the World according to the Scripture And thus have I in love unto the seed of God in all propounded these few Queries to the opening of the opening of the understanding of all which have not fully made shipwrack of faith and a good conscience but feeleth something yet left which hungereth and thirsteth after righteousnesse and unto it it the blessing is which will not be nor cannot be satisfied with the talk of the thing but must have the thing it self which is the substance or else it dieth which all which are covered with the shadow of are willing to set to their shoulders by words and actions to persecute but if in a blind zeal they kill the body and think they do God good service in so doing that will not excuse them but they fulfill the Scripture to their own destruction for the servant is not greater then his Master and our reward is with Him in whom I rest in my measure a friend unto all and known unto the Lord in it and to the sons of men by my name as to man Luke Howard AND now a few words unto all you which call your selves Churches gathered out of the World I matter not your names of distinction for that cover will not not hide you the nature and ground being standing which is all one and with the light of Christ Jesus you are seen and made manifest and unto the measure of the same light in you all in whom it is not yet put out I speak and write these lines for you to consider of Whether you be gathered out of the World yea or nay or by what spirit or power you are gathered together for this know that it is not sufficient for you to gather in a heap together and call your selves by the name of the Church of Christ and yet the fruits of the Sprit of Christ not to be found among you but that ground standing which bringeth forth briers and thorns both in you and your Leaders and all such fruit is but for the fire and the wrath of the Lord and therefore for you to pretend to practise such things as the Saints in the dayes past did practise by the leadings of the spirit of life which dwelt in them and so left them on record for the learning of all which are lead by the same spirit which can read them and understand them according as they live in the fulfilling of them for they were the Sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus and as many as are led the same Spirit of God they are the Sons of God now and none else and therefore consider whether the pure Spirit of the Lord have led you to gather together or your own spirits the which yet hath fellowship with the World and can joyn thereto and love the things thereof and this is a true Testimony that the love of the Father is not in such neither are they called out of the World It is true there was a cry once in the hearts of many of you after righteousnesse and there was in your hearts and mindes an inclining to satisfie it and that which cried after righteousnesse was the righteous spirit and seed of God and the manifestation of it was given unto you for to profit withall which cry was against unrighteousnesse for to have been separated indeed from under the burthen of it which did oppresse it as a Cart is oppressed with sheaves that so it might have enjoyed its freedom with the Lord in righteousnesse which is its life but now consider whether you have profited in this which was given unto you to profit withall or whether you have not profited and increased in your own spirit and so have this murdered and by your self-separation are grown harder and harder in sin and iniquity and so through the strength and subtilty thereof have learned how to live in it and to cover it over and to plead for it but wo be to him which covereth his sin and hideth his transgression for he shall not prosper for the hand of the Lord will search out the hidden things of Esau for now consider this in the fear of the Lord that that which in the dayes past bore witnesse against sin and cryed after righteousnesse hath not now changed its nature to become willing to live in sin although its voyce may not be so much heard as in the dayes past because the earth is grown thicker over it then it was yet that which was humble in you and then called for humility and wrought some tendernesse in you is the same still as it s hearkened unto and is not now become proud but beareth witnesse against it still as it s suffered to speak in you and that which was righteous and wrought in you some tendernes in the days past and cryed after righteousnes that it might have had a free life from under the bond of iniquitie hath not now changed his nature to become unrighteous to live in covetousnesse and pride and according to the course of this world to serve the times as oft as they do change and to seek the honour and glory and profit of this world and to joyn thereto but that spirit which can do these things is that which hath murdered this just one and slain the Lamb of God now as ever it hath done from the foundation of the world and here read your selves all you time-serving Professors And therefore as you prize your eternal peace consider of your latter end before it be too late when time shall be no more for then such fruits will be bitter unto you therefore whilst you have time prize it and answer the requirings of the spirit of the Lord by obeying of it and rebel not against it when these things are made manifest by it and sell not your birth-right therein for vain and unprofitable things which in the day of the Lord you will be ashamed of For this honestly consider of whether a foolish custom of words or practises in action or fashions