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

tnis Gay. lot notWitnstanuihk tnla
tact. he alleges that Zwingli signed the
Augsburg Confession by signing the
Articles OF Marburg. SO reckless he is
in his statements. So unrighteously he
perverts and lalsiiies the gravest facts
of history. confess again, the man is
10 me an inoomprehensible mystery.
And must add, II he thus perverts and
falsifies these world renowned facts of
history, what won't he do with my ad.
dress.
On his own quotations, can
waste but little space. They are alto.
gether of the question. In fact, per.
son would think that he had selected
them for an entirely different purpose.
The first is altogether too obscure. and
80 far Is can see any light ia 1t at ell,
does not contradict unconditional pre-.
destination, nor is intended TO do so by
its author. The second tells us how
Luther was led to his predestinarian
views, but not at all what those views
were which is the question at issue. And
the third is without authority, being
without name, and in as far as II refers
to predestination at ell 10 rather in favor
OF than against the unconditional
theory. am rather afraid IL Rev.
Fisher has nothing palmer. more TO the
point, and more conclusive, the people
OF Centre county will have 10 believe
that Luther taught absolute predestina.
tion. Let me put aside OF his pointless
and inapplicAble quotations one more
quotation. IL is not taken from Drs.
Hodge, Nevin. Schaff, Cunningham OF
any other non. Lutheran author, but it
is from the highest Lutheran authority
on Luther in the world. viz from DIR.
Koestlin who has made the study oil
Luther a speciality all his life. In an
article on Luther in Her1og's Theolog.
ical Cyclopedia, vol. s, p. 5S7, he says:
"He, tLuther) teaches, that with God,
who absolutely determines all things,
omnipotence and omnisciencs are alto.
gether one, and so also iore.knowledge
and foreo rdinstion so that whosoeve
Is lost, is lost by the same absolute will
of God that il shows nothing against
this when scripture says, God hath no
pleasure in the death Of the
wicked for we must distinguish be.
tween God as revealed, Gods word, and
God as unrevealed God himself, his in.
scrutable will, and that We may not ask
reproachtully why does not God change
the will Of the wicked, when he yet
controls their will, for that which He
wills is right even because he wills 1t,
and why he wills such thing with refer.
erence to the wicked, belongs to the
mysteries of His Majesty. This, he
says, IS the highest degree OF faith, to
believe Him TO be mcrciiul who saves
80 few--just who makes Us damn
able by ms own will II this Is not alb
solute predes tination, will Rev. Fisher
please tell Us what is? ! challenge him
to bring me any stronger utteranccs
from the writings of Calvin. This
ought 10 be enough or this question.
Of course, Rev. Fisher may deny this.
For there IS really no telling what he
will not deny. For his style,se-ms TO be
TO deny everything and prove nothing
But | hereby give notice that Il my
quotations and references are again
challenged, will ask for committee,
selected partly by him and partly by me
ts examine into their correctness
and truth.
In the matter OF the Smalcald Arti
clcs he thinks have made discovery
IL is very likely that have done 50 for
him. But he ought 70 know better. That
the doctrine OF predestination under
lies and j. implied IN ~malcald Articles
is asserted by br. SChati Of y. Y, by the
celebrated Dr. Dtrner, OF Germany, and
by one.third OF the Lutheran church OF
America. Does Rev. Fisher not know
that DR.. walther, the most learned
Lutheran in America. j. not only
strict predestinarian himself, but say,
also that any other view il uu.LutIcr
an? Does he not know that, accord.
ing 10 the teachings v'
the whole Mise ruri syno !.
the largest, strictcst and most learned
body of Lutherau- in this coIniry, bc
himself and all other non .pred,etin.
ariau Luihcrans are hcriiics.Luther.
ans falsely so.callcd2 DOES be knpw
none Of these thiugs9 Then ! am
afraid, in this respect. he will, in spi'c ~
himself. have 70 'sit 81 Delong'- feet TO
be Lutherauly iudoctrinaie1." Let
him read a number 4 articles IN
"Lehre .und Wehre,' especially one
published in 1872. Yet Rev. Fisher
says they not only do not teach pre-
destination, but that "they teach the
He does not say that any.
body else Gays 40. OF course, Rev
Fisher himself is good authority for his
articles are a sort of verify, verify, |
say unto you, all the way through.
Rev. Fisher persists in charging me
with saying that the "Luthersn church
has largely come over to the Lwinglian
view of the Lords supper" Indeed, in
his last article he fatty denies that ms
address had any such "explanatory
clauses" as l give in my former article.
This has now become question Of yer
acity between Hev Fisher and my self,
and must end in putting one or the
other Of US in arather unenyisble light.
Now Rev. ". ii. Groh, Of Boslsburg,
Rev. z. a. Yesrick, Of AaFonsburg. and
Rev. S. VI. Rocder, Of Centre Hall, were
all present and heard my address; and
| have asked and received permission Of
them 10 use their names NJ authority for
saying that said in my address exactly
what represent in my former article,
and that Rev. Fishers charge is untrue.
This ought to settle that question. And
now have this to add, thst Rev. Fish.