Newspaper Page Text
20 T]
DOCTOR WEBB'S THEOLOGY OF INFANT
SALVATION.
By E. C. Gordon.
The chief object of this book is to show
that the so-called Calvinistic system of
theology meets the issues presented by
the question concerning the salvation of
dead infants "squarely and fully, Scripturally
and intelligently," and "does fairly
and fully give a biblical- ratinnni anH
theoligical basis for the doctrine of the
salvation of all dead infants, idiots and
incapables, living and dying in moral incompetency"
(Preface).
Doctor Webb's defense of Calvinism at
this critical point is exceedingly able,
and deserves the serious attention of all
who think on these profound and difficuit
subjects. It occupies 250 of the 330
pages of the book, and is largely taken up
in showing that other, theological systems
do not so scripturally and reasonably
meet the exigencies of this problem,
the salvation of incapables, as does
the Calvin'stic. This system admits
with the Scrintures ilie einfiiina=o
these incapables, their need of salvation,
of atonement, regeneration, justification,
sanctiflcation and adoption; and finds a
basis for all in the unconditional election
of God, in the efficiency and sufficiency
of the atonement, in the work of the
omnipotent Spirit of God, in the passivity
of the soul in regeneration.
But Dr. Webb is astute enough to know
that his discussion, if it is to meet the
popular demand, must not only open a
door through which these incapables may
pass from guilt to justification, from depravity
to holiness, from the kingdom of
Satan into the kingdom of God; it must
also show, or at least attempt to show,
that, as a matter of fact, they do make
the passage; that they are all the objects
of God's electing love, the subjects
of his regenerating, justifying and sanctifying
grace. Accordingly, after a statement
of the general belief as to the sal
vation of thjs class, which, in brief, we
shall agree to call "incapables," in a
single chapter of 33 pages he presents
the Scripture data upon which our faith
as to their salvation may rest.
On page 11 he tells us that there are
at least a thousand verses in the Bible in
which childhood in some way is referred
to; that any student who examines them
"will be surprised and disannointofl tn
find that not a single text explicitly and
dogmatically tells us what is the fate of
infants dying in Infancy." The same Is
true of other classes among persons incapable
of being outwardly called by the
ministry of the word. Dr. Webb tells us
that the student "will rise from his study
wishing that the Scriptures were more
explicit, but still feeling that the very
most which he has derived by holiest
grammar and exegesis is suggestion hint,
hope; and that he is at last thrown back
upon theology, and compelled to settle
the matter by inference." He then quotes
our Confession of Faith to show that our
faith may rest solidly on what "by good
and necessary consequence may be deduced
from Scripture.
Hence he makes attempt to remove the
unhappiness consequent on the discovery
that God nowhere explicitly assorts hts
intention to save all these incapablcs, by
showing that we may certainly infer from
3E PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU
certain Scriptures that he does so intend.
No serious minded Calvinist can fail
at times to be troubled because he is restrained
by God's word from being a universalist.
Every such Calvinist will admit
that God can save all these incapa
bles if he chooses to do so; moreover, he
would hail with delight, in the adimtted
absence of explicit Scripture proof, any
cogent inferential proof which any theologian
could present.
The trouble at this point is that we all
eagerly desire to be assured that all
these incapables are saved: and v.-e
eagerly welcome any plausible argumen*
thai proposes to sustain that desire. And
so, like the sick folk, who read about
the wonderful cures of the quack medicines
and neglect to inquire about the
failures, we draw inferences from the
few Scriptures which apparently sustain
our desire and neglect those which apparently
destroy it. As a simple matter
of fact, which every student can verify
for himself, nearly everything which the
Scr'ptiures have to say about incapables
goes to show that their fate is bound up
with the fate of their parents. If their
parents are believing and covenantkeepers,
it is implied, more or lesj clearly,
that their children, capable and incapable,
are saved, except ts those who
are capable refuse to accept the covenant
for themselves. If the parents are reprshalo
It in I l?~.i ?
iv id iui|incu mure or less ciearly,
that their children, capable and incapable,
are also reprobate, save as those
who are capable are outwardly called by
the word and respond in penitence and
faith.
