# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1850 07 09_S179
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

179

occasion of the first herald to the heathen for the East Indies, Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg, who was born in Pulsnitz in 1683, founded in 1705 the first mission at Tranquebar, where he also died as provost in 1719. This venerable man pursued the Malabar language with so much zeal that he could write it better than the Brahmins themselves." — So relates K. A. Engelhardt in his Vaterlandskunde von Sachsen, 1835.

(Communicated.)

For the Information of Friends at a Distance.

Dedication

of the German Ev. Luth. Concordia College near St. Louis, Mo.

On Tuesday, the 11th of last month, the festival of the dedication was to take place. In spite of the piercing rays of the sun and the clouds of dust, we saw on the said day at noon numerous crowds hastening along the Carondelet road to the scene of the festivity. We joined ourselves to those who were cheerfully going along, and took no heed of the sweat and dust which we had already enjoyed in abundant measure all the morning on the highway; for a special joy had indeed been prepared here for the children of the Church, it was a matter of beholding a new well which, dug in the valley of misery, is to water the garden of the Church of God with the fresh waters from those hills from whence cometh our help. We were surprised, as we drew nearer, to see the building, though it is only one wing of the future whole, standing before us stately and richly wreathed, with the golden inscription "Concordia" (Harmony) on its brow, pleasing and friendly. The purer air, the free prospect, the beautiful country houses scattered round about in the green, the throngs of guests moving up and down among the little trees and shrubbery and benches planted before the house, all united to wring from one's inmost heart the words: "Happy is he who has fled the city." Cheerfully greeted by dear brethren and confessors of one faith, who had already assembled from the surrounding country, we viewed the convenient arrangement of the house and were refreshed by the hearty welcome and the ever fresh love of the young men, our friends, who here are consecrating themselves to the service of the sanctuary. Holy God, how sweetly the true harmony of faith in one love unites hearts, a love which no one knows who does not have this harmony, which grows with it and diminishes with it! —

At 3 o'clock the groups arranged themselves, the speakers of the day stepped upon the steps of the entrance and the noise died away. In front there had placed themselves a band, two choirs of singers and a kind of crusaders, who wore the red cross — a red silk rosette — however not upon the right shoulder, but near the heart. It was a number of young men who have set themselves the noble and beautiful aim of delivering, not the Holy Land from the Turks, but poor Lutheran students from hunger and sorrow. The celebration was opened by a pretty symphony, performed by the band, and the singers then struck up a full-toned psalm of praise. When the singing had ceased, Pastor Wyneken stepped forward and commended the newly founded institution, in a powerful and inspiring address, to the hearts of the German people in general and to the hearts of the children of the Church in particular. The nobler part of the English people, that from which the celebrated institutions, the cultivation of art and science, proceeded and proceed, is of German origin, German spirit bears these fruits — and the German people itself is here like the Gibeonite hewers of wood and drawers of water in the camp of Israel! Whence this crying contradiction? There were no German scientific institutions; the nobler spirit of the Germans had to flee among the American people in order to escape stunting, and Americanized it brought its blossoms and fruits to the glory of those, to our shame! German people! Here a beginning is made, the seed-corn is laid, it rests with you whether it grow up for your adornment and pour out the blessing of education in fullness upon your own in this country. And you, children of the Church! long deceived, defrauded of the possession of the most holy faith, miserably thinned by the hosts of the enthusiasts and false believers! Here an institution is founded which is to supply you with shepherds such as you need, who will offer you the pure gold of your faith and, equipped with the necessary knowledge, will victoriously defend it, so that a fairer time may dawn here for our Church and the upright fall to her. Smile not at the small beginning! It is to be nothing more than a beginning, and as such it is great enough. The Lord is with us! Carry this little child upon your heart, nurse it and bring it up, the Lord will reward you! — When the speaker, from whose laughing heart, glad with joy, every word welled up — and who among those who know the most recent history of the Lutheran Church in America will not find such joy natural in the man! — when he had ended, there resounded in full chorus the verses, distributed among the hearers and composed for this celebration, by Pastor Fick:

Rejoice in the Lord, all ye nations!
O Germans, praise with joyful sound
The great God on His heavenly throne!
Who adorns us with grace and salvation,
Who has led us to blessed liberty
Through Luther, Germany's best son,
Whose pure doctrine of GOD
Shall never pass away.
Hallelujah!
Immanuel!
Thy Israel
Rejoices in Thee with all its soul.

Thank the Lord for His faithfulness,
That He has now anew given us Germans
His dear and precious Word.
To Thee alone be glory and honor,
O Lord, that to a school of pure doctrine
We today dedicate this place.
Hold it in Thy protection
Against the defiance of all foes.
Grant success,
That strong and fair
From these heights
The truth may sound into every land.

Holy Spirit, mayest Thou here equip
In great hosts evangelists
With wisdom, joyfulness and strength.
Bless here the labors of the teachers,
And let there bloom through their diligence
An Eden of holy learning,
That to our children also
Thy Word in right use
May be preserved.
Be ever near here!
Concordia!
God bless thee, yea, Amen, yea!

Thereupon the Professor of Theology, Pastor Walther, arose and explained to the learned persons present, in a Latin address, more particularly the purpose and nature of this college and of the theological seminary in particular, which had grown out of trust in God and firm confidence in His help. In modest dignity: "We are not professors, we are not doctors, but truly, by God's grace, children of the Church", he led the greatest lights in the heaven of the Church past us, as sitting in the chairs of the Concordia and teaching the various disciplines of the theological sciences and auxiliary sciences: dogmatics, exegesis, ethics, church history, hermeneutics, isagogics, etc. Fittingly and movingly there responded to the learned words, full of trust in God and fear of God, fervently sung in ancient rhythms, the courageous-in-faith "Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott" etc., translated into Latin by Rector Fabricius at Frankfurt on the Main for the Jubilee festival of 1630:

A tower, O God, most strong,
A bulwark and a refuge to be sought;
Mighty, He wards off perils
And the evil now to be feared.
The envious foe
Fights fiercely:
In every way,
And with engines of war:
The earth has none that is second to him.

Our power cannot sustain
The heavy force;
The Hero wages battle,
Whom the promises gave.
Dost thou desire to know?
It is Christ, whom the choir
Of heaven worships;
Nor is there another God,
He triumphs over His enemies.

Though the world, filled with devils,
Rage with fury,
Yet we hope for a good
End, by God's favor.
However Satan may rage
And press upon us,
Yet he can do nothing,
Because he is judged;
He flees, repressed by a word.