To all the Inhabitants of the Earth, this is sent as a Warning from the Lord, who hath been long grieved with a sinful and an adulterous generation; but against the fullness of transgression hath prepared vials full of wrath to cast upon the head of wicked and ungodly men.  
Here is also the vain traditional Worship of both priest and people (in short) plainly made manifest to all those that are not willing to remain in ignorance, which for many years hath overspread the whole world; but now is the son of righteousness arising, which discovereth all deceivers and deceivableness, and causeth the lowly meek and innocent to understand wisdom.  Written by a servant of the Lord, who is known to you by the name of John Higgins. 
I Whom the Lord hath called out amongst you, and redeemed me from the abominations that is committed amongst you, and hath set me as a sign and a wonder, and my name is become a reproach in the mouths of fools and children, and am looked upon as one unto whom some strange thing had happened, and am despised and rejected by those that were my companions in wickedness and mischief, in the days wherein I walked according to the course of this world: But before the strength of sin was perfected in me, the Lord in the riches of his love called me, and plucked me as a brand out of the fire, yea the goodness of God was so, that oftentimes (though young in years when I was in the ways of sin and evil) the witness of God in my own conscience accused, and let me see the evil of my ways, and then my own heart condemned me in secret, which caused me many times to mourn and walk sadly in the sensible feeling of the Lord's just judgement in my heart and conscience against the evil of my ways, though not so wicked and common in all gross sins as many of my familiars were, yet was I not free from fear and torment in my own heart: And in this estate I went often to the place called the Church, thinking thereby to get peace in my own heart, and by the knowledge of God I thought there to find; but from thence I came mourning and troubled in spirit, because in that which is called good duties I found no peace, nor satisfaction to the oppressed in me, and here I witnessed truly that sin was to me a burden; so that many times I went apart into the fields to pray and mourn in secret, desiring nothing more than the knowledge of the only true God which saves from sin, for the want of which was my sorrow: so after a time in this condition, the Lord heard the true desires, and raised a swift witness in me, that the ways of man were evil continually, and that self must be denied, and a cross to it must be borne, and so the life of Christ Jesus was manifest unto me, which being known and received, redemption from sin and salvation from condemnation was witnessed according to the measure of Faith in Christ the Light, by which sin is made manifest; so the knowledge of the pure God was revealed, (even contrary to the imaginations of man in the sensual wisdom) and he being known and his judgements received, the hard heart is broken and the darkness expelled, and his fear which is a shield against sin is witnessed, whereby the heart is kept pure and clean in his sight, and here to stand a witness for God, against all that talk of his name and fear, but know not the life and strength thereof.  
And now hath the Lord opened my mouth, to declare in faithfulness and truth the things which I have seen, and am a witness against; even the great abominations that is committed amongst you Inhabitants of England, the sound of which rings into other Countries, and your lewdness doth exceed many other places, and your sins are more in number then the sins of Sodom, or many other places which the Lord hath overthrown for their wickedness, because they repented not, but refused to know the Lord: Therefore harken and consider, for assuredly the Lord hath a controversy against you, because there is no knowledge of God amongst you, but altogether walking in vanity and in uncleanness, for your young men are wild and wanton, whose minds runs after women and strong drink, and the aged men and women are living and delighting themselves in vanity and lewdness, even the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life; so that the knowledge of God is even rejected, and oppression, covetousness, and deceitful dealing is received and exalted amongst you, and much of the Creatures of the Lord is destroyed amongst you, through the lust and excess, and that abominable sin of drunkenness you are highly guilty of, and lying, and swearing, and pride, and grievous exaction in your buying and selling is found amongst you, especially in a time of quick tradeing, and through the abundance of this unrighteous gain and ease in the flesh, you are grown gross and fat, that you are even as the Beasts that is fitted for the slaughter. And this is not the number of thy transgressions, but you are set against the Lord, and being heart-blind you know it not, neither desire the knowledge of his ways, but despitefully use them that are sent amongst you, for several times hath the Lord brought me amongst you to bear witness against you sin, and idolatrous worship, and once was I hailed out of your Synagogue, and once beaten in your streets, and often stoned and mocked, with my friends and brethren with me; yea all this is done, and few there be that lay it to heart; and because judgement is not executed upon you speedyly, therefore your hearts are bent to do wickedly, but assuredly the day of the Lord is at hand, wherein all these things will be brought to your remembrance, and your own hearts and consciences shall condemn you in that day, when he brings his judgement near unto you, for he hath long born your sins, and given you rest and fruitful seasons, and his goodness hath not been restrained from you, but in all this you have not known him, but his grace and mercy herein hath been turned into wantonness, and to the lust and liberty of the flesh.  
