false Teachers amongst you saith the Apostle who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and many shall follow their pernitious wayes by reason of whom the way of truth should be evil spoken of And that perillous times should come that men should be lovers of themselves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good traytors heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God 2 Timothy 3. Now all those before mentioned were and are erred from the Spirit of truth which was in the Saints the holy-men of God who spake forth the Scriptures which declares of these things that there was such then and that there should be such Therefore now behold all People and see whether the things which the Apostles prophecyed of concerning the false Teachers which should come be not come to passe abundantly in the Generations since their dayes and also in this our age insomuch as the whole world hath been deceived by them and led after them and they have drawn them into many Religions Sects and Opinions and set them to kill and murther one another about Religion and about the Scriptures and about their worships and Laws to compel men to them being all erred from the Spirit and from the Truth and now know not the Truth nor the Spirit which was in the Apostles and Saints in which Spirit they worshipped God in their dayes and those then that got Christs words and the Prophets words and had not his Spirit but were arred from it and were out of the Life and out of the Truth which they did professe in words These I say the Saints and true Christians who were followers of Christ and had his Spirit with it they tryed the spirits of the other who had it not and found them not to be of God nor to be beleeved nor received but turned from for they were false Spirits and false Prophets which were gone out into the world from Christ and from the Saints that had the Spirit of God in them by which they tryed the other and found them to be of the world and Antichrists in the spirit of this world and by it led which cometh from him who is called The god of this world who had blinded their minds And so they were not true Prophets or Seers or true Ministers of Christ nor true Teachers but false Teachers false Ministers false Prophets and Antichrists and blind guids gone out into the world in the worlds Spirit and so with that spirit they could not confesse Christ come in the flesh though in words they might say he was come in the flesh as all the Priests and Professors who are called Christians do now at this day in words confesse him but not with the Spirit confesse him as their fruits make it manifest Now saith the Apostle hereby know ye the Spirit of God Every Spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God And every Spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ as come in the flesh is not of God and this is the spirit of Antichrist whereof ye have heard that it should come and even now already is in the world Ye are of God little children and have over come them because greater is he that is in you then he that is in the world They are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them We are of God he that knoweth God heareth us Hereby know me the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of Error John 1.4 1 2 3 4 5 6. verses Now if those had not had Christs words and confessed him in words to be come in the flesh while they were out of his life and of another spirit then the Apostle would not have called them Antichrists and Prophets and Teachers but he would have called them Jews or Gentiles or Heathers but this was it which did differ them from the Jews and unbelieving Gentiles and Heathers then Namely They had the words of Christ and the Saints and the Prophets and did professe them as the Priests and Teachers and Professors do now the Scriptures but are erred from the life of Christ and from the Spirit that was in the Saints who gave forth the Scriptures as they were then whom John speakes of erred from the life and Spirit of Christ and the Saints and so were Antichrists and false Prophets and false Teachers and Deceivers which were gone out into the World from the Saints life and Spirit and so the World heard them as they doe now the Priests and false Teachers and they drew people after them then from the Saints the true Church and so set up false Churches and Religions in the World and false worships in imitation of the true Church and true Religion and true worship of God which is in the Spirit and so by this means deceived people then at the first and scattered them from God and led them into confusion and darknesse and disorder and errour and so they broke out into many Sects and Opinions and Religions and wayes of Worship being once gone from the true Worship which is in the Spirit of God alone in which the unity is where this is wanting there cannot be unity nor gathering unto God nor true worship of God And so after the Apostles decease they being erred from the true Spirit who did professe themselves to be gatherers could not gather unto God but did draw people more and more from God and so the whole world went after the false Prophets and false Teachers And these were the grievous Wolves which entered and scattered the Flock which the Apostle spoke