CHAP. I. The Prophet sheweth first, That Moses and the Prophets did record strange and wonderful things; As also their Revelations, which we are bound to believe.

1. THERE is, and hath been Recorded many and several wonderful strange Things and Deeds of the righteous Fathers, as, Noah, Lott, Abraham, Isaack, and Jacob, and of their Faith in God.

2. And also, how wonderfully God did appear unto them, and strengthen them in their time, when they were upon the Eearth. These things are Recorded by the Revelation of Moses, as God revealed it to him.

3. Also Moses declared his own Birth, and how he was preserv'd from being drown'd: These things did he declare, and how God appeared unto him and chose him and Aron for that great Work, to lead that great People through the Wilderness, and to be a Law-giver.

4. Which was the first visible appearance of God up­on Earth, that is Recorded, for all Generations to come. For tho God did appear in a wonderful manner unto Enock, Noah, Abraham, Isaack, and Jacob, and several other righteous Men; yet we could never have known [Page 2] it, had not Moses, by his Revelation, left it upon Record.

5. How could the Generations to come have known any thing of the Creation of the World, and how God made Man in his own Image and Likeness.

6. Or that there ever was the Man Adam, or Cain, that slew his Brother Abel; or that the World was ever drowned, except eight Persons, if it had not been revea­led by Moses.

7. So that we have nothing but Moses's bare Word for it; for we did not live in his time, to see the Won­ders he wrought, nor hear him speak.

8. Yet we are bound to believe his Record, and Re­velation, and Acts he did: And blessed and happy were all those that did believe him when he was upon Earth, when they saw his Acts, and heard him speak.

9. And more blessed are these now, that understand and believe, which have not seen his Wonders he wrought in his time, not heard him speak forth those Revelations God revealed unto him concerning the Creation of the World as aforesaid.

10. Also we read in Scripture of many wonderful Acts that was wrought and done by the Prophets, in the time of the Law, after Moses.

11. As Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Eljah, Elisha, and several other Prophets, in the time of the Law; their wonderful Acts are recorded in Scripture.

12. Besides the Revelation they declared as from God, which the Ages following did not see nor hear, yet ma­ny did truly believe, and doth truly belive, and are by Faith satisfied, as those that did both hear and see.

13. So that the Scriptures Record, is a Record of spiritual and heavenly Things, and of some of those wonderful and powerful Acts of Moses, and the Pro­phets, and the righteous Fathers, manifesting their great Faith in God and being in favour with God.

14. Which I, by Faith, have found their Record [Page 3] true, and so have many more of the seed of Faith found their Record and Revelations to be true.

CHAP. II. The Prophet makes a Rehearsal of the Acts of the Apostles in the new Testament, and of the Lord Christ, and how that they were writen for the Comfort of the Seed of Faith: After which he enters upon the third Record, and shows the cause of his writing some of the most principal Acts of the Witness of the Spirit under this third Record.

1. ALSO we find written in the New Testament many wonderful Acts and Miracles, acted by the Lord Christ, and his Apostles; as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John doth declare concerning Christ; that if all the things Christ spake and Acts he did were writ­ten, the World would not contain the Volume.

2. That is, the verge of a Man's understanding could not retain the particulars, so as to tell it to his Friend, the particulars would be so many.

3. So likewise, the Acts of the Apostles; that Book hath little else in it, but wonderful Acts wrought by the power of Faith in the Apostles.

4. And these things were written for the seed of Faith, that they might have Comfort in believing the Re­cord that is given of the Apostles, how God strength­ned them in Faith and Power, as by the power of Faith to work Miracles.

5. Because they were chosen of God to bear Record on Earth, to the Blood of the New Testament, or, New Covenant.

[Page 4]6. Thus did the Apostles bear Record on Earth to the Blood, as the Prophets did bear Record on Earth to the Water, which signifies the Law of Moses, and the Blood signifies the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

7. The Scriptures are a Record, that sheweth many wonderful Acts that Christ and his Appostles did when on Earth, besides the heavenly Revelation.

8. And it is very comfortable to the Seed of Faith, true Belivers, to read of the Acts of the Prophets, and of the Apostles, as it is of their Doctrin, Revelation, Prophesies, Interpretations; or, Epistles.

9. These Things, I having experience of, and see­ing it hath been the Practice of some of the Prophets and Apostles to leave a Record behind them, for after Ages to peruse, of some of the most remarkable Acts, done by them when they were upon Earth, as a remarkable Re­membrance to their Prophesies and Epistles.

10. So, likewise I being one of the two last Prophets and Witnesses of the Spirt, being the Third and last Record from God on Earth.

11. I thought it convenient and expedient to leave some Record on Earth, behind me, of some of the most remarkable Acts and Passages that hath been done and acted by us, and to us, the Witnesses of the Spirit, since we were chosen of God in the Year 1651.

12. That I may leave it as a Legasy to the Seed of Faith after me, who shall happen to Read and Believe those Writings of ours after I am gon.

13. They may know by the Doctrin therein decla­red, who, and what we were, and what God we believ­ed in.

14. Also I thought it necessary to write of those Acts my self, rather then any other, being acted in my sight and perfect knowledge, as other Profits have done before me, as Moses and others.

CHAP. III. Of the Birth, Parentage, and Trade; of the two Witnesses, and how the Profits Nature led them sorth to all Sobri­ety, hateing Drunkeness, and of their inclining to the Princi­ples of those Call'd Puritans, and of their being perswaded from judging Cases of Concience before they new the truth.

1. BUT before I write of the Acts, I shall give the Reader a little to understand what we were be­fore God did chuse us two, to be his two last Prophets and Witnesses of the Spirit.

2. And of some Experince I had, and Working within me before I was Chosen of God, little expecting God would have chosen me for such a great Work.

3. As for John Reeve, he was born in Wiltshire, his Father was Clerk to a Deputy of Ireland, a Gentleman as we call them by his place, but fell to decay.

4. So he put John Reeve Apprentice here at London, to a Taylor by Trade. He was out of his Apprentiship before I came aquainted with him, he was of an Honest, Just Nature, and Harmless.

5. But a Man of no great Natural Witt, or Wis­dom, no Subtilty, or Pollicy was in him, nor no great store of Religeon he had, but what was Traditional, only of an Innocent Life.

6. I knew him many years before God spake to to him by Voice of Words to the hearing of the Ear, three Mornings together, as is declar'd in the Commission Book, call'd a Trancesendant Spritual Treatise, the first Book he writ.

7. And I Lodwick Muggleton was born in Bishop gate-street, near the Earl of Devonshire's House, at the corner House call'd Walnut-Tree-Yard.

[Page 6]8. My Fathers name was John Muggleton, he was a Smith by Trade, that is a Farrier, or Horse-Doctor, he was in great Respect with the Post-Master in King Jame's time, he had three Children by my Mother, two Sons and one Daughter, I was the youngest and my Mother lov'd me.

9. But after my Mother dy'd, I being but young, my Father took another Wife; so I being young was Expos'd to live with Srangers in the Country, at a distance from all my Kindred▪ I was a Stranger to my Fathers House after my Mother was dead.

10. But it came to pass when I was grown to 15 or 16 Years of age, I was [...] Apprentice to one John Quick, a Taylor, he made Livery Gowns, and all sorts of Gowns for Men, he made Gowns for several Aldermen, and Livery Men of their Company in London.

11. And he lived in this Walnut-Tree-Yard, and knew my Father and Mother very well; he was a quiet peaceable Man, not crewel to Servants, which liked me very well.

12. For my Nature was always against Cruelty, I could never indure it, neither in my self, nor in others, living peaceably in my Apprentiship.

13. I took my Trade well; and pleased my Master better then any of his other Servants, for they were bad Husbands, and given to Drunkenness, but my Na­ture was inclin'd to be sober, hating Drunkenness and Lust in the time of my Youth.

14. But when my time of Service was pretty far ex­pired, I grew to more understanding, and hearing in those days a great talk amongst the vulger People, and especially, amongst Youth, Boys, and young Maids, 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 [Page 7] 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.

[Page 8]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 [Page 9] 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 Hare­brain'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.

[Page 10]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 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 [Page 11] 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 [Page 13] 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, [Page 14] 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 [Page 15] hearing of Preaching, that I might heal that Wound in my Soul which was made, and I knew not for what.

21. For I never had committed any Sin that I knew of that did trouble my Conscience.

22. Yet the fear of Hell produced many deep Sighs and Groans even from the bottom of my Heart, for fear God had made me a Reprobate before I was Born, be­cause he did not answer my Prayers, nor speak Peace to my Soul; notwithstanding my earnest Desires and Zeal for him I knew not at that time.

23. Yet many times I had great Refreshments of Soul, and as I thought, Communion with God, whereby my Hope was increased for a Season, but it was quickly lost again; so that the Troubles of my Mind did continue still many years.

24. Yet at some times I had Elevasions in my Mind, and Raptures of Joy, that I thought I should never be moved again.

25. But a while after all was lost again, and Doubt­ing took place in my Soul; but since, I saw the cause of those Raptures and fears of Hell were both ground­less.

CHAP. VI. After the Prophet hath given a Description of his Mar­riage, of his Wives, and of his Children, from the Twenty sixth year of his Life to the Thirty Eighth, he then shews the alteration of the Religion in the Pu­ritan People, and of the Confusion that was amongst them.

1. AFter this, it came to pass in the Twenty sixth year of my Life, I took a Wife that was of my [Page 16] own Mind and Religion. She was a Virgin of about 19 years of Age, and I had by her Three Daughters in three years and an half's time.

2. The first Daughter I had by her was named Sarah, after her Mother's Name: She is yet alive, and is be­come the most experimental and knowing'st Women in Spiritual Things of that Sex in London; but I shall say no more of her here, because I shall have occasion to speak of her hereafter.

3. Also my youngest Daughter Elizabeth, which I had by my Wife Sarah, is now living, but the second Daughter died; when three years and an half was expired my Wife Sarah died also.

4. After this, my Children being young, I put them forth to Nurse in the Country, and lived a single Life, and followed my Trade, and lived very well.

5. Only the Spirit of fear of Hell was still upon me, but not so extream as it was the year before.

6. After this, in the Thirty second year of my Life, I took another Virgin to Wife; Her Name was Mary, she was about nineteen years old, and I had by her three Children, two Sons and one Daughter; the eldest died at three years old, and the youngest was a Daughter and she died three days after she was born, and my Wife Mary died five days after.

7. I had only one Son living by her, and I had her to Wife a matter of six years; and that Son lived until John Reeve and I was chosen of God; and about a year and an half afterwards, being about nine years old, he died; so all the Children of my second Wife died.

8. After my Wife Mary died, I was then about Thirty eight years old; but at the time when I was Married to my Wife Mary, about six years before, there was Raising of Arms by the Parliament against the King.

[Page 17]9. And generally the Puritans were all for the Parliament, and most of my Society and Acquaitance in Religion did fall away from that way we did use, and declined in Love one towards another, and every one got a new Judgment, and new Acquaitance, and new Discipline.

10. Some of them turned to Presbytery, and would have Elders; and some turned Independants, and would not let none work to them but their own People that was in Church Fellowship; others fell to be Ranters, and some fell to be meer Atheists.

11. So that our Puritan People were so divided and scat­tered in our Religion, that I knew not which to take too, or which to cleave unto, for I was altogether at a loss, for all the Zeal we formerly had was quite worn out.

12. And to joyn with any of these new Disciplines I could not, except I would play the Hypocrite for a Liveli­hood, which my Heart always hated, notwithstanding my Kindred by my first Wife Sarah, where all Puritans and Zealous in Religion.

13. And I had a great stroke of Work of them, and they were a great Generation of them, and most of them pritty Rich in this World; and most of them went into Church Fellowship, so that I lost several of them because I could not joyn in Church Fellowship.

14. For thought I, there is no more satisfaction to be found in Church Fellowship than before, for none could serve God and be more Zealous for God and for Righteousness than we were before.

15. So that going into Church Fellowship would not satisfie my Soul, as to my Salvation, no more than be­fore.

16. For satisfaction of Mind, as to another Life, was al­ways my Aim and End that I strove after, but could not at­tain to it as yet.

17. So I being at a great loss in my Mind, what to do, I had lost my Friends and Relations because I could not follow them in Church Fellowship, and I had no freedom in my self so to do.

[Page 18]18. For I had seen the utmost Perfection and Satisfaction that could be found in that way, except I would do it for Loaves, but Loaves was never my aim, but a real rest in my Mind I always sought after, but could find it no where.

CHAP. VII. The Prophet shews his great dissatisfaction and loss in Religion, even almost to Dispair, yet in the Conclusion, resolves to hold his Integrity, to do Justly, and keep from actual Sin, but mind Religion no more, but left Happiness and Misery to Gods disposal.

1. SO I seeing these Puritans of my Acquaintance they had no Comfort nor Peace of Mind, as to a Life to Come, that were in Church Fellowship than before, nor so much.

2. Then I saw several of them that were Zealous before towards God, and Righteousness towards Man; and now they had left that Zeal, and turned Ranters, not only in Judgment but in Practice, to the Destruction both of Soul and Body.

3. When I saw this, that neither the Righteous could find Peace in the Days of their Righteousness, but were afraid of Hell; nor those that turned from their Righteousness to actual Wickedness, I thought I must needs go to Hell.

4. Yet they said all was well and quiet with them, so that I was as David was, almost like to have slept, and to have said in my Heart, sure there is no God: But all things comes by Nature, because the Righteous could find no Peace in their Righteousness, as I could not; nor the Wicked were not troubled for their Sins.

5. But when I went into the Sanctuary of my Mind, I considered the visible things of Nature, I could not conceive how this vast Element we see could make it self; or, how the Sun, Moon, and Stars could give Being to themselves.

[Page 19]6. How could the Beasts of the Field, the Fouls of the Aire, the Fish of the Sea: I could not imagine how these things could give Being to themselves, nor how they should come by Nature, nor how they should Create one another. Then thought I, Man might as well Create himself, and come by Nature as those Things.

7. So I thought there must needs be some Original Cause, or, supreme Power, that gave Being to these Things, and hath placed a Law of Order in all Things, sutable to its Na­ture.

8. This supreme Power that made those Things; That Power that is the Cause of Causes we call God; but what he is in himself I knew not at that time; But these Thoughts preserved me from saying in my Heart, as the Fool doth, there is no God. Many of my Acquaintance did say in their Hearts, and Tongues both, That there is no God, but Nature only.

9. But notwithstanding I did not know that God that made all things, and Man in his own Image and Likeness, yet I considered that innocency of Heart, and a just upright Spirit, was good in it self, if there were no God to Reward it

10. And that Unrighteousness and Lust after his Neigh­bours Wife, and not to be of an upright Spirit, it was Wick­edness in it self, if there were no God to punish it.

11. Therefore I was loth to let go my Integrity, but kept close to it; for as I had been Innocent from my Childhood to this Day, I was resolved to keep to it to the end, if there were nothing after Death, yet would I keep my Heart up­right, and would do nothing to wound my Consience.

12. For I never had no Guilt of actual Sin that did ever trouble me.

13. So with this Resolution I did resolve to live in, to do just between Man and Man, and to keep from all actual Sin, as I ever had been, and not to mind any Religion more, for I saw all profession of Religion in all Men was vain and un­satisfactory to all Men, as it was to me.

[Page 20]14. So I gave over all publick Prayer, and Hearing and Discourse about Religion; and lived an honest and just na­tural Life: And I found more Peace here then in all my Re­ligion, and if there were anything, either of Happiness or Misery after Death, I left it to God, which I knew not, to do what he would with me.

15. But I was in good Hope at that time, that there was nothing after Death, but all Happiness and Punishment was in this Life: For I saw a temporal Punishment follow Wick­edness in this Life to many.

16. And I saw Prosperity to those that were Righteous, even in this Life; so that I was in good Hopes all Punish­ments and Happiness would end in this Life.

17. So I was resolved to keep myself as I always had done, unspotted of the World, and not to defile my Conscience: And I had a great deal of peace of Mind in this Condition. And in this Condition did I continue some three Years, un­til I was about forty years old, and in the year 1650.

CHAP. VIII. The Prophet gives a Discription of John Tannye and John Robins, being counted greater than Prophets, and sets forth their Appearance and wonderful Actions.

1. AFter this it came to pass, in the year 1650. I heard of several Prophets and Prophetess that were about the Srteets, and declared the Day of the Lord, and many other wonderful Things, as from the Lord.

2. Also, at the same time I heard of too other Men that were counted greater than Prophets, to wit, John Tannye, and John Robins.

3. John Tannye, he declared himself to be the Lord's High-Priest, and that he was to act over the Law of Moses again: Therefore he Circumcised himself according to the Law.

4. Also he declared that he was to gather the Jews out of [Page 21] all Nations, and lead them to Mount Olives to Jerusalem; and that he was King of Seven Nations: With many other strange and wonderful Things.

5. And as for John Robins, he declared himself to be God Almighty; and that he was the Judge of the Quick and of the Dead; and that he was that first Adam that was in that innocent State; and that his Body had been Dead this Five Thousand, Six Hundred and odd Years, and now he was risen again from the Dead; And that he was that Adam Mel­chisadick that met Abraham in the Way; and received Tithes of him.

6. Also he said, he had raised from the Dead that same Cain that killed Abel; and that he had raised that same Judas that betrayed Christ; and now they were Redeem'd to be happy.

7. Also he said he had raised several of the Prophets, as Jeremiah, and others; and that he had raised the same Ben­jamin, Jacob's Son, that had been Dead so many Thousand Years, now he was raised again.

8. I saw all those that was said to be raised by John Robins, and they owned themselves to be the very same Persons that had been Dead for so long time.

9. Also I saw several others of the Prophets that was said to be raised by him, and they did own they were the same; for I have had Nine or Tenn of them at my House at a time, of those that were said to be raised from the Dead.

10. For I do not speak this from Hearsay from others, but from a perfect Knowledge, which I have seen and heard from themselves.

11. Also they declared unto me, That their God John Ro­bins was to gather out of Englad and else where, an Hundred and Forty Four Thousand Men and Women, and lead them to Jerusalem to Mount Olivet, and there to make them happy: And that he would feed them with Manna from Heaven: And that he would divide the Red-Sea, and that they should go through upon dry Land.

12. Also he said, that those Prophets he had raised should be their Leaders, and on Joshua's Garment should be the Moses [Page 22] Man that should be chief under his God John Robins: And that all the Leaders should have Power by the clap of their Hands, and a stamp of their Foot to destroy any that did oppose them.

13. Also I have seen one of his Prophets, that should have this Power, to kneel down and pray to John Robins, as unto God Almighty; with such high and Heavenly Expressions which was marvellous unto me to hear.

14. Those Things, and many more lying Signes and Won­ders did he shew to some; as presenting the appearance of Angels, burning shining Lights, Half-Moons and Stars in Chambers and thick Darkness, where it was Light to the Phantasies of People, when they covered their Faces in the Bed.

15. They said he presented Serpents, Dragons, and his Head in a flame of Fire, and his Person rideing upon the Wings of the Wind.

16. Also his Prophets had Power from him to damn any that did oppose, or speak evil of him, they not knowing he was neither false nor true, for this Rule he went by.

17. That he, or, she that would speak evil of Things they knew not, they would as soon speak evil of a true Prophet as a false Prophet.

18. So his Prophets gave Sentence of Damnation upon many, to my Knowledge, for speaking evil of him, they not knowing him, whether he was true or false.

19. And I saw afterwards that his Sentence was true up­on them, for they would have said as much to the true Christ as they did to him: So I saw his Sentance was true and efe­ctual upon those he condemned, notwithstanding he himself was false.

20. For this was observed, that the Elect Seed would be preserved from speaking Evil of things they knew not. That belongs only to the Seed of the Serpent to speak Evil of things he doth not know: For who upon Earth did know, at that time whether he was False or True: I say none, not one.

CHAP. IX. Of the Prophets Application conserning these wonderful things, and of his Qualification.

1. NOW this John Robins's knowledge in the Scriptures was more at that time than any Man in the World.

2. These things had I perfect Knowledge of, yet was I quiet and still, and heard what was said and done, and spake a­gainst nothing that was said or done.

3. But shewed Kindness and Mercy to all of them, Mar­velling in myself what the Ephect of these things would be.

4. And one of his Prophets came to my House very oft, and he told me all things that was done amongst them; and he had a very high Language, and very knowing in the Scrip­tures, and spake as an Angel of God.

5. And my natural Temper was always merciful to Stran­gers; and this place of Scripture run much in my Mind: Forget not to entertain Strangers, for some in entertaining of Stran­gers have entertained Angels. So I never let him go without Eating and Drinking.

6. And if I had nothing in the House to Eat, if I had but Eighteen Pence I would give him one Shilling of it; and if I had but Twelve Pence, I would give him Six Pence of it.

7. This I did many times, though I had need enough my­self, for I had Three Children to maintain at that time: Two Daughters by my Wife Sarah, and one Son by my Second Wife Mary, then alive.

8. All these things never moved me to rejoyce, in any Hope of any Happiness or Deliverance to any better Con­dition then I was then in, or to be in any worse Condition after Death, then I was in at present.

9. But I kept close to my Integrity of Heart: That is, I [Page 24] would do nothing that should condemn my Conscience, but would do what I could to justify my Conscience.

10. Tho I looked for no Reward hereafter, yet I would do well, that Sin might not ly at the Door of my Conscience.

11. And these things working in my Mind kept me from actual Sin, and from the Pollutions of the Flesh.

12. Yet all this while was I as one without God in this World, as to my knowledge of him; I had none that was true.

13. But the Lord God of Truth, had Respect unto my Per­son, and to the upriteness of my Heart, but I knew it not all that time; as will more plainly appear in the following Discourse.

CHAP. X. The Prophet here showes of a Melancholy that came upon him, and afterwards of Two Motions arising in him, and speak as Two living Voices.

1. AFter this, in the beginning of the Year 1651. and in the Year of my Life 41. and better.

2. In the beginning of the year it came to pass upon a Day in the Month called April, I being silent, all alone, my Children being all abroad, there fell upon me a great Me­lancholy upon my Spirit, and I knew not for what; yet I was pressed exceedingly in my Heart with Fear.

5. So I began to cast about in my Mind, what I had done that I should thus fear: So I called to mind all my former Righteousness and Zeal which I had left, thinking in myself that might be the Cause of this Fear.

4. Reasoning in myself whether I had best turn again to my former Practise of Religion, or not.

5. There did arise in me an Answer to that; and said, No, For thou knowest when thou did'st worship in that Zeal thou [Page 25] had'st no Peace, but was oft tormented with fear of Hell, so to no purpose to turn or go back to Aegipt again.

6. Then did two Motions arise in me, and speak in me, as two lively Voices; as if two Spirits had been speaking in me, one answering the other, as if they were not my own Spirit.

7. But I knew afterwards they were the two Seeds strove in me for mastery.

8. So my old Fears of Hell rose in me, as it did formerly, when a Puritan.

9. So I began to reason in myself, what I should do to escape being damn'd to Eternity, for I dreaded the Thoughts of Eternity; for I did not so much mind to be saved, as I did to escape being damn'd.

10. For I thought, if I could but ly still in the Earth for ever, it would be as well with me, as it would be if I were in eternal Happiness; for I believed the Soul was mortal many years before, which Belief yielded me much Peace of Mind: And was in hope God would never raise me again.

11. For I did not care whether I was Happy, so I might not be Miserable. I car'd not for Heaven so I might not go to Hell, but I could not be sure I should go to Heaven, nor certain I should escape Hell which was a great perplexity to my Mind, not knowing which way to help myself out of Gods Hands.

12. Now this place of Scripture of Paul in the Romans pressed hard upon me, What if God willingly make thee a Vessel of Wrath, fited for Destruction: And that saying, What art thou; O Man! that replyest against God?

13. Shall the thing that is formed, say unto him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus: And that saying, Shall not the Potter have Power over the Clay, of the same Lump, to make one Vessel to Honour, and another to Dishonour.

14. These things pressed hard upon my Soul, even to the wounding of it. Then I replyed against this, and said in my Heart, That God did seem to be more cruel than Man, for Man made Vessels of Honour and Dishonour of dead sen­celess [Page 26] Clay, that is neither capable of Honour nor Dishon­our, nor capable of Pain, nor of Misery; nor of Joy or Hap­piness, Oh! that I had been as the Clay I tread upon, ra­ther than a living Man.

15. But God made Vessels of Wrath, to bear eternal Tor­ments, of living sensible Creatures, not giving any reason why; but it was his prerogative Will so to do, and who shall hinder him.

16. The apprehension of this sunk deep into my Heart, and brought forth deep Sighs and Groans.

17. And it was answered me again; saying, that God hath a Prerogative Power above and over all Life because he gave Life to Man and all Creatures else. And as a Man hath a prerogative Power over dead Clay, so hath God a preroga­tive Power over all Life, to make what Life he will a Vessel of Wrath for the manifestation of his own Power and Glory.

18. For if all Life were made to be happy, or all Mankind sav'd, then where would Gods Honour appear, But because the greatest part of Mankind are made Vessels of Wrath to bear eternal Torments, therefore it is that God's Redeemed ones shall praise him.

19. So that there is a perticular People to be sav'd, but my Fear was that I was none of the Redeem'd.

20. And it was said within me, dost thou consider the nature of a prerogative Power, that is above all Law; who shall dispute with a prerogative Power that is above all Law, and can do what it will with living Creatures, even as the Potter doth what he will with the dead Clay.

CHAP. XI. The Prophets further Reasoning in himself how hardly God delt with him; and of his Reasoning against Adam: And shews how a contrary Seed; or, Voice in him repeld his Arguments.

1. WHen I consider'd this, I wished in myself I had ne­ver been born, then had I not been sensible nei­ther [Page 27] of Joy nor Sorrow: I did not so much seek after Heaven as to be freed from Hell.