of apparel which riseth out of the carnal heart be not vain and unprofitable although the heart may be so much drawn into the thing that the eye can scarce see or look or the ear hear but the spirit lusteth after all it seeth or heareth and whether the living therein be not rebelling against the light which sometimes checketh in secret for them and whether Rebellion against that that checketh be not as the sin of witch-craft which maketh the heart harder and harder and so much the harder because you are covered with a profession of the Saints life which you are out of and so are in the liberty of the flesh but wo be to him that covereth his sin for he shall not prosper therefore to the light which maketh all things in the heart manifest incline your ear and hear that your soules may live and to it bow and in it wait that you may be compassed about therewith and feel
A FEW Plain Words OF INSTRUCTION Given forth as moved of the Lord for all people whose minds and hearts are inclinable after the way of peace and rest with the Lord which the Leaders of the people in this age have caused them to erre from and have forgotten their resting place With a true Testimony for the Lord and his power which gathereth out of the World and against all gathered and not by the true Jesus the Saviour of the soul Gods Salvation and Rock of Ages from everlasting to everlasting And a Testimony against all blind guides and foolish builders which would make the word of God the word of faith in the heart and in the mouth of no effect by their own Imaginations and so bringeth forth the Hypocrites hope and so leaveth and people in Egypt and Sodom where they found them where our Lord was and is crucified And this is a true Testimony in righteousness born unto all the World for the Truths sake which is better then life it self by him who is known to many by name Luke Howard LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons at the Bull and Mouth neer Aldersgate 1658. ON the eleventh day of the third Moneth 1658. as I stood at my labour in my outward calling with my mind staid on the Lord and my thoughts exercised in his Law which is light the state and condition of the deceived and the deceiving Preachers of these times came into my mind and their unrighteousness was laid before me as it had been many a time before by which the people have been and are deceived and perisheth for want of knowledge so I was moved of Lord in the clear spirit of truth to propound these queries for the seed sake which is kept in bondage in all people which are led by such blind guides to the making manifest some part of their unclean spirit which ruleth in them and in all people which are lead by them which liveth out of the Truth the which truth maketh free all which liveth in it and therefore is their anger kindled against all which are made free by it because they are in bondage to the spirit of this world and so have a life in another thing then in the truth of the Lord God who made the World and all things therein which dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipped by mens hands seeing he giveth life and breath unto all for that end alone that all should live unto him and praise his great and glorious Name which is known over all as all stand in the Covenant of life and light with him in which they were created And seeing that this God is very much professed and little known and lesse worshiped in the spirit and in the truth although there be so many worshippers of him in words of all sorts they all worshipping they know not what being out of the Covenant wherein they were created even of the light wherein the true knowledge and worship of God standeth and therefore as one which hath obtained mercy and by it brought into Covenant again do I propound these Queries in love unto all to consider of and let the witnesse of God in all consciences answer Quere 1. WHether God be not all light and in him is no darkness at all And whether this were not and be not the message which the Saints and Ministers of Christ were and are now to preach according to the Scriptures Quere 2. Whether Jesus Christ be not the light of the World and hath not enlightened every one which cometh into the World And whether all which believeth in his light shall not come out of darkness and feel and witness the light of light according to the Scriptures Quere 3. Whether God and Christ in the light be not one according to the Scriptures And although many may and do say so because it is left on Record by the spirit of Truth which dwelt in the Children of light yet whether any can come unto the true knowledge of it but by the mistery of faith held in a pure concience And whether all men be not without that faith by nature and whether any can come unto that faith until they believe in the light which shineth in the heart to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ which is eternal life as it is abided in according to the Scripture Quere 4. Whether Christ Jesus the Covenant of Light doth not proceed from the Father and God of Light as a free gift of grace unto man shining in his heart to make manifest with the Spirit of Truth the thoughts and intents of the heart for to keep man from the committing of actions which are evil which are first committed in the thoughts of the heart where the alienation stands And whether this be not the condemnation of all which are condemned that they turn from the Covenant of God and do not set to their seales by believing in it the Covenant of light And whether this the Covenant of light