Let four men look at a house. The first man may swear that the house has two doors and two windows, and declare those are all the openings in the house. The second man swears that he saw the house and it has three windows, but no door. The third man swears that he saw the house, and it has two windows only. The fourth man swears that he saw the house and it has two windows and one chimney. These men would make fine denominational preachers, and carry out the old sectarian idea that we all see the Bible alike. Yet a fifth man might be able to show them why they swore differently. He saw the whole house, and could swear there are two doors and two windows on the front side; three win. cows and no door on the back side; two windows on the south side, and two windows and one chimney on the north side. All the men swore the truth about what they saw, yet, If we argue the way people do about the Bible, each man could have sworn that the other three lied because they did not see what he saw. Here is one great trouble in the religious world. Many good people only look at one part of the Bible, drive down their stakes and cut the rope, or creed, just long enough to look from that angle, and never try to go around the house or take the whole Bible to see if other parts are true. Jesus said, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).

Moses, foretelling the coming of the Son of God, tells us that we must hear him in all things whatsoever he commands us (Deuteronomy 18) . Much of the division in our day is caused by hearing the Son of God in some things, but not in all things. One man will look at the Bible and read, "Therefore, being justified by faith we have peace with God" (Romans 5:1). Here he will drive down his stake, take his stake rope and cut off the measure of faith, and never look for anything else. Soon you will hear him argue salvation by faith only, like the man who saw only one side of the house.

Another man will read, "Why tarriest thou ? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." He will drive down his stake and cut his rope to see baptism only. Then he will reason, we are all born under sin, hence children are sinners, and as baptism is to wash away sins, children must be baptized. Then he begins to teach infant baptism. Thus it runs through sectarianism that each one will look only for that part of the Bible that suits him best, and find the creed that has already staked off this claim, and built their creed around it, so he will go into that church and say these are my people, and all are wrong who staked claims on the other side.

We find that Baptists, Methodists, Adventists, Presbyterians—all have staked off their claims, gotten up their creeds; and built their fences so high that none of their members are allowed to walk around the building to see the other side for fear of being turned out for heresy.

I rejoice that I am a member of a church that has no creed with limitations; no creed that needs revising, but with perfect liberty a man can take all the Bible as his guide in faith and practice, and be governed by its laws in all things. With this unbounded liberty a man can look at the word of God from every angle it comes to us, and say, "It is all mine." Then we turn and hear Jesus say, "I will build my church." It being his church we can give him the credit of being the author, and we are members.

I find this same church is called the church of God. E have no creed binding me to reject that, so I can argue that Christ, and God, His Father are working together and whatsoever belongs to one belongs to both. I go still farther around this building. There is no rope (creed) to tie me down to one side, and I can read about the "churches of Christ." I say, this is good, and as Christ taught me that the Father had given Him all power; and Paul taught me that I should give Christ the pre-eminence in all things, I say, how grand and how glorious to know that this is the church of Christ. But I walk farther around this noble building, and I see another sign. It is called the "church of the first born." Then I reason that Jesus was the first born from the grave. God gave Him all power. He was to build His church by the authority of God. So I can well say, that this is the church of God, or the church of Christ or the church of the "first born." There is no rope to pull me back, and say, you are going too far. But I go still father around this building, and I find the members of this church were first called Christians at Antioch. This leads me to think that the word Christian is a derivative word, derived from Christ like the word woman is derived from man. When you sound the word woman, man's name is always sounded; so when you sound the name Christian. Christ's name is sounded, and there is salvation in no other name (Acts 4:12). How grand to be a Christian, and be partaker of the divine nature.

For fear that worthy name might cause me to forget my standing, I notice I am to be subject to Christ in all things like a dutiful woman is subject to her husband. I cannot be subject to him and not be willing to do what he commands me to do. He tells me to put on the whole armor of God, not only that I may be able to stand in the evil day, but that I may fight as truth demands. No man can hug his enemy under one arm, and fight him with the other, promising theenemy all the time that he will not hurt him. Yet sad to say the day has come with many congregations that they do not want any preacher who will fight the sects.

In many reports of churches about certain preachers holding meetings I notice that he is recommended because all the churches love to hear him preach, which, to my mind, is always self-evident that he did not preach the gospel plan of salvation. Christ, the Son of God, and Paul the most noted gospel preacher, did not please all the churches. No such complimentary reports ever followed their meetings.

But for fear the soldier might sometime become restless with God's movement, as Saul did, and want to go on and use his own judgment in the battle, I go farther around the great building and find that I must be a follower of Christ, and not a leader of Him nor of His word. For fear I might think I know it all, I am reminded that I am a learner as well as a follower.

As in the natural world, so in the spiritual world, we are born as babes, not made full grown men and women. As long as life lasts we should be willing to sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn more and more of Him, and what He wants us to do. I look farther and find that Christ calls me a sheep and says He is my shepherd, and in following Him I can go out and In and find pasture.

I read of my nobility, and find that I am in the family of God. Abraham, Job, Daniel, Peter, and Paul are my brothers, and even Mary, the mother of Jesus will be my sister. This arouses an interest in my mind and makes me want to get ready for the great reunion at the last day.

Last but not least, I find that I am in that body the church of Christ, and am represented as being a member of His flesh and of His bones (Ephesians 5:30). All these opportunities and blessings come to the man of God who can come to the word of God without any human creed to pen him up, any stake rope to stake him down. He comes into the great family of God, and can view this family from all angles.

While we are all members of the same great family, yet we are individuals, and as such we have our respective inclinations. We have not all the same appetite; not all thesame appreciation for certain books. We enjoy different kinds of work. But, because we differ as individuals, no one has the right to impose his particular notion upon another, nor to forbid others using their ideas. This is equally true in the church of God. If I can not lead as a captain let me follow as a private. If I can not work as a shepherd, let me follow as a sheep. Thus each becomes a helper and a companion to all the rest. Each fits the place to which God has adapted him.

We can grow up in love, speaking the same thing, living in the same family, fighting for the same cause, and finally rest in that home God has prepared for those who love him.

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Gospel Xray

Tant's doctrinal examination of the church that Jesus built, investigating the nature, origin, and characteristics of Christ's church from a restoration perspective. He examines New Testament teaching to establish the marks of the true church.

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