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.

[As many as] is a phrase that where its used doth not alwayes, nay doth never of it self necessarily expresse and imply [not all] or [but some onely] of the things or persons spoken of in the words that border about it, but as it may happen pro re substrata, according to the nature of the matter in hand, and according as the sense thereof is manifest by the foregoing and following sentences expressing or implying it; so that sometimes you shall find it signifying, but some onely or a part, exclusively of others or the rest of the body spoken to, or spoken of therea∣bout, and sometimes no lesse then the whole of it, neither is it apparent whether [a] or but [some onely] is the sense of this term [as many as] where ere tis used, but as tis made appear by the context, or some circumstances in it, and not a jot lesse then this is said by your self in that very objection of yours I am now answering to, for of Iohn 1.12. as many as received him, to them gave he power, these words plainly intimate (say you) that some of them, i. e. the Jews whom its said he

came to, did not receive Christ, and for my part I grant they do so signfie in that place: but why? or how doth it appear that they must needs signifie there that but some of the Jews received him.

It appeareth not by any usuall or constant sense of the words as many as, as if they alwayes sounded forth but some, and never all of such or such subjects as are spoken of, but it appeareth (say you) by the words immediately foregoing: in which ve••ily you say right, for the words foregoing do plainly shew what the sense of these words As many as is in this Scripture, for forasmuch as its said plain∣ly above, that he came to his own, and his own received him not i. e. for the generality of them rejected him, therefore its undeniably evident that here the words, as many as received him, do intimate that some did not receceive him; but if you should take these words, as many as received him abstract from whats said above viz. that his own, for the most part did not receive him, then they were not necessarily to be so understood, neither could they simply of themselves intimate so much: and as these words as many as, considered abstractively from the context or speeches adjacent, are not of themselves termes so necessarily exclu∣sive of some, as they are conclusive of some, so considered in a right reference to the rest of the words preceding and succeeding▪ among which they have their place, they will be found sometimes conclusive of no lesse then all those persons or things there spoken of, e. g. if I were speaking of the whole company of men in the great ship or Royal Soveraign (as Paul does to the whole Church at Galatia) and say, you are all in a pretty safe condition, for as many of you have been admitted into that strong ship cannot likely be sunk: does not the word as many of you signifie all the men he speaks to, even the whole company of them that are in the ship, and not some of them onely? so and no otherwise is it to be understood in these two Scriptures, viz. Rom. 6.2. Gal. 3.27. where you would needs have these words viz. as many of us, and as many of you as were, as have been baptized into Christ, necessarily to intimate no more but that onely some of the believing Romans, and some of the Galatians were baptized, and to be conclusive of some in each of these two churches, and exclusive of the rest, even of them, as being not baptized, whereas there is nothing in the world more plain then this, that these words Rom. 6. as many of us Gal. 3. as many of you, as have been baptized &c. if conside∣red with that due relation they bear, and stand in to the words foregoing or fol∣lowing, do intimate to us that the whole Church of the Romans, that were to reck∣on on themselves as dead to sin, and bound to live to it no longer, (and that cer∣tainly was no lesse then the whole) were baptized, and that all the Churches in Ga∣latia, or all the believers among the Galatians were baptized.

Yea if the scope of the Apostle Paul in both the places be observed, we shall find that he makes this no other then an argument, and uses it as a certain medium or motive whereby to perswade the Romans that they were all to dy to sin; and now to live to it no longer, and to prove the Galatians, even all of them, to be, visibly to us at least, the sons of God by faith in Christ, because they were all of them baptized into Christ, and thereby had visibly put him on.

First take notice that the businesse he would perswade the whole Church at Rome to, and prove to be the duty of them all is this, that they should now dy to sin, have no more to do with sin, and live to God, now how does he prove that, and go about to perswade them to it? which is his bu∣sinesse throwout that whole chapter Rom. 6. no otherway (as I find) but by im∣minding them of it, that by their being buried with Christ in baptism this not on∣ly was signifyed to them, but also became the duty of them all, and that so strict∣ly that howbeit before not so obliged, yet from thenceforth they must crucify the old man, and utterly abolish the body of sin, and live to righteousnesse: what? shall we (saith he, for so his sense is) continue in sin, i. e. we that are dead to it, and have been all baptized into Christ in token of it? God forbid: know ye not

