RE you a minister?" said a stranger, as he took a seat by my side in a railway car.

      "Yes," I answered.

      "To what branch of the Church do you belong?" said he.

      "I do not belong to a branch, I belong to the Church itself. Christ said to his disciples, 'Ye are the branches,' and 'if a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch.'"

      "Well!" said he, "to what denomination of Christians do you belong?"

      "I do not belong to any denomination or sect of Christians, I belong to Christ, by whose precious blood all Christians were redeemed."

      "Well," said he, "what name do you go by?" "The name that the Book of God gives to a child of God, Christian."

      "What creed do you have?" said he.

      "Christ is our creed. Christ is the original Apostles' Creed. Jesus said, 'Will ye also go away?' Peter said, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast [450] the words of eternal life, and we believe and are sure thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.' (John 6:67-69.) 'For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.' (1 Cor. 3:11.) 'Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.' If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.' (Rom. 10:4, 9.) 'So must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.' (John 3:14, 15.) 'For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.' (Gal. 3:26.) The creed of Christianity is not doctrinal, but personal; it centers in, rests upon, and lays hold of the person of the Son of God."

      "But," said he, "have you no book of instruction in religious history and doctrine?"

      "Yes, the Bible."

      "Have you any discipline?"

      "Yes, the New Testament."

      "Have you no articles of faith?"

      "Just one--the creed of Christianity--the creed of the Church that Christ built--the great central, fundamental, life-giving, soul-saving truth of revelation, so simple and grand, and yet so comprehensive and exalted, that by it man apprehends and lays hold of the Son of God, as meeting all his needs as a sinner, and as the source of his life and strength, as a child and servant of God. Again I answer, [451] Christ is our creed. The acceptance of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, is the faith, and the only faith, the Scriptures demand, and is the one thing the apostles everywhere urged upon the faith of the people in order to salvation and church membership. Listen to a few, out of the scores of Scripture passages that might be presented: 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. (Peter.) . . . Upon this rock I will build my Church.' (Jesus. Matt. 16:16-18.) . . . 'These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through His name.' (John 20:31.) 'As many as received Him to them gave he power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.' (John 1:12.) 'Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.' (1 John 5:1.) 'This (Jesus) is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' 'Hear ye him.' (Matt. 3:17; 17:5.) 'And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.' (Acts 9:20.) 'This Jesus whom I preach unto you, is Christ.' (Acts 17:3.) 'They ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.' (Acts 5:42.) 'And He mightily convinced the Jews, publicly, shewing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ.' (Acts 18:28.) 'And testified to the Jews, that Jesus is the Christ.' (Acts 18:5.) 'But we preach Christ crucified . . . Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.' (1 Cor. 1:23, 24, 31.) [452] 'Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?' (1 John 3:23.) This creed that the Bible presents is divine. One that is longer is too long. One that is shorter is too short. One that differs is wrong. It is useless to revise man-made creeds. The thing to do is to throw them away and take Christ the creed of the Bible. (Gal. 6:14, 15.)"

      "I see," said he, "you are a Campbellite."

      "No, indeed, I am not a Campbellite. I should think it a great sin either to be, or to call myself a Campbellite. In the church at Corinth they had begun to follow human leaders. Some were Cephasites, some were Apollosites, and some were Paulites, and some were simply Christians. Paul rebuked them sharply for following human leaders. He asked, 'Was Paul crucified for you?' 'Were you baptized in the name of Paul?' If so, then there would have been some reason why they should be Paulites. But if Christ was crucified for you and you were baptized in his name, then you are, or ought to be, Christians. So as Campbell was not crucified for me, and I was not baptized in the name of Campbell, and Campbell is not the author of anything I believe, teach, or practice, 'and had no more to do with originating the Church of Christ, to which I belong, than I had with creating the world, I am not a Campbellite. It would be a great sin to exalt the name of Campbell above the name of Christ, or the teachings of Campbell above the [453] teaching of Christ. The same is true of the name and teaching of Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and of all other men, and systems. And so if neither Methodism, nor Baptistism, nor Presbyterianism, nor Lutheranism, nor Congregationalism, nor Episcopalianism, nor Catholicism, nor any other ism was crucified for us, and we were not baptized in the name of any of these isms, we ought not to be called after any of them. By so doing we hinder the answer of Christ's prayer that his people may be one, and thus the conversion of the world (John 17:20, 21), and put ourselves in opposition to the word of God. (Eph. 3:15.) Paul's exhortation, 'Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity' (2 Tim. 2:19), assumes that all the people of God wear the name of the Christ. James 2:7 assumes the same."

      "You folks," said my passenger friend, "use the name Christian in an exclusive sense."

      "No, we are doing our best to get everybody to adopt it. 'For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.' Jesus said, 'There is one fold and one shepherd.' He is our shepherd, and we are His sheep, and He wishes us to wear His name and hear His voice, in preference to every other name and in opposition to every other voice. In Ephesians 4:3, which is addressed 'To the faithful in Christ Jesus' as well as to 'the saints at Ephesus,' the apostle beseeches [454] us 'to keep the unity of the Spirit,' and immediately gives the items of that unity. Eph. 4:4-6:

      One body, Church.

      One Spirit.

      One hope.

      One Lord.

      One faith.

      One baptism.

      One God.

      In 1 Cor. 1:10, which is addressed to all Christians, Paul most earnestly beseeches 'all to speak the same things and that there be no divisions among them.' We can all agree where the Bible requires agreement--on all fully taught questions--just as all agree that the sky is blue, the grass green, the flowers beautiful, the summer showers refreshing, the ice cooling, the sleep and rest and food invigorating."

