James Smith Coleman was born on this day in 1827. He was born again early in life and at the age of eleven was received into the Beaver Dam Baptist Church in Kentucky following his immersion. When he grew into maturity, he was elected the sheriff of his county, but during a local revival, when the Holy Spirit touched his heart, he resigned his position to become a Baptist missionary/evangelist.
Those were the days when debates were common. When a Methodist preacher named Caskey challenged Brother Coleman to a debate on the subject of baptism, the offer was accepted, and a date and place were arranged. With a large crowd before him, the Baptist took the initiative, answering the Methodist’s arguments that “household baptisms,” included children.
The Baptist said, “I am surprised at Brother Caskey’ s limited information concerning Lydia’s household. He has inferred that Lydia had children, under the age of accountability, and that, therefore these children were baptized. I am surprised, Sir, that you do not know that Lydia was a widow, and a traveling cloth merchant, and that she never had but one child, and that was a daughter, who married a redheaded, one-eyed shoemaker, and had moved off to Damascus, and had not been at home for years, and that her household at that time consisted of herself and servants, who assisted her in her business. I am surprised, Sir, that you did not know this.”
Totally flustered, the Methodist said, “Dr. Coleman, how do you know what you have just said?” Then in a lion-like voice Coleman roared, “I inferred it, Sir, just like you inferred that there were children in the household.”
– Source: This Day in Baptist History, Cummins and Thompson