The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-18

| On the south face is the inscription:
In memory Of Rev. Herman H. Lembke ):
and Rev. Christian Rabenhorst, successors ::
10 pastors BolziIs and Gronan during whose ::
charge the present church edifice was erect ::
ed !:
1.-THE memory Of the just is blest." !:
THE DWELLING CEREMONY.
The shaft was closely yelled until the
latter part of the ceremony, when the un-
yelling took place.
A platform was erected on the north side
OF the monument and was occupied by Rev.
j. S. Austin, pastor of the Ebenezer
church; Rev. H. S. Wingard, Rev. John w.
Heidt, of Georgetown, Tex; Rev. Charles
Neidlinger and others. The ceremony be-
gan with prayer by Rev ]. S. Austin. Rev.
John w. Heidi delivered the grafton, dur
ing which the monument was unveiled by
four little girls-Misses Kieffer, Helmney,
Exley and Dasher
THE EARLY PASTORS.
Rev. Fl. S. Wingard gave an histrical
sketch OF the early pastors and their work
| From time immemorial it has been the Gus
| TOM OF man 10 erect monuments to the memory
| either of great events or OF great men We
read in Gods word of pillars, affairs and stones
set up as records of Gods gracious dealing with
| men. Even God himself has made his abiding
|
David and others of old fame and Mary aud
| others whose names and deeds are spoken of
wherever his gospel is preached. In the church
| we have the memories of her great and good
| men perpetuated in the names of our houses of
| worship, and the parishes of the various denom-
nations, to say nothing of the long calendar of
saints recorded by certain profeSse Christians
| We find also that profane records are estab-
| lshed by monuments of various kinds. The
| pyramids of Egypt. various towers and build
| ings OF the old world, as well as monuments in
fAI nf o,,l lie
| or events in history. Our own land is not be-
hlnd in these monumental records. To many
| or our great men whose names come down to
us In history as defenders of human right the
| founders of our sacred liberties, the noble mar
| tyrs to principle all alike have their monuments
| TO perpetuate their names and work. In your
own metropolis there are numbers which tell of
| military or civic greatness. One has been but
| recently dedicated with imposing ceremonies
| and display. But we are here to-day to dedicate
monument to those vho do not figure SO
| much in the annals of YOUR country as military
! chleftains or as statesmen
COLONY OF GODS PEOPLE
We are to commemorate the sufferngs pri-
| vations, patience and faith of an humble colony
of Gods people and their faithful and devoted
| pastors. For more than hundred wears their
| sacred dust has lain in the bosom of your cotin-
| try, and no stone commentaries their grandly
| faithful lives united at last. God has put it
| into the hearts Of their descendants and friends
| 10 raise TINS marble shaft to remind succeeding
| generations that the good and the pious should
| be remembered as well as the brave and the
| wise. And why should this not be so? If those
| VINO fought for civil liberty, and devised means
| for its promotion and establishment are to be
| remembered, surely those who surrendered
| homes, property, families, and In some yes,
man instances, their lives for the establishment
| of liberty of conscience, and religious
| freedom, should be held in lightest regard.
| Here around this stone stand to-day representa-
| tives OF great number of religious creeds,
| who worship God according to the dictates of
| their own conscience, with none to modest them
| or make them afraid. And it was for this very
| principle your forefathers suffered banishment
| ard all the privations incident to the settlement
| of strange, wild land, separated from the
| mother country by 1900 miles Of vast waste
| of waters. 1t is To such sacrifices as thew made
that you have the privileges you now enjoy
| Before even the days of the Reformation the
| ancestors of these people had been as a dim
| light shining amid the gloom of those dark
| days OF the church of Christ, while they were
| yet the inhabitants of the alpine valleys of
| the Piedmont"
| DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMES.
Driven by the cruel prosecutions of the Duke
| of Savoy aud others they secreted themselves
in various mountain regions those from whom
| you are descended moving into the Tyrol in
| Upper Austria near the ancient town of Salz-
| burg. Here in their quiet way they studied the
| word of God, and continued to grow in their
| faith until the establishment Of Reformation in
| Germany. AS soon as possible they procured
the Augsburg confession and the smaller cate.
chiSm of Luther, the sermons of Luther Span.
genbur- and others they became 80 fully root
ed and grounded in their faith that the lash
coad shake ai fSe abiding HGf Oa t4ast
in God, or their faith in the doctrines
of his blessed word as set forth in that great
charter of civil and religious liberty the Augs-
burg confession. Vita the spirit of many.
whose names have been more conspicuously re-
membered, they endured hardships as good sol.
diers of the cross and earned for themselves
a martyrs crown. Then why should not their
names be handed down to posterity and their
deeds be commemorated in monuments of
stone. All that you enjoy of religious liberty
you owe to men. who, like these, and with these
valued liberty of conscience above all other
earthly possessions.
PROMOTERS OF CIVIL LIBERTY.
And as a natural result he civil liberty must
follow. So that the principles which a Wash
ington. Wayne or a JASPER defended were planted
in this country by the many, who, like the
| SalzburgeIs, left their homes for this distant
| but friendly land. And we can scarcely tell
more to be honored who planted, nouriShed and
| cultivated civil liberty or those who defended il
when its existence was threatened Let this be
rs IT may. you did but your simple duty when
| you placed this shaft here near their graves 10
| their q red memory.
Let Us for few moments call attention to
| some Of the CAaraCfe rSticS of this people
and their pastors. II is well for us to
stop and think of such people when
the times and customs of the world are so DIFF.
ferent The memory Of the Just saws the word
Gentes advise, us 10 be followers of them who
! through faith and patience inherit the promise.
With regard To the pastors whose names are
| recorded on talS monument we can say OF them
| all, they were meu of piety, learning and intense
devotion TO the Masters cause.
THE EAkLY PASTORS.
OF Gronau. who died first, 1t is said he died
| much beloved poth by his associate aud his
| people whom he served. when his last moment
| had cone ac desired that the hand ne nad raised
| in praise God n sht be held IN that position
| which being DC. =. h" exclaimed; Come, Lord
| Jesus amen. amen, ami closing his eyes and
| lips bc fed slice IN Jesus.
HOl1ius whose death occurred twenty years
| LATER passed away IA similar peace and JOY
| Having partdken ~ the holy supper aud con
f'ssed his faith Ia the Protestant religion and
in forgiveness Of sins for Chrst's sake he died
! though in much suffering, yet amid joyous
visions of that home where he would he with
Christ. Whitfield. ia me Of his sermons, calls
him that cool soldier of the cross.
OF IemnSe, who next lassst away, we have
no minute description of his last hours But
we have the testimony Of those who knew him
to his pious and holy life, aud the same may be
said of his colleague, Rev. Rabenborst. wno
| survived him some years
Df tHelr people Boizius himself writes: 1--WE
acknowledge TO the praise Of God that piety
and collcutment sill reign among US as even
str4us r are will z 10 admit" While they
were lat Grams. we yet Il ID them intimate with
great men OF other denominations, as for in.