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.

Reply.

This I say is another of your your sigments: for first to let pass the Sophisticall terms you used whilst you askt how or wher Circumcision ceased to be a seal of the right∣eousness of faith even to Abrahams posterity? as if I had granted that Circumcision was once a seal of the righteousness of faith even to Abrahams posterity as well as himself, and then was changed, ceased, & left off to be so, wheras I told you then, that though 'twas so to Abraham himself, yet it never was so to them at all, & do also tel you now, that when a man saies of a thing that it never was so, it is but an illiter∣ate

kind of quere to ask him again, when it ceased to be so? Secondly, confes∣sing that I then affirmed, and also still affirming the same, viz. that Circumcision was a seal of the righteousness of faith to Abraham only, and not to his posteri∣tie; I profess thirdly, before the world, appealing to your own consciences to witness, that as it is most plain in the Scripture, so I then made a most plain dis∣coverie of it from the Scripture, that there were other ends, uses, and significa∣tions of Circumcision to Abrahams own person (though in some respects there were also the same) then those for which it was dispensed to his seed, and that not∣withstanding many things, which were promised to Abraham, were promised to all his seed together with him, yet there were somethings also promised to Abraham in the Covenant of Circumcision, which his seed had no promise of at all, as namely, First, That he should be the Father of all Believers. This I am most certain I then instanc'd in, and according to your then demand cleared by Scripture, even that very Scripture which was then quoted by your selves, Rom. 4. 11. and re∣peating the whole verse, whereof you, for your own ends, mentioned but a part, I told you twas evident even thence that Abraham had one preheminence, and priviledge that none of his posteritie had ever after him, which he obtained of God by his preheminence in believing, viz. the Fatherhood of the faithful; of which eminent faith of his, which was imputed to him for righteousness, as well as of that eminent prerogative, the Fatherhood of the faithful, which God gave him upon that great faith, Circumcision was given him as a seal, in such a sence, as twas never given to his seed, a Seal I said, for it was a sign only but no seal to his posteritie, to honor the greatness, not to strengthen the weakness of his faith, i. e. to confirm him, that was so great a believer, even beyond hope, in that honorable title, which God put upon him; therfore I told you it runs thus, viz. he received the sign circumcision, i. e. circumcision, (which in its ordinary use was a sign) a seal to him in this special sense, i. e. as a seal of the righteousness of that eminent faith which he had, that he might be, i. e. to that very end and purpose as to ratifie him in that royal title, The father of all that believe; to this purpose I then spake, shewing withall that in the same sense in which the father is said to seal the sonne, Iohn 6. 27. to be the giver of that meat that endures to eternall life, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 him hath the father sealed, i. e. autho∣rized to that business, honoured with that office, and as Pharoah honoured Io∣seph, with the sole Dispensation of all the Corn, and Government of his King∣dome, and as Kings under the Broad seal do seal men to, i. e. honour them with, and settle them in great Places, Trusts and Titles, &c. in such a sense is God in that place said to give Circumcision to Abraham, whereby to seal him up, and settle him for ever in that glorious title, viz. the father of all that believe; in which sense Circumcision (though a sign of some things in common to him with his posterity) was never given to any one of Abrahams posterity at all: this as it is clearly held forth in that place, so was so clearly held forth to you from that place of your own naming at that very time, that as I wondered you could be ignorant of it then, so I much more admire, that you are not ashamed to bewray such dis∣sembling in the recording of it as you do, and such wretched ignorance of it still; besides, I know not whether I instanc'd then in any other, but I am sure (as shy as you seem to be of it) there were divers more promises made, and privi∣ledges made over to Abraham under the great Seal Circumcision, which were neither made nor given, much less confirmed by Circumcision as a seal thereof to all his posterity, viz. that his seed should inherit Canaan, this though it was made. and made good to Abraham, and that seed of his to whom it was promised, yet not to the seed of all his seed, for many of his posterity (as Ishmael, who was cir∣cumcised, and his children by Keturah also, and their whole race) had none of all this seal'd to them by Circumcision: Again, that Christ should come out of his loyns, that in his seed all Nations should be blessed, these were made to A∣braham,

and were (as the rest also) great Priviledges to the honour of which he was sealed, yet though 'twas signified to all his seed by Circumcision, that Christ should come of him after the flesh, all of them had not that priviledge by promise that Christ should come of them after the flesh: by all which it unde∣niably appears that the same Covenant of Circumcision, in every of those respects in which Circumcision was given him as a seal of it, was not given to all the Iews, and their children, and that fore-named place speaks of Circumcision onely in reference to Abrahams person, and in that sense, and respect in which it was gi∣ven to him only as a Seal of his faith. i. e. that strong faith he acted, and gave glory to God by, Rom. 4. 20. for which God also gave that great glory and dig∣nity to him, viz. the father-hood of the faithfull: All which notwithstanding, and much to the same effect that was uttered then, to shew that Circumcision had more ends, and relations to Abrahams Person, then to the Persons of his seed; yea, and though your own paper, which lastly I appeal to, doth testifie that I I multiplied words, that is to say, spake much about other ends of Circumcision to Abraham then to his seed, yet you both be-lie me, and give the lie to your selves so far as to say, I was extreamly foundered, which to say, and yet to say in the very same line, that I multiplied words about other ends of Circumcision, the very point your selves had urg'd me to speak to, if it be not at once to say, and uns•…•…y, then verily I know not what is; for these two are contradictory to each other: but perhaps you think to salve all with this, that being call'd to speak punctu∣ally to that end, viz. whether Circumcision were a seal of the righteousness of faith to Abrahams posterity at all or not, or if not to shew it, I answered nothing to that particular, that carried any sense or reason in it: but really Sirs, I said no less to that very end, but rather much more then I have said a little above, which whether it have any sense or reason in't or no, yet was it both sensless and reasonless in you however to leave it wholly out, and you had dealt far more in∣genuously and judiciously in your own Account, and in every rationall mans also, had you set down what I answered, and so put your Reader into a capacity of discerning, whether it were to the purpose yea or no: but that its like you were ve∣ry loath to do, least (as nothing as it was to your purpose) it should have been more serviceable then you desire it to be to ours. As for that ingagement whereby (how wisely a fool may see) you bound your selves to become Anabaptists, in case I made discovery of what I did abundantly discover, I freely dis-engage you from that double performance, and shall accept much more of your single submission to that ordinance, it being no matter of rejoicing to to me to see any man translated from A-no-baptist to be an Anabaptist for that is from one extream to another.

Notes

• Thats the dreadfull phrase where∣by you also term your selves ghostly fathers (to awe poor ig∣norants into the greater observation of you and yours) express the holy spi∣rit, else the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 might be Englisht by theword spirit at all times, as well as some, both in trans∣lations, trea∣tises, and dis∣courses.