A letter sent to Thomas Taylor, Quaker, in the year 1664 in answer to many blasphemous sayings of his in several pieces of paper and in the margent of a book ... / by Lodowick Muggleton.

Thomas Taylor,

I Underſtand that Thomas Barnet, and others that are Well-wiſhers to this Commiſſion of the Spirit, have lent you a Book of our Writings, who are the choſen Witneſſes of the Spirit, namely, John Reeve, and Lodowick Muggleton: I ſuppoſe you have had it ſome time to peruſe, elſe you would not have ſcribled and defaced the Book ſo much as you have, beſides your Papers within the Book; yet nevertheleſs I could have wiſhed thoſe Friends had lent you The Quakers Neck broken, rather than that, it being the moſt fitteſt Book for Quakers to look into; the other being too heavenly and divine for Quakers to look into. But in The Quakers Neck broken I have met with ſuch Antichriſtian ſpirits as you are, who have rayled and blaſphemed againſt the Doctrine of the true God, and the right devil, and the Commiſſion of the Spirit, as you have done; neither have I let them go unrewarded for their paines, as you may ſee in that Book: Neither ſhall you go unrewarded for your wicked and hard ſpeeches, raylings, and blaſphemies againſt the Doctrine contained in that Book: for your wickedneſs is ſo much, and your blaſphemies and revilings ſo many, that it would be too tedious to relate, yet for the ſatisfaction of others that ſhall come to ſee this Writing, I ſhall relate ſome of them, and ſpeak a little to a few of the main things of moſt concernment.

You ſay: Thy Chriſt that could not make all things of nothing, is a falſe Chriſt.

1. Here you have blaſphemed againſt the true Chriſt: for John Reeve doth own no other God, or Chriſt, but that Chriſt that was put to death by the Jews, and judged by Pilate to be crucified. By him the Worlds were made, but not of nothing: for God never did ſay, neither doth the Scriptures affirm any ſuch thing, that God made the earth and waters of nothing; ſo that you ſhew your ſelf a blaſpheming devil.

2. We do know and affirm, that earth and waters were eternal, and that darkneſs was over the face of the deep, and in the Creation the Spirit of God moved upon the waters; ſo that waters were before the Creation, elſe how could Gods Spirit move upon the face of the deep, had there been no deep waters before? And ſo likewiſe if the earth were not eternal, why is it ſaid by Moſes, That the earth was without form and void, and darkneſs was over the face of the deep? The meaning is this, that the earth was in being before God did create it, and darkneſs was upon the face of the deep; ſo that there was deep waters before Gods Spirit did move upon them. And as for the earth being without form and void, the meaning is this, the ſubſtance, being, and matter of the earth it was eternally ſo: but it was void of all form and beauty, not fit for any of Gods creatures to live in it, until God in the beginning created it: For when Gods Spirit moved upon the waters, the meaning is this, he commanded the waters to be gathered into one place, and the dry land did appear. So likewiſe God made two great Lights, the one to rule the day, and the other to rule the night: that is, the Sun ſhould rule and govern the earth, and give life to the herbs, and trees, and fruits of the earth, and the Moon ſhould give life to the waters, and rule them: And in this manner God created the earth, and the waters; but all this while God had matter to make theſe things of, for earth and waters were before.

1. He did not make the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and the hoſt of heaven of nothing; for of nothing comes nothing, though you ſay it is an heatheniſh ſaying: let it be the ſaying of a heathen man, it is a true ſaying a ſaying that no Prophet, nor Apoſtle doth deny: none but ſuch Antichriſtian devils as you Quakers are, that will have God to make all things of nothing, elſe you wil call him a devil, as you have done in your Writings.

2. Furthermore, where do you blinde Quakers think this vaſte earth and waters were before God created them, which according to Moſes relation, is not ſix thouſand years? and we can know nothing of the Creation of the world, but it muſt be grounded upon Moſes his words: I ſay, where do you think theſe great ſubſtances of earth and waters were before? Certainly you Quakers do believe that they came out of Gods belly; for your God is ſo big a God, that he can fill heaven and earth, and all places, and be in every Quakers body, and make all things of nothing beſides.

