The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-05-18


And over all, the glowing town and guiltless sea,
sweet rest.
SOMETHING MORE ABOUT "PREACH-
ING IN GERMAN"
TO fHE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.
will you allow Lutheran space In your
valued paper for few words on the above
subject?
In your Issue of Wednesday, 18th, you give
an extract, translated from the Deutsche zei.
tung, In which the writer ''takes exception"
to the occasional use Of the English for SER
mons In st. Matthew's Lutheran Church.
This statement of objections was brought
forth by the fact that Rev. lDr. Rude, pastor Of
the Columbia Church, preached sermon In
English last Sunday morning In the German
Church.
Now, Mr. Editor, wish, as o Lutheran, 10
enter my friendly remoustrancs against
brother churchman entert lining and express
sing views 80 un-Luthersl-1 might almost
say un.German-as these. No one has
greater admiration ior the German language
than the writer, nor appreciates more the vast
stores of rich treasure-literature, science,
art-held within its massive arms. Yet he
loves the pure Gospel Church, known as the
Lutheran, too we'll to have 1t clrcumsci.oed
by the German language. This is contrary TO
the whole spirit and genius of Lutheranlsn,
which claims as Its field Of action, not Germa'
ny, nor the German language alone, but the
aohols acord The words of her Immortal de-
fender, DR.. Martin Luther, (God be thanked,)
were not thus confined. His strong and
hearty expressions, and his words of truth,
have rung through every nation, In every
tongue.
In fact, the Lutheran Church Is not proper
ly known and appreciated in this country for
one THAT Is by far the largest Protestant
Church in the world, (having more than forty
million communicates within her walls,) and
which In America is only outnumbered by
three others, viz: Methodist, Baptist and Pres
byterians.
Combating the English ia the manner the
ZeituQg advocates, is the very course to injure
and cripple our own loved church, and
would here ask the Zeitung where American
Luthersnsm would have been to-day had the
zeitung's forefathers, Tin sentiment mean,)
been able to lock the Lutheran Church up In
the German tongue and put the key In their
pockets? --- -
-Don't be afraid of Lntheranism getting hurt
by changing her outer garment She Is
known and judged by her mind and heart, her
soul, by that which she speaks from her lips,
THE pulpt.) and by that which shines from
her eyes, (the pages of her church literature.)
If It Is the fear of losing the German lan-
euage that agltates the.-Zeltung, surely ex-
cluding an occasional English sermon from the
German Church will avail nothing. For Lu-
therauism can no more preserve the German
in English-speaking America than can the
German conlne Lutheranism within Itself.
This dsuse OF German Is from other and q stn-
raj causes, and It remains with the German
Immigrant, in his family circle, to preserve his
native tongue, while at the same time let him
not detract from the language through which
he earns his daily bread.
Oug city and country certainly owe much,
very much, to the German and his tongue,
and think we all take pleasure In acknoWl-
edgng it. German Is taught In many schools
In our city. Several societies use that Ian.
guage exclusively, and ills with much gratia-
cation we have lately witnessed In our old
city most pleasing afiliatlon between the
German ane American elements-a tendency
to share the advantages Of peoples and tongues.
Thus should it be!
The Zeltung says: "There are In Charleston
about fifty churches, III all of which sermons
are preached in English every Sunday, while
there is only one church set apart for Ger
mans" &C. This Is hardly fair estimate.
If the German immigrant lett In his own
country Episcopal, Methodist and all other
denominations and sought his own particular
church among the above when he reached
these shores, then he could justly claim more
than one out OF. fifty churches for the German
language. This, however, Is not the state Of the
case. The vast majority of Germans who
come here are Lutherans, and only among
Lutheran churches can such have claim. 10
this city there are three Lutheran churches;
hence the German tongue has one ont Of three.
1t is certainly very desirable that there should
be now and always one or more churches
where the German tongue Is spoken exclu-
slyely, and 1t Is to be hoped 1t will always be
go; yet We demonstrate against objection be-
ing made to an occasional use of an English
sermon; for how can Lutherans here Inter
change pulpits unless the English pastor in
vited to preach to his fellow-Lutherans be al
lowed to preach In his native, and perhaps,
only tongue.
Let us have German churches, we say, but
we beg our friend the zeltung not to taboo
the English In an English-speaking country.
Does he wish to shut out his fellow-men from
the pure Bible doctrines OF Lutheranism be-
cause they do not understand German? Why,
he places us poor English Lutherans In the
position of the fox when he came to dine with
the crane, and found the good things in
capacIous but narrow-necked vessel.
On Monday night last, all the Lutherans
were invited to united service in the splen.
did ediice of the German Lutherans. They
pIn3lv and Wisely determined to conduct the