of before which should come and Christs words were fulfilled who said He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth So he that is not with Christ but is against him the same is Antichrist he that gathereth not with him but scattereth there is the grievous Wolfe that scattereth the Flock and spoyles the Sheep of the Lords pasture and makes havock of them And such are all they now at this day who are called Ministers and have been accounted gatherers and Divines and are called Orthodox men but are found to be Wolves in Sheeps cloathing who doe scatter the Flock and make havock of the Sheep of Christ and spoyle their goods and cast into Prison and whip and stock and cut off eares and wound and hang and banish c. and cause people to hayle them before Magistrates and stone and beat them knock them downe in streets for dead and haile out of the Synagogues and Steeple-houses and reproach and scoffe and scome and speake all manner of evill falsely against them who are true Christians that not only confesse Christ come in flesh in words but also in works and walke in that
AN ALARUM OF TRUTH Sounded forth to the Nations OR The Way of Truth from the Way of Errour plainly Manifested and Declared And the true Worship of God which is in the Spirit from the false worships of the World distinguished Whereby people may come to know which Way they are in and what Worship they are in and what Spirit they are of and led by Whether they are in the Spirit of God which the Saints were in and now are in at this day or the spirit of this World which is the spirit of Antichrist gone out into the World which hath the words of Christ and the Saints and a forme of godliness but denyes the power where it is manifest and is turned against it and persecute it But that spirit is denyed and the true Spirit witnessed Also an invitation of love to all people and Professors of all sorts and sects to turn in their minds to the Light of Christ Jesus in them which doth reprove them for sin which is the manifestation of the Spirit of truth which is freely given that with it they may all see and try themselves and all their Teachers whom they have long followed what spirit they are of seeing they cannot say they have the same Spirit they Apostles had Written by a Friend to Truth called HENRY FELL London Prinred for Robert Wilson and are to be sold at the Sign of the Black-spread-Haâ—â—e and Windmill in Martins Le Grand 1660. To all the People and Teachers and Professors of all sorts in these Nations or elsewhere FRIENDS and People the Truth hath been declared among you and the sound of it hath been heard by you and the everlasting Gospel hath been preached and must be preached to all Nations Kindreds and Tongues that thereby the large love of God may be known and made manifest unto all mankind that he would not have any to perish but that they might all come to the knowledg of his truth that they might be saved And therefore he hath uttered forth his voyce from on high and is causing the sound of it to be heard in the Nations that all people should fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his Judgement is come and coming and his day is appearing after so long a time of darkness and night of apostacy which hath been over the face of the earth even over all Nations Kindreds and People for many ages and Generations past So that darknesse hath covered the earth and grosse darknesse the people and the way of the Lord hath been hid from them which is a straight way and a way of holinesse wherein the unclean cannot walk but they have been walking in untroden paths in crooked ways have been erred from the Lord and from his way dayes without number nor have not known it For their hearts have been filled with filthinesse and all manner of uncleannesse in so much that they have committed sin with greedinesse and followed after the vanityes of their own minds and walking after their own hearts lusts to the satisfying thereof and have been stubborn and rebellious children against the Lord in so much that the Lord hath been against them and his jealousie hath been provoked and his indignation hath been kindled against them and his wrath hath been revealed from Heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men who have holden his truth in the unrighteousnesse and there hath not been peace to him that came in nor to him that went out for that which was manifested of God in them hath not been regarded therefore hath the anger of the Lord been kindled and his hand hath been stretched out still because of all the abominations that have been committed in the Nations and among the people who have professed the knowledge of his name whereby his Name hath been prophaned and blasphemed among the Heathen round about and his Truth dishonoured which they have professed in words but in works denyed and held it in the unrighteousnesse Who have not received the truth in the love of it which God hath shewed unto them nor have not obeyed it but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness therefore have they been given up to strong delusions to beleeve lyes and to commit iniquity with a high hand and rejected the truth and erred from it in their hearts and striven against it and have loved their evil deeds and their