An humble inquiry into the rules of the Word of God, concerning the qualifications…

And as kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation. And says to them in ver.8, 9. Whom (namely Christ) having not seen, ye love; in whom tho' now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory; receiving the End of your Faith, even the Salvation of your Souls. and in ver.18, to the End, the Apostle speaks of them as redeemed from their vain Conversation, by the precious Blood of Christ,—And as having purified their Souls in obeying the Truth through' the Spirit,—Being born again of incorruptible Seed, &c. And in the former Part of Chap. ii. he speaks of 'em as living Stones, coming to Christ, and on him built up a spiritual House, an holy Priesthood, to offer up spiritual Sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ,—And As those that believe, to whom Christ is precious,—As a chosen Generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy Nation, a peculiar People, called out of Darkness into marvellous Light. The Church at Babylon occasionally mentioned in Chap. v. 13. is said to be elected together with them. And in his second Epistle (which appears by Chap. iii. 1. to be written to the same Persons.) the Inscription is, To them which have obtained like precious Faith with us, i. e. with the Apostles and Servants of Christ. And in the third Chapter, he tells 'em, both his Epistles were designed to stir up their PURE Minds. In the 1st Epistle of John, written (for ought appears) to professing Christians in general, Chap. ii. 12, &c. the Apostle tells them, he writes to them because their Sins were forgiven, because they had known him that was from the Beginning,—Because they had overcome the wicked One, &c. In ver.20, 21. He tells 'em, they have as Unction from the holy One, and know all Things; and that he did not write to 'em because they had not known the Truth, but because they had known it, &c. and in ver.27. He says, The Anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you, and ye need not that any Man should teach you; but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all Things, and is Truth, and is no Lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And in the Beginning of the iiid Chap. he addresses them as those who were the Sons of God, who when he should appear should be like him, because they should see ⟨p. 64⟩him as he is, In Chap. iv. 4. He says, Ye are of God, little Children, and have overcome &c.

And as kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation. And says to them in ver.8, 9. Whom (namely Christ) having not seen, ye love; in whom tho' now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoyce with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory; receiving the End of your Faith, even the Salvation of your Souls. and in ver.18, to the End, the Apostle speaks of them as redeemed from their vain Conversation, by the precious Blood of Christ,—And as having purified their Souls in obeying the Truth thro' the Spirit,—Being born again of incorruptible Seed, &c. And in the former Part of Chap. ii. he speaks of 'em as living Stones, coming to Christ, and on him built up a spiritual House, an holy Priesthood, to offer up spiritual Sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ,—And As those that believe, to whom Christ is precious,—As a chosen Generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy Nation, a peculiar People, called out of Darkness into marvellous Light. The Church at Babylon occasionally mention'd in Chap. v. 13. is said to be elected together with them. And in his second Epistle (which appears by Chap. iii. 1. to be written to the same Persons.) the Inscription is, To them which have obtain'd like precious Faith with us, i. e. with the Apostles and Servants of Christ. And in the third Chapter, he tells 'em, both his Epistles were designed to stir up their PURE Minds. In the 1st Epistle of John, written (for ought appears) to professing Christians in general, Chap. ii. 12, &c. the Apostle tells them, he writes to them because their Sins were forgiven, because they had known him that was from the Beginning,—Because they had overcome the wicked One, &c. In ver.20, 21. He tells 'em, they have as Unction from the holy One, and know all Things; and that he did not write to 'em because they had not known the Truth, but because they had known it, &c. and in ver.27. He says, The Anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you, and ye need not that any Man should teach you; but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all Things, and is Truth, and is no Lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. And in the Beginning of the iiid Chap. he addresses them as those who were the Sons of God, who when he should appear should be like him, because they should see