Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-01-31

ter to the Fundamental principle Of tho
gospel of the total lack of merit on the
part of man. To Luther, IL was mat
ter Of earnest experience, that man does
not of himself believe, that hehs indrbt.
ed for his faith, for his acceptance of
salvation, solely TO the unmerited oper.
alton of divine grace. "From this he
drew ms a postulaIe for religious consid
Grafton the thought that this faith. !. O.,
the respectahility for the same. is not to
be. grounded in man, but that it can
only be attributed to divine predes.
tination by which individual human
beings, without any merit or desert
on their part, are ordained and led to
Salvation" So much for that. Now
Mr. DeLong quotes from Koestlin's
biography of Luther TO sho~ up this
view OF predcstination. He says on page
27l we read this statement of Luther's
doctrine; "rhat sinners do not turn to
| God and require saving faith in his word
can only be attributed to a secret will
of God, and for this man may not call
God TO account" Here, as of piece
with my friends work, he does not fair,
ly quote, nor does he finish. IL is add.
ed Immediately upon the correct quota.
| ton; "lu this Luther went farther than
the Evangelical church which bears his
name was afterwards willing to go lie
himself, also. in later years avoided
the discussion Of such divine mysteries,
and allied questions, and warned aganst
it," Luther's prede e.t,nation, was New
Test. but not Calyinistic. II was postu
late eofthe religious experience VIII ca can
not be denied or reasoned away, but
| which on the contrary does not run
counter IN the moral consciousness Of
phenomenal freedom. because IL in no
| wise contradicts the latter. Mr.. Delong
has made discovery TO help him out,
| How he makes this am at loss TO know.
| lie says the Smnlcald articles, ga por.
ton of our Lutheran symbols teach
this doctrine of predcrtinatiou. My
charity helps me to this conclusion: Mr.
DcLong has never read the Smalcsld
articles. Prcdestination IA not even
there by implication. Those articles
teach the opposite. Read them my
brother, and then quote them all you
wish. They are good, solid Lutheranism.
And il this doctrine can anywhere be
found in Lutheran symbols, either by
actual word or even implication, then
will yield. DR.. Geo. Z. Fisher is quoted
as supporting Mr.. DeLongs charge
against Luther. But who is hep i he
good Lutheran authority How
stands my charge Of defamation
on this matter: Let the public
judge. That my friend DeLong
may see where predestinRtion does lie,
let me quote little from Zwingli's per.
sonal confession; which he tZwinRli,
calls Reckoning Of the faith of Uric
Zwingli TO the Roman Emperor Charles"
Speaking of the Salvation Of the infants
OF the heather, he says This we
must certainly msintsin that by virtue
of the Salvation procured through
Christ, IL is irrelevent TO pronounce
them subject TO an eternal curse, not
only on account Of the cause of rcstorn.
ton mentioned, but on account OF Gods
free election, which does not follow
faith, but faith follows election.
For those who have been elected from
eternity, have undoubtedly been elect.
ed even before faith And yet. Mr..
DeLong thinks Luther did wrong in re-
fusing the hand of Zwingli. On this
matter | refer him still further to my
reply in last weeks R,pOriSr and espec.
tally to DR.. Krauth's paper on THE Re-
lations Of the Lutheran Church to the
Denominations around us He can
get this in the book store in Bcllcfonte,
or from me.
3 In supp,r of Mr. DcLong's view
that Zwingli's doctrine of the Lords
Supper was the correct one, he refers
a.. - 81 I
an Theologians who are beginning to ad'
init, etc" that Zwingli was right lie
cites such men a. DR.. Kahnis. Dr. julius
Mueller and DIR. Meyer, and in'proof Of
the fact that these men do so admit, he
Gays look at Langes' Commentary. Matt |
oath chapter lie will of course excuse |
me. These men ilfcad Luther. Mr.
DeIong twists them Just ~ does Schaif |
Mr. DeLobg still speaks OF Luther
gross and carnal conceptions of the |
Lords supper. Let me say 30 him /
once for all,--rcrd our Ctv'ck .NYmi0ks by |
all means. fear YOU talk too much |
without the Book The fling at pro. |
tracted meetings, eic.,is sll gratuitous |
But ] must stop. Let me onl, express |
the hope that my friend D. Long will |
thicken his own historical aequaint. |
auce with the trend Of Lutheran Theol. |
oRy. All through hls article he makes
the impressions Of helplessness yet de.
termincd, at any cost, 10 say on. / |
would commed TO my friend in view OF |
the foregoing, the Scripture in | Tim.
AIS.
Centre Hall, Pa. FAIRPLaY.
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