History 4a: Hochstetter’s “Foreword” (1 of 2)

      This continues from Part 3 (Table of Contents in Part 3), a series publishing an English translation of Pastor Christian Hochstetter's 1885 496-page book entitled (abbreviated) The History of the Missouri Synod, 1838-1884. — In this installment, we begin with the "Foreword" in which Hochstetter tells us about his background, and why he wrote this book. Why did he join the (Old) Missouri Synod? — Now Hochstetter's History is no longer locked up in the German language, away from English-speaking Lutherans, but is available… in English… for free.

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The following is an English translation of C. Hochstetter's Geschichte… by BackToLuther utilizing the DeepL Translator with minor assistance from Dr. Fred Kramer's translation.  All hyperlinks, highlighting and red text in square brackets [] are mine.

[page III]

Foreword.

 

Christian Hochstetter

It has been correctly said: Facta loguuntur [“Facts speak for themselves”]. Also the history of the Missouri Synod needs no long preface. It will, however, be the appropriate place where the author of this writing will have to give an account to his readers of himself and of the cause of writing this book.

The writer of these lines was first inspired to enter into the service of the inner mission in 1850 during a “Kirchentag” meeting held in Stuttgart. Even then he recognized that North America, as the land of immigration, is actually the place for inner mission. But after he had just finished his studies in Tübingen, he entered the vicarial service for a few more years and only in spring 1853 he took a vacation from the Royal Württemberg Consistory, which was only issued for six years. Even before he left for America, he received a call through the mediation of Dr. Barth to a then newly formed congregation in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This congregation had been founded shortly before by a licensed preacher from the Ohio Synod in opposition to the long-standing congregation of Dr. Sihler, which belonged to the Missouri Synod, and the writer of these lines, by accepting this call, came into close association with the Ohio Synod, even before he knew it in detail. Since he did not find in the Ohio Synod what he was looking for, but rather was of the opinion that a strong external church government was needed from the outside in order to be able [page IV] to control the spiritual devastation and the often prevailing disdain for the preaching ministry, he felt drawn to the Buffalo Synod, whose senior was Pastor J. A. A. Grabau († 1879).  

In 1857, I was appointed as a deacon next to Pastor Grabau at the Trinity Church in Buffalo, where I served for ten years under very turbulent circumstances. In February 1866, I felt compelled to file a complaint with the Buffalo Synod ministry, and the negotiations that ensued led to a great schism, while Pastor Grabau, along with three other preachers, renounced the Buffalo Synod in the extra session of the Synod held in May of that same year, to which he had appealed. In September of the same year, the writer of these lines, together with the now also deceased Pastor von Rohr, had the first meeting with Prof. Dr. Walther, which took place in Dr. Sihler's home in Fort Wayne. It was there that the Buffalo Colloquium was arranged, which was held in November 1866 between the representatives of the Missouri Synod and those of the Buffalo Synod, as recorded in Chapters VIII and IX of this book. Since the representatives of the Buffalo Synod recognized at this public colloquium that the hitherto contested doctrine of the Missouri Synod, namely the doctrine of church and ministry, is the scriptural and symbolic confession of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, (with only one Buffalo delegate reserving differences), they subsequently joined the Missouri Synod with the largest part of the Buffalo Synod congregations, thus bringing to an end the longstanding dispute between these two synods. In the following year, 1867, the Missouri Synod elected the writer of these lines to represent the Eastern District of the Synod at the colloquium held between the representatives of the Iowa Synod and those of the Missouri Synod in Milwaukee, Wisc., as reported in [page V] Chapter X of this paper. — The author believed that he had to make this preliminary reminder because it is shows that the writer of this is not only in many places an eye- and ear-witness of what he reports in this book, but is also to some extent involved in the doctrinal disputes and struggles that were decided upon by the Missouri Synod. It has not been easy for us, the former members of the Buffalo Synod, to prove right those in whom we once thought were church destroyers; the readers will recognize from what is reported at the end of Chapter VIII that it was only under various tribulations, which had to serve us in the best possible way, and after the temptation which teaches us to remember the Word, that we were set on the path by God's gracious guidance, which we have now walked for 18 years in unity of spirit with the members of the Missouri Synod.