unrighteous wayes and have not chosen the way of the Lord nor served the Law of the Lord with their hearts nor with their minds but whilest they have drawn nigh unto God with their mouths and with their lips have honoured him their hearts have been removed far off from him And their fear towards him hath been taught by the precepts of men for the Precepts of God and his Commands and Law in the heart hath been disregarded and cast behind their backs And they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble and as the flame consumeth the chaffe so their root shall be rottennesse and their blossom shall ascend as the dust for behold the Lord will come with fire and with his Chariots like a whirl-wind to render his anger with fury and his rebukes with flames of fire for by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh who have corrupted their wayes before him and delighted in the thing that was not good whereby he hath been provoked to anger And now this is come to passe among all the Professions in the world who have had the Scriptures of truth which was declared and spoken forth by the Holy men of God from the Spitit of Truth which was in them and dwelt in them whereby they were made able Ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit by which they were able to try and judge of all Spirits whether they were of God and saw many in their dayes who had gotten the true words and had a form of godlinesse but denyed the power and so they turned away from such and did bear their testimony then against such whom they saw separating themselves being sensual having not the Spirit and saw such as were erred from the Spirit going in the way of Cain to envy and running greedily after the errour of Balaam for gifts and rewards and for the wages of unrighteousnesse And such as served not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellyes and preached for filthy lucre and through covetousnesse with fained words made merchandize of the people and were enemies to the Crosse of Christ whose God was their belly who gloryed in their shame whose and was destruction who minded earthly things And such as had great swelling words of vanity whilest they themselves were servants of corruption and what they knew They knew naturally as bruit beasts and in those things they corrupted themselves And false Prophets there was as there shall be
the hidden things of dishonesty comes to be laid open to the view of all men For the day is come and coming which reveals all things and which will prove every mans work of what sort it is And every man shall receive a reward according to his deeds done in the body whether they be good or evil Therefore all people in whom there is any fear of the Lord or any desire after the knowledge of his way or any love to his truth or to your souls peace and welfare It is high time for you to look about you and to consider your wayes what ye have beendoing and what ye are doing for the times of ignorance God hath winked at but now he calls all men every where to repent For it is not a Profession of the words now will serve you without the possession of the life for that will not be accepted of God But all to repent and turn from the evil of your wayes which ye have long been reproved for by the light of Christ Jesus in you which is Gods witnesse in all your consciences which otherwise will be your eternal condemnation for your profession of Christ will not serve you nor hide you nor your mountains nor your hills where ye have been gotten up high and looking for salvation from them but it hath been all in vaine Come down from them to Gods witnesse in you and hearken to that what that doth testifie to you for that is true and will not lye nor deceive you for that is of God and leads to God And with the Lord Jehovan alone is Salvation and with him is everlasting strength For those mountains will all fly away from you which ye now do trust in and they shall not hide you from the face of the Lamb though ye may call to them to cover you and to the Rocks to fall upon you nay though ye seek death it shall fly from you Therefore I say in time all be warned and hearken diligently that your souls may live And away with all your false and deceitful coverings which are but as so many Fig-leaves sowed together to cover your nakednesse which will not endure long and your profession will wither suddenly and your nakednesse will then appear more to your shame then if ye had made no profession at all to have that pluckt off wherewith ye have been covered all this while which made ye seem to be some body when that is gone then ye will be naked and as it were like no body and have nothing to cover your shame from the eyes of all for Christ Jesus disowns ye who are workers of iniquity and ye must depart from him and not name his Name For it s not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven saith Christ But while ye have been seeking to be justified by Christ and yet lived in sin and are found sinners ye have not been doing the will of God for thereby ye would make Christ the Minister of sin who came to destroy sin and the Devil who is the Author of it and therein he did the will of the Father and plased him And so as many as receive him and beleeve in his name to them he gives power