Exposition

They are to be admitted to the Lord’s supper by the church, 1. Who are of a proper age to examine themselves, and to commemorate the Lord’s death, according to the command: “This do ye in remembrance of me.” “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread.” Ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.” (1 Cor. 11:25, 26, 28.) The infant children of the church are, therefore, not admitted to the use of the Lord’s supper, even though they are included among the number of the faithful.

2. Those who are baptized, and who by baptism are made members of the church. The covenant entered into with God in baptism, is renewed in the observance of the Lord’s supper. It was for this reason that none, except those who were first circumcised, were permitted to eat the passover. Therefore, Turks, Jews and all other aliens from the church are to be debarred from the use of the supper.

3. Those who profess true repentance and faith in word and in deed, or who exhibit a profession of faith and repentance in their deportment, whether it be made truly and sincerely, or by secret hypocrisy. The church is not to judge in regard to that which is secret and hidden. It, therefore, admits all whom it judges to be members of Christ, that is, all whom it hears and sees professing repentance and faith by confession, and the external deportment of the life, whether they be truly pious, or hypocrites whose true character is not yet known.

Those, however, are not to be admitted to the Lord’s table, who simply declare that they believe all these things, whilst they continue to lead ungodly and sinful lives; for he that says he believes, and yet has not the fruits of faith, lies, and denies in deed what he affirms in words, according to the declaration of the Apostle, where he says: “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him; being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” (Tit. 1:16.) So the apostle James declares, James 2:20. “That faith without works is dead.”

The reasons why only those are to be admitted to the Lord’s supper, who by confession and life profess repentance and faith, are:

1. Because the church would profane the covenant of God, if it were to admit to the holy communion the unbelieving and impenitent; for he that does a thing, and he that consents to it are regarded in the same light by the law. To profane the covenant of God, is to commend and recognize those as the confederates, or friends of God, who are his enemies, and to represent God as such an one, as is in league with hypocrites and wicked men. There are two ways in which the covenant of God is profaned. The one is by administering the signs of the covenant to those, to whom God promises nothing; the other is by using the signs without repentance and faith. For they do not only profane the covenant of God, who take to themselves the signs of the covenant, whilst they are impenitent, but those also, who knowingly and willingly administer the signs to such persons as God has excluded from his covenant. Those, therefore, who give the signs of the covenant to. the ungodly, make God the friend of the wicked, and make the children of the devil the children of God.

2. If the church were to admit to the Lord’s supper, knowingly and willingly those who by confession and life, declare themselves infidels and ungodly, the wrath of God would be kindled against the whole congregation. And that the wrath of God is in this way kindled against the church, the apostle Paul clearly affirms when he says: “For this cause many are weak, and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” (1 Cor. 11:30, 81.) God is, therefore, angry with those who consent to, or connive at the profanation of this sacrament and punishes them, because he punishes the wicked who were admitted by their consent; for the Lord’s supper is equally profaned by both.

3. Christ has given command not to admit such as are ungodly at his table. If any one denies the existence of such a command in reference to the Lord’s supper, the sense, or substance of it may easily be proven, since Christ instituted his supper for his disciples, and for them alone, as may be inferred from what he said: “With desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you” “Take this, and divide it among yourselves” “This cup is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you” (Luke 22:15, 17, 19. ) The Lord’s supper was, therefore, instituted for the disciples of Chris* alone, and so the command, Take this, &c., pertains to them. All others, for whom Christ has not died, are excluded. To these reasons we may add the following.

4. Clear and forcible demonstration: Those who deny the faith, are not to be regarded as members of the church, no not even of the visible church. All those now who refuse to repent, deny the faith according to what the Apostle says: “They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him; being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” (Tit. 1:16.) Therefore, those who refuse to repent are not to be regarded even as members of the visible church, and so are not to be admitted to the sacraments of the church, but should be excluded from them as aliens, so long as they continue to lead impenitent and un godly lives. As for those hypocrites, however, whose true character is not known by the church, they are to be admitted to the Lord’s supper with the godly, as those who by confession and life profess repentance and faith. Yet none should come, except such as truly believe; for all others, including even those hypocrites whose true character is riot known by men, eat and drink judgment to themselves, and profane the Lord’s supper.

Obj. The church does not profane the covenant of God by admitting hypocrites to the Lord’s supper. Therefore, it does not profane it by admitting those who are known to be impenitent. We reply to the antecedent as follows: The church does not do wrong by admitting hypocrites, that is such as are not known to be hypocrites; because it is compelled to acknowledge them as sincere in view of the confession which they have made of their faith, and the repentance which they have feigned. But if the church were knowingly and willingly to admit known and avowed hypocrites, or such as deny repentance and faith, both in word and deed, it would do wrong. To this it is objected: But there are many impenitent persons who intrude themselves, and profane the covenant, especially where the proper discipline of the church is not maintained, and yet the church does no wrong in admitting them. Therefore, it is not wrong that other persons denying repentance should be admitted to the Lord’s table. Ans. The church in this case does no wrong, not because it is no sin to admit such as are impenitent, but because it admits them ignorantly not knowing that they are such. But the impenitent who push themselves forward to the Lord’s table, profane the covenant, not to the condemnation of the church, or of those who commune with them, but to their own guilt; for they by so doing bring judgment upon themselves. Yet the church should carefully observe and inquire into the character of those who are admitted to the Lord’s table, and the minister, where excommunication, or church disciple is not exercised, is excused, if he does not willingly administer the supper to those who abuse it, and if he is instant in admonishing and reproving them, and if he desires them to avoid these abuses; for “blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.” But the sin will rest upon others, viz: upon those who abuse the sacraments, and who connive at these things.