Handbook of Lutheranism

Preface

TO walk about Zion and go round about her, to tell the towers thereof and mark well her bulwarks, to consider her palaces, and to tell it to the generations following, is the purpose of this volume. The obstacles to the attainment of such purpose regarding a Church having worldwide organization, more than a half hundred million membership, and polyglot utterance, are known to those only who have experience of them. In such a volume whose almost every sentence is a statement of fact, or of figures, absolute accuracy is not attainable. Substantial accuracy and a sincere purpose are the Author's claim.

In now committing his labor of love to the tender mercy -of his patrons, due consideration is asked of the fact that his is pioneer work ; to the Author's knowledge, nothing of its kind hitherto having been attempted.

With due acknowledgments to all who have aided him, and particularly to Eev. Theo. B. Roth and his good wife, Amalie, who have read the proofs and seen the work through the press, with devout prayer that through it God's name may be honored and the cause of our dear Church advanced, this book is now sent forth, in the interest of Truth, by

THE AUTHOR

Advent, 1891.

ERRATA.

In addition to a few typographical inaccuracies, and discrepancies in figures, occasioned by fuller reports, in the process of condensing matter into shorter space, several annoying errors have crept in. On page 18, for now Prussian, read non-Prussian; page 178, opposite Germany, for 5,550, read 15,550 ; page 290, for William I., read Frederick William IV. page 355, fourteenth line from top, the sentence should read The Norwegians have one convert on Mission stations for every 125 members in the home church; page 388, opposite Templeton, being established, strike out the figures ; [these figures run through a portion of the edition only ;] page 470, the author's table of Lutherans in the world should have appeared at close of Chapter VII.