A blow at the serpent; or a gentle answer from Madiston prison to appease wrath advancing it self against truth and peace at Rochester. Together with the work of four daies disputes, in the Cathedral of Rochester, in the Countie of Kent, betweene several ministers, and Richard Coppin, preacher there, to whom very many people frequentlie came to hear, and much rejoyced at the way of truth and peace he preached, at the same whereof the ministers in those parts began to ring in their pulpits, saying, this man blasphemeth, ... Whereupon arose the disputes, at which were some magistrates, some officers, and souldiers, peaceable and well-minded, and very many people from all parts adjacent, before whom the truth was confirm'd and maintained. The whole matter written by the hearers, on both sides. Published for the confirmation and comfort of all such as receive the truth in the love of it. By Richard Coppin, now in Maidston Prison for the witness of Jesus. Twenty five articles since brought against him by the ministers, as blasphemie, and his answers to them, how he was

CHAP. XX. The malicious and illegal proceedings of some Ministers and Ma∣gistrates of Kent, against Richard Coppin, in the City of Ro∣chester, with his Commitment to Prison, how, and by whom.

THe Disputes being ended, and the Ministers not relieved, but having suffer'd in their principles, and losing many of their Hearers, they to regaine them againe, have with them∣selves, and some men called Justices of the Peace, Members of their Churches, had several private consultations together, how they might doe to dismisse me from thence of preaching any more to the people, for which, through their false informati∣on, they obtained a Warrant against me from the Committee of Kent, but I was then at London, and having notice of it, did neverthelesse appeare to the Warrant, being willing to an∣swer to any thing that should be laid to my charge, being al∣so

cleare and innocent in my owne spirit, of any thing that I had said or done contrarie to any Law of God or man, and I being in my lodging at Rochester, on the Eve of the Sabbath at night, intending to preach on the morrow, came an Officer of the Souldierie unto me from Captaine Smith, a Captain of the Companie there quartering, that I should come before him, into whose hands the Warrant was committed, and whose Order was by the Warrant, that I must not preach on the morrow, but to continue his Prisoner till Munday, on∣lie I had liberty in the meane time to go to my lodging, but the Sabbath being come on the morrow, and the people as∣sembled together at the Cathedral, according to their former custome, I came amongst them, but a Guard of Souldiers be∣ing set in the Cathedrall, I preached to the people in the Colledge-yard in the Morning, and in the Fields in the After∣noone, untill we were disturbed by the Souldiers, who did but their duty which they were commanded by the authority of the Justices, Major General Kelsie, and others for that County.

On the morrow, being Munday, and twenty fourth of De∣cember, the said Major General Kelsie, John Parker, Charles Bowles, and Richard Watson, as Justices of the Peace for that Countie, also Captaine Harrison, and severall Ministers, (as Informers) met together in the Crowne-Inne of the City of R••chester, where they examined Witnesses, and received what informations they thought fit against me, in my absence, and having before determined amongst themselves what to doe with me, they sent for me to come before them, where Major General Kelsie, told me, that he had received infor∣mation against me upon oath, that I was an enemie to the present Power, and of several Blasphemies that I had deli∣vered in the Cathedrall, to the great dishonour of God, and the seducing of many people, for which cause they sent for me: I answered, that for what might be informed against me, I knew not, but I doe know nothing that I have at any time spoke, to the dishonour of God, or against the present Power, but hath ever beene, and still am more for it, then those that doe accuse me: No, said he, you did, con∣trary

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to our orders Preach yesterday, though you were forbid: I answer, that I know no Law by which they * 1.1 could, as yet forbid me to Preach any thing of God, that I did know, neither should I be silent so long as I had liberty, and my mouth were open; then said he, by what authority doe you come to Preach here? I answer, that I Preach by the same authority, that he himselfe hath pretended to Preach by, which is, by the power of God, and the authority of the present Goverment, and also in this Citie, by the desires of the people, and I Preach not for tythes and yearly maintenance to be setled on me, as the Ministers of England, and of Anti-Christ doth, but in love to the Lord Jesus, and his people, and then the Articles against me being read, which were very many, I defired to know my accusers, and they that had sworne against me, and I to answer to the articles: No, saith Major Generall Kelsie, we shall heare no answer to them at present, and so said all the said Justices, for we shall not judg of the business now, saith they, but what we doe at this time is onelie in order to a triall: I answer, that if they would not heare a answer now, I did not question but whenso∣ever I did answer that by the wisdome and power of God which lived in me, I should be able to cleare my selfe upon them all: No, said the Major Generall, I hope not: I answer, doe you hope not, but if there were in you any true love, you would rather desire that I might, and assist me in it: for (said I) where doe you read in all the Scripture, that ever Christ and his Apostles, or any for them, that did ever persecute any for their judgment, or make use of any outward Law therein, but were themselves persecuted by the false Prophets, and enemies to the truth, and the truth doth * 1.2 always suffer, by those that know it not▪ but said the Major, in the times of the Apostles, there were no godly Magistrates, or Governors, as be now, nor Laws established as we have: I answer∣ed, that there were Magistrates then, for the Apostles said, be subject unto the higher Powers; and there were some that did per∣secute the truth, as well then as now, for they were brought before Rulers and Governors for the truths sake, as now they be, and as Christ saith, they should be for his Names sake. But said the Major, we are not come here to Dispute with you about those things, for you will word it out till to morrow night, if we let

