Trinity, confider Jefus only as an eminent prophet, and baptize by immersion in rivers: for in thefe articles all agree. A feftival indeed in commemoration of the baptifm of Chrift, is celebrated in the Greek and Armenian churches by plunging a cross in a river, and by the Ethiopians by immerfing themselves: and in the Weft, the priests formerly afperfed the people during the pafchal proceffion, to remind them that they had been baptized by trine immersion (4).

MANICHEANS.

One clafs of oriental Chriftians unconnected with all hierarchies confifts of the innumerable churches in different countries, which proceeded from the celebrated Manes, a Perfian phyfician of the third century, from whom they were called Manichæans, although they have been often concealed under other names. Torribio, a Spanish bishop, pretended they baptized in oil, but the learned Beaufobre hath ably refuted the calumny (5). Doctor Mofheim hath investigated their doctrine of baptifm, and with the utmost evidence of juft criticism hath proved to a demonftration, that the Manichæans did adminifter baptifm: that they did not attribute any faving benefit to it, and therefore did not adminifter it to any, except with their own confent: that they did not baptize infants: that hearers were not baptized: and that only fuch members of their churches as defired it were baptized (6). This is precifely the ftate of

(4) Antiq. liturg. Arcana. Duaci. 1605. Tom. iii. p. 138. De proceffione pafchali. Differt ifta proceffio pafchalis a cæterarum dominicarum proceffione, ea potiffimum ratione, quod illis benedicatur aqua, qua populus afpergatur, in ifta vero proceffione nulla fiat aquæ benedictio, ficut nec in die fancto pentecoftes. Fit enim iftis diebus afperfio illius aquæ, quæ præteriti Sabbathi vefpera fumpta eft de facro fonte baptifmi, antequam immergatur aliquis....fic Rupertus. Non ad hoc afpergimur, ut rebaptizemur, fed divini nominis gratiam fuper nos cum hoc memoriali baptifmatis noftri frequenter invocare debemus, et idcirco fingulis adfpergimur dominicis, quia in facrofancta primæ hujus dominicæ vefpera baptifmum univerfaliter fanéta celebrat ecclefia.......... p. 55. Forma vero baptizandi vetus ea exiftebat, ut baptizandus toto corpore ingrederetur in aquam, et deinde capite ter immergeretur, femel in nomine Patris, iterum in nomine Filii, et poftremo in nomine Spiritus Sancti; et hoc expreffe dicit ordo Romanus.

(5) Hift. des Manich.

(6) De rebus Chriftianorum ante Conftantin. Mag. Comment. Helmftadii. 1753. Sæc. iii. S. liv. i. Erat fine dubio inter Manichæos baptifmus receptus....ii. At Manichæi baptifmo nullum tribuebant ad animæ falutem fructum, et ea de caufa fuorum neminem, ut eum fufciperent, cogebant....iii. Si qui tamen ex eleétorum numero initiari per baptifmum cupiebant, licitum hoc illis erat. Auditorum vero nemo particeps fieri baptifmi poterat. Hæc manifefta et fupra omnem dubitationem pofita erunt fi docuero. 1. Infantes apud Manichæos non fuiffe per baptifmum in ecclefiam receptos. 2. Auditores ad baptifmum non fuiffe admiffos. 3. Neque Electos omnes luftratos fuiffe, fed liberum unicuique fuiffe, cæremoniæ huic fubjicere fefe vellet, necne.

baptifm

baptifm in thofe English Baptift churches which admit free communion. The Manichæans baptized by immerfion, and, it is highly probable, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost (7).

They who confider Popery as meridian brightnefs cenfure all oriental Christians for ignorance, and fay, they are enveloped in midnight darknefs, not confidering that the people of the Eaft comparing little western kingdoms with their own vaft empires regard the Weft as the English do the Otaheitans, for they have no tafte for fcholaftical literature, and no knowledge of the intricate quibbles which have rent the western world (8). In arts and fciences they excel, and in mechanicks, mathematicks, and aftronomy they have been tutors of Europe. Even the Georgians and Mingrelians, whom the Catholicks represent as moft deplorably ignorant, exhibit a juft and noble fenfe of the facred rights of confcience. There were at Teflis, the capital of Georgia, when Roman miffionaries arrived, fourteen churches, of which only fix were Occupied by Georgians, the other eight belonged to Armenians. The king gave the miffionaries habitations, a church for publick worship, and every thing neceffary to their accommodation, although he chofe to continue in his own profeffion of religion (9). Had Georgian bishops gone to Rome to convert the inhabitants, as the miffionaries went to Teflis to convert the Georgians, would the fupreme pontiff have done likewife? The Georgians think themfelves the pureft Chriftians upon earth; they deny the Catholick miracles; they confider the miffionaries as extremely erroneous; but they never call them hereticks, and like theMohammedans they never perfecute (1). The notion of the ignorance of eastern Chriftians feems a mere popular errour. Even in the Ca

(7) IBID. Latina ecclefia baptifmum Manichæorum pro legitimo et valido habebat. Quomodo autem eum talem putare potuiffet, fi Manichæi forma et ratione ab ea, quam Chriftus præfcripfit, diverfa fuos baptizaffent?

