A VOICE FROM HEAVEN TO THâ—COMMON-WEALTH OF ENGLAND With Additions Printed in the Yeer 1653. For ever O Lord thy word is setled in heaven Some said it thundred others said an Angel spake Jesus answered and said This voice came not because of me but for your sake Now is the judgement of this world now shall the Prince of this world be cast out Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come It is time for thee O Lord to work for they have made void thy Law Arise O Lord into thy rest thou and the Ark of thy strength let thy Priests be cloathed with righteousnesse and let thy Saints shout for joy for thy servant Davids sake turn not away the face of thine anoynted To the Reader COurteous Reader these things have been under a bushell these nine moneths so that I was in travaile untill now as you see my condition Jer. 30. 6 â— 8 9. to bring forth a King even to raise up David I complained unto many but I found no assistance how I might set forth this light to all that are in the house and especially to them that are in the House of Parliament and to print it that it might no longer lie upon my conscience as a heavy burthen but appear generally before the world untill at last being overwhelmed with sorrow I made my complaint unto God who in an extraordinary manner within twenty four hours did send me help and therefore I praised God and admired his providence in these things And now beloved I present these things unto you which are no ordinary things And as they came to me from God which caused me to tremble at his Word Isa. 66. 2. 5. so I wish ye would seriously receive them For I must needs confess we doe not read the Scripture nor look into it with that holy reverence as is requisite for so great a word of Majesty but play with it as with a Pamphlet that is to day and to morrow is cast aside so that it is turned to wantonness and vaine pleasure more then purity and powerfull practice And therefore I beseech you heare the Word of the Lord ye that tremble at his Word Isa. 66. 2. 5. And to the rest I say Be ye not mockers lest your bonds be made strong for I have heard from the Lord God of Hosts a consumption even determined upon the whole earth Arise Evans A VOICE FROM HEAVEN TO THE Commonwealth of England WElbeloved though I have not expressions fitted for all sorts of people to declare my matter intended yet my desire is That all might understand me that the highest would bow down his eare the lowest strive to understand also I hope you will take what I shall make out in plain termes with good will and not expect nor respect the fine phrases of complements but truth though in a mean habit will I hope by you be judged worthy of love and acceptation And to vindicate my self against every spirit that shall rise against me I will shew ye First that I have taken the Engagement that is To be true to this Commonwealth as it now stands without a King or House of Lords Now if I should be silent and see the great evill that I see coming upon this State and Commonwealth and not give timely warning that in some measure by repentance it might be prevented I should be false to the Commonwealth Therefore I do discharge my conscience in faithfulnesse to it because I am bound by the Engagement so to do so my conscience doth witnesse to me which conscience of mine by Gods assistance I shall keep clear by declaring unto you the truth that is opened to us in the word of God for us to take notice of it that we may know the truth and be assured that God doth manifest it to the end that all might be inexcuseable upon the day that is coming because there is a day nigh at hand in which God will judge the world by a man which he hath appointed by the word of Jesus Christ in righteousnesse And this man is not Jesus but a man ordained appointed and sent by the Father and his Son Jesus who in righteousnesse will judge and make war And this man will be known by his rising from the dead not in that body that he died in but in a body of his own seed in which he will rise and raign for ever And not only so but the Lord Jesus will raign in him for ever and ever So that all this is done for the glory of the Lord Jesus the fulfilling of his promise the manifestation of the true rest for his people who are yet tossed to and fro with every wind of Doctrine and without rest Neither would I have you to mistake me as if by this I said that there is no resurrection but what is here mentioned For I shall shew you hereafter the true faith which I believed But here I shew you that this is a singular resurrection to a person offered up among the Gentiles as that was of Jesus among the Jewes And of both these the Apostle speaks Rom. 15. verse 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16. Where first he shews that the coming of Jesus and the offering of him up was to fulfill the promise made to the Fathers of the Jews Nation and after speaks of a person to reign amongst the Gentiles and of their offering up of him and he that is offered up must be no lesse than a King Of this King there is much spoken in Scripture he must be also of the root of Jesse not by a carnall generation but begotten of immortall seed by the bloud of Jesus And on this King Jesus layes so much honor in the Gospell and of this King he saith that he will raise him up at the last day And Jesus when he ascended sate at the right hand of God expecting till this King came to subdue all the enemies of Jesus under his feet For all things were not subdued to Jesus though he were crowned in the Apostles time yet not in possession of his Kingdome till this King came This is that King of Kings that Jesus holds forth this is that King that overcometh and therefore possesseth all things that overcame and is taken into the Throne of Jesus to sit with him as Jesus overcame and was taken into the Fathers Throne This indeed is the third person and whosoever speaks against him shall never be pardoned because that on him the Holy Ghost is fully manifested that all the Scripture is opened and fulfilled in him and Jesus fully magnified by this person For the King is the Ensign of God that is set up the second time to bring all Nations to the faith of Jesus
