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the Valentinians added this fire baptism to their water baptism. Smith's 'Dictionary of Antiquities' not only treats of a sect who maintained the true baptism to be that of the Spirit and fire, but speaks of a treatise in which we read of some who, by what means is not known, produced an appearance of fire on the baptismal water, in order to complete what they thought necessary for Christian baptism.'1 A tradition existed on this subject from Justin Martyr downward. In his dialogue with Trypho the Jew, he says that When Jesus descended into the water, a fire was also

kindled in Jordan.' The Ebionite Gospel reports that after Christ's baptism: Immediately a great light shone around upon the place.' In commenting upon these passages, Dr. Lardner remarks: This account, therefore, of the fire in the river Jordan seems to be only a story which Justin had received by tradition.' Drs. Cave and Grabe, as well as Lardner, think this tradition an inference drawn from the evangelical account of the opening heavens. Add to this the avowal of John concerning the baptism of fire not many days hence, and it is easy to see how the traditional fiery baptism associated itself with the primitive water baptism in many

minds. Ephrem, the great hymnist of the Syrian Church, fourth century, speaking of Christ's baptism says: 'Behold the fire and the Spirit, in the river in which thou wast baptized.' Is it any more strange that an ancient painter should embody this emblematic idea in a picture, than that so grave a Father as Justin should incorporate it into his controversy with the noted Jew? Surely, there was more common sense in doing either, than in the late attempt to force this fresco into the service of aspersion by making it an annex and interpreter of The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles.'

But if thou hast not

That work requires men to be baptized in 'running water. running water, baptize in other water; and if thou canst not in cold, then in warm. But if thou hast neither, pour water upon the head.' Here, however, the administrator has both running water and an abundance of it; and, therefore, to pour water upon the head would be in direct opposition to the above injunction. A wide stream of 'living water' is presented, big enough to produce a fish, in length one third of the candidate's full stature; and so the baptizer is supposed to be following the instruction in the exceptional case by pouring water on the head, and that miraculously too, without the aid of any vessel or the use of either of his hands! Here is a pedobaptist miracle in resurrection from the Catacombs for enlightening the nineteenth century. Even Smith's 'Dictionary' forces this Callixtine fresco to bear testimony to affusion in baptism as an ancient practice, and cites as a parallel case, that one common mode of bathing among the ancients was the pouring of water from vessels over the body, as we may see in ancient vase paintings.' That water was so used in the ordinary spray or shower-bath is clear enough; but what has that to do with this picture? Here is not the representation of the usual bath, but of a Christian baptism. Besides, when the 'vase paintings' picture affusion in the common bath, they show the vessel from which the falling water flows, which is the very thing that this painting does not show. It cannot be enlisted into this modern service without the greatest violence to the literature of the earlier ages. Chrysostom understood the baptism of fire metaphorically, for the gifts and graces of the Spirit; while Cyril of Jerusalem understood it realistically, as seen in the form of cloven tongues at Pentecost. The resemblance to fiery horns rising above the head of the baptized in No. 7, and the forked flames above the heads of the Twelve in No. 8, are clearly intended to represent the same symbolical ideal, by similar arching, cleft and aspiring curves. But the affusion of water is inadmissible until it can be shown where it comes from, and how it ascends far above the head in this cleft and arching way without visible agency or projecting force.

No. 9 is a more important painting, found over the baptistery in the Catacomb of St. Ponziano, which is ascribed by Boldetti to the fifth or sixth century, but by Parker to the ninth. It is over an arched recess, at the bottom of which is a well or fountain, said to have been used for baptism by the early Christians in the times

BAPTISTERY,-ST. PONZIANO.

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of persecution. In the upper part Christ is represented as standing up to the waist in the Jordan. The Holy Dove with rays from his beak is over his head, fish are swimming in the water, and a hart or stag is looking intently into the stream. John is standing on the bank reaching forward with his hand on Christ's head. Another figure stands on the opposite side in a white garment; the three figures have the nimbus. The lower part of the representation is under the arch; on the wall is a jeweled cross with the A and 2 hanging from its arms to indicate that Christ is the Beginning and the Ending of faith, and the two candlesticks standing upon them are designed to set forth the Divine and human nature of our Lord. The symbolism here is on a large scale, for the artist evidently intended not only to give us an ideal baptismal scene in the immersion of Jesus, but to associate with it such a body of divinity as would show the great doctrines on which baptism rests, and its necessary outcome from them; so that the emblematic and the realistic are copiously blended. The jeweled cross is very significant, being set with gems, leaves and flowers. This the ancients called The Cross of Glory, while they called. the plain wood The Cross of Shame, to mark the degradation to which the Baptized Crucified submitted for our sins. The two flames from the candlesticks on the transverse beam are designed to show the wealth and fullness of illumination which the atonement throws upon baptism, and the light needed by those who are buried beneath its waters. Then, the cross itself descends into the water to exhibit the connection of the atonement by Christ's death with the ordinance. The clear and still fountain beneath is the believer's liquid grave, where he is to be buried 'into the likeness of Christ's death.'

as

6

Portions of the upper picture are purely imaginative, as the angel on the right shore from Christ resting on a cloud and holding our Lord's robe. Then, the hart looking earnestly into the water symbolizes the thirst of the believing soul for the waters of baptism. This idea is probably borrowed from Jerome's comment on the first verse of Psalm xlii: As the hart pants after the water-brooks, so does my soul pant for thee, O God.' The nimbus thrown around the head of John, Jesus and the angel, and the luminous irradiancy around the Holy Dove, distinguish them sacred personages. Thus, in this remarkable picture, the immersion of Jesus and the deep baptistery provided for those who cling to his cross are but members of a great system of truth which the artist intended to preach; his primary purpose• being to show forth Christ's redeeming work and the results flowing from it by faith and obedience, as seen in baptismal burial and resurrection with him. The baptistery is supplied by a natural spring, and is, according to Ricci, from four to five feet deep; Canon Venable says, with a descent of ten steps. Since writing the above, Dr. Dodge calls attention to Bellermann's description of a baptistery in the Catacombs at Naples: There is a niche in the wall under the middle door, eight feet high, five and a half feet broad, in which one still sees a cross with four equal

painted red, and a Greek inscription, which means "Jesus Christ conquers."