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
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
the Saints formerly and the testimony thereof we know is true and your deceit and hypocrisie comes to be laid open as theirs were whom ye have been crying against for many yeares the Scribes and Pharisees and Jewes who crucified Christ and killed the Saints and Prophets and have been envying against them and have a Law made that none of the Jewes should come into this Nation c. and speake against them as they did against the false Prophets and their fore-fathers that slew the true Prophets and said if they had been in the dayes of their fore-fathers they would not have done so but Christ told them not withstanding that they were the Children of them that killed the Prophets and they built their Tombs and garnished the Sepulchers of the righteous And he called them Whited Walls and painted Sepulchers and Serpents and a generation of Vipers c. Therefore come now ye Professors and Teachers and Priests own your fore-fathers the Scribes and Pharisees and Jewes which are gone before you whom ye have cryed against and said ye would not have done as they did And yet have ye not done and are doing many of the same things as they did in persecuting of the righteous for now have ye not slaine the Prophet in you which Moses spake of Saying Like unto me will the Lord raise up a Prophet in the midst of you him ye shall hear in all things c. And are ye not slaying and persecuring the righteous and killing the just who doth not resist you and are painting and garnishing the Sepulchers and building the Tombs of the Prophet and of the righteous And are in your faire outside Worships as they were to be seen of men and crying 〈◊〉 this Forme and the other Forme of Church government and this Ordinance and the other Ordinance and this way of Worship and the other way of Worship and crying up this Learned man and the other Rabbi and are in your Observations as they were and have set up the Jewes Tythes which were to the first Priesthood and so deny Christ Jesus the second Priesthood and have set up Sacraments and Sabboths and Schools and Colledges and Churches which God never commanded and giving them Saints names as the Papists do and call the Papists old Masse-houses Churches and so are crying up dead things and dead Names and Ordinances of men and Doctrines of men and things which may be touched tasted and handled which all perish with the using And by these things have ye kept people in the Death while they have seemed to live and have made a great stirre and bustle in the World for many hundreds of yeares by crying them up and setting them up and your Ministry or Ministers as the Oracles of God and the maintenance for them and have killed some for witnessing against these things and have been ready to kill one another about these things and could not agree about them and one hath built a Wall and another hath dawbed with untempered Morter and so have been dawbing and dawbing to keep it up from falling and whiteing of it to make it appear beautifull to please men and to be seen of men And all this invented Worship and Imitations which ye have set up and brought people into are but as so many Tombes and Sepulchers of the righteous and these have been cryed up by the Priests for Divine Institutions and Orthodox and Canonical and whiteed over with large Pretences and plausible Arguments and undeniable Consequences as they have called them and the poor people have received all this for Gospell and Ordinances of Christ and of his Church as if Christ had been there present who is the true Prophet and the Righteous Seed which the Promise is to when as there was nothing but Tombes and Sepulchers of the Prophets and of the Righteous which they had garnished And so people while ye have been in these things ye have been all in the darknesse and in the Death and have been all as Graves which men goe over unawares being erred from the Spirit which quickens and makes alive which Spirit was in the Prophets by which they Prophesied and declared forth the Truth which came to passe accordingly to the Jewes That in seeing they should see and not perceive and in hearing they should hear but not understand which also is come to passe in these our dayes among all the Teachers and Professors who have been thus dawbing and building and painting the Tombes and Sepulchers and whiteing the Walls the just hath been killed and he hath not resisted you and the Prophet lyes flain in you all and ye understand not nor hear him nor see him neither have perceived nor known his Voyce who is the true Light that lighteth every one that all in the Light might beleeve him whom Moses said was like unto him whom the Lord would raise up a Prophet from the midst of them whom ye should hear in all things And it shall come to passe saith he that whosoever will not hearken unto this Prophet shall be cut off from amongst the people And so Moses saw and declared of concerning Christ that which ye do not know nor see nor hear though ye have long been talking of him and naming of his Name but it was but death speaking of the fame of Wisdome because ye have been erred from his Spirir which is the Spirit of truth which convinceth the World of sin and reproves them for sin but this the World cannot receive which doth reprove