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.

1. Me thinks any mans own mother wit should tell him that God never appoint∣ed things to be accounted by us, otherwise then they are, or at least appear, much less otherwise then they can be.

2. Appeal and lay close siege Sirs to your own consciences, search and see whether they will tell you, that the place you quote, viz. Gall. 3.7. be at all for you, or be not much rather against you, mean which of these two waies you will.

For if you mean in as plain English as you speak it, that the infants of believ∣ers are really the seed of Abraham, the seed of faith, the spiritual seed, so as Zacheus himself was, that is, by believing, doth that Scripture so much as im∣plicitly say any such thing, either that the seed of believers do believe, or that they are the seed of Abraham, when it saith v. 7. they which are of faith, the

same are the children of Abraham, and ver 9. they which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham? doth that phrase (I say) they which be of faith signi∣fie believers infants? or believing infants? (quid rides? such folk as those, though some are ashamed to say they see, yet some are not ashamed to say are to be seen in the world) or doth it signifie such as are true believers indeed? which of the two think you doth it expresse, such persons at years onely, as are in the faith, or onely the natural fleshly seed of such? or if you say both, that that one phrase viz. they which be of faith should express two kinds of persons, so differently de∣scended of two so different births viz. believers themselves born of God by faith in Christ, and also the meer fleshly seed of believers, who are no higher born then of their bodies, is so far from truth, that it is more then flat folly to conceive it

And if you mean it not of their being Abrahams children really by faith, so as thereupon to be assured heirs of salvation, but of their being counted of the faith, so as to outward membership in the Church onely, tis plain that Gal. 3.7.9. speaks of such onely as are truly in the faith i. e. faithful as Abraham was, so as to be not onely outwardly inchurched, but eternally saved also, as none can say all believers children are, some of them proving wretches when they come to years, for as many as be of faith (saith he) i. e. faithful as Abraham was, are blessed, and shall be justified and saved with faithful Abraham, whose faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse, as faith shall be imputed to us also Rom. 4.22.23. if we believe on him that raised up Iesus from the dead &c. answerable to that also is Gal. 3.26.29. ye are all the children of God by faith in Iesus Christ, & if ye be Christs i. e. by faith, then are ye Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise i. e. the promise not of the law or old covenant, or earthly Canaan (for the Galatians were never heirs according to that) nor yet of meer membership and participation of ordinances in the Church, thats more pertaining to the precep∣tory then the promissory part of the Gospel, but of the eternall inheritance it self, which is made not onely to believers and their seed, as you lace it up, but to all men and their seed, on terms of believing and comming in at Gods call, and made good to as many as are so effectually called, so that they obtain the promise of that eternal inheritance indeed: compare Heb. 9.15. with Act. 2.39. answerable to that also is Rom. 9.7.8. where its said in a figure that as the seed of Abra∣ham himself by Ishmael were not children of God i. e. as to the old Covenant, so as to be counted heirs of that Canaan and members of that Church, though they were his true seed, and the children of his flesh as well as Isaac was, because I∣saac onely and his seed were the children of that promise Gen. 17.19.20.21. for in Isaac shall thy seed (saith he) be called; the children of Abrahams flesh, the Ishmaelites, these are not the children of God in the old legal sense, but the chil∣dren of the promise are counted for the seed, so even the seed of Abraham by I∣saac himself are not at all children i. e. the children of God as to the new covenant, so as to be counted heirs of the Gospel Canaan, and members in the Gospel church, though they were his true seed and children of his flesh as well as Christ was, be∣cause Christ onely and his seed are the children of this promise, for in Christ who was the true Isaac of whom the other was but the type, must Abrahams seed now be called i. e. they that are the children of the flesh onely, whether of Abra∣ham, or of any other man in the world, these are not now (as of old the fleshly seed of Abpaham Isaac and Iacob were) the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted now for the seed.

Tis true, to Abraham and his seed the Gospel promises were made as well as those of the law, but mark it, he saith not unto seeds in plurali, as of many, but of one, and to thy seed in singulari, that is Christ Gal. 3.16. of whom being born by faith we are his seed, to whom in and with him the promise is made, for as the believer himself as a believer i. e. as Abrahams spiritual seed had no share

in the old covenant promise i. e. Canaan, if not descended from him by Isaac af∣ter the flesh, because to Abraham and that fleshly seed onely (in a type of some∣thing else, and yet truly too) those promises were made, so a believers fleshly seed, as barely a believers seed, though born of believing Abrahams own body, as the Iews are at this day (and thats a higher birth one should think to entitle to the Gospel, if any fleshly birth could do it, then to be born of our Protestant be∣lievers) have no share in this new Covenant promise, if not born (as I may say) of Abraham by Isaac i. e. Christ after the faith. or by faith in Christ, and so personally, even every individual for himself, not Catervatim, or domestica∣tim, whole families, whole nations of parents and children at once ingraffed as branches upon the root, and spirituallized into that stock or family of Abraham i. e. the visible Church in which his own natural branches, much more any other mans meer naturall branches, can have no place now, any further then as they ap∣pear to believe.

