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<NAME>Kayla Ondracek</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>THE DECLARATION OF THE <HI>Philadelphian Society</HI> OF ENGLAND, <HI>EASTER-DAY,</HI> 1699. <HI>Addre&s;&s;ed to the</HI> Catholick Church <HI>Repre&s;entative and Diffu&s;ive.</HI></HEAD>
<P>&sect;. 1. <HI>TO the Bi&s;hops and Presbyters of the</HI> Catholick Church, <HI>and to all Or|ders, Ranks and Degrees of the &s;ame, elected by God the Father, and called out of the World, being &s;anctified by his Spirit: And in particular to the Churches, whether E&s;tabli&s;hed or Di&s;per&s;ed within the&s;e three Kingdoms, of</HI> England, Scotland, <HI>and</HI> Ireland; <HI>and yet more peculiarly to that of this Kingdom, and to all Religious Societies therein, however they may be nominated and di&s;tingui&s;hed, either &s;epara|ted from it, or holding Communion with it: But in a mo&s;t &s;pecial manner, to as many as either here or abroad, do truly believe, and wait for the coming of our Lord</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>in the Maje&s;ty of his Father: The</HI> Philadel|phian Society, <HI>founded for the Propagation of Apo&s;tolical Faith and Love, wi&s;heth the increa&s;e of Grace, Peace and Truth.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fathers, Brethren</HI> and <HI>Friends,</HI></P>
<P>&sect;. 2. GOD having appeared in the&s;e latter Days, to excite and rai&s;e up many Per&s;ons in all Nations, both Secretly and Publickly, after diver&s;e and &s;undry manners, to prepare the Way of his dear <HI>Son;</HI> unto whom he hath given by an Oath, the utmo&s;t ends of the Earth for his Inheritance: Be it known unto you, that he hath Excited and Commanded us by his Spirit, which is the Te&s;timony of his Son, to bear an open and publick Wit|ne&s;s at this time for his <HI>Kingdom.</HI> Which <HI>Kingdom</HI> is not of this World, nor after the manner of the Nations; But is of Hea|ven, and from Heaven, and after the man|ner of the Saints in Bli&s;s; who are ever doing their Father's Will, and follow|ing
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the LAMB, who is their Light, <HI>whi|ther&s;oever he goeth.</HI> And that this <HI>Kingdom</HI> may <HI>come quickly,</HI> according to the Oath and Covenant of the Everla&s;ting Father, and that the Will of our God and Lord be obeyed with the &s;ame Univer&s;ality, Perpetuity and Alacrity, even here upon the Earth, as it is in Heaven, to the San|ctification of his Name, <HI>The LORD our Righteou&s;ne&s;s;</HI> and even to a vi&s;ible In&s;crip|tion of it on all his Di&s;ciples: So that it may indeed be <HI>Exalted above every Name under Heaven,</HI> and <HI>every Knee made to bow down to it;</HI> we think it our bounden Duty, by all Ways and Mediums, by all Methods, Expedients and Enterpri&s;es, according to the Pattern of the Holy Ancients; with continued Labours, Watchings and Supplications, to promote, advance and carry on the Intere&s;t of the &s;ame.</P>
<P>&sect;. 3. And therefore we cannot but ex|hort and encourage one another, and as many as with us do look for &s;uch things, to walk in all Holy Conver&s;ation and God|line&s;s, to keep the Works of the Son of GOD unto the end, and to hold fa&s;t the Word of his Patience, until he come: Be|ing diligent that we may be found of him in Peace and in Love, without Spot, and blamele&s;s, as was the <HI>Primitive Church</HI> of PHILADELPHIA. Wherefore, being mindful of the Words which were &s;poken before by the Holy Prophets, and of the Commandment of the Lord and Saviour, ble&s;&s;ed for ever: As often as we do meet together for this end, we do after this manner. And as at all Times, and in all Places, we account it our highe&s;t Duty thus to do, without any Partiality or Ac|ceptance of Per&s;ons: So e&s;pecially, when we are a&s;&s;embled in the Spirit of the LORD, that our Loyns may not he at any time ungirt, or our Lamps extinct, and without Oil: For when the Bride|groom cometh, it will then be too late to go to buy it; and the <HI>little Door,</HI> which is already begun to be opened, will then be &s;hut up.</P>
