Christianismus redivivus Christndom both un-christ'ned and new-christ'ned, or, that good old way of dipping and in-churching of men and women after faith and repentance professed, commonly (but not properly) called Anabaptism, vindicated ... : in five or six several systems containing a general answer ... : not onely a publick disputation for infant baptism managed by many ministers before thousands of people against this author ... : but also Mr. Baxters Scripture proofs are proved Scriptureless ... / by Samuel Fisher ...

Baptist.

First, Paul means true believing here, in 1 Cor. 7.14. whether M^r Blake do or no.

Secondly, what will he get as to the point in hand by his Synonamizing faith and faederall holiness, for still neither the one nor the other is made here the cause of the holiness of the seed, for the holiness here spoken of may be where neither of them is, and may not be in the seed, even where they are both in the parent, as for example in Ezras time, Ezra 10, 3. we find abundance of the Jews, both Priests, and people, that were in the faith, or at least in faederall holiness, yet the children were put away as unholy, as well faederally as otherwise, because their marriage was unlawfull, and that bed adulterous wherein they lay with strange wives, Ezra 10.3. and that both parents possibly may be faithful, and faeder∣ally holy, and yet their seed be in all senses utterly unclean is evident, for the child of two believing Jews begotten besides the marriage bed, was both a Bastard, and also barr'd from the Congregation, Deut. 32.2. again this faederal holiness as well as faith may be in neither parent, and yet the issue not be unclean, but holy still, and so are all (Matrimonially, and civilly at least) that among Pa∣gans are the issue of the marriage bed; and with the holiness of the Covenant of Grace too, when they come to years, and believe themselves, as not a few children of unbelievers do, and sometimes the seed of Turks and Tartars, this therefore i. e. the faith, or faederal sanctity of the one parent, nor of both cannot be the cause of this sanctity, is here denominated of the seed, for holiness in the infants is not alwaies, when this is, and sometimes it is in the infant, when this is not in the parent, which being of each without other, cannot be between a true cause, and its effect; but as for the second viz. the marriage sanctity in the parents, it is that which being in the parents, holiness is naturally and necessarily in the seed that is born of them, whether they be both or either, or either in faith or unbelief, but being not in the parents, there can be no holiness, no birth holi∣ness in their infants, nor Matrimonial, nor Congregationall neither: therefore this is that which is the cause of the holiness of the issue in this Scripture, the result of which, and not of faith in the parents, is this non-uncleanness in their posteri∣ty, and so I have done with this kind of holiness, and with this Scripture which speaks of this Matrimonial holiness and no other.

Thirdly, Ceremonial holiness, I call that same holiness which properly, pecu∣liarly, and pro tempore only pertained to the whole nation, and congregation of Israel, denominating them all holy every one of them, and distinguishing them from all other people, and nations; which during the time of the Iews pedagogy, according to Gods own imposition were then accounted sinners, common, and un∣clean by a certain ••••s-rationis, an extrinsecall, meerly notional, and nominal rather then either real, moral or substantiall sort of sin, and uncleanness to which the others holiness was directly opposite, and answerable. The subjects of which Accountative holiness were not only the people of the Jews themselves, which were a holy people Deut. 7. ver. 8. Exod. 22.31. but also and more specially the Priests, and more specially yet, or in a higher degree, but in the same kind of holiness (for degrees do not vary nature) the High Priests, which were holi∣ness to the Lord, Exod. 39.30. also their parents, which were not matrimo∣nially only, nor often morally, yet (to allow your own phrase here, because they were outwardly in Covenant with God, concerning outward promises and privi∣ledges,

