worth which hath only stood in words and out-side worships and formes without the power and life of that which ye have professed Therefore honestly consider in time and turne in your minds to the Light of Christ Jesus in all your Consciences which is Gods witnesse in you all which will either accuse or excuse you and acquit or condemne you in every thing that ye doe or word ye speake or thought that ye thinke If ye doe turne your minds into it and waite in it by it you will come to see and examine and truly to search and try what is in your hearts and minds at all times and so come to be acquainted therewith and see what lodgeth there Otherwise ye will not know nor be acquainted with your own hearts which will then deceive you for they are desperately wicked and ye will not know that wickednesse that is there which is ready to joyne to any thing that is evill and to be led into any errour but as ye doe minde that of God within you which will searh your hearts and try your reynes And in this Condition have people been and are still in the World and in all their professions there and worships which stands in ourward observations and carnall ordinances and worships set up in mens wills and practised in the worlds spirit which knowes not God nor the things of God and are in their own wills and led by that spirit So their hearts minds are drawn out into those things to looke at the things that are seene which are temporall which are of the World from that which may be known of God which is manifest in them from the things which are not seene which are eternall and with which they should know the true and living God whom they have for a long time been thus ignorantly worshipping not knowing of him though he was not far from every one of them neither have they known the true worship of him which is in the Spirit in the truth in wch the true Church stands and is gathered our of the world and out of itsworships wayes and customes which are corrupt and are upholden by mens lawes made in their corrupt wills whereby they have compelled people to their worships which is not true but are all erred from the truth and true worship and true Church which is in God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the pillar and ground of truth wherein they worship God in the Spirit and in the truth and so have found the Father who is seeking such to worship him in this his day which now is dawned after the long night of Apostacy darkness which hath been over all people so that the whole earth hath been covered with darknesse and the vayle hath been over all faces and the whole Earth been corrupted by the abominable worships that hath been therein in this time of darknesse in the false Church which is the whore of Babylon the mother of harlots and the abomination of the Earth gotten up in the roome of the true Church with her false worships in Imitation of the true worship whereby all nations have been drunken with the Cup of her fornications And all the Emperours Kings Princes and Judges and Rulers of the Earth and they have all been making of Lawes to uphold her and she hath ridden upon them for they have been the beast which have carried her and the beast and the false Prophet which receives their power from the Dragon have made warr with the Saints and overcome them and their blood hath been shed by her which hath cryed and doth cry unto the Lord for vengeance and the Lord hath heard the cry of it And he is now risen to take vengeance upon all them that dwell upon the earth where the Devill hath been their King who is the Dragon that old Serpent who was cast out into the earth And now the time is come that he shall be bound and chained and cast into the pit and the beast the false Prophet with him shall be taken alive and cast into the Lake And the Lord God is come to Judge the great whore the false Church who hath set upon the Kings of the Earth made them drunke with her cup and to render vengeance with fury upon her and burne her with fire And all her Merchants shall cry woe and alacke who have been made rich with her merchandize and the great City shall fall in which they have been trading which is Babylon the mother of them all in what forme or profession of shew or colour or dresse soever they have appeared For the houre of her Judgement is come and strong is the Lord that Judgeth her Therefore woe woe from the Lord will be unto all that seek to uphold her and come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of her For all that drinke of her cup and partake with her in her sâ—â—â— must be sure to partake of her plagues And the decree of the Lord is sealed and gone forth against her and the warre is openly proclaimed against her and the Beast and the false Prophets who have gove forth to deceive And the Lambe is come forth and his sword is drawne and ho is riding on conguering and to conquer and with him are his Saints who are called and faithfull and chosen who are made willing to follow him whither soever he goes And the victory is determined the Lambe and the Saints shall have the victory and their weapons are not carnall but spirituall For with the sword of the