<P><HI>Fathers</HI> and <HI>Brethren,</HI></P>
<P>&sect;. 4. Marvel not that this is a <HI>little Door,</HI> and that there is but a little vi&s;ible Strength as yet: Since God, even our God, hath <HI>cho&s;en the &s;mall things of this World to confound the great, and the fooli&s;h things to confound the wi&s;e;</HI> and that not once only, but always. As for our &s;elves, we could have been very well contented, had it been the Will of our Father in Heaven, not to have appeared as we have done; but to have enjoyed rather in pri|vate (as &s;ome of You do) the Satisfaction of tho&s;e great and augu&s;t Truths, which we now confe&s;s before the whole World. It would have been far more ea&s;ie for us, and would not have expo&s;ed us to &s;o ma|ny Evils; but our Wills, which are in them&s;elves mo&s;t contrary, we have learn'd by his Spirit a&s;&s;i&s;ting us, to &s;ubmit to his Holy and mo&s;t Adorable Will.</P>
<P>&sect;. 5. But notwith&s;tanding this our more publick appearance at pre&s;ent, we do not hereby intend to recede from what we have formerly declared in the <HI>Rea&s;ons for the Foundation and Promotion</HI> of this <HI>Society;</HI> but do earne&s;tly de&s;ire to keep &s;till, and maintain the Communion of Saints invio|lable, in the Band of the Holy Catholick Church.</P>
<P>&sect;. 6. And for as much as it is found ne|ce&s;&s;ary, in order to &s;uch a near and inti|mate Communication with one another, as is required for the effectual Pro&s;ecuting the Great and Holy De&s;ign before us, the In|tere&s;t of <HI>Chri&s;tendom,</HI> and the Good of all <HI>Mankind,</HI> to initiate and admit Per&s;ons in|to our Society; (for that otherwi&s;e we could not be &s;aid to be a <HI>Society)</HI> we would
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
not herein, that ye &s;hould mi&s;under&s;tand us, as if we were by this, &s;etting up for a new Sect, and a divided Church; our &s;olemn Prote&s;tations to the contrary, not|with&s;tanding. For we have acted in this matter, and &s;hall continue to act, accord|ing <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> tho&s;e mo&s;t Catholick Principles, which all the Churches of Chri&s;t, that ever were or are, may ju&s;tifie us in: We think it not our proper Bu&s;ine&s;s to meddle with the Controver&s;ies, that are at this day in <HI>Chri&s;tendom;</HI> but to pray and wait for that Holy Spirit, which alone can determine them, and lead into all divine Truth. The Principles of the Chri&s;tian Religion we believe to be plain and ea&s;ie, familiar and obvious, to that degree, that he that runneth may read them, in the &s;acred Wri|tings of the New Te&s;tament: But the My|&s;teries of the &s;ame, we believe none can truly under&s;tand as they ought (nor even put in Practice thoroughly, the Principles them&s;elves) but &s;uch as are <HI>Spiritual;</HI> that is, Initiated by the Spirit of JESUS, into the Knowledge of them, Experimentally, E&s;&s;entially and Fundamentally. All wrang|ling therefore about the&s;e, from the Spirit only of Rea&s;on, or the <HI>natural</HI> Man, we cannot approve as a means for the E&s;tabli&s;hing the Unity of Faith, in the deep and recondite things of God; but do think this method mo&s;t incongruous and ineffectual, as it hath hitherto &s;hewed it &s;elf to be.</P>
<P>&sect;. 7. All the Precepts and In&s;titutions of our Ble&s;&s;ed Ma&s;ter, we, according to their very fulle&s;t and utmo&s;t Latitude, accept, and intirely &s;ubmit to. The <HI>Hou&s;e</HI> of our Society we have founded upon his Sermon on the Mount: Whence, though the Rain hath indeed de&s;cended, and the Floods came, and the Winds have blown, and beat upon this our Hou&s;e and E&s;ta|bli&s;hment, yet it falleth not: Neither can it fall, for that it is founded by the Eternal Wi&s;dom it &s;elf upon a Rock; which Rock is Chri&s;t, in the Manife&s;tation of his Spi+rit and Power.</P>
