A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton, to Mrs. Dorothy Carter of Chesterfield, Feb. 16, 1661.

Friend Dorothy Carter,

I RECEIVED your letter, bearing date February 3, 1661, wherein I perceive you have received some books, and a letter from me, whereby you have received some refreshment of heart, and so understand in some measure those great and high mysteries contained in them; and having one daughter which is partaker with you in the faith of this commission of the Spirit, which I am very glad to hear of, desiring that your faith and hers may grow to perfection here, and to eternal glory hereafter: and I have so much the more hopes of it because there is so few of you, because truth hath but few of its side, nor never had, because the world is given unto reason, the devil's hands, he being the elder brother: but faith the younger brother, his kingdom, is an everlasting kingdom; but a strait and narrow gate or way that leadeth to life eternal; for there is but one truth, the way, and the life; and there is no finding this way without a guide; and there can be no true guide except he knoweth the way himself; and none can know the way to life eternal, but he that hath a coinmission from God: he knowing the deep mysteries of the true God, and the right devil, doth shew them to the seed of faith, by declaring by word and pen, that strait and narrow way that leadeth unto life, which very few do find, because there is but few ambassadors and shepherds chosen of God; that is, one prophet at a time, one Jesus, one

Peter that had the keys of heaven and hell; and now in this commission of the Spirit but two chosen witnesses of the Spirit, and one of them is not; so that I am as Elijah said in another case, I am left alone, neither will there be any more sent of God after me while the world endures. And as for these persecuting times, they are nothing in comparison of what hath been suffered by the believers of the other two commissions; nay people hath and doth suffer great things for a lie, even to whipping, imprisonment, banishment, and death itself, for a lie: but the believers of this commission are loath to part with a little money, but will rather worship Baal than to pay such a tax as the powers of the nation doth lay upon them, for such a neglect of going to the public meetings; for I cannot advise any one that hath true light in them, to darken that, by going to worship a false God; for no man can serve two masters, neither can a man worship God and Baal: for if God be to be worshipped in spirit and truth, then let not the same man worship the devil with falsities and a lie ; for whosoever doth so, will darken their own light; and so lose the peace of their own minds, and the assurance of their eternal happiness, for to save themselves a little in this world. And as for the book of the interpretation of the eleventh of the Revelations, I have finished it, and prepared it ready for the press, supposing it will be the last that will be set forth by this commission of the Spirit, and finding such great difficulties to get it printed, the times being changed, and the great charge that must be laid out upon it, I was minded to lay it aside for a time, to see if there should be any alteration in church government. But there is some here in London, and elsewhere in the countries, which have a great desire to have it out

now, but it will cost so much money that, it will hardly be raised; for the printing of the Divine Looking Glass did cast me much behind hand, and this will cost more, because the times are so troublesome concerning printing, that I have much ado to persuade the printer to do it at all, being not licensed yet he printing the Divine Looking Glass, and the Mortality of the Soul, and other books, in relation to this commission of the Spirit, he is willing to undertake to do it, but not without extraordinary gain, more than he had for the Divine Looking Glass.

Therefore, I would desire you or any other of your acquaintance, that have any affections unto truth, if they have any freedom in themselves, to contribute something towards the printing of it, what they are made free to do: I should not lay a burthen upon any if I had it of myself.

The printer will have ten pounds when he hath finished it, and ten pounds he will have down, besides other charges upon it: he doth intend to set about a matter of twelve day hence, and doth intend to finish it by Easter. I would be glad to hear from you before that time, if you can with conveniency; also, I do intend to see you sometime this summer. I shall give you notice when I do intend to come : but I would willingly have this book out first. No more at present, but my love remembered unto yourself, your daughter, and Edward Frewterill.

Your Friend, in the true Faith of

Jesus, the only Wise God,

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

My daughter remembers her love to you, and to Edward Frewterill, being glad to hear of your love to truth.

An Epistle of the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton's to Mrs. Ellen Sudbury. Feb. 17, 1661.

Friend in the true faith, Ellen Sudbury,

I RECEIVED your letter, but no date unto it; but for the substance of it doth favour of true light, which doth arise from the seed of faith in you, in receiving the declaration of this commission of the Spirit, which is as light set upon a hill, or in a candlestick, to give light unto all in the house, and not to be put under a bushel.

For every commissionated man is the candle of the Lord, which gives light unto the whole house; which house is the seed of faith, as it was said by Moses, That he was faithful in all his house: that is, he was faithful in all his commission, which was of the law, he being the candle of the law, to enlighten the seed of reason in the outward letter of the law. And this commission of the Spirit is the candle of the Lord to enlighten the seed of faith in the spiritual understanding of the Scriptures, which doth consist but upon six principles: As to know the true God, his form and nature, the right devil, his form and nature, the place and nature of heaven, and the place and nature of hell, the persons and nature of angels, and the mortality of the soul.

Upon the knowledge of these six principles dependeth the eternal happiness of man; neither can any man come to the knowledge of them but by this commission of the Spirit, which is the candle of

the Lord, to light the seed of faith, the way to eternal blessedness. And though I have named six principles, yet whosoever doth but understand two, namely, the true God, and the right devil; upon these two dependeth the other four, with many deep mysteries, which will flow from the knowledge of these principles aforesaid.

And as for your emptiness and weakness, in respect of what you have formerly had, I am very glad of it; there is the more room for truth, to fill your heart up with faith and experience in the heavenly mysteries, which is declared by the witnesses of the Spirit; for many thousands are so full of their own righteousness, and of talk upon the letter of the Scriptures, that there is no room for truth to enter into their hearts. These now, in this commission, are in the same condition as those were in Christ's time, which had eyes, but did not see, and had ears, but did not hear, and had hearts but did not understand. And the cause was, and is still, men and women being so full of their own righteousness, which is of the law, that there is no room in their hearts for truth, which is the righteousness of faith, to have any entrance into them.

But the thing, which is of the greatest weight in your letter is, concerning the sin against the Holy Ghost; which hath lain heavy upon you, you fearing you had committed it by questioning the truth of the Scriptures, and Christ to be the true God.

I would have you to take notice of this, that none can commit the sin against the Holy Ghost, but that man or woman that hath despised prophecy. Now you cannot despise prophecy except you do oppose, vilify, and speak evil of that man that is sent of God, that hath the spirit of prophesy; for this I