Johannes Matthiae Gothus (29 December 1592 in Västra Husby – 18 February 1670 in Stockholm) was a Swedish Lutheran Bishop of SträngnäsKristina Örtenhed och Bertil Wennberg ed. Freedom of the Press and Public Access to Official Documents in Sweden and Finland – a living heritage from 1766. Sveriges Riksdag, 2018. p. 170 and a professor of Uppsala University, the rector of the Collegium illustrious, Collegium Illustre (the school for young noblemen run by the House of Nobility) in Stockholm (1626–1629) and the most eminent teacher in Sweden during the seventeenth century. He was Bishop of Strängnäs from 1643 to 1664.
Gothus embodies like no other Swedish clergyman during the confessional era the continuity and renewal of the Reformed Evangelical humanist tradition in Sweden. He had very close contact with the Swedish royal house and with European reform circles; he was a dear friend of John Amos Comenius and John Dury. Thus, he exerted influence on the so-called folk teaching, school order of 1649, which he formulated himself, and on organisational issues relating to the Church. In particular, he was the spokesman for a so-called ecumenical, European religious policy. His fate was therefore sealed when, with the guardianship of 1660, the ecclesiastical cycles changed. He was, then, forced to resign from the position as bishop of Strängnäs. As a man of ecumenism, Gothus' has a special position in the Swedish and European Church history. His only equal, in approach and status, is the Bishop Nathan Söderblom.
Family
Gothus (born Johan Mattsson) was son of the vicar Matthias Petri Upplänning of Västra Husby (1533–1610) and Anna Danielsdotter Grubbe, the daughter of Daniel Jonsson Grubbe, the mayor of Norrköping. His father's, Matthias Petri Upplänning, ancestors had been part of the ancient frälse. A source claims that, Bishop Johannes Matthiae's paternal great-grandmother was Birgitta Vasa, a cousin of king Gustav Vasa. Gothus had 14 siblings, one of whom was the merchant in Söderköping Peder Mattsson Stiernfelt, later ennobled and introduced Stiernfelt. Gothus was great-uncle of Johan Hadorph.
Gothus was first married to Catarina Nilsdotter Bohm, the daughter of chamberlain of Kammarkollegiet, the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency, Nils Olofsson Bohm and Karin Pedersdotter. The wedding ceremony was held at the Royal Palace in Stockholm in the autumn of 1634. His second wife was Beata Nilsdotter Lillieram, daughter of chancellor Nils Chesnecopherus Lillieram, the wedding was held at Rockelstad Castle in 1659, a bishop seat at the time.
The children of Johannes Matthiae Gothus were introduced at the Riddarhuset, Swedish House of Nobility in Stockholm, under the name Oljeqvist as noble family number 331.
The following notes of his childrend's baptisms are taken from Johannes Matthiae Gothus's diary:
Christina Johansdotter born 1636-02-14 in the court assembly, † 1636-07-20 of severe chest disease. Johannes Matthiae Gothus writes in his diary, "At twelve o'clock in the day, my dear daughter and first child Christina was born. God let her grow up and be disciplined in a true fear of God and all Christian virtues. The following Thursday, which was February 18, she was baptised right here in Stockholm at the palace, by Her Royal Highness the Dowager Queen's court preacher, M. Jacobo Tankio. The baptismal witnesses were Queen Maria Eleonora, the Queen Dowager, Queen Christina, the future queen, Miss Christina Pfaltz Countess, Seneschal of the Realm Mr. Gabriel Göstafsson Oxenstierna, Marshal of the Realm Jacob de la Gardie, Admiral of the Realm Mr. Carl Carlsson Gyllenhielm, Privy Council Mr. Johan Skytte, vice- president of the Court of Appeal, Mr. Carl Horn, Chancellor of the Court, Mr. Johan Salvius, secr. Nils Nilsson, Jacob Barchman, Lorentz Hartman, mistress of the court Mrs. Elisabeth Gyllenstierna, national treasurer Mrs. Anna Banér, cammar virgin, virgin. Brita Gyllenstierna, maiden Kerstin Boosdotter, court maiden, maiden Kirstin Curk, maiden Margareta Oxehufvud, Peder Rosenskiöldz's wife Catharina, Michel... wife Christina Barcsman. My dear daughter Christina lived a short time in this world. For when she was fourteen weeks old she fell ill by a violent chest-sickness, with which she struggled for a few weeks, until she blissfully and meekly fell asleep in the lord's room on June 20, 1636, when it was about four o'clock in the evening. She was, then, honorably buried in Strängnäs church on 23 June. M. Stephano Gallio court minister did the funeral ceremony .......