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
the Ale-house to drink and there followed of his Acquaintance a Neighbour of his a Gentleman as we call them His Name was Penson and he sat down in our Company 13. So Morgan began to tell me that he heard that John Reeve and your self do say That you have Power to Bless and Curse Men that do oppose you to eternity He desired me to tell him whether these things were true or no. 14. So I told him the Words that God spake to John Reeve three Mornings together as is set down in that Book aforesaid But when I repeated those Words I have put the two edged Sword of my Spirit into thy Mouth that whoever I pronounce blessed through thy Mouth is blessed to eternity and whoever I pronounce cursed through thy Mouth is cursed to eternity 15. Then did he begin to fear and said for God's sake Lodowick do not say so Upon that this mr Penson said it was Blasphemy and that it was the Devil that spok those Words 16. Whereupon I did pronounce this Penson cursed and damned both in Soul and Body from the Presence of God elect Men and Angels to eternity 17. Whereupon this Penson his Spirit was struck into his Body so that he could not speak for a Season 18. And the Woman of the House hearing me give this Sentence upon him and seeing him in that Condition she was troubled in her Spirit and grew sick and went up to Bed And an old Man her Father being there and seeing this he railed exceedingly at me and grinded his Teeth at me 19. So in a little Season after this Penson had recover'd himself again and said unto me Wilt thou say I am damn'd to eternity yea said I thou art Then he rose up and with both his Fists smote upon my Head and after I had receiv'd a few Blows my Friend Morgan stood between us and bare off the Blows 20. And said For God's sake Lodowick let us be gon else we shall be killed So he paid for the Drink and we departed out of the House and went to another a little distance off 21. And immediately after came in the Woman's Husband and finding her not well he asked what was the matter and they told him all that was don He asked where the Man was They answered They went down that way 22. So he found Morgan and I together The Man knowing him asked If he knew me Morgan answered He did know me and said He did not speak ever a Word to your Wife or to her Father but that which he spake it was to mr Penson which did abuse him and smote him on the Head with his Fists and your Father kicked at him with his Feet and he did nothing to them again 23. So the Man went away quiet and satisfied and comforted his Wife that the Man said nothing against her to be troubled 24. But it came to pass that this Penson was sick immediately after and in a Week or Ten Days after he dyed much troubled in his Mind and tormented 25. Insomuch that his Friends and Relations sought to apprehend me for a Witch he being a rich Man but they could not tell how to state the matter so they let it fall CHAP. V. Of one Jeremiah Maunte a great Friend to this Commission And of a damn'd Man and his Fury and how John Reeve intreated the People that he might ly down and expose himself to his Fury with the ephects of that Submission And of one James Barker his Hipocricy to get the Blessing of John Reeve and how he was cursed by Lodowick Mugleton with the Ephects of that Curse 1. ALSO thus it came to pass in the same year that one Jeremiah Maunt a young Gentleman hearing that God had spoke to John Reeve and that he had damn'd several of his Acquaintance he came to us to discourse about those things and when he had hear'd an Answer to all his Objections he submitted unto us and did belive the Voice that God spake to John Reeve that it was the Voice of God and that the Lord Jesus Christ was the true God 2. Also there was one Captain Clark of his Acquaintance that did truly beleive in this Commission of the Spirit 3. Also this Jeremiah Maunte was the greatest Friend to this Commission and shewed the greatest Love to it of any all the days of John Reeve's Life 4. But he and Captain Clark their Acquaintance many of them were of the Ranters People who were at that time very high in Imagination like Capernahum exalted in their Knowledge up to Heaven as they thought but this Commission of the Spirit brought them down to Hell in a short time 5. These Ranters were the most Company we had at that time and they to have discourse with us did use to club their Twelve Pence a piece every Week that they might have Discourse with us 6. And it came to pass that one of those Ranters kept a Victualing House and sold Drink in the Minories London And they would spend their Mony there 7. So John Reeve and myself came there to discourse with them but there came in many more than was apointed to discourse with us and many of them dispised our Declaration and the Voice of God to John Reeve calling it Blasphemy the Voice of the Devil and such like 8. So John Reeve gave Sentence of eternal Damnation upon many of them for this their Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost we being the Witnesses of the Holy Spirit that sent us 9. But one of them being more offended at his Damnation than all the rest he was moved with such Wrath and Fury that he would be revenged of John Reeve and would