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book_n	church_n	time_n	write_v	5,446	5	5.5612	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B20672	Truths testimony and a testimony of truths appearing in power, life, light & glory, creating, manifesting, increasing, and vindicating itself in the midst of persecution : wherein is discovered what truth is, and also a lye, who knows it and lives in it : with the authors call and conversion to the truth, his practice in it, his publishing of it, and his several tryals for the same ... : together with the particular accusations brought against him in each tryal and his answers to the same, and also the courts proceedings both by judges and juries : with an humble appeal to His Highness, Oliver, Lord Protector, as a general redress for all people / by Richard Coppin.	Coppin, Richard, fl. 1646-1659.	1655 (1655)	Wing C6105	74,193	93

conversion which the light of God within me did shew unto me that I repented of and was changed from my former life I lived in the time of my ignorance and which by the light of God in me I shall here shew unto you For when God created me in my mothers womb and breathed into me the breath of life that I became a living soul I was in a state of innocency knowing neither good nor evil or as Adam in Paradise Gen. 2.7 and as all men else are when they are first created and live but I quickly fell from this innocent state of Adam in Paradise to the knowledge of good and evil as to the state of Adam after his fall sinful and wicked and taking my own pleasure in all manner of sports and delights for outward recreation of the creature without any true knowledge of the Creator which for many years I would have gone many miles after caring for no Religion at all neither did I know what it was onely I heard of a God afar off one that lived above the skies sitting in a golden chair and was like my self which the Priests and people did talk of as one that loved those that did well and hated others that did ill and would at the last day come to judge me and all men according to their works but I knew him not but by hear-say according to the common talk of people and that his worship consisted in mens womens going to Church and such like service but not childrens and that this holiness consisted in abstaining from swearing drunkenness thieving whoring and such like sins which sins being not committed by me I thought sufficient to save me being taught so by our Teachers the Priests of those times who themselves as well as others committed all manner of sin and wickedness and who deceived both me and many thousands of souls by their delusions but never taught us of a Jesus all this while neither could they because they knew him not themselves yet God was there with them under this dispensation though vailed and in a cloud Psal 97.2 for clouds and darkness are round about him but these clouds in some measure vanishing as to me I past them by and prest forwards And now having lived for many years in this state of ignorance under the Bishops and Prelatical Government I then came to the Presbyterians who began to reign in the others steads exercising the same authority over mens consciences as the other did and who after some short time I found to rule with as much force and cruelty and to be as tyrannical as ever the others were and that knew no more of God then the others did onely they would talk a little more of Christ and Religion using the outward expressions as a cloak to cover their nakedness and to seduce the people to them but for any true knowledge of Christ and Religion they had none neither any did they practise yet here was God likewise but still in a cloud under darkness that I passed by them also and pressed forwards And I being yet willing to try all things and I hearing of the Independants and Anabaptists starting up as those that would reign in the room of the Presbyterians I would try them also and found them to be cloathed with a more finer habit then either Prelate or Presbyterian for they had gained some finer outside forms of Religion Gen. 3.7 decked over more with Scripture terms as cloaks or figleaves to cover their nakedness and called them the Ways and Ordinances of Christ or at least put that name upon them to take away their reproach Isa 4. though they were still their own and of their own inventions for as used by them they are not according to the institution of Christ in the primitive times as they think they are wherefore they do but cheat themselves others having no true knowledg of God all this while but by hearsay Phil. 3.7 8. and what they gain onely by their outside Forms Ways and Religious duties which they are to count all lost for Christ and in which I beheld them and all the rest of men with all their differing Ways Judgements and Opinions to be in all things superstitious and idolatrous as Paul did the ●●emans And so 〈◊〉 the space of two years Act● 17.21 22 23. beholding this their order in London seeing all to be but disorder and confusion I passed them all be and prest forwards to the mark for the price of the high calling of God in ●hrist Jesus which is a calling above all things whatsoever as of Presbytery Independency Anabaptism and whatsoever calling else any man may now pretend to live yet this is a calling above them all which none of these have yet attained or ●o live In which two years time before mentioned of walking among the Churches in London of Presbyterians Independents and Anabaptists c. I applyed my self much to reading their books searching and trying the Scriptures whether these things they held were so or no and to be so practised by them as they were and contended for which I found them not to be Also in observing duties of prayer was I very frequent morning and evening and as often as I had opportunity and in hearing or writing of Sermons four or five in a day from several men which I spent much of my time after in reading Thus was I in that time while I was trying their ways as zealous