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work of the eighth or ninth century, though the Venetian historians say it was repaired, and in some parts embellished by the magnificent Andrew Dandalo in the fourteenth century. Turning from every other ornament to that compartment, which represents the baptism of Jesus, the eye will be at once feasted with the beauty, and fatigued with the inaccuracy of this precious monument of antiquity. In the middle the river Jordan rolls along, lashing the banks with its waves, and gurgling as it goes. In the river stands Jesus naked, the water nearly up to his shoulders (2). On the left hand bank stands John the Baptist, a tall thin man, his hair dishevelled, his beard not long but rough, habited, in a short shaggy skin, over which a light cloak is thrown, the whole covering him only to the elbows and the knees. He is leaning toward the river, his left hand is just seen behind, spread open and lifted up, and his right hand is on the head of Jesus, as if pressing him gently down into the water, while Jesus seems to be yielding to the water under the hand of John (3). Behind John more to the left lies a double axe at the foot of a tree, an allusion probably to his own words, the axe is laid to the root of the trees. On the right hand side of the piece, on the banks of Jordan, over against John, are three angels with wings to their shoulders, and garments down to their feet, bowing with all submission to Jesus Christ. These were introduced no doubt by the Catholick artists for a declaration of their own faith, and a reproof to the Arians, and they serve in In the Arian part to determine the date of the piece. baptistery at Ravenna, Moses occupies the place which is assigned to angels in this, and John holds a pastoral staff instead of a cross as in the other (4). Above, the heavens open, a star sparkles, and the dove descends (5). In the river the fish are seen sporting, and the river god in a human form is regaling himself like a joyous youth in a bath. By these emblems the artist intended to express that the whole world, rivers, and animals, and all nature,

(2) Christum Dominum cernis, qui fluvio mergitur

(3) Dexteram manum capiti Jesu imponit, quod cum solemni precatione a ministro baptismatis semper factum ab ultima usque antiquitate comperimus.

(4) Hieron. Rubei. Hist. Raven.

(5) Juvenci Garmina.

rejoiced at the advent of Jesus. At the top of the piece in the left hand corner are these words, THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST.

The taste for adorning baptisteries seems to have originated, where all works of refinement have always originated, in the fancies of the ladies. John in the most ancient representations appears a rueful figure, having nothing but the shaggy skin of a beast, or unwrought camel's hair thrown loosely over his shoulders, and carelessly crossing his middle but when the Greeks associated him with Jesus and Mary, which they did very early in triptychs, the ladies took their needles, and habited John like a gentleman, in company with Jesus and Mary, embroidered on the caps and gowns of those who officiated. John the patriarch of Constantinople had a head dress of this kind. His predecessors had always worn plain white, but he chose to ornament his with the images of Jesus, the virgin mother, and John the Baptist, in gold. There is now among other collections of a similar kind, in the Vatican at Rome an old stole, or long vest of the most exquisite needle-work of various colours, mixed with gold thread. It is embroidered all over with images of saints: but in the upper part, near the neck, are three small radiated circles. Jesus in the middle, Mary in the right, and John in the left. The transition from the dress of the inhabitant to the furniture of his habitation is natural. Nothing could be more proper than to cover the tables in the rooms adjoining to the baptistery. When they were in use cleanliness required it; and at other times, to take off the air of a mere warehouse of goods, it seemed expedient to furnish the tables. First came frontals that hung down before then dorsals or back pieces side pieces followed of course. The ladies by the dexterity of their all-creating fingers embroidered these, and in squares and corresponding compartments placed the saints as their fancies directed: but whoever, or whatever they were, John the Baptist was always Several of these old cloths are yet to be seen at Milan, Venice, and many other cities. When these tables began to be used to set images on, it became necessary to carry the back cloth up higher against the wall, and the want of a fuish at the top, probably sug

