Another Anabaptist on baptism and the supper
From the Schleitheim Confession (1527) presided over by Michael Sattler (1490-1527):
So it shall be and must be, that whoever does not share the calling of the one God to one faith, to one baptism, to one spirit, to one body together with all the children of God, may not be made one loaf together with them, as must be true if one wishes truly to break bread according to the command of Christ.
Interesting quote. If Sattler, as an Anabaptist, holds to “one baptism” as water baptism, and more specifically, to believers’ baptism (I won’t say by immersion, because I believe the Anabaptists had not yet come to this position in Sattler’s day), then this quote could be seen as supporting “closed communion.” However, when he says “one body together with all the children of God,” it would seem he would support “open communion.”
Anybody have any insights?
David,
You’ve pinpointed the reason that I placed this quote on my blog. It seems that Sattler at least was struggling with the question of open/closed communion, as well as with the question of local/universal church. Since this is a short quote, it is difficult to make strict judgements.
Thanks for the comment,
– Alan