The Lord's Supper, called also the "Eucharist," and the "Communion," is the most sacred act of Christian worship, and the highest expression of the mysteries of our holy religion. It is a service in which bread and wine--the _loaf_ and the _cup_--are used to represent the body and the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, slain for us. The bread is _broken,_ distributed, and eaten; the wine is _poured,_ distributed, and drunk by the members of the assembled church, to show the sacrifice of Christ, His body broken, and His blood shed for their redemption; and that by His death they have life. Being begotten of God through the operation of the Spirit, their new life is sustained and nourished by mystically feeding on Him who is the Bread of God, which came down from heaven to give life to the world. He said: "This do in remembrance of Me." "As oft as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye proclaim the Lord's death, till He come." "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you." "Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life." "He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him." It is a Divine reality, though a sublime mystery. OPEN AND CLOSE COMMUNION The controversy between Baptists and other denominations, so far as the Lord's Supper is concerned, has no reference to its nature, the purpose for which it was instituted, the manner of its administration, or the effect of the elements on the participants. It has reference simply to the proper _subjects_ for participation in the privilege. Who may, and who may not properly and of right come to the Lord's Table? On the question of what are the Scriptural qualifications of participants, Baptist and Pedobaptists differ--differ not as to the general rule to be applied, but as to its particular application. And this particular application leads to the controversy on what is called _"close communion,"_ as practiced by Baptists, and to what is called _"open communion,"_ as practiced by Pedobaptists. _What is open communion? Open,_ free or mixed communion is, strictly speaking, that which allows any one who desires, and believes himself qualified, to come to the Lord's Table, without any questions being asked, or conditions imposed by the church in which the ordinance is observed. But ordinarily the term is applied to the practice of the greater part of the Pedobaptist churches, which hold that _sprinkling_ is lawful baptism, and invite, not all persons, but members of all evangelical churches, whatever be their view of church order and ordinances; holding them all as being baptized because they have been sprinkled.