eternal punishment, as so many Christians have thought they ought to believe! God's mercies are over all His Works, and the child of even the wickedest parents is not born without the gracious gift of spirit from the Creator.
Every baby then is born alive to God and well pleasing to Him, and receives grace from God through its own spirit which God has given it, and its Guardian Angel whom God has appointed over it.
N.B. The phrase "Original Sin," which, like that other phrase "born in sin," is not scriptural, would be shorn of its misleading implications if it were changed into the Scriptural language "Dead sin in the flesh." Every theory of "Original sin" which locates the effect of Adam's sin in the soul of his descendants, instead of in their flesh, or implies that the child is born without grace from God or in any way "Dead to God" is to be unhesitatingly rejected.
The first diagram therefore shows the condition in which all "men born of women" come into the world. (Rom. 7:8-8:3, Mark 10:14, Mt. 18:1-10, Ps. 51:5, Job 14:1-4, Job 15:14.)
See Diagram 1—Man born of Woman.Note on various erroneous doctrines
There are several erroneous teachings about the fall of man, which crept into the Church at a very early date and should be noted at this point; since not only have they led to wrong practices, but they have also clouded the minds of men and dimmed the glory of God, presenting such a picture of Him that, while men could still fear Him as the Almighty, they could neither respect His justice nor discover His love.
1. The soul of a baby is not hopelessly corrupt because of Adam's sin; it is its flesh only which is tainted; its soul and spirit are pure, being made by God. Mk. 10:14, Is. 57:3-7, 16, Eccl. 7:29, 12:7, Num. 16:22.
2. A child is not born dead in sin, alienated from God and without knowledge of Him. It is the sin which is dead; the child is alive. Rom. 1:19-21, Acts 17:27, Mt. 18:3-5, Rom. 7:8-9.