Woe, Woe, to all drunkards, for the day will come, wherein the Wine and the strong drink shall be restrained, then shall they weep and howl for thirst and not be satisfied, and woe unto all you whose delight and life is in any creature, for the Lord hath determined to make the earth empty and desolate, and all the glory of man to deface; for verily I have heard from the Lord a voice of terrible judgement, which will make all the Inhabitants of the earth to fear and tremble, for the Lord in his judgement will be known, because in his mercy man knows him not; therefore repent, repent whilst his mercy is, before the day of desolation, and misery come.  
Then woe unto you who have been the teachers of this people, who for filthy lucre have deceived their souls, teaching for doctrine the traditions of men, daubing the people with fair words, because they put into your mouths, but he that doth not you even prepare war against him, and peace you say to the rich, and judgement to the poor in spirit, and so the word is not divided aright, but truth is turned backward for the ways of unrighteousness, and you through your learning and arts, have been idolised many days, but now your flattery is seen, and your learning is come to nought, and your unrighteousness will be made manifest to the eyes of all people that have been deceived therewith, and all your righteousness and unrighteousness is sin in the sight of God, and your reward shall be accordingly.  
Therefore all, both priest and people, consider of your ways, and amend your lives, for verily the Lord will not be mocked although for a time he may be silent, for all your assemblies and pretended worship is abominable in the sight of God, whilst you continue in the abominations of the heathen, and all your performances is but the tradition of men, perfomed in a customary way, in ignorance of the knowledge of the living God, whom you say you serve, but the wild scornful nature knoweth not the Lord of glory, and how can you serve him whom you know not, yet are you nourishing your hearts in that which the blind guides teaches you to observe, thinking thereby to find acceptance with the Lord, but it is all polluted.  
And now as concerning that which you call the ordinances of God, and the order in your Church; now see from whom you have your exampel, for it is altogether contrary to the practice of the Servants of the Lord in all generations the Scripture of truth bearing testimony to what I say, and thereby let your doctrines be tried: and first, what command or example do you think you have for sprinkling little children, calling that baptism, or an entrance into the christian Church &c. And if you would go to the writings of the Apostles for proof for this practice, it is not there to be found, neither was it ever their practice, but it is that which by the Pope and the Popish affected Priests was ordained, and by such it is upheld to this day, through the ignorance that is yet remaining in the earth; but this is known and confessed, that water baptism was once the administration of John, who bare witness to the true Christ, and said, that is the true Christ which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, who by his death and resurrection put an end to all that stood in the outward Covenant, he being the substance of all types and shadows, who said henceforth is the Father worshipped in spirit and in truth; but you are so far from the power and life of that administration, that you are not in the true form and manner of it, though you falsely say the Scripture is your rule, and the Apostles practise your example, but sprinking of children was never the practice of the Apostles, but the inventions of the erroneous spirit.  
And as concerning your practice singing in of David's Psalms, prayers and prophecies in rhyme and meeter, saying let us sing to the praise and glory of God such a psalm, than doth all the multitude sing after the Priest, when paradventure there is many drunkards, and swearers, and adulterers, and fighters, and proud persons, singing all with a voice they are not puffed in mind, but as harmless as a weaned child, and such like words is uttered in the blasphemous spirit without an understanding, in the Anti-christian ignorance; so that this is abomination to the Lord, and not to his praise; but David being as a weaned child, even harmless and innocent, he could sing to the praise of the Lord, with an understanding according as the spirit gave him utterance, and that is owned by the children of the Lord, and approved of in the light of our Lord Jesus Christ.  
And now what example is there for Priests to require, or people to give them so much a year, even the tenth part (or near) of the increase of the fields, and of the labour of themselves, and the labour of their cattle, for preaching the traditions of men, upon the first day of the week; through which unrighteous gain, they are at ease in the lust and liberty of the flesh, being thereby mantained, with their wives and children, in all superfluity and gorgeous apparel, without labouring in the creation, bearing rule by their m●●ns, as it was in the days of Jeremah, Chap. 5. and the two last verses; so that this practice is also contrary to the Apostles, it being that which the Prophets of the Lord always cried against, as you may read Isa. the 56.11. Micah 3.11. so that for this example there is the practice of the false Prophets, and not the practice of the true Prophets and Apostle; but by them such was ever cried out against·  
And now I exhort all in the fear of the Lord God, to mind the light of Christ Jesus in your consciences, making manifect all unrighteousness, & condemning you in your own hearts for all the evil that you are exercised in, & turn aside from following of blind guides, even such as go in the error of Balam for gifts and rewards, and in the steps of the false Prophets of Israel, who studied and divined for money, seeking their gain from their quarter, &c. And although they may tell you there is salvation in Christ that died at Jerusalem, with many other fair words, spoken from an airy spirit, but this I say that their words and your belief so long as sin regius, will be little worth in the day of judgement, for he that is not led by the same spirit as he was, is none of his, and all drunkards and swearers, and proud and lustful ones are excluded, and for ever condemned by him, and the manifestation of his spirit in the heart and conscience will accuse eternally; therefore silence all vain talkers, and hirelings, and deceivers, who feed yourselves and not the flock, against whom the Lord hath a great controversy, and he will plead with you in Judgement.  