Spirit which proceeds out of the mouth of the Lambe shall all his enemies be slaine and great shall be the day of slaughter of Gods enemies who have the Beasts marke or his name or are of the number of his name they shall all be slaine both small and great even all whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life who was staine from the foundation of the world And this the Lord is now bringing to passe in this his day not by might nor by power but by my Spirit will I doe this saith the Lord And therefore blessed are all they who have an care to heare and an eye open to see what the Lord is doing and a heart to understand and receive his counsell and to doe his Commandments and his will and to answer his requirings Written by a Friend to all your soules a lover of truth and righteousnesse and a sufferer for the testimony of a good Conscience towards God Who am called by the name of Henry Fell Written at Thersord in Norfolke the place of my Imprisonment the 5th month in the yeare 1660. THE END 2 Thess 2.9 10 11. Isa. 5.24 Isa. 66.15 2 Tim. 3.5 Iude 10. 2 Pet. 2.1 2. 12 Cor. 4. Acts 20.29 Math 12.30 Rom. 8. 1 Iohn 4.5 1 Iohn 4 8. 1.3.12 13. Iohn 8.44 1 Iohn 2.22.4.20 2 Cor. 4.4 Isa. 5.20 1 Cor. 2.8 Math. 15.14 2 Pet 1.19 Rev. 3.17 Iohn 1.9 Iohn 12.35.36 Isa. 55. Mark 8.18 Ephef 2.1 Isa. 47. Rev 3.18 1 Cor 2.10 11 12 c. Heb. 3.10 Rom 1.21 Matth 5.13 Mark 9.5 Matth 15.11 Mark 7.20 Matth 15.18.19 Eccles. 9.2 Mal: 3.15.18 Luke 6.45 Ier 17.9 Psal. 32.9.39 Iames 1.26 Iames 3.2 Iohn 4.23 24. Matth 7 2 Pet. 1.3 4. Matth. 7.15 16 17. Ieremy 23. Isa. 56. Rom. 16. Ezek. 34.2 3. 10 c. Iohn 10. Iohn 10. Ephes 2.12 1 Thess. 5.7 Iohn 10.10 2 Tim. 3.6 Isa. 3.12 1 Tim 〈…〉 Iohn 3.19 20 2 Cor. 6.17 Rev. 17.4.9 10 11 12 15 20. 1 Cor. 3.13 Iohn 3.19 Ierem 3.23 Rev. 6.15.16 Matth. 7.23 Luke 13.27 Matth. 7.20 Gal. 7.17 2 Thess. 2.8 Heb. 2.14 1 Iohn 3.8 Iohn 8.29 Iohn 1.11 12. Matth. 6.9 Romans 10. Luke 17.20 Matth. 3.23 Heb. 12.13 Acts 13.41 Iohn 16.25 13 verse Rom. 8. 1 Pet. 4.10 1 Tam. 17. Iohn 17.3 1 Ioh. 5.19 20. Iohn 1.16 Rom. 11.6 1 Cor. 1.29 Luker 35. 1 Cor. 2.8 Rom. 2.19 20 â—â— Gal. 5.22 Math. 23.31 Deut. 12.85.18 Iam. 5.6 Math. 13.14 Mark 9.12 Ioh. 5.37 38. Joh. 3.19 20 21. Joh. 8.12 John 1. 1 Cor. 12.7 1 Iohn 9. Ezek. 13.3 Ier. 14 14. Ier. 23.25 Isa 50.11 1 Ioh. 11.12 2. Tim. 2.19 Isa. 53.2 3. Isa. 6 13. 2 Col. 1. Rom. 1. 2 Tim. 3.8 1 Tim. 6.10 21. Judg. 3. 1. Cor. 2.5 1 Tim. 3.9 Math. 29.48 49. Luke 18.8 Luke 1.78 Math. 24.14 Mark 16.15 Isa 49.8.42.6 Isa. 28.18 Exod. 5. 2 Gor. 11.15 Matth 12.29 Luke 11.12 Matth. 10.34 Acts 26.18 Isa. 42. Iere. 31.31 Pro 6.23 Psal. 19.7 8 9 10 11. Psal. 119.97 98 99. Rome 7. Rom 7.1 Rom 10.4 Mat. 23.27 Mat 23.13 2 Pet. 2.14 Iohn 1.9 Iohn 12.35 2 Pet. 1.17 18 19. Mal. 4. 1 Pet. 2.11 Luk. 10.30 31 32.33 Iohn 10. Hosea 6.9 Math. 25. Rom. 10.3 Rom 8 Iohn 1.34 Rom 4.7 Rom 6.2.6 7. Rom 6.18 Rome 8.10 1 John 1.7 1 John 3.8.9 I Joh 3.6 I Iohn 5.18 Rom 8.3.4 Rom. 8.2 Rom. 6.18 20. Ephef. 1.1 1 Gor. 15.55 56 57. Ioh. 5.25 28. Rom. 5.12 19. 21. 1 Cor. 15.46 48. Heb. 4.12 Iohn 11.26 Ioh. 8.12 Iob 28.22 Luke 10. Math. 5.16 1 Cor. 15.14 Isa. 42. Isa. 49. Rev. 1.8 2 Tim. 3.8 2 Tim. 3 6. Ioh. 8.32 I Cor. 10.2 Rom 6.3 4. Gal. 3.19 Math. 16.24 1 Coll. 20. 2 Coll. 14. Cor. 1.18 c. Mat. 11.30 1 Iohn 4.5 Iohn 26.40 Iohn 11.25 Iohn 14.6 Isa. 28.17 Col. 2.3 Col 1.26 Ephef. 2.3 Rom. 8.11 1 Cor. 2 12 13 19. Isa. 9.24 Math. 2.29 Mark 2. 24. Ezek. 3. 1 Tim. 4.1 2 Pet. 1.20 21. Iames 41.5 Chron. 6.16 Isa. 6.22 Math. 7.16 17 18 19. Joh. 1.9 10. Math. 13.11 Titus 2.11 Rev. 3.7 2 Cor. 4.16 Acts 17.23 Iohn 4. Rev. 17.2.18 18.3.9 19. 19. Rev. 13.4 17. 3. Rev. 12.9 Rev. 20.3 Rev. 8.4 Rev. 17.4 Rev. 14.4 Rev. 21.27 Zach. 4.6
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
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
the right hand and the left the Sheep and the Goats him that serveth God and him that serveth him not between the righteous and the wicked between him that sweareth and him that feareth an oath So then ye will not put darknesse for Light and Light for darknesse nor call evil good nor good evil nor put bitter for sweet not sweet for bitter nor call that which is corrupt holy nor the proud happy as they did in former times who wereblind and as they do now who deny the Light of Christ and teach people that it is but a natural light c. These are they now who are blind and without discerning and tasting and savouring of the things of God and their hearts are hardned through the deceitfulnesle of sin and they are without feeling Now the Light of Christ wil let you see what is in your hearts and in your minds and in your thoughts and what ye think and what ye speake For a good man saith Christ out of the treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evill man out of the treasure of his heart bringeth forth evill things Now whose minds are turned to the Light of Christ within it will let you see what treasure you have in your hearts and what ye do bring forth or whether ye be the good men which brings forth good things good words and good deeds good desires good motions good thoughts and good affections or whether ye be the evil men who out of