2. Again, I Reasoned in myself wishing that I had dyed in my Infancy: I thought, if I were a Vessel of Wrath, my Torments would be the less, than now I am grown to maturity of Age.

3. But the Answer said to this, Though thy Torment be less than others, yet it is Eternal: This Eternity struck a deep Fear in me, which made me almost despair.

4. Again I reasoned in myself, saying in my Thoughts, That God dealt somthing hardly with me, that he should save Adam, which brought me, and all Mankind into this Condemna­tion; so that I must be damned for original Sin, which I received from my first Parents.

5. And that God should save him that brought me into this Con­dition, and Condemn me that could no way avoid it, neither by Prayer towards God, nor by Righteousness towards Man.

6. So that right or wrong, I must be damn'd by God's prerogative Will, and which way to help myself I could not tell.

7. Then I reasoned in my Heart with Anger against Adam, saying within myself, God made him upright, and gave him Power to stand, but he did not, but did fall from that Innocency and Uprightness, and so corrupted his Seed: And so by this means do I come to be damned.

8. Then was I answered in myself, as it were with a Voice without me, saying, How wilt thou help thyself if God will save Adam and condemn thee; shall not a prerogative Power do what he will?

9. Then was brought to my Mind that saying, Jacob have I loved, and Esau have I hated: Before the Children had done either Good or Evil, that the Purpose of God, ac­cording to Election might stand: So that it is not of him that willeth, nor him that runeth, but God that sheweth Mercy on whom he will have Mercy, and whom he will he hard­eneth.

[Page 28]10. In this I saw that a prerogative Power and Will of God is not to be contended with.

11. These Scriptures and Arguments upon them, come so powerfully upon my Spirit, that my Heart failed me, and my Hope begun to turn to Dispair.

CHAP. XII. The Prophet raiseth Arguments more, to give him some Hope that he might escape Hell; but another mosttional Voice gave Answer, which quite frustrated all his Hopes again:

1. AFter a while I recovered another Argument or two, which I thought might give me some Hope to escape Hell: Which was this, I said in my Heart, There can be no Hell till the Day of Judgment, and except God doth raise me and others again I cannot be damned; hoping there would be no Resurrection at all, then should I ly still in the Earth for ever.

2. Then Answer was made me to this: Dost thou think that God would be so unrighteous as to deceave Abraham, Isaack, and Jacob, Moses and the Prophets, and Apostles, and all righteous Men that believed and put their Trust in God in hope of the Re­surrection? And if God doth not raise them again, then God hath made them suffer great Sufferings, and loss of the Lives of many of them, in hope of the Life to come, and of the Reward hereafter; which if there be no Resurrection of the Dead after this natural Death.

3. And if God doth not raise them again they cannot en­joy any such thing as eternal Happiness. Then to what pur­pose did God spake those Words, and make such glorious Promises to Abraham, Isaack and Jacob, and to the Prophets and Apostles.

4. That he would be the God of Abraham, the God of Isaack, and the God of Jacob; for God is not the God of the Dead but of the Living, for all live unto him.

[Page 29]5. For said I, in my Heart, if God do not raise Abraham, Isaack, and Jacob again in the Resurrection, then perhaps God may not raise me, which would have gladed my Heart that I could have been sure God would never have raised the Dead.

6. But the Answer said to me, That God is powerful, and hath Power to fulfil his Promise he hath made unto Man, in that he can and will raise Abraham, Isaack, and Jacob, and the rest, at the last Day, and will give them the Inheritance he promised them in this Life. Consider, said the motional Voice, what an infinite prerogative Power can do.

7. Because God doth not raise the Dead daily as he doth other visible Wonders: And in this visible Creation thou doth think that God cannot raise the Dead when they are turn'd to Dust, because thou never didst read he did.

8. But this know, That God can do that which he never did, when his time appointed is come: For there is a necessity that God should raise the Dead; and that there is a Day; or, Time pre­fix'd in God's Will, which none knoweth; no, not the Angels in Heaven, but himself only.

9 Also the Resurrection of the Dead is the last great Work God hath to do: And he hath power to do this his last Work, to put an End to this World, as he had power to Create this VVorld, and make a Beginning of it.

10. So that God will perform his Promise in the Resurrection to all the Righteous, in that he will give them everlasting Life in another Kingdom above the Stars, and he will execute that Dam­nation upon the Seed of the Serpent, wicked unbelieving persecu­ting Reprobates, here upon this Earth, where they acted all their Wickedness, to Eternity.

11. And that none that have lost their Lives for his Promise sake; but it shall be given them Life everlasting that day: Which if God do not raise them again, then is he the God of the Dead, and not of the Living.

12. Then was Abraham, Isaack, and Jacob their Faith vain: The Prophets and the Apostles Faith vain, and their Condision, in believing God would raise them again, and he doth it not; their [Page 30] Condision is worse than the VVicked: Which thing I was afraid to think of.

13. Also I was afraid to question, or doubt of Gods Pre­rogative Power in raising the Dead at the last Day, or per­forming his Promise to Abraham, Isaack, and Jacob, and the rest of the Seed of the Lord: But I could have been glad if there had been no Resurrection at all, neither of the Righte­ous nor Unrighteous.

14. But thought I, what is that to me, if I be raised to Hell-Fire. Then I reasoned in myself, saying, It is above Five Thousand Years since the Creation of this World, and perhaps it may last Five Thousand Years more; then shall I ly still in the Earth a great while before I am raised: So that I shall escape the Torments of Hell for a long time, think­ing to have Hope in this Argument.

15. But I was thrown out here immediately, and my Hope cut-off; for the Answer said, VVhat if it should be Five Thou­sand Years before thou art raised again, consider it will not be a quarter of an Hours time before thou art raised again

16. For there is no time to the Dead, all time is to the Living; for it will not be thought a quarter of an Hour by Adam the first Man, when he is raised from the Dead; he shall not think he hath been in the Grave one quarter of an Hour.

17. Then I conceived if a Man slept a sound Sleep three Days, that is no time to him; Time is known to him that was awake that three Days.

18. So this yielded me no Comfort, but increased my Fears of Hell the more.

19. One Argument more I had arising in me, thinking to have got some Ease and Hope here: Thought I, this World hath been so many Thousand Years already, and may be as many more, for ought I know.

20. And there hath been many Millions of People since the Creation, more than can be numbered, and more than be numbered hath been drowned in the Sea and other places.

21. Sure, said I in myself, God cannot remember every perticular Person since the Creation thereof: Thought I, per­haps [Page 31] God may forget me, and not raise me again, then shall I ly still and be quiet, and be as happy, never to be as those that are raised to eternal Joys.

22. But the Answer to this speak, with a strong motional Voice, saying, How wilt thou know whether any is missing when God doth raise the Dead? How canst thou tell whether any per­ticular Person is wanting by Sea or Land that is not raised.

23. But however, said the Voice, if there be any wanting that is not raised, God will be sure to raise thee.

24. Then had I no more to say, nor to plead for myself, but must yield and submit to the prerogative Will of God; if he would save me he might, if he would damn me he might, I could no ways prevent his Will.

25. And this was my Resolution, seeing the Case in mat­ter of Salvation so with me, that it lay in God's prerogative Will only, I was resolved to seek after him in Forms of Worship no more.

26. But as I had been always kept innocent and upright in Heart towards that God I knew not, and Just between Man and Man, and never had committed any deadly Sin to trouble my Conscience, so I was resolved to keep myself free from Sin to the end of my Life.

27. Thinking that if I were damned meerly by Gods pre­rogative Will, my Torment would be the more easy.

28. Here a secret Voice said, Tho thy Torment may be easier than others, yet it is eternal.

29. This Word Eternity caused my Heart to fail within me, yet I resolved in myself to live justly, and get as good a Livelyhood as I could in this World, and let God do what he would with me after Death.

30. All this Dispute which I have written before, and a great deal more, it was in one Day.

CHAP. XIII. The Prophets submitting to Gods prerogative Power; immediately wrought in him Peace and Quietness of Mind, even to all ad­miration in Wisdom and ravishing Excellencies.

1. IN the next place I shall give the Reader a little account of the Ephects of this Dispute, as follows.

2. When I had done this I was quiet and still in my Mind, but very Melancholy, and faint and sickly with the Trouble of my all Day in this Dispute which was in my Mind.

3. Neither could I quiet my Thoughts untill I did submit to God's prerogative Power.

4. There was abundance more of motional Voices spake in me that Day, besides what I have here set down, but these were the most remarkable to be taken notice of by the Rea­der; yet it was a blessed Day to me, as it will appear here­after by that which followeth.

5. After this, that very same Night the Windows of Heaven were opened to me, and the Fountains of the Water in Heaven were broken up, and the Water of Life run down from Heaven upon me.

6. And the Spirit of Faith in my Heart here on Earth did arise up with sweet Waters of Peace, so that I said in myself, as Peter did in another Case, It is good for me to be here for I was in the Paradice of Heaven, within Man upon Earth; neither could I desire any better Heaven.

7. Then was the Scriptures opened unto me, so swiftly, and more swiftly than my Understanding could receive it; and the Waters of Life run down from the understanding of the Scriptures abundantly: And the knowldge of the Scrip­tures flowed in upon my Understanding faster than I could receive it, and yet I thought my Mind was very swift.

8. Then was no saying of Scripture too hard for me to un­derstand: [Page 33] Then I saw that the assurance of eternal Life, here on this side of Death: it lay in understanding the Scriptures.

9. Then I marvelled no longer at the Fathers of Old, in their expressing their Faith in God, and depending upon Gods Promises to them.

10. Also I saw the Excellency of the Prophets Prophesies; Neither did I wonder any more at Paul's Expressions, when he was wrapt up into the third Heaven, and saw things un­utterable.

11. Neither could I utter the Revelations of the Scriptures as was poured upon me at that time, nor the Joy and Peace I received from the Revelation of the Scriptures.

12. For it brought unto my Mind all my Experience I had formerly, and shewed what did uphold me at that time, even a single upright Heart before God and Man.

13. Then the assurance of eternal Life cast out all Doubts and Fears of Condemnation; neither did I ever doubt of that more after that day.

14. Then I praised the Scriptures highly, which I had laid aside several years before.

15. Then did I see it was not in vain to submit to Gods prerogative Will, and to wait in patience.

16. Here was that saying of Scripture fulfilled in me, Isaiah 42.16. And I will bring the Blind by a Way that they knew not; I will lead them in Paths they have not known; I will make Darkness Light before them. Though this Scripture was fulfilled in Christ's time, yet it was fulfilled in me now.

17. For I was led by a Faith now, which I did not know: That was by the Revelation of Faith. This was a Path I did not know: for I never knew what Revelation was before.

18. Also this Revelation of Faith, it made that Darkness of the immagination of Reason be light before me, to see the Truth of those Sayings of Scripture, Matt. 4.16. The Peo­ple that sat in Darkness saw great Light; and to them which sat in the Region and Shadow of Darkness Light is sprung up.

19. This Scripture also was fulfilled in me at that time, [Page 34] for I sat in Darkness, and in the Shadow of Death but the Day before.

20. But in the Evening the Light of Faith sprung up in my Soul, and the Revelation of it took me, as it were, by the Hand, from place to place in Scripture, and shewed me the meaning of it.

21. Also it led me to that place of Scripture, Luke 1.79. To give Light to them that sat in Darkness, and to guide our Feet into the way of Peace.

22. Here did I see that the Day before I sat in Darkness and in the Shadow of Death, but now the Light of Life is risen in me, and gave me Revelation to guide my Feet in the Path of Peace, where no Fear nor Doubt should ly in my Way, never to stumble more.

23. These, and many more, places of Scripture was set before me, and the Light of them shined clear about my Understanding, and gave me the Interpretation of all Scrip­ture, and all Questions in Spiritual Things that could arise out of the Heart of Man, was easy to me to answer.

CHAP. XIV. Of the time of the Prophets Revelation, his Satisfaction in it, and his Resolution to fit still now, and be quiet from Disputes a­bout Religion. Yet shews that Providence order'd it otherways. Of the Prophet Reeve's Revelation of the Raven and Dove.

1. THis Revelation aforesaid was upon me Six Hours; it began about nine of the Clock at Night, and a­bout twelve of the Clock I got a little Sleep, 'till three of the Clock in the Morning; then it came upon me again, and lasted 'till six of the Clock in the Morning: And so it did in like manner for four Nights together, six Hours in a Night.

2. And I never was without motional Voices opening the Scriptures all Day long, when I was alone, for a long time after▪

[Page 35]3. So that I was so well satisfied in my Mind as to my eter­nal Happiness, so that I was resolved now to be quiet and still, and not to medle no more with Religion, but to let every one go on in their own way, for I looked at no Bodys Peace and Happiness but my own.

4. So now I thought to get as good a Living as I could in this World, and live as comfortably as I could here, for I knew all things would be well with me hereafter: Think­ing that this Relvelation should have been benificial to no body but myself.

5. For I lov'd for to be private and still, for my Nature could never indure to be publick. So I thought all was well now I had attained my Desire.

6. But when I thought to be most Secure and most Pri­vate; in a little time after, it made me the most publick. I not thinking that this Revelation was a Preparation for God to chuse me to be a Commissioner of the Spirit, to declare the Mistery of the true God, and the Interpretation of the Scriptures which is Life and Salvation unto Men; whereby I was made the most publick Man in the World in spiritual Things.

7. This Revelation continued with me all one from April to January in the Year 1651. and in the year of my Life 41. And in the same year John Reeve came often to my House.

8. And he hearing me speak such high Revelation, and giving such Interpretation of Scripture, he was so taken with my Language that his Desires were extream earnest unto God, which he knew not at that time, that he might have the same Revelation as I had.

9. His Desires were so great, that he was troublesome un­to me, for I could not follow my Business quietly for his ask­ing me Questions, for if I went out of one Room into ano­ther, he would follow me to talk to me.

10. So that I was weary of his Company, yet I was loath to tell him so, because I knew he did it out of Innocency of his Heart, and Love to the Things which I spoke.

[Page 36]11. Thus, as aforesaid; John Reeve continued, and came almost every Day to my House most part of that Summer and Winter. And in the Month of January 1651. about the middle of the Month, John Reeve had the Revelation of the Scriptures in a large measure.

12. So he came to me very joyful the next Morning, and said, Cousin Lodowick, now, saith he, I know what Revelation of Scripture is as well as thee. Said I, Let me hear what Scrip­ture is opened unto you.

13. He answered, and said, as he was thinking of several things; there f [...]'d q [...]iet stilness upon his Mind, and immediately there was presented to his Understanding this place of Scripture, Genesis, viij. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. verses; Concerning Noah's Ark with the Raven and Dove.

14. Of which Scripture this was the Interpretation.

15. This Raven and Dove which Noah sent forth of the Ark, saith he, was a Tipe of the Two Seeds in every Man, and the Ark was a Tipe of the Body of Man.

16. For there is two Motions always speaking in Man. Now, saith he, the Body of Man signifies the Ark of God; or, the Ark of Noah.

17. The Raven that is sent forth of the Ark signifies the Mo­tions of Reason in Man; for the Motions of Reason goeth out of Man, walking through dry Places, seeking Rest but can find none.

18. Also it was the Reason of Man that took Christ, when on Earth, up into an exceeding high Mountain, and shewed him all the Kingdoms of the World.

19. This Reason in Man is that Raven that goeth forth of the Ark, the Body of Man, to and fro, and taketh Comfort in no­thing but earthly Things.

20. For as soon as ever the Tops of the Mountains of the Earth did appear, the natural Raven never return'd into the Ark again, as you may see in the 5th. Verse.

21. So is it with the Reason of Man; That Raven when it goeth forth by its motions out of Body of Man the Ark: It goeth to and fro the Earth.

22. For the Reason of Man cannot indure to be inclosed or [Page 37] confined, but will be flying upon the Mountains of the Earth, or in the Air. Therefore it is called the Prince of the Air, which ruleth in the Hearts of the Children of Disobedience.

23. Now what Ruleth in the Children of Disobedience Hearts but the Spirit of Reason, the Raven, which goeth out of the Ark, the Body of Man, and liveth upon the Mountains of earthly Things.

24. Also the Dove that Noah sent forth of the Ark signified the Seed of Faith.

25. And when Faith sends forth her motions out of the Ark, her Body, they are innocent as a Dove, humble, meek and low.

26. And when she findeth the Flood, and Waters of Trouble of Persecution upon the Face of the Earth, the Dove entreth into her Ark, her Body, again, and is quiet and still till the Waters of Trouble be abated.

27. For the Dove cannot fly upon the top of the Mountains of earthly things, as Reason the Raven can.

28. The Seed of Faith, the Dove can find no Rest there but when the Waters of Trouble are abated, and the dry Land appear­eth, and the Olive Trees of Joy and Gladness are to be seen.

29. Then the Dove, the Seed of Faith, can go out of its Bo­dy, the Ark, and fetch an Olive-Branch of Peace and Joy in its Mouth, and return into its Body the Ark again, and there remain until it is turned out of the Ark by Death.

CHAP. XV. Shewing how John Reeve's Revelation gave him Satisfaction, and full Resolution to sit still and be quiet, never medling about Re­ligion more: But contrary to the Resolutions of them both, a little while after, where made the greatest medlers of Religion of all the World.

1. TO this purpose, as aforesaid, did John Reeve declare his first Revelation, with a many more Expressions which he uttered at that time with great Joy of Heart, he not thinking in the least, nor I neither, that it was a Preparati­on for God to chuse him, nor me neither, to be his two last Prophets and Witnesses of the Spirit.

2. For, said he unto me at that time, Cousin Lodowick, now I am satisfied in my Mind, and know what Revelation is, I am resolved now to medle no more with Religion, nor go forth after any upon that account.

3. But to get as good a Livelyhood as I can in this World, and let God alone with what shall be hereafter.

4. Now he had been with John Robins not many Weeks before he knew, or had Revelation himself.

5. For John Robins Knowledge and Language overpowerd John Reeve, before he had this Revelation: Therefore he said, now he would not go forth after any, upon that account, no more.

6. Thus, when he thought to be most quiet, and not to medle with any about Religion; and so was I also then, a [Page 39] little while after we were made the greatest Medlers in Re­ligion of all Men in the World.

7. Because our Faces were against all Mens Religion in the World, what Sex or Opinion soever, as will appear hereaf­ter, by our Writings and Speakings.

8. John Reeve, nor I, little thought at that time that this Revelation we had given us did prepare us for a greater Work than for the Peace of our own Minds.

9. But it prov'd that God prepared us for a Commission, and that he did intend to chuse us two to be his last Pro­phets and Witnesses of the Spirit, as will be seen, as fol­loweth.

10. For after John Reeve had this first Revelation afore­mentioned, it did continue and increase exceedingly, that it grew very high in him for two Weeks together.

11. And at the two Weeks end God speak unto him by Voice of Words, to the hearing of the Ear, three Mornings together▪ as is more largely set down in his first Book he wrote, Called A Trancendant Spiritual Treatis.

12. Where the Words of God, as he spoke to him, are set down plainly, as they were spoken to him, the 3d. 4th. and 5th. Days of February. 1651. and in the year of John Reeve's Life 42. and in the year of my Life 41.

13. Thus I have given the Reader a little hint, whereby he may see the ground of things, and the rise how these wonderful things came to pass.

14. Also what we were at first, and how we were acted out in the time of our Lives, and of the Experience I had in the Days of my Ignorance, and of my Dispute with God and my own Soul.

15. And of that great Revelation I had before John Reeve had any; and of the Ravelation John Reeve had, before God spake to him in the year 1651.

16. And now in the Treatis following I shall only speak of some of the most remarkable Acts and Passages which hath [Page 40] been acted and dun by us since we received our Commission from God.

17. That after Ages may see some of the Acts of the two Witnesses of the Spirit, as well as their Writings and their Doctrin now in this last Age. As they have read of some of the wonderful Acts of Moses and the Prophets, and the Acts of the Apostles. So there will be some remarkable Acts of the Witnesses of the Spirit left upon Record; Which is as followeth.

CHAP. I. Of the Commission given the Prophet Mugleton's Chil­dren, blessed by the Prophet Reeve; the great Wisdom given unto Sarah Mugleton.

1. THE first Morning God spake to John Reeve, he came to my House, and said Cousin Lodowick, God hath given thee unto me for ever: And the Tears ran down both sides his Cheeks amain.

2. So I asked him what was the matter, for he looked like one that had been rissen out of the Grave; he being a fresh couloured Man the day before: And the Tears ran down his Cheeks apace.

3. So he told me the same Words as is writen in his first Book; and said unto me, That God had given him a Commission and that he had given Lodowick Mugleton to be his Mouth: And said, at the same time was brought to his Mind that say­ing, That Aaron was given to be Moses's Mouth.

4. But, said he, what my Message is, he could not tell: But, said he, if God do not speak unto me the next Morning, I will come no more at thee.

5. Which I was in good Hopes he would not, for I was willing to be quiet.

6. Also he said at the same time, Cousin Lodowick, Thy Children are all blessed, but especially thy Daughter Sarah, she shall be the Teacher of all the Women in London.

[Page 42]7. She heard him say these Words, as she stood upon the Stairs, for she was afraid of him, that he would rather have condemned her; because he never did love her so well as he did the youngest Daughter.

8. But he spake not then for Affection, but as the Revela­tion moved him.

9. And she was the first Person he blessed to Eternity, af­ter God spake to him the first Morning.

10. It was the more marvelous, because it was never heard this many Ages, that a poor Man should have that Power to Bless and Curs Men and Women to Eternity.

11. And she believed him, and did grow exceedingly in Experience, and in Disputes with Religious People; and they marvelled that one so young should have such Knowledg and Wisdom to answer Questions: So that she did after­wards indeed become the Teacher of all Women in London, in matters of Faith and Religion.

12. And she was imployed by John Reeve, at the first, to carry Letters to any that he did send unto.

13. And there were several Persons came afterwards to my House, more to discourse with her than us.

14. She was at that time about fourteen Years of Age, when this Blessing was given her by John Reeve: And this was the first Morning.

15. But I was in good hopes God would not speak to him no more, for I was loath to be publick: I would gladly have sat still and be quiet, and not to contend with People about Religion.

16. But the second Morning God spake unto him, and told him what he should do, as is set down in the Book a­foresaid.

17. John Reeve said unto me the second Morning, If thou wilt not obey to go along with me, I must pronounce thee Cursed to Eternity, as God did me, had not I obeyed him.

18. Then said I, In case they will not obey me when I speak unto them, I have no Power to curse them, if they will not go a­long with me or you.

[Page 43]19. Yea, said he, but you have, as much Power as I have, for you are given to be my Mouth, as Aaron was given to be Moses 's Mouth.

20. So I went with him to one Thomas Turner his House, and said unto him, Mr. Turner, You must go with us to John Tauny, else you must be cursed to Eternity.

21. But Thomas Turner was willing to go with us, but his Wife was exceeding Wrath and Fearful, that her Husband would be brought into Trouble by it.

22. And she said, if John Reeve came again to her Hus­band, That she would run a Spit in his Guts, so John Reeve cursed her to Eternity.

23. For she looked with Wrath and Fear, as if she had newly risen out of the Grave.

CHAP. II. The Transactions of the second Morning, and how Thomas Tur­ner went with the Prophets to John Tauny's, and of John Reeve's Message to him; and how John Tauny and his De­sign perished and came to nothing.

1. BUT Thomas Turner went with us to John Tauny, and John Reeve delivered his Message to him to this e­phect. Said he,

2. God hath not chosen you to be the Lord's high Priest, as you declared your self to be; neither is the Law of Moses to be acted over again, as you pretend to do, notwithstanding you have circumcised your self to fit you for that Work.

3. Neither are you, being of the Tribe of Rubin, ever to be chosen high Priest, for your Father Rubin lost that Birthright of the Priesthood, by going up to his Father's Couch.

4. But the Priesthood was confirmed upon the Tribe of Levy, and to his Seed for ever.

5. And here is my fellow Witness of the Tribe of Levy; which [Page 44] you know your self he is of that Tribe, and God hath chosen him high Priest in the last Age, and the last that God will ever choose to the end of the World.

6. And as Aaron was the first high Priest that God chose to be Moses 's mouth, so Lodowick Mugleton is the last high Priest that God hath chose to be my mouth, by Voice of Words to the hear­ing of the Ear.

7. Besides, said he, you are not fit to be the Lord's high Priest, because you stuter, or stamer in your Speech.

8. Which God never chose none to be high Priest but perfect men in Nature, which you are not.

9. Also he said, You pretend to be King of seven Nations, and to gather the Jews, in all parts of the Earth, together, and to lead them to Jerusalem, and to mount Olivet, and to make them Kings of all the Earth: And that you must follow John Robins with Sword and Spear.

10. These, and several other things did he speak to John Tauny; and told him that there should never any such things come to pass, as he pretended unto; and charged him to lay all these things down, upon the pain of eternal Damnation, and gave him about a Months time to lay it down.

11. But he did not, but afterwards went further on to prosecute that Design, and made Tents for every Tribe, and the Figures of every Tribe upon the Tent, that every Tribe might know their own Tent.

12. So John Reeve seeing this, he wrote the Sentance of eternal Damnation upon John Tauny for his Disobedience of the Lord's Commission, and left it at his Lodging; for he would not be spoken with at that time.

13. Because he had shut himself up for nine Days, and he would speak with none for that time: But he received it af­terwards of the Man where he lodged; and after a while he and his great Matters perished in the Sea.

14. For he made a little Bote to carry him to Jerusalem, and going to Holland, to call the Jews there, he and one Captain James were cast away and drowned; so all his Pow­er came to nothing.

CHAP. III. Of the Transactions of the Third Morning, and of the Message of the Prophet Reeve to John Robins.