Then shall all the earth know that the Lord sends not his message by the learned, wise and prudent men of this generation, who would ●●clude all others from the ministry; and these be they that follow the error of Balaam, who erred in going after gifts and rewards; and this is the error of the Priests and false Prophets in these days, who for love of the reward speaks peace, where the judgement of the Lord is to rest; so that this is not the Gospel of Christ which they declare, for that is the same now as ever it was, not of man, nor by the will of man, but by the will of God; even so are the ministers thereof called and chosen according to his will, and not the will of man, and we do know that the Lord hath chosen the weak and despised of this world to confound the strong and mighty in their own wisdom; and herein is the power of the Lord manifested, praises be to his name for ever: And in all their learning they are corrupted, and the knowledge of the languages, of Hebrew Gerek and Latin, (which they call the original) is nothing worth as par●●●ing to the knowledge of God; but the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ is now made manifest, which is the original of all truth and righteousness, and by it the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven is revealed, and all unrighteous prctises of men are by it discovered, and it searcheth and knoweth all things, and without it none knows the Lord as he is.  
Therefore all people come down to the manifestation of that spirit in your own hearts and consciences, which will give you the knowledge of sin, and every evil way, and it will discover the very thoughts and intents of the heart, yea all the evil lustful desires in the heart of man, are by it made manifest and condemned; and as faithful obedience unto it is yielded, and that denied which by it is manifest to be evil, sin comes to be destroyed, and the knowledge of God comes to be revealed in and by Christ Jesus, who hath enlightened every man that cometh into the world, giving unto all men a manifestation of his spirit, that in the day of judgement all might be left without excuse; so that all they that believe in the light and follow it, shall not abide in darkness nor come under condemnation, but all that turn from that light of Christ in the conscience abides in darkness, and in sin, and under condemnation, whatever their profession is, and none shall ever be justified before God, who are condemned in their own hearts and consciences by the light of Christ Jesus; who is one with the Father, and answers to him in judgement, and in mercy as he is followed; and whosoever will fellow the light of Christ in the conscience, must deny themselves, and bear a cross to their own wills, and all men's will in whatsoever is thereby made manifest to be contrary to God; for man being in the transgression, this hath the Lord appointed and ordained to guide and direct man out of sin and transgression, if ever he be restored into the Image of God again; so that man in denying the light of Christ, remains in sin, and by the light is eternally condemned in sin, being under the chain of darkness, with the damned spirits that rules the children of disobedience; he that reads let him understand.  
Now in the fear of the Lord, I warn you all that keep Beer, or Ale, or wine to, sell that you let no man have drink till he be drunk (as hitherto you have done) for in so doing the Lord will not hold you guiltless, and all your gain and profit thereby is even cursed of the Lord; and beside this I know, and you are also sensible of it, that when the creature is overcome with drink, than he is fit and ready with a little temptation to act uncleanness with women, and to swear and lie, and quarrel, and fight to the abuse of himself, and the bodies of others, and more such like evil practices is thereby committed amongst you; therefore fear, fear the dreadful God, who takes an account of all these abominations.  
And all you that are called Ranters, assuredly the Lord will enter into judgement with you, for all your whoredom, pride, and drunkenness, and all uncleanness, though in the presumption of your spirits, you say you know no evil that you do in these or the like practices, yet the living God will make you know by his judgements that you are the most filthyest that lives amongst men, and the manifestation of God's spirit in your own consciences will for ever condemn you, and will be unto you as an everlasting burning, except you repent.  
And all you young men, amongst whom I had my conversation in the days past, consider for what end the Lord created you, and how you live in wantonness, and in pleasure, and lust, and drunkenness, and all the fruits of the flesh, for which you were not created, but he that created you and gave you life, it was to serve him, the Lord of glory, and not your own lusts and pleasures; and all know assuredly that you are under the power of the Lord, who will cast forth his fury as a flood, which will make all ungodly ones to languish and be afraid, when he thunders forth his judgements upon all the world of ungodly.  And herein have I cleared my conscience toward you in plainness & truth, making known unto you, that which the Lord by his spirit hath made known unto me concerning you. 
written at Dover in Kent, in the first Month of the year of the world's account, 1658. I. H.  
THE END.   

London, Printed for Giles alvert at the black-spread-Eagle near the West end of Paul's.