Learned and devout men have studied with care the early records of Christianity, and have written histories of the doctrines and customs of the churches, during the ages immediately succeeding the Apostles. What do they tell us as to the use of baptism during the first centuries after Christ? BARNABAS, the companion of St. Paul; Hermas, writing about A. D. 95; Justin Martyr, about A. D. 140; Tertullian, about A. D. 204; Hippolytus, about A. D. 225; Gregory, about A. D. 360; Basil, about A. D. 360; Ambrose, about A. D. 374; Cyril, about A. D. 374; Chrysostom, about A. D. 400; all speak of being _dipped,_ or _buried,_ or _immersed,_ or _plunged_ in the water in baptism; and none of them make the least allusion to any application of water to the person for baptism by sprinkling, pouring, washing, or any other mode whatsoever. DOCTOR WALL, whose learned and laborious researches in connection with his exhaustive work on the _History of Infant Baptism_ left little for others to discover in this field of scholarship, says: "The Greek Church in all its branches does still use _immersion,_ and so do all other Christians in the world, except the Latins. All those nations that do now, or formerly did submit to the Bishop of Rome, do ordinarily baptize their children by pouring or sprinkling. But _all other Christians in the world,_ who never owned the Pope's usurped power, do and ever did _dip_ their infants in the ordinary use. All the Christians in Asia, all in Africa, and about one-third in Europe are of the last sort." _Hist. Inf. Bap., Vol. II., p. 376, 3d ed._ BINGHAM, in his _Origines,_ the ablest work we have in English on Christian Antiquities, says: "The ancients thought that immersion, or _burying under water,_ did more lively represent the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, as well as our own death to sin and rising again unto righteousness." _Christ. Antiq., B. XI., Ch. XI._ MOSHEIM says: "In this century (_the first_) baptism was administered in convenient places, without the public assemblies, and by _immersing_ the candidate wholly in water." _Eccl. Hist., Cent. I., Part. II., Ch. 4._ NEANDER says: "In respect to the form of baptism, it was in conformity to the original institution, and the original import of the symbol, performed by _immersion,_ as a sign of entire baptism into the Holy Spirit, of being entirely penetrated with the same." _Ch. Hist., Vol. I., p. 310._ Also, _Plant. and Train., Vol. I., p. 222._ SCHAFF says: "Finally, so far as it respects the mode and manner of outward baptizing, there can be no doubt that _immersion,_ and not sprinkling was the original normal form." _Hist. Christ. Ch., p. 488._ PRESSENSÉ says: "Baptism, which was the sign of admission into the church, was administered by _immersion._ The convert was plunged beneath the water, and as he rose from it he received the laying on of hands." _Early Years of Christianity, p. 374._