as more than once caused me embarrassment,
and put me at some disadvantage in business. I could not "let the
tongue say what the heart denied."

My views of the church itself had also necessarily changed with my
changed views of its theology. I no longer looked upon it as an
institution of supernatural sanctity and authority. To me it is simply
The Assembly. Any assembly of people gathered together for the worship
of God is a true church. It does not depend upon any particular form
of organization, the maintenance and administration of any particular
ordinances, or so-called sacraments. It does not depend upon
"Succession,"--Apostolic, Baptismal, Ordination, organization or
otherwise. "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there
am I in the midst of them." This is all that is essential to a true
church. It depends upon unity of purpose, rather than uniformity of
belief. Hence, any assembly of people, anywhere, united together for
the worship of God, striving to live better lives themselves, and to
help others to do the same, and thus make this world better and human
life happier, meets all the essentials of a true church of God,
regardless of any form of organization, ordinance, sacrament, creed,
belief or ecclesiastical pedigree.

But for years,--as will presently appear,--I did not know that any
church existed, that would come any way near meeting this definition.
I naturally supposed that any organization calling itself a church was
based upon belief in the Bible as the infallible word of God, and the
sole source of authority in all matters of religion. This I had
completely abandoned and could never go back to it. In fact I did not
trouble myself to inquire for a possible church fellowship. I supposed
I was forever barred from any church membership whatever, except that I
felt a welcome in attending the Reformed Jewish synagogue, where the
preaching was on a high intellectual plane, sane and rational, dealing
with modern problems instead of ancient creeds and dogmas; and I liked
this. But I was not a Jew; and I knew I could never accept their
theology. All I could ever expect was to be a welcome visitor, "a
stranger within the gate."

However, I must go back a little. Some few years after I left the
ministry of the Methodist Church, and while still living not far from
the last church I served, a friend one day asked why I had left the
Church and ministry. I told him very briefly a