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 Eleventh Morning of the Twelfth Month 1668. from the glorious Majesty of the most high God who fils Heaven and Earth that lives in his Servant William Pen junior 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 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. 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 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
rather fear to offend as the Prophet Reeve saith That a true born Saint is afraid of his own evil thoughts much more of evil words or deeds against God or man Again we see by this Book of the Acts that these two Prophets were jointly chosen of God and made equal in Power and Authority for the Prophet Reeve saith That his Fellow Witness had as great power as he had himself And further said That he was the Lords last High-Priest If this be granted then it must follow that there can be no Salvation to such as shall reject him or his Writings altho' they pretend to own John Reeve Moreover the mighty sufferings that these Prophets have undergone for their Testimony sake are admirable yet notwithstanding all opposition providence preserv'd them so as that they both died in their Beds in peace and not only so but this last Prophet liv'd to see the downfal of many of his great Enemies and of his Persecutors and Judges Now to come to a conclusion of this Epistle When the Prophet had wrote this Book of the Acts he kept it by him not letting any to see it but about two Weeks before he died it was put into the hands of one of us that was his true Friend and ancient Acquaintance in order to be printed after his death Which now with the assistance of some Friends through providence it is perfected and is recommended to the whole houshold of Faith which I doubt not but it will be accepted of being a true Copy from the Original there being nothing here printed but what is really his own only you are to know that there are some things omited that are of a Temporal accompt as a dispute with Mr. Leader concerning Eclipses and the hight of the Visible Heavens with some other particulars which things are left out because of the greatness of the Charge for all cannot be Printed that is Writen for it is evident that altho there is above a Hundred Sheets of theirs in print yet is it not past a Third part of what is Writen by them two Witnesses for in the Year 1682 Mr. Delamaine did Transcribe so many of their Works and bound up in a Book as contained 1052 pages in Folio in which Book and in what is printed almost all the Scripture hath been Interpreted that are of concernment to Salvation But whether it may enter into the Heart of any that are Rich to be stirred up to Print the same or whether the Powers of the Nation may permit it We leave to Providence But before I conclude it is Requisite to give you an Acompt of the Prophets Death and Burial which was thus upon the First of March 1697. the Prophet was taken with an Illness and Weakness upon which he said these Words Now hath God sent Death unto me And presently after was helped to Bed and tho' he kept his Bed yet we could not perceive that he was Sick only Weak and he lay as if he slept but in such quietness as if he was nothing concerned with either Pain or Sickness So that it was meer Age that took him away which was the 14th day of March he then departed this Life with as much peace and quietness as ever any man did being about 88 Years of Age so that he had that Blessing to come to the Grave in a full Age like as a Shock of Corn cometh in at its Season Upon the 16th day his Corps was remov'd to Larsimus Hall and on the 17th day was from thence Attended on with two hundred forty eight Friends accompanying him to Bethleham Church-Yard where he was Buried by his Fellow-VVitness which was according to his own appointment And thus was the Lord's Last Prophet brought to his Grave in peace without noise or without tumult though thousands of Spectators beheld it and there they are both to remain until the coming of their Lord their King and their Redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ the High and Mighty God and our God and blessed are they that know their Voice and wait for that day and are not offended with these things Farewel T. T. ERRATA PAge 18. verse 3. leave out the last single I. p. 95. v. 22. for yet and do read to p. 100. v. 5. for Reason read Religion p. 103. in the Contents for Argument read Arraignment p. 112. v. 25. for that read they p. 128. v. 17. for Reported read Reproached p. 140. v. 11 for maketh read make Idem v. 12. for probably read possibly p. 147. v. 19. for Law read Love p. 251. v. 19. for said read saved The Acts of the Witnesses c. The First Part. 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 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
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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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