we find marks by which they are signified that we might know them from all others at the appearance of their persons to the world The Son of Anne was King Charles And this Prophet doth so agree with that of Rev. 10. 7. as if it were the same Angell sent afterwards to certifie of the time when the seventh Angell doth sound And it is now which in Scripture is called the end of the world in regard of the great alteration destruction persecution to come into the world as if all things were destroyed and made new again Divers of the Prophets of the Old Testament spake of the end as in Dan. 11. 27. 30 31 32 33 34 35. Dan. 12. 8. 13. Hab. 2. some of them call it the day of the Lord a dark day a great and notable day a gloomy day a day neither light nor dark Amos 5. 18 19. Ioel 2. 31. Zeph. 1. 14 15 16 17 18. Zach. 1. 14. 6 7 8. a day of decision to decide the long controversie between the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the Woman It is also to be observed how the Prophet against this time of decision sends a Proclamation to the Gentilâ—s invites them to come to this great work to fight end the controversie and bids them beat now their plow-shares into swords and pruning hooks into spears Ioel 3. 9. 10 11 12 13 14. and after the victory is obtained then the Prophet Isaiah and Micah in the same words bids them beat their swords into plow-shares and spears into pruning hooks for they shall learn war no more Isa. 2. 2 3 4 5. Micah 4. 1 2 3 4. and it is called a day of Judgment given to the Saints that they may possesse the Kingdome for ever and ever Dan. 7. 22. In the new Testament there also is much spoken of the end Mat. 24. 6. 13 14 15. and now the end is come the abhomination of desolation standeth in the holy place that is every foolish man gets up into the Pulpit and powreth out his folly Now the false Christs and false Prophets appeare every one would feigne himselfe to come in the name of the Lord as if he were sent indeed and none but he aâ—ight One sets up his way another saith as much and sets up his way so that you may see what times we live in by these appearances The Independent saith here is Christ the Presbyterian saith Lo here is Christ the Anabaptists saith Loe here is Christ and so all other Sects cry Now consider the words of the Lord Christ by which you may know that none of the wayes now tolerated and in such great esteem is the way of salvation neither shall they be saved that continue in any of these wayes for at this time when all men are suffered to be of what Religion they please yet you shall find that the faith of Gods Elect is forbidden and true Religion with the professors thereof according to the words of Christ persecuted and driven from their habitations for the Elect must endure and flie untill the Lord come as lightening to lighten the earth to give them hope and assured knowledge that Judgement is coming upon their persecutors for you know that we are exhorted by Christ to compare what we see in his Word with the things done in our times for he gives us true signs and then saith he when ye see these things begin to come to passe know that your redemption draweth nigh And again by these signs you may know which is the faith of Gods Elect who are the Elect of God and where this faith is found Tit. 1. 1. Mat. 24. 13. 16. 20. 27. Mat. 24. 15. 32 33. Mar. 13. 7. 8. 14. 28 29. Luk. 21. 28 29 30 31. First the Faith of Gods Elect is where the abomination reigneth though under persecution that 's clear Mat. 24. 15. Here under this state we see the abomination therefore here are the faithfull found Secondly the abomination cannot be said to reign but in one certain country where the Elect are planted and if possible the abomination should have his full time no flesh should be saved Mat. 24. 22. And it is evidently seen that the abomination reigneth here in England therefore if the Elect be destroyed here there is no more seed left to propagate Isa. 1. 9. Thirdly consider there is but one way of salvation but many false wayes 2 Pet. 2. 2. and he that endureth in that way continually notwithstanding what he may suffer for it he shall be saved Mat. 24. 13. Fourthly consider that when every other way is tolerated then this true way is persecuted and forced to flie Mat. 24. 15. 16. 23. 25. 26. Fifthly consider that the false wayes at this time are far more glorious then the way of truth and so prevalent that if it were possible they should deceive the very Elect Mat. 24. 23 24 25 26. Sixthly consider that the Elect are no where els but here in England so tyed to this place that if the faith of Gods Elect were destroyed here there should be none sav'd Mat. 24. 22. Seventhly consider that if the faith of Gods Elect were anywhere else found it could not be subject to dangers as it seems to be for if it were destroyed here in this land we should find it in some other But the case is not so for he doth specifie a certain place by the name of Iudea Mat. 24. 16. where these things shall be seen and it is evident that Iudea to be here for here the signes are seen England is the place therefore here and no where else is this faith found And it is evident to be the faith of King Edward Queen Elizabeth King Iames King Charles and if destroyed here where else to be found And to shew you that the Romish Faith now is not the Faith of Gods Elect it was determined that some should depart from the faith before the day of God came 2 Thes. 2. 1 2 3. and accordingly they have departed as you may see their actions noted unto us 1 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. by their forbidding their Priests to marry and commanding to abstaine from meats which things they do And after their departing it was determined that there should be a reformation in the Church made by publique authority according to the mind of God which reformation or form of worship is called a form of godlinesse and the authors of that form are justified and called good men 2 Tim. 3 4 5. And then it was decreed that a company of Traytors should come and deny the power of this form and say the form is not of power to make men godly and this you may see in 2. Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. And they are compared to the Sorcerers of Egypt because they withstand this forme and the authors of it as those Sorcerers did Moses who was also sent of God and gave the Law And these
