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.

O thats another matter he should have said so then at first, for because he talk∣ed that words are used out of their prime signification, and among the rest this word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for the sake of which he saies the other, out of its p••ime significa∣tion of dipping, I took it for granted (and so I might well, for he allowes it to signifie washing in Scripture, and what sense is it that he pleads against by that speech, viz. that words are oft used out of their prime significations?) I took it I say for granted, and seriously a grant it is if he well examine it, that he took dip∣ping, or overwhelming to be the prime sense of baptism, unlesse almost a page of of his be pennd in vain, and dares he now deny it? that is worse then all the rest: but I wonder what is if that be not the prime? for I am sure the prime is not to wash: it is (quoth he) a dipping more light and overly then so.

To which I say let the persons baptizing dip the persons baptized as lightly and overly as they will so they dipp them, and not some of them barely, for then I know they must do it underly also, for what man is truly to be baptized, that man is to be put under water, not a part of him only, as also what part of a man lesse or grea∣ter, yea if it be but the tip of the finger, that he instances in as an overt dipping, is truly to be dipped, must not be dipped so overly as that it is not dipped underly, I mean put truly under water, for else it is not properly a dipping of that part: but I would I could hear some of those Criticks (for he mentions not one of them) that distinguish him so besides the way of God by their fair false glosses upon the words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, making 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 on∣ly to signify that we stand for i. e. a total overwhelming, and baptizing no more then some dribling kind of darting some part of the subject under water, for verily they are but crackt braind Criticks to me, if the Lexicons be at all to be heeded: for howbeit 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth signify the same that we saie 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies, viz. dip∣ping or being under water, and it may be more deeply then 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, for that is as it were Imum petere to go down to the very bottom, yet neither doth 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signify any lesse then we say, and that primarily also, viz. at least to put under and overwhelm with water, which is enough for us, or else it would never be rendred by obruo ond submergo, which words if they do not as truly expresse as total a covering with water as subeo, ingredior, which are the senses by which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is rendred then I have as much sense in my heel as my head; but if those Cri∣ticks think this no right rendition, let them do the world that right as to take up∣on them to correct those Errata's in the Lexicons that are extant, and to turn Lex∣icographers themselves.

The third exception of Mr. Baxter against what hath been before said in proof of dippping is this, viz.

The thing signifyed is set forth by the phrase of washing on sprinkling and the sign need not exceed the thing signifyed.

And in this fashion argue both Mr. Blake, and Mr. Cook especially, out of whose larger drivings home of this head, a man that hath but half an eye may see Mr. Baxter borrowed most of that little he saies in exception against what we say for dipping; abridging two or three pages of Mr. Cook, viz. page 19, 20, 21. into these two or three lines of his, and coting the same Scriptures, and no other, and that in the self same order, and no other, then Mr. Cooke doth, viz. the 1 Cor. 6.11. Tit. 3.5. Heb. 10.22. Isa. 4.4.3. Ioel 2.28. Ezek. 36.26. 1 Pet. 1.2. Heb. 12.24.

To which I say it is true, some but not all the things signified, nor yet that which is most immediately signified, and therefore mainly to be resembled, are set forth by the phrase of washing, pouring and sprinkling, and it is as true that the sign need not exceed the thing signified, but the sign need be adaequate to the thing signified, and so is not any kind of washing, but that of dipping under wa∣ter, nor doth that exceed the thing signified, for that which is the main matter, the signandum or the radical matter to all the rest, is the death, burial and resurrecti∣on of Christ, and ours spiritually with him, which things are no way Analogized in sprinkling and pouring, but onely by a burial under water, and bringing up again, which yet are the only things that these three men plead to have left un∣signifyed, and unrepresented in the sign, but we must have them all not only sig∣nified, but also, as much as may be, lively pictured out in the sign of baptism, this cannot be by infusion or aspersion, for they are too narrow to resemble all, but they may be and are in submersion and immersion, for these are neither too narrow, nor too wide, but just adaequately resembling the signata, there must be a suffi∣ciency in the sign to the end saies Mr. Cook p. 20 namely to represent the spirituall grace, though yet p. 17. he knew not any word of God, wherein this represen∣tation is necessarily either expressed or implied.

Now the whole spiritual grace being the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, together with all the benefits thereof, viz. the washing of our souls from guilt as to justification, from filth as to sanctification, as by the blood of Christ sprinkled and his spirit poured, respect must be had that, as neer as can be, all these must be represented, and that the Elements and actions be neither so overmuch, as may take off the heart from the spiritual to the Corporal thing, as we might easily do if we should do more then dipp under, and raise up, or should hold so long under water as almost to suffocate the subject, nor yet so little, as Mr. Cook saies well, as not clearly to represent the spiritual grace the whole spiritual grace being therfore all these things forenamed, care must be had that they be all Analogized, as far as it is possible, and ••specially the main, which is fundamental to all the rest, viz. Christs death, burial and resurrection; for this however ought to be done, nor ought the other altogether to be left undone, but if sprinkling be the way then the main thing is left undone, for there is no representation of Christs death, buriall and resurrecti∣on.