Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1851-05-22
DEBATE
BETWEEN REV. MIR. CAPLES AND
ELDER DIR. HOPSON.
Forenoon Session.
FRIDAY, April ll-0, A. NJ.

FRIDAY, April ll-9, AN.
Prayer by Rev. }. IL. LoRANcE.
The President Moderator read the iol
lowing proposition:
FOURTH PRoposrrIoN.--The Holy Spirit, in
Conviction and Conversion operates only
through the word.
DR.. llopsoN allirms-Mr. CArLEs denies.
DIR. HOPSON'S first argument was
grounded on the dcpravity ol man since
the fall. No one acquainted with the hi.
BILE, or knowing man, would question this
universal inherent dcpravty. We are
prone to do evil; day by day inclined to
wander away from God. This dcpravity
renders man incapable OF redecming him
self. The object of our Savior's sacrifice
and of the revealed word, are TO restore
man to that state from whence he has tal.
len. The Bible is competent TO accom-
plish this work. To say that God has Civ
en- us a system for our salvation which is in
competent to save us, is TO impeach his
wisdom.
Conviction relates TO, or is the prelude
to change of heart and change ofte. God
never will bless man, until his heart and
life are changed. No individual can at all
understand the subject, who will deny or
question the operations of the Holy Spirit,
in producing change OF heart. No man
can cal! Chiist Lord, but by the Holy Spr-
it; but toperates, it brings alb out this change
of heart and lie through the Word Of God.
When he said the spirit operated only
through the Truth, he was not to be under
stood as denying miracles. 1t is when Il
man is afflicted by the Hand of God; when
,uiIn rhil1 hns intn thn ,rrp Va n
when some other misfortune has fallen upon
him that q man is led to reflect upon, to hear
and to read the truth OF God. Thus the
Holy Spirit, through the Truth, brings about
a change of heart. contend that to the op-
Grafton o! the Spirit, in producing convic
ton and conversion, the instrumentalitv of
the word is indispensable. The inquiry
here, is not what God could do; but what
. God has promised to do. God has power
to take persons to heaven wi,hoa, their
passing through the grave, as Enoch was.
The word Of God is able 10 produce tie change of
conviction and conversion. Tim iii, l5-'And that
from child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which
are aJleo make thee wise unto salvation through faith
which in Christ Jesus The word able means tina, the
power in reference to which ii is used, has sufficient
bility; that other power is necessary II the Bible
is able to save; if it is able TO accomplish salvaoif
II is also able TO accomplish the conviction and con-
version of the sinner for how the sinner 10 be saved
without being first convicted and converted? II the
religion contained in the Bible is not able to save, the
fault is in the wisdom of God The spirit is the only
agent in conviction and conversion, the word is the
" instrument. On the day of Pentecost the people
were pierced TO the heart when they heard the words
of Peter; that it is plain, the words the
Of Ihn
words instrument, and not electrical, inang
BILE, incomprehensible manner of cXcrting nlu-
ence.
lst Peter, ,23-'Beng born again, not of corrupti-
BILE seed, but of incoruptibe, by the word of God,
which liveth ard abdeh forever The word OF God
is the only seed.
Eph. VII l7.-'And take the Helmet of Salvation
and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of Cod
The word of God is the sword of the spirit is strong
expression, and confirmed what the speaker said of the
spirit being the agent, and the word the instrument
No instance be produced of a single conversion
where the word of God was not employed. The WORD
always employed the instrument; yet, if there wa
person present who asnot converted by the inilu
ence of the Holy Spirit he was not converted at all.
Doss the spirit, in the direct mode Of opera
ton which is without authority claimed for it
illuminate the mind upon doubtful points Of he
! 'fP Does it convince, by direct operation
L,vn tie mind? 10 it not more reas enable
that the spirit and the word always act toge,h-
or, and that neither ever act separately, except
in case Of miracles? The jalor, SO often allu
dsd to during this debate. might not have beard
q sermon previously to the miraculous interpo-
sition in favor Of Paul and Silas, but he heard
them singing, and the word OF God can bs con-
vsyed in this manner, as well as by preaching
A.. haI, 81 aJ ho, tho sn;rit
ted on man. Only two intances are mentioned
in the Bible Of such inilusnce one in the Gar
den of Eden. and the other, the temptation o
Christ, oil the mountain. In both cases, WORKS
were the medium or instrument. In our dali,
Intercourse, there are two influences operating
upon us in opposite directions there is tn
good influence Of the Holy spirit acting through
the word Of Goo, heard from companions, or OK