An Apology for Religious Services Accompanying the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
James Dodson
[from The Reformed Presbyterian, Vol. VII., No. 4. June, 1843. pp. 137-143.]
The scriptural observance of the holy institution which commemorates the death of our Redeemer, has always been regarded with the liveliest interest among his sincere followers. It has produced the most earnest enquiries into its properties, design and form; it has long and often tasked and employed the most powerful minds in its examination and defence; and has not unfrequently brought the witnesses of Christ to the stake and the scaffold in its vindication. It has been clothed and even overwhelmed with the grossest corruption of anti-christ, perverted by the pride of human reason, made at times the shibboleth of sectarianism; and indeed to a careful observer, it presents the aspect, in almost all its history, of having been the hottest part of the battle ground on which the friends and foes of truth have met. Nor does it occupy a less important place in the exercises of the truly devout, who seek the face of the Lord God of Israel. They have always deemed its acceptable and profitable observance of the highest moment, and devoted much of their time to a serious and appropriate preparation, and afterwards to ascertain and acquire its precious fruits. To these last ends a large part of the churches of the Reformation have agreed in appointing certain religious services, preceding, accompanying and following its administration. God’s glory in Christ, the edification of his people, and, the preservation of the purity of divine institutions, it is believed were the. objects contemplated. These services have in some churches Comprehended an appropriation of the Sabbath preceding the sacrament to such instructions as more immediately related to, that service; a day of fasting and humiliation for the special purpose of calling sin to remembrance, whether common to the congregation or peculiar to individuals, and enforcing the duties of repentance and reformation; a day of religious services, moreover, immediately preceding the Sabbath appointed for the sacrament in which the minds of intending communicants should be further occupied in meditating on the holy and heavenly mysteries of Christ’s redemption and their obligations, and at the close of which in a session constituted for that purpose, in the presence of the whole congregation, the terms of communion are exhibited, in testimony of assent to and agreement in which, tokens of admission to the Lord’s table are given by the minister, and received by all intending communicants present; and finally, after employing the morning and evening hour of worship in the ordinary and stated services of a sacrament on the Sabbath, on the Monday following the communicants and their families assemble to give solemn thanks to God. To this may be subjoined that the sacrament itself is immediately preceded by the reading and explaining of the words of institution, (1 Cor. xi. 23—28,), as a divine warrant for its observance, and the Monday’s services closed with a brief and appropriate exhortation to the people, a revision of the texts which have been the subjects of ministerial instruction from the commencement to the end, and the reading of select and suitable portions of scripture appointed for the occasion.
Most of these services, and to a great extent, all of them, have long been observed in the established Church of Scotland, and the dissenting presbyterian bodies originating, in that church. An apology for these services as still observed among Reformed Presbyterians, is now humbly proposed.
And first, it may here be enquired, what scriptural and reasonable objection can be offered to such services in detail or in their aggregate, when considered apart from the solemn occasion on which they are in the present instance observed? The sum and substance of them are the preaching of the word, and the assembling of the disciples in holy convocation for the worship of God. Now with respect to the first of these two, the ministers of the word are enjoined all diligence, frequency, constancy. “Preach the word, be instant in season and out of season—do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” 2 Tim. iv. 2, 5. The substance of this most expressive and urgent command is spread over the whole commission of the servants of Christ, and most conclusively clears them from any charge of supererogation, or going beyond, when they take any reasonable opportunity of addressing the counsels of eternal wisdom to the people. With respect to the assembling of the people of God for their instruction and his worship, as it is not to be supposed his ministers are to “preach the word” to naked walls and empty seats, when they essay to be instant in his service “in season and out of season,” so the directions of God’s word are equally plain to them in justifying their attendance.—“Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thess. v. 20, 21. “Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls as they that must give account.” “Not forsaking the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” Heb. xii. 17; x. 25. And so in connection with other solemn social duties of religion. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Col. iii. 16. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance.” Eph. vi. 18.
