rest false and fained hope and faith and of his own ragged garment and let goe his selfe-righteousnesse and his dead works and come to Christ the life of men again that man hath run from that so he might have life and peace Ob. But some would say that thou wouldst have all upside down unchristian the Nations and unchurch Churches and throw down all our worship and then what should we doe all would be as heathens and turne into Athisme I say a time of fanning and â—ifting and trying is come when nothing shall stand but that hath the image stamp and character of the living God upon it and all that which hath been brought up and raised up since man hath been in the transgression must be turned down into the pit again and all that have got a name of Christian and wants his life to live among them and in them shall be scattered as clouds with the East wind and all imitated worships and will worshippers and the fained faith and the fained hope shall be confounded and all will worships and worshippers will be overturned who are not come yet to the true light that lightens every man that comes into the World and till man comes to the light and tries his deeds and works by it he never sees what he is doing nor what he is working nor what he works and so all that man doth here in the unbeliefe it is but sin or selfe-righteousnesse which is brought forth by him who abode not in the truth in the unbelief and so who be come to the power which was in the beginning before sin entred and death by sin hath and doth measure all deeds and all works man that is in the losse in the fall sees that a dead man cannot act a living work nor bring forth living fruits unto God nor living works of righteousnesse being in the unrighteousnesse neither the fruits of faith being in the unbeliefe neither the works of the day being in the night neither the works of charity being in the emnity in a word without Christ the power the light the life which was glorified with the Father before the world began I say he said it himself who is the beginning of the creation of God the first born of every creature he said and his testimony will be found true without me ye can do nothing nothing that is wel-pleasing to the Lord nothing that ever shall be acceptable and here is the true state of all the Earth discovered and all mankind drove out from God miserable naked hopelesse helplesse faithlesse and so can doe nothing as to the glorifying of God his maker or to the ordering of any thing in the creation to his glory having lost his dominion and Gods wisdome and this being considered seriously by all and brought to the light in all and their deeds tryed by it would make the lofty bow and the stout hearted fear and the conceited sit down in solitarinesse that they should so long deceive their own souls with a conceit of righteousnesse and redemption when as death yet reignes in them and over them and not life eternall So the Devil is a distinct being from God and his works are distinst and his deeds from the works of God and neither he nor his works shall ever be numbred among the works of God but he and they that obey him and follow him who is out of the truth they their works of what sort soever they may seem unto men to be whose eyes the devil hath blinded so I say all is to be condemned and shut out from Gods presence for ever and to be destroyed by him who is a consuming fire and all the righteousnesse of man burned as combustable stuff in unquenchable fire Pr. And by what hath been said the principle of that ranting crew who are become vaine in their imaginations and foolish their understandings being darkned are seen and their principle overthrown As that light and darknesse is one good evil one and sin and righteousnesse one and truth and a lye one and that God is all and doth all and what ever is done is of God and that there is no evil but to him that thinks it so and it is onely a false apprehention of things and that there is no such thing as sin that sin is nothing Unto all these things I might speak but the understanding Reader may by what is before written see each of these plainly declared and the true ground of things laid down as the spirit gave utterance and this shall at present suffice in this matter Ob. But some may object further and say will not reading the scriptures and conforming to the practise of the saints in the use of his ordinances will not this make us accepted and bring us out of the fall and make us good christians Answ. No while death hath dominion in man and over man and the vaile over the heart man doth not understand the mystery of Gods kingdome neither understands the scripture which was spoken from the spirit of truth or any thing of truth as it is in Christ for none understands the things of God but by the spirit of God so that every man that comes to have a good understanding must come to know the pure spirit of God in him to direct him informe him which spirit was the original of the scripture for the holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the holy Ghost and without the Holy Ghost in some measure be known â—nd that which is infallible the sayings the writings the scriptures cannot be understood because of the want of this all the Earth is run into heads sects opinions large treatises and volumes expositions have been written yet differing one from another and all from the spirit and in all these particular sects persecuting