So that the Quakers God is ſo big, that he cannot be comprehended, yet they get him within them, and when they die, then he gets them into him again.

So the Quakers God and their Souls gets one into another, ſo that no body elſe can tell where to finde either of them both. But my God, the Man Chriſt Jeſus, who is a diſtinct perſon in form of a man, by whom the Worlds were framed, he will finde you out when your ſouls are rotted in the duſt of the earth, think of your ſelf what you will, it will be as I have ſaid.

Furthermore, if earth and waters were made of nothing, then I ſay they ſhall turn to nothing again: and if your God did ſpeak them out of his own bulk or belly, as aforeſaid, then I ſay, he will ſpeak them into his belly again, ſo that no man need to fear damnation; for all that came out of God ſhall go into him again, and if they were made of nothing, they ſhall turn to nothing again. I ſpeak theſe things, that whoſoever ſhall read this Writing, may ſee the vanity of the Quakers doctrine, and be aſhamed of it.

3. John Reeve doth ſay, That God muſt have ſome place of reſidence when he created this world.

In your anſwer to this, you flap your hand in the mouth, and ſay, God abides in himſelf, and is what he is. And further you ſay, To create is moſt properly to bring ſomething out of nothing by the powerful word of God.

Anſw. I marvel what ſatisfaction any man can have in his minde in believing in a Quakers God, to tell a man that God abides in himſelf, and is what he is, but never tells what he is, nor whether he be any glorious ſubſtance, or form, or whether he have any nature; which to know God in his form and nature, is life eternal.

But to ſay a thing abides in it ſelf, and is of its ſelf, and not to tell what that is that abides in its ſelf, it is Riddle me, Riddle me, what is this? But it is like all the reſt of the Quakers points of doctrine; for they are miſtaken in every true point of doctrine, which are but ſix.

1. Of the form and nature of the true God. 2. The form and nature of the right devil. 3. The place and nature of heaven. 4. The place and nature of hell. 5. The mortality of the Soul. 6. The perſons and natures of Angels. Theſe ſix Principles are the ground of all true knowledge, in relation to eternal life; but the Quakers doctrine is ignorant of every one of them.

Firſt, they are groſly miſtaken in their God, both in his form and nature: for they ſay he is ſo big that no place, neither heaven nor earth can contain him: when as the Scriptures ſaith, he made man in his own image and likeneſs, and he calls himſelf a man: for when the man ſaid to Chriſt, when on earth, Good maſter, what ſhall I do to inherit eternal life? Chriſt anſwered and ſaid, Why calleſt thou me good? there is no man good but one, even God; So that Chriſt did acknowledge God to be a man, for he was God himſelf.

2. The Quakers are as much miſtaken in the right devil, for they know not how the devil came to be, nor what will become of him hereafter, though many of them their own ſouls is the devil.

And ſo of Heaven, and of hell, they are ignorant of any places where they are; for they know no other places of glory nor pain, but what is within them.

5. They have got no mortal Souls that can die.

6. And as for perſons and natures of Angels, they know not what I mean by it; ſo that God and devil, hell and Heaven, immortal ſouls and Angels, are all within them, and when they die, they deliver up all this within them, it goes into God again, and ſo are no more ſenſible of joy nor ſorrow, than they were before they had a being.

For I perceive by this Thomas Taylor, that the Speakers of the Quakers go all in one ſtrain, onely ſome of them are more ſubtile than others, to hide themſelves with the words of the Scriptures, carrying the ſenſe of the Scriptures in an Allegory, and ſo gets Chriſt within them, and ſo keeps his body from going up to heaven above the ſtars: But that Chriſt in a body above the ſtars, hath given me power that am but a mortal man, over that Chriſt within you, and that you ſhall know to your eternal pain and ſhame.

