OUR Ancient Testimony RENEWED. Concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, AND THE Resurrection, Occasioned at this time by several Unjust Charges published against us, and our Truly Christian Profession, by G. Keith, who hath Unfairly and Untruly Misrepresented us. Given forth by a Meeting of Public Friends, and Others, at Philadelphia in Pensylvania. Psal. 41.2. Yea, mine own Familiar Friend in whom I trusted, and hath eaten of my Bread, hath lifted up his Heel against me. Obad. Ver. 10. Because of the Violence against thy Brother Jacob, shame shall cover thy Face, etc. LONDON, Printed and Sold by T. Sowle, in White-Hart-Court in Gracious-Street. 1695. To the READER. THAT we faithfully and sincerely own and confess Christ Jesus our Lord and Saviour, according to the Divine Testimonies of the Holy Writ, and according to his Spiritual Manifestations upon our Souls; and it is for our Christian Vindication herein, and not for Controversy; (for a Contest with Contentious Persons is endless) this following Confession is writ and submitted to thy perusal. Farewell. Our Scripture Confession Concerning our Lord Jesus Christ. I. Concerning his Divinity, and his Being from the Beginning. WE believe, That in the Beginning was the Word, Jo. 1.1, 2, 3. and that the Word was with God, and the Word was God, the same was in the beginning with God; all things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. Whose Go forth have been from of old, from Everlasting: Mic. 5.2. Eph. 3.9. For God Created all things by Jesus Christ, who is the Image of the Invisible God; the Firstborn of every Creature, the Brightness of the Father's Glory, Col. 1.15. and the express Image of his Substance. Heb. 1.3. II. Concerning his Appearance in the Flesh. WE believe, That the Word was made Flesh, Joh. 2.14. for he took not on him the Nature of Angels, but took on him the Seed of Abraham, Heb. 2.16, 17. being in all things made like unto his Brethren; Touched with a feeling of our Infirimities, Heb. 4.15. and in all things tempted as we are, yet without Sin: He died for our Sins, according to the Scriptures, and he was buried, and he risen again the Third day, 1 Cor. 15.3, 4. according to the Scripture. III. Concerning the End and Use of that Appearance. WE believe, That God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful Flesh, Jo. 8.3. and for Sin condemned Sin in the Flesh. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the Works of the Devil. 1 Jo. 3, 8. Being manifested to take away our Sins, for he gave himself for us, an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour; Heb. 9.12. having obtained Eternal Redemption for us: And through the Eternal Spirit offered up himself without spot to God, Heb. 9.14. to purge our Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God— He was the Lamb that was slain from the Foundation of the World; Rev. 13.8. of whom the Fathers did all drink; for they drank of that Spiritual Rock that followed them, 1 Cor. 10.4. and that Rock was Christ, the same yesterday, to day, and for ever: Who suffered for us, Heb. 13.8. leaving us an Example, that we should follow his steps, 1 Pet. 2.21. that the Life also of Jesus may be made manifest in our mortal Flesh! 2 Cor. 4.11. that we may know him, and the power of his Resurrection, and the Fellowship of his Resurrection, Phil. 3.10. and the Fellowship of his Sufferings, being made Comformable to his Death. iv Concerning the Inward Manifestation of Christ. WE believe, That God dwelleth with the Contrite and Humble in Spirit; Isa. 57.17. for he said, he will dwell in them, and walk in them; 2 Cor. 6.16. and that Christ standeth at the Door and knocketh, if any Man hear his Voice, Rev. 3.20. and open the Door, he will come into him, and sup with him. 2 Cor. 13.5. And therefore ought we to examine ourselves, and prove our own selves, knowing how that Christ is in us, unless we be Reprobates; for this is the Riches of the Glory of the Mystery which God would make known among (or rather in) the Gentiles, Col. 1.27. Christ within the hope of Glory. V Concerning his being our Mediator and Advocate. WE believe, There is one God and one Mediator between God and Man, even the Man Christ Jesus, i Tim. 2.5, 6. who gave himself a Ransom for all, to be testified in due time— My little Children, these things writ I unto you, that ye sin not; and if any Man sin▪ we have an Advocate with the Father, Christ Jesus the Righteous— And he is the Propitiation for our Sins, 1 Jo. 2.1, 2. and not for ours only, but for the Sins of the whole World. He sits on the Right Hand of God the Father, Heb. 7.25. and ever lives to make Intercession for us. VI Concerning his Unity with the Saints. WE believe, That he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, Heb. 2.11. are all of one; for by the exceeding great and precious Promises that are given them, they are made partakers of the Divine Nature; 2 Pet. 1.4. because for this end prayed Christ, saying, That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; and the Glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are, I