fall upon him to beat him so that five or six Men could hardly keep him off his Fury was so hot 10. Then John Reeve said unto the People standing by Friends said he I pray you stand still on both sides the Room and let there be a space in the middle 11. And I will lay down my Head upon the Ground and let this furious Man tread upon my Head and do what he will unto me 12. Our Friends and the rest were loath to venter lest this furious Man should tread upon his Head and spoil him But John Reeve intreated the People to let it be so 13. And the People were perswaded and did stand of a Row on both sides and a vacant Place in the middle 14. So John Reeve pulled off his Hat and laid his Face flat to the Ground and the People stood still and John Reeve said with his Face to the Ground Now let the Man do what he will unto me 15. So the Man came runing with great Fury and when he came near him lifting up his Foot to tread on his Neck the Man started back again and said No I scorne to tread upon a Man that lyeth down to me And the People all marvelled at this thing 16. After this it came to pass in the same
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
in Scarlet and sat on the Judgment Seat against me shall be in Hell And that lofty bauling Spirit of his shall be his Devil the one shall be as Fire and the other as Brimstone Burning together to all Eternity 26. And he shall remember in the Resurrection when he is Raised again that he gave Judgment upon me for Writing this Sentance to others and I am sure the God of Heaven will not deliver him from those Eternal Torments 27. There is a Necessity that these Men of all others should be Damn'd to Eternity For there was more Enemies against me then could be Numbered through the Occasion of these Five Men aforementioned 28. And I could freely forgive the rude Multitude for they knew not what they did but there is no forgiveness of these Five Men nor Jury nor Judge nor Officers that gave their consent to that Judgment that was passed upon me the 27th of January 1676. 29. Therefore I have left these Five Men upon Record that the Age to come may see the wickedness of them and take heed how they Persecute Innocent Men that doth not break any Temporal Law And especially such Men that hath a Commission from God to give Sentance of Eternal Damnation upon them least they come under the same Condemnation as these Men are under 30. This I have left upon Record for the Age to come after my Death some of the most Remarkable Sufferings which I have passed through in the Year 1676. CHAP. VI. Of the Prophets deliverance out of Prison of the Price and Vallue that was made of him The Rewards to the two Seeds at the last Day 1. NOW having given an Account of my Sufferings it will be necessary to give an Account of my deliverance out of those Troubles 2. While I was in the Press-yard Prisoner the Sheriffs did send several times by the Goal keepers to see what I would do about the Fine but they were at no certainty what they required At last the Clerk of Newgate said they would take the 5th Part which was one Hundred Pound 3. I was unwilling to give so much I let it alone a quarter of a Year longer for some Reasons I had in my self after that time I sent a Letter to Treat with them about the Fine The Sheriffs Names was one Sr. John Peak Sheriff of London the other was Sr. Thomas Stamp Sheriff of Middlesex 4. But they were very high and would not abate one Shilling of one Hundred Pound and the cause why was because some of the Goal Keepers had Proffered one Hundred Pound for me to keep a Prisoner for ever or else to have a large Summ of Money for my Ransome 5. I perceive had not the Shreiffs Honour layn at the stake I had been Bought and Sold as Joseph was in Egypt for a Prisoner during Life or till such Ransome was Paid It would have been a great Disparragment to the Sheriffs if they had Sold me such as was never done in England before 6. But they having an Eye to Credit and somewhat to Conscience they would not do such Wickedness but however it caused them to abate nothing of one Hundred Pound neither would they give any time but Pay down presently 7. So We Borrowed an Hundred Pound the next Day and gave to them upon the 19th Day of July 1677 and the same Day at Night I was Released out of Prison and many of the Believers do keep that Day as a Feast Day every Year in Remembrance of my Deliverance out of Prison 8. For I was Prized at a goodly Price far Higher than the Lord of Life when he was on Earth He was valued at but Thirty Pieces of Silver the Thirty Pieces of Silver was Thirty Pound but they valued me at a Hundred Pieces of Silver for the Thirty Pieces of Silver they valued Christ at must be so much else it would not have Bought the Potters Field 9. Now the cause why they valued me at such a High Price above my Lord and Master it was because they knew I had some Interest in this World And many followers of me therefore they valued me at such a High Price as 100 Pieces of Silver 10. And as the Thirty Pieces of Silver was the Price of Innocent Blood therefore not fit to be put into the Treasury to be Expended upon any Holy use or to Relieve the Poor and the like but to Buy a Potters Field to Bury the Stinking Carcasses of strangers Thieves and Murderers insomuch that the Thirty Pieces of Silver was bestowed on the basest way suitable to the Purchase being the Price of Innocent Blood 11. So likewise the Hundred Pieces of Silver they valued me at it was the Price of Innocent Blood also tho' not unto Death as our Lord was a very Goodly Price 12. And this Money will not be put into the Treasury to repair Churches or Relieve the Poor but will be spent basely in Lust and Drunkenness and in Volumptiousness suitable to the Purchase of it being the Price of Innocent Blood 13. Thus I have left upon Record the substance of the whole matter as short as I can both of my Sufferings and my Deliverance out of all those Troubles that hath happened upon me in the Year 1675 and in the Year 1676 and 1677 and in the Year of my Life 67. 