Furthermore you ſay, To create is moſt properly to bring ſomething out of nothing, by the powerful word of God.

Anſw. 1 In this you ſhew your ſelf to be one of the ſerpents ſeed indeed; for that was the Serpent-angel his ſin in heaven above the ſtars, which you ſo much ſlight: I ſay, it was his ſin before he was thrown down from heaven; for be thought in himſelf if he had been God, he would have made all things of nothing, he would have created all living creatures without ſubſtance or matter, that is to ſay, of nothing: This was the Serpents ſin and nature when he was in the ſtate of immortality and glory.

And you being of his ſeed, you ſhall ſpeak and act the ſame ſin in the ſtate of mortality and ſhame; which is a clear teſtimony to me that you are of the Serpents ſeed: for you will have God to do that which he cannot do, to make earth and waters, and all other things of nothing, elſe you call him a devil, or a falſe God. For I muſt tell you, that God never ſaid ſo himſelf that he would, or could make living or dead ſubſtances of nothing; neither did any Prophet, or Apoſtle, or Saint, believe any ſuch thing; but it was always the devils nature to look upon Gods power to be greater than it is, or elſe to be leſs than it is: for the devil is always miſtaken in Gods Infiniteneſs; but the Seed of Faith knoweth by faith what Gods power is, ſo far as to the ſaving of the ſoul, to wit, that God did make living creatures of dead ſenſleſs matter; and living forms of formleſs ſubſtance, and that God could, a • d did die, and that he can, and will raiſe the ſeed of Adam to eternal happineſs, and the ſeed of the ſerpent, you being one, to endleſs miſery, though both Seeds be aſleep in the duſt of the earth, until the day appointed.

This is true faith in Gods power, and that which Moſes, the Prophets, and Apoſtles, and us the Witneſſes of the Spirit did, and doth witneſs unto, againſt all the ſeed of the ſerpent whatſoever; for though by faith we underſtand the World was made, yet by faith we underſtand, and ſo did the Apoſtles, that the World was not made of nothing, but by the word of Gods power it was made of ſomething, to wit, of earth, and waters which were eternal.

4. You call theſe wicked ſayings, becauſe we ſay, no children damned, though they be the ſeed of the ſerpent, if they die in their childhood.

To this you ſay, That the ſerpent was curſed from the beginning for, ſay you, certainly all his ſeed, young and old muſt be ſo; for, ſay you, as i • the tree, ſo are its fruits.

Anſwer. Here you that have any light of Faith in you, may ſee the groſs darkneſs of this man; for he cannot abide ſuch a God that hath not power to make things of nothing, and now he is angry becauſe God doth not damn children, if they be of the ſeed of the ſerpent, for he is angry with John Reeve for ſaying all children will find mercy, as aforeſaid; for, ſaith he, all young, and old muſt be damned of the ſerpents ſeed: and this is his ground, as is the tree ſo are its fruits. This man would have God to do that which he cannot do, as I ſaid before; ſo he would have God to be more cruel then he is, to condemn children who have done neither good nor evil, which the Scriptures doth no wayes juſtifie: for though God doth ſay, He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy; Jacob have I loved, but Eſau have I hated, before they had done good or evil: And that ſaying, The ſeed of the woman ſhall break the ſerpents head: And of that ſaying, The election of God ſtands ſure. All theſe places of Scriptures doth not reach that children ſhould be damned, although the ſeed of the ſerpent is.

For this is to be minded, that the Scriptures were ſpoken to men and women capable of underſtanding, for God did not ſay to children, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, it was to men that underſtood what Moſes ſaid: Likewiſe the Apoſtles ſpake to men and women, and not to children, elſe why ſhould the Apoſtles exhort the people to make their calling and election ſure? It would have been a vain thing to give exhortation to children. And as for the ſeed of the woman bruiſing the head of the ſerpent, it is in relation to men and women: for doth not men and women that are the ſeed of the woman, who have faith in their hearts, by their patient ſufferings, break or bruiſe the head of the ſerpentine men and women, who are the ſeed of the ſerpent, who doth rage, and rail, and perſecute the innocent? ſo that children have nothing to do in this matter.