Slanders and Judgments threatned against me I did not matter For this I know the Quakers do beleive that Loe and Cole's Souls is not dead but slipt out of their Bodies and gon you know not where and into a Power you know not what 10. But I said their Souls is where you laid their Bodies they both came into this World together they both dispised the Truth together they both Bodies and Souls received Judgment and Condemnation together and both dyed together and were both Soul and Bodies buried together and shall both rise again spiritual dark Bodies and Souls together 11. Every Seed it s own Body that Seed of Reason which was their Life which they thought was the divine Nature of God but it was the Nature of the Devil and Serpent 12. And the Law writen in their Hearts which you Quakers call the Light of Christ or Christ in you which is no other Christ or Light but the Law writen in your Hearts And the Light of the Law which doth accuse and excuse the Conscience of every Man you call the Light of Christ yea Christ himself 13. For this Light of the Law writen in your Hearts is that which doth cause your Thoughts to accuse when you do evil and to excuse when you do well And when God shall raise them again that Seed of Reason shall rise and bring a spiritual dark Body with it And that Law which was writen in their Hearts here in this Life shall quicken again in that new dark spiritual Body 14. And then shall they and you dispisers of a personal God know that your own Souls which you thought was the Life of God but it was the Life of the Devil and that your selves were Devils and that Law writen in your Hearts which you in this Life called the Light of Christ and that was no other God or Christ but this Light within you 15. But when this Law doth quicken again as I said before it will prove the only and alone Devil to torment you to eternity because you made the Light of this Law in your Hearts to be your only God and by this Light of the Law you do fight against the true personal God who created Man in his own Image and Likeness and hath trampled him under your Feet as Dirt. 16. These things may seem strange and as a Riddle unto you and as a thing impossible but with God all things is possible which his own Will moves him unto 17. And this I say as it was possible for God to write the Law in the Angels Natures and by his secret Determination suffer one of these Angels to become very Man and so the Angels Seed and Nature having conjunction with the Seed and Nature of Eve which was of Adams Nature and so by Generation the Law comes to be writen in every Man's Heart in that ever Man and Woman that is born into this World is partaker of the Angel's Nature of Reason and so comes to have this Law writen in every Man's Heart 18. Man finds it there accusing of him but knows not how it came writen there 19. So it is as strange for you Quakers to beleive that God will raise your Souls again that were dead how they should quicken out of Death by the Power of that God that made all Souls to live at the first In as much as he made all things by the power of his word in the Beginning 20. So by the same power of his word he shall quicken the Souls of Men and Women again out of Death to Life again at the last day and the Law that was writen in them shall quicken also and be alive again in you to torment you to eternity 21. For the Law and your Souls shall never part one from the other for as the Law is secretly writen in your Hearts but originally in the Reprobate So by Gods secret Decree and Power he will revive that Law again in that Reprobate Seed of Reason as in Thomas Loe Josiah Cole George Whitehead William Pen and many of you Speakers of the Quakers and others of your Bretheren who are under the Judgment and Sentance of this Commission of the Spirit You shall find my words to be true upon you and over you to eternity neither shall you be delivered from it 22. For if I had but any thought of Compassion towards you in my Mind it was answered me That there is a necessity that there should be Enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent which hardened my Heart against all Dispisers of a personal God in the form of Man Lodowick Muggleton 23. After this in the same year came another thundering Letter from a Lyon like Quaker being a learned Man brought up at the University his Name is William Pen Here is the Copy of it verbatim LOdowick Muggleton having had a deep and serious Sence of thy insulting Spirt over the Death of that valiant and painful Servant of the most high God Josiah Cole as if it were the ephect of thy solely Curse who alas for these Twelve Years hath in these Nations and Iles abroad in all Straits Difficulties and hard Sufferings been an incessant Labourer for the Lord and so impared his Health that within these Twelve Months or little more have I known him Five times sick and Three even unto Death before he had ever seen thy Face I say being sensible of thy Vaunts And it now being laid upon me Therefore once more I come in the Name and Authority of that dreadful Majesty which fils Heaven and Earth to speak on this wise Boast not thou Enemy of God thou Son of Perdition and Confederate with the unclean croking Spirits reserved under Chains to eternal Darkness for in the everlasting glorious Light thou dispiseth thou art seen Araigned Tryed Condemned and Sentanced for a lying Spirit and false Prophet