“HIS name,” says the prophet speaking of the Lord Christ, shall be the “Prince of Peace.” But that same Jesus in apparent, but not real, contradiction to His own name said—”Think not that I am come to send peace on the earth, I am not come to send peace, but a sword.” We see then that the march of His purpose to establish His heavenly kingdom on the earth involves also those battles of the warrior which are with “confused noise and garments rolled in blood.” The shining roll of the worthies in the eleventh of the Hebrews includes some “who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, turned to fight the armies of the aliens.” Among these warriors of God we think Gustavus Adolphus, the lion-hearted King of Sweden, should be written. He at a crisis of the Reformation conflict stepped into the arena, and after a brief but notable career of victory, fell on the red field of Lutzen in 1632.
In the year 1630 the conflict of the Reformation had passed into a new phase. The Catholic princes of Europe, headed by the Emperor of Austria, had carried the tide of war from the centre of Europe to the shores of the Baltic. The power and liberties of the Protestant states were crushed under the onset of Wallenstein, the general of the Catholic League, whose huge hosts were supported by plunder and rapine. It remained to carry the war across the sea into Sweden and Norway, and so make an end of Protestantism on the Continent. But the instrument that was effectually to baffle this Satanic project was long preparing by the secret providence of God, and at the night time he appeared on the scene.
Gustavus Adolphus was born in the year 1594, and by the death of his father, Charles IX., in 1611, became heir to the throne of Sweden. This royal destiny was no sinecure, for his crown was menaced both by domestic and foreign enemies. Possessed of a strong, athletic frame and a vigorous intellect, the future hero was nurtured in a hardy frugal manner, and early saw life both in the senate and in the camp. His mind was well exercised in linguistics and other useful learning, so that his range of accomplishments in these departments was much beyond the usual attainment of kings. His proficiency in war was cultivated by successive contests with Denmark, Russia, and Poland for his political rights, which in various ways were menaced by these powers. But in 1630 he entered into his life struggle with the Catholic League by invading the soil of Germany and so anticipating their fixed plan of overrunning Sweden. When the Jesuits heard of the coming of Gustavus they scoffed at him, not knowing the thoughts of God that underlay his appearance. Looked at from a merely human point of view, his attempt seemed sufficiently desperate. Sweden was a poor, thinly-populated country, and whatever hardy virtues were possessed by her citizens the disparity in numbers between them and the hosts of the Catholic League was sufficiently alarming. Nevertheless, David again overcame Goliath. Gustavus though weak in numbers was yet a gifted master of war, his soldiers were hardy and devoted, and so by the blessing of God upon his arms he prevailed exceedingly, and in less than a year had taken fully eighty cities, strongholds, and redoubts in North Germany.
“At this stage there came a help to the Protestant hero from a somewhat suspicious quarter—France. Cardinal Richelieu, who was now supreme in that kingdom, had revived the foreign policy of Henry IV., which was directed to the end of humbling the House of Austria, and his quick eye saw in the Swedish warrior a fit instrument, as he thought, for achieving his purpose. It was a delicate matter for a ‘prince of the Church’ to enter into an alliance with a heretical king, but Richelieu trusted that in return for the subsidy he offered to Gustavus he would be allowed the regulation and control of the war. He found, however, in Adolphus his master. The Treaty of Balwarde (January, 1631) secured to Gustavus a subsidy of 400,000 dollars for the attainment of interests common to France and Sweden, but left to the latter Power the political and military direction. This was a diplomatic victory of no small importance to the Swedish monarch. The capture of two important places, Colberg and Frankfort-on-the-Oder, which followed soon after, shed fresh lustre on the Swedish arms, and made the expedition of Gustavus Adolphus appear still more prominent in the eyes of Europe.”
There had been much apathy and indecision displayed by the various Protestant princes of Germany. Several chief electors, though gratified by the success of Gustavus, still refused to make common cause with him. However, the fall of the city of Madgeburg in May, 1631—a victory for the Papal forces, accompanied with horrible slaughter of about 40,000 of all ranks and conditions—brought them to a resolution to unite with Gustavus. Accordingly he found himself strong enough to offer battle to the main army of the League, and on the field of Leipsic (September 7, 1631) the Swedes and their confederates scattered the hosts of the League to the four winds. It was a decisive victory for the Protestant cause, and it turned the jeers of the Jesuits into serious alarm for the throne of their patron, the Emperor of Austria.
On the field 7000 of the enemy lay dead and 5000 were prisoners. The loss of Swedes and Saxons did not exceed 2700.
(To be continued.)