is consigned, in this passage, to indiscriminate perdition. Let us examine it in detail.

"Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit." To speak of elect infants, is to admit that there are reprobate infants. If it had been the intention of the framers of your Catechism to say, that God will mercifully receive all persons dying in infancy, they would have stated the doctrine in express terms-" All persons dying in infancy, being elect, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit." A clause of this kind would have been full to the purpose. But no such idea was in the mind of the Westminster Divines; they intended to say that there are reprobate infants. Such, indeed, is the genuine Calvinistic doctrine; and the moment we admit the idea that salvation depends upon an arbitrary, unconditional decree, without reference to any thing in the creature moving thereunto, but resolvable solely into the sovereign pleasure of God, there is no sort of difficulty in supposing that many of those who die in infancy will be eternally lost.* The plain matter

The distinction between elect and non-elect infants was entirely unknown to the primitive Church; not having been introduced, indeed, until the time of Calvin, of whose peculiar theory of predestination it is a natural result. Accordingly, Calvin did not hesitate to draw the conclusion, although it appears to have cost him some effort to do so.† Beza, the disciple and successor of Calvin, expressed himself on this

See Institutes of the Christian Religion, book iv. chapter xvi. sections 17, 18, 21; where Calvin appears to have a constant reference in his mind to the distinction between elect and nou-elect infants, without, however, venturing formally to declare it.

of fact is, that God has elected some infants, and has passed by others. And why not pass by infants as well as adults? For adults are elected, or reprobated, without reference to any thing in them moving God to choose or reject them; but simply in the exercise of sovereign power. After consigning all persons dying in infancy, with the exception of an elect number, to perdition, there can be no great difficulty in placing the whole heathen world out of the reach of mercy. The two doctrines are, equally, the genuine result of the cardinal principle of Calvinism.

But let us proceed-" Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit. So also are all other elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word." Here it is. merely said, that persons, not externally called by the ministry of the word, may be of the number of the elect. But a man, without being thus called, may be informed of Christ, and believe in him. Accordingly, in speaking of the passage in question, you say, it "recognizes the possibility of some being saved, who have not had an opportunity of hearing the Gospel preached." How very cautious is this mode of expression! Does any part of your religious standards recognize the possibility of salvation to those who have never, in

subject in the most positive and unequivocal language. In a public conference held with the Lutherans, in the year 1586, speaking of Baptism, he says, "Which many millions of infants receive, who, notwithstanding, are never regenerated, but everlastingly perish."

any shape, heard of Christ? The positive preaching of the Gospel is not the only way of bringing men acquainted with the person, character, and work of the Saviour. His person, character, and work may be known to such as have never had an opportunity of listening to a preacher in the course of their lives.

The passage, therefore, is perfectly consistent with the indiscriminate perdition of the heathen world.

Besides, it must not be so interpreted as to contradict the express declaration, "they who, having never heard the Gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature." Take the two passages together, and it is evident that the Westminster Divines, in speaking of "elect persons who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the word," meant to designate those who, cut off from access to the ministry and ordinances, nevertheless hear of Christ, and believe in him.

The Divines in question were far from intending to declare, that persons who have never heard of Christ may still be saved. To annex such a meaning to the passage under consideration, is not only to do violence to language, but it is to render the different standards of your society inconsistent and unintelligible.

"Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ through the Spirit. Sa

also are all other elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word.”

The elect persons, here spoken of, have heard of Christ, or they have not heard of him. If they have heard of him, the passage is perfectly consistent with the indiscriminate perdition of the heathen world. If they have not heard of him, it is directly at war with the declaration in the Larger Catechism of your society: "They who, having never heard the Gospel, know not Jesus Christ, and believe not in him, cannot be saved, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature."

"Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the word, and may have some common operations of the Spirit, yet they never truly come to Christ, and therefore cannot be saved: much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the law of that religion they do profess."

Is it the simple design of this passage to declare that none of our fallen race can be saved in any other way than through the merits of Christ? Surely, if such had been the idea intended to be conveyed, a very different mode of expression would have been adopted. No, Sir, the Westminster Divines had no such object in view. Let us analyze the passage. "Others, not elected, although they may be called by the ministry of the word, and may have some common opera

tions of the Spirit, yet they never truly come to The Christ, and therefore cannot be saved." persons here spoken of, hear of Christ, but do not truly come to him; in other words, do not truly embrace him by faith; and are, therefore, lost. "Much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever, be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the law of that religion they do profess."

How are the words, " in any other way whatsoever," to be understood here? Their meaning is rendered perfectly plain by adverting to the first part of the paragraph-" Others, not elected, although they may be outwardly called by the ministry of the word, yet they never truly come to Christ;" in other words, never truly believe in him, "and therefore cannot be saved." Then follows the clause" Much less can men, not professing the Christian religion, be saved in any other way whatsoever;" in any other way than by coming to Christ, that is, believing in him, or having faith in him; "be they never so diligent to frame their lives according to the light of nature, and the law of that religion they do profess." The passage, then, does unequivocally make salvation impossible to all who have never heard of Christ. is the only construction which the words will bear. I repeat it, if the Westminster Divines had intended merely to set forth the doctrine of salvation through the merits of Christ, they would have used a very different form of expression.

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