American Lutheranism | Page 2

Louis, Mo. Concordia Publishing House, 1892."
While, as stated, the immediate object of our presentation is simply to state the facts concerning the questions, theologians, and synods involved, it self-evidently was an ulterior end of ours also, by the grace of God, to be of some service in furthering and maintaining the unity of the Spirit, an interest always and everywhere essential to the Lutheran Church.
"May the almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus grant the grace of His Holy Spirit that we all may be One in Him and constantly abide in such Christian unity, which is well-pleasing to Him! Amen." (Form, of Conc., Epit., 11, �� 23.)
F. Bente, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. July 28, 1919.
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
AMERICAN LUTHERANISM............................page Introduction....................................1-10 EARLY HISTORY OF AMERICAN LUTHERANISM.........11-147 Lutheran Swedes in Delaware....................11-16 Salzburg Lutherans in Georgia..................16-20 Lutherans in New York..........................20-24 Justus Falckner................................24-29 Joshua Kocherthal..............................29-32 William Christopher Berkenmeyer................32-35 Deterioration in New York......................35-39 New York Ministerium...........................39-42 John Christopher Hartwick......................42-46 Germantown, Pennsylvania.......................46-50 Slavery of Redemptioners.......................50-55 Lutherans in Pennsylvania......................55-59 Henry Melchior Muhlenberg......................59-64 Further Activity and Death of Muhlenberg.......64-70 Muhlenberg's Confessionalism...................70-73 Muhlenberg's Pietism...........................73-77 Muhlenberg's Hierarchical Tendencies...........77-83 Muhlenberg's Unionism..........................84-91 Training of Ministers and Teachers Neglected...91-99 Deterioration of Mother Synod.................99-103 Unionism in the Ascendency...................103-110 Typical Representatives of Synod.............110-113 Synod's Unlutheran Attitude Continued........113-116 Lutherans in South Carolina..................116-119 The North Carolina Synod.....................119-122 Critical Conventions.........................122-128 Gottlieb Shober..............................129-131 North Carolina Rupture.......................131-134 Lutherans in Virginia........................134-140 Special Conference in Virginia...............140-144 Synod of Maryland and Virginia...............144-147 TENNESSEE SYNOD..............................148-237 Organization.................................148-158 Objections to General Synod..................158-167 Attitude as to Church-fellowship.............167-173 Efforts at Unity and Peace...................174-184 Tennessee Justifying Her Procedure...........184-191 Doctrinal Basis..............................192-195 Confession Enforced..........................195-198 Anti-Romanistic Attitude.....................198-207 Anti-Methodistic Attitude....................207-213 Anti-Unionistic Attitude.....................213-217 Tennessee and Missouri.......................217-221 Peculiarities of Tennessee Synod.............221-232 The Henkels..................................232-237
American Lutheranism.
INTRODUCTION.
1. Christianity the Only Real and True Religion.--Religion is man's filial relation to, and union with, God. Natural religion is the concreated relation of Adam and Eve in their state of innocence toward their Creator. Fallen man, though he still lives, and moves, and has his being in God, is, in consequence of his sinful nature, atheos, without God, and hence without true and real religion. His attitude toward God is not that of a child to his father. Heathen religions are products of the futile efforts of men at reconciling God and restoring union with Him by their own penances and works. They are religions invented and made by men. As such they are counterfeit religions, because they persuade men to trust either in fictitious merits of their own or in God's alleged indifference toward sin. Christianity is the divine restoration of religion, i. e., of the true spiritual and filial relation of fallen man toward God. Essentially, Christianity is the divine trust and assurance that God, according to His own merciful promise in the Gospel, is, for the sake of Christ and His merits, my pardoning and loving Father. It is the religion of justification, restoration, and salvation, not by human efforts and works, but by divine grace only. Paganism believes in man and his capacity for self-redemption; Christianity believes in the God-man and in salvation by His name and none other. From Mohammedanism, Buddhism, and all other religions of the world Christianity differs essentially, just as Jehovah differs from idols, as divine grace differs from human works. Christianity is not one of many species of generic religion, but the only true and real religion. Nor is Christianity related to other religions as the highest stage of an evolutionary process is to its antecedent lower stages. Christianity is divine revelation from above, not human evolution from below. Based, as it is, on special divine interposition, revelation, and operation, Christianity is the supernatural religion. And for fallen man it is the only availing and saving religion, because it alone imparts real pardon, and engenders real and divine assurance of such pardon; because it alone really pacifies the conscience and fully satisfies the heart; and because it alone bestows new spiritual powers of sanctification. Christianity is absolute and final, it is the non plus ultra, the Alpha and Omega, of religion, because its God is the only true God, its Mediator is the only-begotten Son of God, its ransom is the blood of God, and its gift is perfect union with God. Compare John 8, 24; Acts 4, 12; John 14, 6; 3, 36; Gal. 1, 8. 9. Romanism, Rationalism, Arminianism, Synergism, etc., are heathen remnants within, and corruptions of, Christianity, elements absolutely foreign to, and per se subversive of, the religion of divine grace and revelation.
2. The Church and Its Manifestations.--The Christian Church is the sum total of all Christians, all true believers in the Gospel of salvation by Christ and His merits alone. Faith always, and it alone, makes one a Christian, a member of the Church. Essentially, then, the Church, is invisible, because faith is a divine gift within the heart of man, hence beyond human observation.