one another envying one another and hating one another and would compell others to believe what they believe in what they say if they had but power and for proof of this it is most evident in the scripture of truth and in latter ages since the Apostles it hath been and it is evidently seen both among the Papists and Protestants and among all them that are called the reformed Churches but all this is in the fall and in the transgression and in the Apostacy and is an evident token that they are all under the power of the beast who makes War against the Lamb so all compellation and they that do compell are not worshippers of the Lamb but of the beast which is to be destroyed and cast into the lake For the Jews under the first Covenant had the Scriptures the good and wholsome words of God and the Prophets and read the Law and the Prophets on the Sabbath dayes and yet the vail was over their hearts and and though they did perform many things commanded yet they being erred from the spirit did not understand
from the heathen and the rest invented in the night of darkness and all that you have is invented trumpery as bad as the heathen all your Crosses Altars Crucifixes your Cells your Lent your Fasts your Feasts your Hair-cloth your Images Pictures your Relickes of dead mens bones your Tythes your offerings oblations obventions your Tapers Beads your holy water your Baptizing of Infants your Purgatory your Praying for the dead your visiting of old Wals and old Tombs and rotten Sepulchres your Pilgrimages your Inquisition all this is come up since the Apostles dayes and thy consecrated bread and wine which thou calls the body and blood of Christ about which idol thou and all that have drunken the cup of fornication and the Beast hath slain thousands of men in your blood thirsty cruelty and all your works you call meritorious they are all dead will be sentenced by the Lamb who is risen to be self-righteousness and so we have found out your visible Church had no being but since the Apostacy since the Apostles dayes and you are erred both in Doctrine and practice and all your Ordination of your Ministers your Schools and Colledges is all in the will of man all this is in the fall in the transgression and under the curse Object Some of the Protestants or reformed Churches so called may say we like this well that you declare against poâ—â—â—y we agree with you in that but we have renounced the Whores cup and have denyed all the powers of the Beast long since Answ. Although many of you Priests have denyed your mother because some Kings and Rulers or Dukes or Magistrates have cast off the yoke and they protect you and give you maintenance yet we cannot but remember you of your genealogy and decent and your doctrine and practice shall prove it and make it manifest and that you take part with the Beast and worships his image and shall be evidenced more and more even before this generation passe away are not you a stem sprung from the same root doth not the fruits you bring forth evidence it and practice demonstrate it if you grant that Rome is Apostized from the faith which the Apostles were in and their practice you must not deny your fathers who made the Bishops and ordained them did not the Pope who ordained you Ministers or priests did not the Bishops who set up your Mass-house with all the Pictures and Crosses in and upon them which you call your Church who established Tythes offerings oblations Easter reckonings Midsumer dues did not the Pope first and them that were subject to his power who invented Schools and Colledges to fit you for the Ministry and qualifie you for the Ministry as you say is not this set up in and since the Apostacy began your set wages your baptizing of Infants your consecrated Bels which the Pope hollowed or his emissaries do not you preach up the letter for the word the letter for the Gospel are not you calling your bread wine a Sacrament which word you have received from Rome your Pulpets your hour-glasses your cushons your black robes long robes fals-Prophet-like your funeral for the dead like the Popes exequies for the dead your devouring widdowes houses and sueing men at the Lavv your haling them to Courts prisons your taking avvay mens goods by force three-fold ten-fold yea is that which you claim and from them that you work not for neither dare you say this was the Apostles practice or any of the primative churches If you say yea all that knowes the scripture or the least of God in them to guid them or to open their understandings they will see you nearly related to Rome and to the Apostates and deceivers and fals Prophets of old and that you are greatly inflamed with the Whores cup and did not the holy men of God speak as they were moved by the holy Ghost and divine inspiration as the spirit of truth revealed it selfe in them and do not you all head and taile deny any such thing to be now and further concludes that its a great errour to look for any such thing then be convinced in your selves you are Apostates and Apostatized from that faith and hope spirit that was in the primative times and now reads old authors it may be 20. or 30. books before you can get an hours discourse patched up to hold you dreaming till the glasse be run dare you be so impudent confident as to say that you â—are not Apostates and are you not followers of the beast and have you not his mark and bear you not his Image do not you count