Communion leads

What Are Sacrament Seals?

Prior to the celebration of the Lord's Supper, believers were to self-inquire into repentance and penance so that one could receive the sacraments "worthily". This penance could be done in a pastoral conversation with the pastor or by attending a special penance service. Then they could participate in the sacrament celebration. Due to the growth in the number of congregation members in the seventeenth century, it was only possible to check whether one was entitled to participate in the sacraments by means of a marked bob. This presentation token or "bob" often contained a representation on one side and a year and / or seal on the other, often also the swan. It was usually round and made of lead, but it could also be square or oval and in copper or even in some cases in silver. This curious practice fell into disuse at the end of the nineteenth century. The communion sheds were in use by the Lutheran congregations of Amsterdam, Delft, Enkhuizen, 's Gravenhage, Groningen, Haarlem,' s Hertogenbosch, Leiden, Middelburg, Rotterdam, Schiedam, Utrecht, Vlissingen, Zutphen