1. THE Third Morning God spake to John Reeve, as it is written in that Book aforesaid; where it is said, Go thou to Lodowick Mugleton, and he shall bring thee to such a Woman, namely Dorcas Boose, and she shall bring you to John Robins, Prisoner in New Bridewell, and deliver my Message when thou comest there.

2. So we went to this Dorcas Boose, and said unto her, You must go with us to New Bridewell, for we have a Message from God to declare to John Robins: She was willing to go, but her Husband made a little Demur: Then said I to her Husband, If you will not let her go, I must pronounce you cursed to Eternity.

3. So he was willing to let her go, for he was some Kin by Marriage to John Reeve and me both: The Woman was a true Beleiver of this Commission afterwards.

4. So we Three went to New Bridewell, and asked for John Robins; and the Keeper opened the Gate, and said, Who would you speak with? John Reeve said, with John Robins.

5. The Keeper said, You shall not speak with him.

6. Then said John Reeve to the Keeper, Thou shalt never be at Peace.

7. So he shut the little Gate upon us; and as we stood a little while without the Gate there came a Woman, a Disciple of John Robins to come out▪ Saith the Keeper to the Woman, There is two or three without would speak with your Lord, show them the other Way.

8. So the Keeper let the Woman out, and the Woman said unto John Reeve, Would you speak with my Lord? Yea, saith he, I would speak with thy Lord: Saith the Woman, He is the [Page 46] same, and will be the same for ever. Thou saith right, said he, he is the same, and will be the same for ever. Meaning the same false Christ for ever.

9. So the Woman went and shewed us the place where John Robins 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 [Page 47] 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 [Page 49] 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 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 [Page 50] 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,

[Page 51]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 [Page 52] 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 [Page 53] 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 place in the Minories, London, that several Ranters and Astrologers did come to talk with us: And one Astrologer being more know­ing in that Art than the rest, would fain himself to be hum­ble, and desirous to be saved, and would endeavour to get the Blessing of John Reeve.

17. The Mans name was James Barker; he was a Gun-Smith, by Trade, but very skillful in the art of Astrology: There were many more People talking with John Reeve at that time.

18. So this James Barker came near to him, and desired him to tell him what it was that God spake unto him three Mornings together: For, said he, I have heard much of you by others, but now he was glad he had that opertunity to speak with him himself.

19. So John Reeve related to him all the words God spake: And when this Barker had heard it, he said, He did verily believe it was the Voice of God that spake unto him: And further said, that he did desire him to give him the Blessing.

20. John Reeve answered, and said, If thou dost truly be­lieve it was the Voice of God that gave me this Power: He said, he did believe it. Whereupon John Reeve did pronounce him one of the blessed of the Lord, both in Soul and Body to eternity.

21. Immediately after he had got the Blessing he departed from him into another Chamber, and said unto some of the Company; I have got the Blessing of John Reeve, but, if any of you will but lay a quart of Sack with me, I will go to John Reeve again, and call him a false Prophet, and say, it was the Devil [Page 54] that spake to him three Mornings together, and see if he will curse me again.

22. There were several Men that heard him, said unto him, That he dar'd not do it: He said, But he would, if any one of them would lay with him.

23. So one Captain Clark, a Friend of ours, was afraid to lay with him without my concent; so he came to me, which sat at a distance from John Reeve, (and knew nothing of it,) and whispered me in the Ear, telling me what Bar­ker had said; then, said I, Do you lay a quart of Sack with him to prove him.

24. And when Barker saw that he would lay with him in­deed, he began to repent, and was loath to stand to his word: But the Company seeing him begin to flinch, they scoffed and geer'd him, and said, We thought you durst as well he hang'd as do it.

25. Yet rather than he would be geer'd for not perform­ing his Words, and loosing a quart of Sack besides, He said, he would do it.

26. So he, with the Company, came towards John Reeve: (And Barker came with his Hat off, and put it under his Arm) saying these Words, mr. Reeve, you have declared me one of the Blessed of the Lord, both in Soul and Body to eternity: But said he, I do verily believe that you are a false Prophet, and that it was the Devil that spake unto you three Mornings together, that gave you that Power to bless and curse Men to eternity. These were all the Words he spake.

27. So I came to him, and said, Barker, Thou hast acted the part of a Hipocrite, both with God and with Man, and with thy own Soul.

28. Thou lyedst against thy own Heart, when thou saidst to John Reeve thou didst believe it was the Voice of God that spake to him, and that he had Power to give a Blessing to whoever be­leived; whereupon thou didst ask him to bless thee? He said, If thou dost truly beleive what I have said; thou replyedst, Thou didst beleive, and said, else why should I ask a Blessing of you.

29. Whereupon he gave this Blessing both of Soul and [Page 55] Body to eternity: And this I say, though thou out of thy Dissemulation and Hipocricy of thy Heart hath got the Blessing of John Reeve, so that he cannot curse thee again.

30. But I gave not my Consent unto it. Therefore for this thy Hipocricy of thy Heart, I do pronounce thee, Cursed and Damn'd both in Soul and Body, from the Presence of God, elect Men and Angels, to eternity.

31. And not only so, But thou art cursed in thy Estate in this World; For Sins of this nature are to be punished with a double Curse.

32. He was exceeding wrath and angry at me, more for cursing his Estate than for his eternal Damnation, he was so mad at that: So that he knew not whether he had best fight me, or take the Law of me as a Witch, if he did not prosper.

33. But my Words and Curse came to pass upon him, even in this Life, as many can witness; even a poor misera­ble beggarly Fellow.

34. Notwithstanding he was as cunning a subtil Serpent as most Men in the World: But at last a Lawyer which he had cheated followed the Law so close upon him, that he seaised upon all his Goods, and took them away, and put him into Prison besides; and there he lay some years, and dyed there miserably poor: Which was the last End of him.

35. Thus I saw the Ephects of that Curse upon him, even in this Life; and in the Life to come, I am sure he shall indure those eternal Torments for that Act of Hi­pocrisy.

CHAP. VI. What the Ranters God was: And how them and their God was damn'd by this Commission: And of the Resolution of Three of the most desperatest to Curse the Prophet Reeve and Mugle­ton's God.

1. AFter this, it came to pass, at another Meeting of the Ranters in Aldersgate-street, London.

2. There was many Ranters that heard what was done by James Barker; so they consulted among themselves why they might not damn us as we did them.

3. Now those that were to damn us, were three of the most desperatest atheistical Ranters, that had ever been in our Company as yet.

4. And they thought nothing too hard for them; but two of those Ranters which had been often in our Compa­ny, and had seen the Passages that passed with, and upon those we had condemned: That their God they worshiped was damn'd with them; for they had no other God but a Spirit without a Body, which they said was the Life of every thing.

5. So that the Life of a Dog, Cat, Toad, or any venomous Beast, was the Life of God: Nay, that God was in a Ta­ble Chair, or Stool.

6. This was the Ranters God, and they thought there was no better God at all.

7. This God did we damn with their Persons, these two Men that had seen many condemn'd by us: The one his Name was Proudlove, a notable Ranter, the other his Name was Remington.

8. So this Proudlove he consulted with those three despe­rate Men which knew nothing of us: So they asked him what they must do, he said, this you must do.

[Page 57]9. You must curse them and their God, and perhaps you may bring down their Power.

10. They said they were willing to do that, and that was but a small matter to curse them and their God: 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 [Page 59] 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.

[Page 60]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 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 [Page 16] 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.

[Page 62]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 [Page 63] 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, ga [...]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 Schollar, and with him an Excise Man; his Name was Ebb, and the Priest's Name was Goslin, and there was with them two Souldiers.

4. These Men being at Dinner with us, Captain Stasy put the Priest upon Discourse and Dispute with us.

5. So we disputed with him concerning God; and when we came to prove by Scripture, that God was a form like Man, according to those Words in Geneses, God made Man in his own Image and Likeness the Priest pleaded, that was Holiness and Righteousness.

6. We showed him that Holiness and Righteousness had no Form nor Image without a Body, nay it is nothing at all in it self, but as it is acted forth by a Body.

7. For it is a Body that acteth holy good and righteous [Page 65] Things, therefore it is we call such a Man a Holy Man, a good Man, a righteous Man: Now if God made Man in his own Image an holy upright Man, could he be said to Be Man except he had a Body.

8. Neither could them Words be proper to say, God made Man in his own Image and Likeness, if Man was made with a Body to act holy and righteous Things, and God that made him had never a Body himself.

9. How then could Man be said to be made in the Image and Likeness of God, whenas there is no likeness at all be­tween them, for the one hath a Person, Form and Body, and the other hath none.

10. And if you say Holiness and Righteousness is the Image and Likeness of God, We pray will you show us the Form and Likeness of the Image of Holiness and Righteousness distinct of it self from a Body.

11. Then where ever we see Holiness and Righteousness distinct of it self, then we shall know God, and that Holiness and Righteousness is the Image and Likeness of God without a Body.

12. And when we see this we will worship Holiness and Righteousness for God without a Body; if you can show us the form of it by it self.

13. Then the Priest grew angry, and called it Blasphemy, to say God was a Form or Person, and said we were Decea­vers; with many other railing Speeches.

14. Whereupon John Reeve pronounced him cursed and damn'd both Soul and Body, from the Presence of God, elect Men and Angels, to eternity.

15. And further said, that he should never see any other God in the Life to come, but the Sentance he had passed up­on him.

16. Then the two Souldiers were very angry to see the Priest damn'd, and they would have fallen upon us to beat us, and one of them took up a great Stoole to knock John Reeve on the Head.

17. But Captain Stasy held him, and perswaded him; [Page 66] then they said they would have a Warrant for us, either from General Cromwell, or the Councel of State, or from the Par­liament.

18. John Reeve answered, and if General Cromwell, the Councel of State, or Parliament should dispise those things we declare as you have done, and as this Priest hath done, I would pronounce them damn'd as I do you.

19. So with a great many words more, at that time, be­tween them and us, and Threatnings wherewith they threatned us. we parted.

20. And Captain Stasy seemed to be sorry that they were no more Civil; but he was glad the Priest was damn'd, be­cause he was a great Enemy to the Clergy.

CHAP. I. Shewing how five Men got a Warrant from the Lord Maior and brought the two Witnesses before him: Of their Accusation: Of their Examination: And of their Answer to it with boldness:

1. BUT a little while after this, as is aforesaid, it came to pass that these Men did get a Warrant from the Lord Maior of London, because we lived in the City of London, it was under his Jurisdiction.

2. So this Priest and the two Souldiers, and Ebb the Ex­ciseman, and another Salseman, his Name was Chandler, a damn'd Man, he lived near me in great Trinity Lane.

3. These five joyn'd all together to prosecute us, and hav­ing a Warrant from my Lord Maior they came to my House, and they brought the Marshal of the Citty of London and his Men to apprehend us and bring us before the Lord Maior.

4. And they came up to the Chamber where John Reeve and I was, and the Marshal and his Men took us before the Lord Maior to be examined.

5. And when we came before him there were several Ac­cusations [Page 68] against us, besides what these five Men did accuse us of.

6. First, that Book intituled, A Transcendant Spiritual Treatis; the Lord Maior had this Book in his Hand. Second­ly there was a Pamphlet by one Needham, sent to the Lord Maior of his own Damnation.

7. And several Letters we had sent to the Presbyterian Mi­nisters in London and about London, to lay down their Preach­ing, (because they had no Commission from God to preach) upon the receipt of this Letter, upon pain of eternal Dam­nation. These Letters were in the Lord Maiors Hands also.

8. And there came one Minister forty Miles to accuse us before the Lord Maior, he came rideing all Night, and came in great Fury and Rage, at the very time the Lord Maior called for us to examin us.

9. But the Lord Maior did not mind this rageing Priest at all, notwithstanding his great Jorny.

10. But he minded these five Men that Joyned in the War­rant, and set them together by themselves, and us two by our selves.

11. The Lord Maiors Examination of us the two Wit­nesses, and our Answer to him, as follows.

12. He asked the Accusars what they had to say against these two Men; one of them answered and said, that John Reeve did say, That he was their God.

13. The Lord Maior said to John Reeve, Did you say so? He answered and said, No. What did you say? said the Lord Maior.

14. Said John Reeve. These Men desired to have Discourse with us about Spiritual Matters, and when I had declared the Truth to them, they called it Blasphemy, Delusion, and Lyes.

15. Whereupon I did pronounce the Sentance of eternal Damna­tion upon them, in that they had sinned against the Holy Ghost, which the Scriptures saith, shall never be forgiven, in this World, nor in the World to come.

16. And that they should see no other God in the World to come, [Page 69] but that Sentance which I had passed upon them; This I did say, and this his Clerke set down.

17. Another of the Accusers said that John Reeve should say? That General Cromwell, the Counsel of State, and the Par­liament were all damn'd.

18. Did you say so? said the Lord Maior, No, said John Reeve.

19. What did you say? said the Lord Maior.

20. John Reeve answered, that we were in a place where one Captain Stasy invited us, and these Men, being Strangers to us, they would needs propound Questions to us, concerning God and the Scriptures, because this Minister was among them; and he was the greatest Blasphemer of Truth of all of them.

21. Whereupon I pronounced him, for his Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, and for Preaching without a Commission from God, cursed and damn'd, both in Soul and Body, from the Presence of God, elect Men, and Angels, to eternity.

22. Upon this he and the rest of them said, They would fetch a Warrant from General Cromwell, the Counsel of State, or from the Parliament, to prosecute us.

23. And I said, That if General Cromwell, the Counsel of State, or the Parliament, should dispise those things we have de­clared, and sin against the Holy Ghost, as these Men did, That General Cromwell, the Counsel of State, and the Parliament, would be all damn'd as you are? This I did say.

24. This was set down by the Clerke.

25. Then said the Maior, You are accused for denying the Three Persons in the Trinity: You say there is but one Person, Christ Jesus, you deny the Father.

26. No, said John Reeve, we owne the Trinity more than any Men, both Father, Son, and Spirit, are all but one Person and one God Christ Jesus, as is declared in that Book in your Hand.

27. Then the Maior said, Here is several Notes from the god­ly Ministers which you have forbid to preach the Gospel, upon pain of Damnation.

28. Said John, We do own these Notes sent unto them, and if any of them Ministers we sent these Letters unto have preached [Page 70] publickly since the receipt of them, they are damn'd to eternity, be­cause they preach and are not sent of God: Neither do they know the true God, nor can they preach the truth unto the People.

29. These Words were set down by the Clerke.

30. Then said the Lord Maior unto John Reeve, What was it that God spake unto you?

31. John related the Words God spake unto him three Mornings together; the same Words that are written in that Book in your Hand.

CHAP. II. Shewing John Reeve's Answer to the Lord Maior's Questions, and John Reeve's Question to the Maior, what his God was, with the Maior's Answer: And John's Replycation to it. Of the two Witnesses Commitment to Newgate.

1. THE Lord Maior answered John Reeve, and said, He did beleive it was the Devil that spake to him.

2. Then to this I answered and said, Sir, you have sin'd against the Holy Ghost, and will be damn'd.

3. The Maior clapt his Hand upon his Brest and said, God forbid.

4. Yea, said I, but you have, then said John Reeve to the Maior, Sir, you say you do beleive it was the Devil that spake unto me; I pray Sir tell me what your God is.

5. The Lord Maior lift up himself, and laid his Hand on his Brest: Oh! saith he, my God is an infininite incomprehen­sible Spirit.

6. What, said I, without a Body or Person?

7. Said the Maior, God hath no Body or Person at all.

8. Why, said I, hath God that made man in his own Image, who hath a Body and Person, and hath made all other Creatures with Persons; and shall he that made them have no Body or Per­son of his own?

[Page 71]9. Doth not the Scriptures say, That Christ was the express Image and Brightness of his Father's Person; and had not Christ, a Body or Person in form like Man, Sin excepted?

10. The said the Maior unto me, must I beleive you?

11. Yea, said I, That you must, or you will be damn'd.

12. Then there was a Gentlewoman in the Court called out, and said, Mr. Reeve, pray tell me what the Devil is?

13. John answered with a loud Voice, and said, Thy own Soul is the Devil.

14. Then one of the Officers said unto the Woman, I think he hath met with you now.

15. Then the Lord Maior asked the Accusers if they would be bound in 40 l. Band a piece to prosecute against these two Men, they said, They would; so the Clark bound them to prosecute.

16. Then the Lord Maior called for the Act of Parlia­ment, which was newly made against Blasphemy: So the Maior read this Passage in it, That if any man should say that he is God, and that God is no where else, shall be guilty of Blasphemy, and shall suffer six months Imprisonment. without Bail or mean prise.

17. Then said I unto him; Sir, What have you to do with this Act, you are a temporal Magistrate, and ought to judg of temporal Things between man and man.

18. And you are to do Justice between Man and Man, in all moral and temporal Affairs, which concerns you to be the Judge of, and you will do well to keep there, for you are not to Judge of Blasphemy against God; nor those that made this act neither.

19. Why, said the Maior, must I beleive you?

20. Yea, said I, That you must, else you will be damn'd.

21. For God hath chosen us two to be the Judge of Blas­phemy against God, and hath given us power to pronounce Sentance of Damnation upon all those that do Blaspheme a­gainst that God which is a Person, which you do deny.

22. Why, said he again, must I beleive you?

23. Yea, said I, else you will be damn'd.

[Page 72]24. Many things more than what is here written was spoke at that time, but these were of most concernment to take notise of.

25. And when this Dispute and Examination was ended, the Lord Maior asked if we would put in Bail? and we said No.

26. So he gave order to his Clark to make our Mittimus, and send us to Newgate; and he went away out of the Court into another Chamber, and the Clark carried the Mittimus into him to set his hand to it: So that he came no more into the Court.

27. For John Reeve intended to give the Sentance of eter­nal Damnation upon him, both Body and Soul, in the open Court, it being full of People.

28. But he came no more out until we were led away by the Marshal and his Men to Newgate, there to remain Priso­ners till the nex Sessions.

29. This Commitment was the fifteenth Day of Septem­ber, 1653.

CHAP. III. Shewing how the Prisoners brought Irons: Required Mony of the two Witnesses, they having none, took one of their Cloaks for a Pledg. How long they were Prisoners: The Bordes were their Bed. And of the Wickedness of some of the Prisoners, which had a Design to have hanged them; and how Providence pre­served them.

1. NOW we being Prisoners in Newgate Goal, I shall speak of some Passages that hapend there.

2. As soon as ever the Keeper had put us in, and shut the Gate upon us, the Prisoners brought to each of us a pair of Irons to put on our Leggs, except we would lay them down three Shillings and Six Pence a piece.

[Page 73]3. Also they said, they must have Mony for Garnish, which did amount to five Shillings a piece in all.

4. I said we have no Money about us, but however, if they pleas'd, they might put the Irons upon our Legs▪ and I held out my Leg for them to be put on: I was very free to wear them for Truths Sake, though it was a thing unusual; for it was the first time that ever I was in Prison before in all my Life.

5. The Prisoners seeing us so willing, they said they would trust us for Tenn Shillings, upon this condition, that we would give them one of our Cloaks for a Pledge; we said do, take which you will.

6. So they looked on John Reeve's Cloak, and said it was not worth Tenn Shillings: Then they looked upon my Cloak, and took it off my back, and said, This will do, this is a good Cloak, it is good fine Cloath; said they, We will keep this Cloak till you pay Tenn Shillings.

7. And in Five Days after my Daughter Sarah brought Tenn Shillings, and I gave it them, and sent my Cloak home by my Daughter; for I durst not keep it there, for fear I should loose it; though I had need enough of it, for the Weather was cold at that time, for it was the 15th. of Sep­tember 1653 we were commited, and we were there Prison­ers until the 17th. of October.

8. And the Bordes was our Bed; we had no Sheets, only a poor Flock-Bead upon the Ground, and one thin Blancket at top; and we paid seven Groats a Week for this Lodging, and thought our selves very well used in a Prison, which thing we was never acquainted with before.

9. But we were more perplex'd with the Prisoners with­in, than with the Imprisonment it self.

10. For there were three Highway-Men, and they were very malitious against us, especially one of them, that if I went to the Grate when any came to speak with us, he would lay his Leg in the dark for me to stumble at, and strike me in the Neck with his Fists, thinking to throw me down.

11. And if I were but walking in the Hall he would come [Page 74] and drive me out, and strike at me, and say, You Rogue, you damn'd Folks: And so it was with the Boys that were Pri­soners: that when I went to the Grates to speak with any, they would snatch off my Hat, and paun it for half a Duzen of Drink: So the Boys did.

12. And I gave them Six-pence every time they did it, to please them.

13. So that other Prisoners said it was not fit I should be so abused, and wished me to complain to the Keeper, and he would punish them.

14. No, said I, It is not for Prisoners to complain of pri­soners.

15. And when these three notable Thieves saw they could not provoke me, no ways, so much as to say why do you so?

16. Then they thought upon another way, and wrote a Letter to John Reeve with the Sentance of Damnation to us both; thinking to have provoked John Reeve to have given Sentance of Damnation to Eternity upon them, that they might have had wherewith to have done him a Mischiefe.

17. But he gave them no Answer at all.

18. When they saw this would not do, they came into our Room where we lay, with a Rope in their Hands, to measure how high the beam was, that they might hang John Reeve in the Room.

19. And as it happened there was four condemn'd Men in Newgate at that time, and these Men were our greatest Friends to protect us from the Violence of other Prisoners.

20. And these two that lay in our Room, they pulled out those Men by Head and Sholders, that came to measure the beam: Those condemned Men had great Respect for us, because we gave them many times Victuals and Money.

21. Also we gave seven Prisoners, at one time, twelve Pence a piece, so that we found Favor in their Eyes for the Loves sake.

22. There was one Prisoner that begged at the Grate, and when he was drunk, he would trouble John Reeve to [Page 75] bless him: So one day, when he was very drunk, he broke into John Reeve, and kneeled down upon his Knees before him, and held his Hands together and said, for Jesus Christ sake John Reeve bless me, for I am a wicked Sinner.

23. And John went from him, and prayed him to be qui­et, but he was so much the more earnest for him to bless him.

24. He was so troublesom to John Reeve that he could not tell how to be delivered from him; 'till one of them that lay in our Room came and pulled him out by Head and Shoul­ders, and turned him down Stairs.

25. Those convicted and condemned Men were made un­der Keepers, which did help the uper Keeper to shut up the Prisoners every Night: These were the Preservers of us from the Violence of the Prisoners all the while we were in New­gate.

26. And while we were in Newgate, John Reeve wrote a Letter to the Lord Maior, Alderman Fooke, who commited us to Prison: And one Jeremiah Mount, a Friend to us, got it Printed, at his own Charge, against the Day of Tryal.

27. There was in it, the Sentance of Damnation upon the Lord Maior; and they were given to the Recorder Steele, and several other Officers in the Court: That Letter was Printed in the year 1653. and in the Third year of our Commission.

28. There is many Beleivers of this Commission of the Spirit that hath them Letters in Print at this Day; but none will part with them at any Rate, not now.

CHAP. IV. Of the Two Witnesses being brought to their Tryal: How John Reeve would not suffer the Maior, a damn'd Man, to speak: How the Jury brought them in guilty; and of the Recorder's Sentance upon them. And of several other Transactions.

1. AND when the day of Tryal came, we were brought before the Court, and the Accusers stood all Five before us; but the Court asked the Accusars not one Que­stion, neither did the Accusars speak one Word before the Court.

2. But when the Lord Maior, the chief Judge of that Court, began to speak against us.

3. John Reeve said, with a loud Voice, That he would not hear a damn'd Man speak, neither will answer to anything; But, Mr. Recorder, we will hear you.

4. So the Lord Maior sat down, and said never a word more.

5. Then John Reeve called to the Recorder for our Exami­nation before the Lord Maior, for that will shew all things, and that we will stand to.

6. But there was no Examination could be produced by the Lord Maior, notwithstanding John Reeve called for it three times, but they gave no Answer at all; therefore no need for the Witnesses to accuse us, for the Examination answered to all that the Accusars could say against us.

7. But the Court waved them, and tryed us only by that book John Reeve first printed; in which book Christ is pro­ved to be the only God: So they judged it Blasphemy to de­ny the Trinity of Persons.

8. Therefore the Recorder asked John Reeve what Father it was that Christ prayed unto in his Agony?

[Page 77]9. John Reeve answered, and said, It was to his representi­tive Power in Moses and Elias that he prayed unto; as you may see, said he, when he said Ely, Ely, Lama sabatheny; my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me. You may 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 [Page 78] 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.

[Page 79]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, [Page 80] 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 [Page 81] 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 Book he wrote, the Title is called, A Dialo­gue between Faith and Reason: Which is in print at this Day.

7. The forth Book he wrote, is called, A Wonder of Won­ders: Which is in print at this Day.

8. After this he grew so Proud, and Lording over the Be­leivers, saying, That no body could write in the vindication of this Commission, now John Reeve was dead, but he: And to that purpose he wrote another Book Intituled, The lost Sheep found: It is in print to this Day.

9. Wherein he had proudly exalted himself into John Reeve's Chair, exalting John Reeve and himself, but quite excluded me in all the Book.

10. So many of the Beleivers complained to me of his lord­ing over them, and that he had excluded me quite in this last Book.

11. Whereupon I read the Book over, and found the Re­port was true.

12. Whereupon I put him down, for ever writing any more, and I wrote to the Beleivers in Cambridge shier, and else where, that he was put down for his Pride and Cove­tousness, for ever writing any more upon that account.

13. And the Beleivers did obey my Voice every where.

14. He continued thus, four Years after John Reeve dyed, until the year 1661. and in a while after Laurance Claxton humbled himself to me, and acknowledged his Fault, and I forgave him, and took him into my Favour, but ty'd him not to write any more.

