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.

So saies Mr. Cook indeed to A. R. p. 15.16. and Mr. Blake to Mr. Black∣wood, who jumps as just with Mr. Cook, as one that never saw nor heard of any sprinkled, can likely do with another, who maintaines sprinkling to be the one∣ly way of baptizing, but both weary themselves to little purpose.

The question is not whether Iohn had no reason▪ but that which we alleadge of baptizing, where there was much water, but whether that which we alleadge viz. that he might dipt the whole man be not one reason: as for that you bring viz. because there came multitudes to be baptized, and that Iohn and his disci∣ples might at once be imployed in baptizing, that can be no reason at all of their running into rivers to baptize, nor of their dispensing in Iordan, In Enon, and in places of much water, or in many waters, and therefore (for ought I see yet) ours is the onely one: for verily were it not for the sake of totall dipping, they

need not for the multitudes sake that came to be baptized, nor yet for the multi∣tudes sake who did baptize (I mean Iohn and his disciples, who no doubt were all at once imployed in that work) have sought for a place of much water, or many waters: for as one bason of water may well serve to sprinkle a whole parish of many persons, or if not, its easily replenisht, so many persons imployed at once in sprinkling might easily put their hands into one, or if not, might they not easily have it in many basons? what a poor shift is this? Rivers, Iordan, Enon, ma∣ny waters, and why? because many were baptizing, and many to be baptized; one water of depth (quoth Mr. Blake) would have served for the use of dipping: for dippings sake they he might have sought for a deep, but needed not seek many waters: but would not one water of no great depth, as a bason, yea of no depth at all, as a cock or conduit have served for the use of sprinkling 1000s? for sprinkling sake, even of multitudes, they need have sought for neither deep wa∣ters, nor for many waters neither▪ or if they must needs have had as many waters as they had dispensers, they might quickly have made many waters out of one, by filling out of one well, one cock, one bucket, many ba∣sons.

Mr. Blake rejoices in Mr. Blackwoods rendring the word plurally viz. many waters, which the translators render in the singular viz. much water, supposing he hath such a prize in our yielding to read it so, as takes off the whole force of our reason: but I hope he understands himself better then to believe, that by many waters is meant several waters, waters in several sourses or channels divi∣sim, Sigillatim, seor sim sumptae, divided and a part one from another, for by many waters is meant a confluence of much water together, many waters meet∣ing in one, flowing, running contiguously, and contained jointly in one sourse, river, channel; otherwise in one River Enon it could not be said there were ma∣ny waters, for twas but one floud, as Iordan was, so that by Enon, or many waters he must needs understand much water, a sufficiency, a competency of wa∣ter for the occasion in hand, enough to baptize i. e. to dip, and overwhelm in, and not several waters, for several persons at once to sprinkle in, for this might be done easily without much water, and if not without several waters, yet at least in seve∣ral basons of water onely, but the other could not: many shallowes were sufficient for many to Rantize, and be Rantized in, but they sought some one deep, one Iordan, one Enon of depth sufficient, those being onely the most fit to baptize i. e. to dip in.

Fiftly, it appears plain that the Saints in the primitive time were totally dip∣ped, or overwhelmed in water by that denomination that is given to them after baptism Rom. 6.3.4. where the Romans are said to be baptized into the death of Christ, and buried with him in baptism into death: also Col. 2.12. when the Collosians are said to be buried with Christ in baptism, and therein also rais∣ed with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who raised him from the dead:

Now we all know that he that is buried, is totally put under that element wherein he is buried, whatever it be, whether water or earth, and all over co∣vered with it, not sprinkled with a little onely. Non quaelibet aquae guttula, nec quaelibet terrae globula: tis not a little parcel of water, sprinkled on a man can denominate him baptized, as tis not a little clod of earth crumbled on a man can denominate him to be buried, for baptism is a burial, an ordinance, and visible sign, wherein every believer is to be visibly buried, and every one thats truly bu∣ried, is totally covered, subjected to that element that buries him, and for a time at least translated by it out of sight.