Baptism

was not originally a name-giving rite, though those who joined the Church relinquished pagan names, and took new ones, ‘The infant was baptised on account of the doctrine of the Fall. They were, said St Augustine in the 4th century, “little lumps of perdition,” and the Devil must be exorcised out of them by holy water and priestly unction, Yet this “catching of the little fishes” was not regularly adopted till the Sth century, when fonts began to be placed in churches of the west—for the Oriental Churches still demand immersion, Adult baptism has never ceased to be common among Christians, though Romanists and Protestants alike have denounced those who hold that Baptism of unconscious babes is usele . The Anabaptists were those who “again baptised,” at full age, those baptised before as infants. They now number in England some 370,000 souls (see Dr Angus’ Baptist’s Handbook, Jany. 1898). He gives an account of Baptists between 1527 and 1800 ac. The oldest Particular Baptist Church was founded at Wapping, in 1633, by Thomas Helwi e; and John Smith, in 1608, was the first to write books in defence of Baptists’ views. There are now 3842 chapels of the sect in the United Kingdom, according to this report, Bar. Par. An ancient widespread root for “ growth,” [Akkadian and Turkish Bar, “to live,” “to be”: Semitic Bra “ create,” Parah “fructify”: Egyptian Per “sprout”: Aryan Bhar, Bhri, “bear,” and Par “ produce,” whence “ parent.”—Ep.] 288