They made nothing of that 11. So the Time appointed came and there was prepared a good Dinner of Pork and the three came ready prepared to curse us and our God 12. So Proudlove and Remington went from us to those Men and Remington said unto them If you three will go up and curse them and their God you shall have a good Dinner of Porke 13. Then one the stoutest of the Three said unto him pray tell me what is their God that we must curse 14. Remington answered and said That the Lord Jesus Christ is their God and they own no other Father or God but he And now if you will go in they be there and curse them and the Lord Jesus Christ their God you shall have a good Dinner of Porke 15. When they heard this the most stoutest Man of them smote his Hand on his Breast and said If that be their God I will never do it if I might gain the whole World And said That he was sorry and troubled that he should conceive such a thing in his Heart So said the other Two We will do no such Wickedness So they departed without their Dinner of Porke 16. But he that repented himself could not be at quiet in his Mind until such time he had asked us Forgiveness 17. So we forgave him his Sin for that and he remained very kind to John Reeve all his days tho he did not beleive that we were the two last Prophets and Witnesses of the Spirit 18. Also this Remington was called to an account by John Reeve as one in this Plot and he told the truth how Proudlove laid the Plot and that he did but go with him being an old Acquaintance So we forgave Remington and gave Proudlove the Sentence of Condemnation to Eternity CHAP. VII Of the Dispute with Mr. Leader a New-England Merchant and of the Prophet's convincing him how that God had a Body and how God is worshiped in Spirit and Truth with Bodys and that there is no Spirit without a Body 1. AFTER this in the Year 1653 there came a certain Man a Merchant and a great Travellor into many parts of the World and he was a religious Man but had somwhat declined the outward Forms of Worship because he could find no Rest there 2. So he applied his Heart more to Philosophy and the knowledg of Nature more than Religion for he thought he had seen the utmost of Religion and that there was nothing in it 3. Indeed he was a great Philosopher and a very wise Man in the things of Nature His Name was Richard Leader 4. It came to pass when he came out of New-England being persecuted there because he could not submit to their forms of Worship and when he came into Old-England again he heard there were two Prophets now risen up who called themselves The two Witnesses c. 5. So he enquired where he might speak with these Prophets so he was brought unto us and he was very sober in his talk and he propounded his Questions with great Moderation 6. The first Question was concerning God Whether God that created all things could admit of being any Form of himself 7. We answered and said That God made Man in his own Image and Likeness And if Man have a Form then God must needs have a Form himself even in the form of Man else them Words of Moses are not true That God made Man in his own Image and breathed into him the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul 8. Mind the Form of Man was the Image and Likeness of God before God breathed into him the Breath of Life 9. Therefore God must needs be in the form of a Man from Eternity Therefore it was that God said Let us make Man after our own Image and Likeness This was the true Sense and Meaning of Moses and it is dangerous for any Man to deny it 10. Besides said we there is no Spirit can have any Being without a Body neither God Angels nor Man And further that God that is a Spirit without a Body is no God at all 11. For we that are men that have Bodies have power over all Spirits whatsoever that have no Bodies For it is the dark Imagination of Reason in man that hath created to it self Spirits without Bodies which is none of God's Creation 12. When he heard this he considered the things of Nature that no Spirit could have any being without its Body 13. Then he marvelled and said Where have we been all this while that took God for a Spirit without a Body Oh! how have we been in the dark 14. But said he doth not Christ say God is a Spirit and God will be worshiped in spirit and truth And Christ said His Words were Spirit and Life 15. We answered and said Can a Man worship God in Spirit and Trust without a Body He said No. Then said I neither can God accept of any Mans worship except he hath a Body of his own For God hath a Body of his own as Man hath a Body of his own only God's body is spiritual and heavenly clear as Christial brighter than the Sun swifter than Thought yet a body 16. But Man's body is earthly and made of the Earth in the image and likeness of God's own body only Man's body is of the Earth earthly and God's body is the Lord from Heaven heavenly Yet Man's body is the image of God as well as his Soul as Moses did truly mean as he spake 17. For this I say that if Man's Body and Soul had been spiritual in its Creation then when Man's Thoughts do assend up to Heaven his body would assend with it in the twinkling of an Eye 18. For the Thoughts of Man are swift and if his body which is earthly do but put on Immortality then his body would assend with his Thoughts up into the Aire and so to Heaven 19. These immortal bodies can do and at the last day these vile bodies of ours that doth truly beleive shall be made like unto his own glorious body 20. For now our bodies are natural bodies but when these natural bodies shall rise spiritual bodies then shall Immortality take place and these vile bodies of ours that are now mortal yet made in the image of God's own glorious body shall be spiritual and heavenly bodies even like unto his glorious body 21. And because God's body is spiritual and heavenly and cannot be seen by the natural sight of the Eye therefore it was that Christ said God is a Spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and truth 22. Observe For as a Man cannot worship in spirit and truth without a body neither is that any God at all that hath no body of its own neither is a Spirit without a body of its own any Object of Faith or Worship for a Spirit without a body hath no substance And as for those words of Christ being Spirit and Life consider they
