The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-05-11

America. This PrusSian state church
was gradually introduced in all the
German states and became the Evan
gelical State Church of Germany. Like
prosecutions in the other German
states caused general exodus of
Lutherans to America, the land OF re-
ligious liberty, and among these Luz
therans were the founders of the Mis-
souri, Synod, the largest Lutheran
church body in America
That was 80 years ago. and in all those
so years the German state church new
err sent over one preacher to take
charge of any church of our synod.
On the contrary, we educate our own
preachers and teachers in 10 col
leges, theological seminaries, 2
normal colleges. For the past so
years we have been doing mission
work right in Germany. The Lutheran
Free church of Saxony and other
states is the only Lutheran body in
Germany, and this was founded and
supported by the Missouri Synod till
the war broke out. Nearly all the
preachers of this Free church have
been educated in our colleges and
seminaries here in America. For rs
years our church and theological pa
pers have been fighting the State
Church of Germany and their new
tangled theology, and long before this
war began, German publications
against our Missouri Synod show that
we acknowledged no allegiance to the
Kaiser's church, and that the Kaiser
and his followers regarded the Luz
theran church of America, and espec-
tally our Missouri Synod, as receders
from the German State church.
Briefly, the Evangelical State
Church of Germany and the State
Church of Prussia are not and never
have been Luthean.
The Kaiser. the head of the German
State church is not and never has
been a Lutheran.
The Lutheran church and the Kais-
er's church are not one and the same.
but are strongly opposed to each
other.
Last year the Lutheran preachers
in Nebraska were accused by some
papers with being disloyal and MAX
ing disloyal speeches. These preach
ers met and publicly demanded proof
of the charge or retraction. The
Council of Defense took up the mat
ter and finally declared that no proof
had been brought before them. Then
the Council of Defense at our request
investigated our school in Nebraska
and found that nothing disloyal was
taught in them; they found that our
readers were decorated with the u.
S. flag long before the war, something
no public school reader there had
AS for loyalty-our fathers. thankful
to God for the religious and political
liberty they found here, diligently
taught their people ever to be loyal to
the flag under which they enjoyed
such blessings and we preach and
teach the same today. To us an un-
loyal Lutheran is double traitor, a
traitor to his God and his country
and we practice what we preach.
Secretary McAdoo give US the witness
that we literally subscribed to the
1st and End Liberty Loans and expects
us to do the same with the Bird. Hs
will not be disappointed More, one
out of every communicate members
of the Missouri Synod. embracing
men, women and children 13 years
and over, stand today in the service
of their country. Why condemn the
whole Lutheran church. millions of
honest, loyal citizens, because of
few black sheep found among them?
Why single us out from the other
churches? Is Il because of the Ger
man language? We've been compelled
to use that to preach the Gospel to
the German immigrants Though our
synod was wholly German at first.
out of Ass congregations and 1900
preaching stations about three fourths
are bilingual today. One district Of
our synod has been English from the
beginning; our Southern district COM