Thanks for this article.
That discourse from Calvin against Servetus is etched deep into my mind from when you (Tim) cited it in another article back in 2022 and the lively discussion we had here on Sanityville about it (link). I’ve found nothing written that more succinctly captures the substance of the topic than what Calvin writes there.
I still do find Calvin’s reference to the Passover meal there to be exegetically problematic, where he asserts it was “duly eaten only by those who were old enough to be able to inquire into its meaning.” Studying out that line of thought for a few weeks was a helpful exercise for me which, in the end, served to galvanize my commitment to credobaptism.
However, setting that particular point aside – which was really only a secondary point to Calvin’s immediate argument against Servetus, regardless of what implications it would have in a broader discussion about continuity and credo vs. paedobaptism – his dealing with communion itself is just a straightforward standing upon the plain language of 1 Corinthians 11 which neither a Reformed baptist nor a presbyterian should have any grounds to dispute.
To put it another way, Calvin’s discourse here should serve as a satisfactory answer to the “why don’t you commune them” objection raised by Servetus and often echoed by modern baptists, even if it falls short of persuading them to become paedobaptists. Meanwhile, Moscow has effectively answered the “why don’t you commune them” objection with, “Hold my beer.” The response from Reformed baptists and presbyterians on this point should be the same. New Testament Scripture settles it plainly for both without appealing to continuity differences.