And as for that ſaying of Jacob and Eſau, the one being loved of God, and the other hated, when they were both in the womb: To that I ſay, though Jacob was in Gods decree beloved, and Eſau in Gods decree hated, or reprobated, yet this I ſay, they were decreed and appointed to live to mans eſtate, ſo that they might both be capable of election and reprobation, and not to die in their childehood. And this I ſay further, that if you T. T. had died in your childehood, you ſhould have been ſaved, though I know you are of the ſeed of the ſerpent, but you being appointed to be damned to eternity, you were appointed to live to deſpiſe the living God, and blaſpheme againſt the Doctrine of the true God, declared by thoſe Meſſengers whom he hath ſent.

And as for that ſaying of yours, As the tree is ſo is the fruit: Your meaning is, if the ſerpent be damned, the children that are his ſeed muſt be damned alſo. Here you ſhew your groſs darkneſs and ignorance in the Scriptures, becauſe the Scripture ſaith, A good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and an evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit, therefore you conclude that children are fruits of the ſerpent, he being that evil tree.

5. To this I anſwer: That the meaning of the Scriptures in thoſe words aforeſaid, is not meant that children that are begotten and born, I ſay, they are not counted the fruits of the ſerpent: for we ſee by experience, and by the Scriptures, that ſometimes reprobate men and women, who are both of the ſeed of the ſerpent, yet the childe that is begotten by them, is of the elect; this I know by experience ſince I came to know the Scriptures, and could diſtinguiſh between the two Seeds.

Likewiſe it is clear by Scripture, that a faithful man and woman, they being both of them the Seed of Faith, that is, the Seed of the Woman; for there is but two Seeds ſpoken of in Scripture, that hath begotten reprobates, as that of Iſaac and Rebecca, they being both of the elect Seed, yet they begot Eſau, which the Scriptures brands for a Reprobate: So that ſometimes two reprobates may get an elect childe, one or more; and two of the faithful ſeed may beget one, or more reprobates: ſo that children are not called in the Scriptures fruits of the Serpent tree; for children are trees themſelves, if they live to maturity of age.

3. But thoſe motions and actions which theſe trees bring forth in their lives and converſations, are called in Scripture fruits of the tree: if good motions and actions, then called a good tree: if evil and ſinful motions, then called an evil, or corrupt tree: for the good tree bringeth forth good fruit, even the fruits of the Spirit, which is patience, meekneſs, love, and faith in God, and ſuch like fruits, which good trees, which are men and women, do bring forth. So likewiſe the evil tree is men and women alſo, and they bring forth evil fruits, even the fruits of the fleſh, which is envy, unbelief, perſecution, blaſphemy againſt the true God; theſe and ſuch like fruits proceed from the evil tree of the reaſon in man, and the good fruits proceed from the good tree, which is the faith in man: for there is but two trees ſpoken of in Scriptures, to wit, the Tree of Life, ſignifying the Tree of Faith; and the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil, ſignifying the tree of reaſon: ſo that all men, good and bad, are ranked under theſe two trees, and thoſe men that bring forth fruits of Faith, as aforeſaid, may be ſaid to bring forth good fruit: and thoſe men that bring forth fruits of reaſon, as aforeſaid, may be ſaid to bring forth evil fruit, as you have done: So that what fruits man or woman bringeth forth in their life, being come to age, is counted by the Scriptures good or evil fruit, and ſo ſaid to proceed from a good tree, or an evil tree, and not with any relation to the fruit of the womb that is generated and begotten as children. Therefore when John Baptiſt ſaid, The axis laid to the root of the tree he meant wiſe and prudent men who were wicked perſecutors: he did not mean that their yong children ſhould be hewen down and caſt into the fire.

