The Draft Ecclesiastical Ordinances September & October 1541 of Calvin’s
“The Sunday before the celebration [of the Lord’s Supper], intimation is to be made, in order that no child come before it has made profession [footnote 60: the profession] of its faith as proved by examination by the Catechism….”
(p67 cited from Calvin, John, Calvin: Theological Treatises Library of Christian Classics Volume XXII, Translated with Introduction and Notes by J. K. S. Reid (London, SCM Press, 1954))
Does anyone happen to know at what age children in Calvin’s
If The Catechism of the Church of Geneva that is a Plan for Instructing Children in the Doctrine of Christ (1545) (Reid, p83ff) is any thing to go by, it would require pretty serious learning. The Catechism is divided up into material for 55 Sundays and runs to about 50 pages in Reid.
I think I’m in favour of giving the Supper to covenant children as soon as they can eat solids and manage the cup, but I guess perhaps the case for this is even stronger in a church which has had Evangelical teaching for a generation, when all those who have been baptised will be the children of professing believers and covenant members, rather than in a first generation Reformation situation?
In any case, Calvin’s standard of profession is clearly far too high. Not that we shouldn’t aim high, but not as an entry requirement. There is no theological exam or a scary interview panel for admittance to either the Lord’s Supper or the Wedding Feast of the Lamb! If the child is baptised, his parents are professing believers in good standing, and he says “Jesus is Lord!” with all appearance of sincerity and wants to eat, I cannot see that we can dare to forbid him the Lord’s Supper when Jesus himself accepts him and says suffer the little children to come to me. Like another excluded person, the child might very well say: “Look, here is bread and wine. Why shouldn’t I be fed?” (c.f. Acts 8:36 and note that even if v37 is original, its hardly a catechetical examination like Calvin’s!).
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I think some more research needs to be done on Eastern Orthodox Practices. If they baptise, confirm and give first communion all at the same time, there must be a way of giving bread and wine to the infant from a very early age. Does anyone out there know of any Orthodox manuals of liturgy that might help us out on this one.
What are these 'covenant children'?
WHO are these covenant children surely?
They are the children of those in the covenant people of God (that is to say the visible church, those baptised, professing faith in Christ and in good standing with a local congregation).
They are the recipients of promises from God not made to children outside the covenant - including of course the New Covenant promise of Jer 31 (cf. Jer 32:39; also Acts 2:39). They are holy, unlike non-covenant children (1 Cor 7:14).
I'm delighted to note in the Diocese of Norwich's Handbook that "Children are permitted to receive communion in this diocese on the basis of their baptism."
Must go, as my covenant child is awake and bawling!
Yes, Daniel, I agree. I think it was John Hind, the Bishop of Chichester who told me this. He said he would prefer something like that though he would grant permission to child communion. He was concerned not to have a 2 stage initiation that seperates baptism and confirmationb / communion as I understand it.
I think the Eastern Orthodox always practice communion by intiction (dipping wafer). Could a child manage a soggy wafer, in your medical opinion?
And I agree with Rev'd Mr Jeffers MTh (distinction) Cert Min (distinction)! C.f. children of covenant members in OT. NT: These promises are for you and for your children - otherwise Day of Pentecost greatest Excommunication in the history of the Church.
Have you started blogging yet, Neil?
Not yet.
Maybe after camp.
My understanding is that EO force-feed by intinction straight after baptism (or perhaps give in one kind - wine only), but that after that many wait until the child is old enough to manage the elements before communing them again. Of course, no Reformed paedocommunionist I'm aware of argues for anything other than giving baptised children communion from the time they're physically capable of consuming.
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