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HALIFAX : NOVA SCOTIA PiaXTING COMPANY, COHXEM OF .SAtlvriLLE AXD GRANVILLE .STREETS. 1877. 'i^ %■ •4 5*. 1 SCRIPTURAL ANSWER TO ▲ PAMPHLET BY REV. A. SUTHERLAND, ON THK ■m MORAL STATUS OF CHILDREN ; i ( AMD ma BEunox to chbist md his chiisce BT JOHN G. MARSHALL. HALIFAX: NOVA SCOTIA FBIMTINO COMPANY, OOBNEB OF SAOKVILLB AND GRANVILLE STREETS. 1877. R a^rr\ HMl ^ s^ z^ r^i ft SCRIPTURAL ANSWER, &c. A PAMPHLBT recently published, by the Rev. A. Sutherland, of Toronto, under the title, — "The Moral Status of Children, and their Relation to Christ, and His Church,** firom its novel theory, and the many unscriptural statements and opinions it contains, as well as from the high clerical position of the Author, justly claims the most serious attention of all professors of Scriptural Christianity. Al- though from the title of. Morale instead of Religious StextuSf it might be thought to relate to practical conduct, yet it treats merdy as to the state of young children, in relation to the Christian doctrines of redemption and regeneration, or the new spiritual birth. A Christian layman, who, for more than half a century, has been prayerfully ex- amining and studying ths sacred oracles, will here endeavor to show the unscriptural character of the main doctrine of the pamphlet ; and its many erroneous statements, and plausible, but unsound positions and arguments. It is written in a scholarly style, and puts the doc- trine about as forcibly and captivating as it seems possible to exhibit it L— INTBODUOTOKY STATEMENTS. AND BKMARKB THEREON. The Author has commenced with stating that, for a considerable time, " a change has been proceeding in the instruction of children in Sunday Sehools ; and in the views of the Church, and its phrase, ology concerning them." All this m^y be very true, but none of such changaa, or views, can in the least degree alter or affect the real condition of such children, as it is exhibited in the Scriptures. These inspired oracles afford, on this and every other doctrine and subject, the only and final standard and authority for faith and guid- ance. No objection can be made to the motto the Author has men- tioned — "All the children of Jesus ;" which very properly signifies, that the utmost efforts should be perseveringly put forth to instruct and train them, for becoming, through divine grace, true and faith- ful converts to the fiuth, love, and service of their Redeemer and Saviour. * Mr. Sutherland complaiiu of there heing still "confusion or vagueness of thought regarding what underlies the religious training of childrea" There need not he any sach confusion or vagueness, if the sacred oracles -alone were consulted and relied on ; hut if human imaginations and speculations are indulged, and novel and unacrip- tural notions are permitted to prevail, of course vagueness and con- fusion will occur, aud erroneous and dangerous theories will he formed. Ho expresses his "dissatisfaction with the theological stand- ards" on this subject of children's religious status, meaning, it is presumed, the standard writings and conclusions of John Wesley, Richard Watson, Dr. Adam Clarke and others of the early and most learned and eminent divines in the Methodist Church, of which Mr. Sutherland is a Minister of soum note, as to oflBcial position, and doubtless of influence alsa In this state of dissatisfiustion as to those standards, he says, he " turned to the Word of God, and was led, step by step, to the condnaions presmted " in the pages of his pam- phlet He says, be -' now submits his views, not with the desire of propounding a new theory, but with the hope that he may succeed in calling the attention of the Church to this vitally important topic, and thus promote a clearer apprehension of scripture teaching in r^ard to the same." He was clearly right in resorting to the Scriptures, but it does seem remarkable, that he has failed to see, what, in so many and cor- responding parts thereof, is so plainly shown to be the true doctrine on the subject It would have been satisfiu^ry, if he had given a desmption of each of his steps^ and the passage or passages of Scrip- ture to sustain it He next mentions three leading views on the subject, namely : I — Special Election ; 2 — Br^ptismal Begeneration ; 3 — Universal Bedemption. On the first of these views, the writer pr^rfectly agrees with Mr. Sutherland, and tiierefore will not offer any remarks concerning it He also agrees with him, as to, S.— BAPnSMAL BBQEKEBATION; that the act of water baptism does not of itself or invariably, convey or include spiritual r^neration ; but as he gracefully describes it, " is a beautiful and expressive aymbd of the Holy Spirit's woik.** " He Airthor aays of baptism^ " it is a declaration of our belief, that our children have b^en redeemed by Chriat, and belong to Him." This he repeats several times. They belong to him no further, or in any other way, than all the rest of makind ; that is : By redemption:), through the ransom and atonement by the Lord Jesus Christ, thej are preserved like all others from going down to the pit, as it is said in Job xxxiii, — " Deliver him from going down to the pit for I have found a ransom ;" and are placed in a state in which present and eter- nal salvation may be obtained. Mr. S. in that extract, as in other places, has assumed as ti'w, the very point to be proved, namely, — that regeneration, as to children, by the Holy Spirit's contact and influenco, is always connected with, and accompanies redemption, 3.