, 1874-06-06

connected with the dogmas already known,
seems to be a truth, as limited bypsome authors,
which notions, however, are fully protested in
Spangenberg'S, whose Exposition" was given
expressly TO settle this point.
The Bird point involves an unhappy position
for your correspondent. Maintaining his stand
point he asserts: "Let me not be misunder-
stood. L repeat here what is stated above,
mat where there are guarantees that the chill
aEen VIII be rightly trained and brought up,
the MoraVlan Church, as [ understand #. does
not refuse baptism to any--but she does feel
called upon to bear unequivocal testimony
against all immortality, and hence withhoIds tie
privileges OF the church from all who are LEADING
immoral lives"
The latter part Of this sentence, applies
precisely to every orthodox branch of the
Christian Church, and is, consequently, no DC
culiar feature of the Morayian Church.
Let me then see how this can be applied
in the case Of infants, legitimate or illegitimate,
applying for this essential privilege of the
Church, baptism, whether through their parents
guardians, or under any other condition.
will arrange the views of GA Moravian"
in a syllogistic form SO as to make it as clear
to your readers as possible, whether his reason
ing on the subject is admissible and deci-
sive or not. The question at issue then is,
whether infants, legitimate or illegitjmate, can
possibly be excluded from the category of those
who are entitled to the privileges Of the church
upon the basis of her own admission, without
the most glazing Infringement Of her own
principles.
The major premise of the argument is undeni-
ably this: The privileges of his Church are
withheld from all who are leading immoral
lives. Now for the sy %IIogism. All who are
leading immoral lives are excluded from the
privileges Of the church, all illegitimate infants
are leading immoral lives therefore all illegi-
innate infants are excluded from the privileges
of the church. This is a glazing fallaoy,
evident from the quality Of the matter,
although. apparently conclusive from the
agreement Of the premises and is quite
inadmissible; FIR "a Morayian' posi-
lively admits that infants are safe if even they
die without baptism, consequently, could not
have been I0iug lmu30ruI lives, which Circum-
stance If considered sufficient to deprive them
of the privileges Of tie Church, must be consi-
der9d moro so to deprive them Of the jays Of
salvation.
On the other hand, as The Moravi4n Church
"does feel herself called upon to bear unequivocal
testimony against all immortality, and hence to
withhold Der privileges from ali who are lead
ing immoral lives, y 50 also must the converse of
this idea be perfectly tenable by her viz, she
must feel herself called upon to bear unequiyo-
cl testimony in favour Of all morality and
hence to ~dispease without hesitation her priVi-
lcgcs te all who are leading moral and innocent
lives. The argument under this conversion
will then stand as follows: No privilege of the
OAurch can be denied to those who are leading
moral and innocent lives, infant children, legi-
innate or Legitimate, lead innocent and moral
lives therefore no privilege Of the Church can
be denied them Again: All who lead moral
and innocent lives are entitled to all the priYi-
leges Of the Church, infants, legitimate as we'll
aa iIlegitimate, lead moral and innocent lives
therefore they are entitled to all the privileges
of the church.
The impartial reader of your columns must
plainly see that the innocency Of illcgitimate
infants is clearly demonstrated and established,
and that upon "a Morayian's'' ooon stand
point consequently, in Withholding from them
the privilege IF baptism, which is their le-
climate claim, based upon the declaration
and rule Of his church, they are wronged or
punished without desert hence the innocent
are punished for the guilty-.Geir mothers.
Baptism as a fundamental doctrine Of Chris
tan faith. bestows some good upon its infant
particjpators, even if it only introduces them
10 their guardian angel as members of the
Covenant Of the Gospel, being marked with the
sign of the cross, as ST. niio4ntiy taught by some
Christians; or affords them the opportunity of