The lines of church fellowship, it will be remembered, run not directly between individuals, but by way of the uniting center, that is, the church's pure marks. Individuals are in fellowship with one another by way of their pulpits and altars.—Prof. Kurt Marquart,
The Church, p. 66
[Weedon caveat: did he leave out the font on purpose? It complicates and muddies matters, but the font must also be considered.]
I suspect that by "pulpit and altar" he meant "word and sacrament."
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George A. Marquart
considering that the fonts were placed not in the churches themselves but in separate buildings or in the narthex of the church, I think he is on solid ground. Baptism does not guarantee fellowship in the church, but is merely the first step. The rest of the steps are made with the Eucharist and other sacraments.
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