weighed it in my Mind and was loath to forsake it 16. Then I consider'd my Soul was of more value and what would it avail me to be rich in this World for a Moment and to loose my Soul for I was extreamly fearful of eternal Damnation thinking my Soul might go into Hell Fire without a Body as all People did at that time 17. And after much strugling in my Mind I came to this resolution in my self that rather then I would loose my Soul or be damned to Eternity I would loose the Maid And that way that would have made me Rich and that I would be zealous of the Law of God as afterwards I was 18. Here the two Seeds of Faith and Reason did work in me but I knew them not by Name nor Nature at that time nor many Years after 19. But as I did fear it came to pass for the Maids Mother seeing my Mind so changed and so zealous of the Laws of the Scriptures and that I would not keep that way as I thought to do before 20. She would not let her Daughter have me to her Husband so the Maid was perswaded by her Mother 21. And my Zeal to save my Soul perswaded my Mind to let her go so we parted 22. Thus I forsook the World and a Wife which I lov'd in the days of my ignorance for zeal to the Law of God which I thought to be Truth and the true way and so it was 23. But I did not know it till many years after but the Lord God of Truth had respect unto my Person and Zeal at that time and prevented me from falling into that Snare of being rich in this World CAP. V. The Prophet shews his Care his Fear and Zeal in the Law of God and of the working of his Thoughts and heighth of the Puritan Religion 1. SO after I had parted with the Maid and that way that did offend my Conscience I was resolved to live so upright to the Law of God and so just between Man and Man that I thought in time I might procure favour with God and to attain assurance of my Salvation 2. For I was fully possest that there was really Salvation to be attained unto by my Righteousness and that there was a real Damnation to all those that were unrighteous or did not demean themselves so strictly as I did 3. For I was exceeding fearful of Hell and eternal Damnation The very Thoughts of it made my Spirit many times fail within me 4. But by Prayer and my Righteous Practices I did many times recover some Hope and Peace again 5. All this while I did suppose my Soul might go into Hell without a Body and that Millions of Souls were in Hell-Fire without Bodies and that the Devil being a Bodily Spirit did torment those Souls that came there and that the Devil had liberty to come out of Hell to Tempt People here on Earth and go there again but no Soul that he had gotten there could come out of Hell more 6. These things wrought in my Mind exceeding great Fear and stir'd me up to a more exceeding Righteousness of Life thinking thereby that my Righteous Life would have cast out those tormenting Fears but it did not 7. Yet notwithstanding I did continue in my Zeal and was earnest in the Puritant Religion and Practice neither did I know how to find Rest any where else neither did I hear any Preach in those Days but the Puritan Ministers whose Hair was cut short 8. For if a Man with long Hair had gone into the Pulpit to preach I would have gone out of the Church again tho he might preach better than the other 9. But we Puritans being Pharisaically minded were zealous of outward Appearance and of outward Behaviour for we minded that more than their Doctrin 10. For we took it for granted that God was a Spirit without a Body and that Christ Jesus his Son had a Body in form like Man and that he did mediate to God his Father who was a Spirit without a Body and that for Christ's sake this Spirit without a Body did hear us and speak Peace unto us 11. Also I believed that the Devil was a Spirit without a Body and could assend out of Hell when God did give him leave and sugest evil Thoughts of Lust Theft Murther and Blasphemy against God not thinking that these Thoughts and Motions did arise out of Man's own Heart but from a Divel a Spirit without a Body without Man 12. Also I thought those Souls which God did Save were carried up to Heaven without Bodies and should be with God who was a Spirit without a Body and that we should see Christ Jesus in Heaven with his Body with our Spirits that were Saved without Bodies till the Resurrection and then Body and Soul should be United together again 13. Also we did believe that the wicked Spirits should be cast into Hell Fire without Bodies where the Devil and his Angels being Spirits without Bodies should Torment the Souls of the Wicked till the Day of Resurrection and then those Wicked Souls should be United to their Bodies again and be Tormented Body and Soul together with the Devil and his Angels who were Spirits without Bodies in Hell Fire for ever and ever 14. And we did believe that the Angels of God were