Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1851-05-29
DEBATE
BETWEEN REV. MR.. CAPLES AND
ELDER DIR. HOPSON.
TmuRsp,y, April lO-0. A. Nj

pray.t by Rev. +. NJ MAnvls.
THIRD PR lpnsIrloS.-T The lnian, children of
believing parents, are proper .n' jecls Of Chris
tian Baptism.
Mr.. CApLE. alfirm.-Dr. Hopsos denies.
Mr. CAPLES, after stating the proposition.
affirmed that they are. HIS business was now
10 state bis reasons for assuming that ground
His first reason was based upon the condition
in which the Fall Of man places children. Though
God created man in his own Image, yet, when
man had fallen, he lost tha, image, and begat
children in his own image, partaking Of his
fallen, corrupt nature. The plan OF redemption
plates the entire race among the Sene-
fits of tho plan is union with the churc, on
earth; and Of " whatever benefits are to he de
rived from this union, children are capable OF
becoming par,akers. Childrenare represented
by the Parent. IN a reiigiou. point Of view,
the parent is the head of the child.
D.ut. xxx, lO-l2.-,"Ye stand this day, all
Of YOU, before the Lord your God, your cap
tains Of your tribes, your elders, and your oiii
GERS, with all the men Of Israel, your little
ones, your wives, ana thy 'ranger 'h"t is in
thy camp. from the newer OF thy wood unto the
dra ysr Of thy water that thou sh"u'dst enter
iu,u covenant with ths Lord thy God. and inio
his oath, which the Lord thy God makeih with
thee this day." Here, little children were pre-
sen,ed befnrs Gnd, by their parents, to enter in
to covenan: with him. Gen.. xx,ii, IA -"And
Inv seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and
thou shalt spread abroad To !he West and To the
E,,,. ami 10 the north and to ,he south and it
thes. and in thy seed, shall al! the families o
the earth he blessed. Mark, these blessings
.n;r,ual, not temporal, we're to be distributed Il
iii families, and they were To be perpetual -
A.. b.h 4 I ,yith thee anil Iyill keen
thee in all place, whittier thon gorst. and Wi
briu, thee again into this land: f"r will no
leave thee. until nave done that which hav,
.n,k.n 1, thee Of" God here reminds Ahra-
ham of his former covenants, anil promises tn,
spiri,usl blessings Of the covenant, as certain
Ia be with him and his seed, in oil places, ant
through nll time.
The idea OF competency on the part OF lit'''
children, to enter INT" covenant with G"d "i''
their parents, is carried into the New Ie,'a-
ment, Not II single instance do we find there
of c,nv,rsion of the heads of families, wher'
children were i,ut brought into covenant will
their parents We read of the baptism of th'
Jailur and all hi. househ"ld; Of Lydia and al
her, Of Stephanus and his h"use oil. n"
only under the old Dspsnsation, but under lh
new, in every instance where the heads "
families were brought into covenant relation
with Cad their children were brought will
them. The same idea stand. out prominentl,
in both that o. the parents received the sig
and seal of the CO, enart their children shnn
also. Christ recognizes the c,pabili'y Of chlldre
10 enter into covenant and receive blessings
Hs blessed little children. Wa. his biessn
a mere name The Disciple. rehnked ,hos
who brought them but Christ reproved tn
Disciples. He consihered them as in un mpor
tant sense, cavable Of entering into covenau
with Goi "Suffer little children 10 come nnt
me; for Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven"
In the Bible, and in political economy, tn
training of children is regarded as an.thin!
but small business. Every where. aud in al
ages, their education has engro,sed the aiten
ton Of great minds. Give II. the children u
the world for sixty years let II. make then
what they ought to be, and in two generations
we will regenerate the earth.
The Gentleman had asked what the "Fall
hs, to do with this di.oussionp 1t has muc
10 do with il. That Fall involved Heaven all
earth in strife. l,arrayed Man against Heav
on, and Man against Man. 1t is this which call
for all our labors and all our teachings. II
thi. which creates the necessity for carefu
training, or solicituds, to bring up childre
in the Nurture and adnoniiion of the Lord.
How car. YOU better train them thus, than b
placing them in the church, and training ther
;hers?
Mr.. Csples had taken the ground that what
ever benefit. were conferred by the death q
Christ, were to be given to Children. Mother
ought TO lead their children to read the Bible
Imagine child that had no! been baptized
reading the account Of the baptism of Lydi
and her household would not the qnestio
naturally suggest itself-"Mother, did You ev
or have me baptizedP read in The Bible tha
lydia and her household were baptizsd."-
Reading the New Testament brings into tn
mind. Of children queries like this.
For the fact tha, children are capable Of be
ing taught, and ought to be taught. pie,y, W
have the authority Of Paul, in his frat epistl
to Timothy.
The case of the baptism vi the Samaritan
which had been cited by the gentleman, is not
parallel case. Mr., C. had 'ail 'hs' wheTcv'