WAGGONER et al: Born Sinners?
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"Infants have no personal sins of which to repent, and are saved by virtue of the life of God poured out in Christ for all the race. As soon as people come to years of understanding and accountability, they must personally accept the Lord Jesus by faith, and show their faith in Him, not because God has arbitrarily decreed it, but because only so can they be kept from sin. Men can live only by faith; but the tender infant on its mother's breast is the perfect picture of faith and trust. It is the farthest possible from rejecting God's grace. It shows us how we should be related to the living Word. Of this Christ bears witness, through David, when He says to the Father: "Thou didst make me trust when I was upon my mother's breast." Ps. xxii. 9. {December 12, 1901 EJW, PTUK 790.12}
"Now an infant has no conscience of sin, neither is it living in sin. It needs no exhortation not to continue in sin, nor to "live any longer therein," for it is as completely dead to sin as it is possible for anybody to be. Indeed, it has never yet been alive to sin. Therefore baptism would be for it wholly a work of supererogation." {January 9, 1902 EJW, PTUK 20.9}
"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." Acts ii. 38. Here we see that baptism is connected with repentance; but it is obvious that young infants cannot repent, and have nothing to repent of, having never committed sin. We find, in this instance, that "they that gladly received his word were baptized." Verse 41. {January 8, 1903 EJW, PTUK 19.4}
"Infants that have not come to an age where they can understand right and wrong for themselves, are special subjects of God's favor. By virtue of Christ's sacrifice they share in the universal redemption from the death which results from their being descendants of Adam. They do not have to be baptized in order to be made alive from this death, for that is promised to the wicked as well as to the good. But being made alive from this death, they cannot suffer the death which is the penalty of sin, for they have never had personal guilt. Consequently they are saved by God's grace, the same as all who are saved, but without baptism, for it is impossible for them to comply with the conditions of baptism; they can neither believe nor disbelieve. {August 25, 1890 EJW, SITI 461.1}
"That Christ should be born under the law was a necessary consequence of his being born of a woman, taking on him the nature of Abraham, being made of the seed of David, in the likeness of sinful flesh. Human nature is sinful, and the law of God condemns all sin. Not that men are born into the world directly condemned by the law, for in infancy they have no knowledge of right and wrong, and are incapable of doing either, but they are born with sinful tendencies, owing to the sins of their ancestors. And when Christ came into the world, he came subject to all the conditions to which other children are subject. {October 21, 1889 EJW, SITI 631.10}
"Here we see that baptism is connected with repentance; but it is obvious that young infants cannot repent, and have nothing to repent of, having never committed sin. We find, in this instance, that "they that gladly received his word were baptized." Verse 41. {January 8, 1903 EJW, PTUK 19.4}
"Again, while Philip was preaching Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, as they journeyed, the chariot passed by a pool or stream of water, and the eunuch proclaimed, "See, here is water: what doth hinder me to be baptized?" Philip replied, "If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayest." Here we see that belief is a prerequisite to baptism. But an, infant can neither believe nor disbelieve; therefore it cannot be baptized. {January 8, 1903 EJW, PTUK 19.5}
"Adam a Figure.-"Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to come." How is Adam a figure of Him that was to come, namely, Christ? Just as the following verses indicate, that is, Adam was a figure of Christ in that his action involved many besides himself. It is evident that Adam could not give his descendants any higher nature than he had himself, so Adam's sin made it inevitable that all his descendants should be born with sinful natures. Sentence of death, however, does not pass on them for that, but because they have sinned. {October 18, 1894 EJW, PTUK 658.7} Waggoner on Romans pg 5.100
"Again, referring to the text first quoted, we find that baptism, preceded by belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, is "for the remission of sins;" but a tender infant has no sins to be remitted, and so again there is no occasion for it to be baptized. {January 8, 1903 EJW, PTUK 19.6}
