Last Witnesses: The Muggletonian History, 1652û1979

by Lamont,William

• ISBN13: 9780754655329
• ISBN10: 0754655326
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-08-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

On three successive mornings in February 1652, God spoke to a London tailor by the name of John Reeve, telling him that he and his cousin Lodowicke Muggleton were the Last Two Witnesses prophesied in the Book of Revelation. Over the next six years the pair attracted a small but dedicated band of followers that following the death of Reeve, became known as the Muggletonians.In this lively and engaging history, the origins of the sect during the religious turmoil and freedoms of the 1650s are described in detail. Their unique theology, beliefs and practices are described and traced throughout the changing circumstances of the century. Yet the book offers much more than a history of another puritan sect, for unlike many of their contemporaries, the Muggletonians persisted until the latter years of the twentieth century. Moreover, they preserved a comprehensive archive, rescued from the Blitz by a Kent farmer who transported the papers in empty apple boxes on his way back from market. Discovered by E.P. Thompson in 1974 this archive paints a vivid picture of the Muggletonians from their earliest days until the death of their last member in 1979.By following the history of the Muggletonians from the heady post-civil war days through to the 1970s, this work offers a unique perspective on radical Christian belief and practice, and how it adapted to the changing world around it. More than this, however, it tells the fascinating story of how a small religious group, that eschewed active proselytising and believed in the mortality of the soul, managed to overcome persecution and obscurity, to survive for 320 years.

Author Biography

William Lamont is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Sussex, UK.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	ix
Acknowledgements and Sources	xi
Bibliographical Abbreviations	xv
1 Introduction: The Archive Discovered	1	(12)
2 'Lodowick Muggleton Was Also Included': 1652-1658	13	(24)
Encounter with God	13	(4)
The Two Last Witnesses	17	(6)
Blessings, Curses, Prison and Death	23	(14)
3 'Great Muggleton' Declares the Truth: 1658-1661	37	(26)
Putting down Clarkson	37	(6)
Changing A Divine Looking Glass	43	(9)
Rewriting Revelation	52	(11)
4 The Prophet of Letters: 1661-1698	63	(48)
The 1671 Rebellion	63	(8)
Delamaine's 'Great Book'	71	(8)
Imaginary Witches	79	(7)
Prison, Release, Death	86	(25)
5 Witnesses Against the Beast: 1698-1837	111	(56)
Life Without a Prophet	111	(28)
William Blake, Benjamin Franklin and the London Muggletonians	139	(6)
Putting Down a False Prophet	145	(22)
6 The Victorian Crisis: 1837-1901	167	(46)
Redefining the Faith: 'Reevonians' versus 'Old Believers'	167	(16)
Redefining the Faith: From 'Ancient' to 'Modern' Muggletonianism	183	(20)
Last Curses	203	(10)
7 Last Days: 1901-1979	213	(16)
8 Conclusion: Muggletonians - the Proper Historical Context?	229	(22)
Bibliography	251	(10)
Index	261