The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Are those who die young always part of the elect?

Michele,

It is truly unfortunate that the venerable Spurgeon succumbed to sentimentality and speculation instead of standing firm upon his Calvinism as he so often did on other matters of the faith. There is no denying that Spurgeon has a way with words and his rhetoric can sometimes obscure the fact that he erred, as is the case in his view of infant salvation.

What I find ironic is that there he was, unashamedly a Baptist, who would adamantly reject the doctrine of paedobaptism because of his firm belief that only those who professed Christ could be saved. And this belief unpretentiously rejected the possibility that an infant could be saved in opposition to that held by his paedobaptist brethren. But here, in complete contradiction to his Baptist distinctives and Calvinism itself, he states that all infants are elect. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/drop.gif" alt="" /> Even the greatest is not without error. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Again, you are free to believe what you want. But I am not as I am bound to believe, teach and preach only that which is taught in the Scriptures. And just in case the thought ever crossed your mind that perhaps if I had ever had children and had to deal with the death of one or more, that my position would doubtless be different. Rest assured, that I have experienced both and my view is stronger because of it. I am no stranger to the joy of being a father. And I am no stranger to the agony of grieving over the death of a child; and even worse.

In His Grace,