, 1874-05-23

covenant, which God had made with Abraham
and his seed, and from that day forward had
an interest in all the treasures of grace, and
special privileges which were contained in the
Old Testament, though he at the same time
entered into an obligation to keep the entire
law belonging to that Covenant; so was also a
man, who believed in Christ received by bap-
tism into the New Covenant established by
Christ, and confirmed with his own blood and
by it he obtained an interest in all the blessings
of salvation, which have been purchased for Us
poor sinners by the life, Sufferings, and death
Of our Lord Jesus Christ: but be on the other
hand bound himself to become obedient unto
Jesus Christ, as his Lord, and as a child, to
follow his commandments"
"A Moravian'' may, however, say that this
pa. sage relates expressly to adults, and is only
applicable whom the candidate is capable of ex-
ercisiDg repentance and faith, which infants
are incapable to do. The Exposition"
(page 236, s 14I,) however, maintains, when
treating Of infant baptism, that 'Children are
a property Of our Lord Jesus Christ" and
"Childreu are also capable of receiving the
Holy Ghost even in the mothers womb"
Again, certain questions are asked, page 236
5 l4l. And if a child be baptized, 10 the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost, should not this act convey a bless
AHS W II : a u COuSItRdliUu u jesus presents
such a child with prayer and supplication to
the Lord, shall that be in vain Does
not also a child put on Christ by baptism =?
And shall not tie Fath her receive it as his child,
and the Holy Ghost as his habitation and tenn
ple2" And the answer to all these interroga-
tives given by the Moravian Church in the
same Exposition" is, "Most certainly, with
out the additional words, "ercfpt 1t be born IN
aocdlOck."
10 addition to these questions l will ask "a Mo-
rayian, y does not his Church deny these benefits
to the Oh Id who is refused this seal of Covenant
Grace? Is the child born out of wedloek not
entitled to be received into tue membership of
the New Covenant And does the Moravian
Church in it's teachings, or the Holy Scriptures
say, that such are exceptions and shall be treat
ed as such at the discretion OF the ministers Of
the Gospel ? Are not such children actually
punished by being deprived of, or kept from
the reception of these blessings, on account of
the mothers sin And are not the innocent,
therefore, punished for the guilty
But the teachings Of the Moravian Church
further maintain "That it is incumbent upon
(them) to show all possible fidelity in the ad-
mini,trati0n Of infant baptism, to train up the
children for the Saviour from the very hour of
their baptism" And can this be done when
baptism is refused to some ? But the browning
point in the teachings of the Moravian Church
on this subject seems to be embodied in this
last quotation which follows "As many have
no regard for the Covenant" (of course those
mothers who beget children unlawfulIy belong
to this class, as well as all those children, even
of legitimato birth, who, although being baptized,
90 aside from the Gospel line Of rectitude),
(Which they have entered into with God, by
baptism, AMI as almost all those who have been
baptized in their infancy, devote themselves
again to the service Of sin and Satan
therefore a preacher in Christeadom, if he
would observe rightly the duties Of the function,
DAREs DO NO OTHERWISE than constantly
direct men to return to Christ, beseeching them
in Christi stead to be reconoiIed unto God"
These teachings are conclusive and their
evangelical tone is perfectly at variance with
every thing like refusing baptism to the child
even of the viiest miscreant, and | therefore
cannot agree with GA Moravian' when be con-
tends that there is no error in the new principle
adopted in his Church, aud that the guilty and
not the innocent are punished by the refusal of the
Sacrament of Baptism to children born out Of
wedlock.
On the other hand, I am decidedly against
the degraded life and custom of concubinage
and agree with your correspondent in the efforts
which should be made to put it down, andhhat
Al .$o u,;oa Of the WWatchmen in