day to helpe to burne them to worke vpon my body with intent to make mee call backe my sayde wordes of protestation concerning the trueth of this religion which if I would not doe sayde they but could endure the torments that they would inflict then they all would bee of my religion and would make mee Emperour ouer all Europe This tale to them that had minds afore prepared and tooke Hacket by reason of his most earnest protestations prayers shewe of zeale pretended fauour with God and such like to be a man that would not tell an vntrueth for all the worlde seemed no way vnprobable or to be discredited so that these three principall actors hauing aswell among themselues as with others often conferred hereabouts both by word and writing were by the midst of Trinitie terme become most resolute for the aduancing of their designements For in a letter written by Coppinger about that time to the aforesaid I. Thr. it is thus contained Mine owne deare brother my selfe and my two brethren who lately were together with you in Knight ryders streete doe much desire conference with you which will aske some time The businesse is the Lords owne and hee doth deale in it himselfe in a strange and extraordinarie maner in poore and simple creatures Much is done since you did see vs which you will reioyce to heare of when wee shall meete and therefore I beseech you so soone as you receiue this letter hasten an answere in writing to my sisters house therein aduertise I beseeche you when I may come to speake with you for delayes are dangerous and some of the great enemies beginne to be supursued by God as they are at their wits end The Lordmake vs thankeful for it who keepe vs euer to himselfe to doe his will and not ours By occasion also of hearing Master Charke on a Fryday about that time at the Blacke fryers Coppinger saith he was thereupon moued by God spirite to write vnto him a letter which beareth date the 9. day of Iuly last In which letter amongs other things thus hee writeth vnto him I doe not denie good Syr but that I haue nowe a good long time taken a strange and extraordinarie course such as hath offered occasion of susption of my not onely doing hurt to my selfe Note but also to the best sort of men now in question and to the cause it selfe But by what warrant I haue done this that is all for if the holy Ghost haue bene my warrant and carryeth mee into such actions as are differing from others of great note in the Church of God what flesh and blood dare speake against me This is it that I desire at your hands and at all the rest of Gods seruants that you forbeare to censure me and such others as shall deale extraordinarily with me in the Lords busines committed to our charge iudge of vs by the effects that followe which if you hereafter see to be wonderfull great then are all ordinarie men placed in callings within this land to feare and to call themselues to examination before the Iustice seate of God and see whether they haue walked faithfully before God and man in seeking the saluation of the soules of the people and the aduancement of Christs kingdome Note and the ouerthrowe of Antichristes And if all and euery one in their places shall be forced to confesse to haue fayled in not discharge of their dueties let them acknowledge their sinne and repent before plagues and punishments fall vpon them The waste of the Church cannot be denyed to be great so that there is place for extraordinary men though temporizing Christians will not admit this therefore Gods mercies shall appeare to be wonderfull great if amongst vs he haue raysed vp such as I knowe hee hath and hereafter I doubt not by Gods grace but I with the helpe of the rest shal be able to auowe against all gainesayers whatsoeuer My desire heretofore hath bene to haue counsayle and direction from others but nowe by comfortable experience I finde that the action which the Lorde hath drawen me into is his owne and he wil direct it himselfe by the holy Ghost and haue the full honour of it and therefore I wayte vpon him and yet most hartily craue the prayers of the Saints that they will beseech God to blesse all his seruants that he hath set aworke in his owne businesse And I further beseech you to shewe this Letter to Master Trauerse and Master Egerton and all the rest of the godly Preachers in the Citie and iudge charitably of me and others and let euery one looke to his owne calling that therin he may deale faithfully and let vs iudge our selues not iudge one another further then we haue warrant After this letter it hapned that M. Charke preached in the same place againe the next Sunday after at which time Coppinger tooke him selfe to be particularly meant by one part of the sermon Whereupon hee wrote a letter to another Preacher as I doe gather the thursday after viz. 15. of Iuly wherby he thus signifieth M. Charke told the people that there were some persons so desperate that they would willingly thrust themselues vpon the rockes of the lande and waues of the sea This I tooke to be spoken principally to my selfe therefore I thought good to aduertise you that he spake the trueth in those words but he touched not mee but himselfe and the rest of the ministers of the lande who haue not onely runne desperately themselues vpon the rockes and waues but carryed the whole shippe whereby they all bee in danger of shipwracke and shoulde haue perished if the Lorde had not immediatly called three of his seruants to helpe to recouer it who are not onely sent from God to his Church here but also elsewhere through the worlde My calling is specially to deale with Magistrates Another hath to doe with Ministers who hath written a letter to you of the Citie but it cannot be deliuered hardly this day The other third is the chiefest who can neither write nor reade for he is the Lords Executioner of his most holy will This letter is thus subscribed The Lords messenger of mercy Ed. Coppinger These three therefore strongly fansying to themselues such extraordinarie callings and standing resolute by all meanes to aduaunce that which they falsely call Reformation and beeing thus seduced and bemoped by Hacket it is no marueile though they entred further as by degrees into many lewde dangerous and traiterous attempts For first hauing conceaued mortall hatred against two great and and worthie Counsailors of this estate who they thought woulde not a little stop the course they had taken and hinder the purpose which they pursued Coppinger therefore by Hackets aduice directed seuerall letters vnto some honourable personages whereby he signified that certaine treasons were entended euen against her Maiesties owne sacred person meaning after to appeach those two thereof and hoping by
Lords busines which was to be done by himself vpon Coppingers backe telling him the Lord had appointed him to it would stand with him in it Thus farre in this point goeth that discourse But long before this time of their two first acquaintances Coppinger vpon his returne foorth of Kent in Michaelmas terme last had signified vnto Arthington and to one T. Lancaster a Schoolemaster in Shoe-lane both being of his familiar acquaintance and whome he had requested to fast and pray with him for successe in obteining a widow that God had shewed him the said Copp great fauour by reuealing such a secret mystery vnto him as was wonderful being in substance thus much viz. that he knew away how to bring the Queene to repentance to cause al her Councel Nobles to doe the like out of hand or els detect them to be traitors that refused Al they by such repentance meaning vnderstanding as it seemeth the erecting of their fanciful Discipline For this phrase being vsual with them in conferences of this matter he thereby sufficiently declared his mind to thē they wel vnderstood what was meant without further a do Nowe it had bene inconuenient that Coppinger should all this while conceale this mysterie which he imparted vnto them after to Hacket from Wigginton who brought them acquainted together vnto whom he so oft resorted and so highly aboue all other Preachers esteemed for his resolute dealings in Gods matters as he termes them whome he also after aduouched vnto Arthington as an irrefragable witnesse to be perswaded by that would iustifie the trueth of Hackets torments whom he also knew more often busied for attaining of that discipline which himselfe also laboured for then perhaps for heauen it selfe And you see that he had accordingly done it Wigginton not discouraging him therein This proposition so made by Coppinger Arthington saith that he Lancaster misliked as a matter impossible by Copp to be done but by the Lord Iesus onely such whereof the issue could not fall out well any way so put him off for the first time not vnderstanding in what maner by what special meanes Coppinger conceaued that such repentance should be wrought in the Queenes Maiestie in others The maner and other circumstances of the first reuealing of this pretended mysterie Coppinger himselfe at large declareth in a letter written the 4. of Februarie last vnto T. C. in prison the occasion of writing it he there saith was the said T. C. offer to take knowledge by writing from him of such matter as might induce him to suppose himselfe to haue receaued some hope of speciall fauour from God to some special vse but yet without warrant from the worde direction of the holie spirite approbation of the Church he was he said most vnwilling to enter into so great an action The letter is long but to this effect that vpon some extraordinarie humiliation of him he with some other and a guide of their exercise ioyned in a fast their guide in the euening spake of the vse of fastes c. and then willed the others to adde to that which he had deliuered either for the generall or particular causes which mooued them to humble themselues that a great part of the said night Coppinger founde himselfe very extraordinarily exercised c. by such a motiue as he could not well describe partly comforted with a wonderfull zeale which he founde himselfe to haue to set foorth Gods glorie any wayes which lawefully hee might enter into partly cast downe by such a burning fire of concupiscence as in his greatest strength of bodie he had not founde the like that the next day he riding into the Countrey as he ridde fansied to himselfe that there was leaue giuen him to speake to God in a more familiar manner then at any time before and also perswaded himselfe that Gods spirite did giue him many strange directions wherein the Lorde would vse him to doe seruice to his most glorious Maiestie and to his Church Vpon which he had thought to haue returned presently backe and to haue left his intended iourney but going on and after being returned backe he imparted to his former fast-fellowes the worke of God in him and desired they might againe ioyne in the like which he with some other went forward with to their comfort but without their chiefe guide for he refused to ioyne Note Hereupon he saith that he was againe stirred vp to such busines of such importance as in the eyes of flesh and blood were likely to bring much danger to himselfe and vnlikely to bring any good successe to the Church of God hereof he writte to some Preachers out of the Realme and to some in the Realme at length he writte hereof to one in the Citie that was silenced who resolued him that God did yet worke extraordinarily in some persons to some speciall vses Hereupon he obteined this Preachers consent to ioyne with him and about foure others on the Lordes day in a fast which day was chosen that they might not hinder their worldly affaires in the weeke and that they vsed meanes to haue notice giuen to some of the Preachers in prison of the day of their humiliation desiring them to commend to God in their prayers the holie purposes Note which any fearing God should in time attempt to take in hand by seeking to bring glorie to God and good to the Church that in their prayers at the saide fast he and others did beseech God that if he had appointed to vse any of them to doe any speciall seruice to him and his that to that ende he would extraordinarily call them that he would seale vp his or their such calling by some speciall maner by his holy spirite and giue such extraordinarie graces and giftes as are fit for so weightie an action The night following he saith he thought in his sleepe that he was caried into heauen and there being wonderfully astonished with the Maiestie of God and brightnes of his glory he made a loude and most strange noise whereby he awaked his brother that lay with him and some in the next chamber Since which time saith he I finde euery day more and more comfort and suppose that there is somewhat in me which my selfe am not so fit to iudge of and therefore I desire the Church I meane your selfe and such as you shall name vnto me because I cannot come to you without danger to your selfe and me to looke narrowly into me if I be thought to be any way mislead I craue sharpe censuring if I be guided by Gods spirite to any good end as hereafter shall be adiudged I shal be ready to acquaint you and them with generalities and particularities so farre foorth as you they be desirous to looke into At this time the ende of my writing is onely to acquaint you with the occasions of mine entring into this great action and