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gested the idea of the canopy. From needle-work, which is pretty, to embossed-work and solid plate, which is magnificent, and displays substantial and exuberant wealth, the way is natural: it actually took place, and the most elegant and costly of this kind of modern church ornaments is in the baptistery at Florence. On certain days of the year the Catholicks, to excite people to imitate the virtues of their predecessors, set out the relicks of the saints. Every thing that can delight the senses is produced on these occasions. Pictures, jew. els, musick, vocal and instrumental, illuminations, incense, the first performers in the finest habits conspire to communicate festivity, and to aggrandize the festival. The chief object in this noble city is what the Florentines call the silver Dessale of a temporary altar in the baptistery. This is an octagon building, now called the church of St. John Baptist. It stands opposite the cathedral. It has three brass gates, which were formerly gilt, and on which several scripture-histories were represented. The figures in basso-relievo so struck the famous Michael Angelo, that he exclaimed in an extasy, These are worthy of being the gates of paradise. The baptism of Jesus is represented in marble over the door. The font is large, and all the children born of Christian parents in Florence are baptized in it. There is a beautiful statue of John standing before it. John himself lies all over the catholick world. That finger with which he pointed to Christ, when he said, Behold the Lamb of God, is here. His others are at different places. The knights of St. John have his right hand, with which he baptized Jesus, enclosed in one of the richest and most elegant shrines: it is made of solid gold, and adorned with a profusion of jewels. A piece of the stone on which Jesus stood when he was baptized, is at Chiusi in Sienna: and there is another at the Lateran at Rome. This dessale was an offering to John the Baptist by the company of merchants. It was begun in thirteen hundred and fifty-six. Artists of every kind were consulted, no expense was spared, and several years were allowed to finish the work. It is divided into seventeen compartments, and each contains a representation of some part of the life of John the Baptist: his birth, his life in the desert, his preaching, his

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baptizing, his addressing Herod, his imprisonment, his execution, the carrying in of his head to Herodias, his burial by his disciples: his whole history is exhibited in this most rich and exquisite piece of workmanship. Grand as it is, most likely it had its origin in the harmless napkin, with which some neat sister Phoebe, a servant of the church, covered the top of the homely table of the baptistery.

The baptistery of Novara is mentioned for the sake of a singular opinion of original sin, which Lorenzo the bishop stated in a baptismal discourse there. Lorenzo, or Laurence I. was first bishop of Novara, and was afterwards elected to the archbishoprick of Milan in the beginning of the sixth century. He died in the reign of Theodorick. His homily on repentance, preached whilst he was bishop of Novara, seems to have been a preparation sermon for baptism, or a directory discourse immediately after it (6). The baptistery, a separate building, near the church, yet remains. He begins, as all preachers of his sentiments do, with Adam, whose fall polluted all his descendants. He proceeds to shew how Jesus took away the sin of the world by being baptized in the river Jordan. He adds, that the old testament saints had not the ordinance of personal water baptism literally but they had the benefit of Christ's baptism spiritually; and when David said, wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow, it was as much as to say, Lord, thou hast cleansed me from the sin of my father Adam, by taking his flesh on thyself, dipping it in the font, and washing it in the river. His meaning is, that David had two sorts of sin, original and actual, that Jesus would take away, and in effect had taken away the first, which he calls the sin of the world, by washing human nature in his baptism, and that actual sin was taken away by repentance. His mysticism, as well as his occasional mention of the ceremonies of baptism, requires attention. He says baptism is a sign, and he asks, "What is there in baptism except water, chrism, and a white garment? Christ, by being dipped in Jordan sanctified the waters. Baptismal water is water of remission. At the font you receive not a Jew

(6) S. Laurentii Novariens. Episc. Homil. de Pænitentia.

ish but an evangelical sign. That day, that hour, when you come out of the laver, you have within yourself a perpetually running water, a daily remission. You

have no need of a teacher, none of the right hand of the priest. As soon as you come up out of the baptistery, you are clothed with a white garment, and anointed with mystical ointment. Three times invocation is made over you, the trine virtue comes upon you, and your new vessel is filled with this new doctrine --- John saith, I baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. After baptism, do not inquire for John, or Jordan, but be the Baptist to thyself.

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thou defiled after baptism, is thy heart vitiated, thy mind contaminated? Dip thyself in the waters of repentance, wash thyself in abundance of tears: let the fountain of compunction diffuse itself through every pore, let it be a living water overflowing every fibre." All this is very spiritual; however, the meaning is clear. Repentance and a teacher are necessary before baptism, and baptism is not to be repeated, because, although a christian may sin after baptism, yet as he continues to repent, anabaptism is unnecessary. Probably the good bishop meant this homily as a preservative from Novatianism, Donatism, Arianism, and so on. over, the homily shews a principle received by many Christians, which accounts for the conduct of such as do not baptize infants, although they do believe original sin. They think Adam's sin charged on all his posterity was that, which John the Baptist called the sin of the world, and which he said Jesus took away, so that neither infants nor adults are accountable for Adam's transgression; of course, baptism is unnecessary before the commission of actual sin. The trine invocation, and the trine virtue, mean trine immersion, in the name of the Father one invocation, the name of the Son a second, the name of the Holy Ghost a third.

Milan is mentioned for the sake of describing Italian minor-baptism in the twelfth century. Having some time ago attended a baptism at Rome, celebrated according to the Roman ordinal, it may not be improper now to attend one at Milan, performed according to the Ambrosian ritual. The history of the liturgy

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