(Latin). God redeem my blessed little daughter a joyful resurrection on... the last day. Johan Johansson Oljeqvist born 1637-04-11 in the court assembly, † unmarried in Hamburg/Paris/Amsterdam? Childless? Johannes Matthiae Gothus writes, "On April 11, the third day of Easter, a little before four o'clock, my dear son Johannes was born. God Almighty let him live and grow in age and grace both to God and men. The Friday after that, which was April 14, he was accepted into the Church of God in the Palace church by M. Stephano Gallio, court preacher, through the sacrament of ...5 baptism. The baptismal witnesses were Duke Carl Gustaf Pfalztzgref to the Rhine, Svea Rike's Council and Chamber Council Mr. Åke Axelsson, Svea Rike's Council and Reich Marshal Mr. Axel Banér, H.h Majt's Master of the Court Mr. Gustaf Horn, Chamberlain Christian Carlsson Oxenstierna, Court Junker Lorentz von der Lind, Councilman in Stockholm Hans Hansson, secr. in the Jönköping court Lars Bohm, feldher Jacob de la Gardie in Stockholm, Countess of Wisingsborg wife Ebba Brahe, Mr. Lars Sparre's wife Märta Banér, court maid, maiden Kristina Gyllenstierna, maiden Margareta Sefrding, legal doctor Jonas Botvidis wife Karin Nilsdotter, secr. in the court-martial Johan Nilsson's wife Brita." Gustav Johansson Oljeqvist born 1638-04-28 in the court assembly, † unmarried 1700-05-03 at Janslunda farm, Överselö sn. Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1665, bank commissioner in 1689, Russian diplomat and envoy. On April 28, a little before four o'clock, my dear son Gustaf was born. God Almighty bless and keep him and let him grow in the fear of the Lord and all lawful virtues. On the 1st of May, on Philippi Jacobi day, he was baptised in the church of God by the court preacher M. Stephano Gallio at Stockholm Palace. The witnesses at his baptism were... Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna, Privy Councillor, Admiral and Governor General Clas Fleming, Privy Councillor and Admiral Erich Ryning, Governor of Livland Bengt Oxenstierna, Colonel Gustav Gustavsson (Gustav of Vasaborg), Lord Chamberlain Gustaf Gabrielsson Oxenstierna, secr. status and the governor of Stockholm Palace Lars Grubbe, interest master Erich Ersson, chamberlain Bengt Hansson, queen Christina, Countess Palatine wife Catharina, chambermaid Brita Gyllenstierna, court maids Ebba Bielkenstierna and Ebba Gyllenstierna, secretary Johan Mån..wife Karin, B...Wib. .rs wife Margareta Strömberg. Anna Johansdotter Oljeqvist Nils Johansson Oljeqvist born 1641 Stockholm Palace, † 1690 Lundegård, Öland. Occupation: District Judge of Öland. Married 1:o Elisabeth Sabel † 1671-12-07. Married Birgitta Gyllenadler, daughter of Bishop Samuel Enander Gyllenadler. Johannes Matthiae Gothus writes, on December 10 between seven and eight o'clock in the morning on a Friday, my dear son Nils was born in Stockholm, God Almighty let him live and be brought up in discipline and fear of the Lord. The following Monday, which was December 13, he was baptised at the Palace by the court preacher M. Stephano Gallio. Witnesses of his baptism... persons Seneschal of the Realm Mr. Per Brahe the Younger, Chamberlains Johan Patkel and Axel Åhrfoh, First Proceptors Bengt Baaz and Carol. Pommweg, court bookkeeper Hindric Wulf, queen Christina, miss Eleonora Catharina, mistress of the court Mrs. Beata Oxenstierna, maiden Elisabeth Carlsdotter, wife Clara M. Aegidy Auly, wife Malin Joh. Leuchhovy, wives Anna Funk, Petter Bohms... Karin Johansdotter Oljeqvist Kristina Johansdotter Oljeqvist Elisabeth Johansdotter Oljeqvist Maria Johansdotter Oljeqvist Petrus Johansdotter Oljeqvist Carl Johansson Oljeqvist Maria Johansdotter Katarina Johansdotter Oljeqvist
