New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-07-12
spurgeon's Views of Communion

No name is to-day more illustrious
in the Baptist denomination than that
of Charles H. Sturgeon. His brilliant
talent, extraordinary eloquence, fer
vent zeal, devoted piety, and wonder
full success have won for him world
wide reputation His sermons have
been published in this country, both
in books and newspapers by hundreds
of thousands. His is the largest Bap-
fist church, we believe, in the world.
The views of such a Baptist, there
fore, on the subject of communion are
of peculiar interest 1t is well known
that he is an advocate of open com
munion, and that such is the practice
of his church, His views on the sub
iect have been omitted from his SER
mons-we will not say with how much
or how little dishonesty-by the close
communion American Baptist publish
ers; but they are found freely ex-
pressed in the English editions.
In. a sermon, for instance, on the
text These be they who separate
themselves fJude I91 we find very
strong expression in favor of open
communion. This in the American
edition is one of the mutilated SER
mons: but the English edition, besides
other pungent sentences contains the
following forcible and eloquent plea
for unity at the Lords table:
There is not a Christian beneath
the scope of Gods heaven from whom
| am separated. At the Lords table
I always invite all Christians to come
and sit down and commune with us.
Ii any man were to tell me that / am
separate from the Episoopalian, the
Presbyterian, or the Methodist,
would tell him he did not know me,
for l love them with a pure heart fer
vently, and | am not separate from
them. This bears rather hard on our
strict communion Baptists. l should
not like to say anything hard against
them, for they are about the best peo-
pie in the world; but they really do
separate themselves from the great
body of Christ's people. They sepa-
rate themselves from the great uniYer-
sal Church. They say they will not
commune with it, and if any one comes
to their table who has not been bap-
tized they turn him away. The pulse
of Christ is communion; aud woe to
the Church that seeks TO cure the ills
of Christ's Church by stopping its
pulse
Il think it a sin to refuse to COM
mune with any one who is a member
of the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 should think myself grossly in fault
if at the foot of these stairs I should
meet a truly converted child of God,
who called himself Primitive Meth
odist, or Wesleyan, or a Churchman,
or an Independent, and l should say,
No, sir, you do not agree with me ON
certain points. ] believe you are a
child Of God, but I will have nothing
to do with you Ishould then think
the text would bear very hard on me
These be they who separate them
selves, sensual, having not the Spirit.''
We do not know, ia all the range Of
Baptist literature a more terse and
admirable plea for open communion.
Itturns the tables completely upon the
close Communicates. 1t makes close
communion the sin--the sin Of big6tfy
and sehism We scarcely wonder
that such bold utterances should have
been hushed by strict communion pub
fishers. Too deadly thrusts does
Sturgeon make at the idol Of scotia
Eiani7m to please in this the High
Church Baptists. So they resort to
the cowardly practice Of striking from
his sermons all such passages. The
above quotation was sent 10 as by an
English Baptist clergyman. We doubt
Il auy regular Baptist newspaper
would have tie courage 70 publish IL
Church E'asga
General Grant. after twenty I've years Of
fn Il 60