they were witnesses; and these cloven tongues as of fire was a visible shape to the apostles.

Now to satisfy you further, this Holy Ghost that descended upon Christ, in the shape of a dove, nor that Holy Ghost that descended upon the apostles in the shape of cloven tongues like fire. I say, this Holy Ghost was not God, but proceeded from God; and Elias being in the throne and place of God, he had power to send the Holy Ghost in the shape of a dove. And when Christ was in his throne again, he had power to send the Holy Ghost on the twelve apostles, like cloven tongues as of fire; for the person of God never was in the form of a dove, nor in the form of cloven tongues like fire, but his person was in the form of a man from all eternity; therefore it is that he made man in his own likeness. Therefore I say, let not any man imagine that this Holy Ghost was God, and so ground three persons in the Trinity, as the blind reason in man doth; for God's person was always in the form and shape aforesaid.

Some may say, what then is that which is called the Holy Ghost?

To which I answer, that this Holy Ghost spoken of in the Scripture, is the Spirit of God, and doth proceed from God; so that every true believer may be said to receive the Holy Ghost, or to have the Spirit of God in him, because he believeth the report of those that have either the spirit of prophesy or revelation, or that hath the Holy Ghost by way vision, as Christ had, and the apostles had in a more extraordinary manner; for he that hath the spirit of prophesy, revelation, or inspiration, hath a great measure of the Holy Ghost in him, but not so large a measure as those that receive the Holy Ghost by

of

visible appearances. Now all this doth come by receiving the Holy Ghost, which is called the Spirit of God.

And when this wisdom and knowledge ariseth in man's heart secretly, as beforesaid, it is not for such outward visible public work as it did to Christ and the apostles.

Likewise Stephen was a man full of the Holy Ghost, but he was filled with the Holy Ghost by secret inspiration and revelation; and so it is said that David by the Holy Ghost did prophesy concerning Christ, but this was secret likewise, Acts viii. ver. 15. Peter and John prayed, and the people received the Holy Ghost, for as yet the Holy Ghost was not fallen upon none of them; and the 17th Verse, Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost; and in the 19th Verse, one Simon proffered Peter and John money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, they may receive the Holy Ghost. Here you may see, that Peter and John, that were in the state of mortality, had power to give the Holy Ghost on whom they laid their hands.

If mortal men, that received their commission and power from Christ, the only God, when he had passed through death, and ascended into the same glory, could give the Holy Ghost to whom they laid their hands on, why should it seem strange to any man, that Elias, who was immortalized and glorified, who sat in the throne of the Father, even of God, while Christ the God went that far journey in the flesh; it may well be called far, for it was from heaven to this vile earth; was he not able to give the Holy Ghost in a bodily shape upon Christ like a dove, being then in the state of mortality,

and he in the state of immortality and glory? And by the power of this Holy Ghost, did Christ do all his miracles when on earth.

August 2, 1680.

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton to Mr. Edward Burton, in Derbyshire, bearing date the 12th of January, 1681.

Loving Friend Edward Burton,

I RECEIVED your letter dated the 3rd of January, by our account here at London, 1681, but by your account 1682; and as for your other letter from your brother-in-law Tompkinson, I received, and the cheese: the token of your love I received also, and do know that your brother-in-law, and your son, have spent a great deal of money to get your release by the laws of the land, but to no purpose.

I cannot see but that all your labour, charge and expence is all lost; neither do I know any thing of the proceedings in those cases; but do understand that he that was employed to manage your cause, hath deceived you of your money, and the courts also. Therefore if you can get any of your money again of him that hath deceived you, it will do well; but to the thing you desired of me, is whether you

may or not go to the church once or twice, seeing they require no more; but as for the receiving of the sacrament, you say you will not do; but you hearing I gave Mr. Powell leave to go to the church, you made bold to send to me, whether you may go to the church or no, to free you from the malice of your enemies, whereof you say you have suffered the loss of 1007. all ready.

Answer. That since I have seen the bad effects of giving leave to Mr. Powell to go to church but once, I am resolved never to give leave any more to any person whatsoever; for after he went once to church, that the priest had got fast hold of his right-hand, he would not let him go, till he had fast hold of his other hand also: that is, till he had made him go to church often, and to receive the sacrament and to baptize his child, which hath been a great dishonor to me and all the believers of this commission of the Spirit, and an everlasting shame to himself amongst all that know him, both to saints and devils; neither is he yet delivered out of his troubles, notwithstanding he has wounded his own soul, and lost his credit in this world, (which I fear will never be repaired again,) and wasted his estate to keep himself out of prison; so that I see he had better have gone to prison at the first, and never have put in bail, but stood the trial of the court; then would he have seen an end of all his troubles in a short time, and would have had the love and pity of all saints, and of many devils; but by submitting unto them, hath lost them all; for this I must tell you, that the ecclesiastical authority doth now ride upon the temporal power, even the laws of the land. So that if a man be sued in the spiritual court, or upon a spiritual account, even that knack of not going to

church, the temporal law, which is the birth-right of every Englishman, cannot free and deliver any man from punishment. This I have had experience of in my sufferings; and had I known as much at the first as I did afterwards, I would have saved a great deal of charge and expence in putting in of bail, and court charges, so often as I did, but would have lain in jail at first, and have spent that money in prison; then would my sufferings have been ended quickly.

Therefore he that would keep his conscience clear as to God, must be sure to suffer persecution for his conscience sake, or lose the peace of his conscience, which is of more value than all the riches of this world.

Now what I have suffered upon a spiritual account, it was merely for the commission of God, put upon me, and the cause of Mr. Powell's sufferings was for extravagant words, which he ought not to have spoken; and I understand that the cause of your sufferings, is not because you were a believer of Muggleton, but rather a sider of papists; which has been the grounds of all your sufferings, and how to deliver you out of this I cannot tell. But seeing you cannot sell nor let your land, nor put your son into it without paying such a sum of money in goods and chattels and conformity to the church of England, against the peace of your own conscience, my advice is, that you should rather go to prison as others do; as Quakers, Baptists, and others do, and spend your estate in the jail, and leave your estate to the management of them you can confide in; for the law of England cannot imprison a man's body, and take away his goods and land too; for suffer you must, I see, either make shipwreck of the peace of