Note.

Coppinger

writes

Hacket's Hi

Story at large to be published with bis Prophecy.

they are all Hypocritical Idolaters, in that (nevertheless) they profefs Reformation: Whereunto he addeth (he faith) a Secret: That this their balting and hypocrify hath so hardned God's heart against their Requests, for bringing in the Difcipline, that for this unfaithful and unfingle walking in their Function, be bath bitherto denied it. Neither shall any one of them, or all of them together, have that honour given, to bring in Reformation: For (faith he) I tell you truly, the Almighty God hath put his Cup of Vengeance into his trusty and faithful Servants band, William Hacket, to pour it down fhortly upon every wilful and obftinate Sinner that doth not repent upon the notice hereof, or else the Lord confound me. Laftly, he giveth a charge to have this Prophecy, together with the incredible, (but most certain) History of the holiest Servant of God, William Hacket, that ever hath been, is, or shall be born, (Chrift Fefus only excepted) with all speed poffible, printed and published together, as in fubftance true (faith he) or elfe the Lord confound me. This wife Prophecy is thus fubfcribed: By the most unworthy Servant, but yet a faithful Prophet of the Almighty Jefus, or elfe his Wrath confound me. Henry Arthington.

While Arthington was about this his Task, Coppinger (as it feemeth) was neither idle nor well occupied, for he was fetting down from Hacket's own mouth a long Ragman's Role of Hacket's Torments, Revelations and (I know not what) called Hacket's Hiftory. For by Thursday morning Hacket ha

ving enlarged the firft draught thereof, (which was at first but scribled out by Coppinger) Arthington was to write out again fair the enlarged Copy, that being perfited, it might be annexed unto the aforelaid Prophecy. All that Thursday was fpent by them in confultation and writing: Hacket being alfo prefent, and affifting them. But with what joyfulness amongst them all, it is incredible, if we may believe their own Reports. Yet Arthington was forced (for the hafte that was made to have all in readiness against the Friday following, and for the defire he had to yield unto Hacket all fatisfaЯtion and contentment that might be) to fit up moft of Thursday night, writing out again of the faid Hiftory, fo enlarged.

But on Thursday it felf (being the 15th of July) amongst other their Actions, Coppinger and Arthington writ a Letter to the aforefaid T. L. which is of this tenor: firft at the top of it, thus, viz.

ter unto

If this Letter be not endited by the Holy Ghoft, Coppinger's who bath appeared (in a far greater mea- and ArthingSure) to finful Wretches, in the end of the ton's Letter World, even to us, whofe Names are here T. Lancaster. under-written, and to a third Perfon, in Calling above all former Callings whatfoever, (Chrift Jefus excepted) the Lord confound us two with vengeance from Heaven, and carry us (with all violence) into the bottomless Pit.

If we have not taken the name of God in

bo

vain, it ftandeth you upon to read this Letter
with fear and trembling, with joy and gladness ;
with fear, that the Lord fhould wooe you to do
him fervice; with joy, that he offereth you
nour, if you accept it.
you accept it. We two are Messengers
from Heaven, who have a good Captain to guide
us; who have received immediate Callings from
God, to call the whole World to repentance and
amendment of Life; otherwife they are to fear,
that Chrift Fefus's Second coming in glory, will
be to them as a Thief in the night. If I, Ed-
mund Coppinger, do not prefer you before any
one man in the Land whatfoever, for your wife,
boly, loving and religious Courfe, both in the
ge-
neral Calling of a Chriftian, and in your particu
lar Calling, the Lord confound me Body and Soul.
The reason why I chuse you first, is, because in
your Houfe, in your prefence, and (under God
partly by your means I had my first extraordina
ry Calling, though thereof (as of all other things)
the whole bonour and glory be the Lord's. And
of the fame mind is my Brother Arthington. In
token of our extraordinary love to you, we deal as
ave neither have, or will do, with any other;
for we command in the name of the Lord all
Creatures upon the Earth, and they must obey.
But with you we will difpenfe thus far, that it
fhall be your choife to come, and take a new Cal-
ling (for a time, wherein we would use jou) or
refufe it. So wifhing you to commend us and
your felf to God, before you answer us, which we
expect in word, and not in writing, &c.

The Meffenger of Mercy to the whole
World, if they accept me, E.Coppinger.
I avouch

I avouch whatsoever my Brother bath written
to be most true: And further I proteft, that you
are a more holy man than any Preacher in Lon-
don, or throughout the whole Land, or else the
Lord confound me. If it please you to come and
fee me joyful, you may hope this is true.

The Prophet of God's Judgements to
the whole World, where mercy is
rejected,

Hen. Arthington.

That the perfit and enlarged History of Hacket be briefly gathered into a Summary, and here fet down, it will not (I think) be amifs, for fuch as fhall be defirous to know, what myfteries may be therein contained, which drew thefe two (amongst other matters) into fuch an extraordinary admiration, and opinion of him.

"First therefore, There is declared whom A fum of "Hacket ferved; then how he got the execu- Hacket's Hi "tion of the Bailywick of Oundel, being fory. "void: How upon complaint of the Wives "there, that their Husbands fpent their "thrift in Alehoufes on the Sabbath days "he (by a Juftice of Peace not far off) did "caufe all the Playing Tables that could be * come by, to be burnt. Also the light and "enticing behaviour of fome Women towards him, and his familiarity with them, "whereby his Wife became jealous of him,

" fo

"fo that he was forced (for her fatisfaction)

to clear himself by his Oath. The fundry

Baits laid by means of fome of his Fel"lows (that envied him for the credit he had with those whom he ferved) to entrap him with Women. His attempting "them in dishoneft manner, but with pur

pose only (as he there pretendeth) to "learn of them the Practices against him. "The like Snares laid for him by fome of "better place and credit than the former: "Of his affliction in mind that he endured, "because he fo behaved himself toward Wo"men, and yet could not learn out by them "the plot laid against him: Of his going "into Hampshire to have been placed there; "How he was in a place there (for the most part of 20 days) beat with a Baftonado, "and into what pitiful state of Body he was thereby brought That this was done “ partly for his avouching that Christ was "Head of the Church, against the Pope, and "for faying, That as certain Earthen Pots were there by him broken, so should all

Papists be broken in Hell, and confound"ed, fo many as rofe up against him in "Earth: How he was forced to use the "Deputy-Lieutenant of Hampshire his Aid, to be fafely conveyed out of that Coun

try, left he should be murthered by his "Enemies:. That he came thence to one "M. Paul Wentworth's Houfe, where he re"mained a Month, and was ufed moft 66 Christianly, and where he was most deep

ly