power.

not help another; but since I have considered, that she and her husband both hath suffered many things for their faith, almost continually, above these twenty years, and hath kept their consciences free from any defilement in the worship of the nation; likewise her house hath been a house of entertainment for all friends of this faith in all parts of England and Scotland also; and she did entertain the prophet Reeve when she was a maid, and was his handmaid, to guide him to other friends houses, before I ever saw her; and since I have seen her, she hath not been wanting to express her kindness, in entertaining both me and my friends from time to time, as occasion hath had need, to the utmost of her These things I have considered, and am moved in my mind to write these lines unto you, knowing that as to yourself, you are always willing to contribute to such a good deed as this is; but my desire is to put it upon you to speak to others of this faith, to those that are rich in this world, in her behalf, because I am not willing to be seen in this business. I suppose it not convenient to speak to any of our faith; but those that doth dine with us on the 19th day of July, those are the most able of this faith, for it is not convenient to ask of the poorer sort of this faith; for if they give but one shilling a-piece, they will make a great noise; and besides that, they will look for the like to be done unto them upon the least trouble that falleth upon them; therefore I think if -we could get a matter of ten pounds amongst us this once, it would do the woman a great pleasure; and as for my part, I will give ten shillings towards it, for the great love I bear towards her. I do think it will not be your best course to speak to any of these friends that are to meet the 19th of July about this

business, because that day will be chargeable; but let that day be over first, and two weeks after will be time enough. My love to you and your wife,

June 26, 1683.

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton to Mrs. Mary Scott, of Bristol, bearing date from London, July 19, 1683.

Loving and kind friend in the true Faith, Mary Scott,

THESE lines are to certify you, that I have received the books again safe, and that I have received your letters from our friend Mrs. Jenkins, the last of yours, dated May 22, 1683; likewise I received from Mrs. Jenkins's hand both your tokens'; the token of your love was five shillings, and this last was ten shillings. Your love and kindness hath far exceeded my expectation, for indeed I did not expect one penny: but I see that your love for truth's sake, I may say is almost boundless, in that you do those things out of your own free heart; without the least hint of any advisement from me; but I perceive the truth hath made you free indeed, that your faith hath built upon a rock, even upon the Rock of Ages, even upon the eternal God, that was in the form of man from eternity, and in time humbled himself so low as to become a man-child,

and grew up to be a perfect man, making himself capable to suffer the pains of death by his own creatures. This Jesus Christ is that child the prophet Isaiah saith to us, A child is born, to us a child is given; this is that shall be called the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace; and now is fulfilled that saying in this commission of the Spirit, for no people in the world at this day doth truly believe that that child Jesus is the mighty God now, nor the everlasting Father, but those few that do believe the doctrine of this commission only. This is that greatest mystery of God, God manifest in the flesh, or God become flesh, and dwelt among men. This is that great mystery which the angels desired to pry into, but God letted them, and revealed it to unlearned men, that we might declare it to unlearned people, as at this day, for unlearned people are the most capable to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven; and so they come to have assurance of eternal life abiding in themselves. Thus the poor and unlearned people being filled with good things, but the rich and learned was sent empty away. These things are fulfilled in these our days; and as for those books you have sent again, I did believe they would be too dear, which made me loth to send them at all; but because I could not furnish you with those four or five books single, as you desired, caused me to send you the whole volume; and I am very well pleased you sent it again, because there is never another left so perfect as that is, to be had for that money; and as for those five books single, which your son Markes in his letter writeth for; that is to say, The Divine LookGlass. Secondly, The Interpretation of the 11th of the Revelation. Thirdly, The Interpretation of the

Whole Revelation. Fourthly, The Mortality of the Soul. Fifthly, The Transcendent Spiritual Treatise.

These five books single, if they could have been had, would have been five shillings a-piece, both great and small, which would have cost twenty-five shillings, for there is none to be had single of the Transcendent Spiritual Treatise, nor of the Mortality of the Soul, nor the Divine Looking-Glass, nor of the Interpretation of the 11th of the Revelation. There is none of these four books to be had single for any money, but what are bound altogether, and they are very scarce to be had also; therefore I would advise you, and all others of the faith, to make much of those books you have; for if you let them go, you will never meet with the like again for any money while you live. Notwithstanding that shame and reproach I have suffered from writing those books, there are several persons of honour that would wil lingly pry into those books, as the holy angels did into the mystery of God's becoming flesh; but as God would not reveal this secret mystery unto the holy angels, because, though their natures were pure reason, that they might never understand that great mystery, how their fellow-angel, after he was cast down from heaven, became flesh, and so becaine a man-devil. This mystery did God hide from the holy angels, and is hid from them to this day, that they might never know that there is a possibility in the holy angels, whose nature is pure reason, to fall into the same condition as their fellow the reprobate angel did; but God hath revealed those two secret mysteries unto his own seed of faith, the prophets, apostles, and us the witnesses of the Spirit only; and we have declared, and made it known unto you that believe a prophet's report, to your present peace

of mind, and to your full assurance in this life of your eternal happiness in the life to come, which no people in the world hath, or can have, but those only which do truly believe in this commission of the Spirit; therefore it is I am willing to hide these writings of ours from the great men of this world, and learned men, that they might not pry into them while I am alive; for great and rich men, and learned men, are generally of the seed of reason, which came of the reprobate angel, which he and his seed are kept in chains of darkness in their own bodies, till the judgment of the great day, when God shall raise all the seed of faith to eternal happiness, which they did believe in this life, and he will raise the seed of reason in chains of darkness, ever since the reprobate angel became flesh, when he deceived Eve; so am I willing that the seed of reason, that the great and learned men of this world, who are the children of that reprobated angel, should be kept in chains of darkness, from reading any of our books and writings, till the judgment of the great day, when God shall raise all of them to their eternal pain and shame for this I do know, that there is two seeds, and that these two seeds, the original of them, came from two distinct persons, who were celestial, spiritual, and heavenly persons; the one was all faith, and the other was all pure reason fallen. Now these two persons transmuting their spiritual seed into mortal seed, so that now there is but two seeds of men and women in the world, as the scripture saith; namely, the seed of the woman, the seed of faith, which is the seed of God, and the seed of the serpent, the seed of reason, the seed of the devil; and of these two seeds hath millions of men and women came, both righteous and unrighteous; and here