A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton to Mr. William Pedley, a Weaver and Dyer, a believer of the Commission of the Spirit, living in Southampton, bearing date from London, the 12th day of January, 1683.

Loving friend in the true faith, William Pedley,

I RECEIVED your letter, dated January 4th, 1683, wherein you complain of your great troubles you have gone through in these late years, what in oppression, I suppose you mean oppression for conscience sake; and your greatest troubles I perceive, hath been in the natural concerns of this world, in respect of your first wife being dead, and leaving a charge of children behind her; and I perceive you have married another wife, and hath some charge by her also, which you say are in number five, thus poverty must needs come upon you like an armed man; these troubles are common to all married men, and people both poor and rich, but especially to the poor that do live by trade, for if trade doth fail, poverty doth increase and grow exceedingly, for trade is a very uncertain thing, especially in a time of persecution; for trade and commerce hath taking the wings of the morning and fly away in these our days; so that poverty cometh in upon the poor as a flood upon the dry land; this thousands can witness in this nation as well as you, for want of trade; and poverty is the great common enemy in the nation at this day and time; and in regard, this poverty and want of trade is so common and so natural in this world, therefore it is that no eye pitieth the poor, let him be saint or devil, righteous or unrighteous. Also I perceive by your letter, that all the rest of your faith in those parts are backslided, and hath forsaken their own peace, and hath conformed for fear of the loss of some of their wordly goods, or fear of imprisonment,

even against their own conscience, some only upon threats, others having lost some of their goods, for fear of losing more or all, and have submitted and conformed, so that now you are left alone, those are days of trial, but few are able to stand the trial, to keep faith and a good conscience; and especially in most counties in England several hath conformed; so that in saving earthly riches, they have lost heavenly riches, for they will never recover that peace and assurance of eternal life which they once had abiding in themselves, not while they live in this world; for you may read in the Scriptures, that he that doth fight the good fight of faith, and holdeth out to the end of his life, shall receive the crown of eternal life and glory; but he that looketh back as Lot's wife did, to fetch something that was in her house, which she thought might do her a pleasure when she was got out of the flames of fire and brimstone; so it is with those that go back from the principles of truth, which led them to Zoar, a refuge of safety, of peace and content of mind to free them from the fear of the fire and flames of hell in the conscience, which we see the Sodomites of this world are in; which makes them blaspheme against the God of heaven, and persecute steadfast and faithful men. It is a dangerous thing for men that have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the life to come, that hath worshipped God in spirit and truth of heart for many years, according to the Commission of the Spirit, which is now in these last days in being, and now men because of a little persecution, to fall from it and worship that which all the ignorant and unbelieving people, and those that doth not know God doth worship. How doth such persons think to recover their peace with God again? neither doth God regard such worshippers, neither doth God's messengers regard such worshippers, that can suffer nothing for their faith, and they will reap the fruits of their own doings, which is the loss of their peace of their own minds while they live in this world,

and the fear of eternal death hereafter, to save themselves in this world, for a little time; for the Commission hath laid but an easy yoke and a burthen which is very light upon the neck of the believers of it. Christ said to those in his time, that his yoke was easy and his burthen light; yet those that would take his yoke upon them, must forsake father and mother, wife and children, if persecution should occasion it; nay, life itself must go rather than cast off his yoke, else no crown of eternal happiness, life and glory is to be had; this seems to the eye of reason to be a heavy yoke, yet Christ calls it easy, and the eye of faith doth count it easy. Still also you say that they have made a distress upon you already, and that you are left to wrestle with them, (meaning your persecutors,) which say you, according to reason, I am worse able. As to this I say, you are best able to wrestle with them for these reasons. First, because you have suffered for your faith already.

Second, because you are a poor man and hath a great charge of children, and hath little or no estate to lose, for poverty and a great charge of children is a fortress, or as a tower of defence against your persecutors; for what town or city will persecute a poor man to cast him out of the town, or put him in prison, that hath committed no crime against the law of God, nor the laws of the land, and that hath nothing to lose, to bring upon the town a great charge; for you may by the laws of England throw all your children upon the town, and so shift for yourself elsewhere; and the town must by the laws of England provide for your children, and bestow them as they please. If they do persecute you and throw you into the streets, then do you throw your charge upon the town and shift for yourself; so that being poor will make you the more able to encounter with your persecutors, and preserve the peace of your mind, and your faith that fail not to the end of this natural life, that you may enjoy that

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eternal happiness hereafter; for riches of this world is a great snare, and many men rather than lose this earthly riches and honors among men, they let go their hold of eternal life in the world to come; because that is at a distance, and this is in present being. I hope these lines may satisfy you, and bear up your spirit in the day of trouble, and deliverance will come in its time. So resteth your Friend in the true faith,

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

London, Jan. 12th, 1683.

A Copy of a Letter written by the Prophet Lodowicke Muggleton, to Mrs. Elizabeth Flaggetter, of Cork, in Ireland, bearing date from London, August 5th, 1684. Loving Friend in the true faith, Elizabeth Flaggetter,

THIS is to certify you, that I received your letter, dated July 3d, 1684, wherein I perceive your son hath been hindred of his purpose, which is a thing very common in these days, and that your time would not hardly permit you to write those few lines; I know where people are concerned in the affairs of this world, must be carried and spurred on both in body and mind; the business of this world is that which causeth all people in the world to forget God, some striving for riches and honour, so shat there is no room left in the heart, not to have any hope in a God, or any other heaven, nor the fear of any hell but what is in this world; and the poorer sort of people their hearts are so full of the cares of this world, how to get bread to feed their families and themselves, and to cloath their nakedness as Adam and Eve did; so that no fear of hell, or of a worse condition than poverty can enter into their hearts, but look upon the rich and honourable

people to be in heaven, and do wish he could attain to the same condition or hell after death, than poverty in this world, or any better heaven after death than riches and honour in this life or world, no more than Dives the rich man did till he came into hell in his conscience. And happy are you and all those that are chosen out of this world by this Commission of the Spirit, which hath shewed you a better heaven than the riches and honour of this world, in that you are made rich in faith in the true God, in his form and nature, which no people in the world besides doth know, but those that doth believe our report, to them the arm of the Lord is revealed at this day, and to no other. Likewise we have shewed you a worse hell than the poverty of this world, and by your faith in this Commission of the Spirit, you will escape falling into that hell which is eternal; though you be poor in spirit, this kind of poverty is blessed of the Lord; Christ did not say, blessed are the poor of this world, but "Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall see God." I perceive you are all there in peace and in quietness of mind, which all the riches of this world will not give; I am I glad to hear of your steadfast faith in the true God. have not written these lines to discomfort you, nor with the believers there with you, but for the comfort and strengthening of you all to hold out to the end, because you will not have a prophet always with you; I being old cannot by the course of nature live many years longer, but those writings I have left behind me will endure to the world's end.

This is all at present, only my love with my wife's love remembered unto you, and to George Gamble and his wife, and all the rest of our friends in the true faith with you. I take leave and remain,

Your friend in the eternal truth,

LODOWICKE MUGGLETON.

London, August 5th, 1684.