them for their sins and evill deeds because they love their sins and evill deeds and not God Now they that love the Lord hate evill but he that loves not God nor receives the Light of Christ nor beleeves in it which is the true Pro and faithfull Witnesse of God he loves his evill deeds but hates the Light which reproves him for his sins and evill deeds and therefore the Light is his condemnation as Christ saith and so this is not their Comforter who beleeve not but love their evill deeds But this is he whom we have received and followed even Christ Jesus who is come a Light into the World and denyed our selves and our own Wills for him and taken up his Crosse and we know the Prophet raised the Spirit of truth come which is our Comforter in all our troubles and leads us into all truth and brings all things to our remembrance and knowledg which were spoken before by the Prophets Christ and the Saints which Spirit is in us which was made manifest in the flesh and dwelt amongst the Saints and they saw his Glory who was the begotten Son of God and did hear Testimony of him who said unto them who beleeved in him I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Even the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive Mark Because it
agreement with hell and to keep people in the death and in the darknesse and errour which they called Light and Truth and none must remove from the place where he sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death this hath been the Priests work for many years past to keep people there in spiritual Aegypt and darkness So the Leaders of the people have caused them to erre and they have told people that these Laws were the Discipline of the Church to keep out errour and to preserve the Gospel and to keep Heresie from spreading Now this hath been their cry and their pretence whilest they have been keeping out Truth thereby and limitting the Spirit of God to this or that form so that Truth hath not had its liberty which is only able to keep people from Errour and Heresie And what Errour and Heresie and wickednesse is there that can be named that is not amongst them And you Oh ye Preists and Teachers notwithstanding all your outward Laws who have had all these fair pretences to keep up your Forms of worships withour the power even by your outward Laws and carnal weapons as Stocks and Whips and Prisons and Courts and Leagues and Covenants and Oaths and Protestations and Assemblies of Divines so called and Confessions of Faith and Directories to worship by c. All this hath been but to hold up your Trade to preach for hire and filthy lucre and for your bellyes and to bear rule by your means over the people and to keep them still in the house of bondage and darknesse in AEgypt to labour in the Brick and so have been as the Taskmasters over them who would have their tale of brick and would allow them no straw but they must go abroad to get it and so have oppressed the people and have been cruel so that ye have made them to groan under their burthens and there was none to help them And now the Lord hath heard their cry and is risen and come to deliver his people from under you even from under the mouths of such devouring Wolves who have made a prey upon them And have cryed peace to people in their sins and wickednesse and have had mens persons in admiration because of advantage and have kept and do keep many there Now ye that have done so have not been the Ministers of Christ but of Antichrist not of righteousnesse but of unrighteousnesse and Messengers of Satan though ye have transformed your selves into several forms and shapes but your end is seen and your reward will be according to your work For though the strong man armed have kept the Palace and so the things therein hath been in peace yet now a stronger then he is come who is in us even stronger then he who is in the world And this is he whom we preach Christ Jesus the true Light who hath enlightned every one that cometh into the world which convinceth them of sin and reproves for sin and speaks not peace to them there but sends a sword to take it away and leads them out of sin who beleeves and obeys him and this is he who saves his people from their sins and destroys the work of the Devil And he is come and appeared in his Servants and Ministers as of old To call sinners to repentance and to turn from sin unto God and from the darknesse to the Light and from the power of Satan unto God that so they might receive remission of sins and an inheritance amongst them that are sanctified Which many who have been turned and are turned by them can witnesse the inheritance and an entrance into it Glory be unto the Lord God of Heaven and Earth for ever Therefore do I exhort and warn every one of you in the fear of the Lord to turn in your minds to the Light of Christ Jesus within you Who is given for a Light to the Gentiles and for a new Covenant to the house of Israel where the Law is written in the heart that so ye may come to read there what is in your hearts to know Good from evil and the just from the unjust and Truth from error the right way from the wrong For the Light will shew you if your minds be turned to it For the Law is Light saith Solomon and it is a Light unto my feet and a Lamp unto my paths saith David And again he saith The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule The Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart The Commandements of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes The fear of the Lord is clean and endureth for ever The Judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether By them thy servant is forwarned and in keeping of them there is great reward And again saith he Oh how doe I love thy Law it is my delight it is my meditation day and night Whereby he became witer then all his Enemies and more understanding then all his Teachers And this is it which gives the knowledge of sin and convinceth of sin and reproves the world for sin and condemneth for sin them that beleeve not And this Law is Spiritual Holy Just and Good and this will let you see that ye are carnal sold under sin and found in the sin and transgression of it and in the corruption whilest ye have been promising of your selves liberty and saying ye are justified by Christ and so would have made him the Minister of sin Gal. 2.17 while yet ye are under the Law and the Law hath dominion over you and condemns you for your sins and evil deeds As the Apostle saith Know ye not for I speak to them that know the Law how that the Law hath dominion ever a man so long at he â—â—â—eth For Paul saith Rom. 7. I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I dyed That slew him and so that which was ordained unto life became death unto him he being in the transgression of it and so dying unto sin he was dead to the Law not under it for then he faith I through the Law am dead to the Law but alive unto God So that which slew him and made him dead unto sin brought him unto Christ Jesus who is the Life the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeves So the Law was our School-master to bring us to Christ saith he Gal. 3.24 So who are come to Christ they are come out of the transgression they are come to live unto God they are come to Christ who sulalls it Who is the Way the Truth and the Life and they are not under the Law but under Grace For the law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ And now to the witnesse of God in you all doe I speak who
have long been professing Christ and justification by him c. To turn in to the Light which is Gods witnesse and with it try your selves and examine your selves truly and honestly and it will let you all see that ye are not come to Christ yet nor yet known him who is the end of the Law for righteousnesse who fulfillls it but ye are under it still alive without the Law unslaine by it as Paul was in the sin and transgression and so not justisied by Christ neither know him All ye who do deny the Light which he hath enlightned ye withall For none comes to know him but who beleeves in the Light which Christ hath enlightned them withall nor none come into the righteousnesse which is the end of the Law and fulals it but who beleeve in the Light and are obedient to the Light and walk in it Here is the righteousnesse known which exceeds the righteoulnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees who should in no wise enter into the Kingdome of Heaven who had the Law without and read it every Sabbath day but they were sayers and not doers and hypocrites of whom Christ said Go not after them for they had the Form but not the Power They had a shew of righteousnesse and made clean the out-side but the inside was unclean and unrighteous and were but as whited Walls and painted Sepulchers which did appear beautiful and righteous before men but within were noâ—â—ing but rottennesse and deads mens bones and so were as Graves which men go over unawares and what they did it was to be seen of men and thereby did beguile and deceive the hearts of the simple and so shut the Kingdome of Heaven against men as Christ said and neither entred in themselves nor suffered others that were entering Now are not all ye Teachers Priests and professors found here in the Pharisees spirit and in the same generation with them in outward shewes of holinesse and righteousnesse and formes of godlinesse and making cleane the outsides as they did and saying and are Sayers as they were but not doers and so are hypocrites as they were And yee keep people alwayes saying but never bring them to doe what they say but teach them that Christ hath done all for them and if they can but beleeve that then they are well enough and so blindes people by that means that they doe not minde what they doe themselves nor what they say to performe and so are out of the truth and never come to the knowledge of it and so the kingdome of heaven is shut against you and them and so you are ever teaching them and they are ever learning and saying after you and so make a faire shew in the flesh and appeare to be something outwardly and perswade them that they are Justified by the righteousnesse of Christ which he hath wrought for them without and so there they rest as the Pharisees did in the outward observations whilest in the meane time they are inwardly uncleane their hearts uncleane their minds defiled their eyes full of adultery who cannot cease from sin and so are shut out of the kingdome into which no unrighteous thing or uncleane thing must ever enter and are but as Tombes garnished and Sepulchers painted wherein is rottennesse and dead mens bones marke like the Scribes and Pharisees