A Brief History of the Sacraments

Since the time of the Reformation, most of Protestantism has celebrated two sacraments - "baptism and supper". And while the Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church celebrate five more, almost all Christians celebrate baptism and communion.This book will provide a brief history into the practice of those two sacraments, and show how those practices diverged over time between denominations. Part One discusses the celebration of the Lord's Supper (also known as the Eucharist, communion, etc.) Part Two will discuss baptism, and provides a chapter on the question of "Infant verses Believers' Baptism". Both sections discuss references in the Old and New Testaments, as well as the Early Church Fathers, the Reformation, and the practice of the sacraments today.An appendix discusses the question of whether the baptism practiced by John the Baptist might have had Essene roots. A Brief History of the Sacraments: Baptism and Communion