bap 
Heracleon, cited by Clemens Alexandrimts, fays, that 
fome applied a red-hot iron to the ears of the perton bap¬ 
tized, as if toimprefs fome mark upon him. 
Baptism of the Dead, a cuftom which anciently pre¬ 
vailed among fome people in Africa, of giving baptifm to 
the dead. The third council of Carthage Speaks of it as 
a thing that ignorant Chriftians were fond of. Gregory 
Nazianzen alio takes notice of the fame fuperftitious opi¬ 
nion prevailing among fome who delayed to be baptized. 
1 n his add refs to this kind of men, he a Iks, whether they 
.flayed to be baptized after death ? Philaftrius alfo notes 
It as the general error of the Montanifts or Cataphrygians, 
that they baptized men after death. The practice fee ms 
to be grounded on a vain opinion, that, when men had ne¬ 
glected to receive baptifm in their life-time, fome com- 
penfation might be made for this default by receiving it 
after they were dead. 
Baptifm of the dead was alfo a fort of vicarious bap- 
t’fm, formerly in ufe, when, a perfon dying without bap¬ 
tifm, another was baptized in his dead. St. Chryfoftom 
tells us, this was practifed among the Marcionites with a 
great deal of ridiculous ceremony; which he thus de¬ 
scribes. After any catechumen was dead, they hid a li¬ 
ving man under the bed of the deceafed; then, coming to 
the dead man, they a Iked him, whether he would receive 
baptifm ? and, he making no anfwer, the other anfwered 
for him, and (aid, he would be baptized in his (lead : and 
lb they baptized the living for the dead. Epiphanius ad¬ 
jures us, the like was alfo pradifed among'the Corinthi- 
. ans. This practice they pretended to found on the apof- 
tle’s authority ; alleging that the text of St. Paul for it, 
If the dead rife not at all, what fhall they do who are baptized 
for the dead? a text which has given occafion to a great 
variety of different fyftems and explications. Bofius enu¬ 
merates no lefs than nine different opinions among learned 
divines concerning the fenfe of the phrafe being baptized 
for the dead. St. Ambrofe and Walafred Strabo feem 
clearly of opinion, that the apoftle had refpeft to fuch a 
cuftom.then in being; and feveral moderns have given in¬ 
to the fame opinion, as Baronins, Jof. Scaliger, Juftellus, 
and Grotius. Several among the Roman Catholics, as 
JBellarmine, Salmeron, Menochius, and a number of 
fchoolmen, underftand it of the baptifm of tears, and pe¬ 
nance, and prayers, which the living undergo for the dead; 
and thus allege it as a proof of the belief of purgatory in 
St. Paul’s time. 
Hypothetical Baptism, that formerly adminiftered in 
certain doubtful cafes, with this formula ; “If thou art 
baptized, I do not rebaptize; if thou art not, I baptize 
thee in the name of the Father, &c.” This fort of bap¬ 
tifm, enjoined by fome ancient conftitutions of the Engliffi 
.church, is now fallen into difufe. 
Solemn Baptism, that conferred at dated feafons; fuch, 
in the ancient church, were the pafchal baptifm, and that 
at Whitfuntide. This is fometimes alfo denominated ge- 
■neral baptifm. 
Lay Baptism, we find to have been permitted by both 
the Common Prayer Books of king Edward and that of 
queen Elizabeth, when an infant is in immediate danger 
of death, and a lawful minifter cannot be had. This was 
founded upon the notion of the impoffibility of falvation 
without the facrament of baptifm: but afterwards, when 
they came to have clearer notions of the facraments, it was 
unanimoufty refolved in a convocation, held in the year 
x575, that even private baptifm, in a cafe of neceflity, was 
only to be performed by a lawful minifter. 
Baptism is applied, abnfively, to certain ceremonies 
ufed in giving names to things inanimate. The ancients 
.knew nothing of the cuftom of giving baptifm to inani¬ 
mate things, .as bells, (hips, and the like, by a fuperftitious 
confecration of them. The firft notice we have of this is 
in the Capitulars of Charles the Great, where it is only 
mentioned to be cenfured: but, afterwards, it crept into 
the Roman offices by degrees. Baronins carries its anti¬ 
quity no higher than the year g6S, when the greateft bell 
¥ or,. II. No. 97. 
