BAPTISM. This term comes from the Greek Baptismos or Baptisma, derived from the Verb Baptizo, To wash, dip, baptize. The Hebrews had many sorts of Baptisms or Purifications. Sometimes they washed themselves all over, and plunged their whole body in water: sometimes they washed their cloaths only, and at other times both body and cloaths. The most superstitious among them wash’d their arms from their elbows to the extremities of their hands, when they returned from market, or came out of the street, Mark vii. 4.fearing they had touched something or person that was polluted. They washed their hands likewise with great exactness before and after meals. Lastly, they washed the furniture and utensils of their table and kitchen, as often as they had the least suspicion of their having Mark vii. 2. 2 John ii. 6.been polluted by any accident.
When they received a Proselyte to their Religion, they both circumcised and baptized him, pretending that this Baptism was a kind of regeneration, whereby the Proselyte was made a new man: of a slave he became free. They who were his relations before this ceremony were, after it, no longer accounted such. Our Saviour is thought to have alluded to this in his expression to Nicodemus, that it was necessary he should be born again, in order to become his Disciple. The whole Law and John iii. 10.History of the charitate, c. 49. Jews abound with Lustrations and Baptisms of different sorts: Moses enjoined the people to wash their garments, and purify themselves, to prepare for the reception of Exod. xix. 10. Exod. xxix. 4. and Levit. viii. 6. and Numb. viii. 6, 7, 8. Levit. xiii. 6, 34. xvi. 6, 7, & seq. xi. 25, 28. xxii. 6. Numb. xxxi. 24. xix. 14. Exod. xxix. 21. Lev. viii. 11. Lev. xvi. 14, 15. Lev. iv. 32. Lev. xiv. 7. Mark i. 4. Matth. iii. 2. Numb. xx. 12, &c.the Law. The Priests and Levites, before they enter upon the exercise of their Ministry, wash themselves with water. All legal pollutions were cleansed by Baptism, or by plunging into water. There are even certain diseases and infirmities natural to men and women, which were thought uncleannesses, and were to be purified with bathing. To touch a dead body, and to be present at funerals made people unclean and required purifications.
But these purifications were not uniform: generally people dipp’d themselves intirely under the water, and this is the most simple and natural notion of the word, baptize. Sometimes likewise they were satisfied with Baptism by aspersion, or such a lustration as included no more than scattering lightly some lustral blood and water on the person; for example, when Moses consecrated the Priests and Altar, when the Tabernacle was sprinkled with blood upon the day of Solemn Expiation, or when the Sacrifice was offered by him for the sins of the High-Priest and multitude, and he tinged the horns of the Altar with the blood of the Victim, when a leper was purified after his cure, or a man polluted by touching or meeting a dead body, they did no more than lightly sprinkle them with lustral water.
When S. John Baptist began to preach Repentance, he instituted a sort of Baptism, which he gave in the waters of Jordan. He did not attribute the virtue to it of forgiving Sins, but made use of it as a preparation only for the receiving Baptism at the hands of Jesus Christ, and remission of sins by penitential acts, wherewith he required this ceremony to be attended. He did not exact only sorrow for sin, but a change of life, and such practices as might atone for the commission of sin. The Baptism of John was much more perfect than that of the Jews, but less perfect than that of Jesus Christ. It was, says S. Chrysostom ², as it were a bridge which from the Baptism of the Jews made a way to that of our Saviour, and was more exalted than the first, but inferior to the second. That of S. John promis’d what that of Jesus Christ executed. After the Baptism of John, that of Jesus Christ was still necessary, to receive, says S. Austin1, forgiveness of Sins, and the grace of Sanctification.
Notwithstanding that S. John did not enjoin his Disciples to continue the Baptism of Repentance, which was of his institution, after his death, because after the2 manifestation of the Messiah and the establishment of the Holy Ghost, it became of no use, yet there were many of his followers who still administered it, and several years after the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, did not so much as know that there was any other Baptism, than that of John. Of this number was Apollos, a learned and zealous man, who was of Alexandria, and came to Ephesus twenty years after the Resurrection of our Saviour. And when S. Paul came after Apollos to Acts xviii. 25. Acts xix. 1.the same City, there were still many Ephesians, who had received no other Baptism, and were not informed, that there was any Holy Ghost, which was received by Baptism in Jesus Christ.
As to this last Baptism, our Saviour sending his Apostles to preach the Gospel thro’out all Matth. xvii i. 16. Mark xvi. 14. John iii. 1.the world, said, Go, teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Whosoever believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned. Baptism therefore is absolutely necessary to Salvation; and the first mark whereby the true Disciples of Jesus Christ are distinguished, is, that they believe and are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. We do not enlarge on this subject, because it comes but indirectly within the design of our Dictionary.
The word Baptism is often taken in the Scripture for Sufferings. For example, Can ye Mark x. 38.drink of the Cup that I drink of, and be baptized with the Baptism, which I am baptized with? And elsewhere; I have a Baptism to be Luke xii. 50.baptized with, and how am I straitned till it be accomplished? Expressions whereof we find some footsteps in the old Testament, where Ps. lxix. 2, 3.waters denote often tribulations, and where, to be swallowed up by the waters, and to pass the great waters, signify to be overwhelmed with miseries and misfortunes.
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