that disorder which the Apostles and the Churches counted order if any thing was revealed to him that stands by let the first hold his peace are not you apostatized from this order cries take him away and yet you would be called Apostolicall well these things being true and obvious enough to behold to any who knows any thing of God I need not say much more in this thing but all wise men will come out from among you and out of Babylon the Mother of Harlots which hath made you and your root and genealogy drunk with her fornication and this is my call to seperate from her and you that are in the apostacy and waite to know the word which was in the beginning and the Gospel which was Preached to Abraham which endures for ever whose joyful sound is come forth in power and great glory which will shake the foundation of your great City even mystery Babylon and not leave one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down and then the holy men of God shall rejoyce and the Saints of the most high shall sing they that have been as sheep for the slaughter shall reign over the earth and shall say The Lord God omnipotent Reigns and let us rejoyce and be glad and he hath taken to himself great power and is coming to gather his Lambs out of your mouths and to feed in a pasture you never saw which was manifest to the Saints in light before you apostates sprang and shall be again when you and all your dark muddy traditions and inventions are gone down into the pit where there is no remembrance Object But it may be the pure reformed Church of Scotland as it hath been called and the old Episcopal and Prelatical Priests of England who hath borrowed their images to set up here will be ready to say we have denyed the whore and the beast and the apostacy and we have pure reformation we have denyed Bishops which was made by the apostate the Pope and now we have settled all things according to the Primitive Church Answ. There never did spring up any deceit since the Apostles or before but it called it self by the best name as for the Priests of Scotland their doctrine and practice is made manifest and their Reformation by their principles which
THE INVISIBLE Things of GOD Brought to light by the REVELATION of the ETERNAL SPIRIT who was an ey-witness of the wonders of the Lord in the beginning Wherein is declared the Felicity of all things in the beginning and the sad estate of all things after the transgression How all the reformed Churches so called in Christendom are yet in the Apostacy The estate of the true Church before the Apostacy and her state in the Apostacy And the glory that shall appear after the Apostacy By one who believes God will shine out of Sion in perfect beauty again after the dark night of Apostacy called Francis Howgill The Light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun as Seven days And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people and the vail that is spread over all Nations Isai. 25 7. London Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth near Aldersgate 1659. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER OR Readers TO the upright hearted Reader in all the Regions of the Earth wherein this may come who have walked in the thick fogs and mists which hath arisen out of the botomlesse pit which hath been raised up since the transgression which have dimmed your eyes hurt your sight so that you could not behold the pure Celestial being nor him that dwels in it whose presence gives Life nor any thing within the vail because the vail hath been spred over all Nations and it hath been so thick that it hath been hard for any to rent it and the night of Apostacy and darknesse hath been so long since the woman fled into the wildernesse and since the man-child which was born hath been caught up to God that few or none for this many ages past hath come to see the end of the night but hath mourned without hope and few or none hath seen or hath been able to discerne the time of the womans return out of the wildernesse again into which she fled and few or none hath seen to the end of the times after which shee should return and mens sight in the Apostacy hath been so dime and in the vexation that when the man-child which was caught up unto God would appear again few hath had faith to believe or sight to he hold him or an understanding to deserne of the times But praises be to the Lord God everlasting who hath opened is and opening the windowes of heaven and showring down his wisdome as a mighty rain his knowledge as the morning dew and an understanding is pouring forth as the water out of the bottles of heaven as the water spouts so that ages times things daies and years is measured and seen And him that was before all things is beholden by whom all things was made who hath been as in a far country all this long night of darknesse but the time is fully expired and now is he returning and his appearance is as a morning without clouds as clear as the Sun and as pure as Christal and now is he scattering the clouds fogs and mists as with the East wind his pure breath clears the air and by his arm which is mighty is he renting the vail of the covering according to his promise revealing himself in his naked glory that the solitary may rejoice and the feeble may be comforted and them that have erred may come to a good un-understanding what I have writ thou must read me onely in that which is invisible and