— UNITEBSAL REDEMPTION. On this subject the present writer disagrees with nearly all Mr. Sutherland's views and opinions, as to the main subject under discussion — the regeneration of children. The following extract from his pamphlet, seems to include all the chief or material points con- tained in those opinions : — *' We hold, that all men are fallen in Adam, but redeemed by Christ : that the " free gift," has, through the atonement, come upon all ; and therefore, that every child born into the world, is to be re- garded as redeemed to God, — an heir of the kingdom of heaven. Our children bom in sin, because of their descent from the first Adam, are heirs of grace, in virtue of their covenant relation to the second. The bmefits of redemption are real. Being subjects of Christ's re- deeming work, our children must also be subjects of the Holy Spirit's influences ; for a redemption that brought no spiritual help, would be no redemption at all. We hold, therefore, that to every child is im- parted a principle of spiritual life ; — not in the sense of " regenera- tion," as technically understood ; but rather in the sense of a good implanted ; — not inherited ; — which it is the province of Christian nurture, under the Divine Spirit's guidance and help to develope and strengthen. In a word, through the atonement, the suspended eorh tact of the Divine Spirit, with the human soul, is restored, and this b^ins with the first dawning of the soul's existence." * * * " That this view is scriptural, can easily be shewn. The universal redemption of the race is asserted in the Word of Qod, with a fre- quency and plainness which leaves no room for doubt." In support of those views as to children, he cites the following pMsages in Rom. v., " Where sin abounded, grace did much moro 1 abonnd," and, "As by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men, to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." That these passages have a relation to the subject in question, is certainly true, b it not the kind of relation and effects for which Mr. Sutherland contends. He eviuently considers also, that as to cliil* dren, redemption always secures the further blessing of the Holy Spirit's regenerating work ; and therefore, what is said by our Lord, and in several other parts of Scripture, as to the new birth, does not apply to them, they at their entrance on life, by virtue of the atone- ment and redemption, being possessed of that iuestimable blessing. Here is the great and — 4.— UNSOBIPTURAL ERROR OF HIS THSORT AND ABOUlfSNT. Through the sin of our first parents, the whole human race lost the divine image and likeness in which it was formed, become alien- ated from God, and brought under captivity to sin and satan ; and harl no remedy been provided, all would have been P'^rtakers of the like perdition and miseries as the apostate angela jirxt by the ran- som and atoning sacrifice and satisfaction afforded to divine justice, by the eternal and incarnated Wonl, the whole of our race were res- eued from that deplorable condition, and placed ia a §alvalie state ; one in which, under the divine conditions and arrangements, they may secure the transcendent blessings of pardon vnd peace, while in this life, and the glory and joys of the heavenly s nd eternal kingdom. This ransom and redemption are mentioned in several parts of Scrip- ture; very pointedly in the words previously cited from Job, — " Deliver from going down to the pit for I have found a ransom ;" and in 1 Tim., iL, it is said of our Lord,—" Who gave himself a ransom for alL" But this redemption does not, of itself, dispense with the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, in children, as with others ; but is scripturally required to be experienced by every individual of the race. Redemption and Regeneration are distinct and different as to their meaning and effecta The first is, as to persons, and is abso- lutely secured for alL The other relates to character, through divine regenerating influence ; and as, by the fall, the whole race became corrupt at the birth, that regeneration is as requisite for children as for the rest of humanity ; and if attained at all, must take place while ID thU life. If an individual ia in captivity to any foreign power, a ranaom prioe paid for hia release, does not alter hia religiona or moral character. And the tame is trae as to ransom or redemption, and Spiritual regenemtion. Mr. S. in Author support of hii opinion, has cited this passage in Rom. ▼., — " As by the oflfonce of one, judg- ment came upon all men to condemnation, even so by the righteous- ness of one, the free gift came upon all men, unto justification o' life.