Ministring Spirits without Bodies as God was a Spirit without a Body so were they and could minister Comforts unto Men without Bodies 15. And we did believe our own Souls to be Immortal and could not Die but did subsist the good Spirits with God in Heaven without Bodies and the wicked Souls did subsist in Hell without Bodies 16. These were some of the Fundamental Principles of Faith and Religion we Zealous Puritans did believe and practice and there is no better Faith in the World to this day in the generality of Professors of Religion 17. These Things was I very well versed in and I grew in great Experience and Knowledge in the Letter of the Scriptures and had a good Gift of Prayer and was very strong in Disputes because my Mind was extreamly perplexed with the fear of Hell notwithstanding my exact life to the Letter of the Law 18. But the fear of Hell wrought in me much Experience so that I did exceed several other Men in that Knowledge which was in those days and tho' I was judged a very godly knowing-Man and a happy Man by others yet I could not judge so of my self but the fear of Hell was oft rising up in me 19. For I never Conceited well of my own Knowledge but thought the Knowledge of other Men did far exceed me because they seemed to be better satisfied in their Minds than I was 20. Yet I thought in my self that in time by my Prayers and Righteousness and exact Walking and hearing of Preaching that I might heal that Wound in my Soul which was made and I knew not for what 21. For I
were spoken from a body 23. For this I say no words whatsoever can be spoken of any Spirit that hath no body For those words God spoke to Moses and the Prophets they were from the body of God And those words Christ spoke that was spirit and life was from his body when on Earth And those words he spoke to Paul after he was assended up to Heaven it was from his own body 24. So that without Controversy no Spirit can speak at all or hath any being without a body And this is the very Cause that Men find so little Comfort in worshiping and beleiving in such a God that is a spirit without a body 25. Also we declared unto him the nature of God shewing that there can be no form without a nature for it is the nature that gives the form 26. Also we shewed unto him the Person and Nature of Angels and the Person and Nature of the right Divel and the rice of the two Seeds and the secret Misteries how God became Flesh and how the Divel became Flesh and many other things which satisfied his mind 27. So that he became a true Beleiver of this Commission of the Spirit and shewed Kindness unto John Reeve all the days of his Life likewise his Brother George Leader became a true beleiver 28. This Mr. Richard Leader grew very mighty in Wisdom and Knowledge both in natural and spiritual Wisdom so that every great Man of his Acquaintance did submit unto his Wisdom and lov'd him for his Knowledge so he continued in it all his Life but about a year or two after John Reeve dyed he dyed at Barbadoes CHAP. VIII Of one Mr. Cooper a great Disputant and how convinced And how a true Ministry is known from a false Of his Conversion And how he passed Sentance of Damnation upon Fifteen of his Companions And of his trouble for so doing without Commission And of a Minister's censoring him to be bewitched 1. AFTER this in the same year it came to pass that a certain man a Silk-Weaver his name was Cooper He being acquainted with one Mrs. White who was a beleiver of this Commission of the Spirit She lived in Duning hill-Ally near More-fields 2. This Man was very desirous that she would tell him how he might speak with these two Prophets for he had a great desire to see us and speak with us so she directed him where 3. So when the Man came and found us both together the Man desired to drink with us thinking in himself that he could talk and discourse better over a Cup of Drink than otherway because it was his Custom so to do 4. For he thought himself very strangly armed with Questions thinking it impossible for us to answer because he could finde none that ever he had talked withal Ministers nor other to do it 5. So we went with him to drink and he propounded his Questions concerning the true God and the right Devil and how the Devil came to be and how a Man may know the History of the Scripture to be true seeing they did contradict themselves in many places with several other things 6. Unto which we gave him a full Answer unto whatsoever he asked so that he could not make any Reply against anything we said 7. Also we showed him the power of the Commission of Moses and the power of the Commission of Christ and his Apostles and the power of our Commission in this Age. 8. And that every Commission had power to bless and curs Men to eternity and that he was no true Minister of Christ which had not power to bless and curs 9. For if a Man pretend to be a Minister of the Gospel and cannot say to him that beleiveth in him to be a true Minister and the Doctrine he preacheth to be true is bessed to eternity 10. And say to that Person as dispiseth and persecuteth the Person of this Minister and his Doctrine is cursed Soul and Body to eternity If he have not Power to do this he is no true Minister of Christ neither did Christ send him to preach unto the People 11. These things stuck upon the Mans Mind exceedingly and he was much affected in Love towards us and he was elevated in his Mind as if he would get up to Heaven immediately 12. And he thought himself so strong now that he could drive all People before him 13. So he departed from us elevated in his Mind He