who having counterfited the Commission and Sceal of that God whom the Heaven cannot contain hath bewitched a few poor silly Souls But their Blood Oh! Muggleton lies at thy Door and the Wrath of the Almighty is kindled against thee and his eternal Power in his Servants the Quakers came whom thou hast past thy envious Curse shall suddenly grind thee to Powder and as formerly so again on the behalf of the God of the Quakers whom I worship I boldly challinge thee with thy Six foot God and all the Host of lucepherian Spirits with all your Commissions Curses and Sentances to touch or hurt me practice your Skill and Power behold I stand in a holy Defiance of all your Enmity and Strength And this know Oh Muggleton with thy God art chained by the Spirit of the Lord and on you I trample in his everlasting Dominion and to the bottomless Pit are you sentanced from whence you came and where the endless Worm shall knaw and torture your imaginary Soul to eternity Written Signed and Seal'd by Commission receiv'd about the First Hour
yet we shall be sav'd by believing in John Reeve's Writings now he is Dead 14. This is just like the Faith of all the World that believeth the Prophets and Apostels that are Dead many hundred Years before they where Born but would not have believed them when they where alive No more then their Fathers did For it is the Nature of Reason to believe dead Prophets rather then living Prophets and it is the Nature of Faith to believe live Prophets rather then dead Prophets for a living Faith believeth a living Man but a dead Faith believeth a dead Man and thus the Seed of reason dealeth by me 15. But to this I say this Faith will not save you nor do you little good in the Day of Trouble why because God did not chuse John Reeve Singuler but God chose us two Joyntly so that there could be no seperation but by Death and seeing God hath Honoured me to be the longer Liver he hath given me a double Power as he did to the Prophet Elisha when Ely's Mantle fell upon him 16. So that God hath seated and established the Commission wholy upon me so that the Prophet now alive doth stand in God's place and doth Represent his Person to make Peace with Men neither can any Man have true Peace in his Soul but by casting himself by Faith wholy upon the Prophet that is now alive 17. Now if it where possible for this live Prophet to disown the Commission of the Spirit but it is not possible then should he be found a false Prophet and will be Damned then all that believes him will be Damned also this must be ventured by all Men and Women that are saved by Faith in a Commission 18. But as Christ spake many hard Words which made many forsake him So likewise the Prophet hath spoken many hard Words as those Assertions where by some that where his Disciples were offended at him and forsooke the Prophet and followed him no more this hath been the practice of some in all Commissions 19. But Woe will be to all that set the Hand of Faith to the Plow of Obedience to the Prophet and look back as Lots Wife did or draw back unto perdition whose Faith doth not hold out to the end that they might be said 20. And in this Sence if the Prophet should disown the Commission of the Spirit all those that believed him would be Damned 21. As to the Ninth Assertion in answer thereunto behold the Power of a Prophets blessing that though a Man walke contrary to the Commission his Faith is in Yet the Condemnation of his Conscience it shall not Reach unto Eternity but unto the Graves Mouth why because the Rememberance of the Prophets blessing is in him and doth uphold him else his Sin might make him despair of Eternal happiness and fear Eternal Torments 22. Also the Prophet cannot call back his blessing again though the Man doth walk contrary to the Commission whereby his own Conscience is Wounded and the Prophet Dishonoured Yet the Man keeping to the Prophets blessing not Rebeling against him the Prophets Faith and Love abideing in him will uphold him so that the fear of Eternal Death shall not surprise him 23 So that all his Condemnation he hath in his Conscience and disgrace he hath received in this World it shall end in Death and shall never be remembered in the Resurrection all his misdeeds shall be buried in the Grave and never rise again and that Faith he had in the Prophets blessing and the Prophets blessing shall be raised again to the Glorious Estate of Saints and Angels 24. And there shall be no Remembrance in the Resurrection of any Failings on this side of Death but the Faith he had in the Prophet's Blessing only shall uphold him and free him from eternal Torments and this is more than any legal righteous Man can attain unto though his Nature be ever so pure 25. So that a Prophet's Blessing is of no small weight nor of any small concernment but as the Blessing of Almighty God for whoever receiveth a Prophet that is true receiveth God and what is the Blessing of a Prophet but everlasting Life 26. And shall not this support and uphold a Man above all the Frailties of Nature 27. And in this Sence he that keeps the Prophet's Blessing tho he be subject to many Frailties of Nature which is contrary to the Commission yet his Condemnation of Concience