<P>&sect;. 8. Wherefore the Foundation there|of, which formerly hath been declared; being as the <HI>Hill of Zion,</HI> that cannot be moved, and the entrance thereof as the Door of DAVID, which is never to be &s;hut in the Church of <HI>Philadelphia:</HI> We have boldne&s;s to Addre&s;s in this Manner unto you, Men and Brethren; yea, unto you Fathers and Elders, even as many as are Separated and Sanctified, in all the Churches throughout EUROPE (and where&s;oever el&s;e this our Declaration may be carried) for an Holy Mini&s;tration and Calling. And we entreat you, by the Bowels of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, whom we all profe&s;s to honour, and to follow, as our Leader; that ye would lay a&s;ide all Prejudices again&s;t one another; all un|certain Traditions of Men, all Di&s;pute<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> about Words, and all Impo&s;itions of Un|intelligible My&s;teries (though true in them|&s;elves) and that ye would be plea&s;ed to make a Candid Allowance for the Power of Education in &s;ome, of Con&s;titution in others; and of the different Apprehen&s;i|on of things (more or le&s;s) in all; and thence love one another as <HI>Brethren,</HI> and as CHRIST hath loved you, whereby ye may be able to demon&s;trate your &s;elves to be built (together with us) upon Him: He being the Chief Corner-Stone of this Hou&s;e of <HI>BROTHERLY LOVE.</HI> Therefore &s;tir up, we beg and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> you, this mo&s;t Excellent Gift; which is no le&s;s than the Band of Perfection in th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Body of the Church, and the Fir&s;t Bor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> of the Love of God: So will a true <HI>Phi|ladelphian Society</HI> be &s;pread over the whole Earth, and the Kingdoms of the Nations become the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace</P>
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&sect;. 9. For the Divi&s;ions of <HI>Chri&s;tendom,</HI> our Souls do mourn, and hence we cannot but cry out; <HI>Sirs, ye are Brethren, why do ye Wrong one to another?</HI> And again, we &s;ay unto you all, and every one, <HI>how good and plea&s;ant is it for Brethren to dwell together in Unity!</HI> Con&s;ider then, we pray you, of the things that make for Catholick <HI>Peace,</HI> and for the E&s;tabli&s;hment of the new <HI>Jeru|&s;alem,</HI> the City and Kingdom of Peace, that &s;o all &s;uch as have erred and are de|ceived, may be brought into the Way of Truth and Love, being made one Fold un|der one Shepherd, JESUS CHRIST, our Lord. Yea, we doubt not, Honoured and Beloved, that ye will con&s;ider of the&s;e things: And many among you will blow the Trumpet of the Lord, and &s;ound an Alarm in the holy Congregation; to give Notice that the Lord cometh, and that his Kingdom is at Hand, to them that wait for it, and love his Appearance. And as the &s;ame De&s;ign may be carryed on after differerent Manners, and we have been called to this particular Manner; &s;o we al&s;o hope and believe, that it &s;hall be car|ryed on by you after various and &s;undry Methods, &s;uitable to your &s;everal Stations and Calls, and according to the manifold Mini&s;tration and Di&s;pen&s;ation of the &s;ame Spirit.</P>
<P>&sect;. 10. Now, Beloved in the Lord, &s;ay not, that <HI>the Time is not come,</HI> as &s;ome of you have declared. For the Time verily cometh, but the Hour thereof no Man knoweth. Therefore we watch, and would awaken others to watch with us, knowing that the Promi&s;e is not afar off. <HI>The Time indeed is not come,</HI> as &s;ome under|&s;tand it, neither is at Hand. But if <HI>Noah</HI> aro&s;e up, and preached Repentance, an Hundred and Twenty Years before the Completion of what he expected; if <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> preached in like manner, an Hundred and &s;eventy Years, before it came to pa&s;s, con|cerning the Call and Anointing of the great <HI>CYRUS;</HI> and if the Prophet of <HI>Bethel</HI> preached and prophe&s;ied above Three Hundred Years before, concerning the great Reformation under <HI>Jo&s;ias:</HI> It is not at all to be wondred at, if before &s;o great and glorious a Reformation (or rather Transformation) of the Church, as is This, which is now expected, there be &s;ent forth &s;ome Fore-runners, Me&s;&s;engers, and Heralds, to give Warning of the &s;ame to the World. This we do: And we know, that <HI>our</HI> Time is now; and that our Calling &s;hall not be in vain.</P>