So likewiſe when the Apoſtle ſpeaks of the fruits of the Spirit, and the fruits of the fleſh, he tells what they both are, ſo that children are not called the fruits of the ſerpent-tree, though they be of the ſame ſeed: for ſeed is one thing, and fruit is another, ſo you erre, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God; for I never knew any Quaker give any Interpretation of Scripture, but ſpeaks the words as they lye, which is the cauſe of their groſs miſtake of the meaning of the Scriptures, and run into thoſe and ſuch like errors that God fills heaven and earth; from theſe words they believe God is ſo big as to fill heaven and earth. And of that ſaying, Know you not that Chriſt is in you, except you be reprobates? From theſe words they ground their faith that Chriſt is within them, and ſo will admit of no body, or perſon of Chriſt without them, nor in heaven above the ſtars, and ſo of other ſayings in Scripture: As that, that Chriſt enlightneth every man that cometh into the world, but will admit of no interpretation themſelves, becauſe they cannot; but are angry with others that can: for the Scriptures being truly interpreted, diſcovereth the Quakers Principles to be the greateſt cheat and deceit, and more Antichriſtian than the Pope, or any other Sect whatſoever in matter of Religion.

6. You do upbraid John Reeve and my ſelf, becauſe we are in the fallen ſtate of Adam, but you Quakers do not acknowledge your ſelves in that fallen ſtate: you are not willing to be found in that ſtate, for you look upon your ſelves ſo purifi'd by the light of Chriſt within you, that you are become perfect in your own conceit; but you know not what that perfection is the Scriptures ſpeak of? for I am your ſure hearts are not purified by faith. How can your hearts be purified by faith, when as your faith hath never an object? for your God, nor Chriſt, hath never a body nor perſon of his own, but he muſt be beholding to every Quakers body to reſide in, and he is every where beſides; therefore what faith can you have to purifie your hearts, when as no God can be found but what is within you? But I ſhall ſhew what it is that purifies your hearts, and what ſins you are cleanſed from: that which purifies your hearts, is the Law written in your ſeed and nature, even the ſame as was written in the Angel-ſerpents nature before his fall, which is no other but the nature of reaſon: So the Angels nature being in you, and the Moral Law being written in it, it hath the ſame workings in you, as the heathens had the Apoſtle ſpeaks of, to wit, your thoughts accuſing and excuſing, and the motions of this Law ariſing in your minds, you call the light of Chriſt, when indeed it is nothing but the light of the Law: for if it were the light of Chriſt, it would make you to own the perſon and body of Chriſt without you, as well as to own Chriſt within you; and if you Quakers ſhould do ſo, your Principles would quickly fall. And as for the ſins your hearts are cleanſed from, they are no other but ſuch like as theſe, that is to ſay, to keep the Hat on the Head before a Magiſtrate, and to finde f •• lt with Gold-lace, and a piece of Ribbin, a Band-ſtring, and a gold Button, and to rend and tear Gold-lace, and other Lace off their Clothes, and burn it, and to uſe the language of Thee and Thou. He or ſhe that gets thee and thou perfectly, is a very good Quaker, they are gotten half way to the Quakers heaven. Theſe, and ſuch like righteouſneſs, is the Quakers perfection, and all the cleanſing of heart they have: this I know to be true, for I know they have no faith to purifie their hearts, neither can they be juſtified by faith, and have peace with God. For how can they have peace with God, when as they own no other God in a body but what is within them, but they will finde that God within them to be the greateſt tormenting devil of all.