on performance of outward ordinances) ever•• faederally a holy parentage a holy root, Rom. 11. also their natural (if withall matrimonial) issue, which were not at all in their infancy, and but seldome when at years spiritually, all∣waies faederally holy branches, a holy seed, also their land of Canaan, which was the holy Land, their Metropolitan City Ierusalem, which was the holy City, their Temple, which was a holy Temple, the Utensills, vessels, vestments, and other accomplishments, which were all holy, a holy Lavar, a holy Altar, a holy Ark, holy Candlesticks, holy Cherubims, most holy place, &c. and in a manner all things belonging to the Law of Moses, and that first Covenant made with Abraham, and his fleshly seed, whether hollowed or consecrated by God himself, or dedicated to him by men at his appointment, viz. the first born, the first fruits, tithes, offerings, sacrifices, daies, feasts, which were al! holy, and had relation (as shadowes and types for a while) unto things Evangelically, Spi∣ritually, and substantially holy; that were to be there after: yea with this same kind of holiness some meats were holy; some flesh Hag. 2.12, 13. was holy, some birds, and beasts were sanctified as holy, and lawfull to be used, and eat∣en, when others were prohibited as prophane, common and unclean, not so much as to be touched without sin, without contracting such an outward fleshly kind of guilt, and impurity, as made their souls in that ceremonial sense abominable; yea with an uncleanness oppositely answerable to this carnall holiness, those fleshly purities, and purifyings, that then were, some actions, as the touch of a dead bo∣dy; some issues of men and women, some diseases as the Leprosie, some bodily blemishes as crookedness, dwarfishness, blindness, lameness, yea the very ease∣ments, and excrements that passed from them in the camp, without covering, did defile and render them sinners, prophane, unclean, unholy and guilty before the Lord, Levit. 5.2.3.5—11.43. to 46. also Chapters 14.15.22. also Le∣vit. 20.25.26—21.18. to the 24. Deut. 23.12.13.14. which defilements did then reach to pollute the flesh only, which the bloud of Bulls and Goats, that could not cleanse the conscience morally, did sanctifie to the purifying of Hebr. chap. 9. ver. 13. neither do these things defile any man now in any such sense at all.

This is the holiness, which when you say infants of believers are holy; I have ground to perswade my self you Ashford Disputants mean not, but rather some inherent morall holiness, when I consider how you talk of infused habits in the hearts of infants in your Disputation and Review; and yet again I have ground to believe you mean this holiness, which was in the Jewish infants and their im∣plements, if I may imagine your meaning, by what is extant in the writings of your brethren upon the subject, specially if I may measure your meaning by M^r Blakes in his Birth-priviledge, or covenant-holiness of believers and their is∣sue, wherein he laies himself out at large, and yet is too short when all is done in proving from the like under the law, among the people of the Iews and their is∣sue, that even now in the times of the Gospel also, a people that enjoy Gods ordi∣nances, convey to their issue a priviledge to be reputed by birth, not unclean, but holy persons, and thereupon to be baptized; the absurditie and inconsequence of which doctrine (and so I hope to make it appear, now I am upon it) is little less then if he had argued thus, as the Pope doth from that time to this, viz. there was an Hierarchy or holy principallity among the Priests under the law, there∣fore there must be such another under the Gospel, and as then the high-Priests, Aaron and his Sons who were holiness to the Lord, wore holy garments in their ministration for glory and for beauty, viz. Coats, and robes embroydered with gold and blew, and purple and scarlet, and fine linnen, and curious girdles of needle work, nnd miters, and holy Crowns upon the miters, so his Holiness to the Lord, the High-Priest of Christendome Appollyon, and his sons must thus swagger in their service, and be set out in such a holy manner for glory, and for

