A Copy of a Letter wrote by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton, to Mrs. Ellen Sudbury, bearing date November 28, 1661. Friend, I HAVE received your letter, though unknown to you in the body; yet I perceive by your letter, that light hath shined into your heart, by the declarations of this commission of the Spirit, which I desire may increase and grow in you, so that you may become wiser than your teachers, or that society which you have been formerly acquainted with, notwithstanding it is counted weakness and ignorance in you yet, if your faith doth grow in the knowledge of the doctrine of this commission of the Spirit, your weakness will be stronger than their strength, and your ignorance will prove wiser than their wisdom; because their wisdom, which counts your wisdom ignorance, is the wisdom of reason, which is the devil, and your wisdom is the wisdom of faith, which is the wisdom of God; because it leads you to the knowledge of the true God and the right devil, with the knowledge of the place and nature of heaven, and the place and nature of hell, with 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, in which Jacob Bemon was utterly ignorant; yet he doth talk of a God, and a devil, and of angels; but knows nothing of the person and nature of them. Yet his philosophical light was above all men that doth profess religion, until this commission of the Spirit came forth, which hath brought Jacob Bemon's light, and many other high lights, down very low within these ten years, as you may read in our writings, if you have them all, and if you have them not all, send to me, and I will help you to them, and they will inform you further than I can by word or pen. The books that were written by us, the witnesses of the Spirit, are these: First, A Transcendant Spiritual Treatise. Secondly, An Epistle to the Ministers. Thirdly, A Letter to the Lord Mayor of London. Fifthly, A Divine Looking-Glass. Sixthly, The Mortality of the Soul. These were all written by us the ministers of the Spirit. I There is one more, which I shall set forth, which suppose will be the last that will be set forth by me. It is The Interpretation of the Eleventh Chapter of the Revelation, which is much desired by many. You speak as if I had some thoughts to come down, and that somebody did speak something to that purpose: but I do not know why they should say so; for I do not remember that I did say any such thing, neither had I any ground to say so, because I do not know any one in those parts that hath any such affections to me, or to the doctrine held forth by me, except it be one Dorothy Carter, and one Edward Frewterill, at Chesterfield, else I know none by name in those parts that hath any affections to these things. Now this Edward Frewterill was a great Bemonist before he had heard of our books; yet, nevertheless, I am encouraged by your letter to come and see you, but it will be next summer first, and then I am to go into Cambridgeshire, and that is a quité contrary way from you; yet I am unacquainted in those parts, yet I have been at Harborough, in Northamptonshire, and at Ashby de la Zouch, in Leicestershire; there have been some of my name, which did live at Nottingham, they were of kin to me; but kindred hath been of little value to me from a child. If you be acquainted with Dorothy Carter, and Edward Frewterill, let me know it, and whether you had the books by their means or no. No more at present, but rest your friend in the faith of the true God the Man Christ Jesus in glory, LODOWICKE MUGGLETON. You may direct your letter to me as you did before, in Great Trinity-lane, over against the Lion and the Lamb. A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton, to Mrs. Ellen Sudbury. April 7, 1662. I RECEIVED your letter dated March 28, with the inclosed to Mr. Hatter, which he coming to my house at that same time the letter came, I gave unto him, at which he was very glad to see, and he reading of mine, was the more refreshed in his mind to hear of your love, faith, and stedfastness in this commission of the Spirit. Also I shewed it to my daughter, and to others of the faith, which doth much rejoice at your faith and satisfaction you have in the understanding of the truth, in that you are made partaker with us in the like precious faith, which doth consist in the right understanding of the true God and the right devil; the rise of the two seeds, and the distinction of the three commissions, which no more in the world doth know at this day, but the believers of this commission of the Spirit only; because they have no true spiritual foundation as a rock, but their foundation is upon the sand, even all the teachers in the world, and the Quaker's principle or foundation is the worst of all; though it seemeth to be the best of all in righteousness of life; yet the worst of all in point of doctrine: and that they will find in the end, though they may flourish for a time; for no Quaker, nor any other that hath heard of this commission of the Spirit, and of the doctrine declared by it, and doth not understand it, and believe it, they cannot be saved, let their holiness of life be never so much; for God hath not regard unto the righteousness of life, except it doth proceed from faith in the true God; which no Quaker, nor any other man hath, but those that have faith in this commission of the Spirit. Therefore it is that they do all fight against the true God, and against the commission of the Spirit; but I am refreshed at your experience and growth in grace and knowledge of the true God; and in that you have eyes, and can see, as Christ said unto his disciples, Blessed are your eyes, for they see; for many hath eyes, but they see not. Also I am glad to see that your understanding is enlightened to see the true interpretation of Scripture, which is given by this commission of the Spirit; and this book of The Eleventh of the Revelation is very little else but interpretation of many places of Scripture, besides the chapter itself, which will enlighten the understanding in the knowledge of the Scriptures more than all that hath been written before; therefore I have sent you three of them; because if there should be any others besides yourself, that should have any affection to them besides yourself, let them have them; but I shall leave that to your discretion, do what you will with them. 1 received a letter from Edward Frewterill, and your aunt Carter, with the money, bearing date March the 19th, 1661; but I have not sent them any answer as yet, nor no books; but I do intend to send this week, if the carrier be in town. And as for my coming down into the country, I do much rejoice at your's and your aunt Curtis's affection in desiring of me to come, which I do intend to do, but I think it will be about James-tide, for I must go into Cambridgeshire about Midsummer, and after I have been there, I do intend to see you. So being in haste, I rest your friend in the true faith, LODOWICKE MUGGLETON. Mr. Hatter remembers his love unto you. My daughter remembers her love, with others of the faith, unto you. London, April 7th, 1662. G |