Again, I marvel how you Quakers came to make it ſuch a great ſin for a man put off his Hat to a Magiſtrate! I do not remember any place of Scripture, that it was the practice of Prophets, Apoſtles, or Saints. Surely your Teachers might have given their diſciples a little more liberty than they have: for you Quakers do not read that the Prophets, when they went with Meſſages from God to the Kings and Rulers of Iſrael, I ſay, we do not read they went before the Chief Magiſtrates with their hats on their heads Likewiſe the Apoſtles, when they were brought before the Rulers of the Jewes, we do not read they went with their hats on their heads. Are you Quakers certain that Paul had his hat on his head when he ſpake for himſelf before King Agrippa, and Noble Feſtu • , ſitting in the Judgement ſeat? Neither did Paul uſe the word thee and thou altogether to them, but gave them civil reſpect, titles of Honor, one Noble Feſtus, and the other Oh King Agrippa, according to the places of honor they had in this world. So that the Apoſtles did not tye the Believers of them to the hat on, and to thee and thou Magiſtrates, as you Speakers of the Quakers do. Beſides, if it could be proved, that Prophets and Apoſtles did keep the hat on, and thee and thou Magiſtrates, yet would it be no ground for you Quakers to do ſo: for God never choſe, nor ſent you, as he did them. God never beſtowed ſo much honor upon any of you to make you Meſſengers to Kings or Magiſtrates, for you are but private men not choſen of God, as all true Prophets, Apoſtles, and we the Witneſſes of the Spirit were; yet you by the light within you, will imitate thoſe that are choſen by voice of words from a God without us; nay, you are more impudent in your way, than ever any Prophet or Apoſtle was who were choſen of God, and made equal with Kings in power from on high, yet have given civil reſpect unto Kings and Magiſtrates, they being as Gods on this earth, as the Scripture ſaith. But ſeeing the hat put off to a Magiſtrate is ſuch a great ſin to a Quaker, I ſhall let him alone in his righteouſneſs, and let him ſee if that righteouſneſs will deliver him in the day of trouble.

I have ſpoken ſomething more of the hat than I thought to do, onely to inform thoſe that ſhall ſee it, that the Scriptures doth no ways juſtifie ſuch a practice, but it is one of the Quakers main points of doctrine they hold forth, and if that and ſuch like things will not ſave them, they muſt be damned; for their righteouſneſs is as much in the hat, as in the heart: for I am ſure they have no true faith in their hearts, nor in the true perſonal God, the Man Chriſt Jeſus in glory, in heaven above the ſtars.

And as for us being in the fallen ſtate of Adam, I do acknowledge and confeſs it, therefore we are redeemed by Chriſts death: for all that are in the fallen ſtate of Adam, are made alive by Chriſt, and all that are not found in the fallen ſtate of Adam, will certainly be damned to eternity: for they that did not fall in Adam, did fall in the l • ſt Angel, and ſo have no benefit in Chriſts death, becauſe that Chriſt took not on him the nature of Angels, but the ſeed of Abraham, and Abraham was the ſeed of Adam in the fallen ſtate, and Chriſt redeemed him by his death, and all his ſeed: I mean by his death without me, and not of his death within me, as the Quakers do vainly imagine: for they own no other death of Chriſt, but what is within them, what ever they pretend by uſing the words of the Scripture, becauſe they ſo frequently ſpeak of Chriſts death, but they own no other death of Chriſt, nor benefit by it but what they have within them: reſurrection is all within them.

I marvel why you Quakers ſhould talk of Chriſt loving his Church, and that by one ſuffering Chriſt hath perfected for ever them that are ſanctified, when as yo own no body of Chriſt without you, but it is becauſe you read ſuch words in the Scriptures, which were other mens words, and faith: alas, what benefit will that be to you to aſſume to your ſelf that which did belong to others! for what is that you what the Apoſtles ſaid to thoſe Believers at that time? they underſtood what the Apoſtles meant by thoſe ſayings; for the Scriptures were not ſpoken to Quakers, nor given to them, neither do you underſtand them: the Scriptures were given to John Reeve and my ſelf, neither doth any man underſtand them, or can truly interpret them but us two onely, we being the choſen Witneſſes of the Spirit: for we onely can unfold what that Fountain is which is open for ſin, and for uncleanneſs; for every Commiſſionated Prophet hath the Key of David given unto him to open the hidden myſteries, even the fountain of living Water, to wit, the knowledge of the true God, and the right devil, with many other heavenly ſecrets hinted at in the Scriptures; which to know is as a Fountain of Water of Life, to thoſe that underſtand them.

