AMERICAN LUTHERAN HYMNODY
The early Lutherans in America came from lands where church song had attained high position and where a large number of noble church hymns had been produced. The early German Lutherans sang from a great variety of hymn books which they had brought with them from the homeland. Dr. Henry Eyster Jacobs makes the following statement in “A History of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States”: “Muhlenberg had complained greatly of the variety of hymn books in use in the congregations, and generally within the same congregation. Of these, the Marburg hymn book gained precedence, and an American edition was published by Christopher Saur, Germantown, in 1762.” This hymn book contained over six hundred hymns.
About the same thing may be said of the earlier Lutheran immigrants, the Dutch and the Swedes. About 1675 the Swedes appealed to the King of Sweden for 12 Bibles, 100 hymn books, etc. In 1696 a ship carrying missionaries and a large supply of books left Sweden for America.
The work of organizing the early Lutheran Church in America fell to Rev. Dr. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, often called the Patriarch of the American Lutheran Church. He came to Philadelphia in 1742. The first Evangelical Lutheran Synod in America was organized by Muhlenberg at Philadelphia in 1748. This body is known as the Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium of Pennsylvania and Adjacent States. In 1782 this synod resolved to have a new hymn book printed for the united congregations. A hymn book committee was appointed and given the following instructions: “As far as possible to follow the arrangement of the Halle hymn book, and not to omit any of the old standard hymns, especially of Luther and Paul Gerhardt.” This German hymn book appeared in 1786, having been prepared by Muhlenberg, Kunze, and Helmuth. Poor health prevented Muhlenberg from taking a more active part in the compilation of this hymn book. While it was used extensively, it seems that the book did not fully meet the wishes of the synod. Apparently the active editors, especially Dr. Helmuth, had not been successful in the selection and revision of the hymns. The inter-denominational (Lutheran and Reformed) hymn book of 1817, the “Gemeinschaftliches Gesangbuch,” was an inferior hymnological work. It was meant to take the place of the Pennsylvania hymn book of 1786. In 1849 the Ministerium of Pennsylvania published a new hymn book, prepared chiefly by Dr. C. R. Demme. The Synods of New York and West Pennsylvania co-operated in this issue. Although popular, this Pennsylvania hymn book did not measure up to that of 1786. About the middle of the nineteenth century, several German Lutheran hymn books were published by different synods. The Kirchenbuch of the General Council, published in 1877, is a hymnological work of high merit.
The first English Lutheran hymn book used in America was the “Psalmodia Germanica” of 1725, 1732, and 1756. It came to America from London, England. It contained 122 hymns, several by Luther and Paul Gerhardt. In 1795 Dr. John C. Kunze of New York published “A Hymn and Prayer Book, for the use of such Lutheran Churches as use the English language.” Its 240 hymns were gathered from German Lutheran, Moravian, English and American sources. In 1797 Rev. George Strebeck issued “A Collection of Evangelical Hymns, made from Different Authors and Collections, for the English Lutheran Church in New York.” This was a rather un-Lutheran hymn book. Rev. Strebeck and his New York congregation went over to the Protestant Episcopal Church. In 1806 Rev. Ralph Williston published “A Choice Selection of Evangelical Hymns from Various Authors, for the Use of the English Lutheran Church in New York.” While this hymn book met with popularity within the New York Ministerium, it was not a Lutheran hymn book. Most of its hymns were taken from Watts and Charles Wesley. Rev. Williston and his New York congregation also went over to the Protestant Episcopal Church. In 1815 appeared “A Collection of Hymns and a Liturgy for the Use of Evangelical Lutheran Churches.” Published by order of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of the State of New York. The editors were Drs. Quitman and Wackerhagen. This book contained 520 carefully selected hymns.
A number of English hymn books were published before 1850, but they were found more or less unsatisfactory. Some of them were quite un-Lutheran. In 1863 the Ministerium of Pennsylvania decided to issue a new English hymn book. A hymn book committee was appointed, which did very thorough work. This resulted in the publication of the Church Book by the General Council in 1868. This is undoubtedly one of the best English Lutheran hymn books of the American Lutheran Church. It has been highly praised by prominent hymnologists of Europe, and it has remained a very popular English hymn book throughout the American Lutheran Church for over fifty years. It has passed through several editions.