be not the way of God for all to meet him in and to work righteousness in by casting off the workes and deeds of darknesse which by the light in the heart are made manifest And whether all which doth joyn unto the light by believing in it doth not joyne unto God in Christ Jesus in the new Covenant which God maketh with his people which is written in the heart and put into the inward parts wherein the light shineth according to the Scripture Quere 5 And whether all unrighteousnesse be not sin and whether he which committeth sin be not of the Devil and whether he which loveth so to do be not brought forth into the image of the Devil and whether any which will not cast off what by the light is made manifest to be evil doth not love their sins and hate the light and so joyning unto the evil shut themselves out of Covenant with God in the light and so remaineth in the Covenant of death and darknesse and so under the bond of iniquity And whether any which therein stand be fit to preach unto others the way of God which is life and light and if any do presume to use their tongues to preach to others in that state then whether all such be not hypocrites and vain talkers intruding into such things as they never saw from the Lord in the Covenant of light but have learned it by nature and tradition and so are vainly puft up in their fleshly mindes and whether they are not those who shall never profit the people at all they having gotten as it were a form of Godlinesse but denying the power thereof which standeth in the Covenant of light and whether all people which have been followers of such be not to turn away from them and to turn to Christ Jesus Gods Covenant of light which he hath freely given as a free gift of grace unto all men
will eternally condemn you from his presence although you may say in your hearts you hope it will not for now the grace of God is the light of Christ Jesus which sheweth to man sin and unrighteousnesse for this end that all might be led out of it and to bring in everstaing righteousnesse that the spirit thereof might rule and have the government upon his shoulders alone whose habitation is onely in the light and therefore if that spirit work in the mind and rule in the heart whose life is in darknesse and out of the bounds of the heart bringing forth the deeds of darknesse and yet say you have hope in God which is light and in him is no darknesse at all is not this the hope of the Hypocrite to think you may live in Dives his nature all your life time and yet have Lazarus his possession when you can no longer live therein For this consider wherefore you were created but to glorifie your Creator in your spirits and in and with your bodies which is but your reasonable service and to live unto God in all things and not unto your selves and therefore be still and consider and let the witnesse of God in all conciences answer before it be too late and there be no remedy And if you sow to the flesh how can you think you can reap the fruits of the spirit and if you sow to your lust how can you think you shall reap the fruits of chastity and if you sow to the spirit of pride can you hope to reap the fruits of humility and if you sow to the spirit of this world whose life is in the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life and covetousnesse and all things which are not of God and how can you say or think it possible you should reap the fruits of the Spirit of God by which he calleth and all the day long stretcheth out his hand by it that so he might have the heart it to guide and rule to the bringing forth fruit to him and not to your selves for herein is our heavenly Father glorified when fruit to his spirit is brought forth and all herein rare approved of with the Lord and all such condemned already which believeth not in him which giveth the victory over the spirit of this World which spirit cannot live if it be not fed with the fruit thereof and therefore consider he which liveth in pleasure is dead whilst he lives and he which liveth wantonly on the earth crucifieth the just and he which is covetous is an Idolatour and all such are shut out of the Kingdom of God which the Spirit of Jesus the true light leadeth unto and are amongst the dogs and swine in the devouring nature ready to quarrel both in words and actions about the words and things of God which are not theirs and here may all Hypocrites read their portion who can make a profession and plead for it and with the same mind and by the same spirit plead and quarrel against the Saints and against the perfect righteousness of God to be injoyed in this life and so opposeth the command of God and the gift of God and the work of God by Jesus Christ which is to purchase unto himself a Church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing and so maketh as much as in them lies the Word of God of none effect by their own imaginations which word is near in the heart and in the mouth and as it is believed in it is ingrafted in the heart and it is able to save the soul from sin and that is its effect to all which believe in it for the Word of God is the life of God and the life of God is the light of men and the light of men is Jesus the Saviour of all which believe in him and his Name is called the Word of God the entrance whereof giveth life and he hath so appeared in this the day of his power to be the word of life from the dead a quickning spirit to many faithfull and true Witnesses of his resurrection and his life even him who was dead and is a live and behold he liveth for ever more