Note.

Note.

rid) fanfied to himself, that there was leave gi ven him to speak to God in a more familiar manner, than at any time before: And also perfuad d himself, that God's Spirit-did give him many Strange Directions, wherein the Lord would ufe him to do fervice to his most glorious Majesty, and to his Church. Upon which, he had thought to have returned presently back, and to bave left his intended fourney: But going on, and after being returned back, be imparted to his former Faft-fellows the work of God in him, and defired they might again join in the like, (which he (with fome other) went forward with, to their comfort, but without their chief Guide, for be refufed to join. Hereupon (he faith) that he was again ftirred up to fuch business of such importance, as in the eyes of flesh and blood, were likely to bring much danger to himself, and unlikely to bring any good fuccefs to the Church of God: Hereof be writ to fome Preachers out of the Realm, and to fome in the Realm: At length he writ hereof to one in the City that was filenced: Who refolved him, that God did yet work extraordinarily in fome Perfons to fome fpecial uses. Hereupon be obtained this Preacher's confent to join with him, and about four others, on the Dord's Day, in a Faft: Which Day was chofen, that they might not hinder their worldly Affairs in the Week; and that they ujed means to have notice given to fome of the Preachers in Frifon of the Day of their bumiliation, defiring them to commend to God in their Prayers the holy Purpofes, which any fearing God, fhould (in time) attempt to take in band, by feeking to bring glory

to

to God, and good to the Church: That in their Prayers at the faid Fast, he and others did befeech God, That if he had appointed to use any of them to do any special fervice to him and his, that to that end be would extraordinarily call them, that he would seal up his, or their such Calling, by fome special manner, by his Holy Spirit, and give fuch extraordinary Graces and Gifts as are fit for fo weighty an Action. The Night following (he faith) be thought (in his fleep) that he was carried into Heaven; and there being wonderfully astonished with the Majefty of God, and brightness of his glory, be made a loud, and most strange noise, whereby he awaked his Brother that lay with him, and fome in the next Chamber. Since which time (faith he) I find every day more and more comfort: And fuppofe, that there is somewhat in me, which my Self am not fo fit to judge of: And therefore I defire the Church (I mean your felf, and fuch as you shall name unto me, because I cannot come to you without danger to your felf and me) to look narrowly into me: And if I be thought to be any way mifled, I crave sharp cenfuring: If I be guided by God's Spirit to any good end, as hereafter shall be adjudged, I shall be ready to acquaint you and them with generalities and particularities, fo far forth as you and they be defirous to look into. At this time the end of my writing is only to acquaint you with the occafions of mine entring into this great Action, and to bave your further answer to fome Questions, wherein I defire to be refolved; with your direction alfo, what bereafter I am to fignify to your felf, concerning the matter

Note.

Such

extraor

Apofles, Evangelifts, and Prophets, where need requireth, and as Nazarites, Healers, Admonishers in fpecial fort, and fuch like; that these cannot be known to themselves, but by God's Spirit; nor to others, but by godly effects: That he who is fo called, need not to ask many Queftions of mortal men for his Calling, yet must be approved godly before he enterprize his Work, especially if he have been a known wicked Perfon before.

That where the chief Rulers of any Houfe or Country, or the most part of any Houfe or Country be ignorant, and untaught, there it may be truly faid, that Houfe or Country is out of frame, defolate, or wafte: much more then, when one part of Thirty. or Forty is not well framed, rightly taught, or guided, c. in that Houfe or Country.

And in another Paper of his own Hand, he avoucheth fuch extraordinary Callings, by dinary Callings example of one that cried up and down the juftified by two Streets in Jerufalem, before it was befieged; Examples.

and by another, which (he faith) the laft Parliament came forth of Yorkshire to London, faying, he was charged from God by an Angel in a Vifion, to fignify great Vengeance from God upon the whole Realm, for certain great Enormities by himself (in another man's perfon) untruly and feditiously furmifed. So that hereby it appeareth, that Wigginton is the filenced Preacher, meant by Coppinger in the former Letter, who refolved him of ext ardinary Callings in those days;

who

who confented to faft and pray with him and others, for a Seal, &c. of fuch Calling; and who (as he afterward affirmed to Hacket) would not discourage Coppinger in his Purposes.

ceit.

This Conceit hereupon waxing ftronger Coppinger and ftronger in Coppinger, he often came to waxeth strongLancaster's Houfe (where alfo Arthington then er in his Conlay) to confer with them; fpecially to know the certainty, whether there were any extraordinary Calling in this laft Age, and how the fame might be tried? They both told him (as is now faid) that they were meer ordinary men, not able to resolve him, much less to take trial of his Gifts, and therefore willed him to keep his Secrets to himself, or else to go to others, that could better judge of them. Whereupon Coppinger Seeks direction fought for direction to divers Preachers, and from Divers others in London, and elsewhere, of what Preachers, is fetled difpofition may easily be conjectured: affifted by For refolution alfo herein (by the help of Penry. his diligent Fellow-labourer in this business, John ap Henry aliâs a Penry) he follicited the Reformed Preachers (fo thefe Fellows term them) of fome Foreign Parts.

It may also be gathered by fome Letters. written by him to a Gentleman near about a great Counsellor, that he bare the said Gentleman in hand, as if he had intelligence touching fome matter of great fervice to her Majefty, and the Commonwealth, to be imparted to the faid Counsellor. For in the Copy of a Letter of his, of the 28th of Ja

Puritanical

nuary

Queen.

Coppinger's nuary laft, he thus writeth. Your fignification Letters to a of fome fervice, which you heard I was defirous Counsellor, pre- to do, in difcharge of my duty to her Majefty, tending fome Service to the may give his Lordship caufe to fufpect that I bonour him not fo much as I do. Your revealing thereof to his Lordship, I do affure you, doth much trouble me, because I am not furnished with fuch matter as I wish. My meaning was therefore to bave forborn his Lordship's trouble, until I had learned out that which my heart defireth to do,

In his Letters to the Preach ers pretends Some fervice to God and his

c. And in another Letter of his written to the fame Gentleman the 1ft of February after, in this fort: If you think he looketh to bave me come to his Lordship, (about any thing which you bave put into his head) let me underft and from you when I may attend bis Lordship's pleafure, which being known, I will (according to my duty) do it, though I wish my self to be freed, until I may know that which may give his Lordship caufe to think of me, as I do defire to deferve, &c.

Now that this matter was the fame whereof he defired fuch refolution, may be ga thered by a Note of his own Hand, fet upon the back of thefe two Copies, thus: viz. By thefe Letters it may appear, what care 1.bad to carry my felf in this Action. But in his Letters (about this matter) written unto Preachers, and others of his own humour, Church, mean he goeth more plainly to work, and declaing in both the reth another purpose, and that it is a fpecial fame matter. Service by him to be done, to God and his Church, and fo no Civil Matter, as he elsewhere pretendeth.

For