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.  
Printed in the Year, 1693.   

The Christianity of the People commonly called QUAKERS, Asserted against the Unjust Charge of their being no CHRISTIANS, etc.  
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 that 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 believe that Jesus Christ is truly God and Man, according as Holy Scripture Testifies of Him, God over all blessed for ever, the true God and Eternal Life, the One Mediator between God and Men, even the Man Christ Jesus.  
Quest. Do you believe 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 ourselves) and by his Grace enabled 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 Died for all Men, gave himself a Ransom for all, and His Blood being shed for the Remission of Sins; so all they who sincerely believe and obey Him, receive the Benefits 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 Us 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 Light of the World, enlightening 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 Engrafting us into Christ and His Church?  
Answ. We believe and are fully persuaded, 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, whereof Christ is Head.  
As to Dipping or Sprinkling Infants, or Young Children we find no Precept or Precedent in Holy Scripture for the practice thereof, and therefore we cannot think out 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 requisite 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 ordained 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 and Commemoration of Christ's Death for us, or as Figurative of Christ's Body and Blood spiritually received by Faith.  
Answ The Supper of the Lord we own, and renderly consider in a twofold sense, 1. In the Figure, 2. In the Substance. 1st. That our Lord Jesus Christ, at His Supper with His Disciples, did eat the Passeover (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 show the Lords Death till he come. 1 Cor. 11. After this they did more clearly know His coming, and Christ after the Spirit; Jesus Christ in them, 2 Cor, 13.5. and 5.16. 2d 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 Father's Kingdom, Mat. 26.29. 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, etc. Luke 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 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 into him, and will SUP with him, and he with me, Rev. 3.20. And Wisdom calleth to the simple, Come Eat of my Bread, and Drink of 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, dwelleth in me, and I in him, John 6. We believe that all who thus do truly partake of Christ by Faith, are in true Communion and Love among themselves, which they do want who are only in the outward Observation of Sign and Shadows.  
Quest. Do you own the Seals of the New Covenant?  
Answ. Yes, as the New Covenant i● Spiritual, so are the Seals thereof (a● they may be termed) proper to it, and therefore we believe they stand not in any external Shadow, Sign or Figure, bu● 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 share and interest in that Covenant. Se● 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 th● spirit in our Hearts. Ephes. 1.13. After ●hat ye believed ye were sealed with the ●oly 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 sense and belief in these Matters may be briefly summed up in ●hat follows, viz.  

1. We believe, That the spiritual appearance, and living enjoyment of Christ 〈◊〉 spirit, is above all outward signs, shadows, or figures, or a Remembrance on●y of him thereby. And that Christ more clearly discovers himself by his Spirit in ●he New Covenant, than by any outward Representations in the Old, or thereunto appertaining.  
2. That the One Baptism of the Spirit ●s a Seal or Confirmation of the New Covenant to true Believers, and of them ●n it; and so is their spiritual Eating and Drinking with Him in his Kingdom a certain Assurance, Seal or Evidence o● their Spiritual Communion with him, and in him.  
3. As all outward shadows and figure were of a decreasing nature, so there 〈◊〉 the substance thereof, which they pointed at, and wherein they ended, though the names given to the shadows wer● carried along to the substance also, tha● it might the more plainly appear in Scripture how the shadows were fulfilled i● the substance Christ; as in the Old Covenant there was outward Circumcision of the Flesh; in the New, there is th● inward Circumcision of the Spirit. I● the Old, there was divers Washings o● Baptisms, Heb. 9.10. In the New. the One Baptism of Christ; in the Old, the Feast of the outward Passeover kept with Unleavened Bread, and other Feasts observed, etc. in the New Covenant, Jesus Christ is our Passeover, 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 Sha●ow, was a Type of another Type outward, but always of the thing Typified ●r Shadowed forth, which was the substance and end of that Shadow or Type, ●s may be shown at large, if any undertake to show us any shadow or thing that ●s figurative in its own nature (mentioned in Scripture) which they suppose we cannot show the substance of, under the ●ame Name or Title.   
Quest. Do you believe and own the Ho●● Scriptures, contained in the Books of the Old and New Testament, to be given by Divine Inspiration, and to contain all Mat●ers of Doctrine and Testimony, etc. necessary to be believed and practised in order ●o 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 Holy Scripture, we always desire to li●● in the Faith, Knowledge and Practice them in all things appertaining to Li●● and Godliness, Holy Scripture being gi●en by Divine Inspiration, is profitable 〈◊〉 Doctrine, Correction, and Instruction, th● the Man of God may be perfect, th●…rowly furnished unto every good Wo●● able to make the Man of God wise u●●● salvation, through Faith in Christ Jes●●  
Writ in behalf of the People of God c●●led QUAKERS, by some of them.