as they could be in it even hating loathing and despising all my own and other mens former ways delights pleasures and sports and all delightful exercises which I was not so much for before but then I was as much against counting them all to be but works of darkness while they were so acted yet was my self still though under this dispensation of Grace as blind and as ignorant as ever I was under that of nature though I thought I saw and had knowledge but I found since that all the light and knowledge that I then thought I had of God Christ and the Devil of Heaven and Hell Salvation and Damnation with all things else thereto belonging in that state of ignorance was as carnal as ever and I knew no more of it then I did when I was under the Prelates Ministry only that there was a God afar off and not within me which I still knew but by hear-say as all that were of those opinions did and therefore I may be bold to affirm as also by experience I have known that all the knowledge that Presbyterians Independents Anabaptists and all others under any form of Worship now have of those things while living under the disp●●sation of grace only while seeking the Lord is no more then but by hear-say which they so long give themselves to believe and are in bondage to as to mens traditions and no experience at all have they of these things as to know them in

you to appear or send you to Goal And so without any thing being laid to my charge either by themselves or others they according to their own wills bound me to appear at Glocester Assizes following to answer to what was not yet charged against me and according as the Priests and Elders desired of Festus judgement against Paul Act 25.14 15 16. before his accusers were come face to face so the said Ministers then present with the Justices would have had me been sent to Goal before I was accused of any thing and said That both I and all that adhear'd to me deserved no better place After this I went the same day to Stow where was news of several other Ministers of the same Country then come to Town to enquire concerning me some of which were my former accusers at Worcester and at Oxford And I being again desired by many people of the Town and Parish of Stow went again into the street and there preached that day after which I took my leave of the people rejoycing that the Lord for carrying on so good a work had again chosen me as an instrument in his hand to bear witness to the truth and suffer shame for his name And now my Lord after the consideration of all the foregoing discourse let it please your Highness to do what to your own wisdom shall seem meet that your practice may answer your title even to protect the innocent from those that would devour them for there are many wolves in lambs clothing who under the pretence of standing for the truth and the faith once delivered to the Saints do persecute the pure appearances of God in his people 2 Tim. 3 like unto those which Timothy speaks of who having a form of godliness deny the power thereof Wherefore I being perswaded of your Highness's tender care towards such as love the Lord Jesus in sincerity and truth was occasioned in boldness to present this unto your Highness to rightly inform you of the rigorous and illegal proceedings of some mennow in power who under a form of godliness do envy the pure appearances of Jesus Christ in spirit and truth Wherefore as the eye of Jesus is continually toward those that love him for good and that in all their afflictions he is afflicted so you may be like Jesus Christ in tendering those that are precious in his sight that so the beloved of the Lord may lie down in safety And lastly as it hath pleased the Lord to advance your Highness above your Brethren for their protection preservation and deliverance as he did Joseph above his brethren when he made him Lord of all Pharaohs house and Ruler throughout all the Land of Egypt so you like him may not always be as a stranger to your poor grieved and oppressed brethren to try them Gen. 45. but that you like Joseph may also make your self known to them by doing good for them to comfort and relieve them in their several wants and necessities as Joseph did his brethren that so you may not onely be blessed in the Lord but that both this and after-generations may also call you Blessed according as it is written The memory of the just shall be blessed Prov. 10 7. but the name of the wicked shall rot July 1. 1654. So waiting upon what the Lord shall be pleased to direct your Highness to do in reference to these particulars I remain Yours to serve you in the Lord Richard Coppin CHAP. XV. The Authors Tryal at Glocester Assizes before Serjeant Glyn ' and the unjust proceedings of two Justices John Crofts and Richard Aylworth against him the 22 of July 1654. VPon the day and year above written I made my appearance at Glocester Assizes there expecting a tryal with my then two adversaries Joh. Crofts Richard Aylworth two Justices of the Peace for that County who themselves were there with many Ministers of the same County conferring together concerning what they might inform against me having nothing before for nothing justly could they find then but their malice being great the Justices with the said Ministers had fram'd a scandalous Paper in which were many false and scandalous informations of their own inventions as a map of malice which they presented to the Court to which was onely the name of John Crofts and to which they themselves durst not swear neither could they get any other though they sought much for it which particulars were as follow The Information FIrst That I had several times caused to come together to hear me a very great multitude of wicked and prophane people to the disturbance of the peace Secondly That I disturbed their Minister in the Church and that some of my company should call out to have the Minister pulled down saying Touch Coppin who dare Thirdly That believers need not pray for the pardon of sin Fourthly That there was no