15. So he continued several years afterwards, justifying his Faith and Confidence, in this Commission of the Spirit.

16. But it came to pass, when the Fire destroy'd the Citty of London he, to get a Livelyhood, did ingage to help Per­sons of Quality to borrow Mony, to build their Houses a­gain.

[Page 82]17. But the Persons that had the Mony did run away, and left Claxton in the Lurch; the Debt was one hundred Pounds.

18. So he only was Arrested, and put in Ludgate Goal, for this Mony: He lay there a whole year, and dyed there.

19. But he gave a very good Testimony of his Faith in the true God, and in this Commission of the Spirit, and of that full assurance of eternal Happiness he should enjoy, to eternity after his Death.

2. Insomuch that all the Prisoners marvelled, and were sorry they had opposed him so when he was alive.

CHAP. VII. Shewing how the Prophet caused, The Divine Looking-Glass to be Reprinted: Of the Prophets printing a Book of the Inter­pretation of the 11th. of the Revelations: And, The Quakers Neck broken: Of his Travels to Nottingham; and the Transactions that passed there: And then to Chesterfield.

1. THE first thing I did after Claxton was put down, I caused the Divine Looking-Glass to be new printed 1661. Which was done very handsomly, and is now to be seen.

2. After this I wrote a Book containing Twenty four Sheets of Paper; Intituled, The Interpretation of the 11th. Chap­ter of the Revelations by St. John, and got it printed in the same year 1662. Which is yet to be seen: Never was such a thing extant in the World before.

3. After this I wrote a Book called, The Neck of the Qua­kers broken, containing Tenn Sheets of Paper; and got it printed in the same year 1663. Which is yet to be seen.

4. After this it came to pass, that several in the North Country, hearing and seeing these Books, had a great desire to see me, and especially one Ellin Sudbury at Notingham, [Page 83] and one Dorothy Carter of Chesterfield in Darbyshier.

5. These and others were very desirous to see me, but they could not tell how, for they thought it would be too much Charge and Labour for them to come to London to me so far; for they were loath to put me to so much Charge to come to them; yet Ellin Sudbury, her desiers were so strong, that she could not be satisfied except she did see me: So she wrote a Letter unto me, that I would come into those Parts; and that the Sosiety should bare the Charge.

6. Now I marvelled what that Society should be, but it was the Beamonists mix'd with the Quakers; as I found af­terwards: But this being in the Winter, I sent word I would come and see her in Summer.

7. And accordingly it came to pass, that one Thomas Hud­son, a Friend of ours at London, had occasion to see his own Relations in Lancashire, and Notingham, and Chesterfield be­ing in his way, he was willing to travel with me, to see those Friends we had never seen before.

8. And when we came to Notingham, Elin Sudbury was glad to see us, and so was her Husband also, but at that time he was upon the Beamonist score; so there came several of the Beamonists People to discourse with me, and some of the Speakers of them, and Mr. Sudbury he thought they would be able to dispute with me, though he could not.

9. But he saw they were more weak than himself, to main­tain their Principles of Religion; so that he disliked them, and said, That their was no true knowledge of the Scriptures a­mongst them: Also he heard me pass the Sentence of Damna­tion to eternity, on four of them.

10. And one of these was very much troubled, and asked Elin Sudbury, whether she did beleive he was damn'd, because I had passed the Sentance upon him, only to insnare her, she being but weak, and had never heard such a thing before.

11. But I, to free her from that Bondage in her Minde, for I knew she had not Confidence enough, at that time to say she did beleive he was damn'd: And if she should say no, then she would loose the assurance of her own Happiness, in be­leiving [Page 84] me to be a Prophet of the Lord, and had Power to give Sentance of Blessedness to one, and Cursedness to the other; So I knew the Woman was in a strait what to say, and he urged her for an Answer.

12. But I said, she shall not give you her Judgment at all, to insnare her Mind: I have passed the Sentance upon you, and I do beleive without doubting, That you are the Seed of the Serpent, and will be damn'd to eternity, and it matters not if all the Peo­ple in the World, should beleive to the contrary, yet my Faith shall be stronger than all to keep you down.

13. Then they grew angree, and threatned to prosecute me, but could not tell how to state a ground of Prosecu­tion.

14. After Thomas Hudson and I went from thence to Chester­field, which was Twenty Miles further, to Dorothy Carter's House, a Widdow; she had one Daughter, her Name was Elizabeth, that was a true Beleiver; and a young Maid that was Servant to Dorothy Carter, her Name was Elizabeth Smith, a true Beleiver also.

15. And there was in that Town, a Man, his Name was Edward Fewterer, a Chirurgeon, that was a true Beleiver also: These Four were glad to see me, for they had never seen me before.

16. But the Professors of Religion, in that Town, hear­ing of me, there came several to dispute with me; but some of them blasphemed, and dispised what I said, whereupon I pronounced the Sentence, of eternal damnation upon Four, or Five Men there.

17. And they being inraged at it, they thought to prosecute us both; and they went to the Maior and Aldermen of the Town, to see what could be done unto us.

18. And the Maior and Aldermen said, they could not tell what to do in it, seeing there was no Law against any Man for saying a Man is damn'd; but if you bring them before the Maior, and if they cannot give a good Account where there Habitation is, they may be set in the Stocks for Vagabonds [Page 85] if they stay in the Town any more than so many days: But we did not know this till afterwards.

19. And while they were ploting this Mischief; we not thinking of it, Thomas Hudson was to go Fifty Miles further, so Edward Fewterer and I took Horse, and went a matter of Fifteen Miles, on the Way with Mr. Hudson: Upon this, the Quakers reported, that I fled away from Chesterfield, to Bake-well, for fear of a whiping, when as we did not know there was any Mischief intended against us.

20. Besides Edward Fewterer and I, came back again to Chesterfield the same Night; but none sought after me as I heard of, and in two days afterwards, I departed from Chester­field to Notingham again.

And as I stay'd there Three days more, there was a Con­spiracy amongst those I had passed Sentance of Damnation upon, how to apprehend me.

22. For every place in the Country, where I had any that beleived, and that was a Friend to me, there was a many Enemies that sought to do me harm, only they had no Law on their side; but I being of Mr. Sudbury's Acquaintance, and at his House, the Maior or Sheriffs would do nothing in it.

23. And it came to pass afterwards, that the Sheriff's Wife came to be a true Beleiver unto this day, her Name is Mary Barker.

24. So after Three days, I departed for Notingham to London, to my own House: This was in the Year 1663.

CHAP. VIII. The Prophet travels into Cambridge shire and Kent: And of his Marriage to his Third Wife, and of his Second Jorney into Darby-shire; and of his being brought before the Maior of Chesterfield: Of his Examination by the Priest, and of his Commitment.

1. AFTER this I travelled into Cambridge-shire, to see several Friends there, and they were very joyful to see me at Cambridge, and the Countries round about; for there were a many of Beleivers in that Country.

2. I stayed there but a matter of Three Weeks, and then returned to London again: And a little while after, I travelled into Kent to visit some Friends.

3. And there was one John Martine, a Tanner, at East-Malin in Kent, which did truly beleive in this Commission of the Spirit, and so did his Wife: He had Two Sons and one Daughter; his eldest Son Thomas did not beleive, but his youngest Son John, and his Daughter Mary were both true Beleivers; and his Daughter Mary was very zealous and strong in the beleif of it.

4. And it came to pass, a while after this John Martin dyed, and I going thither again afterwards, I took his Daugh­ter Mary to Wife with her Mothers Consent, and I married her according to the Law of England, as I did my other two Wives before.

5. I had been a Widdower Sixteen years, before I took this Maid to Wife, she was Twenty Five years of Age when I married her, and I was about Fifty Three years old when I took her to Wife: She was of a good meek innocent and just Nature, besides the strong Faith and Zeal she had in this Commission of the Spirit; so that she was very sutable, both i [...] spiritual, and temporal Qualifications unto my Nature.

[Page 87]6. After this, it came to pass, the same year that I was married, great Troubles did befal me, both upon a Spiri­tual and Temporal Account, as may be understood in the following Relation.

7. It came to pass, that one Richard Hatter, a true Belei­ver, had some Business at Law, at the Assizes at Yorke: He had a mind to go by Notingham and Chesterfield, to see those Friends there; and if I would go with him, he would bear me Company so far.

8. Now these Friends, had greatly desired me to come down into the Country to see them; so I was glad of his Company, and we jornyed together; but Mr. Hatter stay'd But one Night at Notingham, and went his way and left me there at Mr. Sudbury's, and I stayed there a few days: And in that time there came several Quakers, Beamonites, and Indipendants, religious Men and Women, to discourse and dispute with me.

9. But several of them dispised, and blasphemed against what I said, whereby I gave Sentance of eternal Damnation, in that they had sinn'd against the Holy Ghost, a Sin which God will not forgive: Which made them very angry, and spread it abroad the Country, where ever I was known. And after a few days I went form Notingham to Chesterfield.

10. And in the middle of the way, there is a Market Town, called Mansfield, and there I used to bait my Horse and my­self, and that Town is full of Quakers; and when I did Inn there, the Quakers and others, they would press into the Room where I was, to see me and talk with me: And they being an obstinate, and stiffnecked People against a personal God, many of them came under the Sentence of Damnation at Mansfield, and they had reported it at Chesterfield, before I could come there.

11. And when I came to Dorothy Carter's House; after I had been two or three days there, came several Persons to speak with me in that Town, being a Market Town, and they were wicked Dispisers of a personal God.

12. And several of them were damn'd, at Mansfield and [Page 88] Chesterfield, and about twelve: But these at Chesterfield were most of them Independants, and they consulted with the Priest of the Parish, with the Maior and Aldermen of the Town to persecute me; and the Quakers were glad the In­dependant People did so.

13. So the Priest being a more subtil Serpent than all the Beasts of the Feild, he consulted the Maior and Aldermen, to send a Constable for me, before them, and he would exa­min me, and see what Words he could get out of me, to have Matter to accuse me of, For, said he, we can do no­thing to him for saying a Man is damn'd.

14. So the Constable was commanded to fetch me before the Maior, and he came where I was, and said I must go before the Maior.

15. I asked him if he had any Warrant for me; he said, No, then I said, I will not go: Said he, I can command Aide; then he commanded the Man of the House, where my Horse was at grass, but the Man was loth to do it, but he com­manded him in the Kings Name to aide him.

16. So the Man took hold of one Arm, and the Constable by the other, and led me to the Hall, where the high Priest sat, for he was one of the Commissioners of the Ecclesiastical Court, with the Maior and Aldermen of the Town, and the Town Clarke, and all the Officers of the Town, were gather­ed together against me.

17. My Examination before them was as follows; the Priest's Name was John Gupe, the Maiors Name John Allwood, the Recorders Name was Needham, and the Constables Name was Slater, and the Aldermen, one was Clarke, and another his Name was Pinder; the rest I did not know their Names.

18. The first thing the Priest asked was, what I came into that Country for.

19. I said, I came to visit some Friends at Notingham, and Chesterfield, and that I was sent for: He asked me where I lived. I said at London, and what Trade I was of, I said, a Tailor by Trade, and that I lived in Trinity Lane, and had fined for most Offices in the Parish were I lived.

[Page 89]20. Then he waved that, because he thought I was no Housekeeper, but a Lodger, that hath no certain abiding place, but as a Vagabond that goeth to and fro and hath a­bideing every where, So when he saw he could do nothing here then he asked me whether I did beleive the Three Per­sons in the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

21. I answered, No, I did beleive there was three Names, or Titles, of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, but one Person, the Lord Jesus Christ.

22. He rejoyced at this before the Maior, and said, this was enough, and caused the Recorder to set it down, the same words.

23. Then he asked me if I was one of the Two Witnesses spoken of in the 11th. of the Revelations.

24. I answered and said, I was one of those Two Witnesses of the Spirit, spoken of in the 11th. of the Revelations; then he commanded the Recorder to set these words down.

25. Again, he asked me, if I had power to damn and to save.

26. I answered, and said, I had power to give Sentance of Damnation upon those that dispised my Doctrin that I declare, and to pronounce the Sentance of Salvation upon those that truly beleive it.

27. And that you may know that I have Power, I do pronounce you Cursed and Damn'd both Soul and Body from the presence of God, elect Men and Angels to eternity.

28. Then was the Priest struck dumb for a season, and when he had recovered himself to his Sences again, he said to the Recorder, set that down, but did not mention a word that the Priest was damn'd.

29. Then said the Maior, Mr. Mugleton, we do not beleive you, we do beleive the Apostles.

30. I answered, and said, That will do you but little good now.

31. Those words the Recorder was commanded to set down.

32. There were many more Words and Circumstances in [Page 90] the Examination, but these were the main things they made a Charge against me.

CHAP. IX. Shewing that the Prophet proved before the Priest, Maior, and Aldermen, that Christ was the only God. The Priest made no Replycation against it, but fauning upon him with fine Words, to insnare him against the Government: The Prophet's Wisdom discover'd it. Of his Commitment.

1. BUT this I observed, that after I had given the Sen­tance of Damnation upon the Priest, he was very meek and moderate, and asked me Questions in the Scrip­tures concerning Christ being the only God.

2. And I opened unto him the First of John, In the begin­ing was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, and the Word became Flesh, and dwelt amongst us.

3. Now, said I, was not Christ the Word become Flesh, and that Word that became Flesh was God: And did any other God dwell among Men but Christ.

4. And is it not said in Scripture, That in him all the ful­ness of the Godhead dwelt bodily, Not a part, or a piece of the Godhead, but all the fulness dwelt bodily in him.

5. Again, doth not the Scripture say, Great is the Mistery of Godliness, God manifest in the Flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of Angels, beleived on in the World, received up into Glory.

6. Now was not this Christ manifest in the Flesh? Was not he preached unto the Gentles, and beleived on in the World? And was not he received up into Glory? So that Christ must needs be God become Flesh, and God manifest in Flesh.

7. Also, was not this Jesus Christ that Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Begining and the End, he that was Dead and is Alive for ever more.

[Page 91]8. Here you see the Alpha and Omega was dead; And was not the Alpha and Omega God? And you see by the Scrip­ture that the Alpha and Omega was dead: And was there any Alpha and Omega that dyed but Jesus Christ? And was there any Alpha and Omega that quickened out of Death to Life again, but Christ? Therefore he is said to be a quick­ening Spirit.

9. Therefore it must needs be, that Christ is God become Flesh, and manifest in Flesh; and he it was that dwelt a­mong Men; and he was in the Person of a Man, in all things like unto Man, Sin excepted.

10. So that God is but one Person in Form, like a Man, and not Three Persons, as Men do vainly imagine.

11. But when he heard these sayings of mine, he replyed nothing against it, but seemed to faun upon me, and speak softly unto me, tempting me▪ And asked me secretly what I thought of this present Power, that he might have had some what to accuse me of, that the Law would have taken hold of.

12. But I answered him, and said, That I never was con­cerned with no temporal Powers, neither did I meddle with them at all.

13. So when the Priest saw he could get nothing out of me, concerning the Goverment of the Nation, then he ap­plied to the things before mentioned.

14. And he caused the Recorder to read over the Exami­nation before the Maior; the things were but few.

15. First, denying the Three Persons in the Trinity: Secondly, That I said I was one of those two Witnesses spoken of in the 11th. of the Revelations.

16. Thirdly, That I said I had power to damn and save: And Fourthly, that I said their beleiving the Scriptures would do them little good now.

17. Those were the chief things I was charged with. Then the Priest asked me if I would be Prisoner that Night at the Constables House, at my own charge, or at the Town charge.

[Page 92]18. If I had said at the Town charge, then I must have lain in the Cage all Night; but I answered and said, At my own Charge.

19. But I said to the Maior, Do you not take Bail in these cases? The Maior said, Yes: But the Priest, before the Maior had perfectly spoken, said, if you can put in Bail that are not excommunicated Persons.

20. Then Dorothy Carter, my Friend, being a Widdow, would have been Bail, with one of her Sons, and she pressed at the Door to come in, but the Priest thrust her out, and said, She was an excommunicated Person, neither should the Maior accept of her.

21. And I had never a Friend more in that Town, but one Edward Fewterer, but he was not in the way at that pre­sent, so could not procure Bail.

22. But was committed into the Constables Hands that Night; and as soon as ever I was committed Prisoner into his Hands, to be sent to Darby Goale the next Morning, be­ing Sixteen long Miles from Chesterfield.

23. Then the Baylies of the Town seezed upon my Horse for the Lord of the Mannor▪ and sent me to the Goal upon their own Horse.

24. But I was more troubled for the Horse than for my­self, because my Friend John Brante at London, was ingaged for the Horse, else pay four Pounds.

25. But my Friend Dorothy Carter, she went to the Earle of Newcastle, he being Lord of the Mannor; and she told him what these Baylies had done.

26. So the Earle sent for them, and was angry with them, and did reprove them, and said, Will you take away a Man's Horse before he be Convicted and Condemn'd? I charge you, said he, that the Horse be put to Grass, and that no Saddle be put upon his Back, and let the Owner pay for his Meat, if he be quit, or otherwise.

27. So it was done, according to his Command.

CHAP. X. The Priest gave that Character of the Prophet, of a wise and so­ber Man The Prophet, gave the like Character on Pendor. Of a Dispute between the Prophet, and two of the Officers of the Town and the Keeper of the Person, and the Sheriff's Men. The Prophet proves Three Records on Earth to answer the Three Records in Heaven▪ All this in the Goal.

1. NOW I shall speak of somthing of my Imprisonment in Darby Goal, which is as follows.

2. For all the Priest's Malice towards me, yet he could say to the Aldermen, when I was gone, That this Man was the soberest, wisest Man of a Phanatick that ever he talked with; for he thought I had been like the Quakers.

3. This did one of the Aldermen tell me, for he was as Nicodemas, his Name was Pendor; he came to me by Night, for he had a great desire to talk with me alone, so that Night I was in the Constables House he had his desired Oppertuni­ty.

4. And when I was Prisoner in Darby Goal, there came the Sheriff's Men, and Two of the Officers of the Town, and the Keeper of the Prison, to talk with me.

5. The Officers of the Town came to me, thinking them­selves wise and knowing enough in the Scriptures, especially one of them, for to talke or dispute with me.

6. But the Sheriff's Men came on purpose to insnare me, if they could; so one of them, the most surly angriest Man of them, asked me, saying, Have you taken the Oath of Alle­gance and Supremacy.

7. I answered and said, That Prophets do not use to swear: Did you ever read in Scripture that Kings have been subject to [Page 94] Prophets Words, and those Kings were happy that were obedient to the voice of Prophets.

8. Why, said he, are you a Prophet?

9. Yea, said I, that I am a Prophet.

10. Then said he, do you go to Church to hear our Ministers. At that time there was a Law to persecute Men that did not come to Church, which caused him to ask that Question.

11. I answered him, and said, That it is not the practice of Prophets to go to Church to learn of your Ministers, the Ministers ought to hear Prophets and learn of them.

12. For Prophets were always above Bishops and Ministers.

13. When he heard me answer him so confidently, and with Authority as from Heaven, he said no more.

14. And when the Officers of that Town heard me answer him so positive, they were the more afraid to enter into a Dispute with me.

15. Yet one of them being more Atheistical, being of the Saduce Spirit, upon whose Wisdom and Knowledge they all depended upon; he was a moderate Man, and asked his Questiens moderately, as you shall hear.

16. Saith he, Mr▪ Mugleton, you say thers is Three Com­missions, or Records to be acted upon this Earth, and you say your Commission is the Commission of the Spirit, and the last: Now, saith he, if you could prove this by Scrip­ture, I should be satisfied.

17. I answered, and said unto him, will you beleive me, if I do prove it by Scripture, here before these People.

18. Then said he, truly I think I shall beleive you, if you prove it by Scripture.

19. Then the Keeper, and all the Men, were silent, and speak not a word, none but he and I.

20. Then said I, you shall not be troubled with any more Scriptures than that in the Epistle of John, the 5th. Chapter, and such Scriptures as do allude to the same purpose; where it is said, There is Three that bare Record in Heaven, the Fa­ther, Word, and Spirit, and these Three are one: And there are [Page 95] Three that bare Record on Earth, the Water, Blood, and Spirit, and these Three agree in one.

21. Said I, here you see that there is Three Records to be upon Earth, answerable to the Three Records in Heaven; and as the Three Records in Heaven were but one God, though called Father, Word, and Spirit.

22. So likewise the Three Records on Earth, of Water, Blood, and Spirit, are said yet do agree in one, as the Scrip­ture saith, do you beleive this?

23. He answered, and said, he did, and so they said all.

24. Then, said I, you see this one God in Heaven is call­ed Father, Word, and Spirit, yet but one God; yet said to be Three that bare Record in Heaven, yet but one God.

25. Said I, how will you interpret this Scripture.

26. He answered and said, he knew not how, but desired me to unfold it.

27. Then said I, these Three that bare Record in Heaven, it was spoken in relation to the Three Records on Earth.

28. For this one God bearing Three Records in Heaven, would have signified but little unto Mankind, had there not been Three Records on this Earth given unto Men, to de­clare unto Men the Three Records in Heaven.

29. That Men might understand that one true God that is in Heaven, demonstrated by Three Titles, of Father, Word, and Spirit.

30. Which God cannot be known, but by the Three Re­cords on Earth, and those Three Records on Earth must be acted by Men, that Men and Women may come to know that one true God in Heaven, which is distinguished by Fa­ther, Word, and Spirit, and be saved.

31. For it is Life eternal to know the true God, and he is to be known no other way, but by these Three Records on Earth, of Water, Blood, and Spirit; and these Three Records on Earth are acted by Men, be they not, said I. He said, yea.

CHAP. XI. Shewing the Interpretations of the Two past Records on Earth, of Water and Blood, being undeniably unfolded.

1. THEN, said I, will you interprit who those Men were and are, that have acted the Records of Water and Blood and Spirit upon Earth?

2. He answered and said, No, he could not, but desired me to interprit it.

3. Then, said I, the Interpretation is thus; the Record of Water upon the Earth it was Moses and the Prophets un­der the Law.

4. They worshiped God with divers Ceremonies of Tipes and Offerings of Bulls and Goates, and sprinkled upon the Alter their Blood, and upon the Flesh of the Leapers, and other distempered Persons that were unclean, and much Washings and Purifyings with clear Water, was used un­der the Worship of the Law.

5. Which was the Record of Moses and the Prophets, it being set up by Moses and practised by the People of the Jews many Generations: And this Record of Moses upon Earth is that Record of Water, answering and bearing Testimony to that one God the Father and Creator of all things both in Heaven and Earth.

6. This is the Interpretation of the Record of Water up­on Earth, and this agreeth with the Record of God the Fa­ther in Heaven.

7. Now you must understand that the Record of Water upon Earth, it was acted by Men, as Moses and the Prophets, and the high Priests, in the time of the Law: They all cryed with one accord, This is Truth.

8. The Interpretation of the Record of the Blood upon Earth, it was Jesus Christ and his Apostles, In that Christ [Page 97] came to fulfil the Law, and he is said to be the end of the Law to every one that beleives, and to lay down his Life for many.

9. Now, in laying down his Life, is understood that he shed his own precious Blood: Therefore it is said, his Soul was heavy unto Death and he power'd out his Soul unto Death; and except you eat my Flesh and drink my Blood you have no Life in you.

10. That is, no Man hath the Assurance of eternal Life, abideing in him, except he doth truly beleive that Flesh of Christ that was Crucified upon the Cross, to be the Flesh of God.

11. That is, the Word became Flesh and dwelt amongst Men, and that Blood of Christ that was power'd out unto Death, to be the Blood of God: Except this be beleived there can be no eternal Life abideing in Man.

12. For this Blood of Christ doth purge the Conscience from dead Works, to serve the living God: So that Christ which is manifest in Flesh, as the Scripture saith, did pass through Blood.

13. And his Apostles, after he had given them a Com­mission, as in the Second of the Acts, they bare Testimony and Record on the Earth, that Jesus was the Christ.

14. And they did witness, that he shed his Blood, and was put to Death by the Jews, and did rise again and assend up into Heaven, in that same Body he suffered Death in.

15. For which Record of theirs they were put to Death, and their Blood was shed, and so were many Beleivers in their Commission put to Death, and passed through Blood, for bearing Record to this Jesus which they had crusified, to be the Son of God.

16. And this Record on Earth was acted by Men, who lost their Lives for their Record; therefore it is called the Record of Blood upon Earth.

17. Answerable to the Record in Heaven, in that the Word became Flesh; and Christ is that Word that bare Re­cord in Heaven, and became Flesh, and shed his Blood: [Page 98] And those that bare Record unto him, their Blood was shed also.

18. So that the Blood of Christ, and the Blood of the Apostles, and the Blood of Saints, is that Record of Blood on Earth: And this Record of Blood on Earth, it was acted by Men, by Christ, his Apostles, and Saints.

19. This is the true Interpretation of the Second Record of Blood here upon Earth, is it not said I.

20. They all rejoyced, and said it was true so far, and that they never hear'd the like.

21. Now the Interpretation of the Third Record of the Spirit upon Earth: You see, said I, that there is to be Three Records upon Earth, as there is Three in Heaven: Now you see there is but Two acted upon Earth as yet, to wit, Water and Blood.

22. Now the Water Record was to witness to God the Father, the Blood Record witnessed to Christ the Son, and you see they were Men like your selves, that did bear these Records on Earth, of Water and Blood.

23. Likewise, you see, that these Two Records on Earth, they did witness to one God in Heaven: Did they not? said I. He answered, and said, They did. Yet, said I, you see they differ one from the other in point of Worship, notwith­standing they did agree to bear Record to one God in Hea­ven.

24. Now, said I, as these Two Records of Water and Blood were acted upon Earth by Men, so likewise must the Record of the Spirit upon Earth he acted by Men also.

