A WARNING FROM THE LORD TO THE Town of Cambridge.  
Septemb: 20 1655  
TRemble, tremble, tremble, all sorts of people, who in profaneness lives: A day of howling and bitter lamentation is coming upon you; your wicked practices are in remembrance, before the living God of life and power brought, who is dreadful and terrible to the workers of iniquity, and the day hastens, wherein thou an account must give for all your filthy practices, and rewarded thou must be according to thy deeds: Thou Cambridge, who with Corazin art exalted above all other, because of thy humane wisdom; but down the dreadful God of Heaven and Earth will bring thee, all thy Sorcery will not save thee in the day of the Lords fierce wrath, which is coming upon thee; all thy profession will not cover thee, who art an enemy to the life of what thou in words professest; now all thy cover will not hid thee in this the day of the Lord, who will reward thee according to thy actions; and thy stolen expressions, which thou hast stolen out of the Saints conditions, will not avail thee in the day of thy calamity, for out of the Saints, life thou art found, who giveth thy meanings to the Saints conditions, and so wrest their words, to make them suitable to thy carnal ends; but this Cloak is also too narrow, it will not hid thee, for found thou art, covered with a covering, but not with the Spirit of the Lord; therefore upon thee woe and misery is coming, for now is the Angels of the Lords presence ready to execute judgement upon thee for thy pride and haughtiness, and all thy filthy abominations, an account thou must give; the dreadful day of the Lord draweth nigh, and in this terrible day, all thy natural Languages, & thy Logic, as Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, which thou calls the Original Language, will not save thee from the judgement that is to come upon thee for the fierce Wrath of the living God is kindled against thee, the Vials are set open, and are ready to be poured down upon thee, who art found filling up the measure of thy Father's iniquity, the cry of the innocent, is heard against thee, whom the Lord God of Heaven and Earth sent to forewarn thee of the evil which is to come upon thee, whom thou whipped and persecuted, for calling people to repentance, and exhorting them to fear the Lord, and the Lord hath since sent diver of his faithful Servants to forewarn you of this wrath which is to come upon you, and yet you have shut your ears against them, and have them persecuted and imprisoned, and grossly abused, and so hath added to your transgression, which will add to your Torment; you have drunk deep draughts of the whore's Cup, you are full of filthiness and abominations; and you must now taste of the Wrath which is due unto you, you cannot fly from it, nor escape it; and the Witness for God in you (which is the Light of jesus Christ) will testify against you, when the Plagues and Judgements of God, is poured forth upon you, that his judgements are just; therefore now take Warning, and prise your time while you have it, and slight not this your day of visitation, you Inhabitants of this Town of Cambridge, for the Lord will not always strive with you, sit down in the dust, and repent, and with speed forsake the evil of your do, lest the Door of Mercy be for ever shut against you: Remember your Father Esau, ho lived in profaneness, who would have repent, but he slipped his time and there was no place of repentance for him found, art, covered with a covering, but not with the Spirit of the Lord; therefore upon thee woe and misery is coming, for now is the Angels of the Lords presence ready to execute judgement upon thee for thy pride and haughtiness, and all thy filthy abominations, an account thou must give; the dreadful day of the Lord draweth nigh, and in this terrible day, all thy natural Languages, & thy Logic, as Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, which thou calls the Original Language, will not save thee from the judgement that is to come upon thee for the fierce Wrath of the living God is kindled against thee, the Vials are set open, and are ready to be poured down upon thee, who art found filling up the measure of thy Father's iniquity, the cry of the innocent, is heard against thee, whom the Lord God of Heaven and Earth sent to forewarn thee of the evil which is to come upon thee, whom thou whipped and persecuted, for calling people to repentance, and exhorting them to fear the Lord, and the Lord hath since sent diver of his faithful Servants to forewarn you of this wrath which is to come upon you, and yet you have shut your ears against them, and have them persecuted and imprisoned, and grossly abused, and so hath added to your transgression, which will add to your Torment; you have drunk deep draughts of the whore's Cup, you are full of filthiness and abominations; and you must now taste of the Wrath which is due unto you, you cannot fly from it, nor escape it; and the Witness for God in you (which is the Light of jesus Christ) will testify against you, when the Plagues and Judgements of God, is poured forth upon you, that his judgements are just; therefore now take Warning, and prise your time while you have it, and slight not this your day of visitation, you Inhabitants of this Town of Cambridge, for the Lord will not always strive with you, sit down in the dust, and repent, and with speed forsake the evil of your do, lest the Door of Mercy be for ever shut against you: Remember your Father Esau, ho lived in profaneness, who would have repent, but he slipped his time and there was no place of repentance for him found, And Judas who betrayed the innocent; remember who received a just recompense of reward according to his Works, and do not you think to escape the just judgements of God, who are found acting the same things, for be assured