beauty, with his Pontificalib••, and most holy sumptuous, superstitious at∣tire: this holinesse of the holy Priest-hood that then was, and its holy perti∣nances, that holy people, and holy seed you stile very fitly, and I agree with you in the term (for 'twas indeed the holiness of that Covenant that then was, while the first tabernacle, and its worldly Sanctuary was yet standing) a federall holiness, nevertheless though you call it by no name but what I freely allow of, yet I call it by one or two names, which though they be as true and properly due to it as the other, and Epithites given ordinarily by your selves to the holinesse of almost every thing else under that Covenant, yet least it pluck you up by the roots as touching your opinion in this point of infant-holinesse and baptism, I much fear you will hardly allow of them as to the parents and the seed, if you can hand∣somely evade them by secundum quid, or some such like cleanly distinction: these are first, a ceremoniall holiness, the rise of which denomination, and reason why given, are 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quasi ad tempus durans, for a time onely, its non-continuance to the end, or its non-conveyance down-wards from the Church of the Jews, to the times and Churches of the Gospel: Secondly, a typical holi∣nesse, as being but a shew, shadow or figure of some more excellent holinesse to come, for the law and first Covenant had but the shadow of things to come, and not the very image of the things, Heb. 10.1. I say a typicall, and therefore but a temporall holiness, which stood and was seated onely in divers outward bodily rites, sacrifices, actions, observations, ordinances, offices, officers, places, ge∣stures, vestures, ornaments, meats, drinks, and a certain fleshly birth-right, and title to certain earthly preheminences, dignities, priviledge••, liberties, inheri∣tances, a kingdome: and all this for the time then being onely, and to point out a true, more speciall, ••eall, spiritual and eternal excellency and glory under the Gospell in order to the manifestation of which all the other was but a pageant, for as the Map of that Ierusalem that then was, delineates to our capacities the beau∣ty of that earthly fabrick, yet is far inferious to the City it self therein deciphered, so the old Ierusalem with all her holy things, were but a shadowy representati∣on, and patern of the New Ierusalem, and the true heavenly things themselves, which the other is as far inferiour to in worth and real felicity, as any Mapp of it upon the wall is to the City that is set out, and darkly described by it.

Thus did their High-priests in all their holiness, yea and kings too (King Solo∣mon specially in all his glory) and their prophets also, in all their materially holy unctions to those severall holy functions, type out that one spiritually anointed one of the father, our Lord Iesus, though a single person, to his tripple office of King, Priest, and Prophet over his Church, so their carnally holy meats, drinks and abstinencies, our spiritual meat and drink, which they are said to eat of in a figure, And our abstinencies from fleshly lusts, and morall pollutions; so their holy washings the washing of Regeneration, and renewings by the spirit; their holy sacrifices, blood of sprinkling, which (as all the rest) could not make perfect as pertaining to the conscience, but sanctified onely to the purifying of the flesh, i. e. the delivery of them from that outward imputation of impurity, and uncleanness that would else have lain upon them, the blood of Christ purging the conscience from iniquities, and dead works wherewith its defiled, to serve the living God in true holiness and righteousnesse all the daies of our life: so Circumcision of their fleshly seed, which was outward, and in the flesh, tipified, not Baptism (as is simply supposed from Col. 2.) but the Circumcision of the spiritual seed, i. e. be∣lievers, new-born babes, begotten to Christ by the word, with the Circumcision made without hands, i. e. sanctification, and cutting of the filthy lusts of the flesh; so their outwardly royall Priest-hood, the spiritual royal Priest-hood, i. e. the true Saints, who are truly (as the other ceremonially and tipically) a kindome of Priests, made Kings and Priests to the Lamb, and shall once reign on the earth, 1 Pet. 2.9. Rev. 5.10.