shall extend no further than the Graves Mouth 28. Thus I have given Answer to all those Nine Assertions which VVilliam-Medgate hath drawn up as a Charge against me saying they are contrary to all Truth and against all Sober Reason The End of the Forth Part. The Fifth Part. CHAP. I. Of one Sr. John James's Opression of Widow Brunt and of her Death The Prophet left her Executor and how he would not sell his Birthright but Arrested Sr. John James's Tenants Of his great Troubles and Tryals 1. AFter this it came to pass that in the Year 1675 and 1676 that great Troubles did persue me both upon a Natural and a Spiritual Account through the Envy of wicked Men as will appear by what doth follow 2. There was a certain rich Man being covetous and cruel he was a Knight his Name was called Sr. John James he through his cruelty and covetousness did take away a matter of 30 Foot long and 4 Foot broad and a brick Wall that closed in this parcel of Ground and a Pump that stood in this Ground to considerable Vallue the Womans Name was Deborah Brunt and this he lett to another Tenant of his to make his Yarde wider 3. Also this Knight did lett another part of his Yarde to a Timber-Merchant and this Tenant of his did stop up the Light of the poor Widow's House with his Timber insomuch that it was a great Hindrance and Loss to the Widow in that no Tenant would live in it This rich Man did and she could no way deliver herself but her Right was clearly taken from her for ever for this rich Man had stated it upon his Two Tenants and they enjoyed it for a Season 4. It came to pass in a while after this Widow Brunt dyed and I was her Executor and I performed her Will in every particular according to the Laws of England and I knowing this rich Man had taken away these Things before mentioned from the poor Widow that was her Right which Widow I had been as a Father unto several Years before and did more for her than her Husband could do for her had he lived 5. So that I thought in myself I would not like prophain Esau to sell my Birthright for a Mess of Pottage but would gain that the poor Widow had lost wrongfully whereupon I did according to Law arest these two Tenants for Trespass and Damage 6. The Men I went to Law withal were Three one was Denis Swenye a notable wicked Devil the others were Charles
Soliciter to answer to it which wickedness of his cost me three Pounds 4. And my Lawyer went to Treat with him and this Knight was not very well very Cross and said he had turn'd his Business over to his Atturney And his Atturney was so full of Imployment that nothing could be done 5. So I hearing by my Lawyer that he was Sick I desired of God that he might never come down from that Bed of Sickness whereon he lay and in a few Days after it came to pass that he Dyed 6. So our Law Suite was ended I had been a quarter of a Year in Prison then now I knew this Man was the Seed of the Serpent a Devil and will be Damn'd to all Eternity 7. After this there was another great Enemy his Name was Garret he was one of those that broke open my House and Stole my Books and was a Witness against me in the Court He brought the Books to the Court for the Common Hang Man to Burn every Day I stood upon the Pillory my Wife Mary gave him the Sentance of Damnation to Eternity and he Dyed Six Weeks after 8. The third Person was Judge Rainsford Chief Judge of England he was an Implacable Enemy to me but in a little time after his Judgment upon me before I was delivered out of Prison he was put down from his Seat of Justice and all his Temporal Power was taken from him by the King and another put in his Place And the King would give no Reason for it but his own will 9. So that his great Power Honour and Glory was departed from him and he had not so much Power as a common Justice of Peace he was in the same Condition as King Saul was the good Spirit of Power of giving Righteous Judgment in Temporal Things according to Law was departed from him and an Evil Spirit of Shame and Disgrace was sent unto him 10. Which Troubled his Soul so that in a little time after he Dyed and went to the same place as King Saul did that did enquire of a Witch that was rejected of God and not of his Prophet Samuel And I am sure he shall be rejected of God even this Rainsford and rejected of me the last True Prophet of the Lord and that he will be Damn'd to all Eternity 11. And he shall Remember in the Resurection that his Damnation is the very same which he called horrible Blasphemy which he Judged me for and said he was sorry the Laws of England were so unprovided to Punish me no worse than they did 12. And as he had no Mercy for me when he was in Power neither have I any Mercy for him and I am sure God will have no Mercy for him but hath provided a Law to Punish him for his Envy against me who did him no wrong 13. And his Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which God hath said and made it a Law never to be altered that shall never be forgiven in this World or in the World to come This is the Law that God hath provided for us the Two last Prophets and Witnessess of the Spirit to Judge by so that I know the hottest of Hell Fire will be his Portion and Reward for his