The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-25
The Infant OucstIou.

MARTINS FERRY O., December "a.
Editor, lnIellICenect;
"Glve ia a rest" on Infant Damnation.
II you have nothing more interesting TO
Jour readers give Us few extracts from
alast year's almanac. SUBSCRIBER.
oursubscribsr does not know how de.
lighted We would be to give him rest
on intant tamna,lou," but inaSmnch us
We publish paper for the reading OF all
sorts Of people, many Of whom seem to
DO perfectly fascinated with literature Of
this sort, we do not feel at liberty to re.
fuss to print what 70 many are not only
willing bull apparently anxious to read,
Il really does seem AZ ii quite enough
had been said OIL the subject,
especially since there ia no one who
SCENE willing to advocate the dOGlrireoi
infant punishment. We have yet 10 see
communication taking the ground that
infants either should be- or will be pun
iShed AL seem to sgree that they do not
deserve aud willnoL receive punishment.
The discussion is very one sided az far as
we can interpret it, The great effort
seems 10 be To clear the skirla Of some
who have gone before from responsibility
Tor the doctrine OF infant damnatiou.
Thss--i4 probably M impossible task.
There Is no Reasonable doubt Of
ths, fact that number Of the
0ld diviuEs did hold 10 the doctrine Of
infant punishment. We have curious
book on our shelves that is replete with
exttactS from the Fathers who advocated,
more OF less strongly, this doctrine. But
what Of that2 As Mr., Voss says, they
lived in dark age, and their theology
was colOEed by their surroundings. Why
should we follow them in preference
TO the more enlightened diviues
otthis age2 Certainly we have divines
nowadays quite as well fitted in
all tie essentials OF learning and piety to
express authoritative opinions on such
subjects as any who lived two or three
hundred years ago. What ia our boosted
progress worth il it does not enable the
learned scholars of this age who have
translated the Bible into every known
tongue to express opinions in regard to
its teachings thatshould rightiully super.
sede or essentially modify former opin.
ions from men OF comparatively circum-
scribsd opportunities. PrOtestsnts do not
claim 10 have ever held Ecumenical
Councils al which dosmas were laid
down 10 bind the inlellects and con.
sciences Of all succeeding generations.
On the contrary they repudiate the per.
manent authority OF such bodies. They
hold that theology is not Il Chinese shoe,
put on in infancy to prevent the foot
from attaining its natural growth, but
that it expands along with the whole
body OF human knowledge. 1t will be
remembered that on certain memorable
OCCASION no less man than tho great and
good Job said very sarcastically to the
three wise men who undertook to teach
him philosophy and theology, "no doub:
butyeue the people and wisdom will
die.With you. But have understanding
aswsll as you; am not inferior to you;
yea, who knOweth not such things rs
these" And SO, adopting this language
ottlle man Of u, the theologians Of this
age Of the world could very appropriately
say that they too have understanding as
we'll u. those who have gone before them;
thatthey are not III any wise inferior to
their predecessors, and that they are just
Al much called Of God to winnow the
chat from the gram as the men who
wrote'in the Dark or the Middle Ages, or
atauy time succeeding,