As the valuable collections of GALLANDIUS and DELABIGNE "Bibliotheca Patrum &c.," have been mainly used as the source from which our extracts are taken, it may be useful to name here the minor Fathers and Patristical works which occur in vol. 1 of that collection.

ANONYMI viri Apostolici ad Diognetum, by some named as Justin Martyr.

PRESBYTERORUM et diaconorum Achaia epistola de martyrio Sancti Andreæ apostoli.

TESTAMENTUM DUODECIM PATRIARCHARUM.

But neither of these works has any thing on the subject of Baptism; and with those already cited, they make up all the writers or works of the first century which are in the first volume of Gallandius's Bibliotheca.

This Synopsis has, also, all the writers of the first century named by DUPIN. He mentions indeed, as of the first century, (placing them between Barnabas and Hermas,) the following:

But none of these, except the books of the Sibyls, which have

been already cited, contain any thing on the subject of Baptism.

In the Ecclesiastical History of the late learned Dr MOSHEIM of Gottingen, translated by Dr Maclaine, is a chapter on the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church during the first century. It seems appropriate to introduce here an extract from that work concerning Baptism.

MOSHEIM writes:

The rites instituted by Christ himself were only two; and these designed to continue to the end of the Church here below, without any variation. These rites were Baptism and the Holy Supper: which are not to be considered as mere ceremonies, nor yet as symbolic representations only; but also as ordinances accompanied with a sanctifying influence upon the heart and the affections of true Christians. The sacrament of Baptism was administered, in this century, without the public assemblies, in places appointed and prepared for that purpose, and was performed by immersion of the whole body in the baptismal font.*

Here is the following note: "See the learned dissertation of John Gerard Vossius concerning Baptism, Dis. 1, Thes. vi, p. 31, &c. The reader will also find in the ixth chap. and 25th section of the Bibliogr. Antiq. of the celebrated Fabricius, an account of the authors who have written on this subject."

At first it was usual for all who laboured in the propagation of the Gospel, to be present at that

solemn ceremony. It was also customary that the anger converts should be baptized, and received into the Church by those, under whose ministry they had embraced the Christian doctrine. But this custom was soon changed. When the Christian churches were well established, and governed by a system of fixed laws, then the right of baptizing the Christian converts was vested in the bishop alone. This right indeed he conferred upon the presbyters and chorepiscopi, or country bishops, when the bounds of the Church were still further enlarged, reserving, however, to himself the Confirmation of the Baptism which was administered by a presbyter. There were, doubtless, several circumstantial rites and ceremonies observed in the administration of this sacrament, for the sake of order and decency. Of these, however, it is not easy, nor perhaps possible, to give a certain or satisfactory account; since, upon this subject, we are too much exposed to the illusion which arose from confounding the customs of the primitive times. with those of succeeding ages.