went among his own Company and those of his own Trade and he talked amongst them of things he had heard and that he had been with two Prophets 14. But his Company laughed him to scorn But he in his elevation and zeal to what he had heard gaâ—e Sentance of Damnation to eternity upon fifteen of his Companions 15. Some were angry at him and some laughed and scoffed at him and said he was bewitched 16. It came to pass that the next Day after he had given Sentance upon those fifteen Persons he fell sick yet he held to what he had said the Day before 17. So that his Wife and some of them he had damned said the Man was bewitched and would needs send for the Minister of the Parish to pray with him and give his Judgment whether he was bewitched or no. 18. But when the Minister came the Man would not let him pray for him 19. So the Minister gave his Judgment that the Man was absolutely bewitched But after three or four days the Man got up and was well again and told us what the Minister had said and confessed that he damned fifteen Men which was the cause of that Trouble in his Mind 20. Because he did it without a Commission not but that I do beleive they will be all damned as I said but my Trouble was for giving Sentance without a Commission 21. For at that time no Beleiver gave Sentance upon any Dispiser but us two only But in that he confessed his Fault he was forgiven by us CHAP. IX Of one Captain Stasy a friend to the two Witnesses and of their Dispute with a Minister proving that God was in the form of a Man And of the Minister's Blasphemy and John Reeve's passing the Sentance upon him and that he should never see any other God but that Sentance And how John Reeve was threaten'd with a Warrant from Cromwell or the Councel of State And how John replyed that if they dispised as the Priest had done that he would pronounce them damn'd 1. AFter this it came to pass in the year 1653. there was one Captain Stasy in the Parliament's Service that came to talk with us he was a wise and moderate Man able to hear and bear Words but did not beleive what we said 2. But he heard us gladly and liked many things which we spake insomuch that he invited us to Dinner at the Inn where he quartered 3. So we went there was of his Acquaintance a Minister as they are called a Cambridge
Soliciter to answer to it which wickedness of his cost me three Pounds 4. And my Lawyer went to Treat with him and this Knight was not very well very Cross and said he had turn'd his Business over to his Atturney And his Atturney was so full of Imployment that nothing could be done 5. So I hearing by my Lawyer that he was Sick I desired of God that he might never come down from that Bed of Sickness whereon he lay and in a few Days after it came to pass that he Dyed 6. So our Law Suite was ended I had been a quarter of a Year in Prison then now I knew this Man was the Seed of the Serpent a Devil and will be Damn'd to all Eternity 7. After this there was another great Enemy his Name was Garret he was one of those that broke open my House and Stole my Books and was a Witness against me in the Court He brought the Books to the Court for the Common Hang Man to Burn every Day I stood upon the Pillory my Wife Mary gave him the Sentance of Damnation to Eternity and he Dyed Six Weeks after 8. The third Person was Judge Rainsford Chief Judge of England he was an Implacable Enemy to me but in a little time after his Judgment upon me before I was delivered out of Prison he was put down from his Seat of Justice and all his Temporal Power was taken from him by the King and another put in his Place And the King would give no Reason for it but his own will 9. So that his great Power Honour and Glory was departed from him and he had not so much Power as a common Justice of Peace he was in the same Condition as King Saul was the good Spirit of Power of giving Righteous Judgment in Temporal Things according to Law was departed from him and an Evil Spirit of Shame and Disgrace was sent unto him 10. Which Troubled his Soul so that in a little time after he Dyed and went to the same place as King Saul did that did enquire of a Witch that was rejected of God and not of his Prophet Samuel And I am sure he shall be rejected of God even this Rainsford and rejected of me the last True Prophet of the Lord and that he will be Damn'd to all Eternity 11. And he shall Remember in the Resurection that his Damnation is the very same which he called horrible Blasphemy which he Judged me for and said he was sorry the Laws of England were so unprovided to Punish me no worse than they did 12. And as he had no Mercy for me when he was in Power neither have I any Mercy for him and I am sure God will have no Mercy for him but hath provided a Law to Punish him for his Envy against me who did him no wrong 13. And his Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which God hath said and made it a Law never to be altered that shall never be forgiven in this World or in the World to come This is the Law that God hath provided for us the Two last Prophets and Witnessess of the Spirit to Judge by so that I know the hottest of Hell Fire will be his Portion and Reward for his Sin against the Holy Ghost to Eternity 14. The Fourth great Enemy to me was Sr. Thomas Davis then Lord Mayor he being a Stationer himself he was Confedrate with the whole Company of Stationers and Booksellers and Jury To Fight against the Lord and his Chosen Prophet and Witness of the Spirit which did Incense the Court and Jury that I might Antidate that Book 13 Years ago and yet Publish it this August even