this meanes either to take them away or at least their credites with her Maiestie vntill hee and his complices might bring their purposes to some better passe or else by this colourable pretence hauing accesse opportunitie to haue executed some wicked practise against her royall person The discouery auouching and proofe of these supposed treasons Hacket and he did take especially vpon themselues The first two letters that I finde Coppinger writte to the sayd honourable personages about this pretended matter of treason to be discouered was the third day of Iune last both to this purpose to haue them acquaint her Maiestie that intelligence was giuen vnto him of some treason intended against her owne sacred person but naming no particular In the one of them hee enclosed a letter of his to her Maiestie and certaine petitions which he would haue had to be offered vp to her highnesse being to this effect That hee might haue leaue to entertaine the action of such discouerie that as matters should come to light he might resort to a certaine worthy Counsellor by him there named to acquaint him therewith and to haue his counsell and direction that hee the saide Coppinger might conferre and examine Iesuites and all prisoners suspected or condemned of treason about these matters in the presence of certaine others That for better furtherance of his seruice hee might haue this fauour to stay iudgement or at least execution against condemned persons for crymes capitall or smaller vntill her Maiestie might haue account giuen of the cause of his so doing that he might be pardoned for so bolde an attempt if in ouer much feare of danger to her sacred person hee had or afterwarde should goe too farre and not effect that in the ende which hee hoped to doe and lastly that this matter might bee concealed from all men But the sayde honourable personage finding this to bee an vnlikely and strange course to bee yeelded vnto as may be gathered by the answere and by the other letters directed him to a more sounde way viz. To learne first the groundes perfitely to acquaint none other with the matter and to doe it specdily Hereupon the eight of the sayde Iune hee addressed another letter to the same personage enclosing therein a letter written to him from Hacket and dated the last day of May and one other letter of his owne to her Maiestie to haue bene deliuered vnto her Highnesse His letter to the sayde honourable personage is to commend the writer of that letter enclosed not naming him for Coppinger had raced out both Hackets name the name of Oundel from whence is came as a man able and willing to doe her Maiestie some principall seruice to offer their attendances to come before her Maiestie and to vrge the deliuery of the letters for that the matter he said admitted no delayes The letter from Hacket is nothing but an inciting and animating of Coppinger to performe the Lordes businesse he had in hand by many holy and deuoute words and hypocriticall allusions to certaine stories of the scripture Coppinger his letter to her Maiestie commendeth the inditer of that inclosed for a man beloued of God and fearing him vnfainedly and one enabled by God to do her highnes some speciall seruice he also humbly desireth thereby that they two might appeare before here owne Princely person in the presence onely of two certaine Lordes and one Ladie But the sayde honourable personage sent Hackets Letter againe vnto Coppinger as of no moment for that purpose and stayed the deliuery of his Letter to her Maiestie till some particular intelligence might be had to be first deliuered to her Highnesse The same day Coppinger also writ two seuerall Letters to the same two Lordes in whose presence he and Hacket desired to come before her Maiestie and to deliuer their intelligence this he did to aduertise them hereof afore hand That which is written to the one of them mentioneth a supplication which Coppinger sent the day afore vnto his L. to make passage to some better seruice to her Maiestie which he hoped should bee done shortly to her Highnesse good liking and to his L. great honour for that hee should bee the chiefe actor therein Vpon some answere returned from the Ladie afore mentioned crauing some particulars of that which they meant to discouer Coppinger writte to Hacket being in London to vrge him vnto some more speciall poynt of intelligence whereunto Hacket the sayde eight of Iune answering by Letter to small purpose and subscribing his Letter thus As you finde mee so call mee Coppinger therefore returned in answere another Letter presently vnto him whereby he signified that Hacket must manifest somewhat more plainely of some practise worth the reueiling otherwise they both should worthily fall into her Maiesties indignation for that which he had then writ would not satisfie her Maiestie and the State concerning the danger which Hacket supposed to bee comming vpon the lande and wherewith he seemed to be acquainted Vpon such ouerture as afore is touched made to one of the said Lords he had the said two appeachers before him on the tenth of Iune but finding Hackets demeanour of himselfe very strange and their imputations as friuolous hee dismissed them as is sayde without further a doe to their great discontentment Hereupon Coppinger in stomacke so farre as he durst writte another Letter to the sayde Noble man the eleuenth of Iune hereby hee signified that were it not that he had beene before acquainted with the graces and giftes of the holy Ghost which hee did assure himselfe to bee in Hacket in an extraordinarie manner hee shoulde haue esteemed of him by his behauiour as his Lordshippe did Therefore what trouble or daunger soeuermight come to himselfe by it hee was resolute to abide it and further chargeth the sayde Noble man in Gods name to deliuer the Letters and Copies there inclosed to her Maiestie signifying that what punishment shoulde in that respect bee allotted to him or vnto Hacket they would vndergoe it and not depart the Citie till they might further vnderstande what God would doe therein Sure it is that being thus shaken off by him they grewe extremely malicious also against the sayde worthie Noble man I finde also a Copie of a Letter written in Coppingers hande but meant to bee sent as from Hacket vnto her excellent Maiestie wherein amongs other thinges hee desireth hee may enioy that which God hath appoynted him and then lewdely and falsely accuseth and reuileth two great and worthy Counsaylours In the ende hee sayeth that if hee shoulde tell her the iudgementes of God that lye at her gate which the Lorde hath shewed him they woulde bee ouer fearefull for her to endure or to heare of And if shee doubted of his sending from the Lorde hee willeth her to aske a signe and if he giue it not let him dye A seconde course taken by them besides the former appeachements was a conspiracie of
vilanouslie afterward proclaimed traitours to bee such as they doe charge him to bee This woorthie worke of Syllogismes therefore beyng first finished his other treatise to prooue those preachers to bee hypocrites and Idolaters was straightway set vpon the stocks and began to be built on the Munday before their rising after they all had for obtaining good successe in this and the rest of their businesse humbled themselues on the Lordes day afore in fasting and prayer for so bee their woordes This latter treatise Arthington finished vp the Thursday morning next after and termed it A Prophecie of Iudgements against England whose skill in this precipitate kind of pistling the other two so magnified as that they termed him by a title mentioned in a Psalme viz. The pen of a readie writer Where as wiser men thinke they might haue looked a litle lower and he haue better compared it as the wise man doeth the like where he saieth A word in a fooles mouth is like an arrow in a dogs leg because hee will neuer leaue wrinching and fisking till he haue got it out In this prophesie hee first setteth downe the third commandement Arthingtons prophesie inferring what plagues shall light on himselfe if hee offend therein Then commeth he to his nine seuerall assertions adding to euery one of them The Lord to confound him viz. that if he thinke not himselfe to bee the vilest sinnefull wretch liuing If hee take not himselfe to bee the most ignorant in Gods booke of any man that hath professed the Gospell so long If hee acknowledge not himselfe most vnfit and vnwoorthie of all men to serue the Lord Iesus If neuerthelesse he be not extraordinarily called to do the message of God more faithfully then any preacher in England hitherto hath done If the Scripture doe not iustifie extraordinarie callings before the endes of the world If hee know not two persons within the citie of London that haue greater extraordinarie callings then himselfe videlicet Edmund Coppinger and William Hacket If the former bee not a prophet raised vp of the Lord to bring a message of great Mercie to the land if all the people truely repent of their sinnes If the later bee not the holiest man and of the greatest power to bring fearefull iudgements vpon the whole earth that euer was borne Christ Iesus excepted If the sayd Hacket as the Messenger of Gods vengeance where mercie is refused doe not bring such great plagues vpon this realme of England the like whereof was neuer seene In these and in euery of these seuerall cases hee prayeth the Lord to confound him Whereupon he inferreth that hauing thus denounced so many fearefull woes against his owne soule as would sinke it into the bottomelesse pit of hell if hee were guiltie in any one of them Then thereupon with cheerefulnesse hee commeth to declare his message to England accusing it to bee the most rebellious though it haue bene most blessed of all other nations Then he affirmeth the citie of London and the courtes of Iustice at Westminster and the counterfeit worship of God with crosse and surplesse to bee worse then Sodome and Gomorre or the purple whoore of Rome or else desireth to be confounded Nay he preferreth Rome before London because at Rome they sinne onely of ignoraunce Of her Maiestie he saith she is least guiltie of the common sinnes but most abused of any Prince that euer was by those whom she hath most aduanced Then he speakes to three great Counsellors C. C. T. daring them to protest for their innocencies against themselues as deepely as he hath done and then if they be not swallowed vp quicke he is contented to be hanged vp in chaines at Paules crosse Note Then he threatneth them that they three shal be otherwise detected ere long all those that are their partakers when her Maiestie shall reigne and liue to see better daies if God giue her true repentance Then he sayth he will leaue all other of the Cleargie as sufficiently detected already saue such as pretend to seeke Reformation who he sayth are as guiltie in two pointes as any of the other The first point for not crying out continually against Archbishops Bishops Deanes Archdeacons and others as wicked vsurpers in the house of God The second for not crying out against the wicked Magistrates of this land because they keepe out the Elderships out of the Church and mainteine in their roome officers and offices of Antichrist Hereupon gathering thus howe can God spare this lande any longer wherein both the Magistrates and messengers of God haue dealt so vnfaithfully in the Lordes seruice Adding that the fearefull iudgements of God shall be sure to fall on the reprobate being already prepared and put into the handes of the Mightie Messenger of the Almightie God William Hacket to be powred out vpon this great Citie of London and vpon all places where repentance followeth not this publication Then he goeth about to prooue all such Preachers to be Idolaters or consenting to Idolatrie which practise or consent and suffer others to vse surplesse and crosse because he sayeth they are the markes of Antichrist Preferring herein the Papistes afore them as sinning herein onely of ignorance seeking also to engreeue their faultes in this behalfe for that they are all hypocriticall Idolaters in that neuerthelesse they professe Reformation whereunto he addeth he sayeth a secrete That this their halting and hypocrisie hath so hardned Gods heart against their requestes for bringing in the Discipline that for this vnfaithfull and vnsingle walking in their function Note he hath hitherto denied it Neither shall any one of them or all of them together haue that honour giuen to bring in Reformation For sayeth he I tell you truely the Almightie God hath put his cuppe of vengeance into his trustie and faithfull seruants hand William Hacket to powre it downe shortly vpon euery wilfull and obstinate sinner that doeth not repent vpon the notice hereof or else the Lorde confound me Lastly he giueth a charge to haue this Prophesie together with the incredible but most certain historie of the holiest seruant of God William Hacket that euer hath bene is or shall be borne Christ Iesus onely excepted with all speede possible printed and published together as in substance true saith he or else the Lorde confound me This wise prophesie is thus subscribed By the most vnwoorthie seruant but yet a faithfull Prophet of the Almightie Iesus or else his wrath confound me Henrie Arthington Whiles Arthington was about this his taske Coppinger as it seemeth was neither idle nor well occupied for he was setting down from Hackets owne mouth a long Ragmans role of Hackets torments reuelations and I knowe not what called Hackets historie For by Thursday morning Hacket hauing enlarged the first draught thereof which was at first but scribled out by Coppinger Arthington was to write out againe faire the enlarged copie that being perfited it might be annexed vnto
