These be the Quaker's Queries, and my Answers to them.
Query 1. "Is any man justified in the sight of God, but he that followeth Christ; and is it not a work to follow Christ, yea or nay, and what is the sight of God."
Ans. He that followeth Christ; aright, must first believe in Christ; for how shall they follow him, in whom they believe not. Now then the scripture saith, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life (John 3:16-18), so then we are justified by believing; and if so, then to follow Christ is rather a fruit of our believing, that justification itself. And whereas you ask, What is the sight of God? I answer, To be justified in the sight of God by Jesus Christ, is for God to look on such poor creatures as we are; as complete, without spot or wrinkle, in the obedience of the man Christ Jesus; who otherwise could not behold them in love, because of their iniquity (Hab 1:3).
Query 2. "Whether will that faith justify a man which hath not works, seeing the scripture, or the Apostle saith, faith without works is dead; and what is that which worketh faith; and where is it, within, or without?"
Ans. That faith that hath not works is dead, being alone. Yet it doth not follow, that all that have works, have faith. No; but contrary-wise, men may have works, yea, the works of the law of God too, and yet be under the curse (Gal 2:10-13); which they could not be if they had saving faith. So then, if faith without works is dead; and again, if men may have works, and yet no faith, no saving faith, I mean: Then it will be good to inquire, what it is to have a right faith, which doth bring forth right good works; and who have works without a right faith. And
(1.) A right saving faith, is, for a man to be enabled of God's holy Spirit, to lay hold on what the man Christ hath done in his won person, when he was in the world? as his birth, righteousness, death, blood, resurrection, ascension, and intercession; and to apply the virtue and merit thereof to himself, so as to see himself saved thereby (Rom 4:24,25). Being justified freely by his grace: How? Even through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, or reconciler, through faith in his blood, &c. Again, "Be it known unto you,—that through this man is preached unto the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe: (Mark, all that believe; namely, in his blood which was shed on Mount Calvary) are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38,39). If the faith that applies these things be of the operation of God, it is very much accompanied with good works. "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead, and that he died for all, that they which live (namely by the faith of this, that Christ died for all (Gal 2:29)), should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them" (2Cor 5:14,15). But
(2.) they that deny the merits of the birth, death, righteousness, blood, &c. of the man that was born of Mary, which he fulfilled in his own person, by himself (Heb 1:3). I say, they that do not venture their souls on these glorious, mysterious truths, but deny the belief of them to be sufficient of themselves to save from hell, and all other things, and doth expect that salvation should be obtained by some thing that worketh in them, by working in them. It is impossible that these, though they may be, touching the righteousness of the law blameless, (as Paul was while he was a persecutor (Phil 3:6)), to be saved hereby. Wherefore? because they seek it not by the faith of Christ, but as it were by the works of the law (Rom 9:30,31).
And whereas you ask me, "What is that which worketh faith? And where is it, within or without?" I answer, That which worketh saving faith, is the holy spirit of God, which is renewed through the hearing of the word, preached by the apostles or ministers of Jesus Christ: Now the Spirit when it doth work, it entereth into the soul, and as I said before, doth enable the soul to believe, and lay hold on the merits of the son of Mary, Jesus Christ. For saith he, when he is come, he shall glorify me, for he shall take of mine, and shew it unto you (John 16:14).
Query 3. "Whether any be justified but he that is born of God? And whether doth he that is born of God commit sin? And is that within the creature, or without, that worketh the new birth?"
Ans. Justification may be taken two ways, (1.) either in the sight of God, or in the sight of the soul, or creature; my meaning is, that all that are or shall be saved, are justified in the sight and foreknowledge of God before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4). According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, &c. Having predestinated us to the us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself. And again, "Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified" (Rom 8:30). Mark, all these thing are spoken as being already done; predestinated, called, justified, glorified. He doth not say, they shall be, but he hath done it, that is, in and according to the foreordination of God. (2.) Saints are said to by justified in their own sight or knowledge, as when God doth make manifest to the soul, what he had determined before should be done. "Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee." this is justification in the sight of the creature. And whereas you ask me, "do they that are born of God commit sin?" To this I answer,