in them, and thou in me, Jo. 17.21, 22, 23. that they may be made perfect in one. VII. Concerning his Coming to Judgement. WE believe, That we must all appear before the Judgment-seat of Christ, 2 Cor. 5 10, 11. that every one may receive the things done in his Body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad— Knowing therefore the Terror of the Lord, we persuade Men. VIII. Concerning the Resurrection. WE Believe, There shall be a Resurrection of the Dead, both of the Just and Unjust; they that have done good to the Resurrection of Life, and they that have done evil to the Resurrection of Damnation; 1 Cor. 15.37, 38, 44, 50. Flesh and Blood cannot Inherit the Kingdom of God, neither doth Corruption Inherit Incorruption. Nor is that Body sown that shall be, but God giveth it a Body as it hath pleased him, and to every Seed his own Body: It is sown in Dishonour, it is raised in Glory; it is sown in Corruption, it is raised in Incorruption; it is sown in Weakness, it is raised in Power; it is sown a Natural Body, it is raised a Spiritual Body. IX. Concerning the Scriptures. WE Believe, Rom. 15.4. That whatsoever things were written for our Learning; that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have hope— Which are able to make wise unto Salvation through Faith, which is in Christ Jesus: 2 Tim. 3.15, 16, 17. All Scripture given forth by Inspiration of God (as we believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are) is profitable for Doctrine, for Reproof, for Correction, for Instruction in Righteousness, that the Man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good Works:— And knowing also, that no Prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private Interpretation; 2 Pet. 1.20, 21. for Prophecy came not in old time by the Will of Man, but Holy Men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Our Solemn Confession, in the Holy Fear of God, concerning our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, according to the several Testimonies given forth by our Faithful Brethren. WE sincerely believe, own and confess no other Lord and Saviour than our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, to whom the Prophets and Apostles give witness, and who in the fullness of Time took Flesh of the Seed of Abraham, and of the Stock of David: We confess to his Miraculous Conception by the Power of the Holy Spirit overshadowing of the Virgin Mary; and to his being Born of her (according to the Flesh) and that he took upon him a Real Body, and that he was a Real Man; and that in the Days of his Flesh he Preached Righteousness, wrought Miracles, was Crucified, being put to Death by Wicked Hands; and that he was Buried, and Rose again the Third Day according to the Scriptures; and after he Risen he really appeared to many Brethren, and afterwards he ascended into Glory according to the Wisdom and Power of the Heavenly Father, and is Glorified with the same Glory which he had with the Father, before the World began, being ascended far above all Heavens, that he might fill all things, whose Glory is Incomprehensible. And we also believe, That he is that one Mediator between God and Man, viz. that Entire, Perfect, Heavenly, and most Glorious Man, Christ Jesus, who ever lives, and endures in his Soul (or Spirit) and Glorious Body. We further believe, That according to his Promise to his Disciples before he left them, (viz.) That he would come unto them again, and that he that was with them should be in them, and they in Christ, and Christ in them, John 14.20. and that accordingly he came; and that he who appeared in that Body which was prepared for him, was full of Grace and Truth, and received the Spirit not by measure, appeared by a measure of his Grace and Spirit in his Apostles and Disciples, and doth since in all his Faithful Followers; And that he is their King, Prophet, and Highpriest, and intercedes and Mediates in their behalf, bringing in Everlasting Righteousness, Peace and Assurance for ever into their Hearts and Consciences, to whom be everlasting Honour and Dominion, Amen. Concerning the Soul's Immortality, and the Resurrection. WE believe our Souls are Immortal, and shall be preserved in their distinct and proper Being's, and shall have Spiritual, Glorious Bodies, such as shall be proper for them, as it shall please God to give them in the Resurrection, that we may be capable of our particular Rewards, and different Degrees of Glory after this Life in the World to come. Griffith Owen, John Wilsford, George Maris, John adam's, Nicholas Walln, William Biles, Robert Owen, John Lynam, John Humphreys, Caleb Pusey, Alex Beardsley, Samuel Richardson, Ralph Jackson, Richard Gove, Richard Ormo, William Southby, David Lloyd, Samuel Jennings, Thomas Duckett, Thomas Janney, Arthur Cook, John Symcock, Robert Ewer, Samuel Carpenter, Phin. Pemberton, John Bevan, Cadder Morgan, Richard Walter, Lewis David, Edward Jones, Reece John William, Griffith John, John Roberts, Robert Jones, Robert David, William Edward, Edward Rees, Thomas Jones, James Fox. FINIS.