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
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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 in his own Image and breathed into him the Breath of Life and he became a living Soul 8. Mind the Form of Man was the Image and Likeness of God before God breathed into him the Breath of Life 9. Therefore God must needs be in the form of a Man from Eternity Therefore it was that God said Let us make Man after our own Image and Likeness This was the true Sense and Meaning of Moses and it is dangerous for any Man to deny it 10. Besides said we there is no Spirit can have any Being without a Body neither God Angels nor Man And further that God that is a Spirit without a Body is no God at all 11. For we that are men that have Bodies have power over all Spirits whatsoever that have no Bodies For it is the dark Imagination of Reason in man that hath created to it self Spirits without Bodies which is none of God's Creation 12. When he heard this he considered the things of Nature that no Spirit could have any being without its Body 13. Then he marvelled and said Where have we been all this while that took God for a Spirit without a Body Oh! how have we been in the dark 14. But said he doth not Christ say God is a Spirit and God will be worshiped in spirit and truth And Christ said His Words were Spirit and Life 15. We answered and said Can a Man worship God in Spirit and Trust without a Body He said No. Then said I neither can God accept of any Mans worship except he hath a Body of his own For God hath a Body of his own as Man hath a Body of his own only God's body is spiritual and heavenly clear as Christial brighter than the Sun swifter than Thought yet a body 16. But Man's body is earthly and made of the Earth in the image and likeness of God's own body only Man's body is of the Earth earthly and God's body is the Lord from Heaven heavenly Yet Man's body is the image of God as well as his Soul as Moses did truly mean as he spake 17. For this I say that if Man's Body and Soul had been spiritual in its Creation then when Man's Thoughts do assend up to Heaven his body would assend with it in the twinkling of an Eye 18. For the Thoughts of Man are swift and if his body which is earthly do but put on Immortality then his body would assend with his Thoughts up into the Aire and so to Heaven 19. These immortal bodies can do and at the last day these vile bodies of ours that doth truly beleive shall be made like unto his own glorious body 20. For now our bodies are natural bodies but when these natural bodies shall rise spiritual bodies then shall Immortality take place and these vile bodies of ours that are now mortal yet made in the image of God's own glorious body shall be spiritual and heavenly bodies even like unto his glorious body 21. And because God's body is spiritual and heavenly and cannot be seen by the natural sight of the Eye therefore it was that Christ said God is a Spirit and will be worshiped in spirit and truth 22. Observe For as a Man cannot worship in spirit and truth without a body neither is that any God at all that hath no body of its own neither is a Spirit without a body of its own any Object of Faith or Worship for a Spirit without a body hath no substance And as for those words of Christ being Spirit and Life consider they
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 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 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 The Coppy of Thomas Loe a Quaker's Letter Dated London 16th of the 7th Month 1668. LOdowick Muggleton having seen some of thy Writings more especially thy Book Intituled A Lookinglass which I have looked in and do clearly see thy wicked abominable and antichristian Spirit and can do no less than cry Oh! thou Blasphemer thou Enemy of God and of all Righteousness thou Son of Perdition and Child of the Devil how hast thou Laboured to pervert the right Way of God in speaking of the blessed Truth And Oh! thou Seed of the Serpent and old Sorserer how hast thou belyed slandered wickedly and falsly accused and condemned the just And now be it known unto thee That thy false Judgment and wicked Envy both in speaking and writing against the Servants of the living God is returned back upon thy own Head and thee with it will God in his Fury and Indignation sink in the Pit of Darkness from whence it hath risen And in the great and mighty Power of God and Christ I Reprove Judge and Condemn thee which shall stand upon thy Head and thy Power thou boasteth so of shall not reverse it Oh! ignorant Sot how canst thou consider thy Blasphemies and not be ashamed This is a Testimony in the Power and Spirit of God against thee and all thy Wickedness by a Servant of Jesus Christ who am a Witness of the Spirit and Power of God with many others CHAP. III. The Prophets Answer to Thomas Loe's Letter His Sentance with the Ephects of it The Prophet's Dispute
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 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 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 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