you alone, therefore withdraw the room; then one Major Browne of Chatham-Dook, who never saw me, nor heard me be∣fore in his life, railed against me, and said that I deserved to be hanged, that I was the greatest instrument that ever the Devil had in England: I answer, that an instrument indeed I am, to discover what, and where the Devil is, as an enemie to God, and therefore am I my selfe called Devil, by the Devil; but being commanded to withdraw the roome, I and my friends that were with me went aside into another room by our selves, and after a while came some Officers of the Souldiers with an order from the said Justices, and horses readie provided to carrie me to prison to Maidstone, which was from thence about nine miles, and where I should be from my friends, that none might come to me; and amongst those that they supposed were my enemies, upon which some of my friends then present, went unto the Justices, and of∣fered for my Bail thousands of pounds, and whatsoever should be desired, but no Bail would be taken, whereupon I desired before I went, to speak with them my self, they sent me word if I would come alone I might, of whom I demanded a reason why I was sent to prison without a hearing, and no Bail to be taken, the Major General said, they were not to give me an account, upon which I pleaded the priviledge of the Act of Blasphemie, by which they accused me, and that I was not wayes guiltie of it; I also produced the Instrument of Government, signed by his Highnesse the Lord Protector, how contrarie also to that they had acted against me, whereby it no man professing. Faith in God by Jesus Christ, though differing in judgment from the Doctrine, Worship, and Discipline of other men publikely held forth, yet should not be restrained from, but protected in the exercise of their Faith and practise of their Religion, so as it extended not to Popery and Prelacy, nor to a lice••tious walking, and the disturbance of the Peace, and that all Laws, Acts, and clauses in any Law, Act, or Statute whatsoever, contrary to the foresaid liberty, should be ••ull and void: And now unlesse you can prove me guiltie of the breach of somthing in this Instrume••t of Government, to bring me under those exceptions (to which Instrument I appeal) you have nothing to do with me, and therefore what you in this have done against me, is contrarie to the Law of the present Go∣vernment,

yea all Laws of sound reason, and the Scriptures, but your owne wills, but it is not a prison, nor any thing else that you can doe against me that I feare, knowing my selfe cleare both before God and man, from what any one can justly accuse me of, but this I find, that those that are enemies to the present power, and that hate it, are suffer'd to make use of it, unjustly to persecute those, who to their power are the greatest friends to it, and there is none hath more contended for it, so far as our freedome and liberty in the truth hath been protected by it, then I have done, and for that am I a sufferer under it, though contrary to it.

And you M. Wise of Chatham, that Preach General Redempti∣on, and as your friend Mr. R••sewell said (whom you assist here against me) that if all were redeemed, all must of necessitie be saved, therefore, said he, that your judgment of Generall Re∣demption was as erronious as those of General Salvation, and you to clear your self, as you thought, of that aspersion, did the last Sabbath day before declare in your Sermon, that though you held General Redemption, yet you did believe that not one of a hundred in all England should be saved. Then said the Major General unto me, Do you know who you are before, methinks you should not dare to be so bold in another mans room: I an∣swered, Sir, I do know, for I am in the presence of God and man, where I am not ashamed to speake the truth, and now is my time to speak, being accused for the truth, and Sir, you were once accused your self for Blasphemie, said he, What is that to you if I were, the Law freed me: Said I, I doubt not but that it will me also, when I come to have Law, in the mean time do you do unto others, as you would others should do unto you: Then said the Major to Captain Smith, Take him away, let him not stay here to retort his words upon us: I answered, that what I speak is the truth, and am not ashamed of it, though others may of what they do. And now Gentlemen, I thank you for what you have done, for in this you will bring much glorie to God, and confu∣sion to his enemies, though which way you know not, but I do, and so farewell.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Acts 5. 27, 28, 29:
• * 1.2

  Luk 19 47. 48 Iohn 15: 20: