The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-01-11
THE INFANTS AND BARBARIANs.

THE REGISTER COMPANY.
THE INFANTS AND BARBARIANs.
What are the differences between |
infants and idiots who can neither know
nor understand, sndthe outside bsrbarlsns
born and nurtured in their fetish super
stitions or religions, and, so, have not
only no means OF knowing or under
standing, but in their very birth and by
the ole nature of their lives are per-
verted in their native tendencies to evil
Invest The exceptional doctrine that
saves infants must save al these. 1t Is
not true, speaking from the Bible stand
point, that ait is nowhere affirmed
that those who never commit
ted sin are under guilt Tor
Adams SIM" 1t is very positively
affirmed that IL will visit the sins of the
the father upon the children unto the
third and fourth generation" Nor has
this law been changed. II the father
and mother are both continual drunk
ards, and living deprsved lives, the chill
dren are likely to be idiots, and most OF
them to have imbecile constitutions, and
to be the subjects OF greater moral delin-
auencies than the children OF industrious,
sober and honest parents. 1t is not less
forcibly expressed in the Divine Ian.
gusge than it is in this well determined
law OF life. Read Carpenters physiology
on this subject. Read it in the alleys OF
all the cities; in the Five Points
of New York; in all the census
tables of crimes which are collected
and collated with any care TO
teach the lessons OF y moral poiltlcsl
economy. IL 1t is q certain and fixed
law, both by the divine announcement
and by this operation OF immoral con-
duct on the ply Biological life of men,
then there Is tendency of these two
kinds of life to their respective success
sions, and their perpetuities in their re-
spective lines. The life and welfare OF
the in fant are Intimately connected and
associated with that of the parent. 1t Is
continuous life reaching INTO the fu-
ture, aid the religion which would rec
ognize this law of God and this law OF
nature must have or make provision for
this actual continuity of the higher life.
1t is life which begins with the present
and is transmitted by veritable law OF
heredity. 1t may be broken by the
evil communications of life. 1t may be
continued by the religious euttus OF the
parents, and so we are by these very
laws of our lives Romanists, Methodists,
Presbyterians, or EpiscopslIsns, or Bap-
lists. Whatever we are, 80 far rs we are
not goddess, we are not drunksrds i'm
posing on mankind race OF idiots or
imbeciles, or thieves, or communists.
With this law OF divine institution there
is not rite or ceremony of any church
which does not leave its signature on the
rising and coming generations. The law
of baptism of infants has deep founds-
ton in tle divine institution OF
Church, and it is seconded and
made effective in this very law OF
heredity which chsracterizes sll the
civilizations OF the world, yea, and all It's
bsrbarlsms, and which makes them all
distinct phrases of humanity. The re-
ligion OF Jesus is practical cnltus for the
infant in the womb of the mother, at the
breast of the pious nurse, at the bsptismsl
font, in the sacred wstchiulness of the
fre-side, in the holy care, teachings and
example OF the sponsors, in the voluntary
combinations by which all these are per-
sonally assumed, and when duly assumed
are so fully confirmed. And such one
is somewhat prepared for the battle of
life.
The other questions have alluded to
demand wider field. They are depen-
dent upon law of moral progress, of
which Jesus was the pivotal point in the
history OF the race, and of which be is
the word (the LogOs ritat Cause OF
the Divine expression. CREDo.