7. We do confeſs that Adam and Eve were not capable of any kinde of death, until they were both defiled with the ſinful nature of the Angelical ſerpent.

To which, this T. T. ſaith, To the glory of truth, that ſeeing Chriſt came to reſtore us that which Adam and Eve loſt, with advantage, it muſt needs follow that the true Believers who are become, even now, whileſt upon the earth, freed from all kinde of death, and ſo are not capable of any death in their ſouls, no more than Adam and Eve was in their innocency, becauſe the Scripture ſaith, that he that believes in Chriſt is paſſed from death unto life, and ſuch as abides in that faith ſhall never die, but the Spirit of Life is in him.

Anſw. Here this man ſhews his groſs darkneſs and ignorance of the ſpiritual meaning of the Scriptures: for obſerve what is ſaid before, that Adam and Eve had no kinde of death in them before their fall, yet this let the Reader minde, that the death they did procure by their fall, it was but a temporal death, and that death God threatned them with, it was but temporal, though the fear of eternal death might be in them by reaſon of the fall; but the death it ſelf which God threatned upon them, was but a natural death, neither did God take off, or free them from it: for Adam and Eve did die, yet they had the promiſe of Chriſt made ſure to them more than any. Quaker ever had: And yet this promiſe of Chriſt to bruiſe the ſerpents head, it did not free Adam and Eve from this firſt death, but it freed them from the fear of the ſecond death, and from the ſecond death it ſelf, even that eternal death. But as for a natural death, Adam and Eve, Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, the Prophets, Apoſtles, and Chriſt himſelf taſted death: for this firſt death enters upon all, both man and beaſt, but the ſecond death which is eternal, it enters upon none but upon the ſerpent and his ſeed: and this eternal death is that which they, Adam and Eve, and their ſeed, are delivered from, by believing in Chriſt.

And thus we that are found in the fallen ſtate of Adam, are reſtored by Chriſt, that is, we are reſtored to a better and a more glorious ſtate and condition than that of Adam in the ſtate of innocency. But you Quakers do expect no higher ſalvation than that of Adam, but you will not paſs thorow death to it, but you will attain it a more eaſie way: For you ſay, it muſt needs follow that the true Believers who are become even now, whileſt upon the earth, freed from all kinde of death, and ſo are not capable of any death in their ſouls.

To this I ſay, that Chriſt never ſaid that he would free mankinde from a natural death, nor reſtore man to the ſtate that Adam was in, but he came to ſave mankinde from eternal death; therefore he ſaith, He that believeth in me ſhall never die. And of that ſaying, he is paſſed from death to life, that is, he ſhall never die a ſpiritual and eternal death; for he is paſſed from the fear of this firſt death, to the aſſurance of eternal life: for aſſurance in Scripture is many times taken for the thing it ſelf: but Chriſt never freed his Diſciples from a temporal death, notwithſtanding they had eternal life abiding in them. And that Apoſtle who ſaid, We are paſſed from death to life, did die a natural death himſelf, and ſo did the Prophets of old, as in the Acts it is ſaid by Peter to the Jews, Which of the Prophets have not your fathers perſecuted, and have ſlain, which ſhewed of the coming of the Juſt One? And was not Steven ſtoned to death, a man full of the holy Ghoſt? yet his ſoul was put to death, and Peter himſelf, and the reſt of the Apoſtles, and thoſe that believed their doctrine, did not they die, or elſe were put to death? yet theſe were all paſſed from death to life, yet they all died a natural death, or was put to death: for it cannot properly be ſaid to die, if the ſoul ſlips out of the body, and leaves the body behinde, as you Quakers, and many others do vainly imagine; ſo that your ignorance in the ſpiritual meaning of the Scriptures, is bewrayed; for you Quakers are the darkeſt pieces to interpret Scriptu • e, of any other Opinions in the world, for you will name places of Scriptures, but never interpret any, that makes all the Quakers ſo dark; for ask them a queſtion in Scripture, they will give you no anſwer, but perhaps bid them minde the light within them: or elſe ſay, it is the fleſh that asks, or ſuch like ſayings, ſo they baffle and trouble ignorant people which knoweth not their Principles, nor the meaning of the Scriptures.