(8) SIMON Hift. Critique. ut fup.

(9) THEIMURAZ KAN reg. Iberor. URBANO viii. Epift. ap. GALANUM. Nullum officii genus aut ftudii prætermifimus quod ad ipforum utilitatem fpectaret: optimum eis locum affignavimus, et ecclefiam, ubi commode habitantes poffent diu noctuque omnibus in atrio, ac oftio templi Dei vacare..... Ad ea vero, quæ nobis fanctitas veftra, pater nofter beatiffime, fcripto injunxit, ut nimirum una cum populis noftris eorundem patrem verba pronis exciperemus auribus....maximas quidem omnipotenti Deo nos gratias jugiter perfolvere, refpondemus, quod veræ fidei, Chriftianæque religionis ardor, et ftudium, ex prifco illo Conftantini magni imperatoris ævo ad hæc ufque tempora, adeo tenaciter infint in animis noftris, ut divino beneficio ipfis quoque penitus impreffa præcordiis videantur.

(1) P. AVITABOLIS Urbano viii. Epift. Si Chriftiana fides in toto orbe periret, apud nos vera Chriftianitas pura et intacta inveniretur. Miracula remanfiffe apud nos negant, et fi quæ a nobis illis referuntur, five antiqua five recentiora, five per defunctos patrata five per vivos, mentiri nos dicunt.....Quæcunque nos Catholici facimus præter eorum confuetudinem....afferunt effe errores. Hæreticorum tamen nomen adhuc nobis non appofuerunt,

tholick way the monaftical schools of Edeffa, Nifibis, and other places have produced many writers eminent in various branches of literature (2).

CHINESE CHRISTIANS.

It would be hazardous to affirm any thing of the Chriftians, who live dispersed in China, the Mogul's empire, and Eastern Tartary, except that they are reputed chiefly Neftorians. It is pleasant to reflect, that in all the kingdoms within this prodigious extent of territory fuch Chriftians as practifed virtue and did not difturb fociety always found protection, although they were not in general employed in civil offices. It was faid by the celebrated Confucius, "True wisdom confifts in improving the mind and purifying the heart, in loving mankind and engaging them to love virtue, in removing every obftacle to an union with the fovereign good, and in attaching one's-felf only to him (3)." Had the Roman miffionaries incorporated this fublime maxim into their practice, they would not have been banifhed from any of these countries. Chriftians have refided here in perfect peace more than a thoufand years. The Arabians and Perfians name Jefus Ifa, and Chriftians are called in Perfia and India Isai, that is Jefu-ites, or difciples of Jefus (4). The Chinese call them Terzai. As Marcionite and Manichæan Chriftians have always flourished in those countries, probably it is of them, and not of Neftorians that some writers fpeak when they fay, The people of Cathay are Pagans: but they have the fcriptures of the Old and New Teftament, and the lives of the fathers: they have houfes like churches in which they worship: they adore one God, venerate the Lord Jefus Chrift, and believe eternal life: they love Chriftians, they are humane and benevolent, and do many alms: but they are not baptized (5). The Catholicks always affirmed of fuch Chriftians that they difufed baptifm, but it is an errour, as may be seen. in the foregoing account of the Manichæans.

It is remarkable, that the Roman Catholick miffionaries conceal from their profelytes in the Eaft the fcripture hiftory of the baptifm of

(2) EBEDJESU Sobenfis Epifc. fcriptorum ecclefiafticorum Catal. apud ASSEMAN. Tom. iin. p. i. Tom. ii. Cap. xv. De Scholis et literarum ftudiis....p. 920. De doctoribus et catechiftis priorum ecclefiæ fæculorum.....Schola Edeffena....Schol. Nifibena....Schol. Seleuciæ.... Schola Dorkenæ....Schol. Mahuza. Ed. Romæorum. Caliljefu ap. Bagdadum. S. Gabrielis ad Tigrim.....Scholæ Garmæorum.. Elamitarum.. Perfarum.. Arabum, &c.

(3) TA HIO. ou la grande fcience... Mem. concernant les Chinois. p. 436.

(4) ASSEMAN Bibliot. Tom. iii. P. ii. p. 519. De Syris Neftor. Cap. ix. In India. In Tartaria. In Chataja, et Sina, &c.

(5) IBID. pag. 478. Sectam Marcionitarum atque Manichæorum in India, Chataja et Sina plurimum viguifle et adhuc etiam vigere, fatis compertum eft....p. 508. Chatajenfium mores ex narratione JoANNIS DE PLANCARNIO defcribit VINCENTIUS.

John.

