ncient custom_," which was followed until the
time of Stephen. During his bishopric controversies arose as to whether
members should be received "after the ancient Christian custom" or by
baptism,[316:4] after the heathen custom. Rev. J. P. Lundy, who has made
ancient religions a special study, and who, being a thorough Christian
writer, endeavors to get over the difficulty by saying that:

"John the Baptist simply _adopted_ and practiced the
_universal custom_ of sacred bathing _for the remission of
sins_. Christ sanctioned it; the church inherited it from his
example."[316:5]

When we say that baptism is a _heathen_ rite adopted by the Christians,
we come near the truth. Mr. Lundy is a strong advocate of the _type_
theory--of which we shall speak anon--therefore the above mode of
reasoning is not to be wondered at.

The facts in the case are that baptism by immersion, or sprinkling in
infancy, _for the remission of sin_, was a common rite, to be found in
countries the most widely separated on the face of the earth, and the
most unconnected in religious genealogy.[317:1]

If we turn to India we shall find that in the vast domain of the
Buddhist faith the birth of children is regularly the occasion of a
ceremony, at which the priest is present. In Mongolia and Thibet this
ceremony assumes the special form of _baptism_. Candles burn and incense
is offered on the domestic altar, the priest reads the prescribed
prayers, _dips the child three times in water, and imposes on it a
name_.[317:2]

_Brahmanism_, from the very earliest times, had its initiatory rites,
similar to what we shall find among the ancient Persians, Egyptians,
Greeks and Romans. Mr. Mackenzie, in his "Royal Masonic Cyclopaedia,"
(_sub voce_ "Mysteries of Hindustan,") gives a capital digest of these
mysteries from the "Indische Alterthum-Skunde" of Lassen. After an
invocation to the SUN, an oath was demanded of the aspirant, to the
effect of implicit obedience to superiors, purity of body, and
inviolable secrecy. _Water was then sprinkled over him_, suitable
addresses were made to him, &c. This was supposed to constitute the
_regeneration_ of the candidate, and he was now invested with the white
robe and the tiara. A peculiar cross was marked on his forehead, and the
Tau cross on his breast. Finally, he was given the sacred word, A. U.
M.[317:3]

The Brahmans had also a mode of baptism similar to the Christian sect of
Baptists,