<P>&sect;. 11. Who&s;oever then &s;hall be offend|ed at us, or at our Proceedings, without due Examination of them; we &s;hall not be mov'd on our Parts, only with a Con|cern for their Good.</P>
<P>We have the An&s;wer of a good Con|&s;cience before GOD, both in acting and &s;uffering for his Names Sake; and if in any thing of le&s;&s;er Moment, there hath been a Mi&s;take committed, at any time, we &s;hall be glad to rectifie the &s;ame, &s;o &s;oon as it &s;hall be made known. If any better Expedients can be produced for the promoting of the Intere&s;t before &s;pecified, let not any with-hold them. However, we dare not con&s;ult with Fle&s;h and Blood, in this Matter: But all things that we <HI>can</HI> do, we are ready to do: For that we may make &s;trait the Way of our Lord, the KING<HI>:</HI> We go forth at this Time, in his Name, to make Proclamation to the World, having received a Foreta&s;t of the Powers of the approaching New State. We are indeed, but as <HI>a Voice in the Wilder|ne&s;s;</HI> the Church of my&s;tical <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> being not yet come out of the Wilderne&s;s: But
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let not this be rejected; for by it, &s;hall <HI>the Axe be laid to the Root of the Tree.</HI> And when this Voice &s;hall cea&s;e, then &s;hall <HI>the Voice of the Bridegroom be heard: Ble&s;&s;ed are they that hear the former Voice; for they &s;hall not be afraid to hear the latter.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Men, Brethren, and Fathers,</HI></P>
<P>&sect;. 12. In order to a freer Pro&s;ecution of the De&s;igns of this Society, it hath plea&s;ed God to grant us the Protection of the Ci|vil Government: Again&s;t which, our Principles are no wi&s;e Prejudicial, but mo&s;t advantagious to it, when they are under&s;tood. For it is certain, that the Ble&s;&s;ings of the Heaven above, and of the Earth beneath, will be given by <HI>God</HI> to tho&s;e wi&s;e Princes and Magi&s;trates, who &s;hall promote the righteous and peaceable Kingdom of CHRIST, and pay <HI>him</HI> the Ki&s;s of Homage, which <HI>He</HI> requireth; that &s;o they may be, <HI>as the Light of the Morning, when the Sun ri&s;eth, even a Morning without Clouds: And as the tender Gra&s;s out of the Earth, by the clear &s;hining</HI> (of the Sun) <HI>after Rain.</HI> And we do believe, that the Time is at Hand, when the Mountains &s;hall bring Peace, and the little Hills Righteou&s;|ne&s;s unto the People. And then will it be under&s;tood, what it is to <HI>Reign By the Grace of God.</HI></P>
<P>&sect;. 13. But at this, Satan is extreamly enraged, &s;eeing that his Kingdom draweth near to a Period. And therefore, by all manner of &s;ubtile In&s;inuations, and even by Violence, where he is not chained up, he is working ince&s;&s;antly to put a Stop to the breaking forth of the Golden Age of Peace and Righteou&s;ne&s;s which we Pro|claim. Hence many of our Brethren, in other Countries, have been, and are de|&s;pitefully u&s;ed, who are as &s;hining Lamps in a crooked and &s;tupid Generation, t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> turn many to the Wi&s;dom of the Ju&s;t Per&s;ons of the &s;tricte&s;t Holine&s;s, and Great|e&s;t Mode&s;ty, have not been exempted from being expo&s;ed on one Hand, to a jealous and exa&s;perated Magi&s;tracy, and on the other Hand, to a furious and bigotted Vulgar. From hence are Impri&s;onments, Confi&s;cations and Exile, for the Cau&s;e of the Te&s;timony of JESUS, and of his Reign in Spirit, as well in Prote&s;tant as in Roman Catholick Countries. From hence al&s;o we think, are all tho&s;e bitter Di&s;putes about the Limitation of our <HI>Love <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> God</HI> (the Sub&s;tance of all true Religion) which are carried on at this Day, with mo&s;t ex|tream Violence, by Per&s;ons of greate&s;t Eminence<HI>:</HI> And all the pre&s;ent Controver|&s;ies about the acce&s;&s;ory Part of Chri&s;tianity, to the Exclu&s;ion or Neglect of an inward Principle of divine <HI>Life</HI> in the Soul, which is al&s;o a Principle of divine <HI>Light</HI> and <HI>Love.</HI></P>