25. And not as People do vainly imagiin, That the Two former Records were acted by Moses and the Prophets, and the High Priests, which were Men: And the Record of the Blood was acted upon this Earth by Christ and his Apostles and Saints, which were Men.

26. But you cannot conceive the Record of the Spirit up­on Earth is to be acted by Men, as the other Two were: But you conceive that God doth act this Record upon Earth [Page 99] himself, only by inspiring his Spirit into every Mans Heart secretly giving the Knowledge of himself.

27. Two answered, and said, Indeed this was their Beleif

28. But, said I, the Record of the Spirit upon Earth must be acted by Men, as the other Two were, else them Words be not true, That there is Three that bare Record on Earth.

29. For if God which is in Heaven doth act the Record of the Spirit himself, and Men acted the other Two, then there is but Two Records on Earth, and Four Records in Heaven.

30. When they heard this, they rejoyced, and said to the Man that disputed with me, Mr. Benet, We think you have met with one that is two harde for you now.

CHAP. XII. The Interpretation of the Third Record on Earth, the Record of the Spirit, and who it is acted by.

THEN, said I, The Record of the Spirit upon Earth must be acted by Men, as the other Two were. Now, said I, there must be Witnesses of the Spirit upon Earth, as there was Witnesses of Water and Blood.

2. And some Men must be the chief Teachers or Com­missioners, as he did Moses and the Prophets, Christ and the Apostles; these were chosen of God, and happy was it for those that beleived them in their time.

3. Now, said I, God chose John Reeve and myself by Voice of Words, to the hearing of the Ear, to be his Two last Pro­phets and Witnesses of the Spirit, and he gave us Under­standing of his Mind in the Scriptures above all the Men in the World at this Day.

4. And this I know to be true, and many that can witness the same: I spake not this out of any Pride of Heart, but [Page 100] out of perfect Knowledge, for true Knowledge is never proud.

5. For I would make nothing of the greatest learned Man that is upon the Earth, if he will dispute of the Scripture in the English Tongue: And not persecute with a Sword of Steel, to overthrow him by the Scriptures, that there is but one true God in the person of a Man, who made Man in his own Image and likeness, as the Scriptures saith; And not Three Persons, and one God, as all Profesers of Reason do own at this Day.

6. Also we being the third Record of the Spirit upon Earth, we use no outward visible Forms of Worship, But do Worship God in Spirit, and Truth, as Christ said.

7. So that every Record on Earth, doth differ, one from another, in Point of Worship.

8. For it is not proper, for every Record, to Act one and the same thing, over and over again: And as there is a difference in the Three Titles called Three Records in Hea­ven, of Father▪ Word, and Spirit; Now these are Three Distinct Titles, yet but one God.

9. So it is with the Three Records on Earth, of Water, Blood, and Spirit: These be Three distinct Records, And Three distinct Persons; the head of these Three distinct Records. And there is Three distinct differances, in there visible Worships; yet they all Three agree in one.

10. In witnessing to that one Jesus Christ to be the very true God, and Saviour of all those that believe in that the Word was God, And God was that Word, And the Word became Flesh, and Dwelt among Men: He that is called the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last; The Begining and the End; He that was Dead and is Alive for Evermore.

11. This one God, doth all the Three Records agree, to witn [...]ss unto this one God, though differing all of them in their Several dispensations, of outward Worship as afore­ [...]aid.

12. For every Record Acts his part upon this Earth, suitable to the Three Titles in Heaven; Moses and the Pro­phets, [Page 101] their parts in the dispensation of Water, as being under the Title of God the Father and Creatour of all things.

13. Christ and the Apostles, Acted their Commission of the Blood, under the Title of a Redeemer by his own Blood, And he was that Word made Flesh, And Dwelt among Men.

14. And now we the Witnesses of the Spirit, do Act a Spi­ritual Record on Earth, which is to Worship God in Spirit, and Truth, Answerable to the Title of Spirit in Heaven.

15. In Witnessing to that one Personal God, though Three Titles, of Father, Word, and Spirit; yet but one Personal God.

16. So that the Three Records on Earth, do agree in one, though they differ in their outward dispensations of worship as aforesaid; so that we the Witnesses do Act our part on Earth under the Title of the Holy Spirit in Heaven; therefore our Worship is Spiritual, and Invisible in the Heart only.

17. And now you see, I have prov'd by Scripture; that the Commission of the Spirit is now Extant upon the Earth; and Acted by Men like yourselves, even by John Reeve, And myself; and those that beleive our Doctrin.

18. Said I, do you beleive me now, I have prov'd by Scripture, that I am one of the Two last Prophets, and Witnesses of the Spirit or last Record on Earth.

19. He answered and said, that he could not gain say any thing that I had spoken, but did aprove, of what I had said better than of any that ever he heard in his life, but said he could not venture his Salvation upon my Words.

20. Then said the Sheriffs Men, and the Keeper of the Prison, Now Mr. Benet, you have met with your Match, One that hath Answered you all things.

21. Then said Mr. Benet, suffer me to ask you one question more.

22. What is that said I.

23. Why saith he; I have been a long time of the Oppinion, [Page 102] that the Soul of Man is mortal and doth dye, But I cannot satis­fie myself in it.

24. I answered and said; your Oppinion was true, for the Soul of Man is Mortal and doth Dye, For nothing doth Live, but the Soul, for it is the Soul that Eats and Drinks, and Walks, and Talkes; And the Soul that Lives and Dyes, For nothing can be said to Dye but Life, for if the Body be Dead, the Soul or Life is Dead also: For the Body and Soul is all one being: And if one be Alive, both are Alive, And if one be Dead, both are Dead.

25. For both Body and Soul, came into the World toge­ther, For the Soul is begotten by Generation, as well as the Body; so that they go both Body and Soul, out of the World together; For that Life that is begot by Procuration must Dye, which all Souls are; and not by Infusion from God, but by that very Law that said Encrease and Multiply.

26. Therefore the Soul or Life of Man, and all things else, that is begotten by Generation must Dye as well as their Bodies.

27. When he heard this, He was very much taken with my answer, and seem'd very Respective to me, and so did the Sheriffs Men; they show'd themselves very Civil.

28. This dispute was upon the Sunday before the Assizes: For that began on the Monday following, a matter of Four Hours in the Afternoon, this dispute was.

CHAP. XIII. The Prophets Argument. And Examin'd by the Judge: And he Required of the Judge to take Bail, the Judge granted it: The Maior, Aldermen and Recorder that Committed him, saw their Folly and Madness, and were asham'd of themselves: How the Prophet had the Love of all the Prisoners. Of his Printing of the whole Book of the Revelation, &c.

1. AFTER this dispute aforesaid, upon the Wednesday following being the last Day of the Assizes, I was call'd before the Bar: And when I came before the Bar.

2. The Judge asked me, if I would be Try'd by this Note of Examination.

3. I answered no, and said, I thought your Honour would have excepted of Bail for my appearance the next Assizes; For Mrs. Carter had delivered the Judge a writing, to that purpose, of mine, the Day before; and the Judge, his Name was Terral.

4. The Judge, answered and said; that he would take Bail, but had said to her, he would see the Man: So when I asked him at the Bar to take Bail, the Judge said, he would; and asked me who they were.

5. And I said, one is Richard Sudbury; He asked where he Liv'd; I said at Notingham; he asked what Trade; I said an Iron-monger. Then Richard Sudbury was call'd, and the Judge asked him, whether he would be bound for my Appearence the next Assizes; He said, he would; then the Judge Com­manded him to be set down for one.

6. Then said the Judge; There must be another, then said, I, there is one Edward Fewterer; where Liveth he, said the Judge, I said at Chesterfield; what Trade, said the Judge, I said a Surgeion, then the Judge Commanded Edward Few­terer to be called, then the Judge asked him, whither he would [Page 104] be bound in two Hundred Pound Bond, for this Man's appearance, He said, he would.

7. Then speak one of the Aldermen of the Town; If it shall please your Honour; Mr. Fewterer is not Capable to be his Bail; why said the Judge; said he, Because he is an Excom­municated Person; said the Judge, What was he Excommuni­cated for; said he, For not coming to Church. Said the Judge, How long hath he been Excommunicated: He said, but last Sun­day; Push, said the Judge, that Signifies nothing, Except it was for the cause of Adultry; set him down to be Bail.

8. Then the Maior, Recorder, and Aldermen, all of them were Ashamed and vexed, they could do me no further Mis­cheif, than Imprisonment.

9. And when I was Bail'd out of Prison, the Maior and Constable, and the rest were afraid I would trouble them.

10. The Maior for Committing me to Prison, without any Accusers, and denying to take Bail for me, and for not binding some over for to Prosecute against me, which things he did not, but was in danger to pay Five Pound a Day for false Imprisonment.

11. And the Constable, was like to suffer for Apprehend­ing me, without a Warrant.

12. I was Councelled to sue them at the Law; and so I would, if they had put in any Indictment against me, but they were afraid; And did nothing but let it fall.

13. So I was quit, only it put me to a great deal of Charge, but seeing they put no Indictment against me, I let it pass, and fall.

14. Dorothy Carter, and Mr. Sudbury, were great Friends in this business, both in Purss and Person; because I was taken at her House, and she brought me from Darby Goal, to her own House again on Horse back, which is 16 long Miles.

15. I had the Love of all the Prisoners, on that side I was put; and they said, they thought themselves Blessed for mysake

16. For they were every one of them, that were with me, free'd without any punishment, only the Fees of the Prison. [Page 105] I was in Prison in Darby Goal but nine Days, but this fall­ing out so quickly after I was Married to my Wife Mary, it was some greif to her, but being delivered so quickly, she was pacified the better.

17. This was a Year of great Trouble to me, both upon a Spiritual Account, as afore Written; and upon a Temporal, which I shall not mention.

18. This was in the 13th. year of my Commission, and in the 54 year of my Life, and in the year of the Lord 1664.

19. After this, I Wrote a Book, containing 32 sheets of Paper, Called the Interpritation of the whole Book of the Reve­lations of Saint John, the bigest volum of all the Books that were written by us.

20. Also, I wrote a Letter after that to Thomas Taylor, a Quaker, Containing two sheets of Paper; And in the year 1665, I got them both Printed; they are yet to be seen by many.

CHAP. I. The Prophets Travels into Kent: Of Judge Twisden; and of the Prophet's Letter to him. Of the in­crease of Beleivers,

1. AFTER this I travelled into Kent, to see my Wife's Friends, and there I had like to have been apprehended by the Judge of the Town, his Name was Twisden: But I having intilligence of his wick­ed Intent, I escaped away out of his Coasts.

2. And I wrote a Letter to him, forbiding him for per­secuting any Man for his Conscience: For tho' he was made a Judge of the Law in temporal Matters, yet he was not the Judge of Conscience, nor of Spiritual Matters.

3. Therefore I advised him to meddle with those Things he knows, as the Laws of the Land, and not with those Things that belongs to God, as the Conscience doth.

4. For God only is the Judge of spiritual Things, and [Page 107] them whom he doth chuse, least you bring your self under the Sentance of eternal Damnation: This Letter is large, but not in Print, but is yet to be seen in Writing.

5. He was netled in his Mind at it, but knew not how to help himself; so he brought the Letter in his Hand to my Wife's Mother's House, and asked her, if she thought he should be ever the worse, if he did persecute me; on pur­pose to insnare her, because she did not go to Church, and was under his Power; for he was the cruelest Devil to all Prophessors of Religion, that did not conform to Worship as he did, that was in all that Country: Also he would have had a Book of her, that he might have done me the more Mischief; but I charged her, before, to let him have none, nor none in that Town should let him have one.

6. Also, I told him, in the Letter, that if he would send to me at London, and send Money, I would let him have half a Dozen of Books, several, but without Money he should have none, for they cost a great deal of Monies Print­ing: But he never sent for any, but threatned my Mother, that if ever I came there any more to deceave People, as he called it, that he would do great Matters to me: So he went his way, and never came there more, as I hear'd of.

7. Now by this time there was many Men and Women that did beleive in this Commission of the Spirit; and the Doctrin of the true personal God was received by several Persons of Quality, so that many were aded to the Faith: Some I shall name.

8. First, One Mrs. Feild, who lived in Wales; she was counted a Lady in that Country; and one Mrs. Sharte, a Draper's Wife in Cannon-street: This Sarah Sharte, she sent for me several times, to speak with her, but the Messenger missed of me so oft, that she thought herself forsaken of God, that she could not speak with me.

9. For she had kept her House several years of a Weak­ness she had in her Body, so that she could not go forth, nor come to me herself: So she seeing none of them she sent [Page 108] could meet with me, she grew out of patience, and could not sleep 'till she had seen me.

10. So she desired her Husband, to go himself in the Morning betimes, before I was gon out; so he did, and he ingaged me to come to his Wife about Two of the Clock in the Afternoon, the same Day, for she had a great Desire to speak with me.

11. So at the time appointed I went, and she was glad to see me, who had desired it a long time: And when she had seen me, and had discoursed with me about spiritual and heavenly Things, concerning God, his Form, and Nature: The right Devil, his Form and Nature: The Person and Nature of Angels: The Place and Nature of Hell: The Place and Nature of Heaven: The Rice of the Two Seeds, and of the Fall of Adam.

12. And how every Man came to have two Voices; or Motions, speaking in Man: These were all heavenly Secrets, and hiden from the World, which I declared unto her, so that she was very well satisfyed in her Mind; and she de­sired that I would come often to her, which I did always when she sent for me, not else: And she was a true Beleiver afterwards, and lived in the full Assurance of her eternal Happiness after Death, all the Days of her Life.

13. And she had a Kinswoman, a Virgin, that waited upon her, by reading of the Books her Aunt had of mine by stelth; she became a true Beleiver, her Name was Ann Loe; and in process of time this Ann Loe married one Wil­liam Hall, a true Beleiver of this Commission of the Spirit.

14. And she did grow in Wisdom and Knowledge, in spiritual and heavenly Knowledge and Experience, and strong in Faith, more than her Aunt before her; and she was a great preserver of me, from the Hands of my Enemies, when the King's Messengers sought after me; as will more appear hereafter.

CHAP. II. Of one Captain Wildye, an honourable Man: And of one Mrs. Cowlye, of her Faith, and Obedience of her Husband, and of her Son, a University Scholar; and of his Convinement by the Prophet, both as to the Ministry, Law, and Phisick.

1. ALSO there was one Captain Wildye, he was one of the Masters of Trinity-House, an honourable Place: For that Trinity-House is a Court for the ordering of Shiping, and Seamen: This Captain Wildye became a very true Be­leiver of this Commission of the Spirit, and he shewed a great deal of Charity to several poor Beleivers of this Faith, more than any perticular Person in his time.

2. Also he was the occasion of bringing to this Faith one Ann Cowlye, a Gentlewoman at Mile-End-Green. She was carried through several Principles of Religion, as Indepen­dant, Quaker, and Virgin-Life-People: She was zealous in all things she clave unto, being very desirous to be saved, and afraid to be damn'd.

3. She was in the Principle of a Virgin-Life, and would not let her Husband know her in Twelve years before she saw me, notwithstanding she had born several Children by this Man, and had one Son and one Daughter living by him.

4. But after she came to be acquainted with me, I con­vinced her both by Scripture and Reason, of the unlawfull­ness of a married Wife, to live a Virgin-Life, and that she could not possibly have Peace as to another Life in that Pra­ctice: And I advised her to give herself up to her Husband, else I could not give Judgment of Blessedness upon her to Eternity.

5. She being troubled at this saying of mine, was forced [Page 110] to yield to her Husband, which thing, she thought an Angel from Heaven could not have perswaded her to do.

6. But the Words of a Prophet was of great Power, whose Word she could not resit, but obeyed his Voice, and had Peace of Minde, and the Blessing of eternal Life in her Self; and she grew very zealous for the Commission of the Spirit, and contended for the Faith very much; and this thing wrought upon her by the Word of a Prophet.

7. This caused her Husband to beleive also; and he was a very Wife and Prudent Man of the Independant People, who had been a Preacher among them; he became a very knowing Man in the Faith, also his Son and his Daughter became both true Beleivers of this Commission of the Spirit.

8. His Son, John Cowlye was well bread, he was brought up at the University of Cambridge, his Learning cost his Fa­ther many hundred Pounds, and when he was to receave some Benefit or Livelyhood for the future, for all the cost past; the Benefice was, to be ordain'd a Minister, or a Doctor of Phisick, or a Lawyer: These Three be the most hon­ourable Things in this World.

9. But when he came to speak with me I convinced him of the Unlawfullness of all the Three, for any Saint, or Gods Elect to undertake that Practice.

10. The Seed of the Serpent were the fitest Men to take them Practices upon them, because all the Kingdoms of this World is given into the Hands of the Seed of the Serpent, as the Devil said to Christ.

11. And these Three sorts of Men are reputed by the Seed of the Serpent, the most honourable Men of all, and are reverenced and subjected unto, both by Princes and com­mon People, yet the greatest Cheats that is in this World, as will appear.

12. First, I shewed him how dangerous a thing it was to take upon him to be a Minister of Christ, without a Com­mission from God, it would be counted by him spiritual High Treason: For Ministers are in more Danger of eternal [Page 111] Damnation than any other Men, for going to Preach, and are not sent of God.

13. For when they shall say in the Conscience at that Day, Lord, we have preached in thy Name, and prayed in thy Name, and cast out Devils in thy Name.

14. The Answer of God in the Conscience, will say, Depart from me you workers of Iniquity, I know you not: And why did not God know them, because he did not send them. So that preaching and praying as a Minister, without a Commission from Christ, is counted but a Work of Iniqui­ty.

15. And as for the Doctors of Phisick, they are the greatest Cheats, upon a natural Account, that is in the World: They cheat the People of their Money, and of their Health; for they are in the original, but atheistical Witches; and it would be good if there were never a Doctor of Phisick in the World, People would live longer, and live better in Health.

16. For God never appointed any Doctor of Phisick, but he appointed Nature to preserve Nature.

17. But through the wicked intemperate Life of Man it hath brought a necessity of Doctors of Phisick.

18. But those People that go to a Doctor of Phisick to get Health, he goeth to a Witch to seek his Health, even as a Man that is troubled in Mind seeketh unto a Witch that hath a Familier Spirit for satisfaction, as did King Saul.

19. But when the Conscience of the Doctor of Phisick shall be opened at the last Day, he shall say, Lord, we did not think that there were any God at all, but Nature only; there­fore our Minds fed upon Gold and Silver that groweth in the Earth, that we might Cloath our selves in rich Apparel, that might make us honourable among great Men of the Earth, and reverenced by the Poor; not thinking, in the least, that there was any better Heaven hereafter, or any Punishment after Death for practiseing this Cheat, that is Autherised by the Powers of the Nations.

20. And tho' we have done a great deal of Hurt, yet, Lord, we have done some good; we have cast out many Devils in Drun­kards [Page 112] and Whoremasters, and Whores, who by their Wickedness have procured that Pox which no righteous Man could cure; we have made them leave off that Practice by our Medicines and Ad­vice, and from Drunkenness, and have lived a sober Life after­wards, and many divilish Diseases have we cast out by our Spirits of Witchcraft, which we have given them to drink.

21. But the Answer in the Conscience will say, Inasmuch as you fhrsake me, the living God and creator of all things, and said, in your Hearts, There is no God, then you gave your selves up to natural Witchcraft, diving into the nature of the Planits and Stars, and into the Spirit of the Herbs of the Field, so that you became absolute Witches your selves, and you have caused Thou­sands of Men and Women to be bewitched by you, both in their Bodies, Souls and Estates.

22. Therefore depart from me you atheistical workers of Iniqui­ty, into utter Darkness, where is weeping and knashing of Teeth for evermore.

23. And as for the Lawyers, they keep the Keys of the Knowledge of the Law, and will neither enter into Truth and Honesty themselves, nor suffer others to enter in that would.

24. For no Man can do anything in his own Cause, but as his Lawyer instructs him; for he is sworn when he enters into that Practice, he hath a Commission to keep the know­ledge of the Law from his Clyant, so that the Clyant being ignorant how to proceed in Law, Step by Step, the innocent Clyant his Clause is many times put off and neglected by his Lawyer, to the great Discontent and further Charge of the innocent and just Cause.

25. And as for the Poor, that can have no Law at all, tho his Cause be ever so just, no Judge will hear him, nor no Lawyer will give him any Councel, except he hath Monies in his Hand; nor no Judge will do the Poor any Justice, except he go in the way of the Law, and that the Poor can­not do.

26. So that if the Birthright of the Poor be ever so great, or just, it must be lost, for want of Monies to fee Lawyers: [Page 113] Besides, where Monies is to be had, let a Man's Cause be never so unjust, yet Lawyers will undertake it, though they know certainly that their Clyant will be overthrown, be­fore they took it in hand: This is Wickedness in a high degree, so contrary to the Law writen in Man's Heart. To do as he would be done unto.

27. But the Government of this World hath brought a necessity of the use of Lawyers; but it is not expedient that any Saint should take that Practice upon them, there is enough of them in the World, it being the Devil's King­dom.

28. But when the Book of Conscience, the Law writen in the Lawyer's Heart, is opened, at the last Day, what can they plead for themselves.

29. They will say, Lord, we thought, because it was the Government of the Nation, and that learning of the Knowledge of the Law it made us rich and honourable among Men; it made us Companions for the wise and great Men of the World; the Knowledge of the Law, it made us Atornies, Councellors and Sar­jants at Law; honourable Places, and by degrees we came to be Judges of the Land.

30. So that Kings and Princes have asked Councel at our Lips, we have Cloathed our selves with fine Scarlet and white Robes, signifying Justice and Mercy to the People: We have been as Gods upon the Earth, and we have done justice to some in all our Degrees, tho we have failed in others, therefore hope for Mercy.

31. But the Answer in the Conscience will say, In as much as you have fed upon Riches and Honour all your Days, and have not walked by the Law written in your Hearts, To do as you would have been done unto, had you been in their Condition, and they in yours; but you have the Penny of this World, Riches and Honour, your Hearts Delight: Therefore depart you wicked Lawyers, wor­kers of Iniquity, into utter Darkness, where is weeping and gnash­ing of Teeth for ever more.

32. This I know will come to pass in these Three sorts of Men, in that Day when God shall raise the Dead.

33. When the young Man heard these Things, he left all [Page 114] Preferment that way, for Truths sake, and became a sted­fast and true Beleiver, and he being a Scholar was mighty able to oppose the Learned.

34. Also there was one Robert Phare, he was Governor of the City of Corke in Ireland, he was inclineable to be a Quaker; but after he saw me, and had read our Writings, he became a true Beleiver of this Commission of the Spirit, and so did the Lady his Wife: She became the chief Cham­pion in this Faith of all the Women in that Nation.

35. Also he had Four Sons and Daughters that were true Beleivers: He was the cause of many Persons of Value in that Kingdom of Ireland, that did truly Beleive, as one Cap­tain Moss and his Wife, and Doctor Moss, his Son; and Captain Gaill, and Major Denson, and George Gamble, and Mr. Rogers, Merchant. And several more, which I omit to name, because it would be too tedious, that were true Be­leivers in that Kingdom of Ireland.

36. After this it came to pass that I wrote a Book in an­swer to George Fox, Quaker; containing Twelve sheets and a half of Paper, and got it Printed in the Year 1668. and in the Seventeenth year of my Commission, and in the year of my Life 58.

37. This Book caused the Quakers to be exceedingly angry at me, and several Speakers of them to write cursed Letters unto me, and some of them came to discourse with me, and a woful Ephect did befal some of them a little while after, as is expressed in the Writing following.

CHAP. III. The Prophets Answer to Thomas Loe's Letter: His Sentance, with the Ephects of it. The Prophet's Dispute with George Whitehead and Josiah Cole: With his Sentance passed upon them both.

5. Upon the Sickness and Death of this Thomas Loe, Quaker, after the Sentance sent him, it caused several to discourse with me about it, therefore I shall relate some of the most remarkable Passages, and the Persons I discoursed with upon the 17th. Day of October 1668. The Persons dis­coursed withal were George Whitehead and Josiah Cole, both Speakers of the Quakers.

6. Eirst, The Words Cole spoke unto me are these (saith he) Thou sayest God is in form of a Man, and thou sayest his Hand is not much biger than thine or mine, and thou seest what a little this Hand will hold: Yet (saith he) God is said to have measured the Waters in the hollow of his Hand, and behold the Nations are as a drop of a Bucket.

7. I answered, and said, Do you beleive God to be so big to hold the Waters in the hollow of his Hand? That is spoken in Relation to his great Wisdom, Power, and Dominion, as he is a Creator, not relating to the bigness of his Hand, but to the greatness of his Power, being infinite.

[Page 117]8. An earthly King may be said to be King of many King­doms, and that he hath brought the People of those King­doms to Obedience to his Law: By the strength of his own Arm, for Power, or Strength is the right Hand of an earth­ly King.

9. Yet the King doth not hold all the People under his Arm, nor in the hollow of his Hand, but the People may be said to be under his Hand, and that he holds them in the hollow of his Hand, because his Power and Laws doth pro­tect them, and keep them within Bounds, for a prerogative Power is great, but the Hand of a King is no biger than the Hand of another Man, that hath no Power at all.

10. So it is Gods prerogative Power that is above all Law, in seting Bounds to the Waters, and keeping the Waters within Bounds in the deep Places of the Earth; and so may be said, that God doth hold the Waters in the hollow of his Hand, that is, they are confined to a little place of his Power in his Creation.

11. Also I said, that I that am but a mortal Man hath Power over such a great God whose Hand is so big; for that God, whose Hand is much biger than thine or mine, I have Power to Condemn. This was passed by, and no Reply made by them.

