had to do
was to outlive your contemporaries."

These fifty years have been eventful ones in the history of our church
in New York. All of this period the author "has seen and part of it he
was." But having also known, with four exceptions all the Lutheran
pastors of the preceding fifty years, he has come into an almost
personal touch with the events of a century of Lutheran history on this
island. He has breathed its spirit and sympathized with its aspirations.

This unique experience served as a pretext for putting into print some
reflections that seemed fitting at a time when our churches were
celebrating the quadricentennial of the Reformation and were inquiring
as to the place which they might take in the new century upon which they
were entering. The manuscript was begun during the celebration, but
parochial duties intervened and frequent interruptions delayed the
completion of the book.

Lutherans have their place in Church History. Our doctrinal principles
differ in certain respects from those of other churches. We believe that
these principles are an expression of historical, evangelical
Christianity, worthy of being promulgated, not in a spirit of arrogant
denominationalism, but in a spirit of toleration and catholicity. Yet
few in this city, outside of our own kith and kin, understand the
meaning of our system. We have made but little progress in commending it
to others or in extending our denominational lines.

We do not even hold the ground that belongs to us. The descendants of
the Lutherans of the first two centuries are not enrolled in our church
books. Although of late years we have increased a hundredfold (literally
a hundredfold within the memory of men still living), we are far from
caring effectively for our flocks. The number of lapsed Lutherans is
larger than that of the enrolled members of our churches. In the
language of our Palatine forefathers: _Doh is ebbes letz_.

While therefore recent progress affords ground for encouragement, it is
not a time for boastfulness. It is rather a time for self-examination,
for an inquiry into our preparedness for new tasks and impending
opportunities.

We are living in an imperial city. What we plan and what we do here in
New York projects itself far beyond the walls of our city. Nowhere are
the questions of the community more complicated and the needs of the
time more urgent than here. We should therefore ask ourselves whether
the disjointed sections