t have
frequently been made the subject of inquiry in our churchpaper
[_Observer_], and we are sorry to say that among all the causes
assigned, we have missed the one which is at the root of the evil,
_viz._, the remissness of many of our pastors in the religious
instruction of youths." (Wolf, _Lutherans in America_, p. 484.) If this
was the disease, it stands to reason that a cure could not be brought
about by the quack methods of New-measurism, by exciting the nerves and
emotions, but only by enlightening the mind and moving the will by the
Word of God. Pastor Loehe, presenting in _Kirchliche Mitteilungen_ of
1843 a description of revivals and camp-meetings in America, remarked:
"They intoxicate themselves with spiritual drinks which are worse than
whisky." (Nos. 2 and 5.) Indeed, Methodistic revivalism has been found
wanting, and worse than wanting, everywhere. In a Lutheran congregation
it must necessarily result in a total annihilation of whatever there
may be left of true Lutheranism.--The inoperativeness of revivalism was
occasionally admitted also by its friends within the General Synod. At
New York, 1848, regretting the decrease in the number of theological
students, the Executive Committee of the Parent Education Society
stated: "This subject becomes more painful when we consider that since
1842, when the Church at large was blessed with extensive revivals of
religion, the number of beneficiaries has diminished constantly until
the present time, whilst there has been no corresponding increase
perceptible in the number of theological students who sustain
themselves. During the same time there has been no corresponding
increase in the benevolence of the Church in any other direction; on the
contrary, the contributions of the whole Church for all benevolent
purposes may now be easily covered by the annual charities of a single
congregation in this city." (64.) But the ministers and congregations of
the General Synod were slow in coming to their senses. It was one of the
symptoms pointing in the right direction when, in 1864 at York, the
Committee on the State of the Church reported: "It is a hopeful sign of
substantial growth and prosperity in the Church that the time-honored
custom of catechization is coming more and more into favor with the
pastors. This means of preparing the baptized children of the Church for
an intelligent profession of faith in Christ and the privilege of
communicant membership, had, in man