      "Will you," said my friend, "give me your reasons for taking the name Christian?"

      "In the name Christian is wrapped up everything that is of highest interest and importance, and of lasting value to humanity, therefore I am a Christian and not a Campbellite. We do not claim to be the only Christians, but we seek to be Christians only.

      "I am a Christian, because this name above every other name represents my interest in, relation to, and dependence upon Christ, the first-born of all [455] the sons of God, who is head over all to his Church (Eph. 1:22), and after whom God has named his whole family in heaven and earth. (Eph. 3:15; Acts 11:26; Isa. 62:2.)

      "I am a Christian, because 'the name of the Lord is a strong tower.' (Prov. 18:10.)

      "I am a Christian, because this is the best, dearest and most precious name in heaven or earth, and a 'good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.' (Prov. 22:1.)

      "I am a Christian, because among the children of God, 'There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither male nor female.' (Gal. 3:28.) 'Circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian nor Scythian . . . but Christ is all and in all.' (Col. 3:11.)

      "I am a Christian, because as 'in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature' (Gal. 6:15), so in Christ Jesus neither being a Lutheran, nor an Episcopalian, nor a Baptist availeth anything but a new creature, that is, a Christian.

      "I am a Christian, because this name is broad enough to take in all the people of God, and yet narrow enough to shut out Pagans, Infidels, and Mohammedans. Methodist Christians, Presbyterian Christians, and Baptist Christians have but to give up their Methodism, Presbyterianism, and Baptistism, and hold on to the Christ of God, by faith in him alone, wearing his name, and glorying only in his cross, and all others wearing human names and [456] having human creeds to do the same, and the prayer of the World's Redeemer for the union of those that believe in him, is answered.

      "I am a Christian, because Christ is the author and finisher of my faith (Heb. 12:2), and Paul said, 'Be ye imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.' (1 Cor. 11:1.)

      "I am a Christian, because I have put on Christ (Gal. 3:27), that is, I am to stand for Him, to be filled with His spirit and to reproduce His character and life, and thus prove that I have been with Him and learned of Him.

      "I am a Christian, because I was baptized into the name of Christ. (Acts 19:5; 8:16.)

      "I am a Christian, because I was justified through Christ's name. (Acts 10:43.)

      "I am a Christian, because Christ's is the only name by which men can be saved. (Acts 4:12.)

      "I am a Christian, because I must not 'deny the name' of him who gave himself for me. (Rev. 3:8.)

      "I am a Christian, because I must 'hold fast' the name of him who liveth in me. (Rev. 2:13.)

      "I am a Christian, because the disciples were called Christians in Antioch first, afterward so called everywhere. (Acts 11:26.)

      "I am a Christian, because Peter says (1. Pet. 4:14), 'If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye,' and again in the sixteenth verse he expresses the same thought and shows what he means by the name of Christ, and its meaning everywhere [457] in the Scriptures when applied to his disciples, namely, Christian. 'For if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed.'

      "I am a Christian, because this is 'the worth while name by which' (James 2:7) the children of God among the twelve tribes scattered abroad (James 1:1) were called.

      "I am a Christian, because Christ's name is more excellent than that given to any angel (Heb. 1:4), and is above every name, and every knee is to bow to it, and every tongue confess the Christ. (Phil. 2:9-11.)

      "I am a Christian, because Christ is the 'Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last' (Rev. 22:13), the sun, center, light, life and power--the all in all--of the religion that I profess.

      "I am a Christian, because Christ was crucified for me (1 Cor. 1:13), and it is the Father's purpose that he should have the pre-eminence in all things. (Col. 1:18.)

      "I am a Christian, because Paul said, 'Whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.' (Col. 3:17.)

      "I am a Christian, because the supreme questions of God's Holy Book are, 'What think ye of Christ?' (Matt. 22:42) and 'What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?' (Matt. 27:22.) I think him to be, and take him to be, my Saviour, the Son of God, the Christ. I take his name to be my name, [458] his service to be my work, his joy and love to be my portion, his home to be my home.

      "I am a Christian, because it is better to be a Christian than to gain the whole world. (Matt. 16:26.)

      "I am not a Campbellite, or a Baptist, or a Lutheran, because Jesus prayed that his people might be one (John 17:21), and Paul says, 'There is one body,' or church, and all God's people never can, nor will be one, as Campbellites, or Baptists, or Lutherans. They may and shall be one under the name that is above every name.

      "I call myself a Christian, because every motive and incentive that the Word of God furnishes for being a Christian is equally a reason for calling one's self a Christian. The Christian Church, or the Church of Christ--and these expressions represent precisely the same thought--is the Church that Christ built, and of which He is the head, the one Church known on the pages of the New Testament.

      "I call myself a Christian, because it is the one purpose of my life to be such, and a life of eternal blessedness depends on being one. One must be a Christian to be saved, for 'if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his' (Rom. 8:9), but one need not be a Presbyterian, or a Methodist, or a Campbellite, in order to be a Christian. Hear the words of the inspired apostle Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians, also addressed to 'all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ' [459] (I Cor. 1:2), 'Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing (have the same name, etc.), and that there be no divisions (different denominations) among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.' (1. Cor. 1:10.) 'For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ.' (1 Co. 3:11.) 'Therefore let no man glory in men' (or in the doctrines, systems, or names, or creeds of men). 'For all things are yours; and ye are Christ's.' (1 Cor. 3:21, 23.) 'If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God' (1 Pet. 4:11), remembering that Jesus said 'Every plant that my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up'."

      We had reached my friend's station. He said, "Well, you must excuse me. I'll see you again," and left the train. [460]

[NTC2 450-460]