Baby-baptism meer babism, or, An answer to nobody in five words to every-body who finds himself concern'd in't by Samuel Fisher.

Baptist.

That Mr. Saltmarsh hath such a passage there I very well remember, and how many have been stumbled thereby, and by sundry other fancies of his to the im∣bracing of such notions and principles, as from whence they have at last commen∣ced Atheists (he being in his time a man of such account among some, that his say∣ings were received as oracles) I cannot but with some sadnesse consider: and that

the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies age I dare not deny, but that it signifies age in that sense, in which Mr. Saltmarsh (I hope) onely mistook it, and most of his admirers do yet miserably mistake it o•…•… do, I dare boldly and do utterly deny, for first, where as they restrain the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 so as to say it sounds forth no more then seculum i. e. some one particular age, or generation, properly it rather signifies aevum age i. e. time taken together in the whole lump of it, all time, or all ages collective∣ly considered from that particular age or time we speak of, even to the end of time it self, or at least of the time of this world; neither doth the spirit ever (for ought I find) much lesse usually, use the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 but the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 when he means to expresse some one age or generation onely, specially in the writings of the Evangelists, a and also elsewhere, b But

Secondly, when he speaks of time or age in the whole bulk of it, of the world in all generations of it, i. e. all the time of the world together, from the time spoken of to the end of it, he uses the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and that not onely in that 28. of Mat. 20. but also in many other places, as Iohn 9. 32. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Act. 3. 21. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from the beginning of the world, or from the beginning of time 2 Cor. 4. 4 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the God of▪ this world, yea and of the very same E∣vangelist, yea I shall shew you no lesse then three or four places in Mathew, in every of which I am confident your very selves shall say is not meant the end of that age, that then was, but absolutely the very end of this world it self, wherein we yet are, which yet draws very neer to an end, in every of which places yet theres no other phrase but the same that is used Mat. 28. 20 to expresse it by viz. the end of the world, yea the very same greek phrase, which is surely enough (if ve∣ry common sense and reason did not also preach it) to evince that, and no other to be the sense in Mat. 28. 20. those places are Mat. 13. 39. the harvest is the end of the world v. 40. as the tares are gathered into the fire, so shall it be at the end of the world, v. 49. so shall it be at the end of the world, Mat. 24. 3. Lord what shall be the signs of thy coming, and of the end of the world; I suppose no man that is well in his wits, will say of any of these four places that they sig∣nifie the end of that age or generation onely, or any other then the time of Christs second coming, which is yet to come, and when it comes shall put a period to this old world, wherein unrighteousnesse yet dwells, and begin the new wherein dwel∣leth righteousnesse: (and as for them that say he is already come the second time, and with that coming that is enquired after, Mat. 24. 3. much more the rabble of that ruder sort of Ranters, and ungodly Scoffers of the last times spoken of 2 Pet. 4. 5. that are willingly ignorant, because of the tediousnesse of that thought to them, that there is any more coming of Christ at all, some of which also deny that there was any Christ, or any first coming of such a one at all) I deem none of that deep dotage of the one, nor of those divellish dreams of the other worth dis∣proving:) neverthelesse theres no other Greek phrase used all along but the same that is Mat. 28. 20. which is rendred even to the end of the world: viz. m wher∣as therefore some say if water baptism were commanded by Christ as his baptism, twas but for that age or generation, wherein the Apostles lived (and to say no∣thing of the whimsical uncertainties that are among them that deny water baptism, whose witnesse of it hangs not together, some saying twas Iohns onely, and ne∣ver commanded by Christ, and that twas to end in Christ crucified, some yielding that twas commanded by Christ, and practised after his resurrection onely to do honour a little to Iohns ministry, and not disparage it by too sudden abolition, some that it was prest by Christ, and preacht by the Apostles as his, but to last onely for that generation, and then of right to end, some that it lasted de jure till the treading down, which was more then one or two ages after that, and then it was never to be raised, as if mens might destroyed the right of it, whose folly I shall shew more anon) I still contrariwise assert, that twas of right to stand to the end, and though foretold that it should cease, and all other services, yet

but for the term of 42 moneths only, and then to rise again Rev. 11. 1.

Notes

• a

  Mat. 24. 34. Mar. 13. 30. Luk. 21. 32. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 this generati∣on o•…•… age (meaning wherein we see the signs of Christs coming) will not passe or be ended be∣fore all be 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and▪ •…•…e come.
• b

  Eph. 3 2. speaking of ages divisim even all the several ages to the very end of time, and age it self to the end of all 〈◊〉〈◊〉 he saies 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to all ages of the world or to all ages of time of times, even for ever,
• c which how neer kin 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…o to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that sig∣nifieth sem∣per i. e. al∣waies, every smatterer in 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Greek may understand.
• m

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.