BAPTISTERY. 



249 



Baptistery, of baptism. We are certain from Scripture, that 

 'nt' when Christianity was first established, no particular 

 place or edifice was appropriated to this ceremony. 

 The river, the lake, or the pond, which was most 

 convenient, was always chosen, anA^istory is not 

 without many instances of the performance flf bap- 

 tism in private houses. As this was the common 

 practice :n the time of JAtin Martyr and Tertullian, 

 we are sure baptisteries wjre not erected before the 

 end of the second century]* It is probable that, about 

 the middle of the third century, edifices of this kind 

 began to be founded in such towns and cities as were 

 at a distance from fountains or'streams. Yet it must 

 not be denied, that where a fountain or 6tream could 

 be obtained, the baptistery was erected over it ; and 

 where it could not, water was conveyed to the place 

 by pipes, and in the same manner was discharged 

 when found necessary. Hence the church to which 

 -the baptistery belonged was generally dedicated to 

 John the Baptist, and received the rrtftne of St John 

 infante, or, ad fontes, that W, the church near the 

 fountain? or baptistery. Though tfte" origin of bap- 

 tisteries is ujtCaB^vn, yet we may hazard a conjecture 

 that they were first erected in imitation of the Pool 

 of Bethesda, and its porches or cloisters, famous in 

 the history of our Saviour, to which they appear to 

 have had some resemblance. But as the church was 

 then exposed to poverty and persecution, and its 

 members were generally in the lowest walks of life, 

 baptisteries must have been mean and simple like the 

 persons who employed them. When Christianity, 

 however, was established in the Roman empire byCon- 

 stantine the Great, the church aspired to opulence 

 and grandeur; and, as external rites have too often 

 superseded internal piety, and outward splendour 

 compensated for moral virtue, the professors of Chris- 

 tianity, who were then the first men of the state, 

 imagined that they would procure the pardon of sin, 

 and conciliate the friendship of Heaven, by expending 

 their superfluous wealth in building magnificent struc- 

 tures for religious worship. But though baptisteries 

 could then boast of considerable elegance and splen- 

 dour, yet they were, for many years, raised at a dis- 

 tance from the churches. The page of history in- 

 forms us, that the first baptistery which was built 

 adjoining to any church, was annexed to the cathe- 

 dral of Rheims, for the baptism of Clovis king of 

 France, who was converted by his queen Clotilda, 

 and baptized by Remigiu3 bishop of that place, in 

 4-96. Fhough there were many churches in one 

 city, yet for the most part there was but one bap- 

 tistery, which was generally annexed to the principal 

 church. It is a curious fact, in the history of super- 

 stitious usurpation, that the church to which the 

 baptistery belonged, claimed, from that circumstance, 

 a superiority over the rest, and employed it as a founda- 

 tion on which to rear the antichnstian fabric of spiri- 

 tual dominion. In succeeding ages, the bishop of the 

 baptismal church granted, in the plenitude of his 

 power, licences to other churches to erect baptis- 

 teries ; but still reserved to himself that superiority 

 over them which he had formerly usurped. But as the 

 ceremonies with which baptism was then celebrated, 

 were attended with some little expense, a provision 

 for that purpose -became necessary. Hence bap- 



VOL. Ili, PART L 



tisterics became, not only engines of power, but Baptistery. 

 sonrces of wealth. This was more particularly the 

 case after donations for religious purposes began to 

 be-considered as expiatory for sin. Then the hopes 

 and the fears of superstitious minds prompted them at 

 first to endow baptisteries with milk, honey, wine, 

 oils, and salts. To these followed cups, vases, &c. 

 which, being marked with ihe initial letters of John 

 the Baptist's name, gave rise, perhaps, to baptismal 

 inscriptions. Habits for the priests, and money for 

 the support of the poor, and of those persons who 

 were employed in instructing catechumens, and of- 

 ficiating at the baptistery, were added. Pictures, and 

 other ornaments for embellishing the edifices, were 

 also given ; but though these, in general, had some 

 reference to John the Baptist, or to the ceremony of 

 taptism itself, yet their evident tendency was to 

 foster pride, to strengthen superstition, to subvert 

 the foundation of virtue, and deaden the spirit of re- 

 ligion. 



From a survey of the famous edifices of this kind 

 which still remain, we find that a baptistery was an 

 octagonal structure, with an arched roof like a dome. 

 In theLateran baptistery at Rome, which is the most 

 ancient in that city, the cupola is supported by eight 

 pillars, and between them and the wall there is a 

 piazza or broad walk quite round. The porch or 

 vestibule of the baptistery was sometimes also sup- 

 ported by two pillars ; and in this the confession, ex- 

 orcism, and unction of the catechumens took place. 

 To the outside of the walls of some baptisteries 

 small buildings were added, in the form of cloisters ; 

 and the whole circumference, in the inner sides of 

 the walls, was divided into a number of apartments, 

 which were employed as vestries, oratories, and school- 

 rooms. The middle of the building was a large hall, 

 where the priests, the catechumens, and the specta- 

 tors assembled when baptism was to be administer- 

 ed ; and in the centre of this hall was an octagonal 

 bath, which, properly speaking, was the baptistery, 

 and into which the persons to be baptized descended 

 by steps. As the catechumens were often naked 

 when baptized, decency required that the men and 

 the women should be separated. For this purpose 

 many baptisteries had more than one bath, and some- 

 times water was conveyed into the side-rooms. The 

 inside of the roof was frequently ornamented with 

 the most beautiful Mosaic work. This is particu- 

 larly the case with the celebrated baptistery at Ra- 

 venna. In the centre is an emblematic representation 

 of the baptism of our Saviour, and on the sides are 

 the twelve apostles in long habits with their names, 

 and many other figures, all of the most exquisite 

 workmanship. Baptisteries were taken into churches 

 in the sixth century, and continued to be used in 

 the time of Charlemagne. 



Some time after baptisteries were built, fonts were 

 erected in them for the baptism of infants. These 

 were small baths raised on platforms, to which the 

 administrators ascended by steps, and in which they 

 could immerse children without going into the wa- 

 ter themselves. When immersion was superseded by 

 sprinkling, a bason of water was placed in the font, 

 and from it die ceremony was performed. Many 

 fonts still remain both in England and on the continent, 

 2i 