Career Early life and education Gothus' special position among the clergy is explained by his unique life course. He grew up in a milieu that was shaped by Duke Charles's struggle against Sigismund, the high nobility, the clergy and the practical-religious problem associated with immigration of foreign labor in the mining industry. His father, who was a church pastor in Söderköping, had, as one of the delegates of the clergy, signed the Söderköping Arvsförening in 1590, his 20-year-old brother was a pastor of Duke Charles in 1597, and since 1599 the church pastor in Norrköping, where the Confederate Confederate's through a wide-eyed congregational care assimilated the reformed population. Like Duke Charles, later Charles IX of Sweden, Gothus' came to work for an evangelical-humanist Church reform and to meet the opposition from the orthodox clergy.
During a ten-year study period, beginning in 1599 in Linköping, Gothus experienced Linköping Bloodbath and Norrköping's Arvsförening. Once the stormy decade of the 1590s had come to an end, he enrolled at Uppsala university. Upon enrolling, he immediately joined the pious religious controversy of the compatriot, the educated Johannes Messenius of Braunsberg Jesuit College, Collegium Hosianum, who was in conflict with the intrusive scholastic confessional representative Johannes Rudbeckius. During his stay in Uppsala, he received further impulses that would guide him in his independent spiritual direction. He enjoyed financial support from the East Gothic court circles and the burghers, from John, Duke of Östergötland and his wife, king Gustav II Adolf's sister Princess Maria Elizabeth of Sweden, and High Councillor Johan Skytte. His humanistic religious orientation is reflected in his studies of poetry under Messenius, whose dramas he performed on stage, in his dissertations in ethics, and in his position as informant of his relatives, the sons of Lutheran-Melanchthonic Archbishop Petrus Kenicius.
After studying in Uppsala, Gothus' came, in no less than seven years, between 1618 and 1625, to have Europe as his university. He made his first foreign study trip in 1618 to 1620, mainly to the Hessian university in Giessen. He deepened his piety focus during studies for the major ethical-religious-oriented theologian, university, church and school reformer Balthasar Mentzer the Elder. Gothus made only a brief visit to Sweden between his two long foreign trips during, which, he, in 1621, was appointed professor poesos at Uppsala university.
His second course of study was crucial to his life's work. In spite of all Lutheran-confessional regulations and scholastic-theological educational goals, he was exposed and deepened himself in the ethico-religious renaissance during his visits to Holland, England and France, not least in England, where there was a reaction to Calvinist neo-confessionalism, which prevailed at the Synod of Dort in 1619, and which Gothus' himself faced in a dissertation in Giessen.
Professorship and rectorship of Collegium Illustre
By the time Gothus returned home at the age of 32, he was a mature man with European broad-mindedness like no other Swedish theologian. He immediately became professor of theology at Uppsala University and rector and professor of the newly founded Collegium Illustre in Stockholm. At the time of the House of Knight's establishment, king Gustavus Adolphus had realised that the nobility needed education to maintain their position. Already in the preamble of the knight house order, the long-gone plans of a special school, exclusive to the nobility and located at the knight house, were clarified.