Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-01-21
INFANT SALVATION.

on Monday was Infant Salvation"
That there should be any diversity OF
opinion az to the fate Of the little ones
Who die IN their early childhood, is due
20 the notions and creeds Of theolo-
CLANS who have not been authorized or
inspired Of God TO declare His will or
oxpound His word. The most awful
doctrine that has been taught In this
connection rs expressed In the sentence
enunciatod by extreme predestinarlan
preachers. "There are children In hell
only a span long"
The dogma Of infant damnation'
seems TO be rather of diabollcal than
heavenly origin. 1t has found encour-
agement In two doctrines, that have
been held IN Chrstendom by some Of
It's most promlnent dIylnes. The first
Is that Original guilt that is the sin
OF our first parents, descended TO all
their postcrity, that this infection Of
nature doth remain" and therefore
~ NNti9 lVioVh hoiH Hltp lhlN Mpllu "
deaeryeth Gods wrath and damnatlon,'
This Is the language Of the ninth artl-
Gle Of religion Of the Episcopal church.
But Il also AYERS that there Is no con-
domination for them that believe and
are baptized Little children too young
to believe when represented by their
'godfathers and godmothers' are
'chrlstened" by the use Of water, IN
form which Is viewed as baptism and
- They die In their chldhood's years
they are considered MS Saved" But
unbaptzed Infants are counted, even
IN the present day by some orthodox
ministers among the lost. And al
mankind outside OF Chrstendom are
also doomed to everlasting wee. nc
cordng to existing crceds. Faith In
Jesus Christ being postulated as essen
tial to salvation, and this world being
named az the only state OF probation
all who do not believe are irretreyaby
condemned. This includes infants as
we'll as adults.
The other Is, that before the founda-
tons Of the world, God foreordained
and predestlnated certain number,
which cannot be essened or increased,
70 everlasting salvation through Jesus
Christ, and that without regard to any
acts Of their own, All the rest OF man
kind, and this Includes all the heather
without exception, He pleased to ordaln
unto eternal wrath and endless mis-
cry for the good pleasure of His SOW
ereign power and everlasting Justice.
Those who are saved are called the
elect" Among them It IA declared are
"elect Infants" That pre-supposes
there are some infants who are non
elect. And this has been the view en-
tertained by the foremost expounders
of that creed.
Iatterly the horror OF this doctrine
has impressed the minds OF rational
people to the extent that revision
OF fundamental doctrine has been called
for and even the predestlnarlans on.
deayor TO explain that all children who
die in their early years are among the
elect Infants. This appears to be the
conclusion arrived at by the minister's
who met with the association on Mon
day. We congratulate them ON this
advanced step in Christian theology.
But It would be pleasing 10 learn
how this doctrine can be made 20 har-
monte with that Of baptlsmal regener-
alton, and Of the essentially OF faith
In Christ as condition OF salvation,
and of the condemnation OF en- The
heather because they do not believe 10
Christ especially In view OF the dogma
that after death there can be no re-
pentance or salvation Tor any who de
in unbelicf The abandonment Of tho
repellant dogma Of Infant damnatlon"
removes a brick from the sectarlan
wall, that weakens and may bring down
the whole decaylng structure.
christs doctrine as to little children,
declared when He was on earth, is that
'of such is the kingdom Of heaven"
lie blessed them, not baptized them
Baptism comes after faith and repent
ance in HIS system OF religion. Until a
child Is old enough to believe and re-
pent, baptism Is not required, for II Is
an ordinance for the remission OF sins,
and sin is not counted AGAINST any one
who does not know enough to commit
It with intent where there is no law
there is no transgression'
In the establishment OF His Church IN
the last days the Lord revealed Ills
doctrine as TO little children. requiring
them to be blessed by the Elders before
the Church, and declaring
but, behold / say unto you, that lit.
tie children are redeemed from the
foundation Of the world through mine
Only Begoiten.
'Nyherefore they cannot sin, for pow
er Is not given unto Satan TO temp; me-
tie children, until they begin 20 become
accountable before me-Doc, aud Gov
PIP i2S l4f
This truth was revealed az long
ago as September, 1880 and has
been preached extensively by the
Elders which has certainly
shad marked effect upon
religious thought, and aided in bring
Ing about a more liberal sentiment and