We publish the above to show where the _pressure comes_, and not that
we expect any “fifty dollars reward,” for such men as the writer of
this, always have a loop-hole through which to escape, but we will see
whether the Presbyterian ministry believe “this horrid doctrine.” If
they do not believe the Confession of Faith, they are sailing under
_false colors_ and their profession is a sham. If they do believe
their Confession of Faith, we leave the reader to judge whether they
believe “this horrid doctrine.” Let us hear the Confession: “God from
all eternity did, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will,
freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass; yet so as
thereby neither is God the Author of sin, nor is violence offered to
the will of the creature, nor is the liberty of contingency of second
causes taken away, but rather established.” _Con., page 18, God’s
Eternal Decree, chap. iii._
The reader will see nothing about infant damnation in that. Very well;
let us see what is in it. This is in it—that God did foreordain
unchangeably whatever comes to pass. There is more than this in it—he
did this “from all eternity.” Now let us hear the Confession tell what
one of these decrees is: “By the decree of God, for the manifestation
of his glory, some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting
life, and others foreordained to everlasting death.” _Con. page 18._
When was this done? “From all eternity.” What was it done for? “For
the manifestation of his glory.” What was done? “Some men and angels
are predestinated unto everlasting life, and others foreordained unto
everlasting death.” That makes a plain case of it.
Let us hear the Confession again: “These angels and men thus
predestinated and foreordained are particularly and unchangeably
designed, and their number is so certain and definite that it can not
be either increased or diminished.” _Con. page 19._ This decree of
predestination and foreordination is _particularly_ and _unchangeably
designed_, and the number thus particularly and unchangeably designed
can not be _increased_ or _diminished_. But it will be said that this
is not said of _infants_, but of “angels and men.” So it is. But _when_
was this decreed? “From all eternity.” These _men_ “foreordained to
everlasting death” were thus “particularly and definitely designed”
“from all eternity.” We may not be able to explain precisely the
meaning of the words “from all eternity,” but they evidently mean
before they were created. Before they were born, then, some men
were foreordained to everlasting death. When they were born they
were _infants_; yes, _infants_ “particularly and unchangeably
_designed_” to everlasting death. Those of these infants foreordained,
“particularly and unchangeably designed to everlasting death,” who die
in _infancy are lost_. Here, then, in the Confession of Faith, which
Presbyterian ministers profess to believe, is the doctrine of _infant
damnation_—yes, “the horrid doctrine,” whether they believe it or not.
But then infant damnation is no worse than the damnation of adults who
are foreordained to everlasting death, particularly and unchangeably
designed to everlasting death, the number so definite that it can be
neither increased nor diminished.
Let us hear the Confession again: “Those of mankind that are
predestinated unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was
laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose and the secret
counsel and good pleasure of his will, hath chosen in Christ, unto
everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love, without any
foresight of faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them,
or any other thing in the creature as conditions or causes moving him
thereto; and all to the praise of his glorious grace.” _Con., page 21._
In view of this, where is the difference whether infants or adults? The
decree of God—his design—settled the matter before they were born,
and made it so definite, that the number can neither be increased nor
diminished, and that, too, without any foresight of faith or good works
in the creature. The immutable _decree_ and _design_ of God has settled
the matter, and that, too, before time began. The elect can never be
lost, and the non-elect can never be saved, no matter whether infants
or adults. To unchangeably foreordain an infant to everlasting death,
is no worse than to foreordain a man to everlasting death—_design_ him
to it before he was created. But we must, since the account is opened,
administer yet another item or two on this matter. “Calvin’s Institutes
of the Christian Religion,” is a standard work among Presbyterians,
and used as a text-book in their theological schools. Let us hear from
this work, Vol. I. page 166: “Hence appears the perverseness of their
disposition to murmur, because they intentionally suppress the cause of
condemnation, while they are constrained to acknowledge it themselves,
hoping to excuse themselves by charging it upon God. But, though I ever
so often admit God to be the Author of it, which is perfectly correct,
yet this does not abolish the guilt impressed upon their consciences.”
Calvin here says, to confess that God is the Author of sin, which is
the cause of condemnation, “is perfectly correct.” Let us hear him
again: “I confess, indeed, that all the descendants of Adam fell, by
the Divine will, into that miserable condition in which they are now
involved; and this is what I asserted from the beginning, that we must
always return at last to the sovereign determination of God’s will,
the cause of which is hidden in himself,” Inst., page 166. Here Calvin
says, “Adam fell by the Divine will.” Let us hear him once more: “If
God simply foresaw the fates of men, and did not also dispose and
fix them, by his determination, there would be room to agitate the
question, whether his providence or foresight rendered them at all
necessary. But since he foresaw future events only in consequence of
his decree that they should happen, it is useless to contend about
foreknowledge, while it is evident that all things come to pass rather
by ordination and decree.” Inst., page 171.
Here it is argued that God foreknows “only in consequence of his
decree.” But we must hear this great master in the Presbyterian Israel
again: “I inquire again how it came to pass that the fall of Adam,
independent of any remedy, should involve so many nations, with their
infant children, in eternal death, but because such was the will of
God?” Inst., page 170. Is there any infant damnation in this? But
he says, “independent of any remedy.” He does so say, but _for the
non-elect there is no remedy_. They and _their infant children_ are
involved in eternal death, and that “because such was the will of God.”
In these passages we have it clearly taught that God is the Author of
sin; that not only Adam, but many nations, _with their infant children,
are involved in eternal death_, and that, too, _according to the will
of God_, because he _willed, designed—decreed it_.
See one more item from the Confession, chap. v. sec. 4: “The almighty
power, unsearchable wisdom and infinite wisdom and goodness of God, so
far manifest themselves in his providence that it extendeth itself to
the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men, and that not by
a bare permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise and
powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering and governing of them, in a
manifest dispensation to his own holy ends.” It is seen from this that
the Confession teaches that even the providence of God extends not
only to the first fall, but to _all other sins of angels of men_, and
that not _by a bare permission_, but such as has joined with it a most
wise and _powerful bounding_, and otherwise _ordering and governing of
them_, in a manifest dispensation to his own holy ends.
Let us hear the Larger Catechism, page 195: “They who have never heard
the gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, can not be
saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to
the light of nature or the laws of that religion which they possess;
neither is there salvation in any other, but in Christ alone, who is
the Savior only of his body, the church.” What becomes of all those
who die without remedy, with _their infant children_? If Presbyterian
ministers do not believe this horrible doctrine of infant damnation,
it is because they do not believe their own Confession of Faith, and
standard works. We can supply them with plenty more of the same sort,
if there is any demand for it.