and so your righteousnesse doth not exceed theirs In the same generation with them are yee and their Children are yee who slew Christ Jesus the true Prophet which Moses spake of when he said Like unto me will the Lord raise up a Prophet which all were to heare c. as the Pharisees were the Children of them that slew the Prophets that went before them and are like unto them And are still slaying and have been slaying and killing and persecuting and hailing before Magistrates and out of the Synagogues as they did those who are the true Chriftians in whom the Spirit of Christ is manifest who beare witnesse against your hypocrisie and deceipt now as Christ did and the true Christians did in the primitive times And it is your srultes makes yee manifest now as theirs did then and your faire sayings and not doing now cannot cover you no more then that could cover the Pharisees then who said and did not and therefore Christ calls them hypocrites Moreover as they would not heare him of whom the Father sayd This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased heare yee him and of whom John bore witnesse and sayd He was the true Light that Lighteth every man that cometh into the world And so because they did not beleeve in the true Light therefore they were blinde leaders of the blinde and so it is and hath been with you who doe not beleeve in the Light which Christ Jesus hath enlightened you withall but speak against it and say it is Insufficient and natural c. Therefore yee abide in darkness and are Children of darkness who know not whither yee goe nor know not that yee are walking in the stepps of your forefathers the Scribes and Pharisees who were hypocrites and blinde guides who persecuted Christ and put him to death and persecuted the Saints the true Church and halled them before Magistrates and shut them up in prisous and thought they did God good service in so doing even so it is now with many of you at this day yee thinke so who walke in darkness and know not whither yee goe But the Children of the Light who beleeve in the Light they see the true Way which is Christ and with the Light they see you all where you are in the false wayes in the way of the Pharisees and not in the way Christ and beare witnesse against you now as the Saints did then against them And yee can no longer be hid but your folly will come to be layd open and manifest more and more so that yee cannot proceed much further For now is the Day dawning and the Day-starr arising in the hearts of many people who take head unto the more sure mord of prophecy as unto a Light that shineth in a darke place and such as doe so doe well and when the Day-starr doth arise the Sun is neare approaching which expells all the darkness that men comes to see round about them And then they can see what the holy men of God did and what Christ and the Saints did and what the Scribes and Pharisees did and so see over the Apostacy to the Apostles dayes And what the Apostate Christians have been doing since the Apostles dayes and what they are still doing and what the Saints the true Christians are now doing and who are they and can know them who have done well and who now doe well from them that have done evill and now doe evill for the day is that which tryes every mans worke of what sort it is And all who are come to the day now can
see beyond the night of the Apostacy and over it and what was before it and what hath been since in it among the Apostate Christians since the Apostles dayes that people have been in the darkness and night who have not seene the true way nor knowne whither they have been going But now unto all that feare my Name shall the Sun of righteoususse arise with healing in his wings saith the Lord For who comes to take heed unto the Light which shines in the darke place they doe well and who comes to doe well they come to be healed and to know the Sun of righteousnesse to arise from whence the Light comes and they are those who doe righteously and truly and honestly and walke as in the day time and to put off unrighteousness and the workes of darkness and fleshly lusts which warre against the souls For that is it which hath wounded the soule even the fleshly lusts that warres against it now the Light which shines in the heart leads from the fleshly lusts and out of them to Christ Jesus the Sun of righteousnesse who ariseth with healing For as the unrighteousness and workes of darkness is put off and the fieshly lusts abstained from which warres against the soule and wounds it so Christ Jesus the Sun of righteousness ariseth and is put on who heales and bindes up the wounds and powers in wine and oyle thereinto who is the good Samaritan who is better than the Priest and the Levite who passed by like strangers and left the man halfe dead who had fallen among theeves and robbers among his Enemies and was wounded as the hyrelings Priests doe now who are strangers that passe by and leave many wounded and as it were halfe dead and instead of helping of them are rather the theeves that rob and wound and murther and kill For saith Christ the hyroling cometh not but for to kill and to steale and to destroy neither careth he for the sheepe but for the fleece and for his Tythes as the Priests and Levits did who passed by And again saith the Prophet As atrope of Robbers waite for a man so do a Company