but not without the regenerating influence of the Spirit of Christ." These extracts will serve to show that there have been Calvinistic authors of the highest repute, who entertained no doubts whatever respecting the future condition of dying infants. And yet it has been solemnly affirmed, that the doctrine which asserts the damnation of at least some such infants, is an essential feature of Calvinism, and would now be insisted on by all real and consistent Calvinistic ministers, if they thought that their people would bear it. After the quotations which have been adduced from writers like Toplady, and Newton, and Scott, we are surely entitled to say, that the affirmation is at variance with the fact.

In discussing the question of the future fate of dying infants, we shall assume, as a position not to be controverted, that they shall be either all saved, or all lost. We are wholly unable to conceive, on what ground any distinction can be made among them. They enter eternity with a moral character precisely alike, and consequently they must stand on the same footing at the bar of their Maker. To confer happiness on some, and doom others to misery, were a procedure entirely inadmissible in the righteous government of God. It will not do to say, that Jehovah is a sovereign who doeth according to his pleasure in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and that he can dispose of his creatures just as the potter works with his clay, making some vessels to honour, and others to dishonour. We are by no means inclined to call in question the sovereignty of the Most High. Far-very far-be it from us to deny to Him the prerogative of doing what he will with his own. But at the same time, we have the most implicit confidence in the

In the Christian Examiner.

essential rectitude and benignity of the divine nature. We believe that God, however absolute as a sovereign, is still just, and holy, and good, insomuch that he pays the strictest regard to the rights, and consults for the truest interests of every being under his control. The supposition that some who die in infancy may be saved on account of their parents' faith, or their parents' good qualities, is not to be harboured for a moment. In short, it appears to us, that there is no denying our position, that those who are removed from our earth before they are capable of moral action, must be all saved, or all lost. We shall now present a few considerations to show that they shall be all saved.

And first, let us consult the testimony of the divine word. We admit that the Scriptures say nothing directly and positively in relation to this subject. There are, however, some passages which may be thought to have an incidental bearing on the point. We shall briefly advert to them. We begin with the language of David on the death of the infant which heaven removed from him, as a punishment for the sin of which he was guilty in the case of Uriah and Bath-sheba. We are told that during the child's illness, he was perfectly disconsolate, lying all night on the earth, and refusing to receive any sustenance. But as soon as he learned the fact of its death, he arose, and having washed and anointed himself, changed his dress, and repaired to the house of the Lord for worship, and then entered his own dwelling and partook of the refreshments that were set before him. His servants expressed their surprise at this conduct. He replied, "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can 1 bring him back again? I shall go

to him, but he shall not return to me." Now, we regard this as a somewhat remarkable passage. David, it will be observed, here speaks in a way which shows that he was free from any doubt concerning the happiness of his departed infant. "I shall go to him." This is very positive language, and when we recollect that it was spoken in reference to a child that was the offspring of adultery, and was visited with sickness and death as a judgment for the father's iniquity, we may account it presumptive evidence in behalf of the truth for which we contend. We shall next quote from the prophecies of Jeremiah two passages on which, indeed, we confess that much stress cannot be laid, but which may yet deserve at least a moment's notice. The prophet, in one place, represents Jehovah as bringing this, among other charges, against the Jews, "Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents ;" and in another place he describes God as holding this language: "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle. Because they have forsaken me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents." The only observation which we have to offer on these texts, is, that the application of the term innocents indiscriminately to children, is not very consonant with the idea that any departed infants shall be finally and eternally lost. Nor does this idea seem quite consistent with the scope and spirit of the following passage at the close of the book of Jonah: "And should I not spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left ?" There are other pas

sages of the Old Testament, in which much tender regard is expressed for little children. But we forbear to take up your time with the quotation of them. Let us now open the New Testament. We there meet with conduct and language on the part of our divine Lord himself, which, to say the least, are more favourable to the opinion that all who die in infancy shall be saved, than to the contrary supposition. We shall lay before you, without particular comment, the passages which we have in view.

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me." In a subsequent verse of the chapter from which this extract is taken, the Saviour, pursuing the same strain of remark, says, "Take heed, that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven." Again, " And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them; and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them." The same incident which we have thus extracted from Mark, is likewise related by Matthew and Luke.

The scriptural passages which we have now quoted, will suffice to show, that the testimony of the divine word,

so far as it can be brought to bear, with any thing like directness, on the point under consideration, is by no means unfavourable to the position which asserts the salvation of all departed infants. We have granted, that the Scriptures do not formally decide the question. But we must insist, that they warrant the confident belief that none who die in infancy shall be damned. They are addressed to us as rational beings. They appeal to our reason, and we are required to exercise our reason in the full investigation of every thing that they teach, directly or indirectly. Now, we contend that they discover to us quite enough of the character of God, and of the principles on which his moral government is administered, to authorize the conclusion, that where no actual offence has been committed, eternal punishment will not be inflicted. In fact, after what the Scriptures have so clearly and emphatically inculcated respecting the essential rectitude of the divine nature, we should deem it entirely unnecessary for them to announce, in so many words, that all who die in infancy shall be saved. And this, we conceive, is the proper mode of explaining and accounting for the silence of the inspired record on this point.

Most of the writers who have contended for the salvation of all departed infants, have been disposed to rely, for the defence of their views, chiefly on the mercy of God. But we are rather inclined to assume a different ground. We prefer resting our confident belief, in respect to this matter, on the justice of Jehovah. We reason, as Abraham does in our present text. We are persuaded that it will be far from God to slay the righteous with the wicked. We know that the Judge of all the earth must do right. These, brethren-these are the premises from

Jeremy Taylor, however, founds his argument relative to this subject, on the justice of God.