In accordance with the spiritual nature of the kingdom of God, it cannot be otherwise than that only there, in blessing, is building on the walls of our Lutheran Zion, where one builds on the right, old foundation, and where the Holy Spirit himself, who brings the dead to life through his powerful Word, is the master builder, through whom one stone is joined to another. Where the pure preaching of the Gospel as the power of God goes out to the salvation of souls, there the churches will also come to a healthy knowledge and to a proper form from within! This was confirmed by the Evangelical Lutheran Missouri Synod. The founders and leaders of the Synod did not support ecclesiastical political plans, nor did they believe that they had to take into account the circumstances in which they were placed in such a way that they would have pursued a carnal addiction to expansion; when they fought, they fought for the sanctuary of revealed truth, and when they built, they wanted to build the souls through the Word as living stones in the house of God, which is a spiritual temple in the Lord. [page VI] In the Foreword to the Book of the Church and Ministry [p.viii], Dr. Walther exclaims, "We must resolutely reject the accusation that we have bent and modelled the holy pure teaching of our Church in favor of our circumstances — — — We have not modelled the teaching of our Church according to our circumstances, but have ordered it according to the doctrine of our Church. Anyone who doubts this, we confidently call out to him: Come and see!"

The former members of the Buffalo Synod are not the only Lutherans who joined the Missouri Synod for protection and support; entire synods met with it and formed the Lutheran Synodical Conference on the basis of the unadulterated Word of God and under the banner of the Lutheran Confessions rooted in the Word of God; the Lutheran Church in this Occident [Western world] experienced an unprecedented revival through God's gracious visitation, the number of congregations associated with the Missouri Synod increased in an unprecedented way! Why should it be surprising when Satan rumbles about it, when the little ship of our synodical fellowship is threatened and afflicted by heavy storms, especially in recent times? While Satan is leading his own people by the scruff of the neck — and there is no doubt about this — Satan's cunning is also concealed under the fact that in the doctrinal dispute that has now arisen in the midst of our Synodical Conference we are dealing here with the doctrine of predestination, that is to say the eternal election of the children of God. First of all, this was a doctrine that was less well known and less mentioned in comparison with other doctrines that are even closer to the center of salvation, because it does not belong to the ABC’s of the revealed truth of salvation, with which one must begin in teaching and learning. This is why Luther says in the preface to Chapter 9 of the Epistle to the Romans: "Every doctrine has its measure, time and age. It is the spirits who, before they have grasped and prayed the simple way of salvation, begin at the top [page VII] and want to explore the abyss of divine predestination, and worry about whether they are foreknown, i.e. whether they are the chosen ones. Follow this epistle (to the Romans) in its order. First grieve with Christ and the Gospel, that you may recognize your sin and His grace, and then contend with sin as taught here in chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. After that, when you have come to chapter 8, under the cross and suffering, the predestination in chapters 9, 10 and 11 will teach you how comforting it is. Because without the cross, suffering and death, predestination cannot be dealt with without harm and secret anger against God. Therefore Adam must first die before he can suffer this thing and drink the strong wine. Therefore be careful not to drink wine while you are still a baby." *)

Although in Germany, as far as it is "Protestant", the 400th anniversary of Martin Luther's birth was celebrated with great display, Luther's teachings are so little known and respected in many parts that one often thinks that what was brought to light from the depths of the divine Word as a precious prize of the Reformation through Luther's ministry is fanaticism [Schwärmerei]. One can be saved by human considerations, even by the very same objections and prejudices which the Romanists past and present raised against Luther and his associates. Thus it happened with regard to the doctrine of the Church and the Ministry, the so-called objective concept of the Church, by which one wanted to suppress the Evangelical doctrine of the Church, which was described as atomistic, subjectivistic, etc., is entirely the doctrine of the Church that Bellarmin put forward. In the same way, they are now fighting with the same reasons against our doctrine of the election of grace, which Erasmus once put forward against Luther.

