believe
alike on the communion question?"

"Not exactly. We both believe that baptism must come before the
communion, but we differ as to what constitutes baptism."

"Does the Bible teach that a person must be baptized before he can
commune?"

"The Bible teaches that all who believed were immediately baptized. That
always seemed to be the first thing they did."

"It seems the natural thing to me," said the father, "for baptism to
come first, and before the other duties of the Christian life. In the
passages which we have studied baptism seemed to follow on the heels of
believing. The question is, however, does the Bible have anything to
say on that subject? Does it teach that baptism must come before the
communion?"

"I think it would look strange for a person to be going to the communion
table before he was baptized," said Dorothy.

"Excuse me, Miss Page," said Mr. Garland. "Is it a question as to what
you or I might think ought to be done, or is it a question as to what
the Bible teaches? I affirm that the Bible does not state that baptism
is a prerequisite to the communion."

"That is a somewhat new question to me," said Dorothy, looking at Mr.
Sterling, as if he were the proper one to give the answer.

"We do not have from the lips of Christ the actual words," said Mr.
Sterling, "'ye must be baptized before partaking of the communion', but
I think it is definitely implied in Scripture. In the first place, take
the command of Christ: 'Go ye into all the world and disciple all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you.' There you have first baptism, and next observing all things that
Christ has commanded, and the Lord's Supper is one of these things."

"Very true," said Mr. Garland, "but you exclude the great body of
Christians from the table simply on your interpretation of that one
verse."

"Isn't this the proof?" asked Dorothy. "In nearly all the passages about
baptism we have read we found that baptism always came immediately after
the believing; and father, I feel that I must not delay my baptism.
What shall I do, and whom shall I ask to baptize me? I think, Mr.
Garland, that I ought not to go to the communion table until I have been
baptized. That seemed to be the custom in the days of the apostles."

"Suppose people in the days of the apostles did become baptized quickly
after conversion," sai