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THE GREAT BATTLE HYMN OF
PROT EST A N TISM.
The Rev. Win. I-.cc Iluuton, Ph. D.
As in the great Reformation, the
quadri-ccntennial of the beginning of
which is being celebrated this year,
one colossal figure stands out promi
nently, so also in the rich storehouse
of hymnology which comes out of that
same period, there is one hymn which
stands out as the greatest of them all.
That hymn is Luther's "Battle
Hymn," "A mighty fortress is our
God."
Koestlin, the historian, has well
written, "This hymn is Luther in
Bong. It is pitched in the very key
of the man. Rugged and majestic,
truthful in God and confident, it was
the defiant trumpet blast of the Re
formation, speaking out to the powers
of the earth and under the earth, an
all-conquering conviction of divine vo
cation and empowerment. The world
has many sacred songs of exquisite
tenderness and unalterable trust, but
this one of Luther's is matchless in its
warlike tone, its rugged strength and
its inspiring ring."
Probably the prevalent impression
that Luther wrote this hymn on his
way to Worms and chanted it as he
entered the city is due to the parallel
in the third stanza to his famous say
ing on the eve of the Diet of Worms,
"I'll go though there are as many
devils in the city as there are tiles on
the roofs of the houses."
The time of its composition, accord
ing to the best authorities, was just
before the Diet of Augsburg in 1529.
It probably was written in his tempo
ary refuge, the noble Castle Coburg.
It certainly was often sung there by
him. We naturally, therefore, asso
ciate its imagery with this beautiful
castle. According to d'Aubigne, the
historian, it was sung by the reform
ers not only at the Diet itself in Augs
burg, but also by the people in all the
churches of Saxony. Thus we see that
this, the greatest of the Reformation
hymns, was born almost simultaneous
ly with Protestantism's oldest distinct
ive creed, the Augsburg Confession.
The hymn was suggested by Psalm
46, but it is really Luther's Psalm, not
David's. Only tha idea of the strong
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hold is taken from the Scripture,
the rest is Luther's own, as Mr. Stead
says, "Made in Germany." Luther
loved Psalm 46, and we are told that
when in any special trial ho often
would say to Melancthon, "Come.
Philip, let us sing the forty-sixth
Psalm." And how they would sing
it, but according to Luther's own ver
sion.
It has been said that Luther accom
plished as much for the Reformation
through his battle hymn as ho did
through liis translation of the Bible.
Wliilo we could not set up this claim
as a fact, it certainly was the "Mar
seillaise of the Reformation, and has
preserved to this day a potent spell
over Germany."
The music of the hymn, like the
words, is Luther's own. A special tes
timony to his work as a composer ap
pears in a letter from the composer,
John Waltlier, who has been credited
with the music of this hymn. Sleidan,
a nearly contemporary historian,
speaking especially of "Ein Feste
Burg," says that Luther made for it
a tune singularly suited to the words
and adapted to stir the heart." Says
Leonard Woolsey Bacon, "If ever
there were hymn and tune that told
their own story of a common and sl-^
multaneous origin, without need of
confirmation by external evidence, it
is these."
The general favor and wide use of
this hymn are evidenced by the fact
stated by Dr. Bernard Pick, the great
est living authority on the hymns of
Luther, that there are no less than
ninety distinct translations of Luther's
Battle Hymn into English, and that
the hymn has been translated into
about fifty different languages. What
a Pentecostal evidence of evangelical
faith to hear each man in his own of
these fifty tongues unite as the great
choir of the Church Triumphant in
singing the rugged notes and vigorous
words of Luther's Battle Hymn as
their song of victory! Fitting words
and melody for such a chorus.
In the formative days of the Refor
mation Luther's Battle Hymn was
"sung in all the churches of Saxony,
and its energetic strains often revived
and inspirited the most dejected
hearts." It was sung at Luther's
funeral. Tho first line is carved on
his tomb in the Castle church at Wit
tenberg.
The Huguenots of France took great
comfort out of singing what they were
pleased to call the Marseillaise of the
Reformation.
It is interesting to note that it was
a true defense for a band of Moravians
who were conducting a revival in the
house of David Nitschman. The police
came to break up the meeting. As
the officers entered the congregation
began to sing Luther's hymn. The
police hesitated and many escaped.
Among them Nitschman, who later
made his way with Wesley to America,
landing at Savannah, Ga. He was the
founder of Bethlehem, the Moravian
town in Eastern Pennsylvania.