BAP yot 
of the church of Lateran was chriftened by pope John III, 
At laft it grew to that fuperftitious height, as to be com¬ 
plained ot in the Centum Gravamina of the German nation, 
drawn up in the public diet of the empire held at Nurem¬ 
berg anno 1581 ; where (after having deferibed the cere¬ 
mony of baptizing a bell, with godfathers, who make re- 
fponfes as in baptifm, and give it a name, and clothe it 
with a new garment as Chriftians were ufed to be clothed, 
and all this to make it capable of driving away tempefts 
and devils) they conclude againft it, as not only a fuper- 
ftitious practice, but contrary to the Chciftian religion, 
and a mere feduftion of the Ample and undifeerning mul¬ 
titude. 
Baptism, in the fea-langu'age, a ceremony in long voy¬ 
ages on-board merchant-fhips, praClifed both on perfons 
and veflels who pafs the tropic or line for the firft time. 
The baptizing the veftels is fimple, and confifts only in 
walking them throughout with fea-water : that of the paf- 
feng'ers is more myfterious. The oldeft of the crew, that 
has palfed the tropic, or line, comes with his face blacken¬ 
ed, a grotefque cap on his head, and a book in his hand, 
followed by the reft of the feamen dreffed like himfelf, 
each having fome kitchen utenfil in his hand, with drums 
beating; he places*himfelf on a feat on the deck, at the 
foot of the main mad. At the tribunal of this mock ma¬ 
gi (Irate each paffenger, not yet initiated, fwears he will 
take care the fame ceremony be obferved, whenever he is 
in the like circumftances: then, by giving a little money' 
by way of gratification, he is difeharged witli a little fprink- 
ling of water; otherwife he is heartily drenched with 
dreams of water poured upon him ; and the (hip-boys are 
inclofed in a cage, and ducked at diferetion. The feamen, 
on the baptizing a (hip, pretend to a right of cutting off 
the beak-head, unlefs the captain redeems it by giving 
them money. 
BAPTIS'MAL, adj. Of or pertaining to baptifm.— 
When we undertake the baptifmal vow, and enter on their 
new life, it would be apt to difeourage 11s. Hammond. 
Baptismal Vow or Covenant, a profeffionof obe¬ 
dience to the laws of Chrift, which perfons in the ancient 
church made before baptifm. It was an indifpenfable part 
of the obligation on catechumens, before they were ad¬ 
mitted to the ceremony of regeneration. 
Baptismal Presents, are in ufe in Germany, made 
by the fponfors to the infant, confiding of money, plate, 
or fometimes even fiefs of lands; which by the laws of the 
country are to be kept for the child till of age, the parents 
having only the truft, not the right, of difpofing of them. 
An anonymous author has publiftied a difeourfe exprefs on 
this occafion, intitled, De pecunia lujlrica. 
B AP'TIST, /. [ baptifle , Fr. Gr. ] He that ad- 
mi nifters baptifm. 
Baptist (John Monnoyer), a painter of (lowers and 
fruit, was born at Lille in 1635, and educated at Ant-, 
werp, where he perfc6led himfelf in the knowledge of his 
art, and in his firft years was intended for a painter of hif- 
tory : but, finding his genius more ftrongly inclined to the 
painting of dowers, he applied his talents to thafe fub- 
jetfts, and in that ftyle became one of the greateft mafters. 
His pictures are not fo exquifttely finilhed as thofe of Van 
Huyfum, but his compofition and colouring are in a bolder 
ftyle. His flowers have a remarkable freedom and loofe- 
nefs, as well in the difpofition as in penciling ; with a tone 
of colouring that is lively, admirable, and nature itfelf. 
Hence his compofitions are ealily known, arid as ealily dif- 
tinguiftied from the performances of others. He died in 
the year 1699. 
BAPTISTE'RIUM,/ [from farrh, to immerge.] A 
bath or repofitory of water to wa(h the body. 
BAP'TISTERY, f. \_baplijlcrium, Lat.J The place 
where the facrament of baptifm is adminiftered. 
In the ancient church it was one of the exedrae or build¬ 
ings diftinil from the church itfelf: and confided of a 
porch or anti-room where the perfons to be baptized made 
tjieir confefliou of faith, and an inner-room where the ce- 
r.emony 
