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To have been several thousands, which number, however, in order not to overstep the bounds of truth, we have not dared to give or,follow; the same, occurred in Upper and Lower Saxony, in England, and other countries, where at this time, it is stated, countless numbers attained to the faith, and were baptized upon it. This is stated in Bapt. HisE., page 491, from John Magnus, Paul Diaconus, Bede, Hist. Gath, etc., which should be compared together.

About A. D. 632.-At this time, probation and examination in the faith were practiced by the orthodox teachers. Those who presented themselves for baptism, whether of Jewish, heathen, or Christian parentage, were first proved and. examined in the faith, which examination generally took place six or seven times in the week before Easter or Whitsuntide; to the end, that the candidates, having made a good confession, and having been confirmed in the faith, might be baptized at the approaching holiday. This custom is noticed by many writers; we will, however, present only this brief extract from Bapt. Hist., page 492: "The Bishop or teacher Amandus made the son of Dagobert a catechumen, before he baptized him." Regina, lib. 1. In Lower Saxony, Birinus observed it as a rule not to baptize people before he had catechized, that is, instructed, them. Bede, lib. 4, cap. 16. Another teacher, according to Metaphrastes, instructed a certain Jewish virgin, before he baptized her. Vincent states of Arnulph, that he baptized (that is, after previous instruction), a sick person, who shortly afterwards got well. Lib. 23, carp. 76, by which we would not indicate that baptism possesses any virtue to heal the body; but that it is administered to intelligent persons; and that upon faith, according to the ordinance of the Lord, Mark 16:15, 16.

About A. D. 646.-As the doctrine of faith in Jesus Christ was now greatly spreading, and the believers increased in many places, so that the church, which at times, on account of persecution, had been wont to. hide in dens,and caverns, began to arise here and there, as herbs spring up from the earth in spring-time, her growth was seen to proceed not only four those who, born of Christian parents, accepted the faith, nor only from heathen who became converted to the faith, but principally from the Jews, who had previously been very bitter against the Christians, but who now came in multidudes, as occurred not long since, to be baptized in the name of Christ, upon faith; an example of which is given by Gregory of Turon (lib. 5" Chron. Franc., cap. 11). Some Jews who desired baptism, said with one accord to the teacher, "We believe that Jesus is the Son of the living God, promised unto us for a Prophet and Messiah; therefore we pray to be washed by baptism, that we may not abide in our sins." The teacher rejoiced at this confession, and, in the night before Whitsuntide, when it was customary to watch and to pray, he went to the place of baptism, situated without the city walls; where the whole multitude fell down before him and prayed to be baptized. Bapt. Hist., page 499.

About A. D. 658.-D. Joseph Vicecomes quotes from Zeno of -Verona, a certain address which the latter was accustomed to direct to the candidates, saying, when they were about to be baptized, "Rejoice (beloved friends); it is true, in baptism you are divested of your clothes, but adorned in the heavenly robe, you shall soon ascend again, white as snow; whosoever will not defile it, shall, inherit the kingdom of heaven." Bapt. Hist., page 501, from Vicecom., lib. 4, cap. 10, from Zeno's second homily on baptism.

All these are certainly expressions that relate to intelligent persons, and not in the least applicable to infants; for, when, in the first place, it is, said here, "Rejoice," this is the opposite of sorrIow, which sorrow the candidates previously were wont to feel on account of their manifold sins, over which they wept and mourned; but now, being washed in baptism, through faith and the blood of Christ, they had reason to rejoice, even as the jailer, who, having been baptized, rejoiced with all his house, Acts 16; and as the Ethiopian, who, after baptism, went on his way rejoicing, Acts 8:39.

The putting off of the bodily clothes before baptism;and the putting, on of the snow-white robe of righteousness in baptism, as well as the solicitude not to defile it with sin after baptism, referred to in the above address'to the candidates, is no work for infants, but only for adult persons; hence, the baptism spoken of there, is not infant baptism, but a baptism peculiar solely to the adult and those of reasonable minds.

About A. D. 670.-At this time, the holy baptismal ordinance of Christ was still rightly observed in Egypt; namely, the doctrines of the faith were preached to the candidates before baptism; yea, this practice was so highly regarded there, that some in other countries, separating from the Roman church in this article resolved to restore the Christian religion according to the example of the Egyptian Christians, hence they were styled beginners in the Christian religion. In allusion to this, quotation of Vicecomes (lib. 2, cap. 3), from Jacob Pamelius' book on Tertullian, is no doubt made, saying that the beginners in the Christian religion (that is, those who, separating from the Roman church, established the Christian religion upon the original apostolical foundation), adopted