Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-03-06
Answer to Fair Play.

NY object in the present article ia sim
ply TO show that | can give Rev. Fisher =
articles no further recognition and that |
must cease to be party to this controversy.
With this view | ask the readers attention
to few facts, out OF the many which
might be selected from his articles.
l. In his last article, Rev. f. charges
that l have an incorrect translation OF the
Smalcald Articles, or else that | twisted -
them in my quotation. Nuw in answer,
would say lst. that my edition OF tho
Smalcald Articles is no translation at all +,
but the Standard Lutheran edition IN the
original German in which Luther himself
wrote them.
.. Knowing by experience what sort or
cautious man had 70 deal with, wa.
not willing TO risk my own translation,
lest he would say mistranslated, and thore-
fore quoted the original German itself,
exactly as 1t is in this standard edition, ex.
cepting the printer msde a typographical
error in one word which is, however of such
a nature that every reader who under
stands German, will readily discover and
correct IL for himself.
8. For the benefit OF such readers as
might not understand German, | added a
translation which IL my own and just ~
correct and expresses exactly the same
thought as that of DR.. Jacobs, although
IL omits the one unimportant word
again" How this omission came about
I will explain. When | looked at the
proof of my last article, discovered that
IN my translation Of the item from the
Smalcald Articles, the printer had omitted
the two words "And again. When |
drew his attention 70 The fact, he remarked
that he did not see how he could insert
both words without re-setting q considera-
bic portion Of the article. ben | answer
ed that If he had no space 5r both words,
ne should insert the word 'fand" and leave
out the word "aghin," Ne its. omission
would in no way affect the meaning or
doctrine of tho item, and especially, "a /
also gave the same quotation in GsfmAn.
The printer agreed with me in thinking
that the word was Of no account TO the
meaning of the sentence, and therefore
omitted IL. But although the original
German is there in FULL yet BY reason Of
the omission of that insignificant word in
the translation, he. unblushingly, insinuAtes |
tho charge Of "tWistiug." With such an
opponent it is impossible TO carry on q con-
troyersy with profit and honor. And II is |
this mean. contemplate, csptious quib- |
bling, passing By the weight of 8 whole ar.
gument and catching ai the omission Of an !
utterly insigniaccant word only forkhe pu'-
pose OF iusinuating the gravest charges |
lgainst you,-it il this conduct on the part |
II Rev r, which hiss dragged this cOntro- !
gersy down tu the miserably low level |
which IL has reached. Such controversial !
ists abounded, also. IN the time Of the Re. /
formation, and 81 thea Luther saws, that |
"thsy are ike hogs Vhu care not for roses |
and violets in the garden but only 10 stick |
their snout into garbage" Il is plain, |
therefore, that thIs controversy can bear |
none but evil fruit and hence ought 10 |
cease.
Again. lie accuses me of "an attack !
or misrepresentation OF the confessions |
and doctrines as taught and believed by /
the Lutheran church, by quoting a hHe /
OF too from the Smalcald Articles in |
support of his my charge of pFedesti- |
nation" In the first place Rev. Fisher |
knows, I presume, that bis own Synod |
OF the Lutheran church does not re.
ceive the Smalcald Articles as 9 part OF |
her confession and doctrine.r nor re-
auire its clergy to subscribe to them. but !
only to the Augsburg Confession. will !
Rev. Fisher please tell Us Why his own
synod refused so 10 receive themi In
the second place, my quotation. though
short, il one entire item-item ,, Art. |
!, Part 3-ss full and complete in itself
as are the Smalcald Articles taken as
whole. Rev. +. makes no attempt TO
show that my quotation is not thus com
plete; nor does ne attempt to show that
said item does not teach the sbs0lute
slavery of the huulnn will 70 the divine
will, "a ! clsimed and showed; nor does
he even deny that IL we take away
mans free will. absolute predestination
must follow a- necessarily as the tale
follows the dog, for iiman his no free
will to choose between good and evil.
IL i absurd TO aay that he can choose
between eternal salvation and eternal
perdition. Rev. r. does none Of these
things. lie simply makes long quota.
iion, not one line Of which, apart from
the item / quoted, has any bearing
whatever on the question at issue, and
then without one word OF comment or
explanation. end uith the most non.
chslent air imaginable, asks, "may |
not nov ask you 10 have the frankness
10 confess that the Smslcaid Articles do
not teach predestination." The reader
may readily see that with such an op.
ponent Il Is useless to waste argument.
A man must become reasonable before
he can be reasoned with. Yet that is
an example Of his style Of argument
from beginning 20 end.
Again. In his former article, he ad