The “Restoration Movement” began with a conflict over who
could be allowed to take of the Lord’s Supper. Many churches in the 18th and
19th century tried controlling their denominations with something called
“closed communion.” Only members of a specific denomination, who agreed with
that denomination's specific creeds and teachings, were allowed to partake of
the “Lord’s Supper” with that group. Communion was “closed” to anyone outside
the denomination.
The man who started all the fuss was named Thomas Campbell -
a preacher for the “Old light, Anti-burgher, Seceder” Presbyterian church. Each
of those titles (that prefaced Presbyterian) represented divisions within the
Presbyterian church. For example, “Seceder” Presbyterians selected their own
ministers, while “Anti-Seceder” Presbyterians had their ministers selected by a
High-Church counsel.
Each division within the Presbyterian denomination
maintained their purity of doctrine through “closed communion”, and at times
would have new participants pass a “test” which assured agreement with their
doctrines. If the new person passed the test, they were given a coin (like the
ones shown here) and on Communion Sunday would be allowed put their coin in the
plate and essentially “buy” the right to partake.
Thomas Campbell had always struggled with the divisions
between the Presbyterian churches (and had tried unsuccessfully to preach unity
while in Scotland). But when he moved to Pennsylvania he put his principles
into practice. In one of his Communion Day sermons, he urged all who were
Christians and who present at the service, to partake – whether they were part
of his denomination or not. That didn’t go over well with his Presbytery.
Thomas was branded a heretic and they threw him out.
In the meantime, in Scotland, Thomas’ son Alexander was
about to take part in the semi-annual communion service of the Seceder
Presbytery, and (because he’d recently moved to the area) he had to take the
“test” so he could show his doctrinal purity and obtain his communion coin. This
posed no problem, since he knew the answers they sought, but he struggled with
his conscience. Because of his study of Scripture and the influence of others
he’d respected, Alexander had gotten to the point where he couldn’t agree with
the “Seceder” doctrines any longer. He dropped his coin in the plate and left
without taking of the Lord’s Supper.
When Alexander ultimately came to the United States, and
when he and his father reunited, they found they’d both come to similar
conclusions on Scripture. They began meeting with other Presbyterians, as well
as with Baptists and Methodists who shared their desire to abandon man-made
rules and regulations and embrace the Bible as their sole source of authority.
Thus began what has become known as the “Restoration Movement.”
The struggle over the Lord’s Supper that Thomas and
Alexander endured is the reason why, to this day, communion in all Churches of
Christ and Christian churches of our brotherhood is open to whoever attends -
and whether those present partake or not is based solely upon their conscience.
https://books.google.com/books?id=z2SLDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&dq=closed+communion+anti-burgher+Presbyterian&source=bl&ots=RbghMKeon1&sig=ACfU3U2_BQ23amkVMUkUZ784m7A9wk54MQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj9uoXflZ3lAhUBaq0KHW7XBksQ6AEwCXoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=closed%20communion%20anti-burgher%20Presbyterian&f=falsef=false
Comments
Post a Comment