Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1879-02-18
Are all Infants Saved?

This was substantially The ques
tion diecussed last Monday by til
Baptist Ministers Conference. Th
essay ist and so many Of his bretfre'
as spoke took the popular view tina
oil infants are saved. But on wha
grounds are they thus saved? l'hei
sinless character. it was said. tn |
of course. it becomes possible to b'
saved without faith in Christ. for in
fants cannot exercise such faith b
Aud il this be possible for infants
why should it not be equally possi-
Bile for aduIts-at least some adults
the heather for iDstaI ce. who nevel
heard of Christ? This was the r0cl
whereon the brethren broke, becsus,
they were between it and ano'he'--
namely, faith in the future life. L
every soul born in the world must b,
saved by an exercise Of faith 10 the
SIvIOur and ininn's cannot exercise
faith in this l,ie--will they have at
opportunity to do 30 in the life be-
You'd the grave? And IL infnn,s a.,
allowed this opportunity may !,
not be granted 10 adults also ?nntil, O,
one brother declared. no one sha II be-
cnndemed un,li he or she has had 2
chance lo accept n reject Christ. A
Chrie,ian physi' ian sends TO the HER
AIDA communication on this i'm.
porlan, question. which he thinks IL.
wolves parental accountability The
3, ,riptures declare that the sins Of
the father shalt be visited on the
children to the third aud fourth gen =
eratious, aud every student Of phys
seal law knows this 10 be a fact.
And in view Of this our correspon- =
dent raises the question, II physical>
ly and morally the infant iuherIIs the
procIivilIes Of the parent in this life
why may il hot carry those proclivi-
ties over into the uext lite? Aud
does not the condition of the child
Al birth rest specifically with the pa
rent? Aud is this not cOnsis,ant
with the entire freedom of the hu>
man mindp II Gods government was
confined to tins life, aud the final
judgdment were to be decided here.
we'll might We doubt the justice OF
God II any soul i. le,ond the
reach Of Divine influence for good be
is lost being and Whatever soul is
brought into harmony with the Di-
vine will, eitl.er IN this life or IN the
next, is saved.
Our correspondent asks who can
say that The salvation or dan,nation
Of iufan,s and heatien is decided IN
this life, except so Tar as the charac.
ter OF the being teuds to evil or TO
good2 VIII there not he growth
after death IN one or the other dirpc-
tioD But IL tne moral or immoral
proclvit'es Of the beng at death de-
eide the case for him in the other
life, why may not the infant born OF
parents stepped IN sin still continue
throughout all eternity to be a warp-
ing to all beings now or 20 cone ?
This. to be sure, is an sgonizing
question for parents to consider, bn,
is not the question OF the atonement
aud the salvation Of souls n broader
question than this life can demon
stra,ei The heather, shu never
heard Of Christ, is still under moral
innuepce, aud his tendency may be to
u perfect life; aud when he shall
stand with all the myriads Of beings
who hive been born or created be-
fare the greet judgement seat Of
Christ may he not know for the first
time2 And may not that infant who
died in the horrible sins OF his pa
rents be justly put amcDg those ire
deemnble ones whose whole make up
In withou, the pale Of moral infu-
encci Our correspondent says he
has seen men IN this world whose
characters we're 40 horribly wn,ped
that II will be n miracle of miracles
II they shall ever come under Divine
Influences either IN this life or The
lile to come. lie thinks they msy
be used ~ the government Of God
somewhat ~ W. use criminals against
the pOvr nment aid peace Oi society.
II il v comforting thought that
when the infants Of patents who
have live d moral aud Christian lives.
and whose ancestors for generations
lived after the same pattern. when
they die that they aie saved by means
u the good chnrp sirr uf those pa
rents AID the goo6 influence that
NEE, them on the threshold of eier-
nifty II, as this chrisiinn physician
thinks, vDd M o,hefs th)pk slso, the
salvation OF our htt'e ones Is ~ de-
pendent upon the conduct of the pa
rents before their children's birth II
IL high time for parents TO be con.
sIdering the a esiiop In that light.
and habiiua,inp themselves to think
and act In such a manner as 10 lie.
velop The best traits In their children.
IN. J. Herald.