against his own Conscience 15. Wherein he shewed himself of that wicked reprobate Seed of the Serpent a Son of the Devil and I certainly know him to be a Devil and that he will be Damn'd to all Eternity 16. And about two Years and a half after he Judged me he Dyed and passed through this first Death which is Natural into the second Death which is Spiritual and Eternal 17. These great Enemies I have lived to see them cut off from the Land of the Living with many others more Inferiour Devils which were my Enemies have I seen cut off by Death and some to Poverty 18. There is one more that is yet alive that I desire of God to have Executed some vissible Vengeance at my Tryal his Name was Jefferies Recorder of London He was the Man that sate in the Judgment Seat and gave Sentance against me He used several Scurrilous and Disdainful Expressions in the Sentance he gave upon me 19. He was a Man whose Voice was very lou'd but he is one of the worst of Devils in Nature for he is not only an Enemy to God and all Righteous Men but an Enemy to all Moral Justice and Equity 20. For if a Mans Cause be never so just except he be Imploy'd in it he will be sure to baffel and make quabbles and wrangle out the justest Cause that is and will make that which is unjust it self to be right by Law were it not for more juster Judges that have a more just Conscience then he hath else the Innocent would always loose his just right if he be against him 23. But that which I have against him is for his Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that sent me and his wicked Malice and Envy against me when he sate in Judgment against me That he said he was sorry the Laws of England were so unprovided to Punish Crimes of this Nature he was sorry the Laws could not Impower him to give Sentance of Death upon me This I know was the Desire of his Heart 22. And as he was sorry the Laws of England were so unprovided to Punish me so in like manner am I glad that the Laws of Heaven is always provided to Punish him with Eternal Torments which is a Living Death and a Dying Life it is well for me and all the Elect that Gods Laws are always provided to give Sentance of Eternal Damnation upon all such dispising persecuting Blaspheming Devils as this Jefferies 23. I knew he was a Reprobate and appointed of God to be Damn'd before But this Tryal of mine hath given Testimony to me and all that truely believe me that he is an absolute Devil in Flesh and his Sin doth cry to Heaven for Vengeance 24. And look what measure he would have measured unto me in that he would have slain my Innocent Blood unto Death the same measure shall be measured to him again because the Laws of Heaven are always provided and hath Impowered me to give Sentance and Judgment upon him for I know by Revelation of the Spirit of God that he is Recorded in the Tables of Heaven for a Reprobate Devil and he shall be Recorded here on Earth to the end of the World for a Damn'd Devil 25. For that Body of his which is now his Heaven which Cloathed it self
was And she said Knock at that Window and my Lord will look out 10. So the Woman parted from us then John Robins put by a Borde of the Window and looked out and John Reeve put off his Hat and held it under his Arm and said Art thou John Robins He said to John Reeve Put on your Hat He said I put it not off to thee but to him that sent me 11. Stand thou 〈◊〉 and hear the Message of the Lord to thee He answer'd and said I will not except you put on your Hat This he said three times Said John Reeve the third time 12. I put not my Hat off to thee but to him that sent me Therefore I charge thee to stand still and hear the Message of the Lord to thee After the third time John Robins said speak on 13. Then John Reeve spake and said Thou maist remember I was with thee about Six or Eight Months ago and thou didst declare unto me That thou wert Adam Melchisadick that met Abraham in the way that received the Tithes of the Spoil and that gave Abraham Bread and Wine 14. Also thou saidst to me that thou wast the first Adam in state and that thou wert the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and that thou knewest the Names of all Angels and their Natures And that thou hadst Power over all Voices And that thou wast the Judge of the Quick and the Dead And that Christ was a weak and imperfect Saviour and afraid to dy but thou wast not afraid to dy 15. Also thou didst deceave many People in that thou madest them bring in their Estates and then gavest them leave to abstain by degrees from all kind of Food that should have preserved and strengthed their Natures But thou didst feed them with windy things as Aples and other Fruit that was windy and they drank nothing but Water 16. So that thou hadst full Power over their Bodies Souls and Estates and some were starved under thy Dyet and dyed Therefore look what measure thou hath measured to others must be measur'd again to thee 17. That Body of thine which was thy Heaven must be thy Hell and that proud Spirit of thine which said was God must be thy Devil 18. The one shall be as Fire and the other as Brimstone burning together to all Eternity This is the Message of the Lord unto thee 19. John Robins pulled his Hands off the Grates and laid them together and said It is finished the Lord's Will be done These were all the Words he spake I was both an Eye-Witness and Ear-Witness of it 20. After this it came to pass that about two Months after John Robins did write a Letter of Recantation of all his great matters unto General Cromwell and so obtained his Liberty out of Prison 21. And one