12. Then spake Whitehead, and said, He did hear that I had cursed a Man, and he changing his Aparel, came after­wards and did procure a Blessing, and that this Man, or some other, did smite a Pewter Pot upon my Head.

13. This, I said, was false, for never did any Man strike me over the Head with a Pot, in all my Life; it was that reprobate Pope, that damd'd Devil, that hath reported that he was Blessed after he was Cursed: It is a false Report, and he hath reported it several times amongst the Ranters and Quakers,

14. This Pope was a Ranter then, when he was Cursed, which was about fifteen Years ago, in John Reeve's time, and he is a worse Ranter now than he was then, and that you Quakers know very well, and what a wicked lustful [Page 118] Life he liveth now in, and yet you will rather beleive the damn'd Devil, and wicked lustful Person than beleive me, who have been kept innocent from the breach of any Law, from my Childhood to this Day.

15. But I know, you Quakers, being of the same Nature and Seed of the Serpent, as those Jews were in Christ's time, who desired of Pilate, that a Thief and a Murtherer should be delivered from Death rather than Jesus, the Saviour of all them that beleive in him.

16. So is it with you for you had rather beleive this Pope, this notable Sinner, than to beleive me, who am the Prophet of the most High God, the Man Christ Jesus in Glory, and have Power given of God, as Moses had, to set Life and Death before you; but I know you do say in your Hearts, tho not with your Lips, as those Jews did by Christ, Away with this Muggleton, let us have Pope, that wicked lustful Man, that we might hear and inquire of him.

17. Then said Josiah Cole, Thou saist thou art an Embassador in God's steed, and thou standest in his stead; said he, I would willingly do anything that I might be saved.

18. Then I answered him, and said, I will tell thee what I will say unto thee, if thou wilt but deny, and forsake the Quakers Principles, and beleive me, I will assure thee thou shalt as certain­ly be saved as ever any Prophet or Apostle ever was.

19. Then Cole fell into a Fit, and waited upon his own Thoughts, what to answer, and I waited for his Answer.

20. But George VVhitehead perceived that Cole was in a strait, he came unto me, and spied a Knot of Ribon upon my Coat Sleeve, and said unto me, VVhy dost thou wear this Vani­ty, and touched the Ribon with his Fingers.

21. I answered and said, I know a piece of Ribon is a great Sin in a Quaker's Eye; But, said I, VVhy dost thou wear silk Buttons on both thy Coats? He said, they were necessary. I said, No, thou mightest wear Hooks and Eyes, Clapses or Eyletholes: That was past by.

22. But then I will tell thee why I do wear Ribon, it is on pur­pose [Page 119] that I might not be taken, or thought to be a Quaker, for I do hate the Quakers Principle.

23. With that VVhitehead said, Thou hatest all Righteous­ness; and spake as if he himself, Cole and Fox, and others of the Quakers were writing a Book against me, to make me manifest, which in a little time after it was set forth by VVilliam Pen, a Quaker: And further said, that they would post me up, and he slighted my Power and my God, and said, he would trample my God and my Power under his Feet as Dirt, and taped his Foot upon the Ground.

24. Whereupon I did pronounce George VVhitehead cursed and damn'd Soul and Body, to Eternity, and that God with­in him, which he trusted in, was cursed also; and so I ceas­ed Discourse with him.

25. All this while Cole was in his Fit, and said not one word, but immediately after he uttered these words; saith he, I have heard of several thou hast cursed; but said he, I did not beleive, had I not heard or seen, I could not have beleived that a Man could have spoken so presumptiously.

26. Then said I, dare you say that I speak presumptiously, to George VVhitehead; he said, he did beleive it was Presumption.

27. Then said I, on the contrary, I do beleive that thou art the Seed of the Serpent and wilt be damn'd; and now see whose Faith will be strongest, yours or mine; for my Faith shall keep you down for ever.

28. Under what? said Cole.

29. Under eternal Damnation, said I.

30. Then said he, Dost thou ground thy Sentance upon my Belief?

21. Yea, said I, I do, for you beleive I speak presum­ptiously, and I do beleive you to be the Seed of the Serpent, and will be damn'd to eternity.

32. Then said he, Dost thou judge this to be a final Sentance upon me? said I, Yea, what should it else be?

33. With that Josiah Cole rose up with great zeal for his God within him, and said, I told thee before that I would try thee and thy God, saying that they were seting forth a Writ­ing against me, and withal Cole pronounced many Curses [Page 120] upon me, with his Eyes dazled with the Witchcraft Power in him, being disturbed with my Words, it got up into his Head.

34. So that VVhitehead and he both came near me with great Threatnings and Judgments upon me, being both so full of Curses: Cole cursed me into utter Darkness, Pit of Darkness, Chains of Darkness, blackness of Darkness; and that he would trample that God of mine, that was in the form of Man, under his Feet, as Dirt, and stamp'd his Foot upon the Ground, as the other Devil did: Cole's Curses were much what like Thomas Loe, his Curses in his Letter to me.

35. But when Cole had done cursing, I said these Words unto him, That this Sentance that I had passed upon him should stick by him for ever, and that he should never put it out of his Mind, neither should he grow Mad nor Distracted to forget it, but should be sensible all the Days of his Life.

36. And when my God, whom you trampled under your Feet, shall raise you again at the last Day, which will not seem to you a quarter of an Hours time, you shall remember afresh my VVords, what I said unto you in this Life to eternity.

37. Many more Words was between us at that time, but these were the Words and Passages of most concernment at that time, and a final Judgment and Sentance of eternal Damnation that I gave that Day upon Josiha Cole, and George VVhitehead, Speakers of the Quakers.

CHAP. IV. Of Cole's being sick unto Death immediately after the Sentance of his Testimony against the Prophet: Of his Death: The Qua­kers God described; with the nature of Reason, and the Law that is writen in it. Of William Pen's blasphemous Letter to the Prophet.

1. NOW in some Four or Five Days time after our Dispute, I heard that Josiah Cole was sick, and go­ing out of the Body: For the Quakers do not beleive that their Souls do die, but slips out of the Body.

2. This caused the Quakers People to visit him very much, to know of him, whether Muggleton's Words had taken place in him, wondering that he should go out of the Body so sudenly after Muggleton's Sentance, as Thomas Loe did af­ter his Sentance. But he denyed very stifly that my Words had no Power over him, but that he had left me in Chains of Darkness.

3. Nevertheless he grew worse and worse, so that the Quakers were not satisfied except he would go to the Peal in St. John's Street at their Meeting-place, and give his Testi­mony against Muggleton before the People, to satisfy the ig­norant Quakers, else they would judge that his Power in Loe and him was greater than the Ministry of the Quakers.

4. So they led him by the Arms to the place aforesaid, and Josiah Cole wrote his Testimony, as followeth, exactly word for word.

5. This was given forth word for word by Josiah Cole, a­bout Three Hours before his departure out of the Body, the Fifteenth of the Eleventh Month 68.

6. Whoever doth read this last Testimony of Josiah Cole, may easily see that the Curse I pronounced upon him by Commission, received from the Man Christ Jesus, the only wise God, blessed for ever, in the form of a Man, whom he dispised and trampled under his Feet as Dirt.

7. For this very Sin, did this Curse of this God pronoun­ced by me take Ephect upon him and Thomas Loe, immediate­ly after their cursed Blasphemy against the true God.

8. I was zealous in giving Sentance upon them, in that I heard the true God was trampled under their Foot as Dirt.

9. As for their Reproaches, Lyes, 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 [Page 123] 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 its 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 [Page 124] 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 [Page 125] 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.

CHAP. V. The Answer of Lodowick Muggleton to William Pen, Quaker, his proud presumptious and blasphemous Letter.

1. WIlliam Pen, I have perused your proud, presumptious, blasphemous Letter against the true God; how hath your Learning lifted up your Heart with Pride, to fight against the true God, and to bid him Defiance to his Face, and let him stand forth and see, if he can deliver himself from your bodiless God, that gave you a Commission, as you say.

2. You know that Reeve and myself have declared in all our Writings, that the Lord Jesus Christ is our God, and that the Worlds were made by him, and that nothing was made in the Be­ginning, but what was made by him, as the Scripture saith.

3. This Man Christ Jesus was in the form of Man, a spiritual, heavenly and glorious Body, before this World was.

4. And in the Beginning this glorious, spiritual Body made Man in his own Image and Likeness, the Form of Man, else Moses's Words were not true; do you disprove it if you can.

5. Only the Man Adam, his Body was earthly, and made of [Page 127] the Earth, but God's Body was spiritual and heavenly, yet in Form like Adam: And Adam was a Man, which none can deny that owns the Scriptures.

6. And in process of time this God became Flesh, and dwelt among Men, and that he took upon him the Form of a Servant, and was in all things like unto Man, Sin excepted, and made himself capable to be put to Death, by the Seed of the Serpent, his own Creatures; his Blood was poured out unto Death, for the Redemption of the Seed of Adam, to make good that Promise to Adam in Paradice, That the Seed of the Woman should break the Serpent's Head: Which was fulfilled when he suffered Death upon the Cross.

7. And when he quickened out of Death into Life again, then was that Saying fulfilled, Oh Death, I will be thy Death, Oh Grave, I will be thy Victory: And that other Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, he that was dead, and behold I am alive for ever more.

8. This Alpha and Omega was Christ, and he was God; and this Christ was the Lord from Heaven, a quickening Spirit: And was there any other God, or Alpha or Omega that dyed but Christ, and did any quicken out of Death to Life again but he; and did any God become Flesh and dwell with Man but Christ.

9. And was not Christ in the form of Man, when on Earth; did not he retain the same form when he assended up to Heaven, and doth retain the same Form now he is glorified; and is in the same Glory which he had before this World was.

10. Oh Pen! How is it that you cannot understand that Eterni­ty did become Time, and Time is become Eternity again: That is, that spiritual and glorious immortal Body of God that was eternal before Man was made; but in the fulness of time this glorious im­mortal Body became a pure mortal Body, even Jesus Christ, capa­ble to dye, so eternity became Time: And in that he quickened out of Death into Life again, Mortality became Immortal again, and Time became Eternity again.

11. This great Mistory, That God became Flesh is hid from the Eyes of the Seed of the Serpent, such as William Pen the Quaker is, and revealed unto us unlearned Men.

[Page 128] 12. And this is that God that Reeve and Muggleton hath de­clared in our Writings, and this God we received our Commission from, and that Power to Bless and Curse to Eternity.

13. This God you have proudly and blasphemously defied and trampled under your Feet as Dirt; also you have boldly challenged the true and living God, that is in the form of Man, to touch or hurt you, and stand in a holy Defiance of me and my God's Strength, and that me and my God is chained, and on me and my God you trample, and to the bottomless Pit you have sentanced us both, me and my God: And if this be not high Blasphemy, Pride and Pre­sumption against the living God, there never was any.

14. Oh Pen! did you never read how Goliah defyed the living God, the God of Israel; and how David flung a Stone into his Forehead, and slew him, for defying the living God, the God of Israel: For David knew the God of Israel was in the form of a Man, but Goliah his God was the same God as the Quakers God is, a bodiless God, so vast and so bigg that he cannot be confined, neither to the vast Heavens above, nor in this vast Earth below, but he must fill the Aire also, and all Places at one and the same time. This is the Heathens God, and the Quakers God also.

15. Did you never read of Corath and his Company, Captains of Rebellion and Conspiracy against Moses and Aaron, and a­gainst God that chose them to teach the People; neither would God suffer any other Men to do it but them he chose; therefore it was the Earth clave and swallowed them all up alive.

16. Now, you Pen, and many of you Quakers have practised the same thing against Reeve and Muggleton, whom the God of Heaven hath chosen in perticular, and no other Man upon Earth at this Day, to set Life and Death before Men.

17. Now hath not you, and your Captain Teachers of the Qua­kers, Railed, Reviled, Reported, and Condemned Reeve and Muggleton, and our God the Man Christ Jesus in Glory, because we had our Commission from him to open Hels Mouth, and swal­low up such Rebels as you are, into those eternal Torments, where the Worm of Conscience shall never dye, nor the Fire of Hell never go out, for your dispising the living God in the form of a Man; [Page 129] which you Quakers have done, and are more guilty than any Peo­ple in the World.

18. Neither are you sensible of the great Ephects that this Com­mission God gave to Reeve and Muggleton hath wrought: How many of your valiant Captains, and mighty Men of War have fallen by the two edged Sword of the Spirit put into my Mouth, even the Commission God put upon me.

19. Do not you miss many of your Captains and Leaders of the Quakers? What is become of William Smith, Samuel Hutton, Thomas Taylor, Richard Farnesworth, and many more I could name here of late Years: Do you not miss Thomas Loe, and Josiah Cole? These were valiant Men, like your self, to reproach and defy the living God.

20. Are you not sensible how the Curse of God took hold of them sudainly after they had defyed the living God in the form of a Man.

21. And now, last of all, you come like Goliah the Philistian, with a Commission from a great bodiless God, that can neither be found, neither in Heaven, nor in Earth, nor no place else, signed and sealed, to defy the living God that made Man in his own Image and Likeness.

22. As, first, you have proudly challenged me and my six foote God, with our Commissions, to touch or hurt you. Secondly, You say you stand in a holy Defiance of all our Strength. And Thirdly, You say, Know, Oh. Muggleton with thy God art chained, and on you I trample, and to the bottomless Pit are you sentanced, where the endless Worm shall knaw and torture your Soul to eter­nity.

23. For those wicked, proud, presumptious, blasphemous Speeches, not only against me, but against the living God, as your two Brethren did before you: Therefore in obediance to my Commission from the true God, I do pronounce William Pen, Qua­ker, cursed and damn'd, both Soul and Body, from the presence of God, elect Men and Angels, to eternity.

24. I thought good to leave this upon Record, that the Age to come may be instructed, and take heed how they dispise Prophets, and that God that sent him.

[Page 230]Written by Lodowick Muggleton, one of the two last Prophets and Witnesses of the Spirit, unto the high and mighty God, the Man Christ Jesus in Glory, March the 16th. 1668.

CHAP. VI. Of the Prophets Travels into Cambridge, Leicester, Noting­ham, and Darbyshire, to visit Friends there.

1. AFTER this it came to pass, in the Year 1669. and in the year 1670. In these two years I had a great deal of trouble, both upon a spiritual and a temporal Ac­count, but in the beginning of the year 1669. in the Month of April, before my Troubles began, I had a desire to travel into several Countries to visit Friends there.

2. And there was one James Whitehead who lived in Bran­try in Essex, a true Beleiver, and a Man of an Estate in this World; he was of the Independant People before he came to beleive in this Commission of the Spirit, he had a desire to visit Friends of this Faith in other Countries, because he had never seen them, so he was willing to bear me company.

3. I went this Jorny in secret, and let no Beleiver in Lon­don know of it, but my Wife only.

4. I appointed James Whitehead to meet me at Ware, and so he did, and we went from thence to Cambridge, and we stayed there three Days with Friends at William Dickmson's House, for I had many Friends in that Town and Country about, and they were very glad to see us, and intreated us kindly.

5. So we departed after three Days from thence to Leicester­shire, which was forty Miles from Cambridge, and in two days we came to some Friends in Leicestershire, where were several Beleivers which I had never seen before.

6. And we lodged at one John Hall's House, a Farmer, where was kind Entertainment, both for our selves and [Page 231] Horses; and the Mother of this John Hall was a true Beleiver and she had three Sons that were true Beleivers of this Com­mission of the Spirit; but they knew nothing of my Jorny beforehand.

7. But they intreated us exceeding kindly, and was ex­ceedingly rejoyced to see us, because they had never seen us before, though much desired; and coming upon them una­wares, they having no Inteligence, it did amuse them the more.

8. Also there was one John Sadington, a true Beleiver, had a Sister hard by there, named Lidiah Brooks, that did truly beleive, and she rejoyced to see me, because she never saw me before, nor none of them there, tho they had heard of me, by the hearing of the Ear, the Towns name was Arnsby in Leicestershire.

9. We stayed there but two Days and departed, and jorny­ed towards Notingham, there we came unawares to Mr. Sud­bury's and his Wife, and Mary Parker, a Sheriff's Wife of that Town: There were but those three Beleivers in that Town, and they kindly received us with much affection.

10. And James Whitehead departed from thence in two Days, and left me there, for to meet him at Chesterfield in Darbyshire, which was twenty Miles from Notingham, be­cause he was to go forty Miles further about other business, and was to call at Chesterfield as he came back.

11. Likewise he was to see if he could enquire in his Jor­ny for one Thomas Tomkinson, a true Beleiver, and a great Writer in the vindication of this Faith; he lived at Slade­house in Staffordshire.

12. He did in his Jorny enquire for Sladehouse, and the Name of our Friend, but could not hear, neither of the place, nor of the Man, nor could not hear that any knew Slade­house, or Thomas Tomkinson, he not travelling within twelve Miles of the place.

13. So he missed of him, which was a greet Trouble to us all when he came back to Chesterfield, and told it to us, we were much troubled.

[Page 232]14. For I did fully expect he had found him, because he stayed two Days longer than was intended.

15. But it was an exceeding great Trouble to him that he should miss of the Sight of us, being so near; and many more in that Country had an earnest Desire to see me, for I had not then ever been in that Country.

16. And when it was too late, he did hear by one Alex­ander Delamaine, a true Friend at London, and a great writer in vindication of this Commission of the Spirit, for as soon as ever he heard that I had stolen away out of London into the Country, and none in London knew of it; for it was a­bove a Week afterwards before he heard I was gone, for he heard from some in the Country where we had been.

17. So he sent Thomas Tomkinson word by the Post, that I and my Friend were some where in those parts of the Coun­try: so Tomkinson went immediately to Bakewell, a Market Town, where one of our Friends saw me at Chesterfield, his Name was William Newcome, a Bookseller, who lived at Dar­by, but was every Saturday at Chesterfield Market, and at Bakewell Market on the Monday.

18. And he told our Friend Tomkinson, that I and my Friend Mr. Whitehead departed from Chesterfield that Monday morning, and that he saw us take leave of Mrs. Carter and her Daughter, as also Elizabeth Smith, and other Friends at Chesterfield, for to go by Notingham, and from thence, on Tuesday, they said they would go for London, the same way they came, and call of the same Friends.

19. And when our Friend Tomkinson heard this; and that it was too late to meet with us, neither at Chesterfield nor Notingham neither, he was exceedingly troubled, and lift up his Voice and wept, and could not tell who to be angry with, himself, or with us.

20. So that he could not be passified in his own Mind, 'till Patience had possest his Soul, until he heard from me the Cause of that Misfortune.

21. For I depended wholy that Mr. Whitehead would have found him out; but it was such a cross Rode that no Letter [Page 233] could be sent unto him but from London, except it were on purpose, so that I made no question but my Friend would have brought him along with him to Chesterfield, for he en­quired, but could not hear of the Place nor of the Man.

22. So all Intents were frustrated, which caused trouble of Mind to us all, for no People have greater Love to one another than those of this Faith.

23. We were in this jorny, going and coming, and at Friends Houses about five Weeks.

CHAP. VII. The Prophet's House searched for Books: The Sercher's Civility: The Prophet acknowledges their Kindness, and after sent them a Gratuity. A second search for Books, where several were taken. Of a great Rebellion that hapened upon the Prophet's Absence.

1. AFTER this, in the same year 1669. I wrote two Books, the one of them was an Answer to Esq Penington, a Quaker, who wrote a Book against me: And the other Book was the Interpretation of the Witch of En­dor, and other Witches; and in the Winter I did endeavor to get them printed, and had agreed with two several Prin­ters.

2. But it came to pass that the Answer to Penington was taken in the Press, through some Neglect of the Printer, when half a Sheet had been printed; but the Searcher of the Press, he being a violent Man, he made a great adoe about it, and troubled the Printer, and put him to the Charge of Seven Pounds, and me Five Pounds, to pacify the matter; But the Interpretation of the Witch of Endor escaped in the other Printer's Hands, and is now in Print, and giveth great Satisfaction to many in that Point.

3. After this, it came to pass, in the year 1670. before [Page 234] Midsumer, there came Fourteen Men to search my House, for unlicensed Books; these Men were informed by the Printer, but they would not connfess who sent them: There was Three or Four of the King's Messengers, and the Warden of the Stationer's Company, and Printers and Booksellers.

4. The Warden was very surly, when my Wife asked what he would have: He bid her open the Door, else he would break it open: She said, She would not, unless he would tell his Business: So he made no more adoe, pulled the Hatch, and wrenched open the Spring-Lock, and came runing up Stairs so sudainly that no Door in the House could be locked.

5. And being so many of them, they ran into every Room in the House, and they came into the uper Rooms where I was, and there they seized upon Ten Poundsworth of Books, and were binding them up to carry away.

6. I said, I hope you are civil Gentlemen, there is nothing in the Books that is against King or State, and some of them were printed before the King came into England; and if you will be pleased to ask what Mony you will for your Pains and Civility, I will give it you.

7. Then said one of them, Do you think we will be bribed? Then said I, Who is the chief among you, that I may appeal to him for Relief when you have taken them away. Said they, here is Mr. White, the Warden of the Stationers Company, he hath the Warrant, and is chief, and he liveth in St. John's on Clark­inwell-Green: Then said I, take them away, and I helped them to Strings to ty them fast.

8. And when they saw this, that I was so fair, and gave them goodly Words, not in the least charging them with Folly or Unrighteousness, they went from me into another Room, and whispered among themselves, and said one to another, These Books are most of them against the Quakers, and some Printed long ago, we had best only take one a piece single, and one bound alltogether, and leave the rest till we have read them over, to see what is in them: So they agreed thus among themselves.

[Page 235]9. Then Mr. White, the Warden came to me, and said, Mr. Muggleton, you shall see that we will be civil; we will only take one of these bound alltogether, and of each single; and let the rest be forthcoming when we shall call for them.

10. I thanked him for his Civility: So they departed a­way at that time, only one of them, took one of the Books bound altogether under his Coate, more than was agreed by themselves, and it was well I escaped so: And about Four or Five Days after I sent a Letter to Mr. White the Warden, praising him, and the Gentlemen with him, for their Kindness and Civility; and withal I sent him Two Guinea Pieces of Gold by my Wife, to drink with the Gen­tlemen; and prayed him to accept of them, and if I were a Man of Ability I would have given a great deal more.

11. For civil Kindness ought to be respected, for I know you had Power to have taken them away; and that if you would be pleased to send but one of those Books bound, a­gain by my Wife, that I might know by that you have ac­cepted of that small Token of my Love for your civil Usage.

12. The Letter was more large, but Mr. White read the Letter twice, and said to my Wife. Indeed one of the Men did take a Book under his Coat, but said, he shall restore it again, for it is your Husband's; and as for the Two Guinea's, said he, let them alone 'till you hear further from me, for it doth not ly al­together in my Power to accept of them; So he would not re­ceive the Two Guineas.

13. So my Wife brought them again, and I waited, ex­pecting to hear from him, but did not; for I perceived he had turned the Power over to the King's Messengers, as I found afterwards; for I heard, by one that belongs to the Law, that saw my Name in a Warrant in the Office, to take my Person, and to bring me before the Councel of State, so he gave me Intilligence of it.

14. So I went from my own House, and lodged at a Friends House in Waping Three Quakers of a Year, and a Week after I was gon came the King's Messenger with his Warrant, but I being not at home, he lost his Labor: He [Page 236] came Three times, and saw he could do no good, he gave over coming for a long time.

15. After this, in the same year; (no sooner out of one Trouble, but into another) about the Month of October, a little before the Parliament sate, there came Eight or Tenn Men of the Stationers, and other Officers to my House, to search for Books.

16. But it hapened that my Wife was newly gon out, else they would have taken away many Books, to a conside­rable Value; but she being not at home, went away very angry, saying they would take some other Course; but af­ter this I took and got all the Books out of my House: By this means I prevented them from taking away any more for many years.

17. These Troubles, and many more, I went through in the year 1670. and in the year of my Life 60. And in the 19th. year of my Commission.

18. And while I was in these Troubles, and absent from my own House, even as a Prisoner, for Three Quarters of a year, there did arise a great Rebellion and Conspiracy a­mongst the Beleivers, of me, which was like the Conspiracy and Rebellion of Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, against Moses and Aaron.

19. The Heads of this Rebellion were these, William Med­gate, the elder, Scrivner; Thomas Burton, a Flax Man Mr. Witall, Brewer; Walter Bohanan, Scotchman.

20. These drew a many Beleivers to side with them for a Season: Some of these Rebels, Two of them I did excommu­nicate, and the other Two I gave Sentance of Damnation to eternity.

21. And gave Charge to all those that sided with them in their Conspiracy, not to Trade, nor Eate, nor Drink with those Men any more, upon the pain of being Excommuni­cated out of my Presonce; which the People did obey, and were setled in Peace again.

22. Likewise one of these Conspiritors, namely Thomas Burton, came and humbled himself, and acknowledged his [Page 137] Fault, and I forgave him, and received him into my Favour again.

23. There is the whole Relation left upon Record in Writing, in a Volume by it self: Which is as followeth.

24. William Medgate, in his Rebellion, sent unto me Nine Assertions, as he calls them, being contrary to all Truth, as he saith, and against all sober Reason, being verbatim, as follows.

1. That God taketh no Notice of his Saints, nor doth not mind them at all.

2. That you are not to mind God at all, but by the Pro­phet only.

3. You must pin your Faith upon the Prophet's Sleeve, or else you can have no true Peace.

4. Altho the Saints give Sentance against Blasphemy, if the Party comes to the Prophet he can take it off.

5. Altho a Man have a corrupt Nature, and defraud and deceive all Men, yet if the Prophets Love be in him, he will uphold him.