<P>&sect;. 14. And now, it having plea&s;ed God to put an Hook into the No&s;e of this Levi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">|than, in this Kingdom e&s;pecially, it is no Wonder he teareth and rageth the more, not being able to bear the Brightne&s;s of that high Spiritual Di&s;pen&s;ation, which is beginning here to break out, and is decla<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> by weak In&s;truments elected for this purpo&s;e.</P>
<P>And therefore, &s;ince our fir&s;t publick Appearance, he hath been ever bu&s;ie to in|&s;pire &s;ome of his Agents, to rai&s;e Tumults again&s;t the Publi&s;hers of the approaching New Kingdom; and even to cur&s;e and bla&s;pheme where we have been met toge|ther to ble&s;s <HI>God.</HI></P>
<P>But, be&s;ides, the&s;e open, his Clande&s;tine De&s;igns are the more dangerous. A|gain&s;t both of which, we have been hi|therto pre&s;erved by the Grace of Almighty God. And he is able, we know, to car|ry us through far greater Difficulties: As
<PB N="6" REF="4" MS="y">
he hath done our Fore-fathers. Whom we al&s;o believe to be no le&s;s willing, than able to a&s;&s;i&s;t us, and as many as are engaged in this Honourable Service.</P>
<P>&sect;. 15. Whence, by the Evidence of Faith, we are a&s;&s;ured, that he will not be wanting to give his extraordinary Atte|&s;tations, as in the Days of old, &s;o &s;oon as the Fullne&s;s of Time &s;hall be wholly come; and according as his Wi&s;dom &s;hall &s;ee expe|dient to rai&s;e up likewi&s;e, and in&s;pire &s;ome great Prince, to carry on this Ble&s;&s;ed Work. And in the mean while, we &s;hall re&s;t in this, that our Leader is more than and Hundred <HI>Con&s;tantines:</HI> And that &s;ince <HI>He</HI> hath &s;een fit to employ us in a <HI>Prepara|tory</HI> Work, however &s;ecret and hidden, his Mea&s;ures may be for the pre&s;ent, yet all &s;hall be accompli&s;hed in the End, to the Surprize and Prai&s;e of the whole Farth&punc;</P>
<TAILNOTE>
<P>This Declaration was fir&s;t publi&s;hed in <HI>London,</HI> at a publick Meeting of our So|ciety, upon<HI>Ea&s;ter-Sunday, </HI> which was held in <HI>Lori|mers Hall;</HI> and now print|ed by a general Order.</P>
</TAILNOTE>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="declaration">
<HEAD>An Additional DECLARATION. <HI>In the Name of GOD,</HI> Amen.</HEAD>
<P>IT has been the Method of the <HI>Philadel|phian</HI> Society in general, both here and in other Countries, to Enjoy and Com|municate what they have received in a more private manner; as two or three &s;hould meet together in Unity: Notwith|&s;tanding it hath plea&s;ed God of late to Im|pel and Con&s;train &s;ome of us, on account of the near approach of the Kingdom of Chri&s;t, to go forth and Proclaim it openly, which we have done now for almo&s;t the&s;e two Years: and lately in a more publick manner; whereby the Alarm has been &s;uf|ficiently given and a free offer made by God of a Renew'd Di&s;pen&s;ation of his Grace and Spirit: which has been general|ly de&s;pi&s;ed and Rejected, and the Me&s;&s;en|gers thereof de&s;pightfully intreated. All &s;tumbling at the Stumbling-Block, the weak and contemptible beginnings of the <HI>Philadelphian</HI> State; through the gradual opening of the Holy Powers at this day, and being accompanied with many weak|ne&s;&s;es of the In&s;truments<HI>:</HI> Together with the great latitude of Charity and Liberty it has gone forth in; and the Contrariety of its manner to that of the pre&s;ent Forms and E&s;tabli&s;hments of Human Wi&s;dom, Tradition and Cu&s;tom. We have done our part; and would willingly have per|&s;i&s;ted
