"Early Conversion."
Solomon says, "Of making of many books there is no end." Among the many late books that have come to our notice is one by "Rev." E. Payson Hammond, the title of which is "Early Conversion." The following quotation from the Introduction furnishes a key to the nature of this new book:"I am sure that the Church of Jesus Christ is sadly neglecting the children. It is true that we have our Sunday Schools and other organizations for the training of children in the knowledge of the Word and God, but there is not that definite work for their conversion that there should be. No other form of Christian effort brings such immediate, such large, and such lasting results as work for the conversion of children. It has many advantages over other forms of work. First of all, children are much more easily led to Christ than adults. In the second place, they are more likely to stay converted than those apparently converted at a later period in life. They also make better Christians, as they do not have so much to unlearn as those who have grown old in sin. They have more years of service before them. A man converted at sixty is a soul saved plus ten years of service; a child saved at ten is a soul saved plus sixty years of service."
He regards the churches that have Sunday Schools as the "church of Christ." We know he is wrong in that, for the church set up by Christ had no Sunday Schools, and as that church is under law to her Master, she will not now engage in what he has not authorized. He says there is not that definite work for the conversion of children that there should be, and speaks of its advantages over other forms of work. One advantage is that they are more easily led to Christ than adults. What a marked difference there is between this Arminian idea of leading sinners to Christ and the Bible teaching on this subject! Arminians claim to be able to lead sinners to Christ, but Jesus says, "No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him." This is a positive denial that any and all the Bible that refers to this would have to be entirely reconstructed and reversed to suit this Arminian doctrine, for there is not the least hint any where in this good book that any one person ever led an unregenerated sinner to Christ, or that such a thing can be done.It is easier, no doubt, for a preacher to lead a little child about than it is for him to lead an adult, but it is no harder for God to turn an aged sinner from his course and bring him to Christ than it is for him to change the heart of a child. Saul of Tarsus was as easily overcome by him as the least one that has ever been given a heart of flesh. This "Reverend" says that another advantage that laboring for the conversion of children has, over laboring for the conversion of adults, is that the former is more likely to stay converted than the latter. This may be true so far as Arminian conversions are concerned, but where the Lord begins a work in the heart he will carry it on until the day of Jesus Christ, whether it be in the heart of an infant or an aged one. See Philippians i. 6.
Mr. Hammond says children "converted" make better "Christians" than those "apparently converted at a later period of life." When "Christians" are made by men there may be a difference, but the Lord fashions the hearts of all he redeems exactly alike, so that they are all one in Christ. His true children are born from above, of an incorruptible seed, and are the workmanship of God.
Another advantage mentioned by this authori is, that "converted" children have more years of service before them. "A man converted at sixty is a soul saved plus ten years of service; a child saved at ten is a soul saved plus sixty years of service." This is perfectly reasonable, the estimate being made on seventy years of life. This saving or converting is a work done by men, and of course there would be more gained by converting a child at ten than to let him live to the age of sixty before converting him. Then he would have sixty years in which to convert others, and who knows how many he could convert in that time? Is it not strange that the whole world was not converted long ago? But it may be this advantage was not thought of before. Now that it has come to be known will not the "Millenial Period" soon be ushered in?!! The Report made this year by the committee on State Missions to the Shenandoah (New School) Baptist Association says, "One of the objects of the State Mission Board is to evangelize Virginia." It is said in that Report that "Over one million people in Virginia are non-professors of religion." The population of the State is 1,655,980 (census 1890). If all the Arminian churches would only work in harmony and convert the children, soon the old sinners that will not be converted by them would all die, and Virginia would have a Millenium sure enough.
For the information of our readers we beg leave to digress just enough to say that the Association referred to had 120 more members two years ago than it has this year, while the sum of $19,137.59 has been paid to their pastors, $1,785.60 to Home and State Missions, and $1,030.45 to the support of Sunday Schools in the last three years. It is also seen by their last minutes that of a membership of 2,421 only 553 are members of the Sunday Schools. This denomination is perhaps as well equipped for the work they are engaged in, and as zealous in that work, as any other Arminian denomination in Virginia. We leave our readers to draw their own conclusions, but it seems to us that unless the others are more successful than the New School party of this valley, the one million of non-professors are not very likely to be converted. Mr. Hammond's new book may arouse a fresh impetus and inaugurate a new line of operation. They cannot regenerate, but it would be a blessing if they would moralize.
J. R. D.
Copyright c. 2005. All rights reserved. The Primitive Baptist Library.