to become the sons of God and to doe his will in earth as it is done in Heaven which ye have been praying so long and saying these words but do not beleeve in your hearts that any shall ever attain to that here which you pray for therefore it s not of faith for with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousness c. and ye are not like to recelve that which ye cannot beleeve so ye are not come to the measure of faith even as a grain of Mustard-seed for he that hath it shall say unto this Mountain be thou removed into the Sea and it shall be so saith Christ But these are all parables to all you Professors in the world unknown as it was to them to whom they were spoken then But who comes to the Light of Christ Jesus to beleeve in it they read the parables and they know the faith that removes the Mountains and brings them down and exalts the valleys and makes the crooked ways straight and the rough wayes plain and prepares the way of the Lord in the Wildernesse and make straight paths for his feet and such knows the kingdome of God to come where his will is done on sarth as in Heaven and where the daily bread is received and sins forgiven and enemies loved And Christ said to those that did not know nor beleeve If I toll ye of earthly things and ye cannot beleeve how should you beleeve if I tell you of Heavenly things John 3.12 And again I speak that which I have seen with my Father and ye speak that which ye have seen with your father John 8.39 Therefore all ye Professors of the Scriptures and Teachers of the Prophets and Christs words and the words which ye have received by tradition from your fathers It s no wonder if the things declared of by the Prophets Christ and the Saints be strange to you that ye neither know them nor can believe them seeing ye me all erred from the Spirit of the Father even that Spirit which was in the Prophets Christ and the Apostles and Saints which shews plainly of the Father and shewed them things to come which was and now is the Saints Comforter which Christ said he would send Even the Spirit of Truth which should lead them into all Truth and should bring all things to their remembrance This the Saints did receive in former times by which they did plainly declare what they had heard and what they had seen and tasted and handled of the word of life And this the Saints do now receive even the same Spirit of the Father which was in the Saints and is now in the Saints and shall be in the Saints to the end of the World as Christ said by which the Saints do now know the Scriptures which were spoken forth by the Spirit of God in the holy men of God and understand them and witnesse the thing they speake of So that they are not a Book sealed to us nor parrables to us who come to enjoy the things they speake of which is freely given to us of God as they were to them who spake forth the Scriptures as the Apostle said 1 Cor. 2.11 12 13. We have not received the spirit of this World but we have received the Spirit which is of God by which we know the things which are freely given to us of God which things we declare in the plain demonstration of the Spirit and not with words which mans wisdome teacheth comparing spirituall things with spirituall But the naturall man perceiveth not
sect or opinion or judgement or Religion soever they be of who deny the Light which Christ Jesus bath Lighted every one withall to be â—ufficient to lead to salvation 〈◊〉 I say they know not that which makes free from sin and death and brings to life no can they beleeve that when it is declared to them but say none can be free from sin on this fide of the grave and account it errour to say that any can be free from sin here or be righteous here without sin and say the most righteous man sins and he that is borne of God sin which is Blasphemy so to say and this is and hath been their doctrine in the world amongst the Priests and profelsors the Antichrists and Anrichristians who are out of the life of Christ and the true Christians that now their nakednesse appeares to thein shame because they have not submitted to the righteousnesse by faith in Christ Jesus that they might be covered with it who is the true Light to beleeve in the Light that by it they might be led unto Christ Jesus from whence it comes who is Gods righteousness and thereby know the righteousness of the Law fulfilled in them and know the kingdome of god within which cometh not with observation as Christ saith and the righreousness in which it stands and the power in which it stands is within and the Law of the Spirit which makes free from the Law of sin and death and the life which is eternall which is the gist of God through Jesus Christ in whom the Law of the Spirit of life is But now all who are pleading for sin and say None be free from sin here they are still under the Law of sin and death which Paul sayd he was made free from Sin is still a Law to them and they are servants to it and so they are free from righteousness as the Apostle said While ye were servants of sin ye were free from righteousness but being made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness That at sin had reigned unto death so righteousness might reigne unto life through Jesus Christ our Lord And againe His servants ye are whom ye obey