** Now if these words were taken in a broad and absolute sense, without reference to any other portions of Scripture, not only children, but all mankind would be finally saved, whatever were their moral chanctera at death. But this, of course, we do not believe. But it is of the utmost importance to know, what these inspired words do really mean. The writer cannot give that meaning in any way like the lucid and convincing terms in which they are explained by Dr. Adam Clarke, a very learned and eminent divine, of the same Chureh of which Mr. Sutherland is a minister. He comments on, and explains them as follows, — giving the principal worda in the lan- guage in which they were firat written :— " Now leaving all particular Creeds out of the question, and tau ing in the scope of the Apostle's reasoning, in this and the preceding chapter, is not the sense, evidently, this t— " Through the disobedi- ence of Adam, a sentence of condemnation to death, without any promise or hope of a resurrection, passed upon all men ; so by the obedience of Christ, unto death, — ^this one gnnd righteous act, — ^the sentence was so far reversed, that death shaU not finally triumph, for all shall again be restored to life. Justice must have ita due, and therefore idl must die. The Mercy of Grod in Christ Jesus, shall have its due also ; and therefore all shtdl be put into a ealvaUe state here ; and the whole human race shall be raised to lif¥, at the great d^y. Thus, both Jtutiee and Mercy are manifested ; and neither is exalted at the expense of the other." The words in this explanation, " all shall be put in a talvahle state, show, in substance or effect, the same difference between re- demption and regeneration, as lias been given in a previous part of this review. Mr. Sutherland has said : — " Being subjects of Christ's redeeming work, our children must also be subjects of the Holy Spirit's influ- ences ; for a redemption that wrought no spiritual help would be no redemption at alL" Here is another instance of his taking for granted the point to be proved, namely, that redemption, of itself, always 8 secures the Spirit's regeneration to children, from their birth. His remark, as to lack of spiritual help is easily answered. Sedemption has procured spiritual help, for it has opened a way which otherwise would not have been, by which, consistent with justice and mercy, and all the other divine attributes, the Holy Spirit's influences, and all His inestimable gifts, may be imparted to all mankind. In Psalm Ixviii, 18, it is said, in reference to the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus, — *' Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity cap- tive ; thou hast received gifts for men ; yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord Grod might dwell among them." And our Lord has said, — " It is expedient for you that I go away ; for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you ; but if I depart I will send Him unto you. And when He is come, he will reprove the world -of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment" It is certainly true, as Mr. Sutherland has stated, that " Universal redemption is assorted in Scripture," but its purchased rtgenerating and saving effects will only be in the way, and according to the pro- visions and arrangements recorded in the Scriptures. He has not shown, and cannot show, from any part of them, that children as he has asse^icd, are bom with the contacty or possessiorif and under the regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit ; and are therefore " heira of grace," and " heira of the kingdom of heaven." He has founded his theory, with the greatest force, on these words of our Lord, contained in MatL zix., 14, and Mark z., 14, — o 5.— "SUFFER LITTLE CHILDREN TO COME UNTO ME. AND FORBID THEM NOT, FOR OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD." t And he added : " Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little chUd, he shall not enter therein." Now, the important question is, — How are the words, •* of such is the kingdom of Qod" to be underatoodi This must be ascertained from the context in which they appear ; and from other portions of Scrip- ture. The ndded passage, above cited, evidently shows, that those words relate solely to the qualifications and c?ianteter of those who will be received into that kingdom ; and they can be best explained, and underetood, from similar passages in Math, xviil, Mark ix., and lyuke ix. From these passages it appean that the disciples had been reasoning and disputing, as to who among them " should be greatest in the kingdom of heaven." And the Saviour, as recorded in the passages last cited, " 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 the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore, " shall humble him self as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." It is quite evident, both from the words, — " Of such is tiie kingdom of heaven," and the other words just cited, and also from the occasion on which they were uttered, that one Lord had reference to a spirit of liumility, as one of the chief qualifications of every human being, in order to admission into the kingdom of heaven ; and therefore they cannot afford any proof whatever, in support of Mr. Sutherland's doctrine, of all children being born in a state of regeneration, by the Holy Spirit's contact and influence. Little children humbly depend on their parents, for food, raiment, and all other supplies of their natural wants ; and look and flee to them for support, protection, defence, and all other relief and assistance. They are free from worldly ambition, and desire of power, and act, among themselves, as if all were equal. Thun humble, and dependent on the divine will, assistance, and