Charles Coffin's The Baptism of Infants
Sermon
In this sermon, titled "The Baptism of Infants," Charles Coffin argues that because infants have a sinful nature through the instrumentality of their fallen parents and because God desires infants to be saved, a visible or manifest interest in the covenant entitles infants not less than adults to a regular membership [in the visible church] properly sealed [i.e. by baptism]. Coffin further asserts that if an infant's parents are church members, the child is a member as well because in all public covenant transaction with men God has uniformly included children in their parents, as branches in their stock or root; and admitted them to the same covenant seals and privileges as far as their capacity would allow.
Dates
- undated
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Extent
0.1 Linear Feet (2 folders)
Abstract
In this sermon, titled "The Baptism of Infants," Charles Coffin argues that because infants have a sinful nature through the instrumentality of their fallen parents and because God desires infants to be saved, a visible or manifest interest in the covenant entitles infants not less than adults to a regular membership [in the visible church] properly sealed [i.e. by baptism]. Coffin further asserts that if an infant's parents are church members, the child is a member as well because in all public covenant transaction with men God has uniformly included children in their parents, as branches in their stock or root; and admitted them to the same covenant seals and privileges as far as their capacity would allow.
Biographical/Historical Note
Charles Coffin was born on August 15, 1775 in Newburyport, Massachusetts, to Charles and Hepzibah (Carnes) Coffin. He graduated from Harvard College in July of 1793 and later received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Williams College. He was licensed to preach the Gospel on May 14, 1799 and ordained an Evangelist on September 11, 1804. Coffin moved to the southeast in 1799 and became Vice-President of Greeneville College in 1801. He married Susan Woodbridge Ayer of Maine on October 9, 1802 and the couple had twelve children: Charles Hector, James Ayer (1805-1805), James Ayer (born 1806), Eliza, John McKinney, Samuel Spring, Daniel Little, Susan, Margaret McKinney, Harriet Newell, Cornelius Worcester, and Mary Farnham. The family moved to Tennessee in 1805, where Coffin continued his work with Greeneville College (becoming President in 1810) before assuming the Presidency of East Tennessee University in 1827. To induce him to leave Greeneville College, the Trustees offered a generous annual salary of $1500 and a president's home. Coffin resigned five years later, having concluded that public opinion in Tennessee was not sufficient to support a college. He died in Greeneville, Tennessee on June 3, 1853.
Arrangement
This collection consists of two folders.
Acquisition Note
James L. Getaz, Jr. donated this sermon to the University of Tennessee's Special Collections Library in March of 1973.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository