return to the Truth again. And this I must tell you, a Man cannot properly be faid to fall away, but when Men and Women fall from a Commiffion; for we see many People fall oft from one Profeffion of Religion to another, as from Baptifts to Quakers, and Independents to Baptifts, and Quakers fall from that Principle to others, and fome to Atheism; yet this is not properly a Falling away, because there is no true Prophet or Ministry amongst them all, not in the whole World; fo that to my Knowledge many hath fallen from one Thing to another, and at last have come to be faved by this Commiflion of the Spirit, and have had Affurance of eternal Life in themselves, notwithstanding their Falling from feveral Forms or Worship; but whoever falls from the Commiffion of God, there can be no Return again, neither can they poffibly be faved; therefore thought it convenient to let you know what will be the Effects of your Fall. I have been in this Commiffion these fixteen Years, and I never knew but four Perfons that did fall which feemed to own us; yourself is one, and a Scotch-woman, Alexander Hails his Wife, fhe fell to the Quakers as foon as we were put in Newgate, for indeed fhe was very poor, and we being in Prifon could not fupply her with Loaves no longer, there being but very few that did believe at that Time, fo fhe did fall to the Quakers and forfook us; for I fuppofe the Quakers had more Loaves amongst them, for they were many; for a Loaf of Bread was the greateft Religion he had in her; for fhe was for John Robins his People fo long as he could maintain them with the Stock he got from them; but when that was fpent, fhe did fall from him and his People · alfo. The third Perfon was Miftrefs Langley; the fourth was John Hide, Bookfeller; these all feemed to own the Doctrine of this Commiffion of the Spirit, and pleaded much for it, and rejoiced for a Seafon in it. This Miftrefs Langley did fall to the Quakers as you have done, but a woful Effect did follow upon it, even Diftractednefs of Brain, a Wafting of her Estate, an Endeavour to kill herself, a fugitive, and vagabond Condition in this World, befides her Damnation hereafter.

Now I have fhewed you what a dangerous Thing it is to fall from commiffionated Men to non-commiffionated Men, and what a dangerous Thing it is for Men or Women to exercise

the

the Offices of Preaching without a Commiffion from God, or from him whom God fends; therefore I fhall say these Words as followeth I have heard of your being a Quaker these many Years, fo I let you alone as to that, but of late I hear that you are a Speaker among the Quakers Meetings, and that you knew John Reeve and myfelf, and did keep Company with us, until you met with Truth, the Quakers Principle you call Truth: Alfo you faid we were the greatest Deceivers that ever was; and you faid, rather than you would return again unto us, you would go to the Publick, and hear the Priests of the Nation; thefe Things I have weighed and confidered, first your revolting and back-fliding from that you once rejoiced in: And fecondly, in that you have finned against the Holy Ghoft, and have contemptuously spoken evil of the Commiffion of the Spirit, in calling it the greatest Deceit that ever was, in this you have trampled the pureft Truth that ever was, under your Feet, as an unholy Thing, and as a Scorn: Therefore for these Things aforefaid, in Obedience to my Commiffion from God, I do pronounce Sarah Coppin, Quaker, curfed and damned, both in Soul and Body, from the Prefence of God, elect Men, and Angels, to Eternity, and it will be a marvellous Thing if you efcape a fugitive and vagabond Condition in this Life, befides your Damnation hereafter; for Sins of this Nature hath commonly a double Curfe follow, as it did with Miftrefs Langley. I had no Hatred in my Heart to you at all in this Thing, but in Obedience to my Commiffion I have done this, that you might not go to Hell in a Sleep, but that you may know what it is to defpife the laft Meffengers of the Spirit of God, and that the Age to come may fee and read this Letter, and may fear to do as you have done.

I was informed of fome of thefe Things by one John Clark a Tanner.

Written by Lodowick Muggleton, one of the two last Prophets and Witnefes of the Spirit, unto the high and mighty God, the Man Chrift in Glory.

Feb. 14, 1667.

Another

Another LETTER, fent to Richard Chair, Quaker, as followeth.

I

Richard Chair,

Am informed by one Francis Newel, that you have reported very base Lies of me in the temporal; and not only fo, but you have blafphemed against the Holy Ghost, as most of you Quakers do, and that without a Caufe; for I do not remember I ever had any Difcourfe with you, nor no Dealings with you, neither temporal nor fpiritual; neither do I know you, if I fhould fee you, and it is very like you do not know me, if you should see me; yet notwithstanding, you have reported, that you knew me in Trinity-Lane, and that I was a very cruel Man to my Servants, and would abuse my 'Prentices; and further, you will not believe, but that I lived in Half-Moon-Court, in Bow-Lane; which Things are all false; for I never lived in Half-Moon-Court in my Life, neither was I ever cruel to my Servants; Cruelty was always contrary to my natural Temper, therefore the Neighbours that lived by me, and in my Houfe, will fay I was one of the patienteft Men to my Children and Servants, upon the Earth; though none of thofe Neighbours, nor those that lived in my Houfe, did love my Principle, or Religion, nor my Commiffion they could not abide; neither did any of them believe Jobn Reeve nor me; yet, as to that you accufe me of, they will justify it to be falfe. I understand you was 'Prentice with Mr. Farmer, the Smith; I knew your Master very well, his Servants did Things for me fometimes; it may be, you being his Servant, you might do it, and I not know you, but you might know me, in that Regard: But I suppose you miftook the Man, to fay I was cruel to my Servants; it was one Richard Drew, one of the Seed of the Serpent, as yourself is, that was cruel to his 'Prentices; he would beat and abuse one Boy he had, moft fadly, to my Knowledge: For this Richard Drew lived in my House at that Time when that Boy was abufed; and afterwards the

faid

faid Richard Drew lived in Half-Moon-Court ever fince, till the Fire in London; and this is about twenty Years ago, fince he lived in my Houfe. And if this will not ftop your lying Tongue, nor convince you of your Lies, as to that, you may go on with it ftill; for your Slanders are not the firft, nor the greatest that hath been laid upon me by you Quakers; but, knowing my own Innocency, I am never moved at fuch Slanders in the Temporal; for if one Man tells a Lie of me, another Man, though he be my Enemy, yet he will justify the Truth on my Side, in Things that are moral, for fuch Things are easily decided, and made manifeft, here in this World; fo that I am not offended with you for your Lies and Slanders, you have reported of me in thefe Things, as aforefaid; but I have a greater Charge against you than this, even the Sin against the Holy Ghoft, that unpardonable Sin. I can bear with any Slanders and Lies in the Temporal; but with Blafphemy against the Holy Spirit that fent me, I cannot, nor fhall not bear with it; for it is reported to me by the Party aforefaid, that you, Richard Chair, hath been very wrath and angry with me, a long Time, infomuch, that you have called me a Blafphemer, and the Doctrine declared by me Blafphemy; you have called me a Deceiver, a Liar. These Things you have done feveral Times, with many other wicked, envious Speeches; alfo you have, in a fcoffing Manner, asked the Party aforefaid, if I did damn Folks apace; and lately you asked the fame Party, how many Muggleton had damned this Week. Doth not all thefe Things fhew unto me clearly, that you are of the Seed of the Serpent, and of the reprobate Seed, appointed to be damned; and is it not a great Pity that fuch a blafpheming Devil fhould efcape the Sentence of Damnation, fo long as you have? For you have reigned in your Blafphemy against the Holy Spirit that fent me, a great while; but, as the Saying is, when your Sin is at the Height, then you must be damned, juft as the Judges do with Thieves. that have escaped hanging feveral Times, yet the Thief continuing ftill in the fame Practice, the Judge faith, You had as good hang this Man out of the Way; for he will never be better: So the Man is hanged, and when he is demned to be hanged, his Sins may be faid to be at the Full,

or

or at the Height; fo is it with you, Richard Chair, your Sin of Blafphemy against the Holy Ghoft is at the Full; for you have committed that Sin very oft; fo that it is high Time to give the Sentence of eternal Damnation upon you; for you will never be good; for you, being the Seed of the Serpent, you cannot bring forth better Fruits than Blafphemy, Lies, and Slanders, against the Meffenger of the most high God, the Man Chrift Jefus in Glory.

my

Thefe Things aforefaid confidered, by Virtue of Commiffion from God, I do, for thefe Blafphemies against the Holy Ghoft, I do pronounce Richard Chair, Quaker, curfed and damned, both in Soul and Body, from the Prefence of God, elect Men, and Angels, to Eternity; and do you now fee if you can fcoff this Sentence off you again; no, it shall cleave as close to you as your Skin to your Flesh, and you fhall know, that the Moft High hath given Power unto a mortal Man, like yourself, to give Sentence of eternal Damnation upon you, both Body and Soul: And now you may apply yourself to George Fox, the Quaker, and fee if he, or the Light within you, can deliver you from what I have faid; for when I do write an Anfwer to Fox his ignorant Pamphlet against me, I fhall record you, and he, and others in that Answer, for a Company of damned Quakers; for this Sentence of yours fhall be recorded, to remain from Generation to Generation, fo long as the Sun and Moon endureth.

The Copy of a Letter, fent to Richard Chair, Quaker, a Smith by Trade, in Shoreditch, September 26, 1667.

Written by

LODOWICK MUGGLETON,

One of the two laft Prophets and Witnesses of the Spirit, unto the high and mighty God, the Man Chrift Jefus, in Glory.

FINI S.