The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-01-05
sill Further from u Protestant
L.nyInRu.

EIi,o.s InteIlIgenrer.
ELECT infants, dying in infancy, are
reCenerated and saved by Christ through
the Spirit, who worketh when, and where.
aud how he pleaGeth. So also are all
other elect persons, who are incapable oil
being outwardly called by the ministry oil
the word"
"Others not elected, although they may
be called BY the ministry OF the word,
and may have some common operations
of the Spirit, yet they never truly come
unto Christ, and therefore cannot be saw.
ed: much less can men not protesting the
Christian religion be saved in any other
way whatsoever, be they ever 80 diligent
to frame their lives according to the Eight
Of nature, and the law OF that religion
they do profess; and to assert and maintain
that they may, ia very perniCions and 10
he detested.n- WestminiSer Confession Of
Faith, Chap. X Sec. iii aud II.
The above il copied reIbltim etiiterGtim.
! ask n candid reader who understands
the meaning Of plain words, whether or
not the following doctrines are clearly
affirmed therein?
First. That elect infants, dying in in
fancy, are saved by Christ.
Second. That infants not elected, dying
in infancy, cannot be saved; that is TO
say, they are damned.
In the Westminster Confession Of Faith
there are two classes OF persons referred
10, the elect and those not elected. SALIVA.
tion and eternal happiness are promised
TO the elect; and all through the Confess
sion whatsoever il the predicate OF one
class, the antithesis thereof is the predi.
cate OF the other. The noun "intants"
in the above extract being qualified by
the adjective ~"elect," necessarily implies
a portion only. II Chapter < teaches
that all infants dying in infancy are saved,
then are "sll" and 'elect" Synonymous
terms, which ID an a%bsurdity.
A writer in the l~ntS,igeneOr OF Deem.
Der %, over the signature " Neritas,", as
serts that the Methodist Book OF Disci-
Mine teaches a doctrine concerning in.
iants, similar to that contained IN the
Confession. This assertion depfivcs the
writer OF all right to assume the Higna-
lure he has chosen. The Book Of Disci.
pliue teaches nothing Of the kind; but
even il IL does, what has that odo with
the question?
The writer has seen proper to drag the
name of John Wesley into his letter nj.
ter this fashion: "But it is doubtful
whether even he Wesley held to the
moustrous doctrine Of infant damnation'"
o no, my dear Veritas! there is nothing
"%donbtful" about it. Did you ever read
his sermon on Free Grace" "? II not
let ME commend it to your prayerlnl
confederation. 1t was preached ut Bris.
tol, tho year 1740. Meantime permit
me- 10 give you an extract thereirom:
"This IL the bIasphemy for which (how-
ever 1 love the persons who assert ~ l
abhor tho doctrine OF predestination-a
doctrine, upon the superstition OF which,
il n could possibly suppose II Tor a
moment, (~callit election 'r%eprObsIion,'
or what you please, for all comes TO the
same thing,) ono might say to our aiver.
AIRY the devil, Thou fool, why dost thou
roar about any longer? Thy lying in
wait for souls is IA needless and useless
as our preaching. Ilearest thou not that
God hath taken thy work out OF thy
hands: and that He doeth il much more
e~HeclualIy? Thou, with all thy princl'
palities and powers, Canst only 80 assault
that we may resist thee; but He can irr' =
pistibly destroy both body and soul 10
hell Thou cAnst only entiCCi but His
Interchangeable decree, to leave thousands
OF souls in death, compels them to con-
tinue in sin till they drop into everlast'
ing burninSs. Thou TEMPEST; He tOrceih
us 10 be damned; for sc cannot resist HIs
will, Thou fool why goest thou about any
longer seeking whom thou mayest de-
voul? HeNrest thou not that God Is the
deyouring lion, the destroyer OF souls, the
murderer OF men? MolOch caused only
children to pass through the fire, and
that fire was soon QuenChed; or, the cor.
ruptible body being consumed, its tor.
ment was at an end; but God, thou art
told, by His eternal decree, fixed before
they had done good or evil, cNuSeS, not
only children Of a span long, but the par
ents also, to pass through the hrc Of hell
the fire which never shAllAbe q%uencded;
and the body which is cast i%hereunto, he.
ing now i%ncorruptible and immortal, will
be- ever consuming and never consumed,
but the smoke Of their torment, because
II is Gods good pleasure, Sscendelh up
forever and ever"
Such il the picture which John Wesley
has drawn Of the decree OF approximation,
and Of iis legitimate otT.pring, the doc
trine Of infant damnatiOn.
l am Obliged for the friendly advice
with which you conclude your letter,
most excellent VcritaS, and would re.
spectiuIIy reciProcate the compliment.
/ recommend you, therefore, to preach to
YOUR pc ople less Of Geneva and more OF
Calvary; less Of Calvin and more OF Christ