Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-02-07
Answer to Fair Play.

am certainly sorry that ever took
any notice of the libelous assault of
Rev. Fisher, Lutheran pastor at Centre
Hall, upon me and my address. When
read his last article, | could hardly be.
lieve my own eyes so utterly inconsis-
tent is he so little regard he shows for
truth and so ready and reckless he il
to deny. assert and falsify anything and
everything to suit his purpose. To
make this clear as the noon day sun, let
the reader follow me patiently through
review Of his last article.
In the opening section he says,
among other things, 'if my friend in.
sists on denying this ! will insist on his
printing his address" Now, Rev. Fisher
was present and saw with his own eyes
that the address was entirely extern.
pore, and hence cannot be published as
delivered, not even if it had been writ.
ten out beforehand, which it was not.
Yet notwithstanding this fact, he is not
ashamed TO insinuatc 10 the public that
the address was written, that ] am with
holding it for purpose, and that. il he
wished, he could expose my unfairness
at once by Just insisting on its publica.
ton; but that, for charity's sake, he will
give me the opportunity of sneaking
ing out of il 10y simple silence. ask,
IS that the conduct of an honest, honor.
able and fair. minded man?
Again. under tho head OF prcdesu
nation. he charges me with "gurhlcd
quotations. First, with "garbled quo.
tations from Luther" From him, as it
happens, | made no quotations at
all. Then again, he charges me with a
'garbled' quotation from Kpstlin. For
the sake of saving space left out two
small words which are Of no account
whatever to the thought of the sen.
teuce. If Rev Fisher thought go, why
did he not quote the sentence in full
and show the public how falsely quote.
The sentence Is very brief and would
have taken little space. Why, then,
lid he not do so do not wish to
wrong the man, but ! can not possibly
see any other reason but this one, viz,
that, then. he could not have thrown
out to the public the wicked and false
inspuatioD that quoted in such . wsy
as to change The sulnor's meaning. Let
us put the Two side by side. Here Is
the 'garbled" quotation THAT sin.
ners do not turn 10 God and acquire
saving faith in his word, can only be at.
tributed to a secret will Of God, and for
this man may not call God 10 account
And here is the ungarbIed quotation,
with the preceding sentence included,
40 as to show the connection "It is
only through HIS almighty gracious will
that salvation is secured to the latter
1.-THE redeemed. That other sinners do
not turn TO God and acquire saving faith
an his word can only be attributed to a
secret will OF the same God, and for this
man may not call God TO account" /
ask any fair minded man to compare
the two and see whether there is even
a shade OF difference ia the predestina.
riau thought they express. According
to both quotations the sinners that are
lost are Lost, not By reason OF any great.
er wickedness on their part, but by rea.
son OF the will OF God. Did Rev. Fish.
er not see this Most certainly he did,
for he cannot be so incompFehensibly
stupid. And yet he casts out TO the
public the insinuation that | "garbled"
or left out those words for the purpose
OF making false impression. That,
must say. looks to me like wilful and
malicious SANDER ffnot, let him ex.
plain.
Again. Ia bis fret article, in the Cen.
ire Reporter, be himself quoted DR.. @.
p. Fisher, Professor in Yale Theological
Seminary, and author Of number Of
historical works. as authority on Luther
against me. Now, when 1 quote DR..
Geo. p. Fisher es authority on Luther
against him. he turns up bis nose and
says, "Wbo is he? fs he good Lutheran
authority How stands my charge OF
defamation on this matter Let the
public judge" Could anything be more
glaringly inconsistent confess this
Lutheran pastor is to me more mex.
plicable mystery than the mysteries OF
predestination itself.
still further. Take another example
OF the way in which he perverts and
falsifies the gTAvest facts OF history. in
his first article he made the allegation
chat ZWinRli signed the Augsburg Con.
fezsion. When challenged b. IS. -.
X" for his proof be comes out with the
statement that Zwingli signed the Augs.
burg Confession because, OF in virtue OF
the fact that, he signed the Articles OF
Marburg from which IL (the Augsburg
Coufessiou1 is 81 departure only on the
Lords Supper" But Rev. Fisher
fxnows. of eourse. that the Lords Sup
per vas the one and only great point Of
difference between the tWo great Re
ormers; that around this ragged au lheir