gold, could be just and plunge a little
child into hell and burn it for ever and ever because Adam ate fruit
from the wrong tree! But I believed it then, because I was told so,
and knew no better. I don't believe it now, and how any human being
with the instincts of justice pertaining to the common brute creation
can believe such a thing is a mystery to me.

As time went on I learned more about repentance, faith, conversion,
baptism and the current theology of my time and environment. But I was
ever anxious to escape from that dreaded hell that ever yawned before
me in daytime and disturbed my dreams at night. The thought of it was
a veritable nightmare to me. It destroyed the happiness of my early
life. As a child I could not reconcile it with any conception of God's
goodness or justice. I was often, in the silence of my heart, tempted
to rebel against God and defy him. But I was afraid. My thought was
to make the best I could of a bad situation, and at the earliest
possible moment make good my escape. Perhaps this is as good a place
as any to state the fact that my parents were members of the Baptist
Church, and that in this faith I was brought up. However, I am glad to
be able to state that they were much broader and more liberal in their
views than many of their brethren. I do not wish to be unjust to this
great organization; but it is necessary here to make some statements
concerning its doctrine and practice, in order that my future relations
to it may be the better understood--statements, the truth of which, all
intelligent Baptists will testify to.

First, the Baptist Church is just as exclusive in its claim to being
the only true, scriptural, orthodox, apostolic Church as are the
Catholics, Episcopalians, or any other Christian body. But this
applies _only_ to their ecclesiastical organization, and _not_ to the
character of its membership.

Second, it _does not_ hold that baptism is essential to salvation, but
that it _is_ to church membership. They do not baptize people _to
make_ them Christians; but because they recognize them as already being
Christians, thru repentance, faith in Christ, and the regeneration of
the Holy Spirit. Thus, they _recognize_ the true Christian character
of any and all others who furnish evidence of these fundamental
characteristics of a Christian life, tho they do not recognize them as
"church members," no matter to what other ecclesiastical organization
they may