14. This is the 5th part of the Acts of John Reeve and Lodowich Muggleton the two last Prophets and Witnesses of the Spirit from the Year 1651 to the Year 1677 I have been preserved and had Experience of the Truth of all these things 15. And wonderful Revelations and passages and Acts that are Writen in these Five Parts that I might leave it as a Legacy for the Age to come upon Record that the unbelieving World may be convinced when I am turned to Dust as my Father Adam is that I was Slandered Reproached Belyed Persecuted Imprisoned and Pilloried without a Cause 16. But I shall be raised again by the Power of that God the Lord Jesus Christ in whom I Believed that he was Dead even the Alpha and Omega and is Alive for Evermore 17. And it will not seem a quarter of an Hours time to me from my Death to my Rising again For there is no time to the Dead Time belongs to the Living 18. And this I know that as the 12 Apostles in the Resurrection shall Sit upon Thrones and Judge the 12 Tribes of Israel those that Believed them when they were upon the Earth They were Judged with an Eternal Blessing of Life Eternal and those that Dispised and Persecuted them when on Earth are Judged by them to be Cursed and Damn'd to Eternity which is a Second Death which is Eternal 19. So shall Reeve and Muggleton in the Resurrection Sit upon Thrones and Judge all True Believers of our Docterin and Commission of the Spirit when we were upon Earth to be Blessed both in Souls and Bodies that were Mortal when they believed us but now Immortal to Eternity 20. And we shall Judge all those Wicked Despisers and Persecutors of us when we were upon Earth with the same Judgment in the Resurrection as we did here on Earth 21. That is they are Cursed in that Soul and Body they shall have in the Resurrection to Eternity and shall remain in utter Darkness here upon this Earth Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth for Evermore Writen by Lodowick Muggleton one of the two last Witnesses and Prophets of the Spirit unto the High and Mighty God the Man Christ Jesus in Glory FINIS
of a people called Puritans some of these Puritans came to talk and discourse with my Master though he was no Religious Man 15. But I being ignorant did perceive they pleaded more for Righteousness and were better versed in the Scriptures then he was so that I liked in my self their Discourse upon the Scriptures and pleaded for a Holy keeping of the Sabbath-day which my Master did not do nor I his Servant 16. But I not knowing my Right Hand from my Left in Religion at that time yet methoughts I had a Love for those People call'd Puritans and could not endure my Companions should speak Evil of them 17. And when young Boys as I was and young Maids would speak Evil and lay many Slanders upon those People call'd Puritans as if they had been the wickedest People in the World with many Scoffs and Jears 18. Yet all this while my Heart did not close with their Reproaches but rather was inclin'd to love those People and to think the better of them thinking in my self Oh! that I might be so happy as them yet I knew not what Happiness was nor what Condemnation was for I knew nothing by my self why I should be Condemned 19. But the Seed of God lay hidden in my Heart which kept me from speaking Evil of things I knew not even from my Childhood which many others of my Age did 20. Like unto those Children that mocked the Prophet Elisha which two she Bares did tare in pieces so many of these mockers of Religion in that my time did come to great Poverty and Destruction in this World but the God of Truth preserved me though I knew him not 21. Also I was smitten with the Plague in that great sickness after King James dyed it was not extream tedious to me for the sore broke and I recovered quickly and hath not had half a days sickness since not this forty Years and more 22. I never bestowed Six-pence in Physick in my Life for my self but what the Kitchen would afford as Water-gruel Broth or such like and I have had my Health and hath been as perfect in Nature from all Distempers and Diseases as any Man in the World ever since CAP. IV. How the secret providence of God prevented the Expectation of the Prophet in his choice of a Wife and in his desire of Riches of the Prophet's Zeal for the Law and a Righteous Life 1. AFter this it came to pass my time of Service grew near out and my Nature had a great desire to be rich in this World that I might no more be Servant to any