eternal in thy self else I am sealed from thee my words are a riddle and although the the dreamers of this age in the apostacy say Imeditate revelation is ceased and not to be looked for yet I must needs bear my testimony against them all for what I have here written I neither received of man nor from man nor books nor other words but by the eternal spirit who saw these things and was an eye-witness of them and God through it hath revealed them in me and to me that I might beare my testimony of the hidden things of God which are eternal although I have made use of the scriptures and the saints words and cited some it is not for my sake but thine who reades that so every truth may be confirmed by 2. or 3. witnesses If thou wait to know and find the key of David who opens in what I have declared thou wilt see the state of things before the fall and after the fall how all men in the fall have corrupted themselves in all administrations thou wilt see the state of the Church before the apostacy in the apostacy and what shall be after the apostacy and if thou cannot reach into the things as they are declared judg them not before the day appeare in thy selfe for till then they will be obscure to thee but as it appeares in thee thou shalt bear me witnesse that these things are holy faithful and true and hath and shall be fulfilled in that which is immutable I bid thee farewel F H. The chief particulars or heads in the ensuiug discourse treated upon aud opened by the Spirit of the Lord who was an ey-witness unto these things 1. THe work of the Lord declared which was in the beginning when the word was with God and man in the image of God 2. Although the heavens and the Earth were created and all things therein finished yet the world was not begun that lay in wickednesse which the Devil is the God of neither was Christ the mystery hid nor the Lamb slain 3. The understanding may read the Wisdom of God in a mystery and also may see the sottish Doctrine of the apostates 4. An objection answered 5. Another objection answered 6. How peace joy and delight possessed every thing that God had made how every thing which he had formed glorified him with one consent in the beginning 7. How man lost his state and dominion and unity with God and all the creatures and how the Lamb came to be slain and the world that lay in wickedness came to be framed in man after the tempter entred how endless misery can in upon all after the transgression 8. How sin entred into the world and death by sin and how man is dead while he lives and all is dead works that he acteth and the state of all the sons of men and their works may be seen in the fall 9. 3. Objections answered about this particular 10. Self righteousness deeds of darkness also and dead works and are to be condemned also and man who acteth them in the fall 11. An objection answered as to the present state of the Ministry of the Nations their practice and their worship 12. An objection as to the Churches so called and their worship in the Nations 13. The dark and blind Doctrines of the Ranters denyed 14. An objection about reading the Scriptures and conforming to the outward practice of
burnt-offerings kept fasts and Sabbaths and new Moons and all these things and lied swore and dealt falsly and left no roome for the poor and yet they said the Lord was among them the Lord sent his servant the Prophet to tell them the Lord was weary of them and of their oblations why they were out of the faith out of the life out of the Power and deceit lodged in their heartts covetousnese envy murder oppression and violence as ravening wolves hunting for their prey the Prophets prophesied for hire their Priests bear rule by their means and people was one with it and liked it and loved it should be so the end of those things was misery the Judgement of God came upon them they were scattered among their enemies their Prophets slain and for their sake Sion became as a plowed corn field and Jerusalem a heap and now he that offered an ox was no more accepted then if he slew a man no more then if he blessed Chemosh Ashteroth or Baal all was sin and to be condemned by the power out of which they were gone The Scribes and Pharisees in Christs time great worshippers devout men devout women zealous men for Temple Priests tithes days Sabbaths oblations and were acting all those things that were commanded in or about the worship of God yet Christ said unto his Disciplrs except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scrihes and Pharisees ye cannot enter the Kingdom of God they might have said which at least they did in their hearts this man says he is the Son of God and yet saith and teacheth his Disciples another righteousness then is commanded in the Law and moreover tells them except their righteousnes exceed ours they cannot enter into Gods Kingdom where is there in all the earth any better righteousness then ours we do not as the heathen worship Idol-gods we keep the Sabbaths and purifie our selves and payes tithes and keeps the Ordinances given by the Lord to Moses and our fathers well these things they were doing but they were but dead works they were out of the faith out of the Power and had not Gods word abiding in their hearts from which their Power and ability should have come to have answered the will of God here was self-righteousness although they did the outward things which were commanded of the Lord yet they were