everlasting praises be unto him and glory for ever and he will so appear unto all which wait for him and ask the way to Zion with their faces thither-ward and backs set to Aegypts Land never there to return again but now here is a great talk at this day of Zion and the way there and some presume to be Leaders to her and builders of her waste places again which the wild bore of the forest hath layed waste but where among them all are they to be found whose faces are set to Zion and their backs to Aegypt for the chief corner stone hath been and is neglected by them all even that on which all the building should stand Christ Jesus the light of the World and Rock of Ages and so although they have and may talk of the way to Zion and of building up of her walls yet their faces have been and now are much more then in the days past set to Aegypts land of darknesse and bondage wherein our Lord was and is Crucified for now consider honestly this thing whilst a man asketh the way to Zion that is to say the place of Gods habitation which the Lord hath chosen for his rest and yet his face set to Egypt that is to say the place of the Devils habitation with his mind and heart in pride and covetousnesse or after any thing which is not of God he is not like to come to Zion although he may talk of it in words but it stands not in words for the King and Law giver thereof his appearance is and will be dreadful to all such the workers of iniquity for the proud and all which do wickedly shall be unto him as stubble is unto the fire and therefore this know plainly that if you ask the way to Zion aright your faces must be thither-ward and your backs full set to Aegypt that is to say your minds and hearts set against all the deeds of darknesse which as you love the light and so bring all your deeds unto it you will come to see and feell the power of the Lord you to lead out of the land of darknesse into his mervellous light for the gift of God the light which shineth in the heart it shineth for this very end and purpose to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ Gods salvation from sin which is so made unto all which believe in him as he is the true light of the World and the wisdom of God and the power of God to keep in the daily crosse which the wise builders have and do leave behind as a thing too low and mean for them to build in and therefore have been and are ashamed of it but to us it is the mighty power of God unto Salvation by which we are crucified unto the World and the World unto us so that we can say with the Saints which are gone before everlastlasting praises be unto our God for ever that we are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ for it is the mighty power of God unto Salvation to every one that believeth for the Gospel is the power and the Crosse is the power and hereon and herein we build that which the gates of Hell and death cannot destroy because it is founded on the Rock of Ages Christ Jesus the light of the World he that hath an ear to hear let him hear and he that readeth let him understand and he which can receive it let him And thus in plain words have I born my testimony unto the World as a witnesse against all the foolish builders and deceivers and blind guides which therein live and this of them I have to say yet not I but the Lord that of all men in the World their condition is the most miserable because there is very few of them if any which doth not sin against their knowledge and so are desperate Hypocrites for pieces of bread and handfuls of barley to maintain themselves their Wives and Children in pride and idlenesse and so murder in their way by consent to the fulfilling of the Scriptures to their own destruction And this is my Testimony to all men in righteousnesse for my God through Jesus Christ my Saviour my righteousnesse wisdom sanctification and redemption God over all hell and death blessed for ever Luke Howard THE END
that will receive him to be their teacher and to learn of him alone according to the Scripture Quere 6. And whether all which love and live in sin and unrighteousnesse and yet will presume to preach the words of righteousnesse recorded in the Scripture of truth be not such as steal the words now as the false Prophets did whom the Lord was against And whether the Lord be not against them now as ever he was and whether they be not such as run when the Lord never sent them and so shall never profit the people at all no more then they did And whether all such Preachers may not as well be known now as in the days past by their fruits for can we gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles now any more than they could then and may we not know them now by their fruits as they did then which preacht for filthy lucres sake and through feigned words and covetous practises makes merchandise of the people every one looking for his gain from his quarter that so he may feed himself with the fat and cloath himself with the wool but he starveth the flock and if any for conscience sake cannot put into their mouths they even prepare war against them now as they did then and of this sort are all such preachers as rebell against the light as the prophets Testimony of them is And are we any more to uphold them now then the children of light were then or are we not to bear our publick Testimony against them now as they did then according to the whole current of Scripture Quere 7. Whether all which liveth in the practise of that horrible and filthy thing which was committed in the Land of Israel as it is now in the