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Therefore let the devil Watson, and all they that are under the sentence of this commission, rage and do what they can, they shall never take away that assurance of eternal life from you, neither shall they deliver themselves from that damnation which I have pronounced upon them.

No more at present, but my love to yourself. friend in the eternal Truth,

I rest your

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton, bearing date from London, June 19, 1663.

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Dear and loving Friend in the eternal Truth, Dorothy Carter,

I RECEIVED your letter bearing date May 18th, 1663, and am glad to hear of your health, and more especially of your faith and confidence in this commission of the Spirit, for that will make your life both comfortable here, and happy hereafter.

I had given you an answer before now, but that I was to go into Kent at that time when I received yours, and was there a matter of eight or ten days; but now being at home again, I shall give you an answer to those things of most concernment in your letter

The first thing is, I am glad your daughter hath so good an opinion of Richard Sudbury, as to give testimony of his faith in this commission of the Spirit.

Indeed I do find by his writing, that he is very much enlightened in the knowledge of many things which this commission doth declare, to what he did when I was there: also I do see by his letters that there is love to truth, which was not in him then.

Indeed I did little expect that ever he would have received the doctrine of the true God, and the right devil, not in the love of it. But this I will say, he will know, to his everlasting peace, the difference between Jacob Bemon's doctrine and the doctrine of this commission of the Spirit, which he, nor no other can do, but by faith in this commission of the Spirit.

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I hope he and his wife are well, and those friends that were to be at your house this Witsuntide.

The second thing is, that you and Mr. Frewterill are cited into the bishop's court, for which you would have my advice.

I shall give you the same advice as I do all other believers in the countries, for they are cited into the bishop's court every where in the countries; some of the believers do pay their monies, and so they proceed no further; yet they lye liable to be cited again every month, but I do not hear they are so extreme as to do it, for it is but to get a crown or an angel a year of you, that is all they look after; and if a man be able, he had better do it and pay it, for his quietness sake, than to stand it out. Others again that are poor, are excommunicated quite, and so they remain, and that is as far as they can go.

I do not understand that the bishop's courts have any such power not as yet to strain upon any man's goods for the charges of the court, according to the old law formerly they had, but except the Parlia ment do revive and ratify that law a-new, they dare

not put it in execution: else excommunication can go no further than thus, that is to say, you shall be cast out of the church, so that you shall not be partakers of the ordinances of God, not as to receive the sacraments; and if you die, you shall not be buried in the church-yard, nor have Christian burial, as they call it; and if you have any debts owing to you, you shall not have the benefit of the law to get

your own.

These, and such-like, are the effects of excommunication: therefore, in my judgment, it is better to give them their fees now while it is but little, so you can keep the mind free from oaths and worship; it is better let them have some of your money, for that is the world's God, for money will buy off excommu nication, condemnation, and worship; and all that the bishop's courts can do, or they aim at, is but

money, for if you be damned afterward they care

not, so they can but get your money; therefore you need not much trouble yourself about that, for a little money will deliver you out of that trouble.

We are very quiet here at London as to that, but only taxes go on more and more; but, as for wor ship, it is not here, so we do not meet nor neglect paying of tythes, we worship who or what we will; the cause, I believe, is of the sectary party, four for one, if not more, so that it is impossible for them to bring the people to an uniformity of worship; and for watching of schools, the bishop's licence will hold good, for there is a friend of mine of this faith, which did keep a school before the king came in, but when the bishop's courts were settled they would not let him keep school without a licence, and that was a hard matter to get without swearing, or going to church he went to the secretary of the bishop's

court, being of his acquaintance, and told him, he would help him to a licence he would give him content; the secretary told him he could not well do it, except he would show himself at church, or swear. My friend said he could not swear, nor go to church, and if he could not do it without those two things, he must lay it down So, at the last, the officer did promise to get him one: and so he did, without swearing or going to church; it cost my friend but six shillings and eight pence, and so he left his conscience free from offence. And because you may see that this school-master is one of this faith, I have sent you a letter of his, which he sent to me lately, but I would have you send it me again as soon as you can; he liveth near Cambridge, but it was at the bishop's court at Cambridge that he had his licence.

And as for that Evans at Nottingham, I do not know the man, neither was he of our society, for I know all that have been of our society, and have slunk away; there is none of them that dare speak evil of that which they did formerly own, neither was there ever any families ruined by following us, but many families have been upheld and preserved by

us.

How is it possible that any families should be ruined by us, when we never lay any burthens upon any; for my part, all the while that John Reeve was living, I never had two-pence of all the believers in England, except it was of one gentleman, but have spent many a pound for the commission-sake; for I do believe I was above forty pounds the worse in my estate for this commission, for I did not live of the Gospel, as the apostles did, without working; I have been more true in that particular than ever any apostle was, or ever any Quaker was, for there can

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not be so many speakers of the Quakers but they must be maintained by their disciples, which I never was, neither was John Reeve, for John Reeve's wife and his daughter did get most part of his living, for if he had got no more than what was given him, it was but little, for he never laid no burthen upon any; if they were moved to give him sometimes 1s. 1s. 6d. or 2s. 6d. so it was, he never compelled any, but they did it freely of themselves, which could not ruin any family; neither was he ever drunk in his life, to my knowledge, for he was too innocent and sober-natured a man to be drunk: but I conceive this Evans is mistaken in the man, I believe it was John Reeve's brother, for he, indeed, towards his latter end, was grown a drunkard and sot, and, perhaps, this Evans was of his society, which was upon the rant, and the ranters indeed did ruin many families. There have been divers others that have laid

aspersions upon John Reeve, because of his brother's foolish practice; but, as for himself, he was, in that point, as a child that weaned is; but no body can help people's believing of lies, no more than we can help believing of truth.

Therefore let the Quakers believe what they will of John Reeve, that will not deliver them from the sentence which he and I have passed upon them; and as for this Evans, but that I think he is mistaken in the man, I would have sent the sentence to him for his lies.

And as for my coming down to see you, I cannot possibly promise you at present, but I do think our friend Mr. Hatter must go into Yorkshire about a month hence at the farthest, and he doth intend to be one night at Mr. Sudbury's, for that is in his way, so that he cannot come to you, but I suppose he will

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