the aforesaid Prophesie All that Thursday was spent by them in consultation and writing Hacket being also present and assisting them But with what ioyfulnes amongs them all it is incredible if wee may beleeue their owne reportes Yet Arthington was forced for the haste that was made to haue all in readines against the Friday following and for the desire he had to yeelde vnto Hacket all satisfaction and contentment that might be to sit vp most of Thursday night writing out againe of the said historie so enlarged But on Thursday it selfe being the 15. of Iuly amongs other their actions Coppinger and Arthington writte a letter to the aforesaide T. L. which is of this tenor first at the top of it thus viz. If this letter be not endited by the holie Ghost Coppingers and Arthingtons letter vnto T. Lancaster who hath appeared in a farre greater measure to sinnefull wretches in the ende of the world euen to vs whose names are here vnder written and to a third person in calling aboue all former callings whatsoeuer Christ Iesus excepted the Lorde confound vs two with vengeance from heauen and carry vs with all violence into the bottomlesse pit If we haue not taken the name of God in vaine it standeth you vpon to reade this letter with feare and trembling with ioy and gladnes with feare that the Lorde should wooe you to doe him seruice with ioy that he offereth you honour if you accept it We two are messengers from heauen who haue a good Captaine to guide vs who haue receaued immediate callings from God to call the whole world to repentance and amendment of life otherwise they are to feare that Christ Iesus his second comming in glorie will be to them as a thiefe in the night If I Edmund Coppinger doe not preferre you before any one man in the land whatsoeuer for your wise holie louing and religious course both in the generall calling of a Christian and in your particular calling the Lord confound me bodie and soule The reason why I choose you first is because in your house in your presence and vnder God partly by your meanes I had my first extraordinarie calling though thereof as of all other things the whole honour and glorie be the Lordes And of the same minde is my brother Arthington In token of our extraordinarie loue to you we deale as we neither haue or will doe with any other for we command in the name of the Lord all creatures vpon the earth and they must obey But with you we will dispense thus farre that it shall be your choise to come and take a newe calling for a time wherein we would vse you or refuse it So wishing you to commend vs and your selfe to God before you answere vs which we expect in word and not in writing c. The messenger of mercie to the whole world if they accept me Edm. Coppinger I auouch whatsoeuer my brother hath written to be most true further I protest that you are a more holie man then any Preacher in London or throughout the whole land or else the Lorde confounde mee If it please you to come and see me ioyfull you may hope this is true The Prophet of Gods iudgements to the whole world where mercie is reiected Hen. Arthington That the perfite and enlarged historie of Hacket be briefly gathered into a summarie here set downe it will not I thinke be amisse for such as shal be desirous to know what mysteries may be therein contained which drewe these two amongs other matters into such an extraordinarie admiration and opinion of him First therefore A summe of Hackets historie there is declared whom Hacket serued then how he got the execution of the Bailywike of Oundel being void how vpon complaint of the wiues there that their husbands spent their thrift in Alehouses on the Sabaoth daies he by a Iustice of Peace not farre off did cause al the playing tables that could be come by to be burnt Also the light and entising behauiour of some women towards him his familiarity with them wherby his wife became iealous of him so that he was forced for her satisfaction to cleare himselfe by his oath The sundry baites laide by meanes of some of his fellowes that enuied him for the credit he had with those whō he serued to entrap him with women His attempting them in dishonest manner but with purpose onely as he there pretendeth to learne of them the practises against him The like snares laide for him by some of better place credit then the former Of his affliction in minde that he endured because he so behaued himselfe towards women yet could not learne out by them the plot laid against him Of his going into Hampshire to haue bene placed there Howe he was in a place there for the most part of 20. daies beat with a bastonado and into what pitifull state of body he was therby brought That this was done partly for his auoutching that Christ was head of the Church against the Pope and for saying that as certaine earthen pots were there by him broken so should all Papistes be broken in hell and confounded so many as rose vp against him in earth how he was forced to vse the Deputie-Lieutenant of Hampshire his aide to be safely conueied out of that Coūtrey least he shoulde bee murdered by his enemies that hee came thence to one M. Paul Wentworthes house where he remained a moneth and was vsed most Christianly and where he was most deepely exercised in the spirite Howe as he passed by the way out of Hampshire he told a Gentleman in company that was priuie to his enemies complots of a great practise intended against him and to be done in a chamber by certaine persons whome he then named aforehand insomuch as the saide Gentleman being made priuie to such purpose and knowing that he saide true affirmed surely he could coniure or else it had not bene possible to tell such things as he did where in deed he saith the Lord in the middest of his former afflictions reuealed it vnto him and further shewed him a place which he had appointed for him and howe he would bring all his enemies practises to confusion How in performance of that which was so reuealed he was afterward in a certaine place in Hartfordshire bound first in a chamber and then chained in a sincke hole of a seller and most grieuously many waies afflicted there for 20. daies together That in the greatest extremitie therof which was greater then he could expresse a Crosse came vpon his breast as he lay alwaies when his torments were at the greatest the Lord vnloosed his feete and handes from his fetters and bands neuerthelesse he lay stil til his tormentors came and bound him againe how the Lord then appeared to him and assured him that he would establish the Gospel by him and shewed him all the whoredome of Rome in the
person of a great personage since deceased as it were in candle light with a great Bell full of iniquitie That during that time the Lorde shewed him a terrible famine which he would bring vpon a lande but whether this lande or not was not declared That Christ then shewed him his wisedome and prouidence in gouerning the Seas all other waters in their courses and further shewed him the man that should sitte on Christes right hand to iudge both the quicke and the dead whose name he wel knoweth That then he made his petition vnto the Lord who answered him by a voice thus what he would how he would when he would Howe by the extremitie of his torments his eies were fallen downe and his tongue thrust out of his head so as he could not pull it in againe one Barley cornes breadth but the Lorde in that extremitie shewed him that hee would keepe his bodie from bursting and that one haire of his head shoulde not perish That being loosed by his wiues importunitie soone after in a verie raynie daye hee his wife one Richard Dickons and one Palmer ridde altogether thence towarde Oundell thirtie myles that daye and albeit it rayned all the daye verie sore so that great floods came vpon it yet neuer one of them had any droppe thereof fall vpon their clothes That being at Oundell and foreseeing he shoulde bee exercised againe he prayed his wife that no man might come at him for hee woulde keepe his chamber and then the Lorde appeared vnto him and shewed him in what danger the lande was by reason of forreine enemies at the Sea and commaunded him to goe rounde about the Towne and that shoulde be a defence to the land round about That after this he kept him selfe in his Barne about eight daies reasoning with the Lorde touching Praedestination and Reprobation continually begging of him that hee would saue all those that fought ignorantly against the trueth or otherwise sinned through want of knowledge How after this betaking himselfe to his chamber againe the Lord he saith forced him to cry out against two great subiects and Counsellors in this lande That he was againe bounde and tormented there other twentie dayes in eight whereof he neither did eate nor drinke and was continually watched for that they knew the Lord would come and loose him if they left him That during this time Witches vsed their forcerie stongly vpon him That the Lorde then tolde him that he would harden his owne heart against Hackets tormētors How then also 4. or 5. Angels night by night stood by him and watched ouer him like vnto doues and one night spirits innumerable and that a white hande came from the Almightie and tooke him by the hande whereby all venome poison vncleannes and corruption departed from him for a time whereupon the Lorde shewed him three heauens together all the dwelling places contriued in one of them but the highest heauen was shewed to be without ende which glorie he was not able to beholde but was made able to looke vpon the blood of the Saintes which was made round like a waxe cake in very great breadth but the glorie which therewith appeared he could not looke vpon so that he was forced to turne his face vpon the pillowe Howe the Lord also shewed him the murthering of the wicked euen like the slaying of swine the father murthering the sonne and the mother the daughter and euery one another all the day long and no man tooke pitie vpon them That there was then reuealed vnto him a very strange fire from heauen the length whereof he did see consuming all things from the heauen to hell mouth but he did not see the breadth thereof Also that he then did see the breadth of the tormenting place of the damned and what was therein but neither the bottome nor length of the place That he also supposed he sawe his libertie begged by two honourable personages Notwithstanding which deliuerance that he dreamed of he telleth that he was carried afterward to North-hampton gaole where he remained 17. weekes as afore is remembred Furthermore there is declared that in his torments the Lorde shewed him howe he would confound all his aduersaries that were guiltie in any practise against him and that one thing which they went about they should neuer bring to passe for he let him see that they were all as drunken men and fooles without wit That in the end they should throw all their bookes away and be at a great confusion one with another That afterward viz. about the beginning of Easter terme last the Lorde brought him to London and howe he was made acquainted with Coppinger at that time as hath bene afore declared Howe after his departing out of the Citie from Coppinger he could not but remember him in his praiers desiring the Lord to reueale himselfe extraordinarily to him so that he might be encouraged to goe forwarde in the action whereupon as the saide Coppinger affirmed he had two extraordinarie seales in very short space after Hackets departure and was wonderfully strengthened to proceede in the cause Then is tolde howe the Lorde commanded him to goe from one place to another in and about the Citie for two daies space and howe he was commanded to raile against the saide two great Counsellors in diuerse places where he came Howe being in that time commanded to see the Lyons in the Tower he tooke the fiercest of them by the head and had none harme Then is tolde what Preachers in the Citie he heard and that going to heare one he sawe a surplesse lie in the Church whereupon he would not stay there That he went to certaine Preachers in prison to command them to deale faithfully in the Lordes busines And how he was commanded by God to deface the Armes of England in Kaies house in Knight-Rider streete Lastly it is saide that God hath appointed two others to deale for and with Hacket whome it will stand vpon to deale faithfully for the Lorde for they knowe what Hacket is and what shall followe if their counsels and directions be not followed Nowe if any shall meruaile howe such an absurd and ridiculous lying legend should seduce men of any consideration so earnest for a supposed Reformation and so exercised in praying and fasting let him remember not onely the effectuall but the efficacie it selfe of Illusion and the spirite of slumber falling by Gods secrete yet alwaies iust iudgement vpon the children of disobedience such as be wise in their owne conceites and not wise with sobrietie that they might beleeue lyes because they haue not beleeued the trueth and that they might aske and not obtaine because they aske not as they ought After Arthington on Thursday morning had ended his aforesaid Treatise of prophesie being the very day before their rising Coppinger tolde him that God the night before had enlightned him the said Coppinger who they all three were saying that Arthington had
