New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-04
Il SECOND PROBATION.
A CORRECTION BY DIR. scHAFF.

TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir In his communication TO your paper of To-
day. my friend, the Rev. DR.. John Hall, quotes
me as indorsing Second Probation capitals and
quotation marks are his, and refers for proof. to
my Creeds of Christendom, Vol. i, p 1914 AS
this touches upon subject which just now in-
terests all your readers, you will cheerfully give
me space for the following correction:
l. That neither on the page quoted, nor any,
where else in my books do teach " second pro-
bation," but, on tie contrary, l distinctly deny
it, as in my notes on Lange's Commentary on
Romans Up. 1891, where l say:
such al assumption (of second probattonl IS con-
trary 10 tial. vi, = and the whole pactlcH tenor
of the Bible, and is in itself untrnable aud llluslVe.
trial. instead Of Improving, would greatly lessen
it is impossible without new creation, to return to
the mothers womb and live the Oh llie over aSa1i
the second trial would have TO begin where te nise
lett Orthat Is, with dismal Outnt OF negecieu op,
pOrtunties broken vows, sad "reminiscences, aDiseu
OF moral bankrupts, with every prospect OF worse
failure and more certain ruin. tod wisely ana
mercifuly gave to men but one state OF probation anu
those who improved it best would shrink most rom
running the risk Of a second.
=. That there is a great difference between
a second probation which presuppOses first and
a future probation for those and those only who
have not had any probation in this life. 1t
seems that Dr. Hall COMPOUNDED the two.
). Nhat i 40 Ieacn OH ble page quoucu w
DR.. Hall is what even the Anti-Revisonists of
the Princeton school do not deny and what
am sure Dr. Charles Hodge fully believed. 1t is
this
The Calvinistic theory affords more substantial
relief than the Augustinian theory, which dooms al
unbaptized infants TO perdOn), and allows after the
precedent Of Zwingl and Bulnger and III accordance
with the analogy of Melchlsedek Job, and other ex-
ceptional of true piey under and outside OF inc
Jewish dispensatOn, an indefinite extension OF GOD
saving grace beyond the limits of the visible Church
and the ordinary means Of grace Ii leaves room for
the charitable hope Of the salvation OF all infants
diving In infancy. and Of those adults VINO, without a
historical knowledge of Christ live up 10 the light OF
nature and Providence, and die with humble ana
peniten longing for savatiOn-that IS IN frame OF
mind like that of Cornelius when ne sent f1r st.
Peter This was, indeed, not the progressed IaVlhIsIs
OF Calvin and BeZa, nor OF the dvines OF DOft ana
Westminster nor Of the older divneS OF New England
but il IS consistent with the Calvinislio scheme wch
never presumed TO fix the limits of Divine electon'
and with a liberal Interpretation OF the Westminster
Confession, which expressly Acknowledges lnat eject
infants and elect adults regencrated and saved by
Christ without being OuwaTdly called by the Gospel
Then / quote DR.. Hodge as saying at the close
Of his Systematic Theology" Volume III, page
So that the number of those who are ultimately
lost is very inconsderable as compared with
the whole number Of the saved. That the
number Of the saved will far exceed the number
of the lost may be fairly inferred from the
much more of Paul Romans V, Is, 10: but
this inference cannot well be harmOnlzed with
the declaration of our Lord Matthew vii, la
that but few enter the strait gate, unless we
assume the universal salvation OF infants dying
in infancy. and look forward 10 great progress OF
the Gospel in the future. PHILIP SCHAFF.
Union Theological Seminary New-YorlS, Feb
5. 1890.