Communion Closed or Restricted

8/9/2019 Communion Closed or Restricted

1/5

COMMUNION, CLOSED, ORCOMMUNION, CLOSED, ORRESTRICTEDRESTRICTED

By William Cathcart

Published in the Berea Baptist Banner August 5, 1997.

That the ordinances of the Lords house are for Hisown children admits of no discussion; so that in anycase there must be some restriction. And when we ex-aminethe Word of God we find believers baptism al-wayspreceding every other Christian duty and privi-lege.When the Savior gives His commission He ordersHis apostles to teach (make disciples of) all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father, and ofthe Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them toobserve all things whatsoever he commandedthem (Matt. 28:19-20). After faith comes baptism, thenother duties and privileges. Baptism precedes all Chris-tianexercises, after faith, according to Jesus. Under thedispensation of the Spirit the same instruction is im-parted.When He descended on the day of Pentecost in

great power, many gladly received the Word and werebaptized, and the same day there were added untothem about three thousand souls; and they contin-uedsteadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fel-lowship,and in breaking of bread, and in prayers(Acts 2:41,42). These three thousand are not brought tothe Lords table first after receiving the Word gladly;after believing, the rite of baptism is immediately ad-ministered;

then they are formally added to the church,and continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine (teach-ing)and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and inprayers. The breaking of bread, or participation in theLords Supper, comes after baptism and teaching. Thisis the law of Christ, and the practice of the Spirit, Hisearthly representative after His ascension. In the book


2/5

of Acts throughout, baptism follows professed faith im-mediatelyand invariably. And as the cases are very nu-merous,and as the administrators of the baptism were

generally inspired men, they prove that immersionshould precede the Supper and all other Christian du-tiesand privileges. The jailers case significantly showsthis. He and his household believe rejoicing in God, atmidnight; and he took them (Paul and Silas) thesame hour of the night and washed their strips,and was baptized, he and all his, straightway (Acts16:25-33). Paul does not spread the Lords table for themfirst, but they are straightway baptized. This is theuniform record of such conversions in the Scriptures.

In no instance in the Holy Word is it said, or even hinted,that an unbaptized man came to the communion. EvenRobert Hall, the apostle of open communion, admits,without hesitation, that subsequently to our Lords res-urrectionthe converts to the Christian faith submittedto that ordinance (baptism)prior to their reception into theChristian church. As little, says he, are we disposed todeny that it is at present the duty of the sincere believer

to follow their example, and that supposing him to beconvinced of the nature and import of baptism, he wouldbe guilty of a criminal irregularity who neglected to attend toit, previous to his entering into Christian fellowship. On theobligation of both the positive rites enjoined in the NewTesta-ment,and the prior claim of baptism to the attention of suchas are properly enlightened on the subject, we have no dis-

pute.(Hall on Terms of Communion, pp. 39,40. London,1851). Then, according to the brilliant preacher of Cam-bridge,Leicester, and Bristol, believers should be bap-tizedbefore coming to the Supper, if they are properlyenlightened; that is, God gives baptism the precedence;for no amount of enlightenment or ignorance in men


3/5

could give baptism a prior claim to the attention ofsuch as are properly enlightened on the subject, unlessGod had bestowed the precedence upon it. And accord-ingto the Book of Books, open communion rests upon a

foundation outside the boundaries of Revelation.Whatever may be the opinion of individuals, allChristian communities, recognizing baptism and theSupper to be binding rites, except Open CommunionBaptists, require baptism before admission to the com-munion.

This declaration is true of the entire history ofChristianity. Speaking of the early Christians, the learnedLord Chancellor King, in his Primitive Church, says,the persons communicating were not indifferently all

that professed the Christian faith, as Origen writes, Itdoth not belong to every one to eat of this bread, and todrink of this cup. But they were only such as were inthe number of the faithful, such as were baptized andreceived both the credentials and practicals of Chris-tianity.. . .Baptism always preceded the Lords Supper,as Justin Martyr says, It is not lawful for any one topartake of the sacramental food except he be baptized.(Kings Primitive Church, pp. 231-32. London, 1839). Dr.

Dwight, a Congregationalist, and a former president ofYale College, says, It is an indispensable qualificationfor this ordinance that the candidate for communion bea member of the visible church of Christ, in full stand-ing.By this I intend that he should be a man of piety;that he should have made a public profession of reli-gion,and that he should have been baptized. (System ofTheology, Sermon, 160).

The author of a Methodist work on baptism, a minis-terof some repute among his own people, writes, Be-foreentering upon the argument before us, it is but justto remark that in one principle the Baptist andPedobaptist Churches agree. They both agree in reject-ingfrom communion at the table of the Lord, and indenying the rights of church fellowship to all who have


4/5

not been baptized. . . .Their (Baptists) views ofbaptism.Communion, Closed or Restricted by WilliamCathcart- Page 2force them upon the ground of strict communion, and

herein they act upon the same principles as otherchurches, i.e., they admit only those whom they deembaptized persons to the communion table. (F. G.Hibbards Christian Baptism, p. 174). Other denomina-tionsmight be cited to give the same testimony, but it isneedless. That baptism is a prerequisite to the LordsSupper is the law of Christendom. Open communion restson a foundation outside the pale of revelation, where theunscriptural structure of Romanism stands, and it lives out-side

the limits of Christian creeds and denominational stan-dards,with the unimportant exception already men-tioned.Baptism is immersion in water, as Baptists view it;and as there is but one Lord, one faith, and one bap-tism,those who have had only pouring and sprinklingfor baptism are not baptized; and as baptism is a pre-requisiteto the Lords Supper, with both Baptists andPedobaptists, we cannot invite the unbaptized to the

table which Jesus has placed in our charge, withbelievers immersion as the way to it.

This is not a question of charity, or want of charity.In the edifice in which the writer ministers, besides thechurch, there is the congregation, the unbaptized hear-ers.Many of these are converted persons, generousbenefactors of the community, believers of lovely char-acter,dear to the hearts of the pastor and the church.Unbaptized though they are, they have a warmer placein the affections of their pastor than any similar numberof regularly baptized members of any one of our mostorderly churches. They are cherished personal friends,for whom we would make any proper sacrifice. Yet wenever think of inviting them to the Lords Supper; theyfeel no slight from such omission. They are the onlypersons on earth who have any reason to take offense.


5/5

They have contributed largely for church purposes; theylove and are loved with Christian affection; and theyknow that the cause of their not being invited to cometo the Supper is not a lack of love on the part of the

church, but their own want of obedience. If we do notinvite them to the table of the Lord, and this courseshows no unkindness, there can be nothing uncharitablein giving no invitation to the communion to unbaptizedstrangers, though they may be members of honored butsprinkled religious communities.We love the Lord Jesus Christ, and we love His ser-vantsof every name; and if we do not invite His unbap-tizedchildren in Pedobaptist churches to the memorialSupper, it is because we reverence the Lord, who has

made believers baptism the door into the visible king-dom,and they have removed it. With our venerablebrother, Dr. Cone, we conclude, Nor can this course ofconduct be righteously construed into a breach of broth-erlylove and Christian forbearance, until it can beproved that we ought to love men more than we loveGod, and that the charity which rejoiceth not in iniq-uity,but rejoiceth in the truth, requires us to disregardthe commandments of God, and dispense with the or-

dinancesof our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Finally,brethren, farewell! Adhere steadfastly to the doctrinesand ordinances of Christ, as He has delivered them tous; and as there is one body and one spirit, even as ye arecalled in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, onebaptism, so we beseech you that ye walk worthy of thevocationwherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness,withlong suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoringtokeep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Documents

Communion Closed or Restricted