A bold, challenging look at innocence, sin, and how early faith shapes a life.
This edition presents a historical argument that infancy is not morally neutral and that vulnerability to sin calls for early religious education and grace. It frames baptism and circumcision as signs of a covenant that acknowledges human need for mercy and regeneration, even for the youngest children. The work invites readers to consider how scripture and doctrine illuminate the moral stakes of parenting, schooling, and church life.
- Explore the claim that all people, including infants, bear a fallen nature and need divine mercy.
- Understand how the author connects infant baptism and circumcision to broader doctrines of salvation and covenantal faithfulness.
- See arguments for why early religious education is presented as crucial for forming virtuous, informed lives.
- Consider the tone and method used to defend a distinctive view of native depravity within Christian thought.
Ideal for readers of historical theological writings who want to understand 19th‑century debates on sin, children, and the church’s role in graced regeneration.