6. Tho false Worship be an Idol, yet with the Prophet's Leave he may go to that Worship blameless.

7. To whom the Prophet gives the Blessing it shall sup­port him, altho his Life and Conversation be wicked.

8. If the Prophet should disown the Commission of the Spirit, all those that beleives it should be damn'd.

9. And lastly, That after the Blessing is given to any by the Prophet, yet though they walk contrary to the Com­mission, yet they shall be damn'd but to the Graves Mouth.

CHAP. VIII. The Three first Assertions Answered.

1. NOW these Assertions seemed very strange to many of the Beleivers, as they were laid down together, but being interpreted apart, they became easy to the under­standing of all, as may appear: As First, of God's taking no Notice of his Saints.

2. For if God did take Notice of all Actions, there would be a present ephect of Blessing and Cursing, as in times past; neither can either Saint or Devil prove he doth take any No­tice of him at all, but as he doth vainly imagin, because his Thoughts doth sometimes accuse him, when he doth evil, and excuse him when he doth well.

3. But thus far I do acknowledge, that God doth take no­tice and minde particular Saints here on Earth; that is, when God hath any Work to do for a perticular Saint, or any perticular Devil, then God taketh perticular notice of Saint or Devil, if it be one or more, according to the plea­sure of his Will.

4. But no Man now upon Earth, can truly say that God hath minded, or taken notice of him, but my self only: Also I do acknowledge that God doth take notice and minde every perticular Saint, and every perticular Devil, in the Original, as will appear thus.

5. God hath written the Law in every Man's Heart, both Saint and Devil, and this Law is God's Watchman, and stands in God's Place and Stead, both to acquit and condemn the Conscience of every Man; and where this Law doth ac­quit, [Page 139] God doth acquit, and where this Law doth condemn, God condemns, yet God's Person minds it not, but leaveth the whole Power to the Law, to justify or condemn; only God's Power is to be seen, and to be taken notice of, when he shall raise the Man again, and that Law in his Heart shall quicken again by Gods Power, and shall stand as God, to judge, to justify, or condemn the Conscience of every Man.

6. So that if a Man have not true Faith in his Heart to justify his Person in the sight of God, while on Earth, to free him from that Law of Sin and Death writen in his Heart, then in the Resurrection that Law writen in his Heart shall quicken again, and shall stand as God and Judge, to condemn him to eternity.

7. Therefore I may say unto you Rebels, as God did un­to Cain, If thou dost well, shalt not thou be rewarded, and if thou dost Evil Sin lyeth at the Door of thy Conscience; for the Law said in his Heart, Thou shalt not kill: And shall not your Act of Rebellion ly at the Door of your Consciences, as sure as Cain's Murther lay at the Door of his Conscience.

8. Therefore it was that Paul did thank God, that he was delivered from the Law of Sin and Death, and so doth every Man that is delivered from that Law writen in his Heart: And John saith, If thy Heart condemn thee not, then hast thou Confidence to the Throne of Grace, but if thy Heart condemn thee, God is greater than thy Heart, and knoweth all things: That is, if the Law writen in a Man's Heart do condemn a Man wor­thy of eternal Damnation, God is greater than this Law, and knoweth how to raise you again, and to condemn you to eternal Torments.

9. Thus in the Original, God taketh notice, and mindeth Saints and Devils here on Earth, by the Law writen in their Hearts; and if the Saints grow in Faith, Love and Know­ledge of the true God, then is Conscience justified in the Sight of God, because the Prophet and Messenger of God justifies the Saints Faith to be true Faith.

10. But if the Prophet doth not justify a Man's Faith to [Page 140] be a true Faith, nor him to be a true Saint, neither will God do it, and that Man's Heart will condemn him also.

11. For it is a true Prophet, or true Minister that maketh a Saint, one or more, for a Saint cannot maketh a true Pro­phet, nor true Minister, but a Prophet may make a wicked Sinnor a glorious Saint, as I have done several: As Christ, he could make simple ignorant Men Apostles, but Apostles could not make him their Christ, so that no Prophet no Saint.

12. They may be elected Vessels, but not Saints, for no Man can probably be said to be a Saint, except they come actually to beleive in a true Prophet, true Apostle, or true Minister of Christ.

13. And further, I say, whoever doth not stand in Awe, and Fear to offend that Law of Conscience, as if God him­self did stand by and take notice of all his Actions, so he doth well, because God's Eye is over him, else not: I say all such a Man's Doings is but Eye Service, and respected of God no more than the cuting of a Doggs Neck, and that Man is in the depth of Darkness; but such a Man, if he doth Evil, then he desires God to take no notice of that, but to blot it out of his Remembrance; as if God were beholding to Man to do well, when as there is a Blessing in Well doing, and a Curse in Evil doing.

14. For this I say, if there were no God to reward the Good, nor punish the Evil, yet could I do no otherways than I do; for I do well, not because I expect any Reward from God, and I refrain from Evil, not for fear God should see me, or seeing me, will punish me, or that his Person doth take notice or mind me in it at all; but I do well, and refrain from Evil, to please the Law writen in my Heart, so that I might not be accused in my own Conscience, by that Law writen in my Heart, as God hath placed for a Watchman, to tell me when I do well, and when I do ill.

15. So I being justified by Faith in my own Conscience, and being not condemned by the Law writen in my Heart, I have Confidence to the Throne of Grace. Neither do I re­frain [Page 141] from Evil, for fear God seeing me, and so to punish me; but I refrain from Evil, because the Law in my Heart seeth all my doings, and that Watchman God hath set there to watch me will tell God of all my Doings, and that Law will be the only Accuser of Conscience.

16. So that God needs not to trouble himself to watch over every Man and Woman's Actions himself, but hath placed his Law, a Watchman in every Heart, as above said.

17. Thus in the Original, God taketh Notice by his Law: Not that I do own the Law writen in Man's Heart to be the very God, as the Quakers do, but God is a distinct Person of himself, and distinct from this Law: And no other ways doth God mind or take notice, now at this time, but by this Law.

18. And to that Second Assertion, how the Saints are not to mind God at all, it is plain, and is Truth also, as by Scripture appears, how that he that receiveth a Prophet in God's Name, receiveth him that sent him: And seeing God doth not come to treat with Men himself, he sends his Pro­phet or Embassador in his stead, and he is impowred by him to make Peace between God and Man, upon such Articles as the Prophet and the People can agree on: And thus.

19. Whoever beleives the Prophet's Report shall be saved, and he that doth not beleive his Prophet's Report shall be damned. Therefore it is said by Esau, who hath beleived our Report, and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed. So that God hath placed the whole Power in the Prophet, to determin upon Life and Salvation, as if God was present himself, and if the People do not agree with the Prophet while he is in the way, how shall a Man make his Peace with God.

20. For God will say to such that shall think to come to him, and dispise the Prophet; If you would not receive the Prophet whom I sent, you will not receive me, if I should come my self.

[Page 142]21. So that God doth not expect that you should come un­to him, but unto the Prophet only; neither doth he own your coming unto him; for he will say, you should have minded my Prophet, and have beleived him, and have made your Peace with him, and then I would have accepted of you; for it will be said to you as it was unto Dives, They have Moses and the Prophets, &c.

22. So it will be said to you, if you believe not my last Prophet whom I sent; he hath spoken unto you, and hath declared Life and Salvation unto you, and if you will not believe him on Earth, you will not believe if God himself should come from Heaven and speak unto you.

23. So that there is a necessity that Men should believe the Prophet only: These Things are common Practices with the Kings of the Earth: Would a King be well pleased with that Man that rejects his Embassador? For doth not an Embassa­dor stand in the King's place, and what he doth the King doth, &c.

24. Why should you that are Men think it strange to mind the Prophet only: Were not all those People blessed that minded the Prophets only, as Moses and Aaron, Elijah and Elisha, and those that did not mind the Prophets only, were they not cursed.

25. So likewise whoever mindeth the Prophet now alive only, shall have true Peace with God; and whoever doth not, shall never have true Peace with God, nor perfect Peace in his own Soul; for this is God's way, and that Honour he hath put upon Prophets for all their Sufferings, therefore it is said, How beautiful are the Feet of such as bring glad Tideings of Peace and Salvation? And whoever receiveth a Prophet shall receive a Prophet's Reward? Which Reward is no less than the Blessing of everlasting Life; and if so, sure such a Pro­phet ought to be Received while on Earth, to be minded on­ly, seeing that he that receives him receives God; and in this Sence People ought to mind the Prophet only, and no other ways.

26. And as to the Third Assertion, my Answer is this, I [Page 143] say it is impossible for any Man or Woman to have true Peace, ex­cept they do pin their Faith upon the Prophet's Sleeve. Why? why because the Prophet represents the place of God, nay God himself; and he that doth believe a Prophet's Report, he believeth in God; for such a one resteth his Soul only upon the Prophet's Words: Now if a Prophets Word's be Truth, then a Man that believes rests his Soul upon the Truth; and this is seting the Seal that he is true.

27. And so it may be said, a Man pins his Faith upon the Prophet's Sleeve, that if he be true my Faith is true, if he be false, my Faith is false also; and if he be a false Prophet, then he shall be damn'd, and he that believes him will be damn'd also.

28. For if a Man be saved by pining his Faith upon a true Prophet's Sleeve, so by pining his Faith upon a false Pro­phet a Man is damn'd; this must and is ventured by some: For this I say, there is no Man upon Earth, that professes the Christian Religion, but he hath either a true Faith, or a false Faith, and he pins his Faith upon either a true Mini­ster, or a false Minister's Sleeve; and he loveth one Teacher better than another, and here he pins his Faith, and hath Peace so long as his Faith holds there.

29. But when his Faith faileth, the Pin looseneth and fal­leth quite out, so their Faith and that Preacher is parted, and that Peace he had in that Faith is lost, and another Faith sought after; for no Man in the World can live but by a true Faith, or a false Faith, so that all Men in the World doth or must pin their Faith upon some Mans Sleeve or o­ther, or else there can be no Peace at all.

30. But when their Faith faileth, the Peace they had in that Faith is lost, and another Faith sought after, which Faith pitches upon the dead Letter of the Scriptures, which yields no Peace at all without an Interpretor.

31. Thus all Men in the World must and do pin their Faith upon some Man's Sleeve or other, else there can be no Peace at all to the Mind of Man; and in this sence the Saints must pin their Faith upon the Prophets Sleeve, else they can have no true Peace at all.

CHAP. IX. The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Assertions answered.

1. TO this Fourth Assertion, I say, Who made any of you Saints, but the Prophet only? For as I said be­fore, no Prophet, no Saint; for though Men and Women be elected in the Seed, in God's electing Power, and may be saved by Election, yet they cannot properly be called Saints, as aforesaid, because he must first come actually to believe in a true Prophet, or true Minister of Christ; for a Saint can­not make a Prophet, but a Prophet can make a wicked Man a Saint, as I have done several.

2. Furthermore, who gave any Saint, in these our Days, power to give Sentance upon any Man for Blasphemy, was it not the Prophet now alive.

3. God gave the Saints no such Power, neither did John Reeve give any such Power to any Saint all his Days of his Life, neither did any Saint give Sentance upon any all his Days.

4. Now seeing the Saints receive their Power to give Sen­tance for Blasphemy, from the Prophet now alive, and not from God; sure then there is a Power in that Prophet to take off that Sentance that any Saint shall give, in case the Party so sentanced comes unto the Prophet, and the Prophet deserns him capable of true Sorrow for his rash Speeches, the Prophet can take off that Sentance that any Saint hath given, and shall have perphect peace of Mind, as if no Sen­tance at all had been passed upon him.

5. There hath been an Example of this both in John Reeve's time, and since; for it came to pass that John Reeve had passed the Sentance upon a Man for writing blasphe­mous Words upon the Marjant of the Commission Book, and when the Man read the Sentance he was exceedingly [Page 145] troubled all that Night, so that no Rest could be found: So that he came in the Morning, with the Sentance in his Hand, and besought us with Tears, upon his Knees, to take this Writing again, for, said he, I have done foolishly, and spoken rashly before he had considered; with several other Words of Repentance.

6. So John Reeve, seeing his Sorrow for this Sin, he took the Writing from the Man again; and the Man was setled in Peace of Mind, as at first.

7. Now if the Prophet Reeve had Power to take off his own Sentance for Blasphemy, then much more can he take off the Sentance that any Saint shall give against Blasphemy.

8. Another Example since it, was so; That Claxton gave Sentance of Damnation upon Mrs. Masson; and he was, at that time, as knowing a Saint counted by the Beleivers, as ever any of you were; yet when her Husband caused her to apply her self unto the Prophet: I understanding the Cause, I took off that Sentance he had given her; and not only so, but for that and other Things, I took away his Power also, so that no Sentance of his afterwards should be of any Value to any Man.

9. So that Prophets have a prerogative Power, as God, above the Power of Saints; because the Power of a Saint is at the second hand, subordinate to the Power of a Prophet; and therefore a Prophet hath power to take off that Sentance, where and on whom he pleaseth, &c.

10. And as to the Answer of the Fifth Assertion, this I say, Who should uphold a corrupt natured Man but a Pro­phet, in case a corrupt natured Man do beleive the Prophet, then the Prophet's Faith shall uphold him from the Sensure and Judgments of those that looks upon their own Natures to be more pure and uncorrupt, as to his Happiness in the Life to come, the Prophets Love being in him, he will up­hold him.

11. And whereas you say, defraud and deceive all Men, to this I say, I do not uphold no Man to defraud nor deceive any Man; it was always contrary to my Nature, to uphold [Page 146] any such Practice in any Saint or Devil, because I never did practice any such Things my self; not in the Days of my Ignorance.

12. But in case some Mens Natures are so corrupt, as to practice such Things, and yet are true Believers, what shall the Prophet do with such Men, shall he cast them out of the Kingdom of Heaven for ever, because his Nature is corrupt, surely no?

For this was not the Practice of Christ when on Earth: But this I do allow and tollerate every Saint, that if they cannot freely forgive the Defraud and Deceivings of such natured Men, they may take the Law of them: The Law is open to Right him self that is deceived, or else let them trust such Men no more.

13. But this I say, I think you Fault Finders are the least defrauded, or deceived by those corrupt natured Men of any: Prophets cannot give Men honest Hearts, that are not honest by nature; and if they be honest by nature, Prophets can­not give them Mony to uphold their Honesty.

14. Neither can a Prophet change corrupt Natures, for if the Prophet could I would have changed yours, and have made you more Merciful to forgive the Trespass of your Bro­ther of your own Faith, and not to rake up the Sins of o­thers, and lay them as a Charge against the Prophet, as if he were the cause of their Defraud and Deceit, because I up­hold them in Peace of Mind, concerning the Life to come, my Faith being in him it shall uphold him, so that the fear of eternal Death shall not surprize him.

15. Also, if I could have changed your corrupt Nature, I would never have suffered it to have broken forth into Re­bellon, as it hath done, but would have upheld you in Peace of Mind, and Hope of eternal Life, notwithstanding your Nature is corrupt enough; yet while my Love was in you I did uphold you in peace of Mind, but now my Love is taken from you, through your Rebellion, your Peace, Hope, and Assurance, will weather and dye in you: And in this Sence will he uphold corrupt natured Men if his Love be in him.

[Page 147]16. The Sixth Assertion answered, which saith, Tho' false VVorship be an Idol, yet with the Prophets Leave he may go to that VVorship blameless: As to this, I never did forbid any Believer of this Commission of the Spirit from going to Church, nei­ther did John Reeve in his time, they all went to Church, or to Meetings; John Reeve, nor I never laid any Injunction upon any Believer, not to go to Church.

17. But since I wrote the Book of the whole Revelation, I had occasion to write concerning Worship, and the Belie­vers reading of it, their Eyes were opened to see it was Ido­latry to worship as the Nation doth, so that many of them refrained from it, and they found much Peace in it; but some could not refrain, because of Persecution; but those that did refrain had much Peace in themselves, and were better beloved with me, than the other which did go to Church: So that they that did go to Worship, they had Shame and Trouble, and Doubting in themselves; and I let them bear their own Sin, and never reproved them for it.

18. And because I did not advise, nor command them to the contrary, they were the more incouraged; but had not that Peace in themselves as those had that did refrain, not because of my Dislike, but because of their own Peace of Conscience: But having no Command from us to the con­trary, some few took leave, that were in high Places, which could no ways uphold their Honour and Livelyhood, except they went somtimes to Church.

19. Now those not being forbid by the Prophet, they were not disobedient to the Prophet, nor to God, but to their own Souls, they brought Guilt upon their Conscience and Fear upon their Mind; yet by the Prophets winking at them as God did in the Days of old at there Ignorance, and not accuseing them of Evil, but continueing his Law in them; the Prophet Remembring their former Faith and Love to John Reeve: They are blameless as to the fear of Eternal Damnation, and why, because the Prophet did never forbid them, nor never did Condemn them for any thing they had done in that Nature.

[Page 148]20. And in this Sence they are blameless of the Prophet and blameless of God, for a Prophets Power is unlimited as God's Power is: None is to call a Prophet to an Account but God only, for if the Prophet will Wink at the faileings of some upon consideration of the Snares great Men are in, and of other good they do, and the Prophet will not Wink at others that are not under such Snars of this World, nor can do no Good to others of their own Faith, who shall a­gainsay it, none but Rebels.

21 They will undertake to be more Righteous then the Prophet, they would make all the Lords People Holy, if they where in the Prophets place, by Reproving and Exhorting and Judging the People, some for going to worship an Idol, and others for defraud and deceit, but if we were in his place, we would give Righteous Judgment upon all accord­ing to demerit, without respect of persons, this is Corath, Da­than, and Abiram like, the practies of Rebels.

22. And in this Sence those that go to worship an Idol may be said to be blameless of the Prophet, and no other ways.

CHAP. X. The Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Assertions Answered.

1. HOW should Men that do Evil after the Blessing is given be supported, if the Prophet should not sup­port him, suppose some that are under the Blessing may bor­row Mony of his Brethren of the same Faith, and never pay them again, others perhaps are passionate, hasty natured, which wounds their own Souls, others may sometimes be drunk, others of a hasty wrashful Nature as you are.

[Page 149]2. Those things are all Evil, the one as well as the other, and perhaps some of this Faith to whom the Prophet hath given the blessing are guilty of those things; now to whom shall they apply them selves too, to be supported; in the trouble of his Mind he hath borrowed Mony, but cannot pay it again, so his Credit is lost, he can borrow no more there, neither will he forgive him freely, but looks upon him, though he be of his own Faith, but a paltry deceitful Man, and will have no more Dealing with him: This is Punishment enough where an honest Heart is.

3. And where shall such a Man be supported but by the Prophet, for his Brethren will not support him, and the World Condemns him for a base Cheat, and his own Con­science Condemns him and makes him ashamed and where shall he go; he cannot go to God for Relief, but to a Man like him self, a Prophet.

4. And to this Prophet he can appeal unto, and be supported under his Blessing he once gave him, for a Prophets Word is as the Word of God him self, in case the Mans Faith be in it: For who hath need of Support but such, for legal Righte­ous Men need no Support, neither of God nor of the Pro­phet; for it hath a Blessing in it self, in the very deed doing.

5. Therefore it is said that Christ did Justify the Ungod­ly but not the legal Righteous Man, but rather Condemn him, as the Proud Pharise, who bosted of his Righteousness, and did thank God that he was not like the Publican who deceiv'd all Men he delt with.

6. And in this Sence it may be said, that the Prophet doth uphold a Man, though his Life and Conversation be counted Wicked by Rebels, yet his Faith being stedfast shall be upholden by the Prophet.

7. As to the Eighth Assertion, my Answer is; suppose Christ when he was taken and carried before Pilate, and when he was examined by him whether he was the Christ, the King of the Jews, if Christ for fear of Death should have denyed, and said, No, I am not the Son of God, &c. If [Page 150] this should have been said by Christ, then he would have prov'd a False Christ, and his Faith, a False Faith.

8. And so, those that Believed him, their Faith would be False and vain, and the assurance of Eternal Life in them would have perished, for a False Christ will be Damn'd, then all that Believe in that False Christ will be Damn'd al­so.

9. For it is by Faith that Men are saved; now if a Man's Faith be pitched upon the true Christ, and hold out to the end, he shall be saved, because the Christ he Believed in shall be saved.

10. But if a Man have Faith in the true Christ for a while, and afterwards his Faith whither and grow coul'd, and not hold out, this Man may perish to Eternity, yet the Christ saved.

11. Furthermore if the Prophet now alive should disown the Commission of the Spirit; that is, if he should deny and disown that God spoke to John Reeve, and that God did not Chuse us two Joyntly to be his Two last Prophets that God will ever send to the end of the World, now if it where pos­sible the Prophet should disown this, but it is not possible, which way then can those that have believed in us possibly be saved, but must be Damn'd.

12. For a False Prophet will be Damn'd: And again, if a true Faith Justify a Man, being pitched upon a true Pro­phet, then a False Faith pitched upon a False Prophet, it whithers and dies, and Condemns the Heart of Man.

13. If it should be objected, that we believe John Reeve, that God spake to him, and we believe his Writings, and that he Dyed in that Faith: But if the Prophet now alive should disown John Reeve, that God spake to him, &c. 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 [Page 151] 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.

[Page 152]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.

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 [Page 154] 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 Mall, and William Picke; they were Three inveterate Devils, being incouraged by this rich man: Yet notwith­standing I proceeded on in the Law, and when they saw they were in danger to be overthrown, they used all ways possible to defer the Cause.

7. And when they Saw that would not do, but that I would bring it to Tryal. They consulted together, and Summon'd me into the Spiritual-Court; thinking to have me Excomu­nicated, that I might not have the benefit of the Law against them; But I spent Money in that Court, and kept off their Excomunication, and proceeded in the Common Law to­wards a Tryal.

8. And when they Saw that would not do, then they Conspired, and Consulted with the Wardens of the Compa­ny of Stationers, to Search my House for Unlicenced Books; upon which the Wardens, brought many Booksellers and Prin­ters, and Three of the Kings Messingers with them; and be­cause my Wife denied to let them come up Stairs, they Im­mediately with a Weapon, they had, broke open Four Doors that were Lock'd and Boulted, Contrary to the Laws of England, and they took away Four Hundred Books great and small from me, of a considerable Value.

9. After they had done this, they Consulted with the Bishop of London, to put me into the Spiritual Court, and Sue me there for Blasphemy, and get me Excomunicated, that I might not have the Benefit of the Law against them, nei­ther [Page 155] for breaking open my House, and Stealing away my Goods.

10. And for that purpose, they got the Lord Chief Ju­stice Rainsfords Warrant for to take me; he was a deadly Enemy to me, as will appear in that he would have taken away my Life, if he could, but I defended the Spiritual-Court from being Excomunicated, and from his Warrant be­ing Executed, or Served upon me, until these two Tryals in the Common Law, against these two Tenants of the rich Mad were ended.

11. I was forced to be absent from my own House, for above a Quarter of a Year: I was Entertained by that ever honoured, and true Believer, that young Widdow, Ann Hall, I was Entertained by her as an Angel of God, when o­ther Believers durst not; I was kept at her House in Obscu­rity from Friends, and Enemyes, not knowing where I was, yet I Employed my Lawyers to manage my Business in both Courts, and in my absence they overthrew my Adversaries, in the two Causes aforementioned, in the Common Law, and I received again, that which the rich Man had taken a­way, with some of my Charges again.

12. But the Wardens of the Stationers Company, because they could not catch me, though they hunted after me as Blood-Hounds, but could not find me out to Serve their War­rant upon me; then they pressed hard in the Spiritual-Court to get me Excomunicated, they fearing I might Overthrow them in the common Law, for breaking open my House, and taking my Goods, for they had committed an absolute Bur­glary and Fellony, by the Laws of England.

13. But I being pressed so hard upon, in the Spiritual-Court, that it came to this Resultation in the Court, that if I did not Personally appear the next Court Day, then I should be Excomunicated, and being advised by him that managed my Business in that Court, to appear, he saying he thought there would be no Danger.

14. Now by his words I was perswaded to appear though against my own Mind, for I did fear I should be Trappan'd, [Page 156] and as I fear'd it came to pass, and it proved of woeful Con­sequence to me; as will appear by what doth follow.

15. To omit many Circumstances, I shall Record the Heads, and Substance of the whole matter, and as I did ap­pear in the Spiritual-Court, to prevent my self of being Ex­comunicated; The Court had little to say unto me, only as­ked me, if I did own that Libel, which they knew I denied by my Procter before.

16. This was only to Deliver me into the Temporal Ma­gistrates Hand; for the Wardens, the Lord Mayor, the Lord Chief Justice, together, with the Spiritual-Court, were a­greed together to Proceed against me this way; otherwayes they could never have catched me while they Lived, nor have brought me under their Law.

17. Therefore the Wardens Merne, and Clark they got the Lord Chief Justice of England's Warrant, with a Constable ready, and as soon as I was Discharged in the Spiritual-Court at Docters-Commons, that curssed Court is meerly to betray People into the Hands of their Enemies, and to ruin the E­states of the Poor People, for it is of no more Consequence for the good of the Nation, then to throw Stones against the Wind.

18. For the Wickedness and Envie of the Ignorant People is such, because they cannot be revenged of the Innocent, and Just, by the Temporal Laws of the Land, then they Cite the Innocent, (that cannot Bow Down to their Worship) into the Spiritual Court, which I have had great Experance of this curssed Court, which did betray me into the Hands of wicked envious Magistrates, as will appear.

19. For as soon as I was coming out of the Court the Constable served the Lord Justice Rainsford's Warrant upon me: Then was I delivered into the Hands of Satan, to be plain, into the Hands of Devils.

20. And I was led to Guild-Hall before the Lord Mayor, and Court of Aldermen, the Mayors Name was Thomas Davis, a Stationer by Trade, a deadly Enemy to me, and to all Moral Justice, and a Man made up more of Mallice, and Ignorance [Page 157] of the Law of the Land, than Ntural Wisdom, or Moral Knowledge: And as to Spiritual Knowledge he was as Blind as a Beetle.