whether sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness Therefore come all ye Teachers and Professors of the World what say you Can none be made free from Sin and Death here while he is upon Earth what is there not a living man amongst you all who is quickned Is there none of you come up out of the Grave that can truly say Oh Death where is thy Sting Oh Grave where is thy Victory Thanks be to God who hath given me Victory over Death What are you all as Graves which men go over unawares Have none of you heard the Voyce of the Son of God yet which they that hear shall live Are you all dead in your sins and trespasses unquickned yet in the Fall in the first Adams state in the Disobedience by which Sin entare dinto the World and Death by Sin Are you all there still where Death reigns Is there none come to Life which is through the Obedience to Christ Jesus the second Adam the quickening Spirit the Lord from Heaven Have none of you the Word of God abiding in you which Word is Quick and Powerfull and the enterance of it gives Life Come forth and answer for your selves What are you all shur up in the unbelief untill this day and have not beleeved in him whom God hath sent who is the Resurrection and the Life who saith he that beleeveth in me shall live for ever he shall never dye for he hath Life in himself and he gives Life to every one that beleeveth What are you all searching the Scriptures which testifies of Christ and thinke to have eternall Life in them and you not yet come to Christ that you may have Life him whom the Scriptures testifies of and saith He is the trus Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World that all might beleeve in the Light and become Children of Light and he who followeth him should not walke in darknesse but he shall have the Light of Life and know Christ Jesus who is the way so the Father the Truth and the Life who saith No man cometh unto the Father but by me I am come a Light into the World c. What doe you not beleeve Christ Or doe you thinke to find another Way to the Father an easier Way then Christ or a broader Way a Way which is not a Crosse to your Wills or a Way where you may walke your selves without a Guids that ye may goe whither you list but that 's not the Way to God as Christ told Peter when he was young he girt himself and went whither he would c. Answer me plainly to these Queries Oh ye Priests and Professors who have been so long talking of the Scriptures but have been out of the Truth and out of the Life of Righteousnesse and out of the Light and out of the Way who have been wandering in the Darknesse not knowing whether you goe and seeking the Living amongst the Dead and are erred from the Truth in your hearts and hold it in the unrighteousnesse professing the true Words but are and have been out of the Truth and so could never be established there for none can ever be established but in the Truth and in the Righteousnesse But ye have been out of the Life and so are dead men still and are yet in the Graves and have not heard his Voyce that should raise you up yet because you have not hearkened diligently that your souls might live though you have been long talking of him and searching for him without in the Observations and have been saying Lot here is Christ and Lot he is there in this Form or in that Forme of Worship and in this or that Ordinande so Death hith heard of the fame of Wisdome and hath been talking of the fame of Wisdome which is justisied of her Children but ye who only have been talking of Wisdome and speaking of it while you were in the Death and did not learne the Way to Life ye are but soolish Children and are not justified for you have all been but as the foolish Virgins the best of you who have had Lamps but wanted Oyle and so ye are in the darke still your Lamps are not burning nor your Lights shining neither hath your Light so shined before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie the Father But you have all professed that which ye did not possesse and so are found in the hypocrisie and your righteousnesse hath been like the Righreousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees whom Christ told should in is wise enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Now all that are but there will be shut out though you have
And this we can declare forth freely unto the Nations round about which we have freely received of him even of his Spirit of truth which was the promise of the Father To lead us into all truth whereby we are come to know the Leadings of the Spirit and know that we are the Children of God and taught of God and led by his Spirit and this is it which doth comfort our hearts and assure us that we are his Children And as many as are the Sons of God the same are led by the Spirit of God as the Children of this world are led by the spirin that is of the world which is of him who is called the God of the world whose work it is to blinde the mindes of people as we were also at well as others while we were in the vaine conversation and walked according to the course of this world even the Prince of the power of the ayre that spirit which now worketh in all the Children of disobedience And they may be easily known for they are full of ayre and talke of that which they possesse