Sin against the Holy Ghost to Eternity 14. The Fourth great Enemy to me was Sr. Thomas Davis then Lord Mayor he being a Stationer himself he was Confedrate with the whole Company of Stationers and Booksellers and Jury To Fight against the Lord and his Chosen Prophet and Witness of the Spirit which did Incense the Court and Jury that I might Antidate that Book 13 Years ago and yet Publish it this August even against his own Conscience 15. Wherein he shewed himself of that wicked reprobate Seed of the Serpent a Son of the Devil and I certainly know him to be a Devil and that he will be Damn'd to all Eternity 16. And about two Years and a half after he Judged me he Dyed and passed through this first Death which is Natural into the second Death which is Spiritual and Eternal 17. These great Enemies I have lived to see them cut off from the Land of the Living with many others more Inferiour Devils which were my Enemies have I seen cut off by Death and some to Poverty 18. There is one more that is yet alive that I desire of God to have Executed some vissible Vengeance at my Tryal his Name was Jefferies Recorder of London He was the Man that sate in the Judgment Seat and gave Sentance against me He used several Scurrilous and Disdainful Expressions in the Sentance he gave upon me 19. He was a Man whose Voice was very lou'd but he is one of the worst of Devils in Nature for he is not only an Enemy to God and all Righteous Men but an Enemy to all Moral Justice and Equity 20. For if a Mans Cause be never so just except he be Imploy'd in it he will be sure to baffel and make quabbles and wrangle out the justest Cause that is and will make that which is unjust it self to be right by Law were it not for more juster Judges that have a more just Conscience then he hath else the Innocent would always loose his just right if he be against him 23. But that which I have against him is for his Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that sent me and his wicked Malice and Envy against me when he sate in Judgment against me That he said he was sorry the Laws of England were so unprovided to Punish Crimes of this Nature he was sorry the Laws could not Impower him to give Sentance of Death upon me This I know was the Desire of his Heart 22. And as he was sorry the Laws of England were so unprovided to Punish me so in like manner am I glad that the Laws of Heaven is always provided to Punish him with Eternal Torments which is a Living Death and a Dying Life it is well for me and all the Elect that Gods Laws are always provided to give Sentance of Eternal Damnation upon all such dispising persecuting Blaspheming Devils as this Jefferies 23. I knew he was a Reprobate and appointed of God to be Damn'd before But this Tryal of mine hath given Testimony to me and all that truely believe me that he is an absolute Devil in Flesh and his Sin doth cry to Heaven for Vengeance 24. And look what measure he would have measured unto me in that he would have slain my Innocent Blood unto Death the same measure shall be measured to him again because the Laws of Heaven are always provided and hath Impowered me to give Sentance and Judgment upon him for I know by Revelation of the Spirit of God that he is Recorded in the Tables of Heaven for a Reprobate Devil and he shall be Recorded here on Earth to the end of the World for a Damn'd Devil 25. For that Body of his which is now his Heaven which Cloathed it self
in Scarlet and sat on the Judgment Seat against me shall be in Hell And that lofty bauling Spirit of his shall be his Devil the one shall be as Fire and the other as Brimstone Burning together to all Eternity 26. And he shall remember in the Resurrection when he is Raised again that he gave Judgment upon me for Writing this Sentance to others and I am sure the God of Heaven will not deliver him from those Eternal Torments 27. There is a Necessity that these Men of all others should be Damn'd to Eternity For there was more Enemies against me then could be Numbered through the Occasion of these Five Men aforementioned 28. And I could freely forgive the rude Multitude for they knew not what they did but there is no forgiveness of these Five Men nor Jury nor Judge nor Officers that gave their consent to that Judgment that was passed upon me the 27th of January 1676. 29. Therefore I have left these Five Men upon Record that the Age to come may see the wickedness of them and take heed how they Persecute Innocent Men that doth not break any Temporal Law And especially such Men that hath a Commission from God to give Sentance of Eternal Damnation upon them least they come under the same Condemnation as these Men are under 30. This I have left upon Record for the Age to come after my Death some of the most Remarkable Sufferings which I have passed through in the Year 1676. CHAP. VI. Of the Prophets deliverance out of Prison of the Price and Vallue that was made of him The Rewards to the two Seeds at the last Day 1. NOW having given an Account of my Sufferings it will be necessary to give an Account of my deliverance out of those Troubles 2. While I was in the Press-yard Prisoner the Sheriffs did send several times by the Goal keepers to see what