The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-10
HERO KING OF SWEDEN.
Ills Three Hundredth Anniversary Cele
brated by LutheTans.

Unusual interest was attached to the
services at the Trinity English Lu-
theran church yesterday when the three
hundreth anniversary of the birth of
Gustavas Adolphus, the hero king of
Sweden, who died in defense of Pro-
testantism, was celebrated.
In the evening at the conclusion of
evening prayer Rev. E. l.. Miller, pas
tor, introduced Major Everett Warren,
who delivered an excellent address ap-
propriate to the occasion, during the
course of which he remarked that the
occasion formed the second time he
had the pleasure of worshipng with
the Lutherans, the first being in July
last when touring through Switzer-
land.
"Gustavus Adolphus," he said, was
greater man from an historical point
of view than Martin Luther. Luther
persevered and protested against the
papal supremacy but Gustavus Adols
phus gave his life for the cause for
which he worked. 1t was not possible
at this day to appreciate the difficulties
which Adolphus encountered unless we
had a knowledge of his environments.
What Luther Taught.
Luther's ideas provoked discussion
ana ltwas made matter Of state busi-
ness TO crush them out. Luther taught
not only justification by faith, the su-
periority Of the Scriptures. but the
right of private judgment. When
Ferdinand ii. started revolution i'm
agine, If you can, the monastic des-
potism, and the taking from indi-
viduals the right to examine the Scrip
lures for themselves; imagine the
mayor of this city issuing an edict to
take your worship away from you, and
imagine, further, that by the same
edict your rector were carried and
placed as target at the court house
for the constabulary. You regard it as
outside the pale of possibility. Imagine
these things and you have faint con-
ception of the days of Martin Luther in
the dawning of the Seventeenth CEN
tury."
Major Warren then described with
much eloquence the savage cruelty of
Wallanstein, who was employed by
Frederick II. to secure the prisoners,
and take to himself the booty and to
be responsible to no one, so long as he
succeeded in crushing out the new
ideas; and how Count Mansfield lost
his life as a martyr in the massacre
The church of Luthers followers be-
came by-word and in this state of af-
fairs no one imagined that in 1929 a
man who would secure the right of
individual liberty would come from ice
bound Sweden, a place less in area than
the state of Michigan. But Sweden
furnished the Christian soldier Of Eur
ope, whose only parallel in history was
General Oliver o. Howard, who saved
the day at Gettysburg.
Services of the Hero King.
Gustavas Adolphus perceived what
was being done by Ferdinand II. in
South Germany; bade goodbye to his
people and entered his new career to
rescue the prosecuted Protestants.
Hearing of his arrival, Ferdinand en-
deavored to secure the aidof Wallanstein
once more, but, being unsuccessful, Sc
cured one as bloodthirsty and who was
responsible for the destruction of 40, 900
| persons without excuse, justification or
cause, except that they worshiped God
in manner different from that there
| tofore in vogue.
The speaker then referred to the SER
vices Of Gustavas Adolphus and that
God always raised great men in times
of emergency to save His people and
His Gospel, as with the Israelites in the
days of old.Adolphus had aided and
made the Reformation possible in
England, had made 1t possible for the