QUAKERS AND THE SACRAMENTS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—The reviewer of Dr. Fairbairn's book on Anglicanism in the Spectator of May 13th strangely misunderstands the posi- tion of the Quakers when he suggests that "so far as they allow the two Sacraments to have been instituted by Christ, they cannot be doing God's will in refusing them." So far as I know, no Quaker doubts that Christ used the words which are described as the "institution of the Lord's supper," as he also said as definitely on the same occasion, after washing the disciples' feet, "I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you." But as we believe that the latter command does not necessarily involve the literal and cere- monial washing of the feet of beggars by Emperors or others, so we think that a literal and ceremonial "Sacrament" is no necessary part of the fulfilment of the first, which, indeed, appears only to repeat the symbolism of the words, "I am the bread of life ; he that eateth me, even he shall live by me."—I am, Sir, drc., A MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY OF FRIENDS.
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