The Reign Of Law Part 5

"I have,"

"You can read it?"

"I can."

"You find in it the inspired account of the faith of the original church--the earliest history of Apostolic Christianity?"

"I do."

"Then, can you not compare the teachings of the Apostles, THEIR faith and THEIR practice, with the teachings of this church? ITS faith and ITS practice?"

"I have tried to do that."

"Then there is the truth. And the reason. And the proof. And the authority. And the LAW. We have no creed but the creed of the Apostolic churches; no practice but their practice; no teaching but their teaching in letter and in spirit."

"That is what was told me before I came to college. It was told me that young men were to be prepared to preach the simple Gospel of Christ to all the world. There was to be no sectarian theology."

"Well? Has any one taught you sectarian theology?"

"Not consciously, not intentionally. Inevitably--perhaps. That is my trouble now--ONE of my troubles."

"Well?"

"May I ask you some questions?"

"You may ask me some questions if they are not silly questions. You don't seem to have any creed, but you DO seem to have a catechism!

Well, on with the catechism! I hope it will be better than those I have read."

So bidden, the lad began;--

"Is it Apostolic Christianity to declare that infants should not be baptized?"

"It is!" The reply came like a flash of lightning.

"And those who teach to the contrary violate the word of G.o.d?"

"They do!"

"Is it Apostolic Christianity to affirm that only immersion is Christian baptism?"

"It is!"

"And those who use any other form violate the word of G.o.d?"

"They do!"

"Is it Apostolic Christianity to celebrate the Lord's Supper once every seven days?"

"It is!"

"And all who observe a different custom violate the word of G.o.d?"

"They do!"

"Is it Apostolic Christianity to have no such officer in the church as an Episcopal bishop?"

"It is!"

"The office of Bishop, then, is a violation of Apostolic Christianity?"

"It is!"

"Is it Apostolic Christianity to make every congregation, no matter how small or influenced by pa.s.sion, an absolute court of trial and punishment of his members?"

"It is!"

"To give every such body control over the religious standing of its members, so it may turn them out into the world, banish them from the church of Christ forever, if it sees fit?"

"It is!"

"And those who frame any other system of church government violate the--"

"They do!"

"Is it Apostolic Christianity to teach that faith precedes repentance?"

"It is!"

"Those who teach that sorrow for sin is itself the great reason why we believe in Christ--do they violate--?"

"They do!"

"Is it Apostolic Christianity to turn people out of the church for dancing?"

"It is!"

"The use of an organ in wors.h.i.+p--is that a violation of Apostolic--?"

"It is!"

"Is it Apostolic Christianity to require that the believer in it shall likewise believe everything in the old Bible?"

"It is."

"Did Christ and the Apostles themselves teach that everything contained in what we call the old Bible must be believed?"

"They did!"

The pastor was grasping the arms of his chair, his body bent toward the lad, his head thrown back, his face livid with sacred rage. He was a good man, tried and true: G.o.d-fearing, G.o.d-serving. No fault lay in him unless it may be imputed for unrighteousness that he was a stanch, trenchant sectary in his place and generation. As he sat there in the bas.e.m.e.nt study of his church, his pulpit of authority and his baptismal pool of regeneration directly over his head, all round him in the city the solid hundreds of his followers, he forgot himself as a man and a minister and remembered only that as a servant of the Most High he was being interrogated and dishonored. His soul shook and thundered within him to repel these attacks upon his Lord and Master. As those unexpected random questions had poured in upon him thick and fast, all emerging, as it seemed to him, like disembodied evil spirits from the black pit of Satan and the d.a.m.ned, it was joy to him to deal to each that same straight, G.o.d-directed spear-thrust of a reply--killing them as they rose. His soul exulted in that blessed carnage.