We _know_ it is right to “Let the word of Christ dwell in us richly; and with all wisdom _teach_ and _admonish_ each other by _psalms_ and _hymns_ and _spiritual songs_; _singing_ with gratitude in our hearts to the Lord”—to “be filled with the Spirit; _speaking_ to one another in _psalms_ and _hymns_ and _spiritual songs_; _singing_ and making melody in our hearts to the Lord.” This _can_ be done, and _we know_ it is right; but that a man can make melody in his heart to the Lord “with an organ,” a fiddle, banjo, clarionet, lute, fife or jew’s-harp, we do not know, nor do we believe it. We want to do what is written, and enjoin it on others, to do it. What is not written we do not want to do. When the Lord so minutely describes _how_ we are to do anything, we want to do it in that _way_. The _way_ he prescribes will do the thing commanded; some other _way_ might not do what is commanded at all.
In our generation, a vast amount of ink and breath is wasted in writing and preaching about infant sin, infant salvation, idiots, etc. There is one thing certain about it, and that is, that our writing and preaching about infant sin, infant salvation, Christ dying for infants and idiots, never saved an infant, an idiot, or anybody else. We do not, by our writing and preaching about them, make them sinful or righteous. It is simply writing and preaching _about_ them, and not _to them_, and certainly can do them no good. It is purely curious and speculative, pleasant for men and women to talk about, who will not love and obey the Savior themselves.
There are some things so clear in themselves that all can see them on the mere mention of them. Infants and idiots can not understand, believe, receive, reject, or obey the gospel. They can not repent, pray, praise God or rejoice. The gospel is simply not addressed to them. Infants and idiots are plainly and simply not _gospel subjects_. How are they then to be saved? What salvation do you mean? Salvation from _sin_, do you say? What sin? They never _sinned_, and have no _actual_ sin, as the schoolmen style it. They are under no guilt. They never transgressed any law, human or divine. They never rejected Christ nor the gospel. They have no _personal_ sin or guilt; no personal condemnation, and need no personal justification. The justification we receive in believing and obeying the gospel, is from our _own sins_, actual sins, sins we have committed ourselves. Infants have no sins of this kind and need not this justification. The remission of sins received, in turning to God, is for _sinners_; those who, in their own persons have committed sins, and not for infants, who have never sinned—who have no sins of this kind. They have no guilt, no condemnation, and need no salvation from “old sins,” as Peter has it, or past sins. They have no sins of this kind.