apostles did, by their preaching, invite the fowls of heaven in their time to sup, that is, to believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, they did sup with God, so likewise Reeve and Muggleton, the two last prophets and witnesses of the Spirit, God hath chosen us two in this last age, to meet God's elect, the fowls of heaven, and you being one, and you have believed our declaration concerning the true God, how he became flesh, and dwelt amongst men, and hath supped with them here in mortality, you shall be invited to sup with the great God of heaven in glory; and that when you, and all the fowls of heaven, shall have to sup with the great God in this last age to eat, will be the flesh of persecuting kings, and the flesh of persecuting judges, and justices of the peace; and the flesh of persecuting captains of trained bands, and the flesh of mighty men of war; and the flesh of pampered horses, and them that sat on them and the flesh of all persecuting men for conscience sake, both small and great; as churchwardens, constables, informers, and all inferior officers. This supper with the great God will be when he hath gathered his elect, the fowls of heaven, from the four winds, at the day of judgment, in the resurrection, when the sheep, which is called by John's Revelation, The fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, shall stand on God's right hand, and he shall say, Come ye blessed, because when I was upon earth in shame you believed in me, and believed my servants, the prophets and apostles, and my two last prophets reports therefore inherit the everlasting kingdom, which I have prepared for you before the foundation of this worldly kingdom was laid; so likewise all the seed of the serpent; as persecuting kings, udges, captains, mighty men both small and great;

which are called in Scripture reprobates, goats; in the resurrection they shall stand on God's left hand ; he shall say, Go ye cursed into hell-fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels; because, when he was upon earth, you persecuted me, and put me to death, thinking in yourselves that I should never rise again. Also, you persecuted the prophets, and did kill them that did foretel of my coming; and ye persecuted my servants and messengers I sent unto you in all ages; therefore go ye cursed, both great and small, into everlasting torments, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for evermore. Then shall all the prophets, apostles, and we the witnesses of the Spirit, and you the fowls of heaven, shall sup with the great God of heaven, that redeemed us with his own blood: so that God himself with us shall eat the flesh of these persecuting reprobates beforesaid. That is, God himself, the prophets, and apostles, and we the witnesses of the Spirit, and you the fowls of heaven, shall rejoice in the everlasting damnation of these your enemies, the whole race of that serpentdevil Cain; the first man devil in flesh. For this will be the last supper that God will ever make with his saints, because there will be no wickedness acted between the seed of God, and the seed of the serpent, for ever, to eternity; and this is that we shall eat to eternity, which will be our joy. Thus, with my true love, and my wife's true love, remembered unto yourself, I take leave, and remain

Your friend in the eternal truth,

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

London, October 18, 1684.

Dear friend,

I PERCEIVE, by your letter, you have pro posed several ways to yourself, what course you should take, how to deliver yourself out of this persecution for conscience sake, and yet keep your conscience free, that the peace of your mind may not be lost; for I perceive that the churchwardens and the constables have taken their oaths at the Sessions, which the justices keeps to persecute their neighbours for conscience sake; so that the churchwardens and the constables are the informers against you, and hath put your name into court, I perceive for one month, which will cost you twenty pounds, by the law which was made in Queen Elizabeth's days against the Papists; but now in these days it is put in execution against all dissenting Protestants. There is three ways to punish all kinds of Dissenters, both rich and poor: First, They proceed upon rich by Queen Elizabeth's law, aforesaid, upon the twenty pound act, to take their goods, and not their persons to prison. Secondly, They proceed against the poor Dissenters by way of excommunication, that they might keep their persons in prison, and not their goods; so that many of the rich do conform to save their goods; and many of the poor do conform to save their persons out of prison thereby. The law whereby they do persecute Dissenters is for meetings; the speaker twenty pounds, the housekeeper twenty pounds; and if any hearers be rich, he must pay five shillings a man, for a hundred persons, which they will levy upon his goods. This law was made by the Parliament since the King was restored; now you being rich is well known to the informers aforesaid, therefore your persecution is grounded upon Queen Elizabeth's law aforesaid

Now you have thought upon several ways to deliver yourself from all; but I cannot say that any of these ways you have proposed to yourself will do you any good; but the remedy will be worse than the disease. First, You say you told the churchwardens you thought to go to your mother, and then, if she were questioned about it, they may say you were gone from home. This will do you no good, except you could carry your lands, your chattels, your corn, and all that you have in the house, and all upon the ground, along with you to your mother; for it is your goods that they come for, or your money, and not for your person. Secondly, You say, if they bring you into trouble, you say you shall be fain to move to some other place. To this I say, unless you could remove your land, and all your other goods, to some other place, it will do you no good. Thirdly, You say you think you shall be willing to go to prison. To this I say, they will not let you go to prison, neither will they put you into prison; and if you go to prison before you take your land and goods with you, else that will do you no good at all. Fourthly, You say you think you shall be forced to make over your chattles and goods to some of your friends, for the use of your children. This you may do according to law; but your land must be made over also; but this I must tell you, if you should make over your estate to any friend whatsoever, your condition will be seven times worse than to stand to the persecution of the nation, let their persecution extend ever so far. Therefore let me advise you, that is now a freed woman, a widow, that hath full power as any lord in the land, over your husband's estate, for the good of your children; and though there be overseers, yet the power lieth wholly in you,

as it did in the man; so you are the lady of all, and hath the possession of all, as your husband had; and for you to make over your estate to another man, you will become a mere servant, and your children mere servants to another man; therefore I will give you my advice and judgment in this matter: I have always given my advice and judgment for the widow and the fatherless, for their good, and those that did follow it did prosper; and those that would not, if they did miscarry, I could not help it. Therefore my advice to you, and judgment is, that you should not make over your estate to any man, nor to remove to any other place; but keep at Arnesby for the good of your children. Neither let your mother be grieved, but let your enemies proceed as far against you as they will; and when they come with their warrant to seize your goods for the twenty pounds, do you pay them the twenty pounds down quietly, and let them not be put to that trouble to seize your goods; and it will convince and melt the hearts of the most implacable enemies you have, in that you know you are an innocent, harmless woman, that suffers this only to keep the peace of your conscience; so that perhaps they may never trouble you more: if they should trouble you again, I am confident it will be a great while first. Thus I have given you the best and safest advice I can in this matter.

Your friend,

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

London, October 18, 1684.