of our Acquaintance went to him and asked him how he could do so And he answered and said That after those two Men had passed Sentence upon him he had a burning in his Throat as if he should be burn'd to Ashes and that he had a Voice within him which bid him deny those things he had declared of himself before and he should have his Liberty 22. And said afterwards he should come forth with a greater Power but he never came forth more with any Power at all to his dying Day 23. Thus these two great Heads John Tauny was the Head of that Mistery Babel the atheistical Ranters and Quaquers Princsiple And John Robins was the Head of all false Christs false Prophets and false Prophetesses that were in the World at that Day and there were many 24. Now John Robins was that Man of Sin spoken of in Thesalonians Neither will there come any so high after him to the end of the World 25. Thus the Reader may see that these two Powers were brought down in these two days Messages from the Lord. CHAP. IV. When the transcendant Treatis was wrote many People more offended with the Doctrin than the Commission Of the Letter sent to the Ministers and when How the Children mocked John Reeve called him Prophet Prophet and followed him slinging Stones at him and how a Woman hearing this followed the Prophet to his House and was converted to the Faith Of Sentence given upon one Penson and its Effets 1. AFter this there came a many People to Discourse with us and asked Questions about many things in matters of Religion and we answered them to all Questions whatsoever could arise out of the Heart of Men and some few were satisfied and beleived 2. And many dispised it calling it Blasphemy Delusion and Lys and we gave the Sentance of eternal Damnation upon all those that blasphemed against the Holy Ghost 3. After this in the year 1652. John Reeve wrote that Book called A transcendant spiritual Treatis wherein is declared the Words God spake unto him three mornings together to the hearing of the Ear and his Message to John Tauny and to John Robins Which is more largly set down with several Interpretations of Scripture concerning the true God and right Devil 4. Never so clearly made manifest by any as now in that Treatis 5. Many People were more offended at the Doctrine therein than at the Commission 6. After this John wrote a Letter to several Ministers in London and about London which was afterwards printed forbiding them to preach any more after the receipt of this Epistle upon pain of Damnation to Eternity 7. These Epistles were given to the most eminent Presbiterian and Independant Ministers in London and about London For they were in Power at that time 8. After this it came to pass in the same year that as John Reeve was going through Pauls-Church-Yard one that he had given the Sentence of Damnation upon said unto some Boys There goes the Prophet that damns People 9. The Boys hearing this run after him calling him Prophet Prophet and threw Gravel and little Stones at him so he made hast into Pauls and the Boys left him And a Woman named Elizabeth More seeing the Boys cast Stones at him and calling him Prophet she followed him into Pauls keeping a distance from him to see where he would go So she followed him and he came to my House in great Trinity-Lane London 10. And she desired to speak with him being a Prophet for she had a great respect for Prophets So she told those things she had seen and she became a true Beleiver of this Commission of the Spirit 11. After this it came to pass in the same year that I Lodowick Mugleton having occasion to go into Hounds-Ditch to see my Master's Son where I was Prentice as I went through the Minories London there I met with one Morgan Guilliam a Man that had been Prentice with my Master 12. And he would needs have me drink with him that he might have some talk with me for he said he heard strange Things of me So I went in with him into
see that the Jews knew the Hebrew Language for the Jews said he called for Elias let him come and save him if he will have him 10. So that it is clear that Christ prayed in his Agony to his representitive Power in Elias 11. Then said the Recorder Mr. Reeve Mr. Reeve You have spoke enough let Aaron speak 12. Said John Reeve Scoff on Mr. Recorder 13. Truly Friend said the Recorder I do not scoff 14. Then said I I can say no more to that one Question than he hath said before but if you have anything else to aske I will answer you 15. But he asked never a Question more nor spake a word more because the Examination which they would not produce in the open Court had fully answered to all things they could object against us 16. But commanded us to withdraw and the Jury laid their Heads a little together and brought us in guilty of Blasphemy and execrable Opinions 17. So the Recorder gave Sentance upon us That we should be sent to Old Bridewell and be kept Prisoners there for six Months without Bail or maine Prise 18. So there we remained full six Months 19. And while we were Prisoners in Old Bridewell Jeremiah Mount got that Epistle to the Ministers printed which are yet to be seen and will be to the end of the World by some 20. After this while we were Prisoners there we wrote a Remonstrance of all the Transactions that had passed that was remarkable from the day of our Commission 1651. to this our time of being Committed Prisoners in Old Bridewell 21. And this Remonstrance was directed to General Cromwell and Jeremiah Mount got that printed at his own Charge also This Remonstrance is yet to be seen with some and will remain in the hands of some to the end