it will come heavy upon you, for the Lord is righteous, and with equity judgeth, and he will reward you for your unrighteousness; yea Vengeance in Flames of Fire shall be revealed upon the ungodly, the Mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, and his words shall not go forth in vain. Therefore howl you proud, stiffnecked, rebellious ones, who wastes and devours the creatures of God upon your lusts, now an Account you must give to the Creator, who heareth the cry of the oppressed, which lieth groaning under the bondage of Corruption; and the Lord will no longer wink at the Oppressor, for he is now coming to cut down the oppressor, and set his Creatures free, which hath been kept long in Bondage by you who live in lust and pleasures, fullness; and gluttonness; yea, the Sword of the Lord God is drawn against you, you Belly-Gods, who feeds yourselves withouthe fear of God; for the slaughter ye are; the edge of the sword you cannot escape, you bloody persecutors, haters and enviers of the righteous seed; against you the edge of the sword is turned, and you cannot escape; for the Lord will cut you down; the Lord sees your plotting, and secret actings against his dear servants and children, you deceitful Priests, and corrupt Magistrates, who combine together to murder the innocent, so far as your Power extends; but praised be our Lord God for ever, who hath your Power limited, so that you cannot go beyond your bounds; your snares the Lord will break in pieces, which you make to catch the innocent; and the Pits you dig for others you into them must fall; no weapons which you form against the harmless shall prosper, the Lord hath spoken it, who is our Deliverer, who will be your Destroyer; yea, your day of Destruction draws nigh; and the God of the world whom you pray unto, which so long hath blinded your eyes, shall not be able to deliver you in this day of the Lords fierce wrath, who will plead with you by fire, and by his sword, which are already kindled, and drawn against you; and the enemies of the Lord and his servants, shall be consumed and utterly destroyed fore ever: for the Beast and the false Prophet, which now bend their forces together to make war with the Lamb, shall be taken, and into the Lake must be cast, that burneth with fire and brimstone, and the Lamb shall have victory over you, you bloody persecutors. And you Scholars, who come hither to learn natural languages, who spend and waste your time in idleness and prophanenefs, many of you living in pleasures and wantonness; sporting yourselves in the daytime: Consider what you are doing, doth not the Lord see and know these things? And will not he visit you for your vanities and fooleries? Do you think to escape the just judgmenns of God? Nay, your Logic and your vain Philosophy will not cover you; the Lord will find you out, and you shall not escape unpunished; you according to you actions shall be rewarded: Therefore to you (I say) repent, lest the Evil Day come upon you at unawares, and there be none to deliver you.  
And you that keep Taverns and Alehouses, who keeps Cards Dice and Shovel boards in your Houses for to satisfy the lusts of vain minds, which delights in gaming and foolery, and fills wine and strong drink to men till they be inflamed, and so are the Upholders of that filthy Thing Drunkenness, which is one of the horrible, filthiest sins in the Nation.  
Therefore, to You, (I say,) repent, and suffer such things no more to be used in your Houses, (as is before mentioned,) lest you partaking of their sins, be made partakers of their Judgements and Plagues, which 'tis nearer you, than yet you are ware of; for, Your cannot escape the Edge of the Sword, being found TREES which cumbers the ground.  
And You TRADESMEN, of what sort soever, who uses Lying and Dissembling for Gain, and are in the many Words, out of the Doctrine of CRIST, who ●aith, Let your, Yea, be Yea, and your Nay be Nay in all things; for whatsoever cometh of more is Evil: What will your cheating and cozening avail You? Consider, though you may through deceitful waits and measures, & your crafty enluring speeches, heap up much of the world's treasure, what will it all profit you, in the day wherein you must give an account for all your dishonest gain? then the same Measure you meet withal, the same to you shall be measured again: To you I say repent, and forsake the evil of your ways, and provoke the Lord no longer, for the Lord God of Life and power sees and knows these things, and his judgements are night you, and his fury and indignation you cannot escape: therefore now I warn you in the name and fear of the Lord; Trades men, give over deceit and cozening, and deal plainly and honestly with your Brethren in your buying and selling, and give just weight and measure, and let your yea, be yea, and your nay, be nay, and use not so many vain words in your bargaining, for to the Lord an account you must give, for every idle word; therefore now yond are warned, take heed of adding to your condemnation, for this is the free love of God to your souls to give you warning, therefore prise it now while your have time, lest swift destruction come upon you, for now hath the Lord left you without excuse, you cannot plead ignorance, and the Light in your own Consciences (which is the Light of Jesus Christ, wherewith he hath enlightened you) shall bear true testimony against you, and witness for the Lord, that his judgements are just, when they come to be executed upon you. And you Magistrates who are sword-bearers, see that you bear the sword no more in vain, but let the edge of the sword be turned against the seed of evil doers, that by it all manner of Sin and wickedness may be cut down, and the RIGHTEOUS SEED preserved, that the TOWN may be set free from evil doers, that RIGHTEOUSNESS may run down your Streets, etc.  