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*) The Synodical Report of the Ohio Synod of 1881 mocks the fact that the pure doctrine of grace has been compared to strong wine! Does one know in that synod that the man of God Luther is being mocked with this?

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      Along with my dedication of this English translation to Dr. Fred Kramer, I would give honorable mention to Pastor Bryce Winter of the Australian ELCR for his splendid attempts at translating this massive 496-page work.  Pastor Winter, who is reaching an age, is perhaps the greatest living translator of Old Missouri Synod German works into English. How I wished that he could have completed his work because his work is superior to my effort. However the sheer size of this project has apparently prevented his completion of it.  Therefore with the silence of both CPH and CHI after my 2-year old warning, I am proceeding with this project with the aid of current online resources.

History 3: What others say; Walther commends; ToC-Table of Contents (Part 3 of 20+); a BTL Book

[2023-03-31: I discovered another refreshing endorsement of Hochstetter in Prof. Kurt Marquart who stated, among other things, in Logia 1997 vol. 6, no. 2, p. 35: 

"It is a pity that Hochstetter’s gem of a history has not been translated into English. Hochstetter had been Grabau’s assistant in Buffalo, and had started out with strongly clericalist, anti-Missouri convictions. If his well-informed account especially of the Missouri-Buffalo fracas were generally known, romantic illusions about Grabau as champion of strict Lutheranism would lose all their charms. Grabau tried, tyrannically and unsuccess- fully, to transplant a state-church system without the state-church."

Compare this with Pastor Todd Peperkorn's judgment of the same here.]

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      This continues from Part 2, a series publishing an English translation of Pastor Christian Hochstetter's 1885 480-page book entitled (abbreviated)

The History of the Missouri Synod, 1838-1884.

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Historians favorable to Hochstetter's History

Ludwig Fuerbringer's 1936 CTM essay "Walther as Churchman" referenced Pastors Hochstetter and Köstering's histories (see this blog) as faithful narratives for Missourians to rely on – he offered no critical comments against these. — In the category of more recent LC-MS favorable theologians, along with Dr. Fred Kramer, is Dr. Cameron MacKenzie, who, while not expressly mentioning Hochstetter's work, refuted a claim of antagonist Walter O. Forster (Zion on the Mississippi, p. 523-25) concerning an account of Dr. Marbach, and so vindicates Hochstetter's History (Pieper Lectures, Vol. 10 (2006), "Call and Ordination in the Thought and Practice of C. F. W. Walther…", p. 36, n. 23). — A respected LC-MS historian, Lewis W. Spitz Sr. (1895-1996; CTSFW), in his "Preface" to his 1961 The Life of Dr. C.F.W. Walther, calls out, among others, Hochstetter's History as a trusted primary source.

      Another recent LCMS theologian referencing Hochstetter is CHI Director August Suelflow († 1999).  His book C. F. W. Walther, Servant of the Word, p. 144-145 states (emphasis mine):

“An important contribution in this area was made by Christian Hochstetter (1828-1905) [Find-A-Grave], who wrote a comprehensive history of the Missouri Synod. It was published in 1885, two years before Walther’s death. The book continues to be the most reliable source available from that time. Hochstetter had been a pastor in the Buffalo Synod, but joined the Missouri Synod in 1867 when his theological convictions shifted. Walther received a copy of the volume from Hochstetter and read it immediately, though with great trepidation because he was so personally involved with the Synod’s history. In a letter to the author of the book, dated July 31, 1885, Walther expressed his great satisfaction with the history:

