The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-03-31

warranted. AS it is often the case in |
the affairs of men, trtyialities were
insisted upon, while essential things
were neglected. For while the re-
former admitted that the points on
which their opinion diverged were Of
minor weight, and each conceded that
man could be saved even though he
held the opposing view, their success
ors placed these differences in the
VERY foreground, and orthodoxy was
made the prime condition for saliva.
ton. 1t fills us with sadness to note,
churches were not only divided in
opinion, but that an outspoken and
bitter antagonism developed between
4 them. Each claimed to be the only
saving church," Those who dis
agreed with them were termed lost,
the Lutherans condemning the Re
formed and vice versa. They hurled
all manner Of abuse at each other and
the very pulpits in the churches
were desecrated by their heated and
Incorporate language. The zeal for
the purity Of the doctrine was great,
but the love of God and the fellowman
was but weak. The rabies theolog-
orum,'' the fury OF the theologians,
made the word of God almost as
scarce in the land as it had been
, prior to the reformation. There was
much dispute, but little preaching.
r 4
But while this froth appeared on
the surface, there was a strong under
current of piety in the church. The
number was great of those, who de-
plored the lamentable quarrel and
hoped that God soon would effect that
union, for which many had prayed
, ever since the reformation Nor
were there lacking those who endeav-
! ored to reconcile the old difference.
But not till the year 1917 were any
of these attempts successful And
then again, it was not theologlan,
!. who became the human instrument OF
! God to bring the controversy to a
> close, but pious, Godfearing king. II
!. was Frederick William III Of Prus
, STA, whom God had selected for this
office. Thus in the year 1917, the
!. third centennial of the posting of the
ninety-five theses by Luther on the
church door at Wittenberg, Frederick
William succeeded in bringing to
: gether a number OF the most prom
inent preachers of his kingdom. Then
book of worship to be used in the
Lutheran and Reformed churches o.
the kingdom was compiled. And ne
: sooner had the initial step been taken
!. than congregation after congregation
: Joined the rapidly growing ranks 0
;. the Evangelical church. From prin
. cipality to principality the movemen
= spread, till soon the whole German
empire had heard of it and it
, churches were to be found in most o
. the cities, villages and hamlets of thu
= whole land.
= And leaving the barren wastes Q
! Theological discussion. the Eyangeli
: cal church entered the much NOR
:, promising, long neglected field o
!. active service of God and the fellow
: men. The church became mission
= ary church Foreign lands heard tn
|. good news of the crucified one an
{. the sheen from the other fold wer
y brought in one by one by the grea
! good SHEPPARD Schools, hospitals
!. homes for the aged, orphan asylum
- and many other charitable institution
:, sprang up as testimonials to the activ
= love of Christ, which recognized Il
= every needy brother an opportunity t
! serve the Christ himself. Poetry
], ever dear to the German heart, wa
;. again taken into the service of Christ
- and hymns incompatible for depth Q
oll sentiment and beauty of form told Q
fla love, too great for ordinary speech
- And no man will gainsay the state
- ment that the Evangelical church alt
~ ed in saving the day for Gods caus
% during the synical, chilling time 6
in rationalism just past
is The German state church Is tn
d. Evangelical church. Many are Of tn
conception, that the German stat
= church is predominating Lutheran
no This is entirely wrong. The facts ar
60 that the Evangelical church in &c
i many has membership Of about &c
ba 600, 900, while the Lutheran churc
~ can claim but about 100000,
- which the large majority of stat
~ churches are Lutheran in name onl
g but Evangelical In fact. The synod
- Independent from the state churche
n have membership of but $1,000 soul
no These independent synods are real
~ the pattern after which the America
!. Lutheran churches are formed.
on The Evangelical synod of N. A. hi