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A51574
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The acts of the witnesses of the spirit in five parts / by Lodowick Mvggleton ..., left by him to be publish'd after's death.
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Muggleton, Lodowick, 1609-1698.
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1699
(1699)
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Wing M3040; ESTC R11186
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121,881
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188
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see that the Jews knew the Hebrew Language for the Jews said he called for Elias let him come and save him if he will have him 10. So that it is clear that Christ prayed in his Agony to his representitive Power in Elias 11. Then said the Recorder Mr. Reeve Mr. Reeve You have spoke enough let Aaron speak 12. Said John Reeve Scoff on Mr. Recorder 13. Truly Friend said the Recorder I do not scoff 14. Then said I I can say no more to that one Question than he hath said before but if you have anything else to aske I will answer you 15. But he asked never a Question more nor spake a word more because the Examination which they would not produce in the open Court had fully answered to all things they could object against us 16. But commanded us to withdraw and the Jury laid their Heads a little together and brought us in guilty of Blasphemy and execrable Opinions 17. So the Recorder gave Sentance upon us That we should be sent to Old Bridewell and be kept Prisoners there for six Months without Bail or maine Prise 18. So there we remained full six Months 19. And while we were Prisoners in Old Bridewell Jeremiah Mount got that Epistle to the Ministers printed which are yet to be seen and will be to the end of the World by some 20. After this while we were Prisoners there we wrote a Remonstrance of all the Transactions that had passed that was remarkable from the day of our Commission 1651. to this our time of being Committed Prisoners in Old Bridewell 21. And this Remonstrance was directed to General Cromwell and Jeremiah Mount got that printed at his own Charge also This Remonstrance is yet to be seen with some and will remain in the hands of some to the end of the World 22. This Jeremiah Mount was a great Friend to us in the time of our Imprisonment and so was John Brunte and his Wife and one Richard Russell There was very few Beleivers of us at that time this was in the year 1653. It was a year of great and many Troubles to us both but especially to me 23. And about the Month of April in the year 1654. after our seven Months Imprisonment we came forth of Prison 24. And after this John Reeve wrote Letters to several Men as to Esquire Penington William Sedgwick Minister and to the Earle of Pembrooke 25. And some of them sent Answers to him again but none of these Letters are in print 26. Also John wrote that Spiritual and heavenly Treatis Intituled Adivine Lookinglass And he got it printed in the Year 1656. Jeremiah Mount was at the greatest part of that Charge 27. But the Printer being knavish and covetous quite spoiled it in the Press he hudled it up so close together for want of more Paper that no body had any Delight to read it through so that it never yielded the Mony it cost printing CHAP. V. Of John Reeve's travelling to Maidstone in Kent where he met with Enemies and gave them the Sentance upon which they got a Warrant against him Of the Notice he had and departed Of his Treatis Called Joyful News from Heaven After the writing of which he died 1. AFTER this John Reeve went to Maidstone in Kent to see some Friends there 2. There was but Four Beleivers in that Country at that time 3. And he going to visit them having never been in that Country before after he had been three days there he met with Enemies enough 4. But they falling in Discourse with him they dispised his Doctrin and Commission so he gave Sentance of Damnation to eternity upon one or two of them 5. And they stur'd up others to persecute him so they got a Constable to apprehend him but having notice of it he departed out of those Coasts in hast and over heated his Blood with traveling to the Waterside which was Sixteen Miles And he went upon the Water at Gravesend at Night when he was all in a Sweat and cooled himself too soon 6. So he surfited his Blood and drove him into a Consumption which killed him He lived almost two Years afterwards but in a sick wasting Condition 7. That surfit he got then was absolutely the Cause of his Death else he might have lived many years longer 8. Yet notwithstanding his Sickness he wrote that excellent Piece a Book called Joyful News from Heaven or The Mortality of the Soul 9. This he did in the time of his Sickness and just as it was in the Press to be printed he saw the first Sheet printed but his Eyes were dim that he could not see the print not to read for he died in two days after 10. There was at that time three Sisters that were true Beleivers which he did oft resort unto The one was Mrs. Frances the eldest the second Mrs. Roberts the third Mrs. Boner 11. This Mrs. Frances closed up his Eyes for he said unto her Frances close up mine Eyes lest my Enemies say I died A staring Prophet 12. And she did so and he gave up the Ghost and said not one word more 13. And she took and cut one Look of his Hair to keep for a Memorial of one of the two last Prophets that God will ever send while this World endureth 14. He had a fine Head of Hair it was black waveing over his Shoulders 15. So he was buried in Bethlahem Church-Yard 16. He dyed about the latter end of July in the year 1658 in the seventh year of our Commission and in the Forty Ninth year of his Life 17. Thus I have given a true Account to be upon Record of some of the most remarkable Acts and Passages and Sufferings which we the Witnesses of the Spirit hath acted and suffered in this Seven Years of our Commission 18. Only for God's Cause in Obedience unto the Voice of God that spake to John Reeve the Third Forth and Fifth days of February in the year 1651. CHAP. VI. Of Laurance Claxton what Books he wrote of his exalted Pride The Beleivers complain of him The Prophet forbad him for writing any more How he humbled himself The Prophet forgave him And of his Death 1. AFTER John Reeve was dead there was one Laurance Claxton who had been a Preacher of the Ranters that came to beleive this Doctrin and Commission of the Spirit 2. And he owned it some little time before John Reeve dyed and afterwards he asked me to give him leave to write in the vindication and justification of this Commission of the Spirit 3. And I gave my Consent whereby several of his Acquaintance in Cambridge-shire were brought to the Faith of this Commission 4. The first Book he wrote the Title of it is Look about you for the Devil that you fear is in you It is in print at this Day 5. The second Book he wrote the Title is called The Quakers Downfall Which is in print at this Day 6. The third
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 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 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 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