the evil treasure of your hearts brings forth the evil things as evil thoughts evil words and evil deeds c. This will let ye see whether the good things be there or the evil things be there at all times if ye do minde it and shew ye what ye bring forth and what ye keep in secret which ye would not have seen for that is the evil doer who doth not doe truth that would not have his work seen and so doth not love the Light because the Light will reproove him but the good man who doth truth he loves it and brings his deeds to the Light to be proved And the Light will let ye see if there be any deceit or hypocrisie in your hearts or desperate wickednesse there and it will reprove for that and will search your hearts and try your Rains and let you see what rules there and what Reigns there in your hearts and in your minds and desires and affections and whether ye have any Rains to hold in your desires and affections that they should not run into the lusts and vanityes of the world and of the flesh yea or nay And it will let ye see whether ye have the girdle of truth to girt up the loins of your minds to God or whether they are at liberty and loose and tossed to and fro as the raging Sea yea or nay And it will let ye see whether ye have a Bit and Bridle for your tongue which otherwise will be unruly and thereby you will offend if ye use it as your own I say the Light will discover this unto every one whose minds are turned to it and wait in it and who hearken diligently to it and beleeve in it and obey it they shall come to know their souls to live For obedience to it is life and disobedience to it is death And now whilest men who have been in power to govern the Nations have been making laws without to bind mens consciences and to limit them and compell them to this or that worship and have been talking long of Reformation and Church-Government and have gathered-Churches as they have called them and made Leagues and Covenants and Assemblies of Divines so called to make confessions of Faith Catechismes and set-Forms of worships as Directoryes c. to worship God by and to settle Church-Government and have Laws that all that would not worship God in such a way and such a Form as they had set up to fine them imprison them and whip them and stock them and banish them and hang them or cut oft their ears c. These have been the Reformations in the world in the Apostacy among the Apostate Christians since the dayes of the Apostles ' Among the Protestants and Papists with their Laws and Statutes and Customes and Ordinances without and carnal Weapons and Goales and Whips and Houses of correction and Inquisitions and Fires and Faggots and Courts and Pennance and Stools of Repentance so called now all these things have been and are in order to their Reformation and worshipping of God and to bring people to the Kingdom of God But now mind People what hath all this produced For they have all this while begun at the wrong end of the work and their labour hath been in vain hitherto and will be and little Reformation hath been wrought among people all this while for many himdreds of years past but one Generation hath exceeded another in wickednesse pride and covetousnesse drunkennesse uncleannesse deceit and hypocrisie c. I say what hath it brought sorth but to make people hypocrites not Saints false Christians not true Christians and Wolves in Sheeps cloathing to professe God and Christ in words but in works to deny God And professe the Scriptures to be their Rule and yet they are walking as contrary to that which they call their Rule as if they had no Rule at all nor no Scripture at all nor no Law at all to bind them to this or that form of worship These are but Babels builders whose work the Lord is comingto confound throw down their languages is already confounded and they are all on heaps still After all their bustle and stir which the many builders have made for many hundreds of years about Religion and worship and Reformation and they are as far from the true worship as they were And people do not yet know the Truth nor the true worship of God which is in the Spirit And the Lord is seeking such to worship him as worship him in the Spirit and in the Truth for God is a Spirit But all the world Teachers and the Priests and Professors therein do not know the Spirit of God nor know not the truth yet and so were not like to worship God in it or to find him in their outward worships and carnal Ordinances and Doctrines and Commandements or in the outward Observations and Forms which men have prescribed Nay God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Now all this while people have been erred from the Spirit of God and the Wolf hath been covered with the Sheeps cloathing and the Wolves nature still retain'd and lived in and not the Sheeps nature They have been all inwardly ravening Wolves and not in the true Christians nature which is the Divine Nature Innocent and harmlesse and separated from sinners Now it hath been contrary
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
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
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