing the abuses which in course of time had crept in, but he was unwilling to give up the fundamental standpoint of the Catholic church. He therefore abandoned that course of progress which he had previously entered upon, and became, generally speaking, an ardent and violent champion of Catholicism, and this in spite of the many abuses which were repulsive to him. Although he deeply sympathized with the Reformation in many respects, still he thought it was essentially a dangerous undertaking on account of its revolutionary character, and that it consequently ought to be arrested as soon as possible. With voice and pen Helgesen endeavored to stem the ever advancing tide, and on the invitation of the Catholic bishops he travelled through the country, seeking with his sermons to bring the people into the right way, but in vain. He simply made himself the object of hatred and scorn, for at this stage of the struggle his course could only be looked upon as an apostacy induced by base motives. Judged by history, however, which is independent of all party-passions, Povel Helgesen stands a highly gifted man, who throughout his whole life acted purely from honest convictions. It may be said of Povel Helgesen that, notwithstanding his great talents, he was not abreast with his times and did not comprehend what his age needed, though his course was clear and logical enough from his standpoint, and he certainly was consistent in the violent warfare in which he engaged in behalf of his principles. In his many published works we find him an equally honest and impartial warrior. The most of them deal with religious controversies, and some of them are addressed personally to some of the reformers. In con-