or the application of water, was a rite well known to the Jews
before the time of Christ Jesus, and was practiced by them when they
admitted proselytes to their religion from heathenism. When children
were baptized they received the sign of the cross, were anointed, and
fed with milk and honey.[320:4] "It was not customary, however, among
them, to baptize those who were converted to the Jewish religion, _until
after the Babylonish captivity_."[320:5] This clearly shows that they
learned the rite from their heathen oppressors.

Baptism was practiced by the ascetics of Buddhist origin, known as the
_Essenes_.[320:6] John the Baptist was, evidently, nothing more than a
member of this order, with which the deserts of Syria and the Thebais of
Egypt abounded.

The idea that man is restrained from perfect union with God by his
imperfection, uncleanness and sin, was implicitly believed by the
ancient _Greeks_ and _Romans_. In Thessaly was yearly celebrated a great
festival of cleansing. A work bearing the name of "_Museus_" was a
complete ritual of purifications. The usual mode of purification was
dipping in water (immersion), or it was performed by aspersion. These
sacraments were held to have virtue independent of the dispositions of
the candidates, an opinion which called forth the sneer of Diogenes, the
Grecian historian, when he saw some one undergoing baptism by aspersion.

"Poor wretch! do you not see that since these sprinklings
cannot repair your grammatical errors, they cannot repair
either, the faults of your life."[321:1]

And the belief that water could wash out the stains of original sin, led
the poet _Ovid_ (43 B. C.) to say:

"Ah, easy fools, to think that a whole flood
Of water e'er can purge the stain of blood."

These ancient Pagans had especial gods and goddesses who presided over
the birth of children. The goddess _Nundina_ took her name from the
ninth day, _on which all male children were sprinkled with holy
water_,[321:2] as females were on the eighth, at the same time receiving
their name, of which _addition_ to the ceremonial of Christian baptism
we find no mention in the Christian Scriptures. When all the forms of
the Pagan nundination were duly complied with, the priest gave a
certificate to the parents of the regenerated infant; it was, therefore,
duly recognized as a legitimate member of the family and of society, and
the day was spent in feasting and hilarity.[321:3