nor rebuke them nor founde fault with the absurditie and blasphemie of their opinions and vnduetifulnesse of their speeches or danger of their purposes but onely warned them to bee wary c. least they might be illuded of the Deuill so leauing it at that time doubtfull whether hee allowed them to bee such extraordinarie men or no. In his sayde Narration hee further sheweth that hee asking Hacket when he sawe the two Gentlemen Hacket answered they had bene with him that Morning whiles he lay in his bed and had suddenly departed from him with one crie saying Christ is come Christ is come whereat he said he marueiled not knowing what was their meaning in the matter adding further that he had oft warned Coppinger to take heede of conceiuing too much liking of his owne spirituall gifts Scilicet whom he perceiued to bee rauished with an exceeding loue and extraordinarie care for the safetie of his Mistresse meaning the Queenes Maiestie who quoth Hacket is vndone and here is put an c. For you and all other Preachers shall bee damned vnlesse shee for her part and you for your partes doe speedily fall to Reformation Wigginton also saith further that Hacket either at that time or not long before did exhort him to deale faithfully in the Lordes businesse and that hee had heard Hacket pray sometimes before in strange tearmes as these and such like viz. Father I knowe thou louest me aswell as thou louest thine owne selfe Thus when Hacket had answered Wiggintons demaunds touching Coppingers and Arthingtons speeches as is afore set downe hee sayde hee woulde depart home into tbe Countrey yet hee woulde leaue worde behinde for his aduersaries to knowe in what place they should find him if they were disposed to cal for him And withal made great shew after his former wōted maner as thogh he neither feared Magistrate nor cared for any punishment nor doubted any danger to ensue vpon him for any thing he had done or sayd or should goe about Nowe touching some things markable in this Narration of Wiggintons First if Arthington say true in his confessions that Hacket published not himselfe to haue that office of Christ or his principall spirit till the very moment that they were to go into the Citie to proclayme as they did and if they went not vnto Hacket that day till they had first beene with Wigginton which seemeth to be true then could it not bee that Wigginton heard that of them two at that time which hee reporteth them to haue spoken in the first second third fourth article and therefore he was made acquainted with it before that time Secondly that which he maketh Hacket to fumble about somewhat doubtfully in answere to the fourth article touching the olde Magistrates that were gone and of newe doth argue that Wigginton was also made priuie to the intent of displacing all the olde Counsellers and placing of newe as was plotted by the conspirators Thirdly their lewde and malepart imputation of her Maiesties Honour to bee blemished and affirming shee was vndone though it had bene no more were matters of that qualitie that no duetifull or well aduised subiect woulde haue either concealed or so lightly passed ouer as hee did Fourthly it is probable that Hacket meant rather to haue mattocks turned into speares then contrariwise for I see no peaceable meanes that was thought on by them Fiftly wee may obserue that here is a Reformation mooued which vpon paine of damnation must bee vndertaken and that with all speede euen Nowe they say wherein others beside the Queene haue their partes to perfourme in erecting off it some whereof haue also extraordinarie giftes and callings to runne in that course of Reforming and Wigginton being yet a prisoner but belike put in hope of speedie deliueraunce by their meanes is appoynted a principall assistant to them yea and is made priuie vnto some matter for which Hacket thought he was not vnlike to be afterwarde sought for and which hee knewe might bee dangerous vnto him had hee bene such a man as any Magistrate punishment or danger might haue dismayed and yet not sought to bee reuealed by Wigginton vnto any Magistrate till vpon his examination it was founde out Lastly I obserue the Coggerie of the Reporter or else the lewde lying and contradiction to himselfe of that wretched seducer Hacket For in his answere to the fift and sixt articles hee knowes no degrees of glorie in heauen and yet in his answere to the eight hee assigneth more honour and higher places in heauen vnto some fewe that are the most forward then he doth vnto others But let vs goe on with the Narration of the principall action interrupted by occasion of the conferences had with Wigginton and of his report of them From Wiggintons lodging the sayde Coppinger and Arthington came directly to Hackets chamber in Walkers house at Broken Wharfe and there found the beast in bed after eight of the clocke where being enflamed they say with zeale out of all measure Coppinger began to pray at the beds feete and Arthington ioyned with him wherein they stoode much vpon their owne vnworthinesse c. but yet offered their obedience to doe as the Lord should direct them by his Spirit hauing already done so much as was enioyned them Whereupon Hacket came out of his bed and prayed with them in his shirt twise that the spirit might direct them and they likewise obey the same in all things to the glorie of God onely After Hackets latter prayer Coppinger offered to goe on in his prayer but the Deuilish spirite mooued Arthington to interrupt him and to charge him in the Name of the Lord Iesus to arise and annoynt the king with the holy Ghost Whereupon Coppinger streightway rose vp and three times kissed the boordes vnder his feete rising vp after euery time and making great reuerence with bowed knee and after the third time he came towards Hacket as he lay in his bed who put out his hand and tooke Coppinger by the hand Blasphemie and sayde You shall not neede to annoynt mee for I haue bene alreadie annoynted in heauen by the holy Ghost himselfe Then Coppinger asked him what his pleasure was to be done Goe your way both said he as Arthington reports and tell them in the Citie that Christ Iesus is come with his Fanne in his hand to iudge the earth And if any man aske you where he is tell thē he lies at Walkers house by Broken Wharfe if they will not beleeue it let them come kill me if they can for as truely as Christ Iesus is in Heauen so truely is he come to iudge the world Then Coppinger saide it shoulde be done forthwith and thereupon went forward and Arthington followed so readily the sayde Prophet of Mercie that hee had no leasure to take his gloues with him and yer Arthington coulde get downe the stayres Coppinger had begunne in the house below to proclaime newes
olde Senators or Counsellours of that estate and the two Consuls beeing the chiefe Magistrates and put others in their places and namely they called Cnipperdoling to bee one of their Consulles Then they fell to burne ryflle and deface the Churches and in plumpes went through the streetes crying Repent Repent and immediatly after Auoyde all yee wicked vpon perill of your liues Whereupon all the Anabaptists put themselues in Armes and according to their proclamation draue out of the Citie all whome they supposed not to be of their secte without regard either of age or sexe Insomuch as diuers womē with childe through the great throng and their ouerhastie departing pitifully miscaried This banishing proscription happened the very day afore the Bishop of the Citie being also temporall lord thereof planted his siege against the towne for reuolting from his obedience In the middest of all these outrages sundry calling themselues prophets did arise vp amongst them who pretended to haue extraordinarie callings gifts functions and reuelations from God the chiefe whereof was one Iohn Matthewe next to him was the said Iohn of Leyden and then Cnipperdoling Crecthing and some others This Matthew their principal Prophet charged euery man vpon paine of death to bring all his gold siluer moueable goods into a great common storehouse appoynted for that purpose to the ende they might be vsed bestowed in cōmon for so he protested to them it was the wil of his heauenly Father The people were greatly grieued with this rigorous Edict neuerthelesse they obeyed though sore against their wils Neither was it possible wtout great danger for any to conceale or hide any part from them because there were in the Citie two gyrles soothsayers that did reueale whatsoeuer was concealed at least so it was beleeued Then the sayde Matthewe commanded euery one to bring all his bookes whatsoeuer sauing the holy Bible to be publikely burned which was accordingly perfourmed Thus taking great confidence boldnesse that his hestes and aduises were so readily obeyed and had so good successe hee most insolently and cruelly thrust in with a Pike and after shotte in with a Harquebuze one Hubert Trueteling onely for a merie ieste that he made touching one of their Prophets Yet seeing that hee did not die thereof out of hand the sayde Prophet tolde them it was reuealed to him from heauen that Trueteling should liue and continue and that God had forgiuen him Neuerthelesse hee dyed of his wounds within fewe dayes after Then Matthewe got into his hand a long pyke and running hastily therewith through the Towne towards the gates he proclaymed as he went that God the Father had commanded him to beate backe all the enemies that besieged them from the towne But beeing met neere the campe by one onely souldier he was by him thrust through and so died And albeit the falsehoode of his forged prophesies was thus twise detected yet the other prophets his companions did so disguise the matter bewitch the people that they could not perceiue his coggeries but did rather much lament his death as a matter ominating some great mishap towards them for that so excellent a man was taken away Yet Iohn of Leyden comforted them saying that God had reuealed vnto him long before that Matthew should haue such an end and that he should marrie his widow Some few daies after Cnipperdoling also prophesied that high mountaines should be brought low and the poore and meane should be exalted and thereupon commanded all which was left standing of the Churches to be demolished euen with the ground assuring them and that with a constant setled grauitie and great earnestnesse that this commandement came from God himselfe in further accomplishment as may seeme of such his prophesie Iohn of Leyden gaue to the saide Cuipperdoling the sworde of execution and so made him the common hangman of the Citie that immediatly afore was Consull and chiefe Officer This office of Executioner belike vpon compact betweene them he willingly accepted and obeyed Leyden therein as the messenger of God Now after that some assaults had bene made against the Citie by the Bishops Armie besieging it albeit with no successe Iohn of Leyden layde him downe to rest and dreamed three dayes together Being awaked hee spake not a worde to any person but calling for paper writte downe the names of twelue men whereof some were in deede Gentlemen of blood who shoulde haue the soueraigne charge of all and should gouerne the Citie as the heads of the tribes did in Israel for so he sayd it was the heauenly Fathers will But hereby in very trueth he layde the foundation of a kingdome whereunto he aspired Then hee propounded vnto their reformed Preachers certaine articles to be resolued in by the Scriptures alone by which if they could not confute them then he would as he sayd put them vp vnto the people that by their authoritie they might be established The effect of them was that a man was not bound vnto one wife but might marry so many as him selfe lusted When their Preachers made some difficultie and sticking at it hee called them into the Counsell house together with the twelue new Gouernours or Elders Then he put off his cote and layde it and the new Testament downe together afore them swearing by those two as by assured tokens that the articles by him proposed were reueiled vnto him from heauen that God would neuer bee mercifull vnto them if they did not yeelde vnto them Hereupon they gaue their assents and after for three dayes together they preached of nothing but of marriage Then Leyden married three wiues one whereof was the widowe of their great Prophet Matthewe lately deceased and diuers other followed the like example as if it had bene a matter most allowable and lawdable But some of the Citizens of better disposition finding this course to be most abominable gaue a watch word through the towne for all that truely fauoured the Gospel without fantastical nouelties to come into the Market place where being assembled they apprehended Leyden Cuipperdoling and all the rest of their Prophets But when the common people were aduertised hereof they straightway tooke Armes and rescued the prisoners from them The people also layde handes on them which had apprehended their Prophets putting them to death with most exquisite tormentes namely they fastened fiftie of them vnto trees and shotte at them with harquebuzes their great Prophet all the while crying thus vnto them that he that would doe God good seruice should first shoote at them and others were put vnto sundry other seuerall kindes of death In the Moneth of Iuly that yeere a new prophet being a goldesmith by his trade did arise vp amongs them who hauing called the multitude together into the Market steede signified vnto them it was the will and commaundement of the heauenly Father that Iohn of Leyden should bee Emperour of all the earth and that hee marching forth with a
that whiles the wound was fresh and greene it might bee stitched on and grow againe as they conceiued it would to auoyd so fowle and great deformitie but the Canibal varlet not onely vtterly refused so to part with it but held it vp triumphantly and shewed it with great vaunterie and glorie to all that would behold it and after as some haue reported did in a most spitefull diuelish outrage eate it vp In processe of time it happened that his master fell out with him and put him from his seruice I thinke for no good conditions yet it is sayd that hee was retayned afterward in seruice by what meanes I knowe not with a very worshipfull gentleman Sir Charles Morrison knight nephew to his first master and one of those against whom hee lately caused his two small prophets so vily to exclaime and so vnwoorthily to charge euen openly in Cheapeside Besides his former vertues and good qualities this Hacket was also a verie great swearer and blasphemer of the name of God in his yonger yeares which course when afterward to retayne the reputation of a professor of the Gospell whereof hee made great pretence hee was forced to leaue hee turned his single oathes in trueth into worse and more horrible ioyned with most fearefull imprecations against himselfe when soeuer hee would make any asseuerations wherein he desired to be credited as namely these so God iudge mee I renounce God and God confound and damne mee or doe so or so vnto me if this bee not true which was so vsuall and by long custome so inueterate in him euen till the time of his apprehension that in the midst of his counterfeit holinesse whereby hee seduced Coppinger and Arthington hee often burst foorth into this kind of execration agaynst himselfe as an especiall motiue amongst others to haue his wordes to be better beleeued by thē Arthington noted this course of Hackets as a notable vertue in him and a matter of care zeale His maner saieth he of praying is as it were speaking to God face to face denouncing his iudgements agaynst himselfe if hee dissemble lie or seeke himselfe in any thing but the honour of God onely He prayed so confidently for maistresse H. that he charged God to haue giuen her vnto him to restore her to her former health and libertie euerie way saying Lorde according to thy promise thou hast power and I haue fayth therefore it shall come to passe This maistresse H. is a Gentlewoman of London who pretendeth or feareth to bee possessed with a diuell now foureteene yeeres together Besides these he was giuen to quaffing and drunkennesse