rland. "Do
you think I am entitled to partake of the communion?"

"I am not your judge, but if you ask my opinion I am bound to say that I
do not think your baptism was after the Scriptural order--that is, if in
your baptism you regarded it as completing your salvation."

"But do you think I have a right to commune?"

"You must follow your conscience on that point."

"Would you yourself commune with the Disciples, Mr. Walton?" asked
Sterling.

"Why ask such a question, Mr. Sterling? Why should I go to their church
to commune with them? I have my own church in which to commune."

"I know, but suppose that while visiting in a community you attended
service at a Disciple church, and they had the communion and the
elements were passed around. Would you partake of the supper there?"

"I have never been placed in such a position."

"What would you do, Mr. Walton?"

"There are many who claim that my communing with you would endorse not
only your act in communing, but also your baptism as you teach and
practice it. If my act would be a practical endorsement of your
communion and your baptism, then I certainly ought not and would not
join with you."

"I think you would endorse them," said Dorothy, "if you should sit with
them and commune with them."

"I think not," said Mr. Garland. "Each one would be acting for himself
and your act would not be misunderstood."

"Why should he commune with them?" asked Dorothy. "Must not a person
always have a reason for communing? Must he commune every time he may
see the table spread before him in any church? If Mr. Walton should
retire from the communion in the Disciple church, or simply should not
take the supper, the people would understand that he differed from them
as to the Scriptural steps required before communion, and it is a
person's duty to let his beliefs about Bible teaching be known."

"No, the people generally would not understand Mr. Walton's act in that
way," said Sterling, "but would simply think Mr. Walton thought himself
too good to commune with them, and this would have a bad effect, and
this is the harm of close communion. None of us are perfect, Mr. Walton.
We Presbyterians may fall short in some particulars; the Baptists also
may not hit the mark at every point. Why not recognize this, and with
charity for each other come together around the table of the Lord and
avoid making such unbrotherly distinctions?"

"Mr. Sterling," said Dorothy, "that does not