Man and I thought the Trade of a Taylor would not gain much Riches I having little to begin with and withal I thought I should be too much subject to the humours of People to please them which I had experience of in my Apprentiship 2. So I went to work in a Brokers Shop in Hownsditch who made Cloaths to sell and did lend Money upon Pawns called a Pawn-broker and the Brokers Wife had one Daughter alive and after I had been there a while the Mother saw that I was a good Husband and knew how to manage that way being a Workman better than they and that I was a civil and sober young Man not given to Drunkenness nor no Debauchery 3. She was willing to give her Daughter unto me to Wife and I lov'd the Maid well and thought my self too inferiour for her because she had something to take too and the Onely Child and I having nothing yet the Mother being well perswaded of my good natural Temper and of my good Husbandry and that I had no poor Kindred came after me to be any Charge or Burthen to her Daughter 4. Those things consider'd she thought I might be a convenient Match for her Daughter so she seeing there was some kind of Affection between her Daughter and me she proposed unto me that she would give me a Hundred Pound with her to set up which thing I axcepted on in my Mind but told I was not yet a Free-man of London 5. So she urged me to be made Free as soon as I could also she urged me to be made sure to her Daughter before the Father-in-law and her self 6. So the Maid and I were made sure by Promise before her Mother and Father-in Law and before I was made Free and I was resolved to have the Maid to Wife and to keep a Brokers Shop and lend Money upon Pawns and grow Rich as others did 7. And the Maids Mother had Five Hundred Pounds more then what she promised me which her Husband knew not of for he was a kind of a Distracted Hare-brain'd Man his Name was Richardson there is many alive at this Day that knew them but for the Daughter I should have had to Wife she is alive at this Day and is worth Seven Hundred Pound a Year 8. But the secret Providence of God prevented my expectation and desire of being Rich in this World in an unlawful way against the Checks of my own Conscience 9. But it came to pass in the 22d Year of my Life not being quite out of my Apprenticeship yet sure to the Maid I went to work as a Journey-man and happened to work with a Puritan in Thomas Apostle London His name was William Reeve John Reeves's Brother 10. He was a very zealous Puritan at that time and many others of that Religion came to him and disputed with me about the unlawfulness of lending Money upon Pawns because they pleaded it was Usury and Extortion and did alledge many places of Scripture against it 11. And I used all the Arguments of Reason I could for it because I had a great desire to be Rich and considering I was ingaged to this Maid and that her Mother would not let me have her to Wife except I would keep a Brokers Shop and lend Money so that I was in great strait and much perplexed in Mind 12. For I lov'd the Maid and desired to be Rich but these Puritan People being well versed in the Scripture words and zealous for Righteousness threatened great Judgments and danger of Damnation hereafter 13. They overpowered my Natural Knowledge and civil Practises in me and made me afraid of eternal Damnation and they pressed the Scriptures so hard upon me which exceedingly perplexed my Mind reasoning in my self that if I did lend Mony upon Usury and Extortion I should be damned and if I would not then I should not have the Maid to Wife 14. So that the love of the Maid and the fear of the loss of my Soul did struggle witin me and dispute within me like two distinct Spirits even as a Woman in Travail with two natural Sons in the Womb so that I was in a great strait which I should cleave unto 15. So after much dispute and reasoning in my self it came to this result I considered the Riches of this World and the Love I had to the Maid and I
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
yet we shall be sav'd by believing in John Reeve's Writings now he is Dead 14. This is just like the Faith of all the World that believeth the Prophets and Apostels that are Dead many hundred Years before they where Born but would not have believed them when they where alive No more then their Fathers did For it is the Nature of Reason to believe dead Prophets rather then living Prophets and it is the Nature of Faith to believe live Prophets rather then dead Prophets for a living Faith believeth a living Man but a dead Faith believeth a dead Man and thus the Seed of reason dealeth by me 15. But to this I say this Faith will not save you nor do you little good in the Day of Trouble why because God did not chuse John Reeve Singuler but God chose us two Joyntly so that there could be no seperation but by Death and seeing God hath Honoured me to be the longer Liver he hath given me a double Power as he did to the Prophet Elisha when Ely's Mantle fell upon him 16. So that God hath seated and established the Commission wholy upon me so that the Prophet now alive doth stand in God's place and doth Represent his Person to make Peace with Men neither can any Man have true Peace in his Soul but by casting himself by