not of others conditions and not their own and so have been in travell as it were but have brought forth nothing but wind have a form of godlinesse but want the power and are talking of the Spirit of God but are led by the spirit of this world and are disobedient to the manifestation of the Spirit of God which reproveth them for sin and checks them secretly when they doe evill But all who receives it and are obedient to it they know the movings of the Spirit and the teachings and leadings of the Spitit and what it is to be borne of the Spirir and what it is to live in the Spirit and to walke in the Spirit and to mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit and so to be quickned by the Spirit and what it is to be raysed up from the Dead with Christ by his Spirit dwelling in them Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Therefore how can any of the Priests and Teachers and professors in the world confesse Christ come in the flesh and know not the Spirit which is of God c. Who say they have not the same Spirit that was in Christ the Apostles and Saints and say none have the same Spirit now which they had Therefore I say truly they are not like to know that Spirit who are erred from it nor confesse Christ come in the flesh who are of another spirit which not being the same must needs be the spirit of this world which is the spirit of Antichrist by which they cannot know the things of God for none knowes the things of God saving the Spirit of God neither were they like to discerne them or demonstrate them by the Spirit which they have not but are erred from it nor know the Scriptures which were given forth by the Spirit of God in the Prophets Christ and the Apostles but give their private interpretation of them and meaning which they add to them which is of no private Interpretation for the Spirit of the Lord was but one in all them that spoke them forth and them who are in the same Spirit and Life now reads them and knows them again as they were spoken and knows the Interpretation of them which is not private but publique and plaine and manifest But all who are of another spirit they are erred not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God as Christ sayd and so they neither know that which hath been spoken by the Spirit of God formerly not what the same Spirit speaketh expressely now not what the Scripture meanes where it is spoken plainly and expressely And truly it is no wonder now to see it so for people and their teachers are so farr erred from the Spirit by which the Scriptures were spoken forth that it is become a strange thing which cannot be beleeved even amongst all forts of professors who are called Christians For one to say he is moved by the Spirit of the Lord to speake or to pray or to doe any thing else as the servants of the Lord were in former times and this is become a scorne and derision amongst them which is a shame to them and doth plainly manisest what spirit they are of Now if they were Children of God or Sons of God who are led by the Spirit of God as some of th one professe themselves to be mark this diligently then must they needs know the meaning of the Spirit of God and the leadings of it otherwise it could not lead them and they not know it And they would be in the spirituall feeling and tasting and savouring and discerning of the things of God in themselves and of the fruits of the Spirit in others brought forth and try all Spirits with that and know them and love the good and not mocke and scoffe at them And so I say then it would not be a strange thing unto them if they themselves were come to know a motion or leading by the Spirit of God in themselves which would manifest that they were the Children of God and Sons of God that they were of Christ who have his Spirit and are led by it and so were true Christians and followers of Christ and this would be a true restimony to themselves and to others And then surely they neither any of you would mocke or scoffe or scorne at any who can witnesse the same But now the want of this hath caused your nakednesse appear to your shame and to the shame of all your blinde guides whom ye have so long been following for teaching who have caused you to erre by their lyes otherwise they might have brought you to have known the truth before now and to have raught you better manners then to have scoffed at it and at those who have declared it amongst you and walke in it whom you in scorne call Quakers and utter forth evill words which corrupts the good manners howsoever if it were so that we were not in the truth but in the errour and not moved by the Spirit of the Lord as ye say but erred from it then we were but where ye are Now Friends this I say and testifie in the Lord and know assuredly that my testimony is true and Gods witnesse in all your Consciences shall beare witnesse to it to be true and the Scriptures of truth will beare witnesse to the same That ye cannot say in truth whom any of you doe scoffe or scorne or mocke or reproach any of us or others that ye are moved thereunto by the Spirit of God or led unto it by the Spirit of God or taught by the Spirit of God to doe so or taught by the Scriptures to doe so which the holy men of God spoke forth which ye call your rule Neither can ye say