271 both the central and local administration. As has been mentioned in another context, it is probable that the oath in the General Regulation was drawn up on the model of the oath in the Swedish instruktion for landshövdingar. According to article 2 of the Swedish and Russian instructions, the provincial governor was to see to it that no spies entered the country and spread rumors which could be “disparaging to the powers that be, as well as detrimental to the Realm and the Government,” as it was stated in the instruktion, or so that “simple people will not deviate from the loyalty they owe the Ruler and the Realm,” as it was put in the instruktsiia. The head of the province was required by article 3 of the respective instructions to keep “towns and fortresses in his province” in allegiance to the monarch and not to surrender them to anyone. The landshövding/\oe\oÅti was instructed, “for the benefit of the subjects,” to see to it that the true faith was preached in his province, a provision which says something about the politically important role ascribed to religion and the church. Religious teachings were to keep subjects obedient to “the powers that be” and convinced of the justice of the existing social order. The spread of heresies, which grew out of dissatisfaction with economic and social conditions, was therefore perceived as a threat to society and something that had to be opposed. According to article 4, the provincial governor should see to it that: Swedish text: God’s word is, in all the parishes in his jurisdiction, taught and preached purely, unadulterated, and diligently, and (that) no misleading heretical teachings secretly or openly are spread among the subjects or (that) no such teachers infiltrate unnoticed, who with their poison infect others; if he otherwise notices that anything unfortunate and incompetent takes place, so too should he let it be known to the Bishop and the Chapter, and urge them to impede, obstruct, and take measures against it according to the new Church Ordinance recently authored by the royal government {Kungl. Maj:t), offering them aid in everything that seems necessary and useful to the promotion of good order and a correct and reasonable church discipline, so that everything in God’s congregation may proceed ably, lawfully, and well. Russian text: the true Christian Catholic faith is firmly upheld; and if such people appear who secretly preach with enthusiasm to people about other faiths (“tainoe tshchanie imeiut v liudakh o drugikh verakh”) and sow discord, he shall in good time inform the right Bishop, or the judges appointed for spiritual affairs, of them, and deal with them according to the rules of the Holy Apostles and the Holy Fathers and according to the church regulation. Sec above, p. 121.
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