THE CHRISTIANITY Of the PEOPLE commonly Called, QUAKERS ASSERTED, Against the Unjust Charge of their being No Christians, upon several Questions relating to those Matters, wherein their Christian Belief is questioned.
Question, WHat's your Belief concerning the blessed Trinity, as our Term is?
Answer; Our Belief is, that in the Unity of the Godhead, there is Father, Son and Holy Ghost, being those Three Divine Witnesses that bear Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word and the holy Spirit; and these Three are One, according to Holy Scripture Testimony.
Quest. Do you Believe the Divinity and Humanity of Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, or that Jesus Christ is truly God and Man?
Answ. Yes, we verily belive that Jesus Christ is truly God and Man, according as Holy Scripture Testifies of Him, God over all blessed forever, the true God and Eternal Life, the One Mediator between God and Men, even the Man Christ Jesus.
Quest. Do you belive and expect Salvation, and Justification, by the Righteousness and Merits of Jesus Christ, or by your own Righteousness or Works?
Answ. By Jesus Christ his Righteousness, Merits and Works, and not by our own, God is not indebted to us for our deservings, but we to him for his free Grace in Christ Jesus, whereby we are saved through Faith in him (not of our selves) and by his Grace inabled truly and acceptably to serve and follow Him as He requires; He is our All in All, who worketh all in us that is well pleasing to God.
Quest. Do you believe Remission of Sin, and Redemption through the Sufferings, Death, and Blood of Christ?
Answ. Yes, through Faith in Him as he suffered and Dyed for all Men gave him-a Ransom for all, and His Blood being shed for the Remission of S [...]ns; so all they who sincerely believe and obey Him, receive the Benifits and blessed Effects of his Suffering and Dying for them; they by Faith in His Name, receive and partake of that Eternal Redemption which he hath obtained for us, who gave Himself for Vs that he might Redeem us from all Iniquity; he died for our sins, and rose again for our Justification; and if we walk in the Light, as he is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another; and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin, 1 John 1.7.
Quest. Do you believe and own the Divine Offices of Jesus Christ in His Church?
Answ. Yes, verily, we sincerely believe and own Christ, not only as He is the [Page 2] Light of the World, enlightning every Man coming into it; but also that he is given for a Leader, and for a Commander, And that he is both King, Priest, and Prophet to and over His Church and People. He is the Minister of the Sanctuary which the Lord pitched, and not Man, and we are to hear Him in all things.
Quest. Do you Believe or own Baptism, as Essential to Christianity, or necessary to Salvation, and for the Ingrafting us into Christ and His Church?
Answ We believe and are fully perswaded, That Baptism which is Essential to Christianity, and the saving Baptism, or the Cause without which none can be true Christians, or saved, is the inward or spiritual washing of Regeneration by the Word of Life. This is the saving Baptism into Christ and His Church, which produceth the Answer of a Good Conscience towards God, of which the outward was a Figure, 1 Pet. 3 21. This is that One Baptism of Christ by one Spirit into that one Body, where of Christ is Head.
As to Dipping or Sprinkling Infants or Young Children, we find no Precept or President in holy Scripture for the practice thereof, and therefore we cannot think our not believing it Essential (or necessary) to Salvation, or making Christians, a sufficient Argument to prove us no Christians (unless it can be proved that none are saved without it, and that all are saved that have it) Considering also what's Positively affirmed in the 39 Articles; as in the 6th Article, That whatsoever is not Read in the Holy Scriptures, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any Man, That it should be believed as an Article of the Faith, or be thought requisit or necessary to Salvation. And in the 20th Article, That the Church ought not to Decree or Enforce any thing against or besides Holy Writ, to be believed for necessity of Salvation. And in Article 21. That things ordain'd by General Councils as necessary to salvation, have neither strength nor Authority, unless that they be taken out of holy Scripture.
Quest. Do you believe or own the Lords Supper, either as a sign of the Love that Christians ought to have among themselves, or as a seal of the Saints Communion & Commemoration of Christs Death for us, or as Figurative of Christs Body and Blood spiritually received by Faith?