John. In the year fixteen hundred fifty-one Alexander de Rhodes a Jefuit miffionary printed at Rome at the expence of the congregation de propaganda fide a catechifm, as he entitled it, for the use of such as were about to be baptized in Tonquin. It confifts of eight catechetical lectures in the language of the country with a Latin version (6). These the miffionary is directed to deliver to the Catechumens on eight feveral days previous to the administration of baptifm. They narrate the New Testament ftory, not in general in the words of the Evan-. gelifts, but in those of the miffionary, and paraphrastically with the addition of many ecclefiaftical fables. The whole hiftory of the Baptifm of John is omitted, the baptifm of Jefus is not mentioned, and the words of the true gospel are used only as far as they do not clash with the views of the narrator. Thus the hiftory of baptifm tells. Jefus, after his refurrection and afcenfion, conftituted Peter, and his fucceffor who is called Pope, his vicar upon earth to the end of the world. He inftructed his apoftles how to govern the church, and how to adminifter the facraments, then he added, Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them, and so on (7). This is a gospel according to Father de Rhodes.

CHA P. XXXVI.

Of the Administration of Baptifm in the established Greek and Roman Churches.

OF BAPTISM IN THE ESTABLISHED GREEK CHURCH.

TH

HE Greek church profeffes to take the holy fcripture for the law of religious rites as it is expounded by fome ancient councils, and regulated by rituals approved by human authority. It is their opinion that Jefus was baptized on the Epiphany, which is the fixth of January new йtyle (1). It hath been a very ancient custom with them on that day to perform the ceremony of bleffing the waters by prayer, and plunging a

(6) ALEXANDER DE RHODES e Societat. Jefu. Catechifmus pro iis, qui volunt fufcipere baptifmum in octo dies divifus. Romæ. 1651.

(7) Dies fextus. p. 176.....Dies feptimus. p. 248.

(1) GOARII Eucholog. five Rituale Græcor. Paris. 1647.....TZANPHURNARI Menologia Venet. 1639.

crofs into the water. This is done in the baptifmal fonts at the churches as well as in the rivers. Their ancient calendars are illuminated, and by way of title to the prayers for the day, there is a picture of the hiftory on which the fervice is founded (2): a very ancient practice, and very proper to convey juft notions of what they who officiate on thofe days ought to be about (3). The learned antiquary Locatelli furnifhed Paciaudi, while he was printing his antiquities, with one of the most ancient of these calendars, and he published plates of fome of the illuminations. In that for the fixth of January John is reprefented as baptizing Jefus, he on the left hand bank, Jefus naked in the river, and three angels on the oppofite bank: the whole very much resembling that Mofaick work at Venice, which is defcribed under the article Venetian Baptiftery (4). That for the feventh of January is a curious picture very much like the former, John is on the left hand bank ftooping down over the river, and reaching out his right hand as if going to baptize: in the river are feveral men up to the calf of the leg in water, all naked except a fort of fhort petticoat like the Highland fillebeg not reaching quite fo low as the knees (5). The very ancient characters at the top have given occafion to various conjectures. It is entitled the affociation or fellowship. Hence fome Catholick antiquaries queftion whether the artist did not intend to reprefent John preaching to the patriarchs in purgatory (6). Others think he is affociating the Jews by baptifm (7). A Baptift would suppose it was a representation of John in the act of forming a Chriftian church, and uniting them in fellowship by baptifm. The croffes with which the water is bleffed are made of box, and carved in a curious. manner by the monks of Mount Athos, or by their procurement. In that of the ingenious antiquary Ignatius Orti, publifhed by Paciaudi, the angels, as ufual, are in waiting on the bank, John is on the left. hand bank, Jefus is in the river naked, and John with his right hand is

(2) PACIAUD. Antiq. Chrift. Neque illud mihi arrogabo kalendariorum originem, vetuftatem, varietatemque aptius poffe me demonftrare, quam hæc a Fulvio Urfino, Petro Ciaconio, Dionyfio Petavio, Sibrando Siccama, Petro Gaffendo, Thoma Dempftero, Jacobo Chriftmanno, Davide Blondello, Federico Athano demonstrata fint.

(3) OVID. Faft. Quæque ferunt illi pictoo fignantia faftos.

(1) PACIAUD. ubi fup. Tab. prima explic. Die vi. Theophania Domini noftri Jefu Chrifti ..Icon Johannem commonftrat Jefum in Jordane baptizantem, fere ut in Mufivo, &c..... RENAUD. Differt. de Liturg. orient, orig. et auctoritate. apud GERBERT Vet. Liturg. Difq. ii. Cap. i. S. iv. Liturg. Greca.

(5) Feftum Confociationis S. Johannis die vii. Confociatio Jufti prophetæ Præcurforis Baptizatoris Domini Johannis.

(6) PACIAUD. Num hic forte Baptifta in Limbum defcendens, ibique patriarchis delitefcentibus Chriftum prænuntians? Fuerat hoc Græcis valde perfuafum.

(7) BOLLANDUS..TZANPHURNAR US, &C. Proximi schematis delineatio fluvium potius exhiberi fuadet, qui hominum turbam ad furam ufque lambit, et Johannem in ripa ftantem, qui homines felici lavatione abluit, juftifque confociat.