The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-01
LUTHERANS' GREAT FESTIVAL.
SERVICES COMMEMORATIVE OF
THE REFORMATION.


Its Eighth Anniversary.
The SSOth anniversary of the reformation
was celebrated yesterday at the Lutheran
churches. Both at ST. Paufs aud the
! Church of the Ascension the occasion was
celebrated, large congregations enjoying
the sermons that were preached, with
the reformation as a basis, and the splen-
did music that was rendered.
| Special programmes of music had been
| arranged at each church. These were
! particularly appropriate to the occasion.
some of them being in German. The music
at st. Paurs was led by the Gesangverein
Frohsinn, and at the Church of the As
cension by the Gesangverein Teutonia. A
mission song was also sung at the latter
| by the girls of the Savannah orphans
home. BY many their simple and sweet
melody was regarded as the most pleas
ing of all the music rendered. The pas
tor, Rev. w. c. Schaeffer, thanked the
girls for the song.
| The sermon at ST. Paul's was preached
by the pastor, Rev M. ]. Eptng. His text
was taken from Ezekial 2S:lS: Thou hast
| defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude
| of thine iniquities by the iniquity of thy
traffic; therefore will 1 bring forth a fire
| from the midst of thee, 1T shall devour
| thee and 1 will bring thee to ashes upon
the earth in the sight of all them that be-
| hold thee"
This passage of the scripture was taken
| because 1t was regarded as fitting so ac-
| curately the condition of the church, up
| to the time Luther undertook the defeat
| of the system of indulgences and the re-
suits that followed the reformation. The
| main object of the sermon was to review
the history of the church during the first
| fifteen centuries of its existence, and the
events which led to the final revolt.
AT the Church of the Ascension, the SER
| mon was delivered by Rev. L. K. Probst,
| general secretary of the board of missions
! of the United Synod of the Lutheran
| church south.
Mr.. Probsts discourse was a narrative
| of the events of the reformation as set
afoot by Luther, a brief history of the
| church as it had existed up to that time,
| the condition of religious affairs as they
| then stood, and of the. results that have
| followed the revolution provoked by the
| antagonism of the great reformer to what
| he regarded as the abuses of the faith.
| Then followed a talk on the Lutheran
| church, with its history in America, some
| thing Of statistics on it's condition and an
appeal for the help of the church for mis-
| sions.
The texts, taken as a basis of the SER
mon. were For Cod so loved the world
| that He gave His only begotten son, that
whatsoever believethr in Him should not
perish, but have everlasting life" John,
| 9:16; and, go We therefore and teach all
nations baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son, and Of the
| Holy Ghost" Matthew 28:19.
| Mr.. Probst said, in his opening remarks,
| that he esteemed it an honor at any time
| to be asked to, preach to the congregation
| of the Church Of the Ascension but that,
upon such a day, the anniversary of the
| greatest event ITO the Protestant church
since the birth Of the Savior, he regard
| ed 1t as an increased privilege.
81 see that there are many children
| here" said Mr.. Probst land I do not
doubt that mostEof them know what is
meant by Reformation Sunday. There
may be a few present who do not under
stand the full significance of the day, and
| what it is intended to commemorate The
| mention of certain dates will often cause
a suggestion to the mind of great events
| that happened upon them. Let one speak
| of Oct. r. 1892, of Dec. %, or of Easter
| and a thought will always arise of their
wonderful significance. Thus it is that
the mention Of Oct. g. 1917, brings with
| 1t the thought of that grand man, Mar
tin Luther mailing his ninety-five theses
upon the door of the old church at Witten-
| berg and challenging the world to dis
| prove them"
The period of the history of Christianity
| preceding the reformation was discussed,
Mr.. Probst saying that the church had
| passed through many trials and vicissi-
| tudes as well as many successes. He said
that error, corruption and superstition had
| crept in during the fifteen centuries of its
| existence. Many had tried to effect
change in the church, but it remained with
Luther to be successful. 1.-THE traditions
lie L .T..r 4 l..
councils, and the word of the pope all
were regarded as of greater value than the
word of God. Luther wanted to make the
word of God the ruling doctrine of the
| church and to make justification by faith
| the keystone of Christianity"
The results of the birth of Protestant
| ism in the hour when Luther nailed up his
theses were shown in some figures giving
! the strength Of the churches throughout
| the world. A glowing tribute was paid the
man who was able to effect such a revolu-
ton in ecclesiastical matters. Mr.. Probst
said that there are now 116,C00, 900 persons
| claimed as members of the Protestant
| churches.
The strength of the Lutheran church
was then given in statistics. There are
| now more than $1,000 ministers, more than
| 200 congregations, and more than 50,000,-
| 600 communicates in the church. The
| church in America was then taken up,
| time to a discussion of the church in for
| eign countries, but that he was restrict
| ed to the hour of the sermon. He said
| that in 1900 there were only 1900 Luther
ans in this country, and he regarded it as
| a phenomenal growth, when it is con-
sidered that there are now more than
| 5000 ministers, 5000 congregations and
| 10000 communicates, In speaking of the
united synod of the south, Mr.. Probst
| said that the first settlement of Luther
ans in this country was made in North
| Carolina about $50 years ago. The first
| synod was formed in that state in 1903,
| there being only four ministers and four
| teen laymen present at the formation. At
| this day there are eight synods in the
south, representing 10000, a number more
than twice as great as the entire number
| of Lutherans in America at the begin
| ming of the century.
The growth of the church In the south
was ascribed to the work of the missions.
| Soon after its formation, the synod of
| North Carolina sent out its missionaries
into the adjoining Districts and the work
| begun by the pioneers of the church has
| been continued. Congregations have been
Il