Answ. The Supper of the Lord we own, and tenderly consider in a twofold sence, 1. In the Figure. 2. In the Substance. 1 st That our Lord Jesus Christ, as His supper with His Disciples, did eat the Passover (which was for the fulfilling and consummation of the Feasts under the Law; see Luke 22. And at this supper He did take and Minister Bread and the Cup to his Disciples) for there was no Transubstantiation) saying, This do in Remembrance of me; and said the Apostle, As often as ye shall eat this Bread, and drink this Cup, ye shew the Lords Death till he come, 1 Cor 11. After this they did more clearly know His coming, and Chirst after the Sprit; Jesus Christ in them 2 Cor. 13.5. & 5.16. 2 dly. And Christ said to his Disciples, I will not Drink henceforth of this Fruit of the Vine until that day I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom, Mat. [...]6.29. And likewise of the Bread, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God, Luke 22.16. And he further said, I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed to me, that ye may Eat and Drink at my Table in my Kingdom, &c. Luk. 22.29, 30. In these things we believe he spoke mysteriously, and that every Member of his Spiritual Church, doth daily spiritually partake of his Body and Blood by Faith, as the Cup of Blessing which we Bless, is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ? And the Bread which we break, is it not the Communion [Page 3] of the Body of Christ? for we being many are One Bread and One Body, for we are all partakers of that ONE Bread, 1 Cor. 10.15, 16, 17. The Son of God saith, Behold, I stand at the Door and knock, if any Man hear my Voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will SUP with him, and be with [...], Rev. 2.20. [...]nd Wisdom calleth to the simple, Come Eat of my Bread, and Drink o [...] my Wine, Prov. 9.4, 5. And saith Christ, The Bread of God is he that cometh down from Heaven, and giveth Life unto the World. I am that Bread of Life; my Flesh is Meat indeed, and my Blood is Drink indeed, He that Eateth my Flesh, and Drinketh my Blood, dweleth in me, and I in him, John 6. We believe that all who thus do truly partake of Chri [...] [...] Faith, are in true Communion and Love among themselves, which they [...] [...]ho are only in the outward Observa [...] of Sign and Shadows.
Quest. Do you own the Seals of the New Covenant?
Answ. Yes, as the New Covenant is spiritual, so are the Seals thereof (as they may be terme [...]) proper to it, and therefore we believe they stand not in any external Shadow, Sign or Figure, but in spirit and substance, the seals of the New Covenant, (which is inward and spiritual) must needs be the Evidence, Testimony and work of the holy spirit, giving us assurance through Faith of our sh [...]re and Interest in that Covenant. See what the Holy Scripture saith in this case; see 2 Cor. 1.22. Who hath also sealed us, and hath given us the earnest of the spirit in our Hearts. Ephes. 1.13. After that ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy spirit of Promise. And Ephes. 4.30. And grieve not the holy spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption.
Our Christian s [...]nse and belief in these Matters may be briefly summ'd up in what follows, viz.
1. We believe, That the spiritual Appearance, and living Enjoyment of Christ in Spirit, is above all outward Signs, Shadows or Figurs, or a Remembrance only of him thereby. And that Christ more clearly discovers himself by his Spirit in the New Covenant, than by any outward Representations in the Old, or thereunto appertaining.
2. That the One Baptism of the Spirit is a Seal or Confirmation of the New Covenant to true Believers and of them in it; and so is their spiritual Eating and Drinking with Him in his Kingdom a certain Assurance, Seal or Evidence of their spiritual Communion with him, and in him.
3. As all outward Shadows and Figures were of a decreasing nature, so there is the Substance thereof, which they pointed at, and wherein they ended, though the names given to the Shadows were carried along to the Substance also, that it might the more plainly appear in Scripture how the shadows were fulfilled in the substance Christ: As in the Old Covenant there was outward Circumcision of the flesh; in the New, there is the Inward Circumcision of the Spirit. In the Old▪ there was divers Washings or Baptisms, Heb. 9.10. In the New, the One Baptism of Christ: In the Old, the Feast of the outward Passover kept with unleavened Bread, and other Feasts observed, &c in the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is our Passover, and the Feast is to be kept with unleavened Bread of sincerity and truth; and here the One Bread of Life is known and received.
4 We do not read nor find in Scripture, that One outward Type or shadow, was a Type of another Type outward, but alwaies of the thing typified or shadowed forth, which was the substance & end of that shadow or Type, as may be shown at large, if any undertake to shew us any shadow or thing that is figurative [Page 4] in its own nature (mentioned in Scripture) which they suppose we cannot shew the substance of under the same Name or Title.
Quest. Do you believe and own the Holy Scriptures, contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament, to be given by Divine Inspiration, and to contain all Matters of Doctrine and Testimony, &c. necessary to be believed and Practised in order to Salvation, and Peace with God?
Answ. Yes, we do, and by the assistance of the Grace and good Spirit of God, which gives the true understanding of the mind of God, and meaning of Holy Scripture, we alwaies desire to live in the Faith, Knowledge and Practice of them in all things appertaining to Life and Godliness, Holy Scripture being given by Divine Inspiration, is profitable for Doctrine, Correction, and Instruction, that the Man of God may be perfect, thorowly furnished unto every good Work, able to make the Man of God wise unto salvation, through Faith in Christ Jesus.
Writ in behalf of the People of God called QUAKERS, by some of them.