The acts of the witnesses of the spirit in five parts / by Lodowick Mvggleton ..., left by him to be publish'd after's death.

CHAP. VIII. Of one Mr. Cooper a great Disputant; and how convinced: And how a true Ministry is known from a false. Of his Conversi∣on: And how he passed Sentance of Damnation upon Fifteen of his Companions: And of his trouble for so doing without Com∣mission: And of a Minister's censoring him to be bewitched.

1. AFTER this, in the same year, it came to pass that a certain man, a Silk-Weaver, his name was Cooper: He being acquainted with one Mrs. White, who was a be∣leiver of this Commission of the Spirit: She lived in Duning hill-Ally near More-fields.

2. This Man was very desirous that she would tell him how he might speak with these two Prophets; for he had a great desire to see us, and speak with us; so she directed him where.

3. So when the Man came and found us both together, the Man desired to drink with us, thinking in himself that he could talk and discourse better over a Cup of Drink than otherway, because it was his Custom so to do.

4. For he thought himself very strangly armed with Que∣stions, thinking it impossible for us to answer, because he could finde none that ever he had talked withal, Ministers, nor other to do it,

5. So we went with him to drink, and he propounded his Questions concerning the true God, and the right Devil, and how the Devil came to be; and how a Man may know the History of the Scripture to be true, seeing they did con∣tradict themselves in many places, with several other things.

6. Unto which we gave him a full Answer unto what∣soever he asked, so that he could not make any Reply against anything we said.

7. Also we showed him the power of the Commission of Moses, and the power of the Commission of Christ and his Apostles, and the power of our Commission in this Age.

8. And that every Commission had power to bless and curs Men to eternity, and that he was no true Minister of Christ which had not power to bless and curs.

9. For if a Man pretend to be a Minister of the Gospel, and cannot say to him that beleiveth in him to be a true Mi∣nister, and the Doctrine he preacheth to be true, is bessed to eternity.

10. And say to that Person as dispiseth and persecuteth the Person of this Minister, and his Doctrine, is cursed Soul and Body to eternity: If he have not Power to do this, he is no true Minister of Christ, neither did Christ send him to preach unto the People.

11. These things stuck upon the Mans Mind exceedingly, and

he was much affected in Love towards us; and he was elevated in his Mind, as if he would get up to Heaven immediately.

12. And he thought himself so strong now that he could drive all People before him.

13. So he departed from us, elevated in his Mind: He went among his own Company, and those of his own Trade, and he talked amongst them of things he had heard, and that he had been with two Prophets.

14. But his Company laughed him to scorn: But he in his elevation and zeal to what he had heard, ga••e Sentance of Damnation to eternity upon fifteen of his Companions.

15. Some were angry at him and some laughed and scoffed at him, and said he was bewitched.

16. It came to pass that the next Day after he had given Sentance upon those fifteen Persons he fell sick, yet he held to what he had said the Day before.

17. So that his Wife, and some of them he had damned said, the Man was bewitched, and would needs send for the Minister of the Parish to pray with him, and give his Judg∣ment whether he was bewitched, or no.

18. But when the Minister came, the Man would not let him pray for him.

19. So the Minister gave his Judgment, that the Man was absolutely bewitched: But after three or four days the Man got up, and was well again, and told us what the Minister had said, and confessed that he damned fifteen Men, which was the cause of that Trouble in his Mind.

20. Because he did it without a Commission, not but that I do beleive they will be all damned as I said; but my Trouble was for giving Sentance without a Commission.

21. For at that time no Beleiver gave Sentance upon any Dispiser, but us two only: But in that he confessed his Fault he was forgiven by us.