being not onely a Maltster but a Malt-worme and was addicted also to lasciuious life with women which commonly accompanieth the other vicious excesse for credite whereof his owne storie or legend which himselfe endited as a notable monument of his excellent vertues and speciall holinesse may giue too sufficient testimonie for therein hee telleth of many temptations in this kind with women which as himselfe confesseth hee reiected not altogither but went further then either godlinesse or yet ciuill honestie would permit But he pretendeth that these baites were offered and laied by his enimies who sought matter against him as snares and trappes whereby to take his holinesse tardie that belike was so hard to be entangled Insomuch as Arthington in the forefront of that historie which hee did whiles hee was yet seduced by Hacket doeth stampe this brand and censure vpon it that they were prophane speeches and matters of women which hee would not haue set downe but that hee could not otherwise reueale the villanous practise which Hackets enemies intended for the ouerthrow of the Gospell of Christ as he most childishly and ridiculously excused then the matter For further proofe and manifestation of his lasciuious disposition it is also enformed from the place of his aboade that on a time vnder colour of giuing godly counsell hee attempted to haue wickedly rauished a poore mans daughter whereupon hee was forced to step aside out of the way for a season Neither did the wickednesse of this wretch here rest it selfe for hee was vehemently holden in suspicion for committing also of sundry robberies But that which maketh vp the heape of all wickednesse is this that the sinke of these sinnes in him hee alwayes smoothlie couered and parieted ouer especially for sundrie late yeeres with a very rare outward earnestnesse in profession of true religion and with a most entire yea burning desire of reforming forsooth the Church and common wealth by establishing the Presbyteriall Discipline which hee did imagine would prooue like the boxe of Pandora for it promiseth cure for all maladies and disorders But this his zeale and desire of reformation begun then most of all to enkindle it selfe in him and to breake foorth after that by riotous mispending and licentious life hee had wasted the wealth that he had with the widow whom hee maried whose hap was very hard to match with him albeit hee made more of her then shee desired for he made the vttermost penie For then hee begunne with counterfeit holinesse to set out himselfe amongst such of the simpler sort as had zeale without knowledge to bee a man indued with an extraordinarie and singular spirite such as in olde time the prophets and holy men of God were making shew withall as if he had some peculiar gifts and qualities to bee able euen to tell secrets and worke myracles which many beleeued whereof some did attribute them to sorcerie and enchauntments but the simpler sort vnto his rare spirite and holinesse For hee trusted by this perswasion to get such credite with the vnstable multitude as that by their hands he might one day bee able whosoeuer should withstand it to bring his purposes about for erecting of such pretended Discipline to his owne great estimation and aduauncement In this vayne and seduecing humour hee is reported I know not how truely to haue trauelled in the North partes vnto Yorke for among the simpler people where he was not knowen hee hoped by the visard of holinesse and religion not a litle to preuaile in setting forwards his designments For which purpose he tooke vpon him there the office and spirite of S. Iohn Baptist affirming that hee was sent thither by God to prepare the way of the Lord before his second comming to iudgement But the conterfeit holines lewd seducing purpose of the varlet being discouered vnto some in authoritie he was welcommed not with losse of his head as that holy mā vniustly was whom he wickedly counterfeited but was wel whipped after banished that city This medicine wrought not so effectually with him as that it could terrifie him wholy from the like attempts For it is reported that after this he assaied againe to put on the like person or maske at Lincolne where he also found the same cheere entertainment for his paines as he receiued afore at Yorke But this erroneous
danger to thine enemies Good Sir and my louing brother in the Lord though such as are admitted to consult with God haue by prayer meditation much familiaritie and acquaintance with his holy maiestie need not doubt of good successe in all things which he setteth them a worke in though Satan his vassals crosse their course hinder their labour by all the means they can yet is it also necessary that while we remain in the felowship communion of the saints that we communicate one with another that as louing children we may all ioyne togither to helpe each other to be doers of our heauenly fathers will here on earth as the angels do it in the heauens The conscience which I had hereof enforced me to write vnto you lately and the like mooued you to speake with mee vpon that letter And truely I did obserue many things in that litle time we spent together were sayd done which might mooue either of vs to prayse our good God to cheere vs vp Note to further so holy an action as now is in hand which must needs speed well in the end because it is the Lords owne worke And if we aduenture our selues to do him seruice here he will reward elsewhere You may be bold for you haue the warrant of the worde the allowance of the state and you walke in your owne calling But I am to be fearfull and circumspect because the dangers I enter into be infinite my course misliked though vnknowen because it is extraordinarie which callings be ceased in all mens opinion of iudgement and haue not of long time bene heard of or to bee hoped for but where the word is not preached at all or the Church in a great waste which no body dare affirme our Church of England to be Wherfore it seemeth that euery step that I shal make herein shall be vpon thornes therefore I am to feare pricking yet for all this I am not without hope neither is the same groūded but by good warrant The end why I write vnto you is this to intreat you to giue thanks to those holy mē all on my behalf who are now in questiō I haue reaped much benefit from them by their cariage towards me though they know it not for I durst not in regard of danger which might growe to them visite any of them since I found my selfe caried with a zeale to doe somewhat in the same cause for which they suffer If by some effects hereafter I may shew it that is it which I desire to doe and in the meane time doe what I can to perswade the saints that in this action I seeke Gods glory and not mine owne I haue bene heretofore put backe and disswaded from attempting any thing least I marred all by the wisest the learnedst the zealousest and holiest preachers of this Citie great causes and weightie reasons moouing thereunto But yet this will not make me leaue it but still I am enforced by little and little to labour to make my selfe fit to take vpon me the managing of it Wherefore if it please you to shew the other letter and this and beseech them from me to lay them before the Lord when they shall meete and ioyne togither in prayer and if the Lords spirite shall assure their spirites that he hath bene is and will be with me in this action how hard soeuer it seemeth to be let me by their meanes be vouchsafed this fauour that I may be allowed conferēce with the preachers of the Citie which sute I make not for that I would seeke to haue approbation from them or any other liuing creature but from God himselfe or that I purpose to doe that which heretofore I haue bene aduised vnto Note namely acquaint thē with the courses which I purpose by Gods assistance to take in hand whereby great danger might grow to them and little good to me but that my cariage towards them may witnes vnto them the humilitie of my mind and lowlinesse of my spirit care and conscience not to enter into the matter without offer to haue my gifts examined if they shal be supposed to be such as the church may haue vse of then let all holy means be vsed which shal be aduised to be fit to be done in such a dangerous time and weightie action So beseching God to gouern vs in all our wayes and preserue vs in all our dangers and supply vs with whatsoeuer we stand in need of I humbly and heartily commend you to God this 21 day of May 1591. The effect of the speeches which Coppinger had with him at their conference as the said gentleman himselfe reported was to commend the cause of the preachers committed to incourage him to the defence of it adding that it was the trueth of God that in the end it would preuaile Then the said Coppinger began to declare vnto him his reuelations his great fasting and prayer and how God had indued him with an extraordinarie grace of prayer perswasion or prophesie that God had appointed him as he was perswaded to reueale the will of God touching the reformation of his Church that he had an extraordinarie calling to doe good to the Church and what seuerall conflicts he had in himselfe before he yelded to this extraordinarie motion or calling from God Therefore his request was that by the sayd gentlemans meanes his gifts and calling might bee tried and allowed by those godly preachers c. What the preachers and others that were conferred with answered to Coppinger herein and whether more dutifully to the estate then warily so as they might neither as they thought endanger themselues nor kill or discourage the zeale of that their brother in so pretended holy a cause may partly by that which is afore spoken appeare and wee may then beleeue them when they shall tell vs the whole trueth thereof But how slender and cold discouragement he found with some preachers of London with whom hee delt touching his fantasticall extraordinarie calling and dangerous plots may also appeare by these words found in a letter of his viz. Good master L. as master E. former cariage in this action which standeth me much vpon to deale aduisedly in did somwhat trouble me so his Christian and louing answer deliuered now by you from him vnto me doth much comfort me A comfortable change though by reason of some particular businesse which I must necessarily follow I cannot attend till Friday in the after noone or Saturday any part of the day And after in the same letter thus Satan by his angelicall wisdom which he still retaineth doth many times preuaile with the holiest to make them feare good successe in the best causes in regard of the lets and hinderances which himself laieth in the way It cannot be denied but that the cause is good which I desire to be an actor in but it is sayd by some that it is
impossible that I should be fit to meddle therin So that here a christian louing answer to his great cōfort is giuē further conferēce by speech is offred the course not so much misliked as the succes only is doubted by reason of his vnfitnes that was to be an actor in it But what resolution herein was also returned from the preachers of foraine parts to this case of consciēce propounded by Coppinger may hereby not vnprobably be gathered Arthington at one of his examinations confessed that Penrie sent a letter vnto him forth of Scotland wherin he signified that Reformatiō for so they speake must shortly be erected in England herein he said that he tooke Penrie to be a prophet Now it is sure that Penrie conueied himself priuilie into England and was lurking about London at the self same time when these other prophets arose in Chepeside attending as seemeth the fulfilling of this his Prophesie al 's by their meanes How duetifully and aduisedly those that be subiects haue dealt which hauing intelligence hereof did conceale it till it burst forth of it selfe with apparant danger to her Maiestie and the whole state may thus be gathered For by this conceit of Coppingers you heare it is pretended and surmifed that a commendable cause a cause to be defended yea the very trueth of God which must preuaile is by the state suppressed and kept vnder that it is the will of God to haue such a reformation that impoachment of it is offered by the Queene Counsell and Nobles that this is a great sinne meete to be repented of by them that they must be brought to this repentance that the penaltie against any of them that refuse to be brought is to be detected as Traytors an offence deseruing death that this must bee done out of hand that the will of God in great fauour for the good of his Church was reuealed to him in this behalfe being a man of much fasting prayer rare gifts a prophet an extraordinarie man with an extraordinarie calling such as was not to be bee iudged of or discerned by meere ordinarie men and whereinto he entred not rashly or on a sudden but after many conflicts with himselfe before his yeelding to Gods extraordinarie motion and calling but submitting himselfe neuerthelesse to haue his gifts and calling tryed and allowed of by the best reformed Preachers and therefore not worthy to bee suspected or discredited that the way to bring them to this repentance was a secret mysterie such as those preachers and others whom he conferred with albeit they helde it a worke to bee wished at Gods hands yet by his talke gathered the maner of bringing it in to be so dangerous as that they feared the successe and refused to bee made accquainted with the particular wayes and meanes which hee had plotted to effect it Thereby making choise rather that Coppinger should venture to put it in practise if he remained resolute herein which they found by him of what dangerous consequence soeuer such a way might be then that they by bewraying of him to authoritie should bee any meanes to breake of and preuent his resolucion or quench his zeale And thus with opinion of safetie to themselues they merchandized the hasard of their friends life or els the rearing of sedition in the Realme with the hope that secretly they nourished to haue the Discipline which they dreame of erected Thus Coppinger remayning still more confirmed and selted in this veyne