Joe,

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Since Paul’s letter is addressed to the adults in Corinth and he expects them to judge wisely (1 Cor. 10:15, etc.) it is apparent that the passage is addressed to adults, as infants: (1) could not understand, (2) could not discern, etc., etc., etc. And there would be no reason for children to have to understood or discerned since they did not partake of the LS. Least ye forget, infants and children are to obey their parents .... (Eph. 6:1).

I could easily turn this around to defend credobaptism.

"Since Peter being the teacher of "Repent and be baptized, was going to the house of Cornelius knew that infants could not repent and therefore in the household baptisms Peter excluded the infants."

As for Ephesians 6:1, it says that "Children are to obey their parents in the Lord ." If our children are not Christians then how do we teach them to obey us? To teach them the commandments of God apart from the redeeming work of Christ sounds like moralism to me.
Children should obey. Why? Because it is the right thing to do. Should we teach our children that they can do the right thing apart from the saving grace of Christ?!?! To tell a 2 year/3 year old that they must obey the parent but that they are not yet able to obey God would seem to bring on a type of schizophrenia. I don't yet have a familly so maybe I am speaking out of turn here.

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Each Jew is obligated to drink four cups of wine at these specific times during each Seder (i.e. order): the first at the start of the Seder, following Kiddush; the second before the meal, after reciting the Haggadah story; the third following the Grace After the Meal; and the last after completing Psalms of Praise (Hallel). The Four Cups represent the four expressions of deliverance promised by God (Ex. 6:6-7), "I will bring out," "I will deliver," "I will redeem," and "I will take."

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratch1.gif" alt="" />I guess what I'm asking here is, "What Biblical passage does God command that each person drink four cups of wine?" I'm stumped but it wouldn't be the first time. After 4 glasses of wine I'm not sure I'd be able to talk theology. Those guys must have been championes. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/cheers2.gif" alt="" />

I will take some extra time and attempt to digest the Bacon quotes.

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Why is it that you are blind to the covenant curses enforced at the LS and mentioned by Paul for improper discernment of the elements?

I'm not blind to them. I'm just looking at them differently than you are. I see "discerning the body" meaning to recognize that all of God's people ar e all to partake of one loaf, that though there are many members there is only one body and Christ being the head. I see discerning the body as recognizing that there is now in Christ neither Jew nor Greek nor rich nor poor but that all of God's people are to eat the supper together. I Cor 11:33 "So then, my brethern, when you come together to eat, wait for one another." My understanding is that to refuse Christians, who have been baptized into Christ, the supper is to not judge the body rightly. I am very aware of the curses.

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however they[infants] are not to partake of the elements as is apparent from church history

Really?

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After describing baptism as "regeneration," Clement of Alexandria (c. A.D. 150-210) writes,

As soon as we are regenerated, we are honoured by receiving the good news of the hope of rest. . . receiving through what is material the pledge of the sacred food.

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The liturgical instructions of the Apostolic Constitutions (late fourth century) also attest to paedocommunion

let the bishop partake, then the presbyters, and deacons, and sub-deacons, and the readers, and the singers, and the ascetics; and then of the women, the deaconesses, and the virgins, and the widows; then the children; and then all the people in order, with reverence and godly fear, without tumult.

Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, 8.2.13

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Augustine (354-430) also mentions paedocommunion repeatedly. Here are a few examples. Discussing original sin, Augustine comments,

They are infants, but they receive His sacraments. They are infants, but they share in His table, in order to have life in themselves.

Works, Vol. 5, Sermon 174:7

Why is the blood, which of the likeness of sinful flesh was shed for the remission of sins, ministered that the little one may drink, that he may have life, unless he hath come to death by a beginning of sin on the part of some one?

And what else do they say who call the sacrament of the Lord's Supper life, than that which is written: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven;" and "The bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world;" and "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye shall have no life in you?" If, therefore, as so many and such divine witnesses agree, neither salvation nor eternal life can be hoped for by any man without baptism and the Lord's body and blood, it is vain to promise these blessings to infants without them. Moreover, if it be only sins that separate man from salvation and eternal life, there is nothing else in infants which these sacraments can be the means of removing, but the guilt of sin. . .

On the Forgiveness of Sins and the Baptism of Infants,
Bk. I, ch. 33