"great service which
you have rendered…
you allowed the
facts to speak"

      ‘Now after I have completed reading with great interest and joy your history of our synod, and its doctrinal controversies, I am compelled to express my deepest and most sincere appreciation to you for the great service which you have rendered by it not only to our synod, but above all to the cause of truth. At first, I grant you, I dreaded to read your splendid book, because I myself occur in it so often. I was afraid of my own evil heart, which is so greatly prone to ascribe a little also to myself for what God has done to me out of incomprehensible mercy and for [how] he has used me as his most unworthy instrument. Finally, however, after God allowed me again and again to feel my incompetence for all good and my damnableness, I overcame my dread. ... [Y]ou allowed the facts to speak, facts which simply cannot be gain-sayed. ... When I was reading your book it struck me more vividly than ever before, that next to God’s incomprehensible mercy in making us poor sinners a memorial of His free grace, the true cause of our success is the conviction (given us by God) under all circumstances to remain with His truth and the heritage of the Reformation and not to sacrifice one iota of it, even if (because of that) everything erected would be brought to ruin again. That this conviction was also mine and remained mine to this hour, I cannot deny for the sake of God’s honor, who gave it to me. Cursed be every thought that seeks to claim for itself what belongs to God, but far be it, too, out of false modesty to deny what God has done in us.’ (Letter from Walther to Hochstetter, July 31, 1885; transcription by W. K. Wadewitz at Concordia Historical Institute.)”

So pronounces C. F. W. Walther on Hochstetter's History of the Missouri Synod. All who question Walther's spiritual judgment, the "gain-sayers", are in essence fighting against Holy Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions, and Luther's Reformation.
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Historians unfavorable to Hochstetter's History

Forster's Zion on the Mississippi, old & new covers.
Generally viewed as conservative,
yet lacks spiritual understanding.

      There are several LC-MS historians and theologians who have criticized Hochstetter's History – none more severely than Walter O. Forster in his 1953 CPH book Zion on the Mississippi, a standard history in LCMS circles.  Forster repeatedly questions the testimony of several historians from the Old Missouri Synod, including Hochstetter and Walther. More importantly, he also questions their motives. He calls Walther "equivocal" (p. 303-304).  Forster gives the distinct impression that he, as the objective historian, questions Walther's honesty.  He uses phrases such as "fatuous assertions" (p. 303).  We saw above that Dr. MacKenzie refuted at least one of the spiritual judgments of Forster (on Dr. Marbach). An earlier blog post pointed out Forster's opposition to Walther's judgment of mediating theologians in Germany.
      At their worst, these unfavorable LCMS historians and theologians promote the thought that older historians such as Hochstetter could be accused of idolizing Walther, just as Pastor Martin Stephan had been. But we see that Hochstetter perfectly answers this accusation, which most Old Missouri historians faced, in an 1882 essay, p. 79 (translated):

"It must be noted that Walther does not make the spirits subject to himself but to the Word of God; but he knows how to teach it so emphatically and clearly that the truth must prove its irresistible power, that doubt must give way, while that which seemed difficult to some becomes easy and the uncertain finally becomes certain!". 

This accusation is far from the truth, for the convictions of these Old Missouri historians were made Rock solid (1 Cor. 10:4) by the Word of God, i.e. the Holy Scriptures. — The false judgments by LCMS historians is similar to a case related by August Suelflow in his book.  He reported (Servant, p. 116) on a story that the Confederate flag flew over Concordia Seminary during the Civil War period.  Suelflow continued:

"This false story has been printed as fact elsewhere, even as recently in such prominent works as Werner Elert’s Morphologie des Luthertums, [The Structure of Lutheranism, CPH 2000] Yet in his 1870 rebuttal, Walther once and for all stated:…"
 (bolding mine)

August Suelflow accepted Walther's personal testimony as the truth against a German scholar in this case.  I will follow Suelflow's testimony for the credibility of Walther, against that of LCMS historians like Walter O. Forster.  (Unfortunately Suelflow did not fully trust Walther's testimony against LCMS historians such as Forster.)

