r.emonv of baptifm was performed. Tims it continued' 
till the fixth century, when the baptifterics began to be ta¬ 
ken into the church-porch,-and afterwards into the church 
itfelf. The ancient baptiflerics were commonly called 
q. d. ‘places of illumination;’ an appellation 
lometmies given to baptifm. Or they might have the name 
for another real'pn, becaufe they were the places of an il¬ 
lumination, or iuflrufition, preceding baptifm: for here 
the catechumens feem to have been trained up, and in- 
flrufited in the firft rudiments of the Chriftian faith. Thefe 
baptifieries were anciently very capacious ; becaufe, as Dr. 
Cave obferves, the (fated times of baptifm returning but 
feldom, there were ufually great multitudes to be bapti¬ 
zed at the fame time : and then the manner of baptizing, 
by immerfion, or dipping under water, made it necellary 
to have a large font likewife. In Venantius Fortunatus, 
it is called aula baptijmatis, the ‘large hall of baptifm 
which was always kept (hut during Lent, and the door 
foaled up with the bifltop’s feal, not to be opened till 
Maunday-Thu rf'd'ay. 
The baptiftery was always reputed a facred place. In 
the Roman order, we find the ceremonies ufed in the con- 
lecration of the baptifieries: they were to be built of a 
round figure, and diftinguifhed with the image of St. John 
the Baptifl; over the bafon or font was a figure of a dove 
in gold or filver; to reprefent the Holy Ghoft. It is an 
observation of Come learned men, that anciently there was 
but one baptiftery in a city, and that at the bilhop’s church ; 
and that afterwards they were fet up in parifti churches, 
with the Special allowance of the bifliop. ' 
BAP'TISTS,/ [from (SaTrli^w, 1 baptize.] A denomi¬ 
nation of Chriflians, diflinguifhed by their particular opi¬ 
nions refpecting the mode and the fubjefils of baptifm. 
Inflead of adminiftering the ordinance by fprinkling or 
pouring water, the)' maintain that it ought to be adminif¬ 
tered only by immerfion. Such, they infill, is the mean¬ 
ing of the word ; fo that a command to baptize is 
a command to immerfe. Thus it was nnderftood by thofe 
who firft adminiftered it. John the Baptifl, and the apof- 
tles of Chrift, adminiftered it in Jordan and other rivers 
and places w here there was much water. Both the ad- 
miniftrators and the.fubjefils are deferibed as going into, 
and coming out of, the water; and the baptized are faid 
to be buried in baptifm, and to be raifed again : which 
language could not, they fay, be properly adopted on fup- 
pofition of the ordinance being adminiftered in any other 
manner than by immerfion. Titus alfo, they affirm, it was 
in general adminiftered in the primitive church. Thus it 
is now adminiftered in the Ruffian and Greek church : and 
thus it is, at this day, directed to be adminiftered in the 
church of England, to all who are thought capable of 
Submitting to it in this manner. With regard to the fub- 
j-efiis of baptifm, the Baptifts fay, that this ordinance 
ought not to be adminiftered to children or infants at all, 
nor to grown-up perfons in general; but to adults only of 
a certain character and defeription. Our Saviour’s com- 
miflion to his apoftles, by which Chriftian baptifm was 
militated, is to go and teach all nations, baptizing them : 
that is, fay they, not to baptize all they meet with ; but 
firfl to inftruct them—to teach all nations, or to preach 
the gofpel to every creature—and whoever receives it, him 
to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghoft. To fuels perfons, and to Inch only, 
baptifm appears to have been adminiftered by the apoftles, 
and the immediate difciples of Chrift. They are deferib¬ 
ed as repenting of their fins, as believing in Chrift, and 
as having gladly received the word. Without thefe qua¬ 
lifications, Peter acquaints thofe who were converted by 
ids fermon, that he could not have admitted them to bap¬ 
tifm. Philip holds the fame language in his difeourfe with 
the eunuch ; and Paul treats Lydia, the jailor, and others, 
in the fame manner. Without thefe qualifications, Chrif¬ 
lians in general think it wrong to admit perfons to the 
Lord’s fupper; and, for the fame reafonsj without thefe 
qualifications, at leaft a profeffion of them, the Baptifts 
.BAP 
think it wrong to admit any to baptifm. Wherefore they 
withhold it, not only from the impenitently vicious and 
profane, and from infidels who have no faith; but alfo 
from infants and children, who have no knowledge, and 
are incapable of every action civil and religions,' They 
further infill, that all pofitive inflitutions depend entirely 
upon the will and declaration of the inflitutor; and there¬ 
fore, that reafoning by analogy from abrogated Jewifft 
rites is to be rejected, and the exprefs commands of Chrift 
refpecting the mdde and fubjefils of baptifm ought to be 
our only rule. 