of the World 22. This Jeremiah Mount was a great Friend to us in the time of our Imprisonment and so was John Brunte and his Wife and one Richard Russell There was very few Beleivers of us at that time this was in the year 1653. It was a year of great and many Troubles to us both but especially to me 23. And about the Month of April in the year 1654. after our seven Months Imprisonment we came forth of Prison 24. And after this John Reeve wrote Letters to several Men as to Esquire Penington William Sedgwick Minister and to the Earle of Pembrooke 25. And some of them sent Answers to him again but none of these Letters are in print 26. Also John wrote that Spiritual and heavenly Treatis Intituled Adivine Lookinglass And he got it printed in the Year 1656. Jeremiah Mount was at the greatest part of that Charge 27. But the Printer being knavish and covetous quite spoiled it in the Press he hudled it up so close together for want of more Paper that no body had any Delight to read it through so that it never yielded the Mony it cost printing CHAP. V. Of John Reeve's travelling to Maidstone in Kent where he met with Enemies and gave them the Sentance upon which they got a Warrant against him Of the Notice he had and departed Of his Treatis Called Joyful News from Heaven After the writing of which he died 1. AFTER this John Reeve went to Maidstone in Kent to see some Friends there 2. There was but Four Beleivers in that Country at that time 3. And he going to visit them having never been in that Country before after he had been three days there he met with Enemies enough 4. But they falling in Discourse with him they dispised his Doctrin and Commission so he gave Sentance of Damnation to eternity upon one or two of them 5. And they stur'd up others to persecute him so they got a Constable to apprehend him but having notice of it he departed out of those Coasts in hast and over heated his Blood with traveling to the Waterside which was Sixteen Miles And he went upon the Water at Gravesend at Night when he was all in a Sweat and cooled himself too soon 6. So he surfited his Blood and drove him into a Consumption which killed him He lived almost two Years afterwards but in a sick wasting Condition 7. That surfit he got then was absolutely the Cause of his Death else he might have lived many years longer 8. Yet notwithstanding his Sickness he wrote that excellent Piece a Book called Joyful News from Heaven or The Mortality of the Soul 9. This he did in the time of his Sickness and just as it was in the Press to be printed he saw the first Sheet printed but his Eyes were dim that he could not see the print not to read for he died in two days after 10. There was at that time three Sisters that were true Beleivers which he did oft resort unto The one was Mrs. Frances the eldest the second Mrs. Roberts the third Mrs. Boner 11. This Mrs. Frances closed up his Eyes for he said unto her Frances close up mine Eyes lest my Enemies say I died A staring Prophet 12. And she did so and he gave up the Ghost and said not one word more 13. And she took and cut one Look of his Hair to keep for a Memorial of one of the two last Prophets that God will ever send while this World endureth 14. He had a fine Head of Hair it was black waveing over his Shoulders 15. So he was buried in Bethlahem Church-Yard 16. He dyed about the latter end of July in the year 1658 in the seventh year of our Commission and in the Forty Ninth year of his Life 17. Thus I have given a true Account to be upon Record of some of the most remarkable Acts and Passages and Sufferings which we the Witnesses of the Spirit hath acted and suffered in this Seven Years of our Commission 18. Only for God's Cause in Obedience unto the Voice of God that spake to John Reeve the Third Forth and Fifth days of February in the year 1651. CHAP. VI. Of Laurance Claxton what Books he wrote of his exalted Pride The Beleivers complain of him The Prophet forbad him for writing any more How he humbled himself The Prophet forgave him And of his Death 1. AFTER John Reeve was dead there was one Laurance Claxton who had been a Preacher of the Ranters that came to beleive this Doctrin and Commission of the Spirit 2. And he owned it some little time before John Reeve dyed and afterwards he asked me to give him leave to write in the vindication and justification of this Commission of the Spirit 3. And I gave my Consent whereby several of his Acquaintance in Cambridge-shire were brought to the Faith of this Commission 4. The first Book he wrote the Title of it is Look about you for the Devil that you fear is in you It is in print at this Day 5. The second Book he wrote the Title is called The Quakers Downfall Which is in print at this Day 6. The third
Slanders and Judgments threatned against me I did not matter For this I know the Quakers do beleive that Loe and Cole's Souls is not dead but slipt out of their Bodies and gon you know not where and into a Power you know not what 10. But I said their Souls is where you laid their Bodies they both came into this World together they both dispised the Truth together they both Bodies and Souls received Judgment and Condemnation together and both dyed together and were both Soul and Bodies buried together and shall both rise again spiritual dark Bodies and Souls together 11. Every Seed it s own Body that Seed of Reason which was their Life which they thought was the divine Nature of God but it was the Nature of the Devil and Serpent 12. And the Law writen in their Hearts which you Quakers call the Light of Christ or Christ in you which is