land of England to the far exceeding of them as the Priest preaching for hire and the Prophets prophecying for money and the peoples loving to have it so be not as much now to be witnessed against as it was then And whether it be not as great an evil and as much to be taken notice of by our God now as it was then for his Witnesses to be evilly entreated now as they were then to the great shame of the name of a Christian who hath stole the name and lost the nature and so bringeth forth contrary fruit even such as the Lord will repay with vengeance according to the words of his Son Jesus Christ the same yesterday as to day and for ever the Rock of Ages and foundation of all truth according to the Scripture Quere 8. And whether all which live in sin and love so to do which can run from Town to Town and from Parish to Parish and from Ship to Ship for gifts and rewards and so preach as to get the peoples money by flattery and daubing of them up with untempered morter in telling them they are that which the witnesse of God in their consciences telleth them they are not and if they cannot so have the wages of unrighteousnesse the peoples money then they will take it by the force of a carnal pretended Law which is without all grounds for it but any way to have it will serve their turn Whether all such be not Rebels against the power of the Lord Jesus and against the Covenant of God wherein the sure mercies of David are injoyed and the glory of Israel is witnessed even the free covenant of light in which the true Prophets did and doth stand which as a light unto the feet and a lanthorn unto the pathes it compasseth the minds of all the Children of light and so guideth them out from under the teachings of all such evil-minded men and seducers for they wax worse and worse through covetousnesse so the one he buildeth up a wall and the other he daubeth it with untempered morter and so they keep up that alive which should be put to death and put to death that which should be kept alive and as the false Prophets ever did whose damnation slumbereth not according to the Scripture Quere 9. Whether all which live in sin and love so to do and yet will presume to use their tongues to preach to others from the words of the Scriptures of truth be not now as great theeves as the false Prophets of old were who stole the true Prophets words and said Thus saith the Lord when the Lord never spoke unto them and though they spoke true words yet they could not profit the people because they stole them and did not speak from the spirit of truth the life of righteousnesse made manifest in them and so although they did swear the Lord liveth which was true words yet they swore falsely and how can that spirit now speak Truth which could the speak nothing but falsehood hood although they did speak true words for now for a man which liveth in sin and loveth it for him to preach to another of the true Ministers lives recorded in the Scriptures because they lived according to their words which are true words that doth not make him righteous neither doth his words reach to the witnesse of God which is righteous in every mans conscience which heareth him and so none are able to learn righteousnesse by him because that spirit is head in him and speaketh the words which hath a life in sin and unrighteousnesse as covetousnesse pride and what not for from one root doth all sin proceed and so the blind leadeth the blinde and all must needs fall into the ditch according to the Scripture Quere 10 And so whether that which is given unto every man to profit withall and to lead man out of sin up to God be not by them murdered and that which the Devil hath begotten in man which is the seed of the Serpent whose life is in sin and therefore wil plead for it be not by them nourished and kept alive and this is just contrary the one unto the other and unto the promises of God unto man that the seed of the woman shall break the head of the Serpent and this was and is all that ever the righteous Ministers of God ever travelled and laboured for to bring forth the seed of the Woman whose name is called the Word of God to rule in the heart by which the creature was and is made able to do the will of God and here was and is the blessing of the promises felt as this birth is felt but the Devil who was the murderer from the beginning of this birth and abode not in the truth which is the light and in all which are from the Covenant of light doth he rule and labour to carry on his old work to keep people from believing in the light the Covenant of God wherein the ability standeth and is received to destroy and overcome the power of hell and death which is his Kingdom so can all the Children of light truly say greater is he which is in us then he which is in