'I he Baptifts in England form one of the denominations 
of Proteflant diftenters. r They fepaijate from the eltablifh- 
ment tor the fame reafons as their brethren of the other 
denominations do; and from additional motives derived 
from their particular tenets refpecting baptifm. The con- 
ftitutirm of their churches, and their inodes of worfhip, 
are congregational or independent: in the exercife of 
which they are protected, in common with other diifcn- 
ters, by the a fit of toleration. Before this afit, they were 
liable to pains and penalties as nonconformifts, and often 
tor their peculiar feotiments as Baptifts. A proclamation 
was iffued againft them, and many were burnt in -Smith- 
field in 153S. They bore a confiderable (hare in the per- 
fecutions of the Lift and of the preceding centuries; and, 
as it fhould feem, in thofe ot fome centuries before; 
lor there were feveral among the Lollards and the follow¬ 
ers of Wicklift, who difapproved of infant-baptifm. There 
were many of this perfualion among the Proteftants and 
reformers abroad. In Holland, Germany, and the north, 
they went by the names of Anabaptists, and Menso- 
nites ; and, in Piedmont and the fouth, they were found 
among the Albigenses and Waldenses. See thofe 
articles. 
The Baptifts fubfift under two denominations: the par¬ 
ticular or Calviniftical, and the general or Arminran. The 
former is by far the moft numerous. Some of both deno¬ 
minations allow of mixed communion , viz. of perfons who 
l’.ave been fprinkled in their infancy, and therefore un¬ 
baptized in the view of the Baptifts; others difallow it; 
and fome of them obferve the feventh day of the week as 
the fabbath, apprehending the law that enjoined it not to 
have been repealed by Chrift or his apoftles. But a diffe¬ 
rence of opinion refpefiling thefe and other matters is not 
peculiar to the Baptifts : it is common to all Chriflians, 
and'to all bodies of men who think and judge for them- 
felves. 
The Baptifts of the United States of America are, with 
fome exceptions, upon the Calviniftic plan as todofilrines, 
and independents as to church government and difeipline. 
Except thofe who are ftyled open-communion Eaplijls, of 
whom there is but one affociation, they refute to commu¬ 
nicate in the ordinance of the Lord’s flipper with other 
denominations; becaufe they hold that immerfion only is 
the true baptifm, and that baptifm is necelfary to com¬ 
munion; it is therefore inconfiftent, in their opinion, to 
admit unbaptized perfons to join with them in this ordi¬ 
nance ; though they allow ininifters of other denomina¬ 
tions to preach to their congregations, and to aflift in or¬ 
daining their minifters. They have regular college efta- 
bliftiments, and maintain a conftant communication with 
each other by means of annual and half-yearly alfociations. 
And, according to an account taker, by Mr. John Afplund, 
a minifterof the baptifl denomination, who travelled thro’ 
the United States, to afeertain their number and date, in 
1793> :t h e number of their churches, minifters, and church- 
members, is as follows: 
Ministers. 
States. Churches, ordained, liccnfcd. Members. 
In New Hampfhire 
3 2 
23 
17 
J 73 2 
Maffachufetts 
107 
95 
3 i 
7116 
Rhode Ifland 
33 
37 
39 
3 5 ° 2 
Connefilicut 
55 
44 
2 r 
3 zr 4 
Vermont 
3 + 
21 
15 
16 ia 
New York 
51 
53 
30 
3937 
In 
