Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-02-14
Answer to Rev. ]. F. De Long.

There is so much of undignitied per.
sonality in Rev. belongs last reply,
that am almost at loss to know
where 10 find anything in it worthy of
an answer But lest my silence might
be misconstrued into an endorsement
of his late article feel called upon to
reply. /. In regard to my
knowledge of Mr.. belongs address at
Centre Hall being unwritten, want to
say that thought the address prepared,
as Mr. DeLong prepares almost all his
public efforts, namely, in writing.
Therefore, with that impression could
certainly call for its publication. I
most emphatically disclaim any trick
in this matter.
With reference to the "garbled' quo.
tations from Knstlin, Mr.. DeLong
"wastes" many words. Ny charge was
simply that the quotation was not com.
plete, aud he acknowledges the charge
by completing it, As to the difference
between the "garbled' and full quota
ton, leave the intelligent reader to
Judge. | demanded fair quotation in
connection with the clause Immediately
following it, and for this am called a
'wilful and malicious slandercr.'
,. In reply to the statement that ]
do not accept DR.. Geo. p. Fisher A. au.
thority when quoted by Rev DcLong.
although / used him lDr Fisher as au.
thority on Luther agin-t hint De Long,1
/ have only this to say | did not use
DR.. Fishers name to establish or
strengthen a doctrinal position on
either side, whilst Mr.. DeLong did. For
this reason said Mr.. DcLong nay, in
his use of this authority; and if he
thinl it egJtism for village preacher
to say that he knows better what Luth.
cranism is than does Dr.. Fisher who il
not a Lutheran, he is welcome 10 so
think
{. As to the Marbure articles. which
claim to have been the basis or root of
the Augsburg Confession, and the fact
Of Zwingli'- signing the Augsburg Con.
q ssion. tho article on the Lords Sup.
or excepted, all this / sufficiently cN.
lained in my reply to IS. VI. r. in the
cporter. This matter is Is one Of the
gravest facts Of history and has moth
ing whatever To do with Mr.. Dcl.ong-
memorial address, save a. used it in it,
proper relation.
Z.
sions from DR.. Luthardts tthc best kind
Of Lutheran authority he can waste
but little space. The reader of the
DEMOCRAT will see that he "rcpcnted
Afterwards" and wasted not little.
He claims that my quotations are OBJ
scure and that one might think them
selected for an entirely different pur.
pose" Here again, will rest my case
on the intelligence of the unbiased
reader. and will abide by the decision.
Mr.. DeLong sees no light in my quo.
tations. and fear it is only another Illus.
tration Of the Old truth, that "Nonc is
80 blind a. he that will not see
To establish the charge Of prcdestin.
alton against Luther, Mr.. DeLong again
falls back on Koestlin. This charge OF
predestination strikes me as q strange
thing from Mr.. DeLong, found fault
vrith it from the first, because Of its of
fensiye boldness and uufairness. II
would be Just "a fair to charge Luther
with being Roman Catholic or a Monk
etc. lie was these, but did he remain
them? He was q close student of Au
gustine. but he soon found him unsafe
and abandoned him. In his De Serve
Arbitrio. Luther desired to have these
hard dsouuding doctrines made public
but warned against attempts to scrutin
ize the hidden will Of God, and urget
implicit trust in his revealed Word.
This from Koestlin as in the Schati
HerzOg Cyclopmdia Of Religious Knowl
edge, Vol ii p. 1866. ON the Who'll,
question. only ask the reader TO reac
ali of Koeslin. and he will iiud him per
fectly consistent. A regards the ap
pointmcnt Of a committee 10 examine
into the CORRECTNESS and truth" of Mr.
belongs quotations, ! would say that ]
Is needless, as the public can do all tina
and Mr. DeIong, at my suggestion, vii
assist, a. he has done. But Mr.. DeI,ona
insists on the Smalcald articles tenchin,
predestination. Having never rcat
them for himself, las must conclude.
he quotes Drs. Sohaf, Dorner and one
third Of the Lutheran church Of Amer
ica a. saying that the Smalcald Article
do 80 teach Now it would be wei fot
Mr. DeLong to follow the advice o
Judge Ofvis, or more accurately, hi
statement to o friend. He said he nev
OF made statement in court which h,
could not back up. A il happens IL
this case. schaif is no safe guide, DorncI
j. no out and out Lutheran, and Walth
er acknowledges his prcdestina.iou
views to be Calvinistic and not Iuth
eran. 10 establish the last point. / re-
fer him to the April number of Vol xi
1881 or tho Lutheran Quarterly. To es
tati Hle first .tatemcat ! win nos
au g. EBm 3f. ~ei~tou" Misunderstood