Introduction

Biography

Henry was the son of Mi­chael Ja­cobs and Ju­lia Ma­til­da Ey­ster, and hus­band of Lau­ra Hewes Down­ing.

He gra­du­at­ed from Get­tys­burg Col­lege (1862), and Get­tys­burg Se­mi­na­ry (1865). While at se­mi­na­ry, he served on the Unit­ed States Chris­tian Com­mis­sion in Vir­gin­ia and Ma­ry­land (1864–65).

He lat­er stu­died at Thiel Col­lege, Green­ville, Penn­syl­van­ia (DD 1877, LLD 1892) and Muhl­en­berg Col­lege, Al­len­town, Penn­syl­van­ia (STD 1907).

He served as prin­ci­pal of Thiel Hall, Mo­na­ca, Penn­syl­van­ia; as Frank­lin Pro­fess­or of La­tin and His­to­ry at the Min­is­ter­i­um of Penn­syl­van­ia, Get­tys­burg Col­lege (1870–80); and pre­si­dent of the Lu­ther­an Theo­lo­gic­al Se­mi­na­ry, Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia.

Works

• The Lu­ther­an Move­ment in Eng­land, 1891
• History of the Lu­ther­an Church in Am­er­ica, 1893
• Book of Con­cord, 1894
• Martin Lu­ther: He­ro of Faith
• Lutheran Cy­clo­pe­dia, with John A. W. Haas, 1899
• The Lu­ther­an Com­men­ta­ry
• The Ge­rman Em­i­gra­tion to Am­er­ica, 1709–40, 1899
• Summary of the Chris­tian Faith, 1905
• Works of Mar­tin Lu­ther, trans­lat­ed by Ey­ster, Adolph Spaeth et al. (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: A. J. Hol­man, 1915)
• Lincoln’s Get­tys­burg World-Mess­age, 1920