292 BAPTISTS principles of the Christian faith. Occasionally also we find KoZv/jfiijOpa, bath, and piscina, fish pond, used as synonymes for baptistery. Baptistery is now commonly used to designate the baptismal font in Catholic and Episcopal churches, and the tank in which the rite of immersion is performed in Baptist churches, where convenient access cannot be had to a natural body of water. A baptistery in the latter sense may be either within or without the church edifice to which it pertains. BAPTISTS, a denomination of evangelical Christians, who differ from others in respect to the proper age and mode of administering baptism. In the view of the Baptists age is nothing, but spiritual qualification is every- thing; hence they baptize all who repent and believe the gospel, whether in childhood, youth, or manhood, and very frequently whole house- holds at once, as did the apostles. The Bap- tists reject the substitution of sprinkling for the entire immersion of the body, which they maintain was originally practised in the ad- ministration of baptism, and (except in the case of the sick) universally observed through- out Christendom for 1,300 years. For the uni- versal obligation of immersion as identical with baptism itself, and essential to its specific spir- itual purposes, they urge the admitted signifi- cation of the word /3a7rr<fo, the necessity of adhering to the ordinary meaning of words in the interpretation of laws, the places where the rite was originally performed, the phrase- ology employed in describing it, the example of Christ himself, and the metaphorical allu- sions of the sacred writers when explaining the spiritual import of the rite. They maintain that, so far as the meaning of the word is con- cerned, they have the concurrence of the whole body of the reformers of the 16th century, who were withheld from restoring immersion among Protestants generally, not by critical reasons, but by their views of church authority and ex- pediency. The Mennonites, or Dutch Baptists, restored immersion ; but a part of them, though still rejecting infant baptism, have since adopt- ed pouring; those who retain immersion are now called Tunkers, i. e., dippers. All the Greek and oriental churches, though adopting the baptism of children, retain immersion as essential to the validity of the rite, and deny that there is any efficacy in the western form of baptism. On the subject of church communion strict Baptists agree generally with other de- nominations that it is not proper before bap- tism. Open communion, so eloquently advo- cated by Robert Hall in England, the Baptists of the United States regard as an anomaly. The Baptists believe in the spiritual unity of the whole believing church under Christ, its head, and in the duty of making this unity vis- ible by subjection to him in all things. Local churches, like those of Jerusalem and Antioch, composed of converted members, duly baptized, embodied under the law of Christ by free mu- tual agreement, and maintaining the truth in love, they hold to be, according to the New Testament, the appointed means, in the first place, for manifesting this unity. The govern- ment of these churches is congregational. Each body, being immediately dependent on Christ, is therefore independent of all others, and ia complete in itself for the management of its internal affairs, such as the choice of officers, declaration of faith, and reception, dismission, or discipline of members. Each church is a tribunal, where Christ himself presides, ratify- ing in heaven whatever is done according to his will on earth. This principle of indepen- dence is, however, balanced by the intercom- munion of churches. This intercommunion is the highest form of visible unity, and is never to be interrupted without necessity. On this principle their churches associate, invite coun- cils for advice, and organize societies for mutual cooperation in any benevolent, educational, or missionary enterprise. But all such associa- tions among Baptists disclaim the slightest jurisdiction over the churches. Baptists make no distinction but that of office between clergy- men and laymen. The voice of the majority governs. They recognize no higher church offi- cers than pastors and deacons. Elders, as evan- gelists and missionaries, are also ordained after due trial, and sent out to preach the gospel. Councils are usually called by the churches, to advise and assist in the ordination of ministers, the formation of churches, and the settlement of serious difficulties. Such councils in some localities are composed exclusively of ministers, and are called presbyteries ; but they must not be confounded with the bodies that bear that name in the Presbyterian church, as they have neither judicial nor appellate powers. What- ever be their differences in other things, Bap- tists all agree in maintaining the congregational form of church government. With Congrega- tionalists, so called, they differ only in regard to baptism and in being more strictly congrega- tional. In Great Britain the Baptists, next to the Congregationalists, form the most numerous body of Protestant dissenters. In England the body is divided by their views of the design of Christ's redemption into General and Particular Baptists, the former taking Arminian and the latter Calvinistic ground. The New Connec- tion of General Baptists seceded from the old, to exclude TJnitarianism, which was creeping in. They were originally strict communionists, but are now divided on that question. They have a theological school at Leicester, a successful mission at Orissa in India, and, though a small, are a zealous and flourishing body. The Par- ticular Baptists are altogether the most numer- ous and influential. They have in Great Brit- ain and Ireland 2,567 churches and 243,395 members. They have six theological colleges at London, Bristol, Ilorton, Haverford West, Pontypool, and Edinburgh. Their periodical organs are the " Freeman," a large weekly sheet, and three monthly periodicals, the " Bap- tist Magazine," "Baptist Reporter," and' the