of Priests further in the way by consent And these things have been seene and are as plainly fulfilled and manifested amongst this generation of Priests and Teachers and professors as in any age of the world Nay it will be more tolerable for those that went before then for these even the Scribes and Pharisees who perfecuted the Saints and put Christ to death whom they did not know that it was he that should come as the Scripture saith If they had knowne they would not have crucified the Lord of life But these say they beleeve that he is come and professe they know him and yet persecute him where ever he is made manifest in sons or daughters and cast him into prison c. Now the Fewes and Pharisees were under another Priest-hood which God had commanded and so had a righteousness there according to the Law of Moses outwardly which mey sought to establish and so could not own Christ Jesus the second Priest-hood who is Gods righteousness nor submit unto it and so were rejected But now the Priests and professors and Apostare Christians they doe confesse Christ Jesus comain the flesh in words who is the second Priest-hood who is Gods righteousness and doe deny the Jewes Rharisees And yet they set up another Priest-hood which is contrary to Christ and contrary to the Jewes which God never commanded and they take Tythes and stipends and Augmentations and gleabe-lands c. and seeke to set up a righteousnesse without them to be justried by which they call the righteousnesse of Christ while they are in the unrighteousnesse themselves and in the sin and transgression of the Law of God and so have not submitted to the righteousnesse which is of God by faith in Christ Jesus no more then the Jewes did Therefore this is but their own righteousnesse which is but as filthy rags and Antichrist in the likenesse of Christ and Antichristians and Apostates in the likeneste of true Christians For this is but their own Inventions and their own righteousnesse which inderd is not worthy to be called righteousnesses where they are puft up in their fleshly minds which they goe about to establish whilest they are disobedient to him who is the righteousnesse of God and was made manifest in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Now there is none ever cometh to the righteousnesse of God and to have the righteousnesse of the Law fulfilled in them and to walke after the Spirit but who come to beleeve in the Light of Christ in their own particulars and obey it which convinceth of sin and reproves for sin and condemnes sin in the flesh who doe so they walke not after the flesh they come our of the weaknesse for the Law was weake through the flesh or they come to feel the power and the opperation of the Spirit which makes free from the Law of sin and death which the Law could not doe because it was weake through the flesh But now God hath sent his Son in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us say the Saints who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit And this Law of the Spirit of life which condemnes sin in thee and makes free from the Law of sin and death and is in Christ Jesus and this is the Light which Christ Jesus hath enlightened every one with that cometh into the world and is a manifestation of the Spirit which is given to every one to profit withal his which is sent into the world to convince the world of sin and to reprove for sin and will be the condemnation of all the world who beleeve not in it but dirobey it and hate it and love their evill deeds and their sins which it doth reprove them for So that it is not their comforter but their reprover and condemner that doe not receive ir and love it not but reject it But it is the comforter of all those who doe receive and love is and beleeve and obey it and are led by it for it leads into all truth and sets free from sin and death and heares witnesse with their spirits that they are the sons of God for as many as are led by the Spirit of God the same are the Sons of God This the Saints did beare witnesse of in former times and this the Saints doe witnesse now glory and honour and living praises be unto the Lord God of heaven and earth for evermore But this is a mystery to the world and hid from all the Apostate Christians in it of what
so dawb with untempered Morter and speak peace where the Lord speakes no peace and so lead people about like silly women laden with sins and diverse lusts ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth For who knowes the truth the truth makes them free and brings them from under the load and from under that which burthens and vexeth the righteous soul as the righteous soul of Lot was vexed from day to day with the uncleane conversation of the wicked Sodomites Now these would keep people in Sodome and Egypt under the heavy burthens and loads in the fleshly lusts and filthinesse by the flesh-pots of Egypt that even peoples hearts and minds have been boyling up with wickednesse and uncleannesse and their eyes full of Adultery who cannot cease from sin and here they have been ever learning but could not know truth while they are there and so by this means they have made people to pay them for reaching of them and to uphold them and give them fire and these are the blind leaders of the blind into the Ditch But who comes to the Light which Christ Jesus hath