by his Pue-fellowe Wigginton about Easter terme last being as is aforesayd brought acquainted with Hacket as with a most holy man soone after would needes bring Arthington also acquainted with him as one whom vpon so small knowledge he had obserued to bee a very rare man For this purpose hee sent for Arthington to dinner or supper vnto Lawsons house necre to Paules gate where Arthington met first with Hacket together with another whom he calleth a godly man of whose ordinary talke then had Arthington liked very well but had as he saith at that time no further conference with him After which time Arthington discontinued from the Citie remained in Yorkeshire vntil Trinitie terme leauing Hacket and Coppinger behinde him piotting of their purposes together what purposes they had what counsell they entred into and what conferences they entertained betwixt themselues and with others by the euents ensuing will best bee discouered After this Hacket stayed not long in London but desired Coppingor at his departure to write vnto him what successe I. T. had withall assuring him that whensoeuer he should write for him he the said Hacket would streight way come vp againe Hereupon Coppinger writte vnto him first at the end of Easter terme and after againe very earnestly to be at London three dayes before the beginning of Trinitie terme last but he coulde not bee heere so soone by three or foure dayes When he was come he lodged the first night at Islington but sent his horse downe againe into the countrey as purposing to stay long in London Then after a night or two one of which nights hee lodged at the sayd Lawsons house by Wiggintons direction hee was prouided of a chamber and of his boord at one Ralfe kates house in Knight-rider streete by Coppingers meanes and at his charges for he cost Coppinger there eleuen shillings by the weeke But Kayes waxing weary of him in part for that he feared Hacket was a coniurer or witch in that the Camomill he saith in his Garden where Hacket either trode or sate did wither vp the next night and waxed blacke therfore Coppinger prouided at his own charges like wise an other roome for him at one Walkers house by Broken wharfe where he remained vntill his apprehension Whiles Hacket was at Kayes house he vsed before after meales to pray as seemed most deuoutly and zealously but neuer for the Queenes Maiestie Hacket also tolde Kayes that if all the Diuines in England should pray for raine if hee sayde the word yet it should not rayne The first of the aforesayde letters which Coppinger writte vnto Hacket to mooue him to come vp doeth containe matter of note besides not vnfit to be knowen Brother Hacket saith he the burden which God hath layde vpon mee you being the instrument to make me bolde and couragious where I was fearefull and faint is greater then I can beare without your helpe here though I haue it where you are The workings of his holy spirite in me since your departure bee mightie and great my zeale of spirit burneth like fire so that I cannot conteine my selfe and conceale his mercies towardes mee And a little after in the same letter Master Thr is put off till the next tearme the zealous preachers as it is thought are to be in the Starre Chamber tomorowe the Lord by his holy Spirit bee with them my selfe if I can get in am mooued to be there Note and I feare if sentence with seueritie be
the death of certaine the Lords of the Councell when they should bee at the Starre-chamber in case they should giue any iudgement against certaine that were sometime Preachers and are now prisoners for misdemeanors perillousto the peaceable state of the Realme as is intended That this deuilish purpose was rise amongs them may appeare by a letter sent by Coppinger in Trinitie terme last vnto the aforenamed Lancaster In which was contayned to this effect that if the Lordes should giue a hard censure against those parties the next day if God shewed not such a fearefull iudgement against some of those Lordes as that some of them should not go aliue out of that place then neuer trust him And albeit some that sawe this letter could not picke any further matter out of it then Coppingers conceipt that God without some speedie and miraculous iudgement from himselfe alone would not suffer such men to bee punished yet Lancaster to whome it was directed iustly suspected some further meaning and that the concealing of it might be both accounted vnduetifull and further also dangerous vnto him and therefore asked counsell of some more skilfull then himselfe whether hee might safely suppresse it and teare the letter in pieces Another deuise they also had for preparing as is supposed of the mindes of the people and to stirre them vp to be in readines which was by certaine seditious letters that were purposely scattered fiue or sixe nights afore in many of the streetes of London by some of these actors or by their complices and fauourers Likewise there was found in Wiggintons chamber in the prison where hee remayneth about a thousande printed Pamphlets of two sortes the one of Praedestination the other carrying an odde and needelesse title to euery man that knoweth but the Author For it is entitled on the first side in great letters thus viz. The Fooles bolte and immediatly vnder that title this sentence is set downe worthie to be duely considered with all his circumstances now apparant viz. Such as doe surmize the complaynt of Innocencie to bee reuenge and the report of Trueth to be slaunder shall neuer want the due reward of their grosse errour whilest Innocencie and Trueth shall endure On the other side of the sheete the title is A fatherly exhortation to a certaine yong courtier The matter thereof is conceiued into an halting ryme rouing lewdly not only at the gouernours Ecclesiastical and at other Ministers but also at sundry hauing ciuil authoritie and high places Amongs the rest the first two staues and last staue are most perillous if ye respect the present action these persons had in hand their opinions of this state and the base condition and state of the chiefe of them The first are these viz. My sonne if thou a Courtier sue to bee In flowre of youth this lesson learne of mee A Christian true although he be a clowne May teach a king to weare scepter and crowne And in the last staue are these viz. For God will sure confound such as deuise His ordinance or Church to tyrannize c. These papers Wigginton by the meanes and helpe of one Browne procured priuily to be printed at Whitsontide last and being examined touching them by her Maiesties Counsell and others he confessed that they were all to be sent to women the weaker vessels viz. to Mistress L. Mistresse B. and to I knowe not how many Mistresses by them to be dispersed abroade to the intent that euery one to whom they might come should conceiue of them as the spirit should moue them And Hacket also confessed that a part of certaine writings which Wigginton and Coppinger framed was that a Clowne might teach a King to weare a Crowne Now that Wigginton held intelligence in these matters with the conspirators and that there was mutuall and ordinarie correspondence betwixt him and them in all plots for aduancing of their Discipline per fas nefas besides that which in this behalfe hath bene touched afore is made also manifest by the confession of Arthington who saith that about the fifteenth of Iuly or not long before hee heard Hacket singing of certaine songs who then wished that Arthington had also some of them for it was a very speciall thing and said he M. Wigginton hath a great many of them Also Coppinger had once conference with Wigginton in the presence of Arthington touching his extraordinarie calling At what time it is pretended that Wigginton refused to bee made acquainted with the manner of Coppingers secrets and that he vsed these speeches to Coppinger vz. You are knowen to be an honest Gentleman and sworne to the Queene and therefore I will not be acquainted with those things which God hath reuealed vnto you for the good of your Soueraigne And his opinion of such extraordinary callings set downe vnder his owne hand doth else-where appeare whereby is argued that he was made a common oracle for such fantastiques that he knewe the matter in generalitie which by Coppinger was to be wrought vpon the Queene to bring her forsooth to repentance howsoeuer he refused to knowe the particular manner of such secrets that hee acknowledged it to bee good for the Queene and yeelded it without scruple to bee reuealed vnto Coppinger from God so that it could not be but that Coppinger hereby was much animated to goe forward in his conceiued wickednesse Besides Wigginton taketh knowledge as appeareth by a paper of his owne hand writing found in his Chamber that Hacket had defaced the Queenes armes and had vttered dangerous wordes importing himselfe to be a King and his mislike of all Kings now raigning since his last cōming to London Hacket further declared vnto M. Young on the 24. of Iuly that he was once in companie of two Gentlemen and of Mistris Walker and Mistris Lawson with Wigginton in his Chamber where and when he heard Wigginton say that if the Magistrates doe not gouerne well the people might drawe themselues together and to see a Reformation This dangerous opinion of his may bee also gathered out of a letter of his owne hande writing found with him being dated the sixth of Nouember last wherein he thus writeth M. Cartwright saith he is in the Fleete for refusall of the oath as I heare and M. K. is sent for and sundry worthie ministers are disquieted who haue bene spared long So that wee looke for some bickering ere long and then a battaile which cannot long endure A fourth purpose of theirs was not onely to make an alteration in the state of Church-gouernement and to plant in euery congregation their Elderships or Consistorie of Doctor Pastor and certaine laye Elders with the appurtenances but also to change the Ciuill policie of this Realme For which consideration they meant to displace all the Lords and others of the priuie Counsell therefore in their speeches and writings touching these Counsellors they vsed of late no title of honour but their bare names and surnames or els
their names with this addition Late L Ch. or late L. Tr. as if they were already disautorised and in their steads they had nominated and set downe certaine others in trueth very honorable and worshipfull persons that should be counsellors of whome euery honest man neuerthelesse is perswaded that they detest both these and all other such vile seditious and fanaticall persons and courses Coppinger not long afore their rising as it seemeth penneda letter to haue bene sent to the one of the aforesayde honorable personages In this letter he chargeth a great worthy Counsellor vsing onely his Christian name and sirname that he together with his hellish and infernall companions for so he raueth had comitted treason in the hiest degree against her Maiestie He desireth that honorable personage to effect that the said Counsellor himselfe and two others of the Lords messengers may be brought before the Queenes Maiestie and if he be not prooued a traitor to God and her then let me saith he for my pride and presumption be hanged at the Courtgates Then he exclaimeth against another great Counsellour terming him but by his bare name likewise to whō he had sent letters copies to haue bin shewed to her Maiestie and there sheweth himselfe greatly offended with him because hee was not as he hoped brought to her Royal presence adding thus therto but he the rest saith he of her wicked Counsellers Note vngodly magistrats shal be forced to acknowledge what they are worthy to haue the Lord pardō their soules for in their outward man they must be punished though they repent a litle after thus I doe aduise also that euery one of her Counsell be cōmanded to keepe their house or chamber for feare of stirre or danger Then he doth appoint to her Maiestie a new Counsel aduising that Wigginton a man in more fauour he saith with God then any man of his calling whatsoeuer be cōmanded to be neere her highnesse to pray to God or to preach priuatly By the like resolute vaine Arthington also chargeth the sayde Counsellor as deepely and vpon the like greater penaltie to himselfe in a supplication penned by him to haue bene sent to her Maiestie But I will giue you a taste how friuolously vpon what fond proofes he groundeth his accusation to the end it may appeare that this was but a colourable pretense wherein they reposed to great suretie of successe but hoped at length thereby to haue brought themselues and Hacket to her Maiesties presence The issue he tendereth is this That if in her Maiesties presence he prooue not the saide Counsellor to be the most dangerous enemie that was discouered since her highnesse reigne then let his body and soule be for euer damned Prouided alwaies that if her Maiestie cannot by his euidence iudge him the said Counsellor to be so bad as he makes report of him yet that she would giue him the saide Arthington leaue in her sacred Presence to fight the combat of praier with him Newe Triall by combat in prayer wherin if it please him saith Arth. I wil first begin to pray against my selfe that if he be not as deepely guiltie as I haue charged him then that Gods vengeance may presently consume me both body soule into hell for euer which if it come to passe the victorie shal be his he returne an innocent But if he see me leape vp for ioy as one that hath discouered him to be a traitor then if he dare fal down in like sort make the same praier that the like vengeance may fal vpō himself if he be so deepely gilty as I haue charged him if Gods vengeance fall not vpon him before he depart out of her presence let me be hangd drawn quartred for laboring to empeach a Counsellors credit but if he dare not thus enter the listes with me before her Maiestie let him be holden guiltie Their last most damnable designment of al was the depriuatiō of her sacred Maiesty frō her Crown dignity the destructiō of her Royal person whom the eternal God in mercy long preserue to the confusion of all seditious wretches her