21. The Constable gave Judge Rainsford's Warrant into the Lord Mayor's Hand, and the Wardens gave the whole Book bound into his Hands; and the Lord Mayor asked me, whither I did own this Book; I said I did.

22. Then he commanded me to withdraw into another Room, and I did so with an Officer with me; I stay'd a little while and the same Constable brought my Mittimus from the Lord Mayor, to carry me to the Geoal of Newgate until the next Sessions.

23. So I being carried to Prison, I was Bailed out until the 17th of January, in the Year 1676, then did Merne and Clark, draw up an Indictment against me, but out of one of those Bookes they stole from me, called, The Neck of the Quakers Broken.

CHAP. II. Of the Bill of Indictment, and of the Cruelty of the Judges.

1. NOW followes the Bill of Indictment, as I was Condemn'd for: The Persons or Jury Sworn for our Lord the King; gave in that Lodowick Muggleton late of London Labourer, being a Man Pernicious, Blasphemous, Seditious, Heritical, and a Monster in his Opinions.

2. Pretending that he the said Lodowick Muggleton, is one of the two last Witnesses, of Almighty GOD, and devising, and intending to Spread Abroad his Pernicious, Blasphemous, Seditious, and Monstrous Opinions; and to disturb the Peace and quiet of this Kingdom of England, and dispise and debase the True Religion, Established and Exercised therein.

3. As also to make and Excite discord, between the King and his Subjects, and to bring into Odium and Dis­grace, [Page 158] his said Majesty's Kingdom as to Eclesiastical Mat­ters.

4. He the said Lodowick Muggleton, on the 30th of Au­gust in the 23d Year of His Majesty's Reign, in St. Giles's Pa­rish without Cripplegate London aforesaid, by force and Armes, did Unlawfully, Wickedly, Maliciously, Scanda­lously, Blasphemously, Seditiously, Scismatically, and He­ritically, Write, Print, and Sell, Utter and Publish, a certain Malicious, Scandalous, Blasphemous, Seditous, and Heri­tical Book Intituled The Neck of the Quakers Broken.

5. In which Book, Written to Edward Burne, are con­tained these Unlawful, Blasphemous, Seditious, Heritical, and Scandalous Sentences following, viz. I Write these Lines unto you, Edward Burne, knowing you to be the Seed of the Serpent.

6, There was repeated out of this Book much more, as Page the 18, 31, and 54. That whosoever Reads that Book, may see those Blasphemies, these Quakers did first Judge me with; so that I had cause enough given me to Pronounce those sad Sentences of Damnation upon them, and those Books was known to the Powers of the Nation many Years before, and the Powers of the Nation took no notice of it, because that, and all others were Pardoned by the King, and Act of Parliament, till within three Years, and that Book was Printed 13 Years before.

7. Yet these wicked Judges, and Jury and others, Con­spired together to perswade, the Court, that this Book was Antidated 13 Years ago, yet Published this August 30th 1676, that it might come within the Act of three Years.

8. Now these words that were taken out of this Book, made some of the Judges Mad with Envie, and grin'd their Teeth, and their Counsel said, it made his Hair stand on an End, he was so Affrighted, which caused one of the Judges to belch out of his Mouth, saying, it was to the great contempt and Scandal of their said Lord the King, of His Crown and Dig­nity.

9. When as that Book did not meddle with their Esta­blished Religion at all, neither was it any dishonour to the [Page 159] King, but rather an honour, if he had but Read it over; but Truth doth alwaies offend the reason of Man, as is seen by what a Multitude of Hellish Expressions, and Palpable lies, uttered in their Indictment, being patch'd up with Reproaches, and Slanders, against the purest Truth that ever was spoken by Prophet, or Apostle.

10. I shall now Record now unjustly Judge Rainsford dealt with me before the Tryal: The Sessions before I was Tryed, the Bill of Indictment was Read in Court, and I an­swered not Guilty, and said unto Davis, then Lord Mayor, that I would Traviss the Indictment, and put in Bail to the In­dictment.

11. So Davis asked whither I could put in three Sufficient Men, that could Swear they were worth Two Hundred Pounds a Man, he would Accept of Bail, thinking I could not have procured such great Security: And Judge Rainsford Sate at the Right-Hand of the Mayor, and I heard Judge Rainsford, say to the Lord Mayor, that it was pitty but I should be Burn'd; I heard by his Words, and saw by his Counte­nance, that he was, and would be a Deadly Enemy.

12. But the Mayor, could not deny Bail, nor to Traviss the Indictment by the Laws of England; so the Men were called, and the Mayor being Envious, asked one of them if they were of my Gang, one of them answered and said thus? Sr. We do not come here to be Examin'd whose Gang we are of, but we came to be Bail for this Man for Six Hundred Pounds for his Appearance the next Sessions; The Mayor said no more but Accepted it.

13. And when the time drew near, I did according to Law (with my Lawyer) go to this Judge Rainsford, and got his Clerk to draw up a Sessarary, which was to remove it out of that Court, into the Court of Kings-Bench; and this En, vious Judge, being Judge of the Kings-Bench-Court, and we could not have a Sessarary in any Court else, which he knew well enough, which caused his Envie to act so wickedly and unjustly towards me.

14. For when his Clerk, and my Lawyer had Drawn up [Page 160] the Writing, and had recived their Money, (near Forty Shillings) they went into the Judges-Chamber, for him to set his Hand to it, to remove my Cause into his own Court, which was but Law, but he made them answer, and said, he would not set his Hand to it, but would hear the Tryal him­self, at the Sessions.

15. So I was Cheated of my Money by his Clerk, and he knew it, and he deprived me of it and of the just Law, which is the Birth right of every free born Man of England.

16. But now as to the Tryal, I shall in the next place Re­cord some of the most remarkable Words, and Passages of the Judges, and the Counselors, and the Witnesses against me in the Tryal: Upon the 17th of January 1676, first the Indictment was Read, and the Cryer of the Court, said, Are you Guilty or not Guilty.

17. I answred, not Guilty, but desired the Court to let my Counsel Plead the Cause, because I knew they would have taken hold of my Words, and made them a more horrible Crime, then the Book it self; which Judge Rainsford readily granted, and asked Who was my Counsel, I said Mr. Gener.

18. And he received a Breviat of the Cause, shewing the Wrong I had received by their breaking open my House, and taking away my Goods, contrary to the Laws of Eng­land: Also I gave into my Counsels Hands, the Kings Gra­cious Act of Pardon; That whosoever did Sue any Man for what was Pardoned in that Act afterwards, that the Partie so Sued, should Plead the General Issue and should Recover Ten Pound a Man of those his Adversaries.

19. This Act was given into my Counsels Hands to Plead, and that Book that stated the Indictment out of; was given into his Hand, which Book was Pardoned by that Act, being Printed 13 Years ago, all was Pardon'd till within Three Years.

20. Also their Counsel, ( I know not his Name;) had one of the Bo [...]oks, with the whole Volumn Bound and Clasp'd, (which they stole from me) in his Hand, I saw the Chief Judges were bent upon Mischeif against me.

[Page 161]21. Therefore I was resolved to follow the Practice of Christ, when Examined by the high Priests, Rulers and Counsel, gave them no answer neither before Pilate; for he knew they watched to catch Words out of his Mouth, that they might have some what to Accuse him of, to make his Cause worse, then what his Enimies did Accuse him with, as may be Read Luke 22.70. where Christ held his Peace, and answer'd nothing.

22. Then said they all, Art thou the Son of God; and he said unto them? Yea say that I am, and to this they said, What need we any further Witness, for we our selves have heard out of his own Mouth; so Mark 14. and in verse 62, Je­sus answered and said to his question, I am the Son of God, &c.

23. Then the high Priests rent their Cloathes, and they all Condemned him to be guilty of Death; so likewise I did perceive that if I had pleaded my self I should have Justified my Commission from GOD, and that he gave John Reeve, and my self that Power and Authority to give Sentance of Damnation, to all that Blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, as they did, as are Writen in that Book.

24. These Words would have Enraged the Judges, and Jury, and the People more then that Book; so that they would have said by me as the Priests, Scribes and Pharisies said by Christ as aforesaid: The angrey and Malicious Judges, and Envious Jury, and Ignorant Officers and People in the Court, would have rent their Hearts with Madness against me, and said, What need we to mind this Book, or Indictment, or Witness against him, for you hear his horrible Blaphemy out of his own Mouth, therefore what think you? so that they all would have Condemned me to greater Torments than they did.

25. Considering this, I held my Peace and speak not one word; which prevented the Expectations of Thousands, which thought to have had a large Relation of the Matter.

26. So that I left the Book that was Pardoned, & Act, and Indictment and Witnessess, for them to Judge and Condemn me by; So they had no farther Matter from me at all, which [Page 162] did frusterate their Expectations and Moderate their Punish­ment, as the Reader may perceive by what doth follow.

CHAP. III. The Counsel against the Prophet, Pleads with fear and horrour: The Prophets Counsel Pleads, and through fear, did wrong his Cause.

1. UPON the 17th of January 1676, after the Indict­ment was read, my Counsel Pleaded to it, proving that this Book the Indictment was ground upon, it was Pardoned by the Kings Gracious Act, being Printed 13 Years ago; neither was this Book Published, nor Sold in any Shop, or to any Person in publick; as can be proved, but were locked up in Cheasts, &c. This with many other Words, according to the Laws of England: This my Coun­sel pleaded, and my Counsel Sate under Judge Atkins.

2. And their Counsel Sate under Judge Rainsford, and he did hold up the Book in open Court, which Book was the whole Volumn Bound and Clasped: He held one of the Claspes between his Finger and his Thumb up in the open Court, in oppossition to my Counsel.

3. And he expressed these Words, and said with a loud Voice, That he did Read one Leaf of this Book and turn'd over another. But said he, it was so full of Horrible Blasphemy, that he durst not Read any further, for the Blasphemy was so great, that it made his Hair stand an end, and his Heart to tremble; with other Expressions of Dread and Fear.

4. As if the very Reading of it would have caused God to have parted the Heavens assunder, and have Rained down Vengance upon him for Reading it, if he had Read any further: For said he, It was impossible for any Man to Write such a Horrible Blasphemous Book, in Assuming the place of God [Page 163] upon him, Except he went to the bottom of Hell, for said he, it is so cunningly contrived, that it confounds all the Reason in Man, with many other hedious expressions, which I cannot remember.

5. He spoke truth, but knew it not, for the Spirit of Revelation doth descend to the bottom of Hell, else we could not tell others where it is, and prevent others from falling into it; and as Christ himself Descended into Hell, and quickened again out of it, so hath the Spirit of Revela­tion in me descended into the bottom of Hell a Thousand times, and hath quickened out of it again, and hath fore­warned many from going into that Place; but I know this Counseler shall go into Hell, that hath no bottom, called a Bottomless Pitt, and he shall never come from thence, to Eternity.

6. Likewise indeed the Revelation of Faith in me, hath confounded all the Reason in Man, as to Spiritual, and Heavenly matters.

7. After this my Counsel pleaded again to the same pur­pose; as he did before, but he through extream Fearful­ness did wrong my cause, in two things: First in that he made no mention of the Wardens breaking open four Doors, contrary to the Laws of England; which was by the Law absolute Burglary, and the taking away the Books, was absolute Fellony.

8. This was in the Forefront of his Breviat, and I had reposed the Business to him, because I would not plead my self, but he like a deceitful Knave, and fearfull Fool; did not speak one Word of it before the Court; which if he had, it would have put these Envious Judges, and Jury to a Nonplush, how they could have brought me in Guilty; so he spoyld my Cause.

9. For after he had Pleaded the Kings Act of Grace, as aforesaid, he said these Words, that he had Pleaded so far as the Law would bear him out, but as for the Words, and cause of Indictment, he was ashamed of it.

10. Upon these Words, did Judge Rainsford say unto [Page 164] the Jury, You see that his own Counsel is ashamed of his Cause.

11. Here the Reader may see those Words verified, as I have Read, for my Counsel did do at my Tryal those things which he ought not to have done, and he left un­done those things which he ought to have done; for he ought to have Pleaded the Breaking open of so many Doors, but he left that undone, and to say he was ashamed of my Cause, he ought to have left those Speeches undone, and not to have spoken them, being not forced by the Court.

12. And for a Man to take Forty Shillings to Plead a Man's Cause, and to say he is ashamed of his Clyants Cause; what Man that hath but Moral Reason, and Sense in him, but will say such a Counseler hath no Truth in him.

13. But Judge Atkins siting over my Counsel, might see the Breviat in my Counsels Hand, which caused him to ask one of the Witnessess. (his name was Garat) how did he come by those Books, he answered, that he did Seize them, as they use to do, the Judge asked how many there were of them, he said a Porters Load; The Judge asked him where the Books were, he answered, at the Bishop of Londons House.

14. The Judge asked him again, if they were all of a sort, or all of a bigness, he answered no, some were great ones, and some, lesser, some three or four bound together, and some single: He was asked how many of them great Books that were in the Court, he answered Six of them; he was asked what was the Price that great Book was sold for; He answered, Twelve or Fourteen Shillings.

15: Now when the two Counsels had done Pleading, and the Witnesses Examin'd; the aforesaid Judge Atkins stood up and said, Gentlemen of the Jury, you see that the Book which the Indictment was grounded upon, was Printed 13 Years ago, and is Pardon'd by the Kings Gracious Act: Therefore said he, I cannot see, by the Lawes of England, how you can possibly bring this Man in Guilty, therefore Jury look to it.

16. Then stood up Judge Rainsford and said, That if it was not Law, we will make it Law, and further said, who [Page 165] knoweth but this Raskal might Antidate the Book 13 Years ago, and Publish it this 30th of August last past.

17. The Envy of this wicked Judge, made him speak a­gainst his own Conscience, for he knew it was impossible for me to do such a thing as to get it Printed so lately, for he knew it were those that Stole my Books, published them.

18. And further this Rainsford vented his Envy exceed­ing high and called me Incorrigable Rogue, that should Assume to himself to be in Gods place, a Man Pernicious, Blasphemous, Seditious, Heritical, and a monster in his Opinions; Pretend­ing himself one of the two Witnessess of Almighty God, to the great Scandal and Contempt of our Lord the King, his Crown and Dignity, as also the Religion of this Kingdom rightly Esta­blished: And further said, he was Sorry that the Laws of Eng­land were so unprovided to Punish Crimes of this Nature.

19. And further he goeth on in his Rage against me and saith; Gentlemen of the Jury, if you do not bring this Man in Guilty, you will be pertakers with him in all his Horrible Blasphe­my, and grand Apostisie.

20. Many more hateful Words, with the Fire of Hell, that proceeded from his Heart, and did appear in his Face; his Zeal was great to have me Punished, Nay he thought in his Heart, that Hanging was too good a Death for me, for said he, This Crime of horrid Blasphemy (as he accounted it) was worse than Murder, Fellony, or Treason; and was Sorry that the Laws was so unprovided to punish such Crimes.

21. I was so moved in my mind, to hear this Cursed Devil to Blaspheme against the Holy Spirit that sent me, and gave me Power to give Sentance of Eternal Damnation up­on such Blaspheming Devils. That I could have wished, that God would have Executed some vissible Vengeance from Heaven upon this Blasphemous Judge, to have smote him with a natural Blindness, for I knew he was Spiritually Blind, for I had done wrong to no Man.

22. Only I had Executed the Commission of God faith­fully in giving Sentance upon all dispising Devils, who sin­ned againg the Holy Ghost: This was that Sin the high Priests [Page 166] and Elders committed in Christ's time against him, in that they said he cast out Devils by Belsebub the Prince of Devils.

23. I know this, that Judge Rainsford would have said the same to Christ himself, had he been in my place, for his Blasphemy was great, not only against me, but against God that sent me, which God he knew not.

24. Therefore my Anger was kindled against him, and desired an immediate vissible Vengeance from Heaven upon him, that might have been a vissible Witness, whither God did own him or me.

25. But there was a secret Voice within me said, thy Commission is Spiritual, and hath to do with the Spiritual and Eternal Estate of Mankind; and that all such Persons are the Seed of the Serpent, and are to receive for their Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, their Punishment in the Life to come, even Eternal Damnation, which is the second Death, where the Worm of Conscience shall never Dye, nor the Fire of Hell shall never be quenched to Eternity.

26. Then I was quiet and willing to bear all they could do unto me, even to the loss of my Life.

CHAP. IV. The Prophet is brought in Guilty of his Sentance and Judgment; with the nature of his Sufferings.

1. AFTER that Judge Rainsford had made his Speech to the Jury, then was the Goler commanded to take me away from the Bar and put into a little Room for a sea­son, and after a little space I was called for to the Bar again, and Jefferies being then in the Recorders place, that Baw­ling Devil, was to give Sentance, and Judgment upon me.

2. And when I did appear before him, a great Fire was [Page 167] between us, where they did Burn those in the Hand which were Condemn'd to that Punishment, but all that was over before I did appear.

3. And this Jefferies Sate in the Judgment Seat, as Pilate din against Christ, and I stood a Prisoner at his Bar; and when he saw my Face, the first Words he speak, he called me Impudent Rogue, because my Countenance did not change, nor look sad, nor asked any Favour of the Court, and said nothing to all their Threats, Revilings, and Re­proaches, whereby they Reproached me.

4. Then he asked the Jury, Is Muggleton Guilty, or not Guilty, They stay'd a little space before they speak; Jefferies asked again, is Muggleton Guilty, or not Guilty, the Jury said Guilty.

5. Then he Proceeded in Judgment and said, the Court is sorry the Laws of England are so unprovided to punish Crimes of this Nature, therefore the Court hath thought Fit, to give you but an Easie, Easie, Easie, Punishment.

6. You shall be committed, and put to stand upon the Pil­lory in three of the most Eminent Places in the Citty: That is one Day in Cornhil, near the Exchange, London; Another Day in Fleet-street, near the end of Chancery-lane; and the Third Day, (being on the Market Day) to Stand in West-Smith-Field, London, from the Hours of Eleven in the Fore­noon, until one in the Afternoon.

7. On which said several Days, a Writing Paper shewing your Offence, to be put upon your Breast, and also your Blasphe­mous Books, in three Parts, to be devided, and with Fire before your Face, near the Pillory aforesaid, by the Common Hangman, then and there to be Burn'd.

8. And then to be returned into Newgate in safe Custody, un­til your Fine of Five Hundred Pound be paid, and then to put in good Security, to be of good Behaviour the time of your Life, but none of your own Gang (as he call'd them) shall be Security for you; These are the Words of the Sentance that Jefferies pass­ed upon me the 17th of January 1676.

9. The Paper that was tyed to my Brest, every Day I [Page 168] stood upon the Pillory, to shew my Offence, and cause of this Suffering, the Words were as followeth.

10. Lodowick Muggleton, Standeth hear for Writing, causing to be Printed, Selling, Uttering, and Publishing, a Blasphemous Book.

11. After this Sentance, and Judgment was passed up­on me, I shall Record as short as I can, the manner of the Execution of this Sentance; and how I did suffer it, and bear the Curse of their wicked Wills; for they did make that Law, which was not Law, as Rainsford said before, and as Judge Atkins, when he saw me Condemn'd contrary to Law, he went off the Bench and said, there were no fair Dealings with me.

12. This Sentance have I Suffered, in every Tittle in the greatest Rigour that could be inflicted, even beyond their own Law, they made me Ride in a Cart, as a Thief, or a Murtherer, Bareheaded, without Hat or Cap; which never was done in England before: I stood Bareheaded upon the Pillory, which no Cheat ever did, but were suffered to weare a Cap of Steel under another Cap.

13. I was set as a Mark for every one to Throw a Stone at me.

14. My Books were offered up in Three Burnt offerings unto the Unknown God, as Three Sacrifices before my Face, the smoke of them asscended into my Nostrells, which caus­ed me to Cry to Heaven for Vengeance, upon those Great Men of the Earth, that were the cause of those Burned-offer­ings unto Devils.

15. And my self was Offered up, as a Sacrifice Three times, to the Rude Multitude: For the People came from the Four Winds, or from the Four Quarters of the Citty, and Subburbs round about; they were for Multitude with­out Number.

16. I was maul'd by the People, some cast Dirt, and Mudd out of the Kennel at me; others Rotten Eggs, and Turn [...]s, and others cast Stones at me, some Stones weigh­ed a Pound, and out of the Windows at the Exchange, they cast down Fire Brands, (Pieces of Billits with Fire upon [Page 169] them) at my Head, which if they had lighted upon me, would have done the Work, as they desired.

17. I was Bruised and Battered, and my Innocent Blood was shed, tho' not unto Death, for Gods Cause, for that the Blood of the last True Prophet, and Witness of the Spirit, hath been shed, by this Bloody Citty, for my Testi­mony to the Commission of God, put upon me.

18. And it was the wonderful Providence of God, my Life was preserved; for I was delivered into the Hands of unreasonable Men, the rude Multitude, by the Hands of Rainsford, Davis, and Jefferies, Judges of the Law of Rea­son, and Jury, these were the Men that were Guilty of my Innocent Blood.

19. I was willing to be stoned to Death, by the rude Multitude, and would have gone off the Pillory to be stoned to Death, but the Officers would not let me come down, when this was over, my Wounds and the Blood stanched, I was put into the Cole Cellar again, the same Day at Night, I went Three pair of Stairs high to my Lodging.

20 And the next Day, I would willingly have kept my Bed, but the Keeper said, If I would not come down into the Cellar in the Afternoon, they would put me in the Common Side; so I was forced into the Cellar, who had more need to have kept my Bed.

21. But there is no mercy in Prison, therefore it may well be compared to Hell, for in Hell there is no mercy, but Justice only, neither is there any mercy in Prison Keepers at all without profit.

22. After I had suffered these things, I was put into Pri­son again for the Fine of Five Hundred Pounds that was laid upon me to Pay, but I did lye in Prison Six Months after I had suffered these things aforesaid.

23. And now in my Imprisonment, I considered that my sufferings were much like unto the sufferings of the Prophet Jeremiah Chap 11.19. he suffered for his Message from the Lord of Host, the mighty God of Jacob.

24. And my sufferings was for my Commission received [Page 170] from the high and mighty God, the Man Christ Jesus, in Glory, the only wise God my King and my Redeemer.

25. And as his Enemies, that caused him to suffer, and would have had him put to Death, were Princes, and great Men of the Earth; so likewise, those my Enemies, were great Men, and as Princes on the Earth; and they sat upon the Thrones, as Gods on Earth, in Judgment against me.

26. And as it was with Jeremiah, so it was with me, for I was like a Lamb, that is brought to the Slaughter, and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, if I had, I could have prevented them. They saying, Let us destroy the Tree with its Fruite thereof, and cut him off from the Land of the Living, that his Name may be no more Remem­bered.

27. That is, let us destroy this Muggleton, the Tree, and the Fruit thereof; his Doctrine of the True God, and Right Devil in his Writings, that none may receive his Writings more, nor believe his Doctrin, or Commission, that he hath Power from God, to Bless, and Curss to Eternity any more: This Repro­bate Men have practised against me.

28. So that I have had Cause, to make my Complaint unto my God, my King, and my Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ, as David and Jeremiah did.

29. Oh Lord God of Truth, that Judgeth Righteously, that Tryeth the Reins, and the Heart, let me see thy Vengeance on them, for thou knowest I have been Faithful in Executing thy Commission, the Burthen of the Lord, which thou didest lay upon me.

30. And thou knowest the unrighteous, unjust Judgments, these wicked unjust Judges gave against me: They were not only Ene­mies to me, but thy Enemies, Oh God; for they have hated me without a cause, and they have said, let us smite him with the Tongue, with Lyes, Slanders, and Reproaches.

31. Therefore heed, O Lord God of Truth, and harken to the Vioce of these wicked Judges, and Jury, and all those that assented to that Judgment for harm, that contended with me: And let me see thy Vengeance on those thy Enemies, for their [Page 171] Fathers did unto thee when thou was upon Earth, as these do unto me.

32. Thou hast saved me from Bloody Men: For they laid wait for my Soul to Kill it, had the Law been provided with Strength, and not for any Transgression of any Law that I had broken, but for thy Commission and Doctrine thou gavest me to declare.

33. Therefore Oh Lord God of truth! be not merciful unto any wicked Transgression, that Persecuteth only for Conscience sake; it being the Sin against the Holy Ghost.

34. And God will let me see my desire upon my Enemies, and bring them down, Oh Lord my God.

25. This was my secret Supplication unto my God, when I was Prisoner in Newgate, after I had suffered all those Corporal Punishments, which they Sentanced me to Suffer.

CHAP. V. Shewing how that the Prophet in a short time, saw his desire (unto God) in part fullfilled.

1. AND a little while after these my Sufferings I saw my desire (in part) granted, and several of my Potent Enemies cut off this Earth by Death: As first that certain rich Man that took away poor Widdow Brunt's Ground, as is aforemention'd; he was call'd Sr. John James

2. And notwithstanding I had overthrown his two Ten­ants in the common Law, yet when he saw that I was in Prison, and Condemn'd for those Books, and had suffered as aforesaid, yet I being Fined Five Hundred Pounds, he thought I could not be delivered out of Prison no more, the Fine was so great.

3. Whereupon he wickedly took advantage upon my [Page 172] sufferings for God's Cause, and sent a Writt of Ejectment to my Tenants, to Eject me out of Possession, so my At­turney Read it and said, I must answer to it, else he would Eject me out the next Term, so I was forced to Imploy a 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 [Page 173] 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 [Page 174] 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 [Page 175] 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 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, [Page 176] 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 [Page 177] 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 [Page 178] 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 [Page 179] 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.