The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-22
INFANT BAPTISM.
Rev. MIR. M0IIRI In Response 20
Bishop kain.
Editors lntellIgCuccr.


teachings OF the Calvinistic Churches in
a proper light. From a number Of
anonymous communications in our pa.
pers and the remarks made upon the
streets, | infer there is still considerable
interest in the subject. 1t Ia better,
when subject OF this nature il once en-.
tered upon, to 60 through with its discus.
sion throughly to the end.
1t ia important, however, to keep this
discussion within It's original limits. II
we allow ourselves to he drawn aside to
consider every question suggested by it
10 all your readers it will prove eyerlast.
ing.
At the outset, took exception to
Bishop Kain's declaration that the re.
formers Of the sixteenth century taught
that unbaptized infants are "doomed to
the torments Of the damned in hell"
The quotations then furnished by him
only prove that these reformers held that
hell il their due, not their doom. II
"doOm" and clue" convey substantially
the same meaning, M the Bishop seems
to imply by terning the distinction be.
tween them metaphysical, then our dis
cnssion is ended. lie did not, then, mean
to say in his sermon that the relotmers
Of the sixteenth century taught that un.
baptized infants dying in infancy &C.
tually suffer the torments Of the damned,
but only that such ia their due.
lam willing TO admit that hell is my
due that on account Of my sins deserve
its torments, but am not willing 10 ad-
nit that | am doomed to suffer these tor.
menLa, unless "tlo0med" is exactly synon.
ymous with due" II, however, Bishop
Kain insists that the reiOrmers taught
that the infants dying unbaplized descend
into hell, / will continue to ask proof,
consisting either Of their plain teaching
OF such droctrine, or Of legitimate infer.
enCe from their doctrines.
Here ! might close my communication;
but fear that If take no notice OF the
Bishops charge that my views are "in
evident contradiction TO the views OF the
early reformers, and the most solemn,
public professions Of even the Presbyte.
rian Church." | might be considered
guilty Of lshi rking difficulty felt: even
by many ProtestanlE when reading the
Westminster Confession OF Faith upon
this sub jeCt. ] am not under the necessity
Of showing that the "early reformers" did
not teach the eternal death of infants
dying unbaptized. The burthen Of proof
lies with those who assert that they did
so eath, and expect TO await calmly the
appearance OF this evidence. But as n
minister Of one OF the Protestant dcnomi.
nations which accept the Confession Of
Faith, may properly be expected both
to explain and defend it, especially since
it has been publicly claimed that il Is at
least equivocal upon this point.
There ip hut one section IN the confes.
sion which treats Of infants, and ! do not
propose to examine others referred TO, as
they prove Nothing pertaining to The
subject. The other sections referred to
by Bishop kain, treat OF the fall OF man,
sin, and the punishment thereof, and
embody views on these subjects which |
agree substantially with those taught
by Augustine, now revered by Catholics
IA a saint, and by those commonly called
CalviniAtH, az the father OF their theolO.
gy-viewS which were not, believe,
condemned by the Council Of Trent. Ii
is the third section Of chapter Y we have
now to examine. There il a way of pull
fishing this section and the following one
40 A. 10 create the impression upon the
reading. public that they teach infant sal.
vation in only "a certain sense" Thus "a
Protestant Layman" printed them in the
lSTELLIGENcER, using, for the sake Of
breviIy, no don't, stars in place ol some Of
the wOrdS. These sidrS are little liars
they made the sections convey the i'm.
preston the words would not have con.
veycd. To print the two sections to.
gether alter this manner-"EleCt infants
dying in infancy are saved.
Others not elected never
truly come to Christ, and therefore can.
not be saved, ,"-creates the impression
that the word "others" means "other in
fants dying in infancy" But cast out
these stars and put back the words
thus; NV. Others not elected, although |
thy may be cadiet by The ministry of The
Word, and mny hare some common operations
Of The spirit never truly come 10 Christ"
and everybody can zee that "Others" can.
by the ministry Of the Word.
Let III have the third section Just az il |
stands in the book. "Elect infants, dying |
in infancy, are regenerated and saved by |
Christ through the spirit, who worketh |
when and where and how he pleaseth.
So also are all other elect persons, who
are incapable OF being outwardly called
by the ministry Of the word"
Allow me now, after the manner Of
Joseph Cook, 10 put what | have to say
on this language into the form oil brief
propositions, for the sake OF clearness.
!, Those who accept creed ~ EN-.
bOdying their Interpretation Of Scripture,
rather thaA those who reject it, are the |
true interpreters Of it.
.. II the Interpretation generally &C.
copied by them seem to the outsiders to be
in conflict with the language OF the creed,
this only jusIitieS charge against the |
original framers of the creed Of being
unhappy in their use and selection
Of woIds; it will not justify the outsiders
in saying lyon have not properly inter.
preted your own creed"
>, PreshyleriNnS are almost, 40 far ns
know, they are entirely, unanimous in in
lerpre.ing thia section a. teaching that
infants dying unbaptized are saved in the
manner indicated. DR.. Hodge, Of Prince.
ton, who hHs the reputation Of being
most unCOmpr0mi-ing Presbyterian, and
who il recognized in Europe M
we'll as in America, a. the
best exposition Of our doctrines, mud
whose name was heartily applaudrd in
the late Council at Edinburgh, when n
European delegate pronounced him "the
grealest living theoIogian," declares IN.
equivocally that "iL il tho common doc.
trine Of Evangelical ProlestanS that all
who die in infancy are saved" | have
never been NO raSh Hs TO assert that no
Presbyterian minister ever preached any
other doctrine, because know that some
Of the crazieSt notions that ever entered
the brain Of man have sometimes found
their way into the pulpit. But II those
persons who Hay they have heard Pres.
byterinn minister preach the doctrine
that infants dying unbaplized arc Lost,
will give ms the name and residence Of
the minister, | will undertake to prove
that they misunderstood what they heard.
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