heaven nor hell but belief and unbelief Fifthly That I should call to the people to stand to their liberty and not to suffer the Justices to entrench upon it Sixthly That I would not obey the Justices Authority Seventhly That I was a continual breaker of the peace And now I being called into the Court on Saturday night a little before the Court rose the informations against me were read but nothing of it being proved there was no answer required of me and the Judge being removed to the other Court my accusers would have been my Judges and also witnesses for themselves but I excepted against them and the Court reproved them Then I declared against their informations shewing them to be false and they themselves to be no true Christians living in the faith of the Lord Jesus so long as they did inform against or prosecute any for their judgements whereupon their proceedings upon the informations were stopt Then they presented to the Court several books with my name to them And the Court demanded of me if I would own them To which I answered That I had written such books with such titles but whether those particular books they produced were the same I writ I knew not unless I heard them all read And I further said That if they had any thing against me for breach of any ●aw I desired them to proceed according to the Law and I would further answer them Whereupon the Court told them That they could proceed no further by these informations but if they had any thing to accuse me withal they were to proceed by way of indictment But my accusers not yet knowing with what more to charge me desired to know of the Court if they might not indict me for disturbing their Minister in the Church The Court answered They could not do so the Minister having done before I began and therefore it could not be proved any disturbance But said the Court If you can pick any thing forth of the books which you say are his and prove it to be blasphemy you may

Lord Chief Barron Wilde sate Judge of that Assize before whom I was then called and there made my appearance then the Petty-Jury and the witnesses to the Bill being called the Bill of Indictment was read in the Court the particulars whereof are as follows The Charge in the Indictment FIrst that I should say That they were evil Angels meaning the Ministers who preach the Gospel of Christ that told people of damnation and that such ought not to be heard or believed Secondly That all men whatsoever should be saved Thirdly That those that heard me were all in heaven and in glory Fourthly That God was as much in them as in Christ Fifthly That the Day of Judgement was begun 160 years ago Sixthly That there was no general Day of Judgement Seventhly That there was no heaven but in man Fighthly That he that thought there was abell to him there was a hell but he that thought there was no hell to him there was no bell And after the Indictment was read my accusers and the witnesses to the Bill were sworn whose names are as followeth Ralph Nevil of Emload and Giles Collier of Blockly accusers William Petty William Fletcher and John Froobury of Emload witnesses Ma● 26.60 three in number which was one more then Christ had but never a couple of them swore one thing but differed from each other in their Evidence and who could hardly pronounce their words plain but what they did swear they had also in writing what the pleasure of my accusers was to give them and who were ready as appeared to swear any thing to accomplish their own ends two of them being sons to one that rented the Glebe-land of Nevil one of the accusers for whom they swore and the other the Clerks son of the same Town But this being done I was called to my answer and began with these Propositions as follows My Lord I desire your Lordship that you will be pleased to grant me these few particulars First That my accusers being not men of the same discovery of God that I am may therefore make it appear before this honourable Court that they have taken the Ingagement else they are not to have the benefit of the Law Secondly That no man whatsoever may be suffered to speak any thing against me till they are sworn before this Honorable Court and my face Thirdly That those witnesses which are here ready to testifie in my behalf may be also heard and these Certificates which are here brought after me by several men with several mens names to them may be also read Fourthly That I may have time and liberty given me to answer fully to every particular that may at this time be laid to my charge and having a fair tryal I shall be thankful to your Lordship all which particulars being granted the Court proceeded But before I came to answer their Indictment my accusers presented to the Judge a book with my name to it entituled Mans Righteousness Examined which book the Judge asked me if I would own I answered that unless I heard it read I knew not that it was mine Then said he Here is your name to it I answered again that another might write a book and put my name to it or others of my name might write a book with that title but if your Lordship will be pleased to cause the book to be read that I may hear it I will tell you whether it be mine or no who then read part of it himself where he thought fit and where my accusers directed him All which I answered and owned to be mine as it was read Then said the Judge This book makes more for him then against him for you accuse him for denying heaven and hell when he acknowledges both in his book which book the Judge put in his pocket and so came to the Indictment to which my answer was more large then you will have it here The first particular charged in the Indictment and the answer to it was First that I should say That they were all evil Angels meaning the Ministers who preach the Gospel of Christ said they that told the people of damnation and that such ought not to be heard or believed Answ My Lord there are two administrations in manifestation one of the Law and another of the Gospel First that of the Law is a ