The New York herald., 1869-05-03
FIRST FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH.
sermon on Free Communion by Rev. G. f.
RlnIke.


The Rev. G. E. Blake delivered sermon on "Free
Communionn at the church In Seventeenth street,
near sixth avenue, last evening" in vindication OF
his views in favor Of free communion, which had
been denounced by other preachers q most absurd
practice The services were opened by singing, fol-
lowed by prayer by the PASTOR Ia which he
hoped that nothing would be said to pro-
woke controversy and that he might give the
truth as he believed. lie then read from
the eleventh chapter OF the First Corinthians, to
show the establishment Of the communion service.
"The charge brought t.against Free win Baptiss."
he said s that we guilty of the most awful and
absurd practices-of going TO the communion table
without being first baptised Nothing IN the Chris
tIan world has been agtated as this subject OF
communion unless, perhaps, ritualism." He knew
of nothing winch did not disturb the popular mind.
The mind takes hold Of subject and believes or dis
believes In proportion to Its development subjects
OF belief, which are clearly understood at pres
ent. have been mysteries heretofore, for the
reason that men were unwilling TO investigate
them: aud subjects which seem dark and
inscrutabe TO our minds, are no more mysterious,
no deeper than those over which our fathers stum-
bled. Even the SIMPLE memorizing OF the LORDS
death Is made subject OF controversy; men are
torn asunder because OF this difference OF opinion,
and wrange and create dissensions TO the method
or order OF taking the communion. The difference
e,ner the ord,s supper snail nrecede ba psm. or
the reverse; whether one shall be made subject to
the other-in fact, mere question OF precedence.
ID was asserted that baptism should come first;
tnIs was made the basis OF discrimination
between those parties who snail be allowed to come
10 the communion table and those who shall not.
What was the authority for this assertion IL there
any foundation for itY Christ had the right 10 es-
Ia1llsh His ordinances. and exercised It In giving
the communion as memento of Himself and bap-
tism as mement0 OF some things which lie did.
The communion lie founded the same night upon
which lie was betrayed, when, after having broken
the bread and blessed IT, DC, as related IN the Scrip
turcs lie enOncd upon His apostles, gathered around
linn at the last supper. "D0 this In remembrance
of met His crucinxion, burial and resurrection
followed: on the day Of His ascension lie Instituted
the sacrament OF baptism, when lie commanded His
disclples to ego. teach all nations, baptizing them
In the name OF the Father and OF the Son and OF the
Ioly Chost,r Can any one DOUBT that this was the
institution OF baptsm9 80, argued the lecturer
communion comes first, being the first established.
Yet II was declared that the apostles were all bap-
tized before they partook OF the Last Supper. No
proof was given for the assertion except that the
Lord could not be SO inconsistent to ad-
minister the communion to those not baptized.
But the apostles were not baptized before they had
commuDed, since the Holy Ghost had never been
impaired 10 them until Pentecost. st. Johns bap-
tisin was Ouy introduction 10 what was TO come,
to lie baptism established on Mount 0livet, since IL
was not a baptism by the Holy Ghost. As the COM
munion represented the suferngs OF Christ 10
should take precedence Of what represented his
death and resurrection, since lie must have