Now if the ministers of religion are thus urged to diligence and constancy, “in season and out of season,” it will hardly be affirmed that an appropriation of their labors to such an occasion is unseasonable and unreasonable; or that the people are in danger of falling thereby into superstition. The nature of the Lord’s supper as a sacrament of the New Testament, its design, its signification, its right observance form themes of instruction which can never fail, nor are ministers or people like to attain to such measure of knowledge as to leave no farther room for improvement. The possession of a humble and penitent frame of mind is not of so easy and ready acquisition as to render unseasonable and unnecessary a day of fasting and humiliation for sin. And in fine, if religious services “out of season,” that is beyond the ordinary observance, are dutiful at any time, they will be so at a time when it is of special importance to have the mind composed, and the affections elevated for the holy duty of communion with God in the death of his Son.
If the religious services themselves observed on these occasions were in any instance an innovation upon divine institutions or a deviation from them, there might be some ground of objection. But they are in all their details a succession of such religious duties as are commonly observed in the Sabbath services of all Presbyterian congregations. The only instance in which a shadow of exception can be taken is the exhibition of terms of communion and the distribution of tokens of admission to the table of the Lord. The former of these has countenance in the practice of many Presbyterian and congregational churches in which those who commune for the first time make a public profession of their faith—is confirmed from the evident propriety of a frequent consideration of our Christian profession and engagements as witnesses for the truth—and from the direct and solemn charges given in the scripture to “hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering.” Heb. x. 23. 1 Tim. vi. 12. Matt. x. 32, 33. The other when subjected to an impartial and calm examination will be found, it is believed, a form, wholly in the spirit of the Apostolic injunction that “all things be done decently and in order;” and a form calculated to guard against indiscriminate admission to the Lord’s table, and a rash and inconsiderate approach. Are the conventional arrangements of society for the preservation of order and decorum to be observed with so much decency and respect, and shall any one without a blush reproach the Church of God for her precaution?
But to leave this question; who shall object that christians should appropriate a portion of their time in view of the Lord’s supper to divinely instituted religious services, designed, and it is hoped calculated to improve them in the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, to revive the exercise of languishing graces, to stir up to self-examination, to awaken to renewed repentance, and to the exercise of a more earnest and living faith in a crucified Redeemer? Shall these services and such duties, right at all other times, “in season and out of season,” be then only wrong when observed in connection with the most solemn institution of Christ?
A further consideration in vindication of these services is found in the plain connection of the Lord’s supper with the sacrament of the Passover, which it succeeded. The evangelists so narrate the observance of both as to represent them almost interwoven with one another, and at least, as following in close and immediate succession. Matt. xxvi. 26, “And as they were eating,” (viz. the Passover, verse 19, &c.) “Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave” &c. Mark xiv.22, “And as they did eat,” (the Passover, ver. 16,) “Jesus took bread,” &c. In like manner the gospel according to Luke, though not so explicit, shows the connection between the two. Luke xxii. 13-20. The apostle Paul moreover in an exhortation plainly relating to the due observance of the Lord’s supper, uses language wholly derived from the Old Testament institution. “Purge out the old leaven, that ye ma y be a new lump, as ye are unleavened; For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast,” &c. 1 Cor. v. 7, 8.
