ARGUMENTS FOR FREE COMMUNION.

BY BENONI STINSON.

Electronic Edition, 2004

Baptist Library Online

First, show the Nature of the Lord's Supper. To show forth the Lord's death till he come. It succeeded the Passover, and occupies the same relationship to the Christian church that the Passover did to the Jewish church.

We call it the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Table. The great question in this case is to ascertain as nearly as we can who are entitled, or who should be invited to partake of this Sacrament. In feeling our way through conflicting opinions and opposing elements, we will venture to affirm that the children of God who have enrolled themselves with, and are in good standing in any well organized Protestant church, whenever and wherever the table is set before them. Such we invite; and, we are glad to know that there is no law of God, either in the Old Testament or New, that forbids such invitation.

We have not the vanity to suppose that the system adopted on the Communion by our church is free from objections. But we do say that it is freer from objections, all things considered, than the course pursued on this subject by our close communion Baptist brethren. They say that `baptism by immersion is a prerequisite to communion.' And yet, they exclude a large and respectable body of Baptist, because they are not of their faith and order. For, be it remembered that their invitation is only to those of the 'Same faith and order' And, by this means a majority of the close communion brethren being Calvinistic in their faith, I must be a Calvinist as well as a Baptist to embrace their invitation.

Again, they recognize the pedobaptist as children of God, and their ministers as being called and send to God to preach: and they regard these ministers, too, as means in God's own hands in saving sinners, and yet say, in substance, when 'fencing the Table, 'Stand off you may work with us, sing with us, pray with us, and preach with us, but you can't eat with us.'

Now, this seems to us, not only inconsistent, but absurd. The Lord says to Simon, Feed my sheep!' This bread and wine being a part of the provision intended for the sheep, to withhold it from them is therefore a violation of that command.

Paul says, `Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth.' Again, 'Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat.' But our close communion brethren tell us no matter for that. Even if we do

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examine ourselves, if we are not of their faith, we can't eat with them. Now, we doubt whether there be a unity of faith on all doctrinal points, in any close communion church; and, if they applied this test strictly at home, their communion would be much closer than it is. It sometimes happens that some of their members believe in the Arminian theory, and others in the Calvinistic theory, and all in the same close communion church. And some there are who believe in free, or open, and others believe in mixed or close communion. Yet, all commune together.

But, our close communion Baptist brethren tell us that, as Baptists, we believe that nothing but immersion is baptism; and, by inviting our pedobaptist brethren, we necessarily endorse sprinkling or pouring as baptism. We admit the premises, that only immersion is baptism; but we deny the conclusion. For, although we may not think our pedobaptist brother has been properly baptized, still he believes it, and we are therefore willing for him to examine himself on this point, and come to the Sacrament on his own faith. All Protestant churches regard the Sacrament as representing the same thing. They all agreeing together on this point, why not then commune together, and walk together as far as we are agreed? We agree about preaching, praying and singing together. Why not in communing together?

To illustrate this, let me call your attention to the celebration of the Fourth of July in this country. Custom points out this day to be celebrated as the birthday of our nation. Now each state in this great republic has its own constitution, differing in some respects from all the other states. Yet each and every American can join together in the celebration of this clay, and eat at the same table and sing the same national airs, and yet they may differ widely as to the policy of the general government.

Now, the Lord's Supper is the celebrating of the death of Christ. Churches, like states, have their own peculiar government and opinions, on many points differing from one another. But in celebrating the death of Christ, or birthday of a great nation, with Protestants there can be but one faith on this point. Then, who can, who dare, to say to his pious neighbor, and brother, that because he is in a church differing on some minor points, that he has no part nor lot, in this matter? God forbid that any of us should do this!

(From, Benoni Stinson and the General Baptists by A. D. Williams)

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