Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-03-15
CHURCH HISTORY.
Religious Denominations Of
Wood County.
EVANGELICAL LUrnBNAN CHURCH.

great doctrines taught III the sacreu scrip
tures Of the Old and New Testaments.
These Churches are found in the German
10 States, Prussia, Austria. France, Den
mark, Norway. Sweden, Russia, Poland,
Findland, Hungary, Bohemia, the Neither.
lands, Turkey, England, the United States,
Canndas, Nova Scotia, East and West In
dies South America, Africa, and some
other parts Of the world. Some of them
adhere to the Augsburg Confession with
more rigidness than others; but, in form,
that confession is their acknowledged
symbol, by which they testify to each
other, and to the world, their mutual
afli iliation, and their dstinctncss from
all others, and it is with justice that the
Lutheran Church takes to herself the high
appellation OF The Mother Of Professionals
Evangelical Christendom owes more to
the Lutherans, for everything pure, bless
ed and great in it's religion, than to any
other class Of men since the Apostles fell
asleep.
The first successful attempt to reform
the church Of the middle ages was made
by Luthcrnns. There were rcformers be-
fore Luther, but there was no effective
reformation, except that which he led.
Those ninety-iive Theses nailed to the door
of the Church of All Saints at Wittenbnrg
on the morning OF the 3lst of October
1917; the seventeen articles Of Torgau,
prepared by his hand in obedience to the
command OF one of the most praiseworthy
oi rulers; the magnificent protest of the
Lutheran princes at the Dict of Spires,
along with the hymns and sermons, trans
lated, and other writings of Luther and
his associates, must ever be acknowledged
as the first effective disclosures to modern
notions OF those ancient and undying
truths which make up the real essence of
Christianity.
Luther found the Bible chained in the
Cloister, and he was the first, in modern
times, to break its fetters and set it free.
lie translated it into the common Ian
guage Of the people in a version which
stands to this day as the very best extant,
which has largely formed the basis and
led the way for all subsequent translations,
and which laid at once the foundation Of
Professionalism and German literature-the
ruling religion and literature of the
earth.
1t is also claimed that the Lutheran
Church, by her confessions and masters in
theology, has, either directly or indirectly,
given to all orthodox Christendom its
creed. The confession of Augsburg is the
source of the thirty mine articles of the
Church of England and America - their
prototype in form, their model in doc
trine and the very foundation of many of
their expressions, while others are drawn
from its derivatve expositions and repeti-
tions. Palmor, Hare, Short, Chaplin, Proc
tor, Humphrey, Hardwick, and other
prominent Episcopalians have made the
same acknowledged ement.
A Romanish writer bears witness that
Luther has been the restorer of liberty in
modern times. Nor is the Lutheran
Church any less distinguished for her pat
ronage of learning and her contributions
to theology and science. Her literature
is among the richest in the world her
Universities have been and still are the
glory Of Germany, and have been. regarded
as much for the past three hundred years,
and her critics and religious teachers have
been the leading instructors OF Christen-
dom from the days Of Luther until now.
DOCTRINES.
There has been difference Of opinion
among different writers respecting Luther'u
doctrinal views, some maintaining that lie
lived and died firm in the Augustinian or
Calvinistic faith on the subject of divine
DEGREES others affirming that his views
on the distinguishing doctrines, set forth
by the acts Of the Synod of bort, were al
ways unadjusted and inconsistent with
each other, and that long before he died he
preached the sentiments on these points
which his successor Malancthon and his
followers have held. There has also been
difference OF representation in regard to
Luther's views respecting the corporal
presence in the eucharist; some contend
ing that the language of the Lutheran
symbols on that subject, viz: that the
body and blood of Christ are actually
present under the form Of emblems of
bread and wine, and dispensed to the
COMMITMENTS, (Augsburg Confession, Ar
ticle 10y, means the real presence, some
times termed Consubstantiation. This
difference exists still among Lutherans-
the English branch most generally teaches
the emblems of the bread and wine TO be
symbolical, while those termed "Old Luz
therans" hold to the former idea, that the
Lutherans in America do not in either
branch of the Church require her mem
bers' assent to the real presence Of the Sa-
viour in the eucharist.
The following are the leading doctrines
OF the Church under consideration
l. The Trinity of persons in one God.
2, The proper and eternal divinity OF
the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. The universal depravity OF our race.
4. The vicarious and unlimited atone
mcnt.
5. Justification by faith alone.
6. Necessity Of holy life and good
works Ns fruit of faith.
7. Divine appointment of the holy min
istry and sacraments,
s. Final judgment ard eternity OF fu-
ture retribulion. TO these may be added,
an open Bible, mans only guide to heaven.
Private judgment, mans inalienable birth
right. Christ, and Him crucified, mans
only Saviour, and faith in Christ, mans
only availing righteousness.
The Lutheran Church has but few spec
ial peculiarities. 1t is presented as her
l,;af cI,oructaristic thot sha alma ~ ~