dead works their Temple left desolate worship desolate Jerusalem compassed about with armies not one stone left upon another which was not to be thrown down and they scattered among the heathen their Priests slain and their oblations ceased plagues Judgement prusuing whithersoever they went did all those things save them from the wrath all their works and dead worships self-righteousness save them were they accepted oh nay rejected a seed of falshood a crooked generation an hypocritical generation these things with many more which I could instance all shewing that man in the transgression of the life of the power whether he sinned or wrought that which he might Judge was righteous yet they were but dead works Ob. But some may say what saist thou to this generation of Ministers preachers and Ordinances we live in a Gospel time and are under Gospel ordinances and they teach that man is redeemed by Christ from sins past present and to come and the ordinances that we practice now I hope you will not call them dead works Ans. I say the ministry in these nations made by mans will and by the will of the flesh and that are seeking their gaine from their quarter and are suing men at Law and throwing men in dungeons and holes to the losse of some mens lives already and hundreds have been and are like to be spoiled onely to uphold their greedy devouring nature who have ravened and devoured like evening Wolves some mens estates wholly and some times taken ten fold the value who ravens from place to place from one end of the Land to another and into other Nations also for filthy lucre or a greater benefit I say they are in the fall in the transgression death rules in them over them and they are Ministers of death and never brought any to God but of them many other brethren who are in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ hath borne a large testimony which any considerate wise prudent and reasonable man may see them to be Ministers of death demonstrated by many sound grounds and unanswerable arguments and the scripture of truth clearly bearing witnesse to the same and so I refer the Reader to those things and shall content my selfe at present in what I have said in this particular Now as to the worship or ordinances or practices themselves I come unto and shall speak no otherwise of any thing then God by his eternal light and spirit hath made me understand in the true ground of things else I know well how to be silent Now this I say to all sects opinions and fellowships though they be devided into many heads or societies man acting or performing any thing of worship ordinance or any practice whatsoever which the scriptures declares hath been or ever was though they should doe it in the same manner sutable in every circumstance to that which others did till all or every man come to believe in the power again which man went from in the transgression all that he doth is selfe-righteousnesse and dead works preaching dead prayer dead Baptisme dead their communion dead their conferences dead their exhortations dead their fasts dead their offerings like as if one had offered a dead beast under the law or a lame Lamb which had been abomination even so I say till man come to that which he hath lost in the transgression till man find the power the life the light the messiah and feel him in them to work move lead guid and act all will be accounted with the Lord selfe-righteousnesse dead works dead fruit and if all would examine and try they might see the Nations almost spread over with dead men in Adam and dead works abound and coverings which God will rent and lay all waste together false rest imitated formes and representations without life I say till men come into the power againe that Adam went from and so died in that day he cannot doe any thing well pleasing to God and whosoever comes to that again passeth every step through death and denies himselfe and all selfe-actions selfe-righteousnesse and must come to be bare and naked again even as he was before he came out he and his wife were naked and were not ashamed selfe-acting was not known now self-will self-worship self-righteousness nay they moved in the power righteousnesse was their covering and as I said before there was no shame I might speak largely in this thing and truly my tongue is the pen of a ready writer oh that all had an eare to hear that their souls might live and that every one might be unbottomed of his false
his face and his name shall be in their foreheads and the Lord God shall give them light and shall be unto them an everlasting light and they shall reign with him for ever and ever over the whore Beast false prophet Antichrists deceivers seducers the pit death hell the grave shall triumph in his strength over all the powers of darkness and sing praises to him that abides for ever these things are true and faithful and shall be fulfilled and the time is at hand blessed are they that waite and watch that they may discern the signs of the times and the coming of the bride-groom that they may enter into the chamber of rest and into the Palace of eternal life into the City of the great King to sit with him and eat with him and rejoyce with him in the glory Eternal which was before the world began shall be when it shall be no more the end hastens he is blessed that is come and coming to the end of it for that which is immutable and Eternally glorious shall appear the Lord