the lord’s supper
The Lord’s Supper, called also the “Eucharist,” and the “Communion,” is the most sacred act of Christian worship, and the highest expression of the mysteries of our holy religion. It is a service in which bread and wine—the loaf and the cup—are used to represent the body and the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, slain for us. The bread is broken, distributed, and eaten; the wine is poured, distributed, and drunk by the members of the assembled church, to show the sacrifice of Christ, His body broken, and His blood shed for their redemption; and that by His death they have life. Being begotten of God through the operation of the Spirit, their new life is sustained and nourished by mystically feeding on Him who is the Bread of God, which came down from heaven to give life to the world. He said: “This do in remembrance of Me.” “As oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye proclaim the Lord’s death, till He come.” “Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.” “Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life.” “He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him.” It is a Divine reality, though a sublime mystery.
open and close communion
The controversy between Baptists and other denominations, so far as the Lord’s Supper is concerned, has no reference to its nature, the purpose for which it was instituted, the manner of its administration, or the effect of the elements on the participants. It has reference simply to the proper subjects for participation in the privilege. Who may, and who may not properly and of right come to the Lord’s Table? On the question of what are the Scriptural qualifications of participants, Baptist and Pedobaptists differ—differ not as to the general rule to be applied, but as to its particular application. And this particular application leads to the controversy on what is called “close communion,” as practiced by Baptists, and to what is called “open communion,” as practiced by Pedobaptists.
What is open communion? Open, free or mixed communion is, strictly speaking, that which allows any one who desires, and believes himself qualified, to come to the Lord’s Table, without any questions being asked, or conditions imposed by the church in which the ordinance is observed. But ordinarily the term is applied to the practice of the greater part of the Pedobaptist churches, which hold that sprinkling is lawful baptism, and invite, not all persons, but members of all evangelical churches, whatever be their view of church order and ordinances; holding them all as being baptized because they have been sprinkled.
What is close communion? Close, strict, or restricted communion is, properly speaking, that which does not invite all indiscriminately to the Lord’s Table, but restricts the privilege to a particular class. But ordinarily the term is applied to the practice of Baptist churches, which invite only baptized believers, walking in orderly fellowship in their own churches. And by baptized believers, they mean, of course, immersed believers; not admitting sprinkling to be baptism at all.
one and the same rule
Observe further: That Baptists and Pedobaptists have one and the same rule in theory as to the proper qualification for participants, namely, they all hold that baptism is a prerequisite. That unbaptized persons have no legal right to the Lord’s Supper, and cannot consistently be invited to it. Pedobaptists would not invite unbaptized persons to the Lord’s Table, however good Christians, since such could not become church-members, and the Supper is for those within the church, not for the outside world. For though there are a few churches and a few pastors, who in their extreme liberality might be disposed to invite everybody to the sacred ordinance yet such a course would be contrary to their denominational standards, and opposed to the usages of their churches generally.
Further observe: They all practice a restriction since they restrict the privilege to a particular class: namely, baptized believers, walking in orderly church fellowship. But Baptists and Pedobaptists differ as to what constitutes baptism, the one rejecting, and the other accepting the validity of sprinkling. Thus Baptists’ custom is more “close,” and Pedobaptists’ is more “open,” by the difference between their views of baptism; and by that difference only. Therefore, it is manifest that the question so called of “close” and “open” communion is really not a question of “communion” at all, but of what constitutes Scriptural baptism. Let that be settled, and the controversy as to the restriction of the Lord’s Supper will cease.
the baptist position