guidance, as our Lord then taught, must it be, with all who desire and seek to enter into His kingdom. The lesson afibrded in all those passages of Scripture, relates to humility, and submission to the divine will and dispensations, as being among the chief requisites for an entrance into the heavenly kingdom, and has no reference to any particular class of persons, on the subject of regen- eration, and its eflects and consequences generally. It is further said by Mr Sutherland, that children are saved because Christ has redeemed them. This, as has been shown, only places them, like all others, in a mlvable state, but does not, of itself, and absolutely, secure the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit's regenerating opprations. That children, who die before the age of responsibility are saved, as he asserts, is doubtless true ; but instead of saying that they have been born with the contact, and under the influence of the Holy Spirit ; or that this regenerating change takes place, in anJ by water baptism, it may rather be supposed, or con- cluded, that it is accomplished by the divine Spirit, at, or imme- diately before death ; and this sanctities and prepares the soul for the heavenly paradise. Tliere is nothing in Scripture opposed to this 10 view, and it seoms highly probaible, and will remove many difficulties and objection on the subject We cannot know of snch a change. It is one of the " Secret things," which " belong unto the Lord alone." This, however, we do know, from experience, that, as to adults, in several instances, in the exercise of justifying fiEdth, the witness of the Spirit, as to pardon, acceptance, and adoption, is as sudden as the lightning's flash. Why may it not be so as to children, just previous to, or at the moment of death 1 This conclusion would remove many difficulties Mr. Sutherland may have had on the subject ; and he could far better support it, in harmony with Scripture, than the theory he has advanced. He is certainly veiy bold, in applying to young children, the words of Scripture, — " Can any man forbid water that these should be baptized, who have received the Holy Ghost as well as we." These words were spoken by the Apostle Peter, on the occasion of his divinely commanded visit to Cornelius, the Roman Centurion, when, during the speech of Peter, " the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word ; * * * and they were heard to speak with tongues and magnify God." This narrative ia recorded in Acts x., and has no reference whatever to children. Here, again, as is clearly seen, Mr. Sutherland has assumed the fact of children possessing the Holy Spirit from the birth, — ^the very point in question, without offering the least Scriptural evidence or authority to support it He next proceeds to ask, — <* Wherein does a child's relation to Christ, and His kingdom, need changing, if Christ's declaration, 'Of such is the kingdom of heaven,' is decisive t" These words have already been explained, in conformity with Scripture on the subject Bcspecting the words of our Lord t :> Nicodemus, in John iiL, 3, — 6.-" EXCEPT A MAN BE BORN AGAIN, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD." Mr. Sutherland says, — "It may fairly be questioned, whether thj words have any reference to little children at all ; or were intended to include them." The words must surely be taken to mean all man- kind. If only men were intended, then all woffMn, and young personsy of each sex, must either be held, not to need regeneration ; or to be excluded from it, and left to go down to eternal misery. The fur- ther vfonU of our Lord, — " Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again,"— prove, by the little word " ye," that all mankind are II *l. meant The woid maUf in numerous places in Scripture, must be^ taken, and is universaUy understood to signify, the whole othumanUy^ Here, evidently, it must be so construed, and therefore, these pas- sages alone completely destroy Mr. Sutherland's theory of children* possessing the Holy Ghost at their birth. The words of our Lord, being understood as above explained, the expression, " bom again," plainly applies to all young children as well as all the rest of mankind. But llr. Sutherland makes the further astounding announcement ;— "There are some of whom we do not hesitate to affirm, that they are fiUed with the Holy Ghost firoin their very birth." Now, of all the divinely chosen, and most illustrious servants of the Lord mentioned in Scripture, there is only one to whom such words are applied, being John the Baptist, who was called and qualified for the special purpose of preparing and announcing the advent, and redeeming and saving work of our Lord. The words, of course, do not relate to our Lord*, for, as Scripture declares, — " Li Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead.*' But according to Mr. Sutherlwd, these specially favored children, have not only a portion or degree, but "are ^ed with the Holy Ghost from their birth." He has not offered any part of Scrip- ture to sanction such a rash and unwarranted affirmation, for the perfect reason that none ctm be found in those oracles of truth. It may fairly be required of Mr. Sutherland, according to his express affirmation, that he should give some instance, or instances, of such ftUlneM of the divine Spirit, showing token and where they existed. But it is quite sufficient to say, that the unprecedented and unscripturcd affirmation, is merely Mr. Sutherland's suppontion, or unwarranted assertion. Where will he find the witness, or evidence to support it/ But notwithstanding all those opinions and affirmations as to children possessing the Holy Spirit firom their birth, yet, strangely, he does admit, that " every child is, by nature, fidlen and depraved." He says : — " Let us not overstate the truth. While we hold that every child has been redeemed by Christ, and is in virtue of that redemp- tion, an heir of the kingdom, yet their natures are not angelic In the heart of every child of Adam there is a natural proneness to evil^ The tares will grow among the wheat in the heart of a child, as well as in the broader field of the world." Combining both these parts of Mr. Sutherland's theory concerning children, — the possession of the Holy Spirit firom birth, and the 12 natural proneness of their hearts to evil, from the onginal fall and depravity, — their condition would seem to correspond exactly with the lines of the sieitirical poet : " To good and evil equal bent, rm both a devil and a aaint." Now, suppose a child, hefore responsibility, dies in this hybrid or dual state of spirituality, proneness to evil, and thorns and thistles, what is to become of it in the oth^r world. Scripture positively and repeatedly declares, that nothing unholy can enter into the region of holiness and happiness ; that its inhabitants must be " without spot or wiinkle, or any such thing ;" and asserts as to that world, " he which is filthy, let him be filthy still," and " he that is holy let him be holy stilL" Mr. Sutherland admits that death makes no change ; neither is any ejected in the future state. According, therefore, to all these Scripture truths, notwithstanding this theory of spirituality from birth, the child must be a lost, and eternally unhappy being. The tares, which as Mr. Sutherland says, " will grow among the wheat in the heart of a child," must have proceeded from the aeed which was there, yro»n ike first. Our Lord has told us, — " an enemy hath done this." All that Mr. Sutherland had so forcibly said, as to the bent of nature within, and the numerous modes of seduction, and the world's allurements and pleasures, from the time of the personal responsibility of children ; and the need of grace, vigilance, and watchfulneas con- cerning them, is perfectly true, and deserves the best consideration and observance of all parents. Ee speaks disapprovingly of " children being early told and continually reminded of their native depravity ;" and says that " an improper burden is thus laid on their conscience." Such information to children, in a suitable degree, is quite proper, and in uunrormity with Scripture u^junctions to parents; and is requisite in order to show them their need of the essential spiritual change in their hearts and lives. However it may have been gene- rally, as to these matters, in former times, the course in the present age is totally different, for both at home, and elsewhere, the training and instruction of children, when occasionally and partially given, seems rather to incline them to think, that they are naturally amiable, and good enough already ; especially, if they are told, that they had the Holy Ghost fbm th^ir birth ; and are " the children of God, and *u »3 <^Jl of Jesus, heirs of the kingdom," of the future inheritance of glory and happiness ; and sure of heaven. As our Lord has said, — " they that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick." If the children, of themselves, think of heaven at all, it is merely one of their own imagination ; and it is probable they are but slightly, if at all, instructed by their parents, as to the essential requisites of holi- ness and righteousness, for admission into the reed heaven of purity and spiritual blessedness. Near the conclusion of his work, Mr. Sutherland has cited, and remarked on the following Scripture words ; and which he has, in part, taken as a motto on the title-page of his pamphlet : — 7.— "TAKE HEED THAT YE DESPISE NOT ONE OF THESE LITTLE ONES, FOR I SAY UNTO YOU THAT IN HEAVEN THEIR ANOELS DO ALWAYS BEHOLD THE FACE OF MY FATHER WHICH ?S IN HEAVEN."— Math, xviii., 10. Mr. Sutherland has understood these words as relating to young children ; and has accordingly thus applied them ; but here he is in manifest and serious error, as will now be clearly shown. The pas- sage does not at all relate to young children, but only to persons young in faith and knowledge. In many parts of Scripture, such persons are designated as, "babes in Christ," "children," "little children, " little ones." (See Math xviiL, 6, Mark xvii., 2, John zxi., 5., 1 Cor. iii., 1, Heb. v. 13, 1 John iL, 1, 12.) The passages in Math, xviii., which show that the words, little ones, mean such young Christians, and not little children, are as fol- lows : — V. 3, " Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted and be- come as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4. " Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself, as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." 6. " But whoso shall offend one of these little ones, which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." 