enemies of all sorts The very particular principall meanes how these diuelish purposes were meant to be effected by them Arthington now saith that they were not opened vnto him pretending that though the other two seemed willing to haue imparted some of their secretes vnto him yet himselfe was alwayes vn willing to heare any of them But for the speciall meanes that Coppinger had plotted to bring the Q. Maiestie Counsel to repentance he saith that this was a secret mystery as Hacket Coppinger affirmed to him which they would keepe to themselues were so enioyned of the Lord. But whether soeuer the way to effect these was ment by some open violence or secret practise sure it is that popular tumult was not the least meanes they trusted of to bring them to passe which they hoped to stirre vp by their pretence of so great holinesse with calling the Realme to repentance in the open streetes of London by offering ioyes and mercie to the penitent and by their Proclamation also then made in Chepeside as hereafter commeth to be declared Now that these their two last purposes were in deede the principal maine ends which they propounded to themselues besides that which by the way is noted already that which comes hereafter to be mentioned let these fewe proofes ensuing suffice First for the alteration of the whole gouernment Ecclesiasticall and erecting of the new Discipline It is confessed that Coppinger Arthington the two counterfeit prophets on the 16. of Iuly last being Friday and the selfe same day that they arose in Cheapeside tolde Wigginton in the morning these words amongst many others vz. That reformation the Lords Discipline should now forthwith be established therefore charged Wigginton in the Lords name to put all Christians in comfort that they shoulde see a ioyfull alteration in the state of Church-gouernment shortly To which wordes Wigginton made no reply nor further demaund as of any matter strange vnto him how it was so shortly to be compassed Wherein may also be obserued that these kinde of persons doe recken and terme onely those Christians that will take comfort andioy at such an alteration So that by their opinions it skilleth not what be attempted or done against all others being but as Heathens and Paynims or at least Idolalaters Thus much with their seditious purposes also is plainely implied in a dangerous letter written by the said Coppinger since Easter last vnto one Iohn Vdale a condemned man for Felonie in the White Lyon in Surrey for writing of the booke termed the Demonstration of Discipline that letter beginneth thus Right reuerend Sir my forbearing to visite you and the rest of the Saints who suffer for righteousnesse sake doe giue you all cause to thinke that I haue forsaken
my first loue and haue embraced the God of this world But my conscience beareth mee witnesse of the contrary the reason of mine absence being so great and so weightie that hereafter when they shal be examined by your selues who are indued with the spirit of wisdome and discerning of spirits I doubt not but you will allowe of my not cōming Note which might bring you into more trouble and danger then it would do me good or breede me comfort And afterward thus You haue care conscience to further the building of the Lords house which lieth waste and to seeke the finall ouerthrow of Antichrists king dome which being the Lords owne worke hee will blesse it and all the actors in it And this I dare be bold of mine own knowledge to report that in this great worke he hath diuers that lie hid and are yet at libertie who are hammering their heads busying their braynes and spending their spirits in prayers to God as much as you or any of you that are in prison Note and hope in short time to he brought forth into the sight of their and your enemies to defend the cause you stand for And againe afterward in this wise I beseech you cheere vp your selues in the Lord for the day of our redemption is at hand and pray that the hand of the Lord may be strengthened in them Note whom he hath appointed to take part with you in this cause and beseech him that blessing may be vpon Sion and confusion vpon Babel Pardon my long letter I beseech you and impart mine humble sute to all the rest to whom I neither dare write nor offer to see I neither put to my name nor make subscription the bringer can report who sendeth the letter and let that suffice Furthermore that they hated deadly and maligned her Maiestie as a principall obstacle to their innouation and kingdom and therefore sought to depriue her highnes of her Soueraigntie and life may be gathered by their owne words and actions for Hacket confessed before the other two that at a sermon of one Egertons preaching in the Blacke Friers whither they vsually resort he the sayd Hacket remayned vncouered all the sermon tyme vntill the preacher came to pray for her Maiestie but then hee sayd that hee put on his hat And when Arthington demaunded why he did so Copping streight way answered thus There is a matter in that Likewise when as in their priuate praiers among themselues Arthington vsed to pray for the Queene Coppinger would sundry times tell him that his so doing did much grieue Hacket adding that in the beginning himselfe did also pray for her but Hacket had now drawen him from it saying there was a cause why which Arthington knew not but should know hereafter For saieth he you doe not know this man meaning Hacket who is a greater person then shee and in deed aboue all the princes in the world And when as on the very Sundry before their rising for so themselues haue since termed that action it hapned that Arthington prayed againe for the preseruation of the Queenes Maiestie Hacket not digesting this suddenly with indignation turned his face away from him but when hee prayed for other matters then Hacket cast his countenance towardes him agayne which he perceiuing that Arthington also marked by him and purposing as it seemeth to salue vp this matter agayne least Arthington happely might yet haue fallen from them therefore when they had ended their prayers Hacket tooke him with his armes about the middle in very kind sort affirming that hee loued the Queene as well as either of them and desired him not to bee offended for the Lord had commaunded it adding further that there was a matter in it that Arthington as yet knew not Hereupon Coppinger being in hearing thereof sayd that she might bee prayed for in generall termes but not so specially as Arthington did whereby Hacket was grieued nor yet to bee prayed for as a Soueraigne for sayd hee shee may not raigne as Soueraigne Note but this man Hacket and yet saieth hee shee shall liue better then euer shee did albeit shee must bee gouerned by another thereby also meaning Hacket And to the intent they might the more assuredly retaine Arthington without suspicion of their poisonfull malice wherein they boyled against the Queenes highnesse Hacket himselfe once after this time verie subtilly prayed for her Maiestie For proofe that they also meant to depriue her of life the seuerall confessions of Arthington at sundrie examinations may bee alleaged Whereby vpon that which hee heard and knew is confessed that hee is verilie perswaded Hacket meant her Maiestie should haue bene depriued both of kingdome and life which hee also gathered by Coppingers letters albeit hee denieth that hee was euer made acquainted by what speciall meanes it should be done Thus hauing in some part described the qualities perswasions in opinion familiaritie inducements vnto mutuall crediting one of another exercises and designments of these persons it resteth to goe on with the narration of the rest of the action for better persiting vp of this historie Hacket on a time recounting vp vnto the other two his torments which hee pretended to haue endured told how amongst others one Pigge a preacher did so beate him with rods at a place in Hartfordshire whiles hee lay bound there in a sinke hole that this cost him the sayd Hacket more deare then all the rest of his torments because thereby hee was enforced to suffer for all hypocrites also adding thereunto that all their best preachers so they terme such as thirst after and perswade innouations were no better in very trueth then Hypocrites neuerthelesse hee would hee sayd daily heare them preach Hereupon Arthington tooke occasion to tell him that hee could prooue all such preachers to bee Hypocrites and Idolaters both albeit of ignorance because they doe yeeld in some sort to the commaundements of the gouernours and vnto the lawes of this Church that they may be tollerated to preach This pleased Hacket so exceedingly well as that he beganne highly to esteeme of Arthington and hereby the rather he thought good that Arthington should be made acquainted with their letters For about tenne dayes before their rising Arthington saieth that Coppinger did greatly importune him to read the letters which he and Hacket had written if it were but to see the stile assuring him they tended to nothing else but to make a way to acquaint her Maiestie with their secrets So that when Arthington sawe so great Counsellors so resolutely thereby charged with matter of so high qualitie by Coppinger especially her Maiesties sworne seruant hee was induced to beleeue it and to thinke they had some very good ground thereof Arthington also with great contentment vnto Hacket framed certaine Syllogismes I beleeue in a lewd Moode and in an vnperfect and fond Figure to prooue forsooth one of the sayd honourable Counsellors whom hee and Coppinger
therefore be put to death but as sure as God is in heauen the sworde shall not come neere to hurt vs neither shall any man bee able to touch the least haire of any of our heads Thus the meane time for the most part thereof from Friday the 16. of Iuly vntill Munday seuennight after being spent in examinations it was thought good that Hacket should then come to his triall on which day being the 26. of Iuly hee was brought from Bridewell to the Sessions house neere Newgate before the Lord Maior the Lord Wentworth Sir Gilbert Gerrard knight Master of the Rolles Sir Wolstane Dixie and Sir Richard Martin knight M. Sergeant Fleetwood Recorder of London M. Daniel and others in that Commission where after the graund Iurie was empannelled the witnesses that shoulde giue euidence sworne and two seuerall Indictments against him found Hacket was willed to holde vp his hand which he did then the first Indictment was read being of this tenor being turned into English viz. The Iurie doe present for the Queene London ss that William Hacket late of Oundell in the Countie of Northampton yeoman as a false traytor against the most excellent and Christian Princesse our Soueraigne Ladie Elizabeth by the grace of God of England France and Ireland Queene defender of the faith c. his naturall Soueraigne liege Ladie hauing not the feare of God in his heart nor weighing his due alleageance but seduced by the instigation of the Deuill maliciously traiterously compassing imagining deuising and intending the depriuation and deposing of our said Soueraigne Ladie Elizabeth from her honor and royall name of the Imperial Crowne of this Realme of England on the 21. day of Iuly in the 33. yeere of the reigne of our Soueraigne Ladie Elizabeth nowe Queene of England at London that is to say in the parish of S. Brides in the ward of Farringdon extra London and diuers other dayes times betwixt the 12. of Februarie last past and the 25. day of Iuly in the said 33. yeere of her Maiesties reigne aswell in the parish and ward aforesaid as els where in London aforesaid of his own peruerse and traiterous minde and imagination maliciously expresly aduisedly directly and traiterously in the presence hearing of sundry faithfull subiects of our said Soueraigne Lady these false malicious and traiterous English wordes following concerning our sayde Soueraigne Lady the Q. Maiestie falsly maliciously aduisedly expresly directly and traiterously saide rehearsed published and spoke viz. That the Q. Maiesties meaning thereby our said Soueraigne Lady Q. Elizabeth was not Queene of England and that the Queenes Maiestie meaning thereby our saide Soueraigne Q. Elizabeth did represent al hypocrisie and had forfeited her Crown and was worthie to bee depriued and that he had bene of that opinion these foure yeeres and that he defaced her Armes in Kayes house thereby meaning the house of one Ralph Kayes situate and being in Knight-rider streete in the parish of S. Gregorie neere Paules in the ward of Baynards Castle London to take away her whole power of her authoritie and was mooued thereunto by the spirit and that he neither was nor is sorie therefore to the great scandall and derogation of the person and Royaltie of our sayd Soueraigne Ladie the Queene and to the subuersion of the state of this Realme of England and contrary to the forme of a statute in this case made and prouided and also against the peace of our said Soueraigne Lady her Crowne and dignities c. Being asked whether he were guiltie to this Indictment or not he confessed and pleaded guiltie adding this All must be as you will Whereupon M. Attourney generall desired for the Queene his confession of the Indictment might be entred Then Hacket being againe bidden to holde vp his hand he did so accordingly whereupon the seconde Indictment was read being in English as followeth viz. The Iurie presents for the Queene London ss That William Hacket late of Oundell in the Countie of North-hampton Yeoman as a false traitor against the most excellent and Christian Princesse our Soueraigne Ladie Elizabeth by the grace of God of England Fraunce and Ireland Queene defender of the faith c. Hauing not the feare of God in his heart nor weying his due allegeance but seduced by the Instigation of the Deuill and intending wholly to withdrawe put out and extinguish the heartie loue and the true and due obedience which a true and faithfull subiect of the Queenes shoulde beare and by lawe is bound to beare towardes our sayde Soueraigne Ladie the Queene The first day of Iuly in the three and thirtieth yeere of the Reigne of the sayde Queene at London