Indeed the natural branches stood of right upon meer fleshly birth of believing Abraham without faith, so long as that fleshly birth-priviledge lasted, and could give a standing, and till the time of faith, and standing there by personal faith one∣ly came, and then they were broken off indeed because of unbelief, yet not nati∣onally as you say, i. e. the whole body for the unbelief of some viz. the persons of the children through allages, for the infidelity of the parents, for its evident that as many as believed, and those were not a few, when the rest were rejected, were then and thereupon admitted Act. 2.

And as many children of them in any age as believe, the unbelief of their pa∣rents shall not prejudice them, but personally every individual that did not believe, which the more is the pitty, were for the most part both children and parents too in the primitive times, save some few persons that did then believe, whose children yet for all that promise to them and their children you so talk of out of Act. the 2.39. came all to nought through unbelief, for else indeed the promise, even after Christ crucified was to them, as also to all others so sure in case of faith, that that causelesse curse of their parents, wishing the blood of Christ to be on them and their children, should never have hurt any, but them that wished it.

In further illustration of which yet, I mean that personal faith onely, not pa∣rental gives a standing in the Church now, because I write to a generation of men, that have more time to read then I to write, I hope I may be bold to trou∣ble my self and you with the transcription of at least a page out of a little treatise termed a confutation of infant-baptism by Thomas Lamb, very plain and preg∣nant to this purpose: and the rather because I fear you will not search the book it self soundly if I should send you to it, onely by telling you tis worth your reading in this point, though at your request I have all-to-be-read Dr. Featley, in the 12. and 13 pages of which book of Thomas Lamb, he writes as fol∣lows.

So then when Christ the true promised seed was come the seed in the flesh, that lead to Christ ceased, for the natural relation ceased at the death of Christ, and not before, at which time the distinction or different holinesse between Iew and Gentile ceased, Act. 10.28. Eph. 2.13.15.

In Rom. 11.20. it is said through unbelief they are broken off, now tis ma∣nifest they were the true Church till the death of Christ, and then broken off through unbelief: why were not the Iews in the sin of unbelief before? yes no doubt, why then were they not broken off before? and why then? the reason is because the time of faith was come, and therefore now they were broken off through unbelief; the seed was come therefore the natural seed ceased, Christ was come therefore the law ceased. As long as the law lasted they did remain in the Church by being circumcised; and observing the rites and ceremonies of

the Law, though they did remain in unbelief, but when the time of faith was come Gal. 3.25. then they were no longer in the Covenant, and Church by observing the rites and Ceremonies of the Law, which they entered into by cir∣cumcision, but now they were broken off through unbelief: which notes out un∣to us that the standing in that Church before Christ in time of the Law, and the standing in this Church since Christ in time of the Gospel is upon different grounds, for the standing in that Church was by being circumcised, and ob∣serving the rites and ceremonies of the Law; but the standing in this Church is by faith, and being baptized into the same faith Act. 2.38.41. Joh. 4.1. Gal. 3.26, 27. Rom, 11.20.

And it is to be noted that the Iewes, the same people that were circumcised, and in covenant with Abraham according to the flesh, and thereby members of the Iewish Church could not be the visible church according to the Gospell, unless they did manifest faith, and so be in covenant with Abraham according to the spirit, and baptized into the same faith.

Whereas if the Covenant now under Christ were the same that was before Christ with Abraham and his posterity in the flesh, then by the same right they possessed circumcision and the Iewish Church state, they must possesse this since Christ, which they could not do, therefore it is not the same.

It is true therefore that the Covenant of God makes the Church both in time of the Law, and Gospel too, for the Church is nothing else but a people in covenant with God, now look how the covenant differs so the Church and people differs which is made by it, and which enter into it.

Now the Covenant, whereby God took a people outwardly to be his people then, was that, whereby they did, being circumcised, participate of all those outward meanes which led to Christ, which was to come, Psal. 149.19.20.

But the Covenant, whereby he takes a people outwardly to be his people now, whereby they are admitted to be baptized, is that profession they make of faith in Christ Acts 8.12.37. Mat 3.6. Whereby they have true and spirituall con∣junction with God and are his people Heb. 3.6.

