The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-24
important for believers to know.
'o6 en- some of the Christian fathers

ISp 20 en- some of the Christian fathers
mal. Gained that the commission to
baptize was not given till after the
resurrection, and in the memorable
rds,-"Go ye into all the world"
etc. Mark xvi, Is. Is it, therefore,
wise to perpetrate SO offensive an inde-
cency against Christian courtesy, as to
drive believers from the communion
table for the want of baptism by i'm
mersion, when it cannot even be proved
that the twelve who ate with our Lord
had been baptized in any form whatso-
everp
Furthermore. In the comparisons
of moral turpitude, what is the mega
tive baseness of not going under the
water in baptism, compared to the pos
tive crime of selling our Lords life for
thirty pieces of silver? May we sup
pose that Jesus would eat with so great
a felon as Judas, by reason of his bap-
tism, but would drive away from his
table the angel Gabriel, because he had
not been under the water !? With what
frivolous indecency and conceit of opin-
ion do we hedge about the last supper,
and grievously affront the example of
our Lord himself Paul does indeed
say, "That he that eateth and drinketh
nnworthily, eateth and drinketh con-
demnation to himself" 1 Cor. XII, 29.
But this is not to say that the unworthy
should not eat and drink at all. Is not
the eating and drinking memorial to
another, and not to ourselves Jesus
did not ask us to do this in remem-
brance of ourselves, but in remem-
brance of him. Does he make any
interdiction as to the worthiness of
those who eat ? Theeye is turned out
ward and not inward. We are not de-
monstrating the holiness of ourselves,
but fastening in our memories the holi-
ness of Jesus.
The significance of the paschal sup
per will always aid us as to the signifi-
canoe of the Lords supper. They are
both historical memorials. One occu-
pies the place in Christianity whichth the
other does in Judaism. But what Jew
would have wished to debar another
Jew from the memory of the passage
outof Egypt What Hebrew statute
based the privilege of keeping the Pass
over upon the moral or ritualistic quail
ifications of the participant? The
whole nation was expected to observe
the feast after their families, and in
due form. The Fourth of July is like
memorial day IN the United States.
But what if little coterie of the Oldest
citizens claimed to be so exclusively
American-so exclusively the descend
ants of the Pilgrims, and so exquisitely
patriotic, and followed so exactly in
the footsteps of our fathers, that they
alone had the just and exclusive claims
to celebrate our national independence?
These would be political close commun-
ionists. They would justly become the
mocking butts for all the gibes and rail-
lery of the land. Supreme mockery
would be the just reward of their auda-
cious sconceit. Instead of exclusive rights
to celebrate our independence, the true
patriot would rejoice in the universal
privilege to remember the glorious oc-
casion. With gladness and joy should
we be told that every heart upon the
American continent responded to the
jubilee of the day. With emotions of
supreme delight we should learn that
Europe, and Africa, and Asia, and the
far islands of the sea, run up the stars
and stripes, beat their drums, sounded
their bugles, and shook the earth with
the roar of their cannon, to do honor to
freedoms great day of glory on Amer
ican soil. But if only those without
fault might celebrate the grand ami
versaries of the world, what little cor
ner shows we should have
So of the supper in memory of the
death of Jesus. It's sOlemnities cannot
be restricted to saints and angels in the
flesh. Such restriction was never in
tended. Such restriction is not accord
ing to the example of the Master. 1t is
a table for the average Christian-for
such good and bad as Jesus himself
accepted-it is for all who would keep
his memory green and fresh among
mankind and in their own hearts.