The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-24
CALVlNISM THEME
 OF SPACES SERMON
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---..-------~~~@,-->--- -~--~-----~~->--~~~ -~->-- had been eternally damned for their evil l works. The absurdity of the Romish doctrine of infant damnation could not have been thrust with a keener blade. In the Calvinistic system there is no place for works conditioning salvation. Castolio made an attack on Calvin in which he charged the following on ac- count of original sin:
 "All laws condemn men after actual sin and on account of actual sin. But this God of Calvin has condemned and repro bated impius men before they exist, even before they are impious and have sinned: and since he has condemned them before their sin he compels them to sin, forsooth that he may appear to condemn them justly
 Calvin replied by saying:
 "As to your objection that no one can be justly condemned except on account of actual sin, and after actual sin, there is no dispute between you and me con corning the former since everywhere I teach that no one will perish unless by the just judgment of God. I may not disguise, however, that there is a hidden venom under your words; for if the comparison which you propose be ad mitted God will be unjust who involves the whole race of Abraham in the guilt of original sin. You deny that it is right for God to condemn any mortal ex-
 
 mortals are taken from life while yet infants. Now put forth your vlrulence against God, who hurls innocent new born babes. torn from their mothers breasts, into eternal death. Whosoever will not detest this blasphemy wherever it is publicly exposed may revile me as much as he pleases;- for I do not ask to be exempt and free from the insults of those who do not spare God
 If now we keep in mind that Calvin is defending the doctrine of original sin, which was the first point in his finer points of theology. and that under 1t he maintained the ruin of the entire race, adult and infant. and that he provided under regeneration for the salvation of infants. we have the charge flung back on Castolio that in taking the position that Calvins doctrine of original sin was the same t1 it's consequence as act ua sin he either insulted God by making him damn infants else he denies the plain teaching of the Bible that original sin involved the race in ruin.
 If this interpretation Is not true, then, as Dr. Charles w. Shields say, Calvin X promises that no one can be justly damned and perish except for actual sin, If he afterwards maintains that infants are damned and perish without actual sin, he would be nonsensically saying and unsayins the same thing in the same ar gument.
 Since Calvn's name has been so con- nected with that of Servetus. whose death has affected thought because of the horrible manner of it. it may be well to set out the positions of the two as they are found In many passages, but notably in one: Servetus believed in the damna- ton of infants llnbaptized and argued often to involve the position Of others Tn reply to him Calvin has the follow ing:
 Servetus hatters himself that he has found an irrefutable syllogism, Everyone who does not believe in the Son of God remains in the death of Adam and the wrath of God abdeth in him. Baptized infants do not believe in the Son of God therefore they remain in the death of Adam. That they cannot believe is plain because faith comes by hearing. Before 1 may unite this Gordion knot I can oppose 1t with contrary syllogism Wiomsoever Christ blesses he exempts from the curse of Adam and the wrath of God: but infants. 1t Is known. were blessed by Him, therefore they are ex- empt from the wrath of God. Moreover, the solution of the syllogism is easy, since Christ does not summon infants as accursed to the tribunal of God, but only denounces judgment on the contuma- cious who reject the teachings of the gospel which they have heard.
 Here we have the end of every pas sage in the entire lucubrations of John Calvin and no nobler defender of the Word of God is to be found. and here too, is the only man. outside of the New Testament teachers, who ever affirmed the salvation of all infants dying In in fancy. whether heather Christian
 They are all condemned because of the curse of Adam They are all regenerated because of the merit of Christ.