No person of ordinary understanding in the scriptures will hesitate to acknowledge the entire unity of the two institutions in this signification, “the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” John i. 29. Now while it is remarkable that circumcision, “a seal of the righteousness of faith,” (Rom. iv. 11,) which has been so clearly succeeded and superseded by the sacrament of baptism (Col. ii. 11, 12,) was observed without any required religious services, the sacrament of the passover was observed with attendant services which occupied several days, at least a week. Exod. xii. 3-20. Now will it be maintained that there was no moral instruction in this remarkable distinction? One reason for the difference very naturally presents itself and is equally applicable to the two corresponding institutions of the New Testament. Both circumcision under the Old Testament and baptism under the New, were designed mainly as initiatory seals, for infant members of the church. These are naturally incapable of intellectual instruction, of exhortations to the duty of repentance, to the practice of self-examination, and to the more direct and solemn obligations of taking and renewing covenant engagements. The seal of the covenant that related specially to such was administered therefore with great simplicity and without the observance of any religious services designed to communicate instruction, or excite to the more careful cultivation of personal duties. But the Passover, designed for adults, of any age, capable of instruction, and susceptible of having their attention roused to the discharge of, important duties, had connected with it many significant rites to occupy and draw their minds to its import. The whole institution, moreover, was proper to the Abrahamic covenant, and constituted no integral part of the covenant at Sinai. However, it may be in these rites, marked by the yet infant and typical state of the Church, it was yet a part of the Covenant before the law was given, and is not, any more than circumcision was, a part of the law. Gal. iii. 17. The natural inference therefore is, that the religious services, instituted with the Passover, furnish an important moral instruction, respecting the observance of the corresponding sacrament of the New Testament. Did the believing and pious Jew then satisfy himself with the mere form of selecting some few days before the Passover, the destined paschal lamb? Or would he not learn from this preparatory rite, the duty of employing his mind in preparatory meditations on the solemn service in which he was about to be engaged? Most significantly would it present to his view that long looked for Redeemer who was chosen from among the people, and sanctified and sealed to be a sacrifice for their sins. In the institution of the disuse on that occasion of leaven which was to be carefully excluded, would he not see the necessity of purging out the old leaven of malice and wickedness, and of keeping the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth? If this were not so, we are forced to the alternative of supposing that for many successive centuries the chosen and only true worshippers of God were bound to the observance of forms and ceremonies to them senseless, frigid and unmeaning—an alternative too much at variance with the wisdom and goodness of God, and the spirituality of his worship to be admitted. Indeed, it is a conclusion reasonable and unavoidable, that these attendant rites were alike significant with the prominent symbol of the paschal lamb itself, and were appointed to convey to the minds of the worshippers instruction and matter of meditation suited to the solemn service of which indeed, they were an integral part. How reasonable therefore is it to infer that in the still more lively and spiritual service of the New Testament, it is altogether agreeable to its nature, design and institution, that the worshippers should be employed in religious duties clearly scriptural in their nature, and calculated the better to prepare them for its right observance and improvement. Besides, it is remarkable, that at least the first observance of this solemn festival, was with such religious ceremonies, and that by our Lord himself its glorious Author, and his disciples in communion with him. For it is impossible to separate from that first observance, all those holy duties of mind, signified by the separation and designation of the paschal lamb, in relation to himself its antitype—and such as were signified by the unleavened bread which he would require in his disciples. It will surely not be deemed a superstitious observance, that the first supper of the New Testament was providentially observed with various religious services pregnant with instruction, nor will it be deemed a fact of no interest or meaning that we behold that first observance presented to us arrayed with the drapery of the Passover. Who will doubt, that impartially considers this matter, that as we behold the meaning of the one passing into that of the other, so the attendant care, preparation, instruction and devotion, which marked the former have passed along with the import, into the observance of the latter.
It would, it is believed, be scarcely possible to find a religious service more clearly determined by scriptural example, than that which the sober-minded worshippers of God find in the example of Christ and his disciples, in the very first celebration of the New Testament feast, for those, services of religion, in which they engage, to improve and prepare themselves for its observance now.
We hope it has been made out in these brief remarks, that these services are in themselves, clearly scriptural, at all times proper, and not less so when so observed—that they are most appositely connected with a service succeeding the Passover, which was thus observed—and that, by a singular providence, the very first celebration of this New Testament feast, was so connected with services of a similar nature, as that “the pattern itself shewn us in the mount,” strongly suggests their obligation in order to a truly scriptural observance of this divine institution.
Other considerations bearing on this subject might be adduced. These, it is believed, will be found conclusive and, satisfactory to such as are desirous of knowing and obeying the truth, and their own meditations from matter here suggested, will render it unnecessary farther to enlarge.