"But it must not be supposed that making "a good confession" means the recollection and acknowledgement of every act of sin that has ever been committed. That is an impossibility. In the first place, life would not be long enough for a man to recount all his sins, even if he knew them; and in the second place, no man can know all his sin. The sins that lie hidden in the heart,- the sinful nature,- are as deadly as those that have come to the light. {August 31, 1893 EJW, PTUK 337.7}
"The requirement to repent refers only to sinners, and that to be baptized is for the remission of sin. But infants have no sins of which to repent, or to have remitted. The last two propositions call for more extended notice. {1878 JHW, Thoughts On Baptism 74.6}
"As in the case of the saints--the justified--so in the case of infants. They have no sins for which to answer. They cannot fall under a penalty, because they are innocent. Yet they die; of course not as sinners condemned, but as mortal creatures cut off from the tree of life by the action of Adam. His sin brought condemnation to himself, and it was deserved; but it brings no condemnation to these innocent ones; they do not deserve it, and "the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father." {1878 JHW, TOB 81.2}
"There will be three classes in the resurrection. One, of sinners condemned, who have never accepted the gospel nor received pardon through Christ. The second death claims them as its own. Another, the saints; those who have had their sins washed away by the blood of the Redeemer. Being justified, the law has no claim against their lives. "On such the second death hath no power." The third, infants, who have never sinned. Of course they are not condemned; they have done no wrong; on no principle of justice can they be condemned. Through Christ they are brought up from death, of course to die no more. They stand related to the law as the saints do; not as the saints, pardoned, but as innocents, against whom no charge can be brought. Having no sin upon them, they will die no more. That life they get through Christ as truly as do the saints. Hence they can join the everlasting song of redemption, with all the saints in glory. Had it not been for Christ they would have remained dead. For eternal life, its joys and its glory, they are as truly indebted to divine love and favor in the gospel as David, or Peter, or Paul. Thus it is easy to see that infants are saved by the gospel, but not by means of faith, repentance, and baptism. These are for sinners, not for innocents. {1878 JHW, TOB 82.1}
"Doubtless many besides Spiritualists will adopt that language as their own, and will fancy that in so doing they are bringing an unanswerable argument against the doctrines of Christianity. But everybody who has read the Bible to any purpose knows full well that it does not teach that either infants or adults are condemned for an offense committed either 6,000 years or half as many minutes before they were born. Neither is one person condemned for the offense of another, no matter when that offense is committed. The Bible plainly declares:- {January 20, 1887 EJW, SITI 48.13}
"John preached the "baptism of repentance for the remission of sins." This dictates that he did not baptize infants. His message was, Repent, and believe. Repentance and faith were the indispensable conditions. Without these things none could be baptized by John. But infants cannot repent and believe. They have no knowledge of sin, and no ability to believe. Therefore those who take up and carry on the work of John the Baptist,-the work of preparing a people for the coming of the Lord,-will have nothing to do with the so-called baptism of infants. They will not thus caricature one of the most solemn ordinances of the Gospel. {May 3, 1894 EJW, PTUK 276.5}
Rom. vi. 1-6. [quoted] {January 9, 1902 EJW, PTUK 20.8}
"Can you not see that this applies to those who have been living a life of sin, and who consciously come to Christ for salvation from sin, that they may not live any longer therein: and that therefore it can by no means apply to infants? The same apostle who wrote this, said of the Jewish ceremonies that they could never make the comers thereunto perfect, and that if they could do so, they would not be offered year by year, "because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin." Heb. x. 1, 2. Now an infant has no conscience of sin, neither is it living in sin. It needs no exhortation not to continue in sin, nor to "live any longer therein," for it is as completely dead to sin as it is possible for anybody to be. Indeed, it has never yet been alive to sin. Therefore baptism would be for it wholly a work of supererogation. {January 9, 1902 EJW, PTUK 20.9}