in the parish of Saint Gregories neere Pauls in the ward of Castle-Baynard London falsly maliciously and traiterously intented imagined went about and compassed the sayde Queene his Soueraigne and naturall liege Ladie not onely from her Royall state title power and gouernement of this Realme of England vtterly to depriue depose cast downe and disherit but also to bring and put the sayde Queenes Maiestie to death and finall destruction and sedition in the sayde Realme of England to raise vp leauie and make and also wholly to subuert and destroy the state of this whole Common wealth being in and throughout euery part thereof well constituted and ordered And to the intent hee might fulfill and bring to passe those his aforesayde trayterous purposes imaginations compassings and intents the sayde William Hacket afterward that is to say the sayde first day of Iuly in the three and thirtieth yeere of the reigne of the Queenes Maiestie that nowe is did come to the mansion house of one Ralph Kayes situate and being in Knight-rider streete in the sayde Parish of Saint Gregorie in the ward aforesayde and then and there maliciously deuilishly and trayterously rased and defaced the Armes of the Queenes Maiestie then and there in the sayde house being with this intent trayterously to take away put downe and ouerthrowe the power of authoritie of the sayde Queene And that the sayde William Hacket for further accomplishing and effecting of his said traiterous purposes imaginations compassings and intents the said first day of Iuly in the said 33. yeere of her Maiesties reigne in the house of the sayde Ralph Kayes situate in the parish and ward aforesayde did trayterously raze a certaine picture of the Q. Maiesties then and there in the said house likewise being and then and there did maliciously and traiterously put in and thrust an yron Instrument into that part of the sayde picture that did represent the Brest and Hart of the Q. Maiestie And afterward that is to say on the 16. day of Iuly in the 33. yeere of the reigne of the Q. Maiestie that now is the sayde W. Hacket trayterously came to the house of one Iohn Walker situate and being in the parish of S. Marie Sommersets in the ward of Queene-hithe in London aforesaide with intent traiterously to
this behalfe vnto him as they doe And albeit they will not absolutely in iudgement denie the lawfulnesse of an othe before a magistrate yet if their sundrie and variable positions in this point be marked they doe in effect wholy repeale the vse of it For doe not some of them plainly refuse to take an othe whereby they may be vrged to discouer any thing which may either be penall to themselues or to their Christian brother and so in effect denie it altogether Doe not others of them refuse to tel any thing that is criminall concerning any other person though perhaps they will doe it against themselues especially when they thinke it is afore discouered and knowen Doe not some of them refuse an othe simplie yea and to answere without othe either affirmatiuely or negatiuely but doe will their accusers to stand foorth Doe not others deny to take an othe except euery particular question be afore made knowen vnto them a matter impossible because sundry questions that shall be asked doe arise foorth of the matter of the answere And doe not sundry of them albeit they yeeld to detect by othe both their own others offences yet denie to reueale any thing whereof they are asked if thēselues be perswaded the matter demanded of be none offence And so they do hang obedience to lawes allegeance and duetie of subiects vpon euery particular mans conceit euē as he by circumstances or his own fond perswasion shall list to measure matters Do they not resolutely hold that summapotestas the chiefe and Soueraigne power in all church-causes belongs to a Presbyterie who though they may consult yet may not determine matter of any moment without the allowance of the people Had not these conspirators a like opinion to those of Munster that the principall spirit of Christ being in Hacket hee was come with his fanne to seuer and dispatch out of the way all the wicked and vngodly from the good and godly Hath it not bene set downe by an English subiect and twise printed with singular allowance of the English Arch-prophet of discipline for found and holie diuinitie that it is Gods ordinance to haue in euery kingdom certain chiefe officers like Ephori in Lacedamon who should haue authoritie to depose kings though they come vnto it by lawfull succession if they shall iudge them to be tyrants Did not Wigginton deliuer for sound doctrine that if the Magistrates did not gouerne well the people might draw themselues together and to see a Reformation Doe not these kind of persons like wise slander the Prince and state with persecution of the saints and of innocent men because they are a little restrained from running on in their seditious courses Did not these conspirators also hold that now in these later times Christ by his principall spirit imparted vnto Hacket should raine and erect an externall kingdom on earth in the world And did they not fansie that euen at that time the Gospell with their discipline should be vniuersally established and all the vngodlie abolished Doe not all of the Disciplinarian secte holde that to the very being of baptisme and without which it is of no more force in any case then the nurses washing it is required that it be administred by a lawfull Minister thereby derogating not onely from the true baptisme of thousands but also of all whomesoeuer that were baptised by Popish sacrificing Priestes themselues and from all that haue receaued baptisme of such as were baptised by them whereupon must needes followe necessitie of rebaptization or else that it were lawfull to neglect and contemne that Sacrament and high mysterie of our saluation Lastly do they not make great shewes and many pretenses for all their vnsound and absurd opinions that they are taken from the holie and sacred written word of God which by this meanes they make to be of priuate interpretation and do not reduce their senses vnto it when they reade Scripturas ad suum non suum sensum ad Scripturas adducunt but doe wickedly captiuate the Scripture vnto their owne senses and meanings euen as in this behalfe Coppinger or Arthington did first take vpon them an extraordinarie calling and were afterward charged by Hacket to reade ouer the whole Bible there to finde an approbation of it God of his infinite mercie forgiue and turne the hearts of all that trouble his Church from running wel or that impugne his ordinance and such as are set ouer them and restraine or roote out all fantasticall errours fanatical spirites which the enuious man from time to time doeth sowe amongs the good wheate that holding the vnitie of the spirite in the bond of peace we may all meete together in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God vnto a perfite man and vnto the measure of the age of the fulnes of Christ and so speedily and ioyfully meete him our bridegrome in the cloudes with our heades lifted vp and full of comfort and so reigne with him for euer through the same Iesus Christ our Lorde to whome with the Father the Holie Ghost one eternall immortall inuisible and onely wise God be all honour praise glorie and dominion now and for euer Amen * ⎠*
giuen I shall be forced in the name of the great and fearefull God of heauen to protest against it my desire is that you haste vp so soone as you can your charges shall be borne by mee And some what after thus If his most holy Spirit direct you to come come If not stay but write with speede and conuey your letter and inclose it in a letter to him who brought you and mee acquainted vz. Wigginton put not your name to it for discouery direct your letter thus To my louing brother in the Lord giue these my letters I put to no name but the matter you know which sufficeth Pray that the Lord may reigne and that his subiects may obey that all instruments whatsoeuer that shall be vsed may bee furnished with such giftes and graces as euery one haue or shall haue neede of that it may appeare that the action now in hand is his owne and therefore he will prouide safety for his holy ones and destruction for those who are vessels of wrath who haue accomplished the number of their sinnes which call for vengeance from heauen These letters Hacket caried to Pamplin scholemaster of Oundell to be read vnto him for that himself could neither write nor reade but I haue not yet heard that he complained thereof to any in authoritie When Arthington also about the midst of Trinitie terme last was returned to London Coppinger hearing therof came to his lodging and then with many words extolled and magnified Hacket vnto him for the holiestman that euer was Christ only excepted one that trauailed together with him for the good of the Queene the land but after an extraordinary maner and not both by one meanes And albeit Arthington as now he saith desired them to keepe their secrets to themselues and not to trouble him with them who had other businesse to attend yet Coppinger importuned him so as hee coulde not auoyde but yeelde to heare Hacket pray before them as a man of a singular spirit albeit vtterly vnlearned of the booke The first prayer of his that Arthington heard was about foure or fiue weekes before their apprehension All which prayers conceiued by Hacket euen since his apprehension the sayde Arthington praysed to be so diuine sweete and heauenly that thereby he was drawen into a great admiration of him In all the praiers that Hacket made in his presence Arthington obserued this difference from other mens that he vsually therein desired the Lord to confounde him if he did not seeke onely his honour and glorie in all things which Arthington marking from time to time in him and seeing him still to be so perfitly sound and very wel was thereby drawen together with Coppingers wordes and experience of him to recken and esteeme of him as of a most holy man This lesson of wishing themselues confounded his sayde two schollers by imitation did so perfitly learne of him that to the great astonishment and horror of such that afterward examined them they vsed this execration wishing themselues confounded and damned if they said not the trueth in euery matter whereof they made any asseueration and wherein they desired to be credited thinking as Arthington confesseth that whatsoeuer the spirit as he fansied tolde him was a trueth he was bound to binde it vpon his saluation or damnation These being ioyned with the relation of certaine extreme torments which Hacket had signified vnto them that he suffred not onely outwardly by the instigation of certaine noble and worshipfull persons as he vntruely made them beleeue but more grieuously a great deale hee sayde by suffering whatsoeuer either Deuils in hell Sorcerers or Witches in earth could practise against him all which he pretended to haue endured for triall and proofe that the Gospell was the true Religion against Poperie and all other sects did so deepely astonish or rather infatuate them that after great fasting and prayer vsed which fasting they vsually performed on the Sabboth dayes they all did resolutely conclude that if Hacket indured in trueth all these torments and practises against him for so holy an ende no doubt hee was a man which shoulde not onely establish the Gospell in all kingdomes but all Kings and Princes should also yeelde their scepters vnto him and hee shoulde bee established chiefe king ouer all Europe Reasoning thus with themselues that surely the Lord had some great good to be done by him that had indured so much for his sake Nowe this was the opinion which to haue firmely planted in them two as in deede it was first in Coppinger and afterward in Arthington was the mayne scope and drift as may seeme of all Hackets cunning counterfaiting of so much holinesse pietie zeale and religion To worke this he handled his actions so warily with them that Coppinger seriously once auouched vnto Arthington how himselfe had by good experience found that God would denie vnto Hacket nothing which he prayed for or desired and namely protested that Hacket begged of God in a drought that was not long afore their apprehension a showre of rayne and that it was presently sent in good aboundance Coppinger also so firmely beleeued Hacket that he tolde his owne man Emerson how Hacket being imprisoned the boltes would often fall off his heeles miraculously But for proofe that such incredible torments were in deede susfered by Hacket he appealed herein to some of the Nobilitie and to diuers others both of worshippe and good credite This did Coppinger further confirme vnto Arthington saying that Master Wigginton also did iustifie the trueth of the torments that Hacket suffered and could doe it with a hundred honest witnesses moe if neede required And Arthington himselfe also once heard Wigginton pitifully tell how great and extreme torments Hacket had indured But being asked by them why hee was so tormented and how these could tend to proue the Gospel to be the onely true religion Hacket answered them thus that his tormentors the better to colour their lewde purposes and malice gaue out and surmised him to be out of his wits but the trueth was sayde he that being once at table with one G. H. an obstinate Papist and reasoning which was the true religion I defending this which we now professe to be the trueth against Poperie and all other sectes amongst other speaches I protested vpon my damnation that this was the trueth and withall prayed that I might sinke presently downe into hell if it was not so and that if he the said G. H. would say so much for his religion if hee did not sinke presently into hell then would I take Poperie to be the true religion But he refusing so doe and being greatly mooued thereby against me complotted with a Knight a neere kinseman of his and with another gentleman being a Papist and with sundry others who found such meanes as that they procured Deuils to be raysed Sorcerers witches and Enchaunters all which sayde hee I knowe and can name and minde one