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that I have found in any man or woman, since I came to know truth: for you have acted just like Ananias and Saphira the Scripture speaketh of, who pretended to bring in their whole estates, and lay it at the apostle's feet, as if they were true believers of the apostle's doctrine, but the root of bitterness was in their hearts; they pretended one thing, but did another; that is, kept back part of what they pretended to give unto God. For whoever maketh a covenant with an apostle or prophet, he maketh covenant with God; and so Ananias became a liar unto the Holy Ghost, in that he did not perform what he pretended to do. And you may read what the effect of that sin did amount unto; for if he had not freely and voluntarily pretended such a thing, he might have kept his estate and his life both; for who required that thing at his hand? For he might have done with his own estate what he would, but when it was given unto God he could not; even so it is with you. Did I require any thing of you towards the printing of this book? Was it not your own proffer? Who required these things at your hands? hands? But But you pretending, as Ananias did, to be one that did believe, you would, as other saints did, offer up a sacrifice unto God, to help to promote the truth. And because I did accept of it, you revile and speak evil of me, as if I had done you wrong. Have you not done as Cain did, offered up a sacrifice unto God, that God will not accept of, but reject it altogether? For if the messenger of God doth reject it, it is as if God did reject it; for my soul doth abhor such a piece of hypocrisy, that shall pretend to give any thing for the honour and glory of God, and then repent of that deed, and not only so, but revile and speak evil, of those they give it unto; for this I must tell you, that your sin is as

bad as Ananias his sin was to Peter; for you have not only lied unto the Holy Ghost, but have spoken evil of it also; for I am as true a prophet as Peter was an apostle; so that Ananias did tell a lie unto the Holy Ghost no otherwise than what was in Peter. And have you not done the same unto me, though not in the same manner: for this I must tell you, it is a dangerous thing to dally with edge-tools; that is to say, it is a dangerous thing to make covenant with prophets, and not to perform your covenant, though you lose thereby. You must not think to deal with them as you did with other men. But seeing you have, through the hypocrisy and deceitfulness of your heart, acted like Ananias and Cain, as aforesaid, your sacrifice is rejected of me, and of God also; for I shall not accept of it, neither will God afford you any peace in it, but altogether on the contrary.

But this is not all: I understand that you, out of the pride, malice, and stubbornness of your heart, even with great wrath and gnashing your teeth, you expressed yourself thus, that if I did damn you, you would damn me, and that you had as great power to damn me as I had to damn you, if not greater, or to that purpose. Likewise you said, that I could not damn God's elect. I cannot damn God's elect; but if you had been one of God's elect, he would never have suffered you to have fallen into such a deep pit of eternal destruction; neither can any man be sure of his election, but by faith in the commission of God. But I will not stand to dispute that now, though I could give many reasons for it. Also you did threaten, that if I did damn you, then you would discover me what I me, and those of this faith, but in what manner, and how, I know not But because you may execute

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your malice, I shall give you occasion enough to do it, for I had as lief you should do it as any other, if you can; for I shall serve you as Christ did Judas, he gave him a sop, on purpose that Judas might betray him; so likewise you shall have a sop given you, that if it is possible you may do as Judas did; so that your own fears and words may come upon you; for you have said many times, that you thought you should be damned by me, when as I thought not of any such thing, so that you said you had as good be damned at first as at last. This fear hath been in your heart ever since that business of Mrs. Harris, ever since your heart hath fallen; and according to the thoughts of your heart, it is now come upon you. Therefore, for this wicked piece of hypocrisy, about the books, and not only so, but for your unjust belying me, as if I had a desire to encroach upon you, and upon others, and your proud, malicious, insolent speeches against this commission of the Spirit, with many other wicked speeches, which would be too tedious to name, therefore, by virtue of my commission received from God, I do, for these wicked things aforesaid, pronounce John Hyde cursed and damned, both in soul and body, from the presence of God, elect men, and angels, to eternity, by

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One of the two last Prophets and Witnesses to the High and
Mighty God, the Man Christ Jesus in Glory.

You may now shake hands with Mr. Colebrooke, for your portions will be both alike, only I would advise you to take the money for binding the books, there is 7s. 6d. inclosed in your letter; you had as

good receive it as not, for God hath rejected it, and I have rejected it. And further, if you will carry that one book more, which you have, to Mr. Medgate's, you shall have 3s. for it, and then you will have your full price for the quartern of books, at the rate of 5d. a-piece, which was your own demand, and so you may be rid of the doctrine as well as of the commission.

I would wish you to let that book go also, that you may have your money altogether; for it hath cost you dear enough in all reason, so that it is great pity you should miss of it.

October 27, 1665.

A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton, to Mr. Martyn, Minister of Orwell, in Cambridgeshire, dated from London, January 16, 1666.

I UNDERSTAND that you had a desire to see me, and to have some discourse with me, and that you were at a place in Orwell, to enquire for me. And not only so, but you brought also with you the high constable, and petty constable, and another man, to discourse with me. Do you think that any man that hath any wisdom, that can give any reason of his ways, would think that your intent was good, to bring your armies with you, to discourse with a naked man; and not only an army of men, but great officers of the temporal sword, that they might not only bear

witness of what words should pass between you and me, or catch me in what questions you should ask me; but, if they could have got nothing of me worthy of persecution, then, by virtue of the power of those two constables, you would have laid hold on me, as a deceiver of the people.

These things have been acted by such serpents as you, in former times, to prophets, apostles, and to Christ himself. How oft did the priests and Levites, such as you are, tempt the Lord Jesus, by asking him questions, thinking to catch him in his words, that they might have therewithal to accuse him before the temporal power!

It is not long since that I was served so by a priest or minister so called; and so caused the temporal magistrate to commit me to prison. But what this minister got by it! It was no less than eternal damnation, which will assuredly be upon him, as it is upon murthering Cain, who killed his brother; and Judas, who betrayed his master; for how is it possible any persecuting spirit, who persecute men for conscience sake, not breaking any temporal law, should евсаре the damnation of hell? For this I must tell you, that persecution, merely for conscience sake, is the sin against the Holy Ghost; but more especially for men to persecute true prophets upon the account of deceivers, there is no pardon for this sin. But I have found by experience what the power of a prophet is, and I have found by experience also, that none are so great enemies to true prophets, as those called the ministers of the nation are. I find the prophets in the law were persecuted more by those sort of men than any; and I have found those sort of men more active than any in persecution. So that the seed of the old serpent, the devil, it doth run in

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