hasten it saith my spirit Amen The day of the Lord and how it is seen THe Lord God of the whole earth who lives for ever even the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and Jacob whose Throne is established in righteousness for ever who rideth upon the heavens and shines forth in his eternal excellency from the firmament of his power he is manifesting himself in his power as in the dayes of old and revealing his righteousness as in the years past and pouring forth his spirit upon his sons and daughters according to his promise and they that believe comes to be made partakers of the blessing of the everlasting Hills even the Lord who appeared at Sinai unto Moses his servant in the bush who rose up from mount Seir and shined forth in his brightness from mount Paran and came with ten thousands of his Saints even he from whose right hand went a fiery Law so that the people could not behold his glory the same is he who hath now appeared in this the day of his power and is appearing whose glory shall dazle the eyes of the world whose brightness shall make dim all the worlds glory and stain its wisdom and shut it up in utter darkness that it shall not appear to have any existance or being and the shadow of death shall flie away and all the haughty and lofty Princes of this world shall be horribly afraid the beasts shall go into their dens when the day appears and the Lambs of the everlasting fold shall come forth and be fed in the fat valleys where the springs of life compasseth about all the banks and rejoyce in their shepherd and shall say The Lord is my shepherd which many at this time doth admire and say What hath the Lord wrought who have seen his wonders in the dayes of old and have seen his noble acts which the fathers have told of who are fallen asleep and are at rest in the Lord and now many is God bringing to see their witness to be true and to have the same fulfilled in themselves honour and praise unto him for ever who is the stay and strength of all his people for ever And the day of the Lord is broken and the light hath appeared that manifesteth all things which are reproveable and the day-star is risen in the hearts of many and they are come to see that fulfilled in their hearts which Peter exhorted them to wait for and to take heed unto the sure word of prophesie until the day appeared and did dawn in their hearts which day when it appears and to whom it appears discovereth all things and maketh all things manifest as it is declared by the Spirit of truth in the Scripture of truth and every mans work shall be tryed of what sort it is and of what nature it is and this day hath appeared to many praises to the Lord who have waited for it and now they see every thing in its ground and rise and every tree and fruit is seen according to its kind whether good or bad and every mans work is obvious to every one who are in the day and upon whom the morning of righteousness hath appeared and the Sun of righteousness hath shined upon whereby that is seen in every one by the light which is truly called day by the Lord who causeth it to spring from on high which is reproveable and condemnable and also whatever is justifiable and unreproveable is seen by the day of the Lord appearing in the heart The day of the Lord what it is and to whom it hath appeared discovered and how it is seen GOd is a spirit his day is spiritual and is seen with a spiritual eye its pure light pure brightness the pure shining forth of the Lord in his glorious excellency the pure shining forth of eternity life putting forth it self in its brightness holiness sheding it self abroad in its glory purity spreading it self in its immeasurable excellency and can only be seen as it is in it self by the children of the light that are born of it there is a natural day there is a spiritual day the natural day receives its brightness from the Sun the spiritual day receives it brightness from the Son of righteousness by whom it s brought forth without whom nothing was made or is made or brought forth but by him who is the fountain of life and as the natual day receives its clearness from the natural Sun and is discerned by the natural eye of a natural man and all things natural are seen and discovered by and in the natural day and are perspicuous and obvious to him that hath his natural sight even so from the Son of righteousness the Lord of glory light and purity the day of God receives its brightness and is issued out from him by the rayes of his brightnes and is discerned and seen only by the spitual eye of the spiritual man who is the image of the father brought forth in life and in his own nature and quality that is to say from God the Father of life by Christ Jesus the life of men the light of the world and this is the birth which is born from above wch is of the nature of the Father and the Son of the day he only comes to behold this day and discerns all things of the Fathers Kingdom by it and likewise discerns all the hidden things of dishonesty and the works of darknes which are brought forth by the Prince of darkness who is shut up in eternal and utter darkness which is his dwelling place for ever which is his residence and shall be the residence of all the workers of iniquity that bear his image for ever Ob. But some may be ready to say It is not yet appeared and all things are not yet made manifest and that day is not yet come neither hath appeared in this