Parliament being Executioners of Gods judgements upon them yet they are owned of God as his Elect of which he will save a remnant In ver. 10. ye have the word directed to you Rulers of London in these words Heare the word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodome give care to the Law of our God ye people of Gomorah In ver. 11 12 13 14 15. God doth reprove you sharply for coming to his presence and doing such things by which ye think to please him as your daies of humiliation your daies of thanksgiving your solemn private meetings But God abhors these from you saying he will not hear you for your hands are full of bloud as if he should say ye break the right proceeding of this Parliament by suffering tumults at the beginning to go to Westminster to the Parliament and wrest judgement therefore upon you lies the bloud that ha's been spilt all this time In verse 16 17. ye have the law promised in verse 10. being these words wash you make you clean put away the evill of your doing from before mine eyes cease to do evill learn to do well seek judgement right the oppressed plead for the widdow judge the fatherlesse which widdow is the Queen and the fatherlesse are the Kings children which ye are to right and plead for if you will obey the voice of the Lord for he saith not widdowes but widdow as ye have it also in the 23. verse of this chapter In ver. 18. ye have the promise annexed to the performance of this law in these words though your sins be like scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool In ver. 19 20. ye have your choice whether you will do this law or no with a promise and a threatning in these words if ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the fruit of the Land But if ye refuse and rebell ye shall be devoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it In verse 21. 22. the Lord laments the fall ofLondon from its former state saying how is the faithfull City become an harlot it was full of Judgement righteousnesse lodged in it but now murtherers thy silver is become drosse thy wine mixed with water In verse 23. 24. he chargeth the Rulers with Rebellion Thievery Covetousnesse and giving a hint at what he required before in verse16 17. saith he they judge not the Fatherlesse neither doth the cause of the widdow come unto them and because of this neglect Ah! saith God with indignation I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies In verse 25. 26. to the City of London hesaith in these words and I will turn mine hand upon thee and purely purge away thy drosse take away all thy tin and I will restore thy Judges as at the fiast and thy Councellours as at the beginning meaning King Henry KingEdward and Queen Elizabeths time afterwards thou shalt be called the City of righteousnesse the faithfull City In verse 27. he saith of the Church now under persecution Sion shall be redeemed with Judgement and her converts with righteousnesse In verse 28. 29. 30. 31. ye have againe the transgressions mentioned and that ye shall hereafter be ashamed of this Parliament which wa desired of many who thought it would be for their building and flourishing which Parliamen is signified there by Oaks for strength and by a garden for flourishing But saith he of this Parliament it shall be as an oaken leaf that fadeth and as a garden that hath no water and the strong shall be as Tow that is the Parliament and the maker of it as a spark that is their party and they shall both burn together and none shall quench them It is here plain to be seen in these chapters Amos the 8. and the 9. and Isaiah 1. verse after verse what this Parliament hath done and what is decreed upon them I know not how to help them except they repent And now I will shew my petition unto them To the most Honorable high Court of Parliament at Westminster The humble Petition of Arise Evans dwelling in Black Fryers desiring your attentive reading of all and your serious Consideration of it HUMBLY SHEVVVNO THat the Petitioner having taken the Engagement will without doubt be true to it and to the utmost of his power be a means to save the Governours though the Government fall which fall in the eyes of men is impossible in regard of outward provision But the Petitioner seeing this State by the spirit of God saith it is impossible for it to stand and its time is limited very short which if the Petitioner find acceptance it shall be manifested unto you he being pierced through with sorrow for you to his very heart at the apprehension of it seeing no way to prevent the judgement but the way of peace And humbly to give your Honors a glimmering of what he seeth determined upon you He beseecheth you to consider Amos 9. where first you shall see Lintell the Speaker of your house smitten and the last of the house also signified and what follows to the 10. verse and from that to the end you see the Kings Tabernacle or Court built again Here is but a touch for you and God doth not desire to slay men who are his creatures but to slay sinne neither will God save men in their own wayes by their sword but by his spirit Now if the Petitioner find acceptance he shall by this Declaration free himself from the bloud of all men May it please your Honours to send a Clark to the Petitioner that he may communicate to you by his knowledge the great things of God pertaining to your salvation at large open the Scriptures where you shall see the secrets of times disclosed your actions discovered the things past present and to come revealed and your onely way of salvation shewed And without pride the Petitioner saith he is assured by Scripture by Visious by many other infallible signs agreeable with Scripture that he onely is appointed of God and none but he on earth can shew the like and administer unto you the knowledge of salvation And your Petitioner shall ever pray c. Setemb 1. 1651. Arise Evans This Petition was delivered upon the day dated abovesaid to the Honorable Sir Gilbert Pickering a Member of the House of Parliament and the Councell of State Who promised to shew it to some of the House and afterward told me that he had shewn it and that then it was with the Lord Generall So that it was published to them so far as possibly I could I have also given the Exposition of the eighth and nineth of Amos to Mr. Hugh Peter with other notes of the same purpose to him but my request is not regarded I did also direct to the Honorable Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen these things and delivered them on the