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one of another, Exercises and Defignments of these Perfons: It refteth to go on with the Narration of the reft of the Action, for better perfiting up of this Hiftory.

Hacket on a time recounting up unto the other two his Torments (which he pretended to have endured) told, how (amongst others) one Pigg a Preacher did fo beat him with Rods at a place in Hartfordshire, (whilft he lay bound there in a Sink-hole) that this coft him the said Hacket more dear, than all the reft of his Torments; becaufe thereby he was enforced to fuffer for all Hypocrites alfo ; adding thereunto, that all their best Preachers (fo they term fuch as thirst after and perfuade Innovations) were no better in very truth than Hypocrites, nevertheless he They account would (he faid) daily hear them preach. their Purita Hereupon Arthington took occafion to tell Hypocrites and him, that he could prove all fuch Preachers Idolaters for to be Hypocrites and Idolaters both (albeit of their confor. ignorance) because they do yield (in fome mity to the fort) to the Commandments of the Go- Lars of the vernors, and unto the Laws of this Church, that they may be tolerated to preach.

This pleafed Hacket fo exceedingly well, as that he began highly to esteem of Arthington, and hereby the rather he thought good, that Arthington fhould be made acquainted with their Letters. For about ten days before their rifing (Arthington faith) that Coppinger did greatly importune him to read the Letters which he and Hacket had

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written, if it were but to fee the ftile; affuring him they tended to nothing else, but to make a way to acquaint her Majesty with their Secrets. So that when Arthington faw fo great Counsellors fo refolutely thereby charged with matter of fo high quality, by Coppinger efpecially (her Majesty's fworn Servant) he was induced to believe it, and to think they had fome very good ground thereof.

upon

Arthington alfo (with great contentment unto Hacket) framed certain Syllogifins (I believe) in a lewd Mode, and in an unperfect and fond Figure, to prove (forfooth) one of the faid honourable Counsellors (whom he and Coppinger villanoufly afterward proclaimed Traitors) to be fuch as they do charge him to be. This worthy work of Syllogifms therefore being firft finished, his other Treatife (to prove thofe Preachers to be Hypocrites and Idolaters) was ftraightway fet the ftocks, and began to be built on the Monday before their rifing; after they all had (for obtaining good fuccefs in this and the rest of Fafting and their bulinefs) bumbled themfelves on the Lord'sPrayer on the day afere in fafting and prayer, for fo be their Lord's-day be words. This latter Treatife Arthington finifhfore the Injured up the Thursday morning next after and termed it A Prophecy of Judgments against England, whofe skill in this precipitate kind of Piftling, the other two fo magnified, as that they termed him by a Title mentioned in a Palm, viz. The pen of a ready writer. Whereas wifer men think they might have

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looked

looked a little lower, and he have better compared it, as the Wifeman doth the like, where he faith, A word in a fool's mouth is

like an arrow in a dog's leg, because he will 19-12? never leave wrinching and fisking till he

have got it out.

In this Prophecy he firft fetteth down Arthington's the Third Commandment, inferring what Prophecy. Plagues fhall light on himself if he offend therein. Then cometh he to his nine feveral Affertions, adding to every one of them, The Lord to confound him, viz. that if he think not himself to be the vileft finful Wretch living: If he take not himself to be the most ignorant in God's Book of any man that hath profeffed the Gofpel fo long: If he acknowledge not himself moft unfit and unworthy of all men to ferve the Lord Jefus: If nevertheless he be not extraordinarily called to do the Meffage of God more faithfully than any Preacher in England hitherto hath done: If the Scripture do not juftify extraordinary Callings before the ends of the World: If he know not two Perfons within the City of London, that have greater extraordinary Callings than himfelf, videlicet, Edmund Coppinger, and William Hacket: If the former be not a Prophet raised up of the Lord to bring a Meffage of great Mercy to the Land, if all the People truly repent of their Sins: If the latter be not the holieft Man, and of the greateft power to bring fearful Judgments upon the whole Earth, that ever was born, Chrift Jefus excepted

If the faid Hacket (as the Meffenger of God's Vengeance, where mercy is refused) do not bring fuch great Plagues upon this Realm of England, the like whereof was never feen: In these, and in every of these His dreadful feveral Cafes, he prayeth the Lord to conImprecations. found him.

Note.

Whereupon he inferreth, that having thus denounced fo many fearful Woes against his own Soul, as would fink it into the bottomlefs Pit of Hell, if he were guilty in any one of them. Then thereupon with chearfulness he cometh to declare his Meffage to England, accusing it to be the moft rebellious, though it have been moft bleffed of all other Nations. Then he affirmeth the City of London, and the Courts of Justice at Westminster, and the counterfeit Worship of God with Crofs and Surplefs, to be worse than Sodom and Gomorrah, or the Purple Whore of Rome, or elfe defireth to be confounded. Nay he preferreth Rome before London; becaufe at Rome they fin only of ignorance. Of her Majefty he faith, fhe is leaft guilty of the common Sins, but most abufed (of any Prince that ever was) by thofe whom the hath moft advanced.

Then he speaks to three great Counfelors, C. C. T. daring them to proteft for their innocencies againft themfelves as deeply as he hath done, and then, if they be not swallowed up quick, he is contented to be hanged up in Chains at Paul's-Crofs. Then he threatneth them, that they three shall be other

wife detected ere long, and all thofe that are their Partakers, when her Majefty fhall reign and live to fee better days, if God give her true repentance. Then he faith he will leave all other of the Clergy (as fufficiently detected already) fave fuch as pretend to feek Reformation, who (he faith) are as guilty (in two points) as any of the other. The firft point, for not crying out continually against Archbifhops, Bishops, Deans, Archdeacons, and others, as wicked Ufurpers in the Houfe of God. The fecond, for not crying out against the wicked Magiftrates of this Land, because they keep out the Elderships out of the Church, and maintain in their room Officers and Of fices of Antichrift: Hereupon gathering thus; How can God fpare this Land any longer, wherein both the Magiftrates and Meffengers of God have dealt fo unfaithfully in the Lord's fervice? Adding, That the fearful Judgments of God Shall be fure to fall on the Reprobate; being already prepared, and put into the hands of the Mighty Meffenger of the Almighty God, William Hacket, to be poured out upon this great City of London, and upon all Places, where repentance followeth not this publication. Then he goeth about to prove all fuch Preachers to be Idolaters, or confenting to Idolatry, which Practife or Confent, and fuffer others to use Surplefs and Crofs, becaufe (he faith) they are the marks of Antichrift. Preferring herein the Papifts afore them, as finning herein only of ignorance, feeking alfo to engreeve their Faults in this behalf, for that P 4

they

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