Evening star., 1897-02-17

commemorate the four-hupdgedth ami
versary of the birth of Philip Melanchthon
the co-worker of Martin Luther which
were begun Monday evening at the Luther
Memorial Church, Rev. DR.. j. G. Butler
pastor, were brought to a close last even
ing.
Mr.. A. J. D. Wedemeyer OF Liberty N.
Y, a member of the Luther Statue Asso-
citation, presided. The program was be-
gun with the performance of prelude, by
Mr.. c. ]. Toof on the organ. entitled Elm
Feste Burg which was composed by Mar
tin Luther.
The Scripture lesson was read by Rev.
Paul A. Menzel. Prayer was offered by
Rev. DR.. S. Domer. following which the
hymn Lift Up Your Heads was sung by
the choirs and congregation.
Our Lutheran Young People formed the
subject of an address by p ---ident L. D.
Alden of the Lutheran Young PEOPLES
Union. In his remarks Mr. Alden said:
Never were the powers of evil so great as
now, but never was the church so aroused
to her responsibilities and the necessity
for great endeavors. There is remark
able interest awakened among the Christian
young people of our day in regard TO re-
lfgious life and service.
''GratifyiEg to US is the fact that this in
terest is very prominent in our own church
and among own young people. Ihey
are rallying to the work as they nave never
done before, under the name OF Christian
Endeavor, Luther League, Luther Alliance,
Lutheran unions and others.
Rev. D. F. Garland of Taneytown, Md,
president of the National Lutheran Chris
tar Endeavor Union, spoke on the topic
.Melanchthon. the Scholar of the Refor-
nation He said in part: Meianchthon
lived at a crisis period in the history OF
the church, and of the world. he hved IN
the midst of the great conflict between
dpSnOtiSm-a battle that was
being fought for no single nation, Tor
no single generation. The Importance OF
authors like Melanchthon has not always
been correctly estimated. Dante Is wor-
SHIPPED at the grave, to which he was hur-
ried by persecution, while Milton, In his
own day, was the blind adder that spit his
yerom on the kings person and later the
mighty orb of song So Melanchthons
noble effort to bring the actua! world near
er ideal perfection in that mighty strug-
gle of the centuries is being better appre-
ciated. He was the most celebrated and
the most powerful literary champion of
those principles which were then strug-
Cling for infant existence. Luther. who
spoke of him as the fncorceiva5ly learned
ard elegant Melanchthon. sat at his feet
for instruction. He was the scholar Of
Germany in that day when the mighty
corf1ict between that which was and that
which ought to be took place, when the
struggle transferred from the tented
field to the realm of ideas, which, burning
all over with indestructble lfef were mar
shaled against principalities and powers.
He lived to lead when the brain and not
the arm, the thinker and nor the soldier.
books and not kings were: set to rule the
world" K--f4
After an anthem by the combined choirs
of the Lutheran churches OF the District Of
Columbia, Rev. DIR. V. l.. Conrad of Phila-
delphia, Pa. editor of the Lutheran Ob,erv-
er. made brief address on The Lutheran
Press" :. 20
At the conclusion of Dr. Cenrad's re-
Rufler a letter from MayOr
Schieren of Brooklyn. N, y, who had
promised to speak en- THE Luther Statue
regretting that he was unable TO come to
Washington at this time. t5Dr. Butler fol-
lowed the reading of the,.let1er with an
earnest appeal for contributions IN aid of
the proposed Melanchthon rnemarial library
at Archison. Kan. - 10. RS
Our Lutheran Women" was the theme
Of the address Of Mrs. A: Fss;Harma, treas
urer of the Lutheran WomaHs Home and
Foreign Missionary Society. There are"
in the world. She occupies place in every
station in life. The Lutheran woman has
pre-eminently the gift of tongue. for she
sings her songs and tells her story In every
land. am glad to say she Is not the so
called new woman, who Is disgusting with
her mannishness and in acting which she
dece1ves no one but herself. She has III
spired the churches of her denomination to
better spiritual life and is inspiring the
children to love the church and Christ"
The closing address was by Miss Jennie
Christ of the Deaconess Home of Balti-
more, whose subject was "Luthern Chari-
ties"
After the singing of the hymn Leave
God to Order All Thy Ways" the benedic-
ticn was pronounced by Rev. d. E. Wise
man.
The following committees had charge Of
the anniversary:
Arrangements-Mr. L. D. Alden, Rev. C.
H. Butler. Miss Josephine e. Neuhaus, Mr..
George r. Linkins and Mr.. Frank c.
Keefer.
Program-Rev. c. H. Butler, Mr. L. D.
Alden and Mr.. George r. Linkins
Finance-Dr. ]. w. Graham Messrs. Geo.
F. Muth, A. D. Spangler T P Hickman,
d. W. keck and Harry F. Dunkhorst
Mr.. j. H. Seiffert was director of music,
and Miss Ella c. Butler organist