Muggletonians

Muggletonians, a sect that arose in England about the year 1651, and of which the founders were John Reeve and Lodowick Muggleton (1609-98), obscure men, but who claimed to have the spirit of prophecy. Muggleton was a journeyman tailor. He professed to be the 'mouth' of Reeve, as Aaron was of Moses. They affirmed themselves to be the two witnesses of Rev. xi. They asserted a right to curse all who opposed them, and did not hesitate to declare eternal damnation against their adversaries. They favoured the world with a number of publications, one of which—particularly directed to the Parliament and Commonwealth of England, and to his Excellency the Lord General Cromwell—was entitled a Remonstrance from the Eternal God. The prophets were at that time imprisoned as nuisances in Old Bridewell. Another publication was a General Epistle from the Holy Spirit in 1756; Muggleton's writings were collected again in 1832. He had assailed the Quakers, and was answered effectively by Penn and George Fox. He denied the doctrine of the Trinity, held anthropomorphist opinions, with many strange doctrines over and above, as that the devil became incarnate in Eve, &c. A few Muggletonians lingered in England well into the 19th century. See Jessopp's Coming of the Friars, and other Essays (1888).