Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-11-07

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the theory that every child of Adam
was born damned to eternal torture
at the hands of fire-proof devils. and
that the only escape was through bap-
tism. Put it was claimed that baptism
cancelled only previous sins and not
subsequent ones; hence it was the Gus
tom in Constantine's time to put of
baptism until as near the hour of death
as possible. Tertullian is credited with
supporting this view.
Later came st. Augustine. advancing
the theory that only the Church would
be saved and that baptism was for the
purpose of induction into the Church.
Naturally it followed that if infants
died without being admitted into
the Church they would go to eternal
torture. As a result of this teaching
infant baptism sprang into great pop
ularity, which is still maintained. AT
first the infants were immersed in
water, but later. under the belief that
all bishops were successors of the
Apostles and equal In authority,
Church Councils took the place of the
Word of God. They not only sanction
ed infant baptism, which is cot even
mentioned in the Bible, but addition
ally claimed that immersion was I'M
necessary and that few drops of wa
,er would induct the aged or the babe
int ne Church and constitute an in
surance against a hell of eternal tor
ture. This theory still persists to per-
haps a greater degree than many
would imagine. Luther and his coad-
tutors protested against some of the
doctrines Of the Church of Rome, but
accepted without protest infant bap-
tism, sprinkling, ETC., as necessary to
preservation from everlasting torment.
Unbaptized Infants In Torture
Someone suggests, "Ah! we practice
infglt sprinkling, but it is merely
Gel ristening.' We have no thought
y hatever that the gracious Heavenly
Father or His adorable Son, our Re-
deemer, would consign an infant to
torture, even if it died without be-
ing christened." Do not be too sure,
my brother. Superstitions die hard
know of a white-haired bishop in the
Episcopal Church who was appalled,
at the very suggestion that his infant
grandchild might be safe in the arms
of Jesus without ha' 4g been Chris
tened"
Not only so, but these superstitions
of darker day are forcefully impress
ed upon the common people" by some
of the clergy. Let me tell you of two
Cases:
IL A Lutheran couple in Pennsylva-
MIA had some unpleasantness with
their pastor respecting Church dues.
This caused them to absent themselves
from Church service for several
months. Meantime their babe be-
came sick. The father humble1 him
self to go tc his pastor to tell him of
his distress and his fear that the child
might die and of his desire to have
it baptized. Imagine the anguish of
the deluded parent when the pastor re-
fused and told him that the child
would go to hell and that this was his
desert as a parent because of failure
to keep in touch with his Church.
(2) The other case was that of a
Catholic couple in Wisconsin. Their
two little girls died of diphtheria with
in a few hours of each other. When
the parish priest was sent for he de-
clined to come and refused permission
to have the children buried in "holy
ground" The explanation given to
the astonished parents was that they
had neglected their duty toward the
children, that they had not been bap-
tized into the Church and consequent
~ were lost.
To a friend the bereaved father de
clared that he wanted to have nothing
whatever to do with so unjust God
who would consign his little, innocent
children to eternal torture merely be-
cause Of his sin, his neglect, in not
having a few drops of water sprinkled
In their faces by the priest! The frieni
had been reading my Studies in the
Scriptures" and explained to the be-
reaved father that Church creeds and
theories are very different from the
plain and simple teachings of the BIZ
BILE. He showed him that his little
ones were merely asleep in Jesus"
waiting for the glorious resurrection
blessings Of restitution. to be brought
to mankind at the second coming of
Jesus, after the completion of the elect
Church and their change to heavenly
glory. Could you wonder that that