10. " 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." There ia a passage in Mark ix., 42, parallel with the above in Math. xviiL, 6. Those words in Math. xviiL, 6, and Mark ix., 42, — "One of those little ones, which believe in me" clearly show that these little oneSf are young Christian believers ; the words, — " which hdieve in me," in both evangelists, obviously fix the applica- tion of the passages to such persons, and not little children, who are incapable of believing in Christ and his religion. Dr. Clarke, in his comments on the above passages in Mark xviiL, has given their proper meaning and application as follows; — ^V. 5. " • One rntch little chUd.' As our Lord, in the preceeding verses, considers a little child an emblem of a genuine disciple, so by the term in this verse, he means a diee*ple only. Whosoever "hall receive, i. e., show unto such a '7hild-like, unambitious disciple of mine, any act of kindness, for my sake, I will consider it as done to myselfl'' y. 6. " ' But whoso shall offend one of these little ones.' But on the contrary, whosoever shall cause one of the least of those who believe on me, to be stumbled, — ^to go into the spirit of the world, — or give way to sin, — such an one shall meet with the most exemplary punishment" And on the passage cited by Mr. Sutherland, — " Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones," the Dr. rightly gives this explana- tion : — " One of my simple, loving, humble disciples." Mr. Suther^ land having first made the mistake, of concluding that the expression, " little ones," — ^the young Christians, — meant little children, his fur- ther mistake, as to the guardianship of angels mentioned in the text being spoken of them, consequently followed. The text shows, that the same little ones, or believing disciples, are those to whom the angels minister, and who " behold the face of their Father in heaven." Doubtless little children are under the like angelic guardianship, but they are not the persons mentioned in the cautionary text he has mis- takenly cited and applied. That all faithful servants of God, and followers of the Lord Jesus, are favored with such guardianship is shown in Psalm xxxiv., 8, Heb. L, 14, and other parts of Scripture. Oa this part of the text, Dr. Clarke has written : — " Our Lord here, not only alludes to, but in my opinion establishes the notion received by almost all nations, viz., that every person has a guardian angels and that these have access to God, to receive orders relative to the management of their charge. See P& xxxiv., 8, Heb. L, 14. On the words, " always behold the face," he says : — Hence among the Jews the angels were styled, nudakey panimf angels of the face; and Michael is said to be 8ar ha panim, the prince of the face. * • * Oar Lord's words give us to understand, that humble-hearted, child- like disciples, are objects of his peculiar care, and constant attention.' 15 On the words in the following and connected verse, — " For the Son of man has come to save that which was lost," the Dr. says : — " This is added as a second reason why no ii^jury should be done to his follow- ers, — ' The Son of man has so loved them, as to come into the world to lay down his life for them." Having thus far shown that Mr. Sutherland's novel theory of all children being bom with the " contact " and possession of the Holy Spirit, is altogether erroneous, it will be further satisfactory and most conclusive, to exhibit some of the express passages of Scripture, clearly showing/that the whole human race is bom in a sinful and corrapt state ; and without any such possession of the Holy Spirit, and His regeneration, as contendet^l^rMrr^tt^erlinid ; and consequently that all mankind, young and old, indispensibly require to be bom of that divine Spirit, as declared in the following wordii of our Lord ^ to Nicodemus, and set forth in similar terms in many other parts of | Scripture: — • 8.--"MARVBL NOT THAT I SAID UNTO THKE, YB MUST BE BOKN AGAIN." The necessity of this thorough change as to spiritual and moral character, in all human beings, is clearly and fully shown in numerous passages of Scripture. Let us view and consider some of them in Scripture and regular order. In Gen. i., 26, 27, are the words : — " And God said, — Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." * * * "So God created man in his ourn image, in the image of God created he him ; male and female created he them." We all under- stand, that it is the spiritual and holy image which is meant Li Y. 31 it is said: — "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good." Here it is quite sufficient to say, that being created in that divine likeness, all the spiritual, mental, and moral qualities of thct first pair, were holy, and altogether free from any tendeucy or proneness to sin, or evil of any kind. But after their fall from that perfect state, by their sin of disobedience to the divine command, it is recorded in Gen. v., 3, — "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a aon in his own likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth." This second likeness of man is described in Gen. vi, 6, in the following words: — "And God saw that the wickodness of man was great in the earth ; and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was evil continually." Again in Oen. viil, 