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<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> all we <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> the Te&s;timony of the Lord <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">d of his Kingdom. And now Provi|dence having outwardly ca&s;t in a Preven|tion of our Meeting longer at the place where the foregoing Declaration was fir&s;t Publi&s;h't, and given us pre-intimation of what we are further to do: Fora&s;much, as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> all were to be Admoni&s;h'd and Warn'd of the approaching day; but all are not fit to receive the My&s;teries of the Kingdom, and to concur in &s;o Spiritual a Service: Therefore at pre&s;ent we are to be le&s;s Publick; yet not wholly Private; but more Retired from &s;uch great Con|cour&s;e of the promi&s;cuous Multitude: to whom it hath plea&s;ed God that the Pearls of the Kingdom &s;hould be Offered, chief|ly for the &s;ake of &s;ome few among them that would know the Value of 'em; but not forc'd upon them when Rejected and Trampled on. And now we leave it to Him, to take what other Methods he &s;ees nece&s;&s;ary to prepare his way, Endeavour|ing as much as po&s;&s;ible, to gather only a Select Company, of &s;uch as are in Unity with us, or have been excited to a Seri|ous enquiry into the&s;e Matters, and give them a more quiet Opportunity of &s;erving God with us; and more advantagious for the freer opening and &s;preading of the Powers of the Holy Spirit among us: and &s;hall &s;tand ready to give all Satisfaction and Information we can concerning the&s;e Di|vine things to any that &s;hall come and de|&s;ire it of us. And we doubt not but there will be experienced herein a Ble&s;&s;ing of God more than ordinary both by us and all that &s;hall come to us in good will, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> due Preparation to receive it: And that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> the Key of <HI>David</HI> &s;hall &s;ucce&s;&s;ively open, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> true <HI>Philadelphian</HI> Body will be made up. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> And hence we do intreat all that are <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">hri&s;tians indeed, and in the Bowels of our Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the fir&s;t-born of th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Brethren, we do earne&s;tly be&s;eech them not to take any offence at a Name; For tho we e&s;teem none &s;o proper as that of Chri&s;tian to expre&s;s a Di&s;ciple of the Ble&s;&s;ed JESUS, and one <HI>Anointed</HI> with the Spirit; yet &s;ince be&s;ides this Old Name, &s;o many other Names have been introduced, through the great Decay of <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> Charity, and even almo&s;t to the utter De&s;truction of it: This appears the mo&s;t fit to revive the &s;ame, and to denote that Spirit of Univer&s;al Love toward all that are of the &s;ame Offspring, which is the true Characteri&s;tick of that Religion which is Holy and Undefiled. Whence we Hope and Believe, that to them that are found in this Spirit this Name will not be di&s;plea&s;ing, which as we bear, &s;o they have a Right to bear; which is to U|nite, and not to Divide; and which is an Old Name, and yet a New Name, as that Commandment whereon it is grounded, is both an Old Commandment and a New Commandment; yea, which in &s;ome &s;en&s;e may be &s;aid (as to the Sub&s;tance of it at lea&s;t) to be the <HI>New Name</HI> given by Chri&s;t to the Angel of the Church bearing the outward Name hereof; and even de&s;ign'd and appropriated by the Holy Spirit to that ble&s;&s;ed State of the Church, which is Typi|fied by this of <HI>Philadelphia,</HI> as a Name of pure Love, freed from the oppre&s;&s;ions of its Suffering State, and inve&s;ted with Pow|er and Dominion. Thus An&s;wering to Chri&s;t its Head, who after his Re&s;urrection a&s;&s;umes a New Name agreeable to the change of his Condition, from a State of Suffering and Dying Love, to that of Love Triumphant in its Kingdom of Power and Glory. So that indeed it is not a Name Invented and newly taken up to &s;erve a pre|&s;ent De&s;ign, as is generally &s;uppo&s;ed, but a Name which belongs to &s;uch as &s;tand in Relation to this future Glorious Church:
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and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> waiting for it; and experiencing aleady in &s;ome Degree the Power of it: Which al&s;o has been Adapted to this State even by the Learned Writers them&s;elves in &s;everal A|ges.</P>
