The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-01-07
SERMON
Deliver ed by Rev. q. +. Miller, in the
disciples church, Yesterday.


the lsie discussion IN our city papers wss
the doctrine o! the Protestant church as
to the tate OF unbaptised infants Bishop
Kain held that IL wss the doctrine OF the
re:ormers, and is the doctrine OF stand
ard creeds OF the Protestant church that
infants diving without baptism were lost
he'll. Mr.. MotlaIs reply denied this 10
be the doctrine Of tie re!ormers or the
creed OF ~ least the Presbyterian church.
He admitted. however, that shell Il their
due. but will not be their doom, CLAIM
Ing that ali VINO die in infancy sre re-
generated by tue Holy Spirit, and are
thus, through the merits OF Christ death,
saved ia Heaven. The faith OF the Gath
oic church on the other hand, MS TO the
iste OF un bspli,ed infants, ls thst "they
canuot enjoy the bestifc vision OF
God in Heaven" 1.-THE church docs
not even teach tina: they 60 10 the hell OF
the damned. but that they do not see and
enjoy GOD in heaven" 1t may be further
SAID: they will not bury 81 unoaptl'ed
child II couSecrated ground, nor allow
such buria! there. Both these Inte'pre-
,a.iOus leave the children IN rather
bad condition. Tue oLc denies them
burial IN cOnsecraled ground mere, and
hep-iyIlege q ever entering the presence
O. God hereafter. And a. We know OF
only TWO places L the Universe Tor man
after time sral! end, heaven, IN tue
presence oi God, and perdltlon, Giody
from the presence OF God, It would Oe
hard to tell where the poor creatures Will
be. TIE other admits that they deserve
the p4ulshmeLis OF nell, bat that
Uy The gracious work OF the
spirit in Tyg,Lerstiug them they
will escape il. Another portion Of this
same creed teaches that only portion
d! INC human family will enjoy final sal.
vatl q, ana that only that portion Will
be 7IsIted aud rtgenerated by the Holy
Spirt. But The view shove, holds that
81 infants viii be regcnerated and saved,
IN .ryicrc al! dying in infancy are among
tn elect. The thsu ut that II Is horrible
u suppv-c Z child lost In nell no doubt
freed ta.s interpretation OF tue GREECE
bItil Is lar. - see the difference II con
ii mLU- UHng when Sd infant, or al
Dsing 1t 10 come 10 manhood and then
oyLdemn II, with condemnation deter
mined oe!u:- 1t Was born.
The difficulty ia ali this controversy Is
fund IN the doctrine Of total hereditary
1epravty. TINS Is the parent idea
to large portion Of Protest
att theology. II describes human
nature s. III. er the gull. OF Adam SIN,
and there ore deserves Gods condemns
.lol; ,Id :urthcr, that mSu from infancy
is Incapable ol chin king good thought
OF pericrLgIs 4 good action, and That
me Is opposed 20 ali good and wholly Ia.
clned 10 a.! cvIi, ala that continually.
For uG su,Aurized statement OF the doc
trine VII. quote again passage already
quoted during this discussion. Or.
GuIss, chairman OF the Westminster As
semUiy. aid said 10 be the composer o.
the Me.tW ter Confession Of Faith,
saws: "lE regard 10 those who are con-
demncd 10 etcria Al death solely on nc.
count Ol OHghsl- sin, their condemnation
- eternal death D. the consequence OF
Adams trausgresslon alone. Blu. many IN
iauts depart tn, IKE IN original SID, and
consequently nre condemned TO eternal
death Oh account u original sin sionei
there ore the Condemnation of many IN
tan,s e. e-.lual death Is the consequence
%! Adams traUsgre:slon solely.
DR.. Beiiumy ssys, "thCse VINO die in
infancy may rs Justly be held under the
law IN the next world 81 those that live
may in THIS. God is under no more
obligations 10 save those that die than he
i 10 save those that live. To grant the
rsgcuerauns Inhunce Of his spirit TO
,1Um than 90 these.
Augustine says, TO quote briefly, land
therefore since 10 one could hope tor sal
vs,lon and eternal lite, without baptism,
ana the body and blood OF the LORD, II
WAS IN vain to promise children
salvation without them" Again he says,
dpu,i-g q middle state which some
claimed. "He must DO with the Devil,
who Is not with Christ" and further urg-
ing the nc e.sty OF baptism 10 take
away original sIu and TO give regenera-
ton ard eternal lie, he says, Therefore
men run with their children TO be hap
t,a.d because they verify believe they
could not otherwise be msde alive in
thrst' Gavin says, "GOu deny that
account OF Ira .gre.son. Person. in
Vulnerable are taken out Of life while yet
l1'au's. iu! lorth now your vlruleGcc
a-aust God, who precipitstes into e,er-
n.i death, harmless Infants. torn from
their mothers breasts" Apaiu. same
author. Il ask whence cOmJsit IL mass
that the fall of Adam involved
without remedy So many nations, to-
geLhsr with their infant children, If il be
lot because IT WAS right thus with God?
Hence 1t becomes tongues So flppsnt 10
be mute. II Is, I confess, horrible
doctrine" Oace more, ina word from
FugeHtius, Il. is 10 be believed witdOu!
ell doubt that Rot only men who are
come 10 the use 0: reason, but infants,
whether they die in their mothers
womb or sitter they are born, without
baptism in the name of the Father, Son
and Holy Ghost, are punished with ever
lasting punishment in eternal fire, be-
cause, though they have no actual
sin OF their own, they carry along
with them the condemnation OF
original sin from their first
conception ana BIRTH" This, in the Ian
gusge OF Calvin, S truly horrible doc
time, but il Is toe logical cor clusIon Of
mistaken doctrine Of original SIN, Of!
h,rsditary total deprayi;y. am aware
that this is stating tho doctrine in It's
strongest terms, and that in the discus
sion OF the subject IN the early church
modified views were held and insisted
upon Augustine first and Calvin second
were the two strongest and most extreme
advocates Of the doctrine. Pcisgianism.
which IN the time OF Augustine was a
powerful oppoEeu: Of the doctrine,
established kind u! s. semi PelSgianIsm
which afterwsrd became the faith of both
the Eastern and Western churches And
slthough revived by Calvin (Augusuue
living about the last OF the fourth CEN
tury and Calvin IN the sixteenth. ard
advocated very strongly sod severely,
the church OF to-day holds modified
Interpretation, but is essentially the
same.
Now, TO meet this condition Of ex-