At Protestantism's great battles at
Leipzig and Lutzen history tells us
that as the soldiers went into battle
they sang like a mighty choir Lu
ther'jj famous hymn.
During the Boxer uprising in China
Missionary Charles G. Lewis tells In
bis experiences how that he and his
company were situated two thousand
miles inland and seven days' Journey
from their nearest Christian neigh
bors. Attempting flight, they were
forced to return to their station.
Knowing something of the fate of
tlieir fellow missionaries elsewhere, in
these days of peril and uncertainty
they found new meaning in the words
of Luther as they sang "A mighty
fortress is our God." Through the
singing of it his testimony is that their
hearts' received fresh strength and
courage and they realized, as never
before, how the Lord's people in the
trying days of the Reformation found
in God a "mighty fortress from every
clanger."
The missionaries in Paoutingfu,
China, were all killed during those
same Boxer uprisings. Later a memo
rial service was held on the very spot
where these messengers of the cross
were martyred. Officials of the various
governments whoso missionaries had
(Mod there, together with Chinese of
ficials, were present. The outstand
ing feature of that memorial service
was the singing, led by a German mil
itary band, of Luther's famous hymn
by the polyglot assembly.
Independent of its religious signifi
cance, this hymn has found favor with
the musical critics as a suitable choral
for the use of great gatherings. As
an instance, we note the fact that it
was the choice for the grand chorus
to sing in one of Boston's greatest mu
sical festivities.
It is the hymn especially which
suits for the use of great religious
gatherings. It has been so success
fully translated that it is possible for
people to sing It simultaneously in as
many as eight to ten different lan
guages. The effect is wonderful when
such a vast gathering, like on Pente
cost, each in his own tongue, wherein
he was born, hears sung Luther's "A
mighty fortress is our God."
For those who may wish to use a
translation of this great hymn In con
nection with the accompanying article,
we append a copy of the translation
by Miss Winkworth, which is the ac
knowledged translation which for
smoothness and for expressing best
the thought of Luther is given high
est place.
The Battle Hymn of Protestantism.
A mighty fortress is our God,
A trusty shield and weapon;
He helps us free from every need
That hath us now o'ertaken.
The old bitter foe
Means us deadly woe;
Deep guile and great might
Are his dread arms in light.
On earth is not his equal.
With might Of ours can naught be
done,
Soon were our loss effected;
But for us fights the Valiant One,
Whom God Himself elected.
Ask ye, Who is this?
Jesus Christ it Is,
Of Sabbaoth Lord,
And there's none other God,
He holds the field forever.
Though devils all the world should
fill,
All watching to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill,
They cannot overpower us.
This world's prince may still
Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none.
He's judged, the deed is done,
One little word o'erthrows him.
The word they still shall let remain,
And not a thank have for it.
He's by our side upon the plain,
With his good gifts and Spirit.
Tako they then our life,
Goods, fame, child and wifo;
When their worst is done.
They yet have nothing won,
The kingdom ours remainetli.
? Martin Luther, 1529.
THE BLACK RIVER MISSIONARY
UNION OK HARMONY PRES
BYTERY.
E. W. Dabbs.
(Mr. Dabbs is not only a Presbyte
rian church officer, he was vice-pres
ident of the Farmers' Union of South
Carolina for three years, and president
for four years, and is a former mem
ber of the South Carolina Legislature.
.He is editor of the Farmers' Union
department of "The Progressive Farm
er," the most widely taken farmers
paper in the South.
A copy of the constitution of ttir
Black River Missionary Union of Har
mony Presbytery, so interestingly de
scribed below, will be furnished by the
Nashville office upon request. ? E. W.
S.)
On November 28tli, under the state
ly oaks that grace the bluff, near Sar
dinia, of historic Black River, there
was a notable assemblage of men and
women. It was the first annual meet
ing of the Black River Missionary Un
ion of Harmony Presbytery, when a
formal organization was effected and a
constitution adopted.
I have been requested to write a
short account of the events that led
up to this meeting, which I believe
marks an epoch in the history of the
country churches and missions, yea,
verily, in the life of the churches in
the rural districts. For I believe noth
ing will so tend to the growth in mem
bership, in liberality, and in spiritual
ity of the country churches, as for
them through this plan, to catch the
world vision of the brotherhood of
man and the Fatherhood of God,
through the cross of Jesus wherein we
become not only joint heirs with him
to the inheritance incorruptible and
that fadetli not away, but coworkers
with him in his great mission to seek
and to save the lost.
This plan, which is plainly outlined
in the constitution printed on another
page, came into the mind of Rev. L.
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