people join one denomination and some
another?"

"That is not strange, daughter," spoke up the father. "There are
different kinds of dresses, and one woman prefers one kind and another
another. Some people like the Presbyterian church, some the Methodist
church and so on. It is not a Bible question, simply a question of
taste."

"Miss Dorothy, the denominations differ in matters of doctrine," said
Mr. Sterling.

"You mean, then," said Dorothy, a light coming into her eye, "that the
people who believe that the Bible teaches certain doctrines go into one
church, and the people who believe that it teaches another set of
doctrines go into another church, and that each one joins the church of
his own beliefs?"

"You are entirely correct," said Sterling, confident that when she
compared the denominations his church would win the day. "The
Presbyterian church is founded on the bed rock of Scripture and draws
its life blood from its sacred pages."

"Do you not see, father," said Dorothy, "that in order for me to decide
which church I ought to join I must study the Bible for myself and then
join the church that seems to come nearest to what the Bible seems to me
to teach?"

"I don't agree with you, sister," said Roland. "You say you must join
the church that comes nearest to what the Bible seems to you to teach.
But you know very little about what the Bible teaches. Had you not
better take what old Dr. Vincent, who has been a life-long student of
the Bible, says the Bible teaches than to take what you, after a few
readings, decide it teaches? Why, certainly. I'd rather a thousand times
trust him to tell me what that Book teaches than for me to decide
myself."

"But, brother, I think you miss the point. Dr. Vincent can tell me what
he thinks the Bible teaches, but some learned minister in another
denomination might tell me the Bible taught something different. Mr.
Sterling says each denomination has its own doctrines which it believes
the Bible teaches. If I am going to take what some learned Bible student
says, then which one must I follow? One will tell me that the Bible
teaches the Presbyterian doctrines and another will tell me it teaches
the Methodist doctrines."

"Exactly; and no matter what you do you cannot be sure you are right. I
think one is about as apt to be right as the other. The only thing is to
take a man that you believe is an honest and wise student of the Book
and ask him to tell you its teachings