—Communion—The difference between Christian and Church Fellowship, and between Communion and its Symbols; embracing a Review of the arguments of the Rev. Robert Hall, and Rev. Baptist W. Noel, in favour of Mixed Communion. By G. F. Curtis, A. M. [pp. 557-574]

Close Communion.
nomination in England. Booth and Fuller laboured hard to
support the sectarian principle of close communion: but by
the arguments of Robert Hlall in favour of free communion
among all true Christians, a great change has come over the
ministers and members of the Baptist churches in that country;
so that it is said, the practice is likely to be prevalent through
that respectable and orthodox body of Christians, especially
since the Rev. Baptist Noel has come out so strongly in its
favour.
The subject has been but little agitated, publicly, by the
Baptist Churches ill America. They have continued to maintain great unanimity and conformity with one another on this
point. But we venture to predict that the time is rapidly approaching, when this subject will agitate the church from the
centre to the circumference of the body.. The wave is already
in motion, which threatens, at last, to sweep away this exclusive schismatic principle of restricted communion from the
face of the Protestant world.
This is a principle which sets up an exclusive barrier between
the communion of real Christians, who cannot but love one
another. Sooner or later, it must come down. The religious
spirit of our age has a strong tendency to free communion
among all who love the Lord Jesus Christ; and this current is
so strong, that it is bearing the pious Baptist along with it;
at first, a.gainst his principles; and next, by leading him to
renounce those narrow views which restrain him from communing with those whom he acknowledges to be his brethren,
and whom he sincerely loves as belonging to Christ, and bearing his image.
Although this subject has not been much agitated in this country, many pious members of the Baptist Church have often
been troubled and perplexed in regard to it. They have not
been able to understand why the disciples of Christ, who recognise each other as such, should be kept apart from Christian communion and fellowship, on account of a difference of
opinion and practice, relative to another ordinance, which both
parties acknowledge to be a divine institution, and obligatory
on Christians. There is, doubtless, a strong undercurrent
of such sentiments, among many of the most pious and ex
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