Monroe City Democrat., 1913-08-07

were your chill
1 Corinthians 7:14.
The Pastor declared his text was
probably the basis of much of the pre-
vailing confusion on the subject of in
fant salvation and infant damnation.
Before discussing his text, he wished
to call attention to Il very advanced
theological step recently taken by the
Presbyterian General Assembly in the
United States. According to telegraph
ic dispatches, it had altered the Con-
fession of Faith so as to save non-elect
infants as well as elect ones.
The thought that God had arranged
a plan whereby some infants would
go to Heaven at death, and other in
fants to eternal torture, has for CEN
turies troubled the minds of all Chris
tians-Catholic and Protestant. Some
said that elect infants would be saved,
and non-elect infants tortured. Others
held that baptsed infants would be
saved, and other infants not baptised.
or sprinkled, would go to eternal tor
ture. Others held that none could be
saved without regeneration; and these,
being perplexed as to how infants
could be regenerated, could hardly have
any hope of infant salvation. For cen
turtles good people have suffered terri
bly, because of these confused ideas.
The Pastor then showed how foolish
all these theories seem when contrast
ed with the simple and beautiful teach
ing of Scripture that the salvation of
all-young and old, of heather lands
as well rs Christian-is through the
resurrection power of Messiah's King
dom. He then said, Why should we
trouble longer with the errors of the
Dark Ages, when Gods Word is now
shining so brightly?
Unable to Agree.
Pastor Russell declared that he felt
great sympathy for the move Of the
Presbyterian brethren; but neverthe-
less, he could not agree with their con-
clusions, believing that the Bible
teaches otherwise. He realized that
the Presbyterian view of Election
made it difficult for them to deal with
the non-elect, both adults and infants
He found Scriptures declaring that
God is selecting the Church from
amongst the world. He conceded that
those not elect would properly be call
ed non-elect But he found nothing
in the Bible to indicate that non-elec-
ton to joint-heirship in Messiah's
Kingdom means predestination to an
eternity of torture
Many have been consigning adults
and infants to the number of 10000
every day 10000 infants daily, or 81
100000 every year, to eternal torture,
because non-elect, unregenerate or un-
baptised. Surely all intelligent people
are out of accord with such PROPOSE
ton. Surely some great mistake has
been made during the Dark Ages, and
God has been slandered.
The Pastor then demonstrated that
God is the very personification Of Wis
dom, Justice, Love and Power; where
as God who would foreordain $4,000
COO beings per year to pass to an eter-
nifty of torture would be, not n God,
but the most terrible devil imaginable.
Bible students are realizing that the
Bible teaches nothing Of the kind we
once supposed. AS their eyes Of un-
derstanding open, they appreciate the
Divine character as never before,
All Condemned Need Redemption.
After reminding his hearers that ac-
cording to Scripture we are saved by
faith, not by being infants, the Pastor
showed conclusively from the Bible
that although infants share in Adams
death sentence and have provision in
Jesus redemptive work, nevertheless
they can be saved only by coming to
knowledge of God and Jesus, and then
exercising faith and obedience to the
extent of ability, His position seems
unbeatable.
The speaker then reviewed the Bible
teaching that all mankind sinned In
Adam, and came under the Divine
curse, or sentence of death-not etern-
al torment I'm due time Christ died
for the pngodly who lived be-