So the outward holiness of their nation tipified, not the same kind of outward ho••inesse of any one Nation taken collectively in the lump, as the whole Nation of England, Scotland, &c. and all their seed (as you ignorantly imagine) but the inward holinesse of the holy Nation of true believers themselves, whether parents to wicked children, or children of wicked parents, scattered through all Nations under heaven, these Peter writes to, and calls the chosen generation now, i. e. the Regenaration themselves, not the natural generation of these; also a Royall Priest-hood, an holy Nation, a peculiar people to God in a spiritual sense, as Israel was in a certain carnal and outward sense before, 1 Pet. 1.1, 2.9. so their holy land our inheritance incorruptible reserved in heaven the heavenly coun∣try, which we look for with Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, with whom we are heirs by faith of the same promise; their holy City, our holy City, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, Heb. 11. Rev. 12. Heb. 13. their holy Temple, Gods Evangelically holy Temple, where he will dwell, which Temple ye are, saith Paul to the Church, 1 Cor. 3. Their carnal freedome, our spiritual freedom from sin, which who ere commits is but a servant, for all the other: though born of Abraham, Iohn 8. Their passeover, Christ our passeover that was sacrificed for us, 1 Cor. 5. Their Rock, our Rock of refreshment Christ; their cloud, Christ overshadowing by day, and enlightning by night his people, 1 Cor. 10.

Their Manna, Christ, our bread that came down from heaven Iohn 6. their delivery out of Egypt the worlds Redemption by Christ; and as sundry other things, of which I cannot now speake particularly, so lastly (to draw yet a little neerer to the point in hand) their holy seed, issue, infancy tipified, not (as both corruptly and carnally you conceive) the fleshly seed of believing, or in-churched Gentiles, for these are in no wise the Antitype to the circumcised infancy of Isra∣el, but as I hinted before, the truly and spiritual holy seed it self, i. e. believers themselves; or if the seed of believers, not their natural seed, but their seed in a spirituall sense, i. e. that are begotten by them, by their words unto the faith; for believers as men beget men onely, and no more in that way of bodily propaga∣gation, but as believers they may beget believers, by way of spiritual influx, by comunication of the gospel to their consciences, thus Paul was the father of the Corinthians, in Christ Iesus begetting them all by the gospel, 1 Cor. 4 15. thus he travelled with the Galathians till Christ was form'd in them, whom also he bespeaks, as Iohn also doth his converts, 1 Iohn 2.1. by the name of my little ch••ldr••n, Gal 4.19. thus far if you will I agree with you, but your cause will be no gainer by this agreement, that as ceremonially holy ones begat ceremonially holy ones under the law, as a tipe in a way of carnall copulation, so spiritually ho∣ly ones beget spiritually holy ones, in a Gospel sense, by their spiritual commu∣nion and communication: for as Christ himself, who supremely begets, so true Christians as agents, and instruments under him may be said to multiply, and see their seed when in their endeavours to beget others to the faith, the work, will, way and pleasure of the Lord doth succeed and prosper in their hands; that holy seed therefore that answers under the Gospel to that holy seed, the Jews infants under the law, as the substance of that shadow, that with all the rest is now fled away, is Christ, and his truely, morally and spiritually holy ones onely, for the holy seed of the law, or that seed which was holy in the old Covenants account, were but as the leaves of an oak, which though they flourish and make a shew for a time, yet at last are cast off and fall to the ground, but the holy seed in the Gospel sense, i. e. the Saints and true believers, not their natural seed with them, for they are onely Semen carnis, and that not of Abraham neither, (as the Iew is who yet hath thereupon onely no part, nor portion in this matter) but of the Gen∣tiles, these Saints I say are the true Semen fidei, children of the faith, and sp••ri∣tual seed of Abraham, and also the very substance thereof, as Isa. 6.13. as the

Prophet there speaks of the truly Godly, so I say the substance of the Church of the Iews, now it hath cast it leaves, i. e. all its former figurative holinesse, holy Priests, and holy seed, the substance thereof is still in them. For all things under the law and old Testament, even the whole Covenant and Testament it self, as well as every part and parcel of the same, did but serve unto the example and shadow of the New Testament, will and Covenant that stands ratified by the blood of the Testator, (as neither was the first dedicated without blood) and the more holy and true heavenly things thereof, yea as well the holy promises that were made to that holy seed, as the holy precepts upon performance of which they were made, and the holy seed it self also to whom the promises were made, and of whom these precepts were required, did exemplifie a better Testament, and those better pro∣mises upon which it is established, and the better and more spiritual ordinances, which in order thereunto are to be observed, and that better and far more holy seed that observing these ordinances shall at last inherit, which all were to come in under Christ, and before which all the other were to vanish viz.