I would do about the Fine but they were at no certainty what they required At last the Clerk of Newgate said they would take the 5th Part which was one Hundred Pound 3. I was unwilling to give so much I let it alone a quarter of a Year longer for some Reasons I had in my self after that time I sent a Letter to Treat with them about the Fine The Sheriffs Names was one Sr. John Peak Sheriff of London the other was Sr. Thomas Stamp Sheriff of Middlesex 4. But they were very high and would not abate one Shilling of one Hundred Pound and the cause why was because some of the Goal Keepers had Proffered one Hundred Pound for me to keep a Prisoner for ever or else to have a large Summ of Money for my Ransome 5. I perceive had not the Shreiffs Honour layn at the stake I had been Bought and Sold as Joseph was in Egypt for a Prisoner during Life or till such Ransome was Paid It would have been a great Disparragment to the Sheriffs if they had Sold me such as was never done in England before 6. But they having an Eye to Credit and somewhat to Conscience they would not do such Wickedness but however it caused them to abate nothing of one Hundred Pound neither would they give any time but Pay down presently 7. So We Borrowed an Hundred Pound the next Day and gave to them upon the 19th Day of July 1677 and the same Day at Night I was Released out of Prison and many of the Believers do keep that Day as a Feast Day every Year in Remembrance of my Deliverance out of Prison 8. For I was Prized at a goodly Price far Higher than the Lord of Life when he was on Earth He was valued at but Thirty Pieces of Silver the Thirty Pieces of Silver was Thirty Pound but they valued me at a Hundred Pieces of Silver for the Thirty Pieces of Silver they valued Christ at must be so much else it would not have Bought the Potters Field 9. Now the cause why they valued me at such a High Price above my Lord and Master it was because they knew I had some Interest in this World And many followers of me therefore they valued me at such a High Price as 100 Pieces of Silver 10. And as the Thirty Pieces of Silver was the Price of Innocent Blood therefore not fit to be put into the Treasury to be Expended upon any Holy use or to Relieve the Poor and the like but to Buy a Potters Field to Bury the Stinking Carcasses of strangers Thieves and Murderers insomuch that the Thirty Pieces of Silver was bestowed on the basest way suitable to the Purchase being the Price of Innocent Blood 11. So likewise the Hundred Pieces of Silver they valued me at it was the Price of Innocent Blood also tho' not unto Death as our Lord was a very Goodly Price 12. And this Money will not be put into the Treasury to repair Churches or Relieve the Poor but will be spent basely in Lust and Drunkenness and in Volumptiousness suitable to the Purchase of it being the Price of Innocent Blood 13. Thus I have left upon Record the substance of the whole matter as short as I can both of my Sufferings and my Deliverance out of all those Troubles that hath happened upon me in the Year 1675 and in the Year 1676 and 1677 and in the Year of my Life 67. 14. This is the 5th part of the Acts of John Reeve and Lodowich Muggleton the two last Prophets and Witnesses of the Spirit from the Year 1651 to the Year 1677 I have been preserved and had Experience of the Truth of all these things 15. And wonderful Revelations and passages and Acts that are Writen in these Five Parts that I might leave it as a Legacy for the Age to come upon Record that the unbelieving World may be convinced when I am turned to Dust as my Father Adam is that I was Slandered Reproached Belyed Persecuted Imprisoned and Pilloried without a Cause 16. But I shall be raised again by the Power of that God the Lord Jesus Christ in whom I Believed that he was Dead even the Alpha and Omega and is Alive for Evermore 17. And it will not seem a quarter of an Hours time to me from my Death to my Rising again For there is no time to the Dead Time belongs to the Living 18. And this I know that as the 12 Apostles in the Resurrection shall Sit upon Thrones and Judge the 12 Tribes of Israel those that Believed them when they were upon the Earth They were Judged with an Eternal Blessing of Life Eternal and those that Dispised and Persecuted them when on Earth are Judged by them to be Cursed and Damn'd to Eternity which is a Second Death which is Eternal 19. So shall Reeve and Muggleton in the Resurrection Sit upon Thrones and Judge all True Believers of our Docterin and Commission of the Spirit when we were upon Earth to be Blessed both in Souls and Bodies that were Mortal when they believed us but now Immortal to Eternity 20. And we shall Judge all those Wicked Despisers and Persecutors of us when we were upon Earth with the same Judgment in the Resurrection as we did here on Earth 21. That is they are Cursed in that Soul and Body they shall have in the Resurrection to Eternity and shall remain in utter Darkness here upon this Earth Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth for Evermore Writen by Lodowick Muggleton one of the two last Witnesses and Prophets of the Spirit unto the High and Mighty God the Man Christ Jesus in Glory FINIS