that every one thats baptized into Christ, is baptized into his death? yea therfore tis that we, i. e. all we still, himself, and the whole Church to whom he writes, are buryed with Christ in baptism into death &c. to shew that as Christ dyed, and rose again, so we also should walk in newnesse of life, for if we, i. e. all we have been planted together i. e. in baptism the lively ••esemblance of it, into the likenesse of his death, we shall be also in the likenesse of his resurrection, &c and so he goes on moving them all now to lead a new life, and to be servants to righteous∣nesse by the consideration of the great engagements to Godward that lay upon them all since such time as they were baptized: and forasmuch as you say they had all o∣beyed from the heart the form of doctrine delivered unto them you therein contra∣dict your self, and confesse no lesse then we assert viz. that they were all bap∣tized: for that form of doctrine that was at first delivered to them was the form of doctrine spoken of Heb. 6.1, 2. even the six first principles of the oracles of God, of the doctrine of Christ, which as they are here called a form of doctrine so there are called the foundation or ABC of a Christian, and of the Church, as also Eph. 2 20. the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles, i. e. the first doctrine of Christ, on which they built the Church, of which baptism is there said to be a part: yea and that very phrase of Paul Rom. 6.17. viz. ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine, which was deli∣vered to you, is no other then a further prosecution, and inculcation of the for∣mer argument upon the whole Church of the Romans still, and is as much as if the had said ye were once, i. e. before your baptism the Servants of sin, and then no∣thing but sin could be expected from you, but now the case is otherwise, you have all obeyed the form of doctrine delivered, i. e. have professed your repentance from dead works and faith, and been baptized into Christ, and thereby listed your selves visibly under him as his Souldiers, and are hereby become Servants to righ∣teousnesse, therefore now you must not let sin have dominion over you: This ve∣rily is the very meaning of the Apostle in the whole chapter, yea and in those very words know you not that as many of us as have been baptized? viz. not to have us suppose that but some of them had been baptized, but to give them to under∣stand that as all of them had been baptized, so as many as are baptized into Christ are baptized into his death, in token of it, that they should now all become new creatures: if we speak his mind in a Syllogistical form it runs thus viz.

As many of us as are baptized must know this that we are baptized into Christs death, and therefore must dy to sin and live holily.

But we have been all baptized or buried with Christ in baptism into his death.

Therefore we must all dy to sin and live holily.

If this were not his sense, but we must take the words as many of us as have been baptized to be conclusive of himself, and but some of that Church, and exclu∣sive of the rest of them as to baptism, then I testify they are much more exclusive of many of the•• from that duty of dying to sin, which he there presses upon the whole Church, by the consideration of their being baptized: yea if that phrase as many of us as have been baptized doth intimate to us that not all, but some only of the believ∣ing Rom•• had bin baptizd, then it must needs intimate to us that not all but some of the believing Rom•• were engaged by their baptism, and pressed by Paul in that chap. from the consideration of their death, and burial with Christ in baptism, to dy to sin and live to righteousnesse, which no rational man can imagine, but rather as they were all urged by an Argument drawn from their baptism to live to God, so they had assuredly been all of them baptized.

And the same may be said of that same phrase as tis used to the Galatians Gal. 3. to whom Pauls drift was to prove what he had said of them all in the verse a∣bove v. 26. viz. that they were all the children of God by faith in Christ: and how doth he prove it that they were so? no otherwise but by this Medium, viz. that they had been all baptized: you are all the children of God by faith in Christ, for

as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have visibly put him on, and thereby declared you have faith in him, which having, you are the children of God: in form his Argument runs thus, viz.

As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, and are thereby apparently declared to be the children of God by faith in him.

But you have been all baptized into Christ &c.

Ergo, &c.

This must needs be his sense here too, or else if the term as many of you as have been baptized must not be taken as conclusive of all the Galatians to whom he writes, but exclusive of some of them from baptism, it must be exclusive of the same persons from being proved by Pauls Argument drawn from their baptism to to be the children of God: as many as received him to them gave he power to be come the Sons of God, is as much as to say, he gave power to become the sons of God to no more then such as received him: so as many of you as have been bap∣tized into Christ have put on Christ, and are thereby visibly declared to be the children of God by faith in him, though it do not signify that all the Galatians had not been baptized, but some of them onely, yet it signifies this however that no more then such as had been baptized into Christ, had put him on and were there∣by declared to be Gods children, and consequently that if but some of the Gala∣tians were baptized, but some of them onely appeared to be Gods children: which were absurd to think and would render Paul as contradictory to himself in the verse above, where he saies ye are all the children of God, so very ridiculous in his Argument; and render his proof as pedling as if he had said thus by way of position, viz. you are all, even every one of you, the children of God, and then by way of proof thus, viz. for some of you have been baptized, and by that baptism of yours are declared so to be, though the rest are not.