      But so as not to spoil the beauty of Hochstetter's History, I will try to refrain from too many polemics against the LC-MS's attempts to cloud, question and ignore it. Readers should just read Hochstetter's History for themselves and not just take other scholars opinions on it. Then they may judge for themselves whether this History, and others like it, deserve to be heard. (Dr Fred Kramer did, and rejoiced.) They may do this even without access to the primary sources at Concordia Historical Institute because this is Church History, and all Christians are called to judge for themselves in spiritual matters because they have God's Word – "The Sheep Judge Their Shepherds". — In the next Part 4, I begin with my publication of an English translation of... Pastor Christian Hochstetter's  †  History of the Missouri Synod  †.

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Part 1 – Lehre und Wehre (Schaller or Stoeckhardt) book review

Part 2 – Prof. Fred Kramer's "Preface" to his translation into English from the German original

Part 3 – Walther's recommendation; favorable & unfavorable historians; Table of Contents

Part 4a – Hochstetter's "Foreword": he came from outside on issue of Church and Ministry; Word of God rules
Part 4b – "Foreword", part 2 of 2; Hochstetter to Missouri on Predestination; God blessed… Missouri Synod

Part 5 – Chapter 1: Luther leaves Germany for America; Prussian Union→Emigration to America

Part 6 – Chapter 2: Stephan unmasked; Walther's Church & Ministry saves Emigration; Rast misjudges
Part 7 – Chapter 3: Ministry defended, Democratism overcome – spiritual priesthood, not ungodly lay rule

   Excursus: 1850, Walther's address on Romanizing: "zeal leads them beyond Lutheranism"
Part 8 – Chpt. 4: Wyneken–“thunder following lightning!”
Part 9 – Chpt 5: Older Synods, Methodists; better church histories of A.L. Graebner, F. Bente
Part 10 – Chp 6: Missouri’s 1st 2 years; Der Luth.; education, missions; “This is what the Lord has done!”
Part 11 – Chp 7: Loehe & Grabau: "beyond Lutheranism", fall on doctrines of the Church and the Ministry
   Excursus: LCMS & Harrison vs. Walther on "Church and Ministry"
Part 12 – Chp 8: Walther-Wyneken to Germany; reproved, response
Part 13 – Chp 9: Buffalo Colloquy; Luther's "sh*t ban"; ordination not a divine command
Part 14 – Chp 10: Loehe to Romanizing, millennialism, Antichrist error: Iowa Colloquy
Part 15 – Chp 11: Usury; 25th Anniv.;Synodical Conference; Ohio Synod falls on Election of Grace

   Excursus: Walther's "sharp polemics" against Stellhorn: on Election of Grace
Part 16 – Chp 12: Election of Grace Controversy, on Predestination; against Calvinism
   Excursus: 2 judgments of Walther: Prof. Mayes faults Walther, again (Gerhard's terminology)
Part 17 – Chp 13a: Germany supplies, fights; Election Controversy concluded: “they laugh at us…, in danger"
   Excursus: Germany–then & now: Friedrich Brunn & Martin Blechschmidt
Part 18 – Chp 13b: St. Louis: USA’s new Wittenberg; Walther's Sem. bldg addresses, greatest on USA soil

Part 19 – Chp 13c: Schwan's address; Hochstetter reviews (conclusion of book)
Part 20 – Hochstetter's obituary in Der Lutheraner (1905);  “mouth of Walther”
Part 21 – Full texts of the book, downloadable, in German and English
Part 22a – LC-MS critical of Hochstetter's History: Forster, Mundinger, Rosin

Part 22b – LC-MS criticism: Suelflow, Schmelder, Peperkorn, etc.