Faith wholy upon the Prophet that is now alive 17. Now if it where possible for this live Prophet to disown the Commission of the Spirit but it is not possible then should he be found a false Prophet and will be Damned then all that believes him will be Damned also this must be ventured by all Men and Women that are saved by Faith in a Commission 18. But as Christ spake many hard Words which made many forsake him So likewise the Prophet hath spoken many hard Words as those Assertions where by some that where his Disciples were offended at him and forsooke the Prophet and followed him no more this hath been the practice of some in all Commissions 19. But Woe will be to all that set the Hand of Faith to the Plow of Obedience to the Prophet and look back as Lots Wife did or draw back unto perdition whose Faith doth not hold out to the end that they might be said 20. And in this Sence if the Prophet should disown the Commission of the Spirit all those that believed him would be Damned 21. As to the Ninth Assertion in answer thereunto behold the Power of a Prophets blessing that though a Man walke contrary to the Commission his Faith is in Yet the Condemnation of his Conscience it shall not Reach unto Eternity but unto the Graves Mouth why because the Rememberance of the Prophets blessing is in him and doth uphold him else his Sin might make him despair of Eternal happiness and fear Eternal Torments 22. Also the Prophet cannot call back his blessing again though the Man doth walk contrary to the Commission whereby his own Conscience is Wounded and the Prophet Dishonoured Yet the Man keeping to the Prophets blessing not Rebeling against him the Prophets Faith and Love abideing in him will uphold him so that the fear of Eternal Death shall not surprise him 23 So that all his Condemnation he hath in his Conscience and disgrace he hath received in this World it shall end in Death and shall never be remembered in the Resurrection all his misdeeds shall be buried in the Grave and never rise again and that Faith he had in the Prophets blessing and the Prophets blessing shall be raised again to the Glorious Estate of Saints and Angels 24. And there shall be no Remembrance in the Resurrection of any Failings on this side of Death but the Faith he had in the Prophet's Blessing only shall uphold him and free him from eternal Torments and this is more than any legal righteous Man can attain unto though his Nature be ever so pure 25. So that a Prophet's Blessing is of no small weight nor of any small concernment but as the Blessing of Almighty God for whoever receiveth a Prophet that is true receiveth God and what is the Blessing of a Prophet but everlasting Life 26. And shall not this support and uphold a Man above all the Frailties of Nature 27. And in this Sence he that keeps the Prophet's Blessing tho he be subject to many Frailties of Nature which is contrary to the Commission yet his Condemnation of Concience shall extend no further than the Graves Mouth 28. Thus I have given Answer to all those Nine Assertions which VVilliam-Medgate hath drawn up as a Charge against me saying they are contrary to all Truth and against all Sober Reason The End of the Forth Part. The Fifth Part. CHAP. I. Of one Sr. John James's Opression of Widow Brunt and of her Death The Prophet left her Executor and how he would not sell his Birthright but Arrested Sr. John James's Tenants Of his great Troubles and Tryals 1. AFter this it came to pass that in the Year 1675 and 1676 that great Troubles did persue me both upon a Natural and a Spiritual Account through the Envy of wicked Men as will appear by what doth follow 2. There was a certain rich Man being covetous and cruel he was a Knight his Name was called Sr. John James he through his cruelty and covetousness did take away a matter of 30 Foot long and 4 Foot broad and a brick Wall that closed in this parcel of Ground and a Pump that stood in this Ground to considerable Vallue the Womans Name was Deborah Brunt and this he lett to another Tenant of his to make his Yarde wider 3. Also this Knight did lett another part of his Yarde to a Timber-Merchant and this Tenant of his did stop up the Light of the poor Widow's House with his Timber insomuch that it was a great Hindrance and Loss to the Widow in that no Tenant would live in it This rich Man did and she could no way deliver herself but her Right was clearly taken from her for ever for this rich Man had stated it upon his Two Tenants and they enjoyed it for a Season 4. It came to pass in a while after this Widow Brunt dyed and I was her Executor and I performed her Will in every particular according to the Laws of England and I knowing this rich Man had taken away these Things before mentioned from the poor Widow that was her Right which Widow I had been as a Father unto several Years before and did more for her than her Husband could do for her had he lived 5. So that I thought in myself I would not like prophain Esau to sell my Birthright for a Mess of Pottage but would gain that the poor Widow had lost wrongfully whereupon I did according to Law arest these two Tenants for Trespass and Damage 6. The Men I went to Law withal were Three one was Denis Swenye a notable wicked Devil the others were Charles