not apply. But what is more important than all, he that believes in
and declares it necessary for the little child to be baptized, and bap-
tizes it, is committing a most grievous sin in the sight of God. For if
it were true, as claimed by many Christians, that the little infant that
dies without baptism is shut out from the presence of God, that hell is
paved with little unbaptized children, they are erecting a barrier to
those little infants in the form of the ordinance of baptism and "for-
bidding" all such to come unto Christ, thus breaking one of His most em-
phatic commands uttered when "He was much displeased" at what they were
doing and said, "Forbid them not, but suffer them to come unto Me." [Mark 10:14] The
little child is pure and innocent because it can commit no sin till it
comes to the years of accountability. Sin then conceives in its heart,
and as it grows in years Satan tempts it and it becomes sinful and wick-
ed, and the means provided by the Almighty to cleanse it and make it
again as pure and as innocent as it was in the beginning of its mortal
career, is the sacred ordinance of baptism. And thus may the repentant
sinner become like the example that Jesus set before them as shown by
Mat. 18, 2-4; "And Jesus called a little child unto Him and set him in
the midst of them and said, Verily I say unto you, except you be con-
verted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the king-
dom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little
child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Thus the little
child is given to us as a pattern of purity, a sample of innocence, by
the Savior Himself; and the bare theory of baptizing such little inno-
cents to wash away their sins, becomes revolting to the human mind when
considered under the light of reason, as the practice of it is an abom-
ination in the sight of God. So little children are not elegible to
baptism. This declaration stands out in bold relief when viewed in the
light of the following passages which plainly prove that all candidates
for the kingdom of God must be capable of being taught. (Nat. 28, 19-20)
"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to ob-
serve all things whatsoever I have commanded you." All must have suf-
ficient mental development to be capable of believing the doctrines
taught, as shown by the Savior's commandments, and Mark 16, 16, "He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not
shall be damned." "But when they believed preaching the things
concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ they were
baptized, both men and women." (Acts 8, 12) "And as they went on their
way they came unto a certain water, and the Eunuch said, See here is
water; what does hinder me to be baptized? and Phillip said, If thou
truly believest with all thine heart though mayest, and he answered and
said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8, 36-7)
A knowledge of the divine truths of revealed religion when once
impressed upon the heart, causes faith to spring forth in the soul, and
we reflect with admiration upon the life of Him whose wondrous love was
manifested towards us when He offered His life as a sacrifice for our
sins. And by comparison we realize our own unworthiness, that our feet
have strayed from the path of right and that we are steeped in iniquity.
With this conviction comes a resolution to turn, if possible, from our
not apply. But what is more important than all, he that believes in
and declares it necessary for the little child to be baptized, and baptizes it, is committing a most grievous sin in the sight of God. For if
it were true, as claimed by many Christians, that the little infant that
dies without baptism is shut out from the presence of God, that hell is
paved with little unbaptized children, they are erecting a barrier to
those little infants in the form of the ordinance of baptism and "forbidding" all such to come unto Christ, thus breaking one of His most emphatic commands uttered when "He was much displeased" at what they were
doing and said, "Forbid them not, but suffer them to come unto Me." The
little child is pure and innocent because it can commit no sin till it
comes to the years of accountability. Sin then conceives in its heart,
and as it grows in years Satan tempts it and it becomes sinful and wicked, and the means provided by the Almighty to cleanse it and make it
again as pure and as innocent as it was in the beginning of its mortal
career, is the sacred ordinance of baptism. And thus may the repentant
sinner become like the example that Jesus set before them as shown by
Mat. 18, 2-4; "And Jesus called a little child unto Him and set him in
the midst of them and said, Verily I say unto you, except you be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever, therefore, shall humble himself as this little
child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Thus the little
child is given to us as a pattern of purity, a sample of innocence, by
the Savior Himself; and the bare theory of baptizing such little innocents to wash away their sins, becomes revolting to the human mind when
considered under the light of reason, as the practice of it is an abomination in the sight of God. So little children are not elegible to
baptism. This declaration stands out in bold relief when viewed in the
light of the following passages which plainly prove that all candidates
for the kingdom of God must be capable of being taught. (Nat. 28, 19-20)
"Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." All must have sufficient mental development to be capable of believing the doctrines
taught, as shown by the Savior's commandments, and Mark 16, 16, "He that
believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not
shall be damned." "But when they believed preaching the things
concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ they were
baptized, both men and women." (Acts 8, 12) "And as they went on their
way they came unto a certain water, and the Eunuch said, See here is
water; what does hinder me to be baptized? and Phillip said, If thou
truly believest with all thine heart though mayest, and he answered and
said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8, 36-7)
A knowledge of the divine truths of revealed religion when once
impressed upon the heart, causes faith to spring forth in the soul, and
we reflect with admiration upon the life of Him whose wondrous love was
manifested towards us when He offered His life as a sacrifice for our
sins. And by comparison we realize our own unworthiness, that our feet
have strayed from the path of right and that we are steeped in iniquity.
With this conviction comes a resolution to turn, if possible, from our