Indeed it is true that Christ is and ever was the Mediator and Means of salvation, and also that all those that were saved, were saved through faith in him both before and since his comming: But yet because the outward means of making Christ known doth differently depend upon his being yet to come, and upon his being come in the flesh; the one being more dark, the other more plain, the one more carnall, the other more spirituall, therefore the participation of these meanes doth make the state of the participants to differ.

Thus far are his words: and then noting certain differences to the number of seven or eight between the Old Testament and the New, which is

• 1. Established upon better promises.
• 2. After the power of an endless life.
• 3. In Christ.
• 4. And liberty of the spirit.
• 5. A Celestial Jerusalem.
• 6. A State of faith.

He very truly concludes that such onely as are in the New Covenant, in Christ, in faith of the promises, born from above, and partakers of the spirit, and the power of that endless life: or of the world to come are suitable to be admitted to Gospel Church priviledges.

In the time therefore before Christ (saith he) such as would circumcise them∣selves, and their males, and observe the Law in the rites, and ceremonies ther∣of, together with their children by generation were the seed and in covenant with that Church, but now since Christ, only such as believe in Christ, and are thereby

children by regeneration, are the seed and in covenant with this Church, and this he proves further yet.

First, Because None of the Natural seed of Abraham are in the Covenant by vertue of any natural relation, though they did remain in the Iewish Church till the death of Christ, and as that Church then ceased so their being in the Church by an natural relation ceased also Act. 10.28. Rom. 9.8. Gal. 5.28.31—3.7, 8, 9▪14.16.19.26.28, 29.

Secondly, The Gentiles have no natural relation to become Abrahams seed by, therefore a believers child cannot become the seed of Abraham by being the seed of a believer, unless such children do believe themselves, and cannot otherwise in no respect be participants in the covenant made with Abraham p. 14, 15.

And again p. 18. No Gentile (saith he) is Abrahams seed at all but by believing the righteousnesse of faith, allthough he be the child of believing pa∣rents.

Now therefore because you tell us not only,

First that believers children in infancy are Abrahams children, though they yet do not the works of Abraham, i. e. believe not on him that justifyes them, as some of you dote they do, but also,

Secondly, that the promise of the Gospel is to believers and their seed.

These both are abundantly confuted by that quotation of mine, which quotes more Scripture then you will ever answer, so that I wonder you blush not to shoot out so boldly two such blind, and unsound assertions together, the second of which I shall say no more to, it being virtually answered by what is more formally spoken to the first & also because I have shewed so undeniably above, that I know your consciences must yield to it, and that from this Act. 2.39. whence you would wre••t a proof to the contrary, that the promise, if you take it for the profer of the Gos∣pel Grace, is to all men in the world, every creature, and so not to believers and their seed only, but to all unbelievers and their seed also, in case they shall believe, for he conditionats the promise on calling, for such these were, whom Peter spake to, whilst he was yet speaking that very word to them, viz. the promise is to you and your children; but if you take it for the thing promised, which is not Church-mem∣bership and participation of baptism, as some say whose absurdity therein I have declared, but the spirit, remission of sins, and salvation, this is made, good al∣so to the believer himself; and it is mercie enough to him that it is so I think, but not at all to his seed for his sake, nor his faiths sake, for if it be I testify his chil∣dren need no faith of their own: nay more God never made promise to save any of believing Abrahams natural seed, without faith in themselves for Abrahams sake, as neerly as he took Abraham to be his friend; for even he had sin enough of his own to have sunck him, if the same Mediator that saves any of his seed, in that way of faith, had not mercifully saved him the same way, nor yet for Abrahams faiths sake, for that merited not salvation for them, nor was it in∣strumental, but faith only in themselves, to any one of his sonnes salvation, for every one must bear his own burden, if Christ bear it not, and the just must live by his faith, and not his fathers, neither did he ever promise for his faiths sake to give faith to his natural seed as his, for then they must all have had it (qua sic including de omni, and being universale summum) or God should ly which he cannot; neither could God blame them (as he doth) for unbelief, but himself, without whom (say you they could not believe & who had promised to make them believe and did not; though yet he promised to circumcise i. e. by his spirit to sanctify the hearts of his spiritual seed, as well as his own i. e. all such as believe, and are in the faith with him, for the promise being still sure to all the seed, which it is made to they all must be blessed with faithful Abraham.

Now if God, who made the old Covenant promise of the earthly Canaan to Abraham, and his fleshly seed, did not make the Gospel promise to him and

his fleshly seed, but onely that seed of his that believes with him, can we think that he made that promise to the Gentile believer, and his fleshly seed, for his fa∣thers sake, unlesse he have faith of his own?