“A historic Protestant view of church, of Word and sacrament, is truly liberating. We can see the church of Jesus Christ sailing down through the entire course of church history, and we can recognize it as His beloved ship. We don’t have to count all the barnacles first. Neither do we have to deny the existence of the barnacles.”

The Auburn Avenue Chronicles Vol. 2, p. 860

“Evangelicals who do not commune little children can debate whether that is a credible statement of faith, and this is a debate that should happen, but it is an intra-evangelical debate. It is an intra debate because of the shared assumption that regeneration is an absolute necessity. It is not an absolute necessity for membership in the visible church, as all non-baptists would acknowledge, and it is not an absolute necessity for communing in the visible church, as all child communionists would acknowledge, but it is an absolute necessity for anyone who would see the kingdom of Heaven. The covenantal and evangelical approach to child communion is distinguished from the ex opere operato approach in this way. It is a matter of direction. In the ex opere understanding, the grace is going in. In the covenantal and evangelical understanding, the grace is working its way out. A converted person works out what God works in, but an unconverted person is never in a position to do so. If the bucket has no bottom, it does not matter how long you run the hose.”

The Auburn Avenue Chronicles Vol. 2, p. 857

“‘There were disciples in name, profession, and appearance, and there were those whom Christ called ‘disciples indeed’ (John 8:30-31).’ So far, so good. Among the many professing followers of Christ we have two categories. If you try to limit it to one category only, you will either become a sacramentalist or a member of the airy-fairy invisible church, the one nobody ever has to tithe to.”

The Auburn Avenue Chronicles Vol. 2, p. 852