enlighmed them withall to waite in it and hearken diligently to it they hear the Voyce of Christ and live and arise up from their seats and so come out of Egypt and out of the shadow of Death and the house of bondage and from under Pharaoh and his Taskmasters and they come through the Sea as Israel did and was Baptized unto Moses in the Cloud and in the Sea and through the fire to be Baptized into the name of Christ with the Spirit and with Fire and to be baptised all into one Spirit and to be made like unto Christ in his Death to be made dead unto sin that they may not live any longer therein and to drink of the spirituall drink and to eate of the spirituall meate and to drink of the spirituall Rock which Rock is Christ that is gone before us which Rock is the same which Israel drank of which followed them who were under the Law untill the Seed came which Seed is Christ who redeems from under the Law who was made under the Law that he might redeem them which were under the Law who fulfilled the Law and blotted out the hand writing of Ordinances and nayled them to his Crosse which whosoever are followers of him they must take up this Crosse which crucifies the flesh with the affections and lusts and makes dead unto sin and slayes the Transgressor and so makes peace through the blood of his Crosse I say this Crosse must be taken up dayly by all who will be true Disciples indeed and true Christians the Preaching of which Crosse now to the World and Professors therein is foolishnesse and is despised and cannot be endured as it was formerly to the Jewes a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnesse but unto them that beleeved therein both Jewes and Greeks it was the Power of God and the Wisdome of God and to them that believe now it is the same but unto the unbeleeving it is foolishness even to all who are not yet turred to the Light of Christ Jesus within which he hath enlightned them withall they are still in the unbeliefe and so never yet knew the Power of God nor the Wisdome of God and so it is foolishnesse to them for they are all spiritually blind and so cannot discern the things of God which are spiritually discerned but are all as foolish and sottish Children without understanding and untaught and unlearned neither are they come to receive the Law from him who is the Law-giver that they might be taught of him who sarth Learne of me I am meeke and lowly im heart and ye shall finde rest for your soules and be made wise unto salvation for in him is hid the treasure of wisdome cand knowledge Now all those who only lookes out at the Scriptures and comes not to the Light of Christ within which the Scriptures declares of the treasure of wisdome and knowledge is still hid from them for it is in Christ Jesus from whence the Light comes which Light leadeth to Christ where the treasure is hid and where the Life is hid from all the world yet who are searching the Scriptures and thinking in them to have eternall life But ye will not come unto me that ye may have life saith Christ I am the Life the Way and the Truth and our Life is hid with Christ in God sayd the Saints Therefore now all people this is an Invitation of love to all your soules to turne in your minds to the Light of Christ within you which is spirituall holy true just and good which will let you all see what your words are your actings are though done in secret and what the thoughts and intents of your hearts are it will try them all and let you all see your minds being truly turned to it what is in your hearts and minds and what your wayes are now and have been and what your lives are and how you have lived Now this I say which lets you see these things and reproves what is contrary to it will let ye see whether ye are come to Christ yea or nay who is the Way unto God the Truth and the Life and the righteousnesse of God from whence the Light cometh and so here every one of you will know Judgement layd to the Lyne and righteousnesse to the Plummet and that which is lyes and deceit and hypocrisie will be Judged and condemned in every particular with the Light which is and will be the condemnation of the world who love their evill deeds evill wayes evill lives evill thoughts and intents of their hearts and evill words rather than the Light which doth reprove them and therefore the way the truth and the life which is Christ is hid from them and they know not him in whom the treasure of wisdome and knowledge is hid Now the Light is that which doth Reveale and make manifest that which is hid and hath been hid from the wise and prudent men of this world and hath been hid from ages and generations past But now is the Truth plainly seen and known and declared as it was in former ages by them whom it was then manifested to by the Spirit of God Even by us whom the world in soorns call Quakers who have beleeved in the Light of Christ and received the manifestation of his Spirit which is Light which is freely given and tendered unto all and hath appeared unto all but is not neither hach been received by all But as many as receiveth him to thom doth he give power to become the Sons of God even to as many as beleeve iâ— his Name who is the true Light and who is true and faithfull and everlasting The same to day yesterday and the same for evermore
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