But first, sin and wickedness see in your own selves, cut down by the sword of the Lord (which is his righteous judgements) that the righteous seed in you may be raised up to rule and reign; that true judgement and justice may be executed by you, for he that ruleth over men must be just, for he is righteous that judgeth, and according to your judgement so shall you be judged. And to the Vicechancellor (so called) and to you who are the chief in Colleges (as you call them) who study, and teach others natural Languages (as Hebrew, Greek, and Latin) and the Arts of Lodgick and Philosophy, which is all for the fire, for the knowledge of these things puffs up your minds, and keeps you from the true knowledge of the living God, who can be known no other way but through his Son, for none shall ever know God by studying old Authors, and learning natural Languages (as Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, which you call the Original) for natural men cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God, God is a Mystery sealed to that nature, which studieth these things before mentioned, for proud, highminded, self-willed men, study and teach these Languages, but the secrets of God are kept from such; God to his Son reveals himself, who is meek and lowly, and those who knows God, keeps his commands, and knows him by the revelation of his Son; and we, whom the Lord hath made himself known unto, through his Son, deny, and bear witness against all such as comes not in by the door, but climbs up another way in their own humane inventions; therefore to you, I say, cease from your own imaginations, studies, and natural Languages; for all your Heathenish Authors, which your libraries and studies are so furnished withal, are for the Fire, read A●ts 19.19, many who used curious Arts (as you do) brought their Books, and burned them, when they came to own the everlasting truth, which by the Apostles was preached; and as you come to own the truth (which by the despised and persecuted ones is preached) your books then will be of little value, which is now by you so highly prized, when your minds comes to be turned out of your vain imaginations, to the Light of Jesus Christ in you, which Jesus Christ hath lightened you with, you need not to study in old authors to know what meanings they gave, with their heathenish inventions upon the Saints conditions, who spoke forth the Scriptures, as they were moved by the Holy Ghost; nay, their meanings and their imaginations upon them are accursed, & your meanings which you give upon the Scriptures, and your imaginations upon them are accursed; for the Scripture which was spoke from the life of the Saints, are of no private interpretations, and till you come to own the Light of Jesus Christ, which he hath enlightened you with, and live in it, and receive it to be your Teachers, and even as it teach you to abide in it, that with it you may be led into the holy life, which life gave forth the Scripture; you cannot know the mystery of the Scripture, for it is sealed to all the World's Wisdom, and one of the seven Seals you cannot open, with which the Book of life is sealed, with all your rotten stuff, nay you are not found worthy, your Lodgick and Philosophy, and all your natural reason, and natural Languages, is shut out of the Life of the Scriptures, you have the letter which is the outside, the husk, and with that you feed people, therefore they profit nothing by you; for both you who are Teachers, and take upon you to teach others, you and they who are taught by you, are with the Prodigal feeding among Swine upon the husk, and your souls are starved for want of living food, for the Bread of Life you are strangers to, which if you once come to taste on, you will then Witness with me, that upon the husk you have been feeding; but this is children's food, this is not to be cast unto Dogs; you who are full of envy and bitterness, and feeds upon the Tree of Knowledge, you cannot feed with children who hungers and thirsts continually after living food; nay it is the hungry that the Lord feeds with good things; you who are full and rich shall empty be sent away, your are they which are to be fed with judgement; and judgement you shall find before Mercy; therefore to you I say repent in dust and ashes, lest the door of Mercy for ever be shut against you Vicechancellor, and you who are chief in Colleges, and Chief Priests, who above measure; are exalted; you have builded your Nests on high, but the Lord God of life and power will you pull down, though your building be as high as Babel, yet the Lord will bring you down; he that can receive it let him: This to you is a warning from the Lord,  
Cambridge 14. day of the 5. month. 1655. By one of his Servants who is despised of the world, known by the name of John Harrwood.   
FJNJS.