I thought good to anſwer theſe few particulars, they being of ſome concernment for thoſe to know, who are not well grounded in the Doctrine contained in thoſe Books you ſo much villifie and ſpeak evil of: for I would have others to ſee this Writing as well as your ſelf; for you Speakers of the Quakers ſeldom let any of your believers ſee my Writings, leſt you ſhould looſe them by it, or your Antichriſtian ſpirit be diſcovered by them: for none can diſcover the Quakers cheat and deceit, but us the choſen Witneſſes of the Spirit, for your Doctrine is altogether Antichriſtian which doth deny both the Father and the Son to be in the form or perſon of a man in heaven above the ſtars, diſtinct of himſelf from Angels and man, and any other creature. And if you look but into The Quakers Neck broken, you may ſee what you are, for that is the fitteſt Book for Quakers to look into, there I have had to do with ſuch like ſpirits are you are, who have gone in the ſame ſteps of deſpiſing and blaſpheming againſt the Doctrine of the true God declared by us the Witneſſes of the Spirit, as you have; for you have moſt wickedly ſpoken evil of as pure Truths as ever was ſpoken or revealed by Prophet, or Apoſtle; for God hath choſen us by voice of words, as he did them, and hath given us the Spirit of Revelation and Interpretation, as he did them; and who ever deſpiſeth the Doctrine of us the Witneſſes of the Spirit, deſpiſeth him that ſent us, even Jeſus Chriſt the living God, who hath choſen us to pull down, and cut in ſunder ſuch Antichriſtian devil: as you are, who owneth no other God but what is within you, which hath cauſed you to blaſpheme againſt the perſon of God without you, even the Man Chriſt Jeſus in glory; for thoſe Books of John Reeve's writing do own no other God but the Man Chriſt Jeſus in glory, who ſpake to him three mornings together to the hearing of the ear.

Firſt, you have called that Voice, A Dream; you have called that God or Chriſt, that could not make all things of nothing, A falſe Chriſt, a devil: you have called the Doctrine of the true God, A Lye, a Deceit, Error, Darkneſs, Blaſphemy, with many other wicked blaſphemous ſpeeches in the Margent of the Book, too tedious to relate; Therefore for theſe your wicked Blaſphemies againſt the holy Spirit of Chriſt that ſent, and revealed thoſe Doctrines unto us, I do pronounce Thomas Taylor Quaker, curſed and damned both in ſoul and body, from the preſence of God, elect men and Angels to eternity: neither ſhall the Light within you, nor Infinite Spirit, which you call God without you, deliver you from that Curſe I have pronounced upon you; but you ſhall know that God, the Man Chriſt Jeſus, hath given power unto his Meſſengers and Witneſſes to curſe you to eternity, deliver your ſelf from it if you can. And if you do but read The Quakers Neck broken, you may ſee others of your brethren who have walked in the ſame ſteps of blaſphemy as you have, and will have the ſame reward with you. That Book would have been as a Looking-glaſs for you to ſee what your Principles are in the root, and what will be the fruit of them.

Written by Lodowick Muggleton, one of the two laſt Prophets and Witneſſes unto the High and Mighty God, the Man Chriſt Jeſus in glory, in Heaven above the Stars. FINIS.