Hochstetter 2: Fred Kramer's Foreword — in "library of every pastor & church" (Part 2 of 20+)

      This continues from Part 1 (Table of Contents in Part 3), a series presenting an English translation of Pastor Christian Hochstetter's 1885 480-page book entitled (abbreviated English)

†   The History of the Missouri Synod, 1838-1884.  †

One English translation was made available 100 years after Hochstetter's book, in typed manuscript format, but has remained unpublished. While the title page had the indication

"© 2005 Concordia Historical Institute" (CHI), 

the book had originally been translated in 1984 by Prof. Dr. Fred Kramer (1902-1991), Academic Dean of the Springfield, Illinois seminary. This situation begs the question: Why did CHI slap a copyright on Kramer's 1984 manuscript in 2005?  Did that not indicate an intent to publish the manuscript?  Yes? No?  Only they and Concordia Publishing House know the answers to these questions.  So far, neither Concordia Publishing House nor Concordia Historical Institute have seen fit to publish an English translation of the greatest history of the (Old) Missouri Synod.  Now let us see what Dr. Kramer thinks about this.

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The following is taken verbatim from Dr. Kramer's "Foreword" to his translation, highlighting is mine:

TRANSLATOR'S FOREWORD.

In presenting this translation of Hochstetter's History of the Missouri Synod in North America to the church, a word of explanation may be in order.

The names of Pastor Walter J. Plischke and of Prof. Fred Kramer appear on the title page as translators.  The explanation is as follows. Long before Prof. Kramer became involved in this translation Pastor Plischke had produced a translation of the book for Concordia Historical Institute. His translation was judged to be not publishable, because it abounded in Germanisms, and generally had some difficulty achieving clear, easily understandable English. Therefore Concordia Historical Institute sought a person who would revise this translation in such a way that it might be publishable. This task was offered to the undersigned, and he accepted in the winter of 1983-84.

On examination the undersigned found that he could not do justice to the task unless he checked every word in the original German. This in fact really called for a completely new translation, which was far easier than trying to revise the existing translation. However the undersigned carefully read Pastor Plischke's translation, and wherever he came upon a fortunate expression he gratefully adopted it. Wherever the language of Pastor Hochstetter easily lent itself to a translation into English the two translations are quite similar. In the more difficult sections they tend to diverge more sharply.

In spite of the deficiencies of Pastor Plischke's translation he deserves much credit for his work. He was the first to attempt a translation of this valuable history, which has been called "a history of the doctrine of the Missouri Synod". Had it not been for Pastor Plischke's work, the undersigned would very likely never have heard of the project. 

The translation is herewith given to the church. The book is of such importance for the early history of the Missouri Synod that it ought to be part of the personal library of every pastor in this synod. It would be well also if it were placed in every church library in the synod, in order that also interested laymen might learn and benefit from it. The book helps us to understand who we are, and why we are as we are, and such knowledge is of great importance if we are to preserve the treasure which God has entrusted to our synod in the Scriptural and confessional doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Fred Kramer

Springfield, Illinois

April 26, 1984.

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      When I first read Dr. Kramer's 1984 "Foreword", I think that I may have wept.  Here was a well-known LC-MS theologian who had been active in synodical affairs and in inter-synodical meetings with outside church bodies (p. 552).  Prof. Kramer had in his early years been strong in defending the true faith, then he wavered amid the surrounding mediating ("moderates") of the LCMS. He criticized Franz Pieper in 1969 for emphasizing the Doctrine of Inspiration and not treating the doctrine of "revelation" in detail (p. 197-198 here). Yet now, in 1984 in his later years, he highly praises Hochstetter's History which defended the "Lutheran doctrine of Inspiration" (p. 415-416), just like Pieper, and said nothing about the doctrine of the so-called "revelation".  Kramer now, in 1984, saw what he had perhaps been missing from his own earlier training in the LC-MS.  By his own words above in his "Foreword", he now saw that the Old Missouri Synod was not some over-zealous faction, with outdated theology that needed to be toned down from its old positions, but rather that the history of its founding and early decades was none other than the story of the struggles of the true Evangelical Lutheran Church to reassert itself, as at the time of Martin Luther, now in America. Now in 1984, 15 years after his 1969 CTM essay, Kramer states that Hochstetter's History was a book of

"such importance… that it ought to be part of the personal library of every pastor in this synod…in every church library."

