wife, which I once or twice saw in London, whose faith I understand is grown very strong since that time, which causeth my love the more in her, she having that faith in her, that works by love, for none can love God but those that have faith in the true God, then will they love him that is sent of God, and rest your friend in the eternal truth, LODOWICKE MUGGLETON. My love remembered unto your son-in-law George Gamble, and your dear daughter his wife, and to Doctor Moss, and to all the rest of our friends in the true faith there with you. The Postern, London, Aug. 9th, 1675. SIR, I HAVE discoursed with Mr. Greatreakes three times, and he told me what the token was you mention in your letter, and who it was that gave it, and that he would pay it, but it is not yet paid, for he is now gone into Devonshire, perhaps he may send it to Mr. Delamain's before he goeth out of England, if he does you shall hear of the receiving of it, for I did not think to have wrote to you at all till I had received it, but because of Elizabeth Faggeter being here. You speak of a token in your letter, dated the 20th of March 1669, and now in this letter, dated 27th of May 1675, if this be the same token and the same party that sent it, Captain Gaile, I give him many thanks for his love and kindness, in that hisheart was free, though I never received it. So rested your Friend, LODOWICKE MUGGLETON. The Postern, London, Aug. 9th, 1675. Copied from the original Copy of the Prophet Mug gleton's own writing. A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton, to Mrs. Dorothy Carter, bearing date February 22d, 1676. Dear Friend in the true faith, Dorothy Carter, I SAW your letter to Mrs. Griffith, dated February 13th, 1676, in which your desire is, if it were possible, to have a few lines from my own hand. To satisfy your desire I shall give you a small account of my sufferings, and how my wife and I do fareat present. My sentence was, to stand upon the pillory three days, and the books they took from me were about four hundred, and they were to be divided into three parts, and burnt by the common hangman before my face every day I stood upon the pillory. The sentence was executed upon me with the greatest severity, beyond any felon or cheat that ever stood upon the pillory before. I was drawn in a cart like a thief to the gallows, without cap or hat, and stood upon the pillory bare-headed; I was exposed to all the shame and reproach that possibly could be invented; I was led as a lamb or as an ox to the slaughter, there was no mitigation at all of the rigor of the sentence, but rather more punishment added to it. The books were offered up in three burnt offerings unto the unknown God; and I myself was offered upon the pillory, to the rude multitude to be slain or stoned to death, and it was the wonderful providence of God that I escaped with my life, or being maimed in my limbs, which would have been worse than to be killed outright. Now is my testimony finished, in that the last true Prophet that God will ever send, suffered for the truth as all his servants the Prophets did that went before me. The world shall never have Prophet of the Lord more to persecute while the world doth last, for the mystery of God is finished, both by declaration and suffering, as was declared by his Servants the Pro phets and Apostles of old. Wait but a while with patience and we may see how God will pour out his wrath and vengeance upon this wicked world, and especially upon the City of London, who has shed the blood of the last true Prophet that God will ever send, though not unto death; my innocent blood will be a testimony against them, and will cry to heaven for vengeance, for they thirsted after it as for sweet wine, and now they have drank it both great and small, their thirst is not yet quenched because I am yet alive; God doth seldom let sins of this nature go unpunished in this life, besides the punishment in the life to come, but gives them their own blood to drink by destruction, for they are worthy that touched God's annointed Prophet, and doth them harm. The effects of these things will shortly come to pass and be made manifest. I cannot give you an account yet about the fine, it is £500. I am yet in Newgate, but removed into the Press-yard, a little better place than I had before. I have a handsome chamber for ten shillings a week by myself, where my wife and friends may come freely to me. I am indifferently recovered of my wound, but the cold and cough doth cleave to me still, but not so extreme as before, I hope I shall outgo it and be well again. My wife is not very well, her grief and troubles have been so many and so great of late, that it is a wonder she holds up so well as she doth. As for the copy of the indictment it is very large, and cannot be had, my Attorney hath it, but the whole indictment, every word of it was taken out of the Book called the Neck of the Quakers broken, and in no book else at all; and as for the paper pinned to my breast, it cannot be had, it was so daubed with dirt; but the words were these: Lodowicke Muggleton standeth upon the pillory for publishing and printing a heretical, seditious and blasphemous books; these were all the words of it in great letters. Thus I have given you an account of the substance of things that have happened unto me; particulars would make a volume. I was willing to satisfy your desire with my own hand-writing, with my love and my wife's love remembered to yourself and to Betty Marsden, your maid Ann, and all Friends else there with you, I take leave and remain your Friend in the eternal truth, LODOWICKE MUGGLETON, From the Press Yard, Newgate, A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton to Mr. Thomas Tompkinson of Slade House, in Staffordshire, bearing date from London, 14th of November, 1676. Loving Friend, Thomas Tompkinson, I SHALL give you a little account of those things that were then upon me when you were in London last, which caused me to absent my own house, neither have I been at home never since, nor know not when I shall, for the king's messengers have been to seek after me several times, but have missed of me; and if I can keep out of their hands, (as I will do my endeavour,) I shall deal well enough with all my enemies, which are many, yet I see the law, and money will bridle them all; so the bit of the bridle be of silver to put in their mouths, it will keep their necks strait to the law, and turn their heads aside every way. I have been a whole year in law with two persons that do trespass upon the widow Brunt; and after her death it fell into my hands, so I commenced two suits of law against them, but they had several put offs, which caused a great charge the more to me and some to themselves, but I following it as fast as the law would permit; they perceiving the law C went against them, they devised to put me into theSpiritual Court, thinking to get me excommunicated, that I might not have the benefit of the law in these two causes; but I defended myself in the spiritual court, so that would do them no good. They seeing that would not do, they devised another device, to inform the Warden of the Company of Stationers, that I had printed blasphemous books, being unlicensed, which caused six men that belonged to them to break open four doors, and took away fifty pounds worth of books, under the pretence of being unlicensed. After these men had broke open my doors and took away my books, they finding that I would sue them at the law for what they had done, they got a warrant from the council table for my person, but I have kept out of their hands hitherto, and have overthrown them men in law, and cast them, and recovered my title to the ground that was the Widow Brunt's:likewise I have arrested two or three of those men that broke the door, and do proceed in law against them, and do intend to put in our declaration in court this week, so we shall go right to bring it to a trial next term. Also I have proceeded in the spiritual court so far as to get out their libel to see what they charge me with, and do intend to carry it out of the spiritual court into the court of king's bench, then I shall be the plaintiff in both suits, for they hang together, and now I have done with the other two causes, I shall the better follow these two. I have acquainted several of our friends here in London, and advised with them, that if they of our faith that are of ability, will assist me in these two causes to wage law with them, and they are very free and willing to contribute towards the charge of law; we being many, the burthen will not be very great upon any particular person, it is left to every one's freedom whether they will give any thing or no. It concerns all of this faith, and I will stand in the gap to manage the law |