no other Christ or Light but the Law writen in your Hearts And the Light of the Law which doth accuse and excuse the Conscience of every Man you call the Light of Christ yea Christ himself 13. For this Light of the Law writen in your Hearts is that which doth cause your Thoughts to accuse when you do evil and to excuse when you do well And when God shall raise them again that Seed of Reason shall rise and bring a spiritual dark Body with it And that Law which was writen in their Hearts here in this Life shall quicken again in that new dark spiritual Body 14. And then shall they and you dispisers of a personal God know that your own Souls which you thought was the Life of God but it was the Life of the Devil and that your selves were Devils and that Law writen in your Hearts which you in this Life called the Light of Christ and that was no other God or Christ but this Light within you 15. But when this Law doth quicken again as I said before it will prove the only and alone Devil to torment you to eternity because you made the Light of this Law in your Hearts to be your only God and by this Light of the Law you do fight against the true personal God who created Man in his own Image and Likeness and hath trampled him under your Feet as Dirt. 16. These things may seem strange and as a Riddle unto you and as a thing impossible but with God all things is possible which his own Will moves him unto 17. And this I say as it was possible for God to write the Law in the Angels Natures and by his secret Determination suffer one of these Angels to become very Man and so the Angels Seed and Nature having conjunction with the Seed and Nature of Eve which was of Adams Nature and so by Generation the Law comes to be writen in every Man's Heart in that ever Man and Woman that is born into this World is partaker of the Angel's Nature of Reason and so comes to have this Law writen in every Man's Heart 18. Man finds it there accusing of him but knows not how it came writen there 19. So it is as strange for you Quakers to beleive that God will raise your Souls again that were dead how they should quicken out of Death by the Power of that God that made all Souls to live at the first In as much as he made all things by the power of his word in the Beginning 20. So by the same power of his word he shall quicken the Souls of Men and Women again out of Death to Life again at the last day and the Law that was writen in them shall quicken also and be alive again in you to torment you to eternity 21. For the Law and your Souls shall never part one from the other for as the Law is secretly writen in your Hearts but originally in the Reprobate So by Gods secret Decree and Power he will revive that Law again in that Reprobate Seed of Reason as in Thomas Loe Josiah Cole George Whitehead William Pen and many of you Speakers of the Quakers and others of your Bretheren who are under the Judgment and Sentance of this Commission of the Spirit You shall find my words to be true upon you and over you to eternity neither shall you be delivered from it 22. For if I had but any thought of Compassion towards you in my Mind it was answered me That there is a necessity that there should be Enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent which hardened my Heart against all Dispisers of a personal God in the form of Man Lodowick Muggleton 23. After this in the same year came another thundering Letter from a Lyon like Quaker being a learned Man brought up at the University his Name is William Pen Here is the Copy of it verbatim LOdowick Muggleton having had a deep and serious Sence of thy insulting Spirt over the Death of that valiant and painful Servant of the most high God Josiah Cole as if it were the ephect of thy solely Curse who alas for these Twelve Years hath in these Nations and Iles abroad in all Straits Difficulties and hard Sufferings been an incessant Labourer for the Lord and so impared his Health that within these Twelve Months or little more have I known him Five times sick and Three even unto Death before he had ever seen thy Face I say being sensible of thy Vaunts And it now being laid upon me Therefore once more I come in the Name and Authority of that dreadful Majesty which fils Heaven and Earth to speak on this wise Boast not thou Enemy of God thou Son of Perdition and Confederate with the unclean croking Spirits reserved under Chains to eternal Darkness for in the everlasting glorious Light thou dispiseth thou art seen Araigned Tryed Condemned and Sentanced for a lying Spirit and false Prophet who having counterfited the Commission and Sceal of that God whom the Heaven cannot contain hath bewitched a few poor silly Souls But their Blood Oh! Muggleton lies at thy Door and the Wrath of the Almighty is kindled against thee and his eternal Power in his Servants the Quakers came whom thou hast past thy envious Curse shall suddenly grind thee to Powder and as formerly so again on the behalf of the God of the Quakers whom I worship I boldly challinge thee with thy Six foot God and all the Host of lucepherian Spirits with all your Commissions Curses and Sentances to touch or hurt me practice your Skill and Power behold I stand in a holy Defiance of all your Enmity and Strength And this know Oh Muggleton with thy God art chained by the Spirit of the Lord and on you I trample in his everlasting Dominion and to the bottomless Pit are you sentanced from whence you came and where the endless Worm shall knaw and torture your imaginary Soul to eternity Written Signed and Seal'd by Commission receiv'd about the First Hour