The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1888-05-05
THE MEMORIAL.

THE BREAD.-The Passover was memo
Israelites from Egyptian bondage. The feast
itsel f is a repetition of the one prescribed by
Moses by Divine direction, and partaken of
on the eve of their departure from Egypt.
The bitter sauce, or salad of bitter herbs,
with which the unleavened bread and roasted
lamb were eaten, symbolizsd the bitter ex-
perience of the bondage from which they had
been delivered by the providence of GoD.
The cup of wine was symbol of the blood
which marked the houses of the devout Isra-
elites who escaped the fatal plague that de-
stroyed the princes and the sacred cattle of
the Egyptians, causing the king to command
the departure of his apparently Divinely IA
vored subjects out of the afflicted land. In
the ceremonies of the feast all these symbols
were explained by the master or head of the
amily. Wegive an example of the language
9 mployed in explaining the symbolry of the
Passover feast: "This is the body of the
lamb which our fathers ate in Egypt" This
language may have suggested the form
ula by which JESUS symbolized himself as he
served the bread and wine to his disciples.
During the progress of the Memorial Supper,
or, it may be, when the Passover meal with
its ceremonies was ended, JESUS took an un-
leavened cake and blessed, that is, pro-
nounced form of blessing upon the bread,
and broke it, and gave it in pieces to the dis
ciples, saying, Take, eat; this is my body"
The language employed is the common Bib
licaI language of symbolry: "The seed is the
word of GoD;" the field is the world" The
identity implied is that of likeness rather
than substance, the language being meta
phorical. The incident described lie speci-
men of symbolic teaching, like the washing
of the disciples feet and the discourse on the
Bread of Life recorded by John wi. 26; xiii.
LID. JESUS changed the imagery of the
bread and wine employed in the Passover,
but he may not have intended to institute
perpetual rite. "Do this" he says, sin
memory of me-" but how often, or for how
long, is not declared.
THE CUP.-The wine represented the blood
of the Passover lamb, which was sprlnkled
on the door-posts of the houses of Israel as
the sign of GoD's covenant or promise to
spare his oppressed people from the plague
that would affiict their oppressors, the Egypt
ians. 1t was on appropriate symbol, wine
being called the "blood of grapes" Genesis
xix. IL. All leaven (ferment) being ex-
Guided from the feast, we may assume that
the wine was new, and as, according to the
scholars, it was mixed with a double quantity
of water, it was assuredly temperance
drink. The example of JESUS may not au-
thorize the use of pure water in the Commun-
ion; it certainly will not sanction the use of
alcoholic liquor. JESUS declares the wine to
be a symbol of his own blood, which was
about to be shed as the sign of a covenant to
redeem mankind from the dominion and
bondage of sin. The Apostle Paul declares
that the bread and wine, symbols of his flesh
and blood, represent, in the Lords Supper,
the death of CHRIST. The death of CHRIST is
sign of Cons loving purpose-the pledge
of his love-to save all men (see John iii. 16;
Romans V. 81. JESUS probably did not par
take with his disciples of the bread and wine
which he employed in the new symbolism,
and virtually announces that his death is at
hand. and that he will no more join in earth
ly rites, but that he will sup with them rev
elation iii. 20) in his Fathers heavenly king
dom-the realization of all his symbols of
truth and life.
"THE C0MMUNI0N."-The new symbol
ism of the supper made profound and last
ing impression upon the disciples, and is per-
petuated in the Christian Church in what is
called "The Communion of the Lords Sup
per-" The disciples, soon after the Assem-
ion OF their Lord, initiated his simple cere-
money in their regular Sunday services of
religion and worship (Acts ii. AZ; Xxx. u. They
observed the ceremony in memory of their
departed Master. 1t was a symbol of his
presence till the time of his declared coming.
GAS often as ye eat this bread, and drink
the cup, ye proclaim the Lords death till he
come" wrote Paul Il Corinthians Ii. 26).
The disciples probably had no thought of
permanent institution or perpetual rite. May
not the perpetustion of the Lords Supper"
as a rite or ordinance in the Christian Church
have been owing to misconception of the
coming of CHRIST, which regards it as still
future event2 We believe the Society of
Friends, the people called Quakers, prop
erly interpret the Scriptures respecting
the Lords Supper; but we by no means rec
ommend their practice with respect to the
Christian rite. The proper Interpretation of