Any intelligent reader of the Bible,
having no preconceived theory as to the
salvation of incapables, would almost
certainly Infer th's general relation. It
is not claimed at all that the inference is
necessary; only that it is a natural and
reasonable one.
Dr. Webb admits that the argument for
the salvation of the incapabls children
of believing parents, based on the ALra
hamic Covenant, "Is -strong and plausible,"
p. 55;and adds; "but, by implication
at least, it suggests that the dead children
of unbelievers and pagans are lost,"
p. 56. Add to this the fact that, as a rule,
in this life the incapable children of tinbelievers
and pagans are placed by God
in his word in the 3anie relation to himself
as their parents, and the suggestion
that they are finally lost becomes stronger.
It is noteworthy that i)r. Webb tails
to discuss the implications of the destruction
of the incapabtes at the Flood,
in Sodom and Gomorrah, 011 the night of
the Exodus, and among the doomed inhabitants
of Palestine. Surely tlu-se terrible
events, involving the observed fate
of incapables with that of their parents,
suggest inferences quite opposite from
our desjres for their salvation.
Another just criticism of Doctor Webb's
method regards his statement as to the
general belief that all incapables are-saved,
pp. 6-10. In English and in Latin
he tells his readers that it Is the common
opinion, "communis consensus," of
the human race, of the church, of individ11A1
flnH ominonf aalnlo ?1
??U ?UUIIO| JlCUJU^ICill
systems, that all incui>able3 are saved.
Yet he shows near the close ot his book,
TH. February 3, 1909.
pp. 299-308, that "Ecumenical Creeds are
silent on the subject of infant salvation.
The undivided Church made no creedal deliverance
of any kind 011 this topic"; that
"the Roman Catholic, the Greek Catholic,
and the Lutheran creeds condition the
salvation, of children upon their having
received water-baptism, and some of this
group distinctly assert the actual damnation
of those infants, idiots, and mora!
incompetents who pass out of this world,
not having received this ecclesiastical ordinance";
that "the Arminimi creeds are
absolutely silent upon this subject, * *
but everywhere asserting, that actual
salvation is invariably conditioned upon
conscious faith, repentance and evangelical
obedience, which saving acts all
infants, idiots and incapabl-ss nre unable,
by the very nature of the case, to perform,"
p. 30S.
This review leaves only the Koformeri
or Calvinistic creeds, all of which nsstrt
or imply that the salvation of all incapables
is possible, and some, a few, that it
is certain. Dr. Webb could have found
in the Old Testament a good dual to warrant
the inference that there were some
saints of that Dispensation who did not
believe that all the incapable children of
the reprobate were saved. Where, then,
is the foundation for hjs assertion that
the belief in the salvation of all these people
is so common, so general, "that there
iiiusi ue some va.ua exposition wntcn Will
truly and intelligently justify this cherished
belief," pp. 9, 10? In this question
is seen the initial vice of his discussion.
He starts out with the cherished belief
that all incapables are of the number of
God's elect people, and, therefore, are
to be finally and forever saved. There
is no direct, explicit proof. He must find
it in good and necessary inference.
An examination of his inferences is leseived
for a future article.
Lexington, Missouri.
THANK GOD AND TAKE COURAGE.
After all, the leaves of the book we have
closed are not all filled with things unworthy
and to he repented of. The old
year to any one of us is not to be" remembered
as altogether bad. The old was not
as bad as it is often painted. We were led
often in ways we knew not of. We were
guided when perplexed. We were helned
In times of need. Sometimes we did better
than we expected. When we thought
the day was evil, we found that God
meant it for good. We look over the
stained pages of our past story, and we
find much to cheer and strengthen us.
We thank God and take courage, and turn
over the new leaf with a new hope.
Little Soldiers
In your blood are the millions
wi vorpuacies cnat defend you
against disease.
To make and keep these little soldiers
healthy and strong, is simply* to make
and keep the blood of the right qnality
and quantity.
This is just what Hood's Sarsaparilla
does?it helps the little soldiers in your
blood to fight disease for you.
It cures scrofula, eczema, ernptions,
catarrh, rheumatism, anemia, nervousness,
dyspepsia, general debility, and
builds up the whole system.