"But I will not leave the matter here. I cannot read the Bible through to you in this "corner," so as to show you that it does not mention infant baptism; but I can set before you the nature and object of baptism, so that you can see that it is plainly a thing with which infants cannot have anything whatever to do; or, rather, which cannot have anything to do with them. So let us study the subject briefly. We cannot do better than start with the words of Peter filled with the Holy Spirit: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." Acts ii. 38. Here we see that baptism is connected with repentance; but it is obvious that young infants cannot repent, and have nothing to repent of, having never committed sin. We find, in this instance, that "they that gladly received his word were baptized." Verse 41. {January 8, 1903 EJW, PTUK 19.4}
"On this point I will only add: 1. We are never exhorted to repent of Adam's sin, nor to avert its consequences. Here is where the Pedobaptists err. Infants have no personal sins to be remitted; therefore if they are baptized for the reason given in the gospel, that is, for the remission of sin, it must be Adam's sin, not their own. But such an idea is never hinted in the Scriptures; it is contrary to the facts and reasons given in the case. Yet according to the non-resurrection views it is the only chance for the salvation of children, Infant-baptismal regeneration and this non-resurrectionism should go together. {1870 JHW, VDRU 25.3}
"The Lord Jesus himself has settled this question, by his own divine authority. Matt. xviii. 3: "Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become AS little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." As the little child is, such must all be, or they can never enter that kingdom. Hear the Saviour again: "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God:" Luke xviii. 16. How are they? Answer. 1. They are innocent, and God loves them. 2. They possess a fallen and corrupt nature, but are not guilty on that account. Christ has cancelled the guilt of Adamic transgression, and in the resurrection at the last day, all the effects of the fall on the innocent, or justified, will be removed, not before. 3. They are branches of Christ, by the indwelling of the spirit of Jesus Christ; and are in a slate of grace. They transgress the letter of the law, but not knowingly; they have a continual justification through the blood of Christ for all those unknown violations of God's law. But when they know the right and the wrong, and yet voluntarily forsake the right, and commit the wrong, they become guilty, and must repent, believe, and be converted, in order to enter the kingdom of God. It may be to some a startling proposition that infants are in a state of grace, and have the spirit of Christ dwelling in them; but I can draw no other conclusion from the declarations of Christ respecting them. No one can be Christ's unless he has the spirit of Christ. No one can be quickened from the dead and raised up to eternal life unless he has the spirit in him which quickened Jesus Christ from the dead. But little children, being the subjects of the kingdom of heaven, must have a resurrection from the dead to eternal life, in order to inherit it. But if that spirit be not in them they cannot be so raised; then they must have it and be Christians. I cannot see that it is necessary that the child should ever be anything else but a Christian. If they are under the necessity of sinning voluntarily when they come to years, it cannot be accounted to them as sin; for they only do what they must. That they do usually follow their evil nature, rather than the teachings and strivings of the Spirit, is freely granted; but not that there is any necessity that they should ever become voluntary offenders, or be anything else but true Christians. They come into being under the covenant of grace, and they may remain so. To enter the kingdom of heaven, all men must become what the little child is. {1842 JoL, PREX1 35.1}
"The common thought concerning the so-called baptism of infants is that stated by Cyprian, in his argument against delaying the ceremony. His words are: "We all rather judge that the mercy and grace of God is not to be refused to any one born of man. For as the Lord says in His Gospel, 'The Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them,' as far as we can we must strive that, if possible, no soul be lost."-Epistle 58. Now this in itself is perfectly correct; but when it is produced as a reason for baptizing children, it is all wrong, since it not only attributes magic charm to the ceremony, but it makes the grace and mercy of God wholly dependent upon the zeal or negligence of men. It is a monstrous doctrine, and horrible beyond expression, and a libel on God's goodness, that the salvation of an innocent baby should depend solely on whether or not a formula has been recited over it. {December 12, 1901 EJW, PTUK 790.2}
"Truth fears no investigation, on the contrary, it welcomes it"