Kramer Chapel

When I read the dear Dr. Kramer's last paragraph of his "Foreword", I thought to myself "This book will not wait much longer for Kramer's wish to be realized". I do not know for whom the Kramer Chapel on the CTS-Ft. Wayne campus is named, but I wonder that it honored (or should honor) the memory of Dr. Fred Kramer.  And since Kramer was identified as the translator of Walther's convention essay on "Conversion" in the 1992 book Essays for the Church, Vol. I, p. 244, I would like to think he died in the faith of the Old Missouri Synod.  –

This publication of Hochstetter's History 

is dedicated to the memory of 

Dr. Fred Kramer 

because of his wonderful words of praise for Hochstetter's History in his "Translator's Foreword". — In the next Part 3, we will hear from Walther on this book, and receive more background information on it.

Hochstetter's History: review by Lehre und Wehre (1 of 20+)

[2020-05-19: added note (in red below) on question of authorship of book review.] — ToC in Part 3.
      Over 2 years ago (blog of Jan. 29, 2018) I threatened to publish a copyrighted manuscript of English translation of Christian Hochstetter's 1885 original German language, 480-page book A History of the Evangelical Lutheran Missouri Synod in North America: and her doctrinal controversies from the time of the Saxon emigration in the year 1838 until the year 1884 (German original here).  

      Before I carry out my "threat", I would like to show that this book was highly regarded by Old Missouri, even if later generations have ignored, questioned, or buried it.  A search of the name "Hochstetter" in the contents of the journal Lehre und Wehre ("Doctrine and Defense") turned up a book review published in the same year as the original book, 1885.  This review was written by a "G.S." which was quite possibly Prof. Gottlieb Schaller, although I am not certain of this. Now let us listen to the review of Hochstetter's book from the chief doctrinal journal of the Old Missouri Synod. [2020-05-19: August Suelflow, in his book Servant of the Word, p. 147, n. 54, stated that George Stoeckhardt was the author of this book review.  However, Stoeckhardt typically signed his name "G. St." in Lehre und Wehre articles, not "G. S.".]

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Excerpt from Lehre und Wehre, 1885 (vol. 31), p. 243-245. Translation by BackToLuther using DeepL Translator with modifications. All highlighting and emphasis is mine.

Literature.

The History of the Lutheran Missouri Synod in North America and its Doctrinal Struggles from the Saxon emigration in 1838 to 1884, presented by Chr. Hochstetter, pastor in Wolcottsville, N. Y. Dresden. Published by Heinrich J. Naumann 1885. Price: hardcover $1.40.

