Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-06-16
LUTHERAN BlGOrRY.

~ a dispatch from Rock Island, Ills,
IL 10 be relied on, the Swedish
Lu,herans assembled IN synod have
paid attention 10 tho Mormons 10 the
extent Of asking representative Of the
Swedish church TO use his Influence In
preventing our missionaries from labor
ing In Sweden. This sounds plausi.
bic enough 10 any Que who IL ac-
qualnted with that denomination. The
request Ia In full accordance with the
spirit Of bigotry aud Intolerance for
which many Of It's clorgymen are
noted.
This established church Of Sweden
used to lay claim to being 'the only
true" zone, and many Of It's followers
considered oil outsiders ns hopelossly
lost. This chief executive Of the state
hasalways been the supreme bishop Of
the church, In virtue OF his position In
the state, and tho clorsymen have never
disdained TO appeal 10 the civil au-
thorities for aid against heTo,lcs, when
ever they saw flt to do 20. They have
been prosecutors 10 the full extent Of
their power, showing themselves
unworthy Of the name OF Protestantio
Christians.
Ignorant olergymen who have not
seen much OF the world but are formed,
or rather miBiormod, during u rigid
course Of university training, 10 as to
ht,llke oysters Ia the shells, in tho mar.
row clerical uniform, may be excused
Tor entertaining medieval IDEAS and
notions concerning the rights Of others
to think and TO speak. At least their
position Is easily accounted for Bat
men who live In this county and
have tasted the sweet fruits Of liberty,
enjoying and seeing others orJoy tue
freedom that Is only beginning to dawn
over the old countries, cannot be- ex.
oustd when thoy join In the
oamor OF bigoled rabble for
the aid Of the state m sm1therlng re-.
liglous Thought. Is II the fault OF
tnolr denomination that they can
make no advance Ia the direction Of
religious liberty?
The history OF tho swedish church
In the last decades ought 10 teach them
the absolute futiliiy Of trylng % stop
the progress Of religious ideas by force.
Il issnll In fresh remembrance how
yearsago through the iulllunoo OF SILK.
ROBBED priests a tow poor women were
banishod from Sweden because they
had embraced Roman doctrines. a
gentleman Afterwards met the same
rate because he Joined tAe Blpg..s.
Hut what was tho resul9 The clergy.
mon hal only succeeded in making
ihl country the laughing stock o..
Europc. Foreign e-eH Invaded
,ue country snI ta authorities
had to choose between repeating
the oarbaflus law 1f -l<guI Ia the
Punishment bI.ls EbIls.sle. The
ormer al,ouaugs vas selected. But
.till the priests HaI the power 10 perse.
cute, aud they dil s0. The Baptisu
syre pirac4hry huutoi like wolves.
100 many places thu prison. were Oiled
a.lh iaen, thou ga they were gull.
.g of 10 other crime tnau "here-y."
Priests in company with deputy
uar hale, the former armed with
lc niuai aud the latter with
Eea, went round the country
bunting Tor infants who had not been
urinkled, Doors were broken open
snd the children ruirly torn from
lleir moiher' arms u be "Daplzcd."
The parents were fined and, In case o.
Ilyert rluuui OF their furniture to
ny tue fines. II is not hGy years
Inre all this trOuspireI. But what
yas the resul2 Today tho Baptists
lumber over $4,000 In that country
mot including the ohilIrou), auu
thousands Of other disseutors Au thel
mouse, Of worship from Haparaula 90
Y,tad, while tho churches OF the per.