The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-23
TO THE WORSHIP OF GOD.
ST. PAUL-s EVANGELICAL IL
THERAN CHURCH DEDICATED.

of the Lutheran Church by Rev.
DR.. schaemer-ReV. Monroe y. Ep-
ting Installed as Pastor-Ihe RE
marszabIe success of the New
Church Due to- the Efforts of the
Ladies Of the Congregation.
The dedication Of ST. PauTs Lutheran
Evaugelicas church, al Bun and First
streets, took place yesterday morning
The dedicatOry services were very large
j. attended.
The church was unable 20 accommo-
date all who wished TO attend. The pas
tors of the two Lutheran churches Of the
city. Rev W G.. Schaeffer. ID. D., Of the
Church of the Ascension. and Rev. Mon
roe J. Eptng. of ST. Paurs church, to-
gether with Rev. ". S. Bowman, ID. D.,
the former pastor of the Church Of the
Ascension with the officers Of the two
churches. entered the church in process
sion and took seats ia and around the
pulpit.
The opening service was read by Dr.
Schaeher. Nr. Epting read the state
ment OF the building committee, and
turned the keys over to the council of
the church. The dedicatory services were
then conducted by Rev. DIR. Bowman,
assisted by the two pastors. Or. Bow
and alluded to the fact that while pastor
Of the Church of the Ascension he made
efforts 20 begin such a movement realiz-
ing its necessity
The dedicatory sermon was delivered
by Rev. Dr. Schaener on the history. doc
trine and life of the Lutheran Evangeli-
cal church. His text was, BE ready al
ways TO give an answer to every man
that asketh you a reason of the hope that
is in you" ] Peter, 3:15. DR. Schaener
discussed under successive heads the or
igin, name, doctrines worship, baptism,
me Lords supper and the numerical
strength of the Lutheran church. He con-
graduated the members of the church,
IN beginning his DISCOURSE upon the sue
cess which had rewarded their efforts.
This days services" said he, mark
an epoch in the history Of the Lutheran
church of this city. To-day prayers are
answered, long cherished hopes realized,
toll rewarded in this beautiful churcn
building we have dedicated TO the worship
OF the living God. The community viii
ask by what right this church has been
erected ana what is the faith to be pro-
claimed from its pulpit"
The birthday Of The Evangelical Luz
thefan church was Oct. 81, l5l7.' said Dr.
Sohaefer. ION that day Martin Luther
an Augustine monk, nailed on the door of
All Saints church, Wittenberg ninetv-
i've propositions, the substance Of which
ls that salvation is by faith in Jesus
Christ. This was the keynote to that
great movement that ushered in these
modern times.
June 30. 1880, at Augsburg. in obedience
TO the order of Emperor Charles v. the
reformers presented In definite statement
their dootrinal belief before the German
empire and the Roman church i'm their
Morid-renoWned confession, prepared by
Aelanchton and approved by Luther This
AUGSBURG confession stands in history the
great confession of Professionalism and the
charter of the Lutheran church.
10 know this confession is to know
Lutheran nd
believes
The Lutheran exalts the divine word
above both ecclesiastical authority and
the dictates of human reason. To him
the creed is binding only so far as it
agrees with the manifest teaching of the
Word of God. In fact, he understands il
10 be a reflex of this word-an epitome of
What the sacred Scriptures fundamentally
1T is with justice" said Dr. sohaeffer
that the Lutheran church claims to be
the Matthew of Professionalism"
The FOUNDERS Of the church called it the
Evangelical church, he said. Her enc
mics gave the name Lutheran. which is
Nlllhgly accepted because Luther con-
fessed the pure, evangelical doctrine and
does MOI accept all Luther said or did
put follows him only as he rightly inter-
prets the word of God the rule of faith
The Lutheran is distinguish
ed by his profound love for pure doctrine
YET ne IS tolerant He believes that 9TH
els hold the saving faith in Christ as
Wen as himself, but he also believes thai
he more nearly holds the pure truth Of
Gods word than any other body of Christ
lans. and he cannot be false to this pure
doctrine, which must be confessed in its
1ullness at any cost"
The doctrine of the Lutheran church"
SAID Dr. Schaeiter. set forth in the prin-
cipal articles of the Augsburg confession
may be summarily stated thus: That
there is one divine essence which is God
and that yet there are three persons
of the same essence, Father, Son and Holy
Ghost eo-eternal and co-equal; that the
Son of God betook upon Himself human
nature ana suffered and died, that he
might be sacrifice for the sins of the
world; that all men, naturally engender-
ed, are born in sin, that is. without the
Tear of God, and with Carnal appettes
ana that they cannot by their own pow
ers exercise saving faith and bring forth
works of true righteousness, without be-
ing born again and converted to God by
the Holy Ghost; that man cannot be
1usthed before God by his own works or
merits, but is Justified freely for Christ's
sake, through faith alone, which God i'm
putes to him for righteousness; that this
faith must bring forth good fruits or
works because God has commanded them
and not In the expectation of thereby
merltng forgiveness and salvation; that
the ministry has been appointed to preach
The gospel and administer the Sacra-
anents; that through the word and the
sacraments. as by instruments, the Holy
Ghost is given, who works faith and re-
news the heart that through baptism
grace is offered, and that children pre-
scented thereby to God are received into
Christ are truly present and dispensed
TO the communicates in the Lords Sup
per- that the sacraments become efca-
, cious. not by the mere administration of
them, but through the words of their
: institution and the promise of
God attached thereto apprehend-
ed and received by faith; that
there is and ever viii be one
holy Christian church, which consists of
the congregation of believers, for the
true unity of which, uniform ceremonies
are not necessary, but simply agreement,
concerning the doctrine of the gospel and
the sacraments-that at the last day Christ
shall nppeaer in Judgment raise the
dead, confer upon the godly and elect
eternal life and condemn ungodly men ana
devils to endless punishment
OF the worship of the Lutheran church
DR.. Schaefer said: The Lutheran church
is liturgical There is a definite Lutheran
service, the outlines of which are from
Luther himself. With rare wisdom, he
declared the old service of the church
must be the basis of the new and retained
all that was directly from the word OF
God.
OF baptism, Or. Schaeffer said that the
confession declares that baptism is nee
essary to salvation, and that by baptism
grace is offered. Three things are essen
al fsara ism he 0.f1e- ~