It is a memorable story, one might say, that is presented to us here, a story in which the admirable workings of Almighty God and His grace confronts the reader in a truly moving way. The author refers on p. 159 to the founding of the Missouri Synod, which held its first session in Chicago on April 26, 1847, and then continues: “But the gracious and merciful God gave such a rich and spiritual blessing without all our merit and worthiness that in the course of 38 years the mustard seed became a mighty tree.” A mighty tree indeed! From the small number of 22 pastors who met with their congregations in the year mentioned for a Lutheran synod, after only four years they had already become 80 pastors and 12 teachers, and according to the present history the number of Missourian pastors has risen to almost 850; but in the teaching institutions of the Missouri synod, which are becoming more and more numerous, there are about 900 students who are taught by 34 professors. With such an exuberant blessing, God's undeserved grace crowned the Missouri Synod, which was built on the foundation rock of the divine Word and the pure and pure confession of faith; the Lutheran Church, at rest, had to stand for the jewel of the pure and unadulterated Lutheran doctrine in a fierce struggle and was constantly challenged and blasphemed by countless opponents of the saving truth from all sides. And as the two delegates of the Missouri Synod delegated to Germany, Prof. Walther and President Wyneken, could say as early as 1851 in an address to their fellow believers in Germany, in consideration of all sorts of concerns: “We prefer to answer: ‘Come over, see and examine for yourselves, and then judge whether you do not like this active, joyful life, founded on the Word of God and flowing from it, this life so lively and yet regulated according to firm, eternal principles, moving within divine boundaries, if you are at all delighted and pleased with the life and activity of Christian freedom in love.’” (p. 223): so also the author testifies at the end of his historical account, p. 475, with a basis of truth: “We can comfortably point to what is before our eyes and say: come and see!” — Yes, if one had only wanted to take the trouble to get to know the Missouri Synod in more detail, to examine impartially its standpoint with regard to doctrine, its church orders, its local governing, etc., according to the guidelines of the Word of God and the Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, how many false, unjust judgments, insults and slander against the Missouri Synod and its leaders, especially Dr. Walther, would then have been omitted on this side and the other side of the sea! 

Now here is a faithful account [page 244] of the history of the Missouri Synod, from its inception to the present day, presented to friends and opponents alike. The honored author was undoubtedly able to write the history of the Missouri Synod before many others, since he testifies in the Foreword (p. V) of himself: “It has not been easy for us, the former members of the Buffalo Synod, to prove right those in whom we once thought were church destroyers; the readers will recognize from what is reported at the end of Chapter VIII that it was only under various tribulations, which had to serve us in the best possible way, and after the temptation which teaches us to remember the Word, that we were set on the path by God's gracious guidance, which we have now walked for 18 years in unity of spirit with the members of the Missouri Synod.” And already before that he says: “The author believed that he had to make this preliminary reminder because it is shows that the writer of this is not only in many places an eye- and ear-witness of what he reports in this book, but is also to some extent involved in the doctrinal disputes and struggles that were decided upon by the Missouri Synod.” 

The writer, to whom God has bestowed a special gift of historiography, has not fictionalized anything from his own head, but, as befits a reliable historian, has only communicated what he has drawn from Der Lutheraner, Lehre und Wehre, the synodical reports of the Missouri Synod and other authentic sources. And so also this writing of his, with great prudence and efficiency, is a thoroughly source-rich, faithful representation of the history of the Missouri Synod, as the title says. It gives a vivid picture of the external development of the Missouri Synod, as well as of its doctrinal position in the many doctrinal struggles it has had to endure to this day. And we can confidently put this book into the hands of all our opponents and say: 

“If you want to know the essence of the Missouri Synod according to the truth, read it; its history is its best apology.” — But with what joy will the members of the Missouri Synod take this book into their hands, so interestingly written and so excellently presented! A glorious and great picture of wonderful divine government and mighty divine acts is served up before their eyes.  Many will undoubtedly read with amazement what he has learned from the history of his Synod, which he loves from the bottom of his heart, either completely unknown up to now or not known according to its actual context. Many characteristic details will appeal to him and captivate him; he will be granted welcome explorations and insights into the history of men dear to him and of the value of the men of good standing, whom God the Lord used as his instruments in the founding and continuation of the Missouri Synod. Even the older members of the Missouri Synod, who find almost only what they have experienced recorded here, will, in their old age, once again take an active desire to go back to that past blessed time in which the breath of God poured out a new spring of spirit over His Lutheran Zion of this Western world [Occident] and did great things in it. — … G. S. [Gottlieb Schaller?]

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      The reviewer continued on from this point to reprint the Table of Contents to give potential readers an idea of the main topics covered. — In the next Part 2, we will hear more from translator Prof. Fred Kramer on Hochstetter's History…  (Table of Contents in Part 3)