<P>Wherefore &s;eeing it was never intended for a new Wall of Partition to &s;eparate Chr&s;tian from Chri&s;tian; If the&s;e are for <HI>Paul,</HI> and others for <HI>Cephas,</HI> we will accord|ing to the Truth of <HI>This</HI> Name, love them both as our Brethren; and we can do no otherwi&s;e if we are for Chri&s;t. In whom <HI>Paul</HI> is one with <HI>Cephas,</HI> and <HI>Apollo</HI> one with both: Yea, in whom all are One, that are Chri&s;tians, not after the Letter, but after the Spirit; who&s;e Bapti&s;m is inwardly of the Heart, and who&s;e Faith worketh by Love; Which Covereth all things, Believ|eth all things, Hopeth all things, and En|dureth all things, working in them accord|ing to the effectual Operation of <HI>This</HI> Name which he has been pleas'd to &s;hed abroad into their Souls, as a mo&s;t precious Oint|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1+ letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> not can te&s;tifie: To the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> who was anointed above his Fello<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> the univer&s;al Spirit of Charity, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> in <HI>this</HI> &s;acred Name. By which, as <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> they were Marked in the Forehead, it <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> be known by all, Men, who are his Di<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2+ letters">+ples. Now, being made Partakers here by rich Grace, in &s;ome Mea&s;ure, we can not re&s;t till others of our Brethren, wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters"> are yet Strangers to it, do al&s;o come <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"> participate of the &s;ame; together with th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Name of the City of our God, the City o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Peace, which is the Mother of all th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Faithful: And which we believe, will de+&s;cend out of Heaven from GOD, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> crown the Earth, in the la&s;t Days, wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> the unfadable Ble&s;&s;ings of <HI>Love</HI> and <HI>Peace</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> when all they that hear the Voice, whic<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> is now gone out, and keep the Word of h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters"> <HI>Son</HI>'s Patience, will be made Pillars in hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Temple, and will &s;hine as fixt Stars i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Firmament of the new He<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">+vens.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><HI>Given</HI> <DATE> the <HI>14th of</HI> May, <HI>being the Day of the Opening of the Meeting of this Society in a more retired place.</HI></DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
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<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<HEAD>ADVERTISEMENT.</HEAD>
<P>THeo&s;ophical Tran&s;actions, <HI>by the</HI> Philadelphian Society, <HI>con&s;i&s;ting of Memoirs, Conf<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">+rences, Letters, Di&s;&s;ertations, Inquiries,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>For the Advancement of</HI> Piety <HI>and Div<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2+ letters"></HI> Philo&s;ophy. <HI>Numb.</HI> I. II. III. IV. V. <HI>Price</HI> 4 s. 6 d.</P>
<P>The State of the Philadelphian Society, <HI>or the Grounds of their Proceeding con&s;id<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2+ letters"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> price</HI> 6 <HI>d.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 span"></P>
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