First, a heavenly Canaan, Country, Kingdom, inheritance, substance, peace, prosperity, plenty, advancement, rest, immunity; glory answering to all that of Israels which was but earthly.

Secondly, the life of faith, and obedience to Christs law, which is more in∣ward and spiritual Mat. 5. answering that law of commandements, conteined in ordinances given by Moses, which was more ad extra and carnal.

Thirdly, that holy seed which is not of the law of Moses nor of the flesh of A∣braham by generation, but of Christ by regeneration the seed or successors of the faith of Abraham, and so heirs with him by that faith of all Gospel-promises, answering Antipically to the other; for though the promise of being heirs of the old Canaan, which was but a spot of the world and pickt out as a pattern for the time, was made to Abraham and his seed through the law i. e. the children of Isaac and Iacob, which were counted for his seed under the law viz. the natu∣ral branches of his body (for these onely were the heirs of that old earthly legall and tipical land of promise, in token of which all the males were circumcised in their flesh) yet the promise that Abraham should be heir of the world; which is the Gospel pointed at, couched and exhibted tipically in the delivery of the other was not made to Abraham and that seed of his through the law (quâ tales) only, unless they were (as some few were) by faith his seed in the other sense also, but through the righteousness of faith i. e. to the branches grafted in by personal believing in Christ Rom. 4.13, 14. where the Apostle saies plainly, that if they which are of the law and circumcision only (meaning the fleshly seed of Abraham) as such, unless they also walk in the steps of that faith which Abraham had, be heirs with him of the world, which is the thing promised in the Gospel then faith, which is made the onely term intitling to Gospel-promises is made void, and the promise of just no effect at all: much more may we say if the fleshly se••d of your Gentile believers, most of which are no believers neither, be heirs of this Gospel-promise, and Gospel-inheritance (as so born) so that they may be signed for heirs by the Gospel-ordinance of baptism, upon that meer and simple account of their parents being believers, without respect to faith in their own persons, then the Gospell requires faith to be acted by us in order to salvation altogether in vain, and to no purpose; yea if go••pel-promises and priviledges be intailed to me upon my fa∣thers being a believer, I need no faith of mine own, as to the making of me an heir thereof, and if it were so as you commonly say, but most horrible in consi∣derately from Acts 2.39. that the promise of the Gospel is not onely to the believers but also to their bodily issue, as barely descending from them, qua sic simpliciter, and without their own personal faith, which in infancy appears no more to be in them then infants of unbelievers, and which if it appears (as oft it doth in unbe∣lievers children when they come to years and not in the other) declares them to be

heirs apparent thereof, when the other are not) then I say plainly that all be∣lievers children must unavoidably be saved, if God be true in his promise, though when they come to years they never believe, and live never so prophanely, the terms being still fulfilled upon which you say the promise is made to them, which is this being born of believing parents, for the prophanness of their lives, and non-believing themselves, Non est causae quo minus, &c. is no cause whereupon they are a whit less the seed of believers after the flesh, and if so (and also that that only gives a title to the promise) then he that made that promise on those terms, viz. being the fleshly seed of believers, the terms of being so born being fulfilled by all the natural seed of believers, be they never so ungodly in their own persons, must be faithful to fulfil his own part, and (their ungodliness non obstante) make it good to them concerning their salvation, which drives you oft to such a Dilem∣ma in discourses, that for your ears almost you dare not answer distinctly to us, when we ask you what that Gospell promise is, which is made (as you say) to believers infants, and upon what terms it is made to them, beyond the infants of unbelievers?

Notes

• 1 Cor, 10.1, 2.