the righteous power of life which in it is made manifest the tongue to bridle and the whole man to govern or else your profession is all in vain and it is cursed as is your pride and all unrighteousnesse for now for a proud and covetous man in his proud and covetous mind to professe Religion that doth not make him righteous nor change his heart nor yet his looking into the Scriptures of Truth and with that Spirit which leadeth out the mind to pride and covetousnesse read them over and imagine and think how the Saints in dayes past were separated from the World and so catcheth up something in his carnal mind which causeth him to get into some heap of people or other called a Church and so remaineth still ignorant of that which changeth the heart for that which changeth the heart separated them from the World and gathered them out of it and caused them to bear a righteous Testimony against the World and is the condemnation of all which believeth not in it and the salvation of all which believeth in it and profiteth by it and answereth its requirings by obeying of it and casting off every weight and burthen which doth so easily beset it that it may arise which will be made able through the power of him that reareth it to run with patience the race of righteousness set before it which race cannot be seen nor what is to be be cast off known but as the mind is stayed in the light which maketh all things manifest that is reproveable by it And therefore all you which love and serveth the unjust power which leadeth the heart and mind to sin and keeps the just under suffering under the power of iniquity in captivity to your lust to you I say it seemeth but a small thing to you to blaspheme the light of Christ which shineth in the heart and maketh all things manifest which opposeth the seed of God this you can call natural light or natural conscience as often as you please as the dark power moveth in your minds because your tongues are your own but such names the Scriptures never called it by so your blasphemy will rest upon to bear when the light must be your condemner and judge but this I know if you did not love your evil deeds and hate the light as the Scripture saith I am sure you would not so call it neither could you so blaspheme it For now consider this that spiritual wickednesse in the heart which maketh desolate the soul standeth where it ought not to stand cannot be made manifest by a natural light but that must of necessity be spiritual which maketh manifest spiritual wickednesse and leadeth out of it and this is the whole work of the power of darknesse to keep peoples hearts from believing in the light and to place a prejudice in the mind against it least it should make him manifest and the ground in which his power standeth and so his Kingdom should come to be destroyed which will be as the light is believed in and this Testimony I bear for the Lord unto his light against all the blasphemers of it in the whole world And therefore all you which are got into heaps and call your selves the Church of Christ and yet can plead against the light of Christ which leadeth into the Church of God which is in Christ Jesus the Rock of Ages as he is the light of the World Do not you manifest your selves to be gathered and separated onely in words and by a wrong Spirit and so by your fruits declare your selves but to be the Synagogue of Satan begotten by the prince of pride and father of lies who hath taught you to blaspheme to call your selves Saints in saying you are separated from the World and yet differ in your practise nothing from the World except it be to exceed them in wickednesse for to live in sin and to be able to plead for it the which many of them are ashamed to do and so the Publican and Harlot may enter into the kingdom of God before yee So upon a true search and weighing of you in the true ballance and measuring of you by a just measure I cannot finde you to be but the worst of men and the greatest enemies to the Crosse of Jesus which are this day living and not wrong you at all And this Testimony I must needs give of the greatest part of you that ever I met with that it is the greatest work you find to do to plead for sin and for to live in it as long as you live in the body so you shew what Lord you serve and whom you are willing to serve as long as you can serve him and yet you say you hope to be glorified with the Saints in light and to have an inheritance among them which are sanctified Is not this the hope of the Hypocrite and will it not perish for where will you be sanctified Not by imputed righteousnesse as you call it in your dark minds whilest you live in sin and sinning against the light and power of him who is the true light and power to destroy and take away sin and the ground of it And therefore this consider how you will by your principles escape holding of a Purgatory when you are dead let the wise in heart which live by faith judge so of the worst of men in practise and one with the Papist in judgement I find you to be and yet do you no wrong at all in so saying of you neither do I write this to upbraid you God is my witnesse but to make manifest your ignorance to the view of your understanding that you may see you are not separated as you say you are from the World but as the father of lies hath deceived your hearts and so made you a perfect Synagogue for himself to dwell in and among whilst he ruleth in the heart and guideth your tongues to plead against the perfect light of Christ Jesus the true Saviour of the soul from sinne and calleth it naturall and so undervalueth it as a thing too low for you to walk by and as if you had a higher light to walk by when thousands can witnesse to the glory of the Lord and the praise of his grace that the light which you call natural and low leadeth out of sin and giveth victory over it whereas that which you call a higher light and spiritual you are forced to confess doth not so lead you out of sin but that it leaveth a root for you to plead for and to remain un-cut up as long as you live And whether yours be the Lords Axe which cuts up the corrupt tree by the root let the pure witnesse of God in your consciences answer And so whether that which you call spirital and high or that which you call natural and low be the true light of the Lord which he hath given to be salvation to the ends of