21, is written : — " The imagination of man's heart ia evil from his youth." In Ps. li., 5, ** Behold I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." Also in Ps. Iviii., 3, — " The wicked are estranged from the womb : they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." Pro v. xxii., 16, — "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child." In Jer. xvil, 9, are the comprehensive words, applying to the whole race. " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it" Gal. iil, 22, — "The Scripture hath concluded all under sin." And Ephes. ii., 3, — " Among whom we all had our conversation in time past, in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind, and were by nature, the children ot wrath, even as others." No\^ here is, indeed, an extensive and deplorable array of inspired truths, all conclusively proving that every human being conies into the world with a sinful and corrupt nature. And there is not a wonl in any part of Scripture to lessen or mitigate the dark pic- ture, or to intimate in the slightest degree the opposite and soothing theory of Mr. Sutherland that children are bom with the possession of the Holy Spirit, and in the regenerated state for which be contends. He has not, indeed, oflered or referred to, any express portion of Scripture to support the novel theory. This alone should be sufficient to condemn it ; but the numerous Scriptures just cited, are super- abundant for the purpose; especially those which say, that "the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth," " Behold I was shapen in iniquity," " estranged from the womb," " going astray as soon as born," and " by nature the children of wrath." And further, the positive and emphatic words of our Lord, — " that which is bom of the flesh is flesh ;" and immediately adding,-^" ye must be bom again," manifestly applying to the whole human race, arc perfectly conclusive against that dangerous and erroneous opinion, as to chil- dren being bom with the possession of the Holy Spirit It may be of some importance to add, that the Churches of the English Establishment, of the Presbyterian, the Baptist, the Congre- gational or Independent, the Methodist in all its branches, and all the other Churches of Protestantism and the Eeformation, have always, to the present day, held this Scripture doctrine, of all our race being bom in a sinful and corrupt state. Now, in all these Churches there have been, and still are, men of the highest mental powers, and the most profound knowledge of the truths of Scripture. Surely, therefore, even independent of Scripture authority, the unanimr-ig judgment of theae sages of theology, is, on this point, of overwhelming weight against the opinion of any individual, or even scores of them, in these days of speculation and novelty as to religious truth. But, as before observed, inspired Scripture alone must decide, and the nume- rous passages above cited, conclusively prove the erroneousness of that novel and delusive opinion, of children possessing the Holy Spirit at their birth. 10.~THE STANDARD DOCTRINE OF WESLETAN ON THE SUBJECT. BIETHODISM This doctrine has always been entirely contniy to that unscrip tnral opinion. The Rev. John Wesley, the chief originator of that denomination ot Christians called Methodists, in a sermon on Original Sin, from the text in Gen. vL, 5 — "And God saw that tl^e wicked- ness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of lus heart was only evil continually," — las written as follows : — " Scripture avers, ' That by one man's disobedience all men were constituted sinners :' that ' in Adam all died,' spiritually died, lost the life and the image of God : that fallen sinful Adam, then ' begat a son in his own likeness :' nor was it possible that he should beget him in any other : for who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean 1 That, consequently, toe, as weU as other men were, by nature, dead in trespasses and sins, without hope, without God in the world ; and therefore children of wrath : that every man may say, ' I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin did my mother conceive me.' In another part of his sermon, in treating of the opinion of ancient heathen writers, on this subject of original propensity to evil, he uses these words : — ' They were wholly ignorant of the entire depravation of the whole human nature, of every man bom into the world, in every faculty of his souL' This, therefore, is the first grand distinguishing point between heathenism and Christianity. The one acknowledges that many men are infected with many vices, and even bom with a proneness to them : but supposes, withal, that, in some, the natural good much overbalances the evil. The other de- clares, that all men are conceived in »in, and shajtened in wickedness ; that hence there is in every man a earned mind, vhieJi is enmity agaimt God ; which is not, cannot be, subject to his law ; and which it •0 infects hit wbole aonl, that ihsn dweOdh in Aim, in his flaih, in his natoml state, no good thiug. * * * Hera is the ShibboMh : Is man, by natnra, filled with all manner of eril t Is he roid of all goodt Is he wholly fallen I Is his aonl totally eocniptedt Or to come hack to the text, is ereiy imagination of the thoughts of his heart, evil oontinnallyl Allow this, and yon are so far a