The Baptists in Sweden. By Mrs. M.F. Anderson ...

REV. ANDREAS WIBERG. 75
is a general practice in the Lutheran Church in
Sweden, where attendance at the Communion table,
at least once a year, is necessary, in order to avoid
incurring certain legal disabilities. Very few of
the ministers of the State Church appear to have
had, at that time, any scruples on the subject.
All, whether ministers or private Christians, who
dared to entertain such scruples, were stigmatized
as Separatists and Lasare, and were the objects
of scorn and obloquy.
These conscientious scruples caused Mr. Wiberg
much anxiety respecting the course which he ought
to pursue, and, as his health had been much impaired by over-exertion in preaching, he resolved
to ask permission of the Consistory of Upsala to
suspend his labors for a season. This permission
was granted, and during the two years he was engaged in the translating and publishing some of
Luther's works, and also in editing a paper called
"The Evangelist."
There were at this time, in the North of Sweden,
a number of pious Christians who had left the State
Church, owing to scruples similar to those entertained by Mr. Wiberg. Being acquainted with his
views, and having confidence in him as a truly
Evangelical minister, they applied to him to separate formally from the State Church, and to become their pastor. He had not yet become fully
convinced that it was his duty to take this decisive
step, but his correspondence with these Christians