Rev. Justus Falckner (1672-1723) wrote what may be called the first American Lutheran hymn. He is said to be the first German Lutheran pastor in America and was ordained by the Swedish Lutheran pastors in Gloria Dei Church at Wicaco in 1703. This was the first Lutheran ordination in America. We quote here the first two stanzas of Rev. Justus Falckner’s beautiful hymn. The hymn was originally written in German—“Auf, ihr Christen, Christi Glieder.”
Rise, ye children of salvation,
All who cleave to Christ the Head!
Wake, arise, O mighty nation,
Ere the foe on Zion tread:
He draws nigh, and would defy
All the hosts of God Most High.
Saints and heroes, long before us,
Firmly on this ground have stood;
See their banner waving o’er us,
Conquerors through the Saviour’s Blood!
Ground we hold, whereon of old
Fought the faithful and the bold.
The American Lutheran Church cannot as yet point to an American Lutheran hymnist like Paul Gerhardt or John Olof Wallin. The English Lutheran hymn books in America contain translations of German, Scandinavian, old Greek, and old Latin hymns, also a large number of carefully selected English (Reformed) hymns. The matter of translating great German and Scandinavian Lutheran hymns into English is a very difficult task. But there are Lutherans in America who write hymns worthy of more general acceptance. They would find it if it were, first of all, accorded to them by their fellow-Lutherans of other synods. So long as the hymn writers of another synod are largely ignored in American Lutheran synodical hymnals, it is not to be expected that what they write will find its way into the hymnals of other denominations. Among the most successful translators and hymn writers within the American Lutheran Church the following may be mentioned: Rev. H. Brueckner, Rev. Dr. Matthias Loy, Rev. Dr. Charles Poterfield Krauth, Rev. John Casper Mattes, Rev. Dr. Alfred Ramsey, Rev. Dr. Charles William Schaeffer, Rev. Dr. Joseph Augustus Seiss, Mrs. Harriett Reynolds Spaeth, Rev. Dr. C. H. L. Schuette, Miss Anna Hoppe, and Rev. Dr. Paul E. Kretzmann. Miss Catherine Winkworth, Anglican, has produced a large number of excellent translations of German Lutheran hymns.
Several excellent English Lutheran hymn books have been published within the American Lutheran Church. Perhaps the foremost work is the Common Service Book, authorized by the General Synod, the General Council, and the United Synod in the South. The Evangelical Lutheran Hymnal, published by order of the First English District of the Joint Synod of Ohio and Other States, is a worthy American Lutheran hymn book. The Wartburg Hymnal, edited by Professor O. Hardwig and published by Wartburg Publishing House, is noteworthy. The Scandinavian Lutherans have also published commendable hymn books. The new Hymnal of the Augustana Synod (1925) is excellent. Hymn book committees are at work on the compilation of better and more serviceable English Lutheran hymnals.
The history of hymnody in the American Lutheran Church is in many respects discouraging. A prominent American Lutheran theologian recently made the following statement: “Few of our ministers have ever had an appreciation of the treasures of Lutheran church song” The training of the clergy in hymnology and church music is not what it ought to be. The education of the church organist and choir director is woefully deficient. More serious study in liturgics, hymnology and church music is needed. Yet some very good work has been done by American Lutheran hymnists, hymnologists and church musicians. The Memoirs of the Lutheran Liturgical Association contain much valuable information concerning American Lutheran church song; so also the Essays on Church Music, volumes which contain papers read at Lutheran church music conventions held chiefly in Pennsylvania. Other sources of information are: “The English Hymn” by Dr. Louis F. Benson, pages 410-420 and 560-563. “The Lutheran Cyclopedia” by Jacobs and Haas, pages 235-238 and 96-97. “A History of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the United States” by Henry Eyster Jacobs, the references to hymn books and hymns. History of the Liturgical Development of the Ministerium of Pennsylvania, vol. XVII, page 93, Lutheran Church Review. The Common Service Book and Hymnal, vol. XXXVII, page 289, Lutheran Church Review.