w the baptism of John (Acts xviii. 24),
needed only instruction in the prophetic _gnosis_ at the hands of Priscilla
and Aquila in order to become a full disciple. On the other hand, in Acts
xix. 1-7, twelve disciples, for such they were already accounted, who had
been baptized into John's baptism, _i.e._ into the name of him that should
follow John, but had not even heard of the Holy Spirit, are at Paul's
instance re-baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Paul himself
lays hands on them and the Holy Ghost comes upon them, so that they speak
with tongues and prophecy. Not only do we hear of these varieties of
practice, but also of the laying on of hands together with prayer as a
substantive rite unconnected with baptism. The seven deacons were so
ordained. And this rite of laying on hands, which was in antiquity a
recognized way of transmitting the occult power or virtue of one man into
another, is used in Acts ix. 17, by Ananias, in order that Paul may recover
his sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost. Saul and Barnabas equally are
separated for a certain missionary work by imposition of hands with prayer
and fasting, and are so sent forth by the Holy Ghost. It was also a way of
healing the sick (Acts xxviii. 8), and as such accompanied by anointing
with oil (Jas. v. 14). The Roman church then had early precedents for
separating confirmation from baptism. It would also appear that in the
primitive age confirmation and ordination were one and the same rite; and
so they continued to be among the dissident believers of the middle ages,
who, however, often dropped the water rite altogether. (See CATHARS.) More
than one sect of the 2nd century rejected water baptism on the ground that
knowledge of the truth in itself makes us free, and that external material
washing of a perishable body cannot contribute to the illumination of the
inner man, complete without it. St Paul himself recognizes (1 Cor. vii. 14)
that children, one of whose parents only is a believer, are _ipso facto_
not unclean, but _holy_. Even an unbelieving husband or wife is
_sanctified_ by a believing partner. If we remember the force of the words
[Greek: hagios hagiazo] (cf. 1 Cor. [v.03 p.0369] i. 2), here used of
children and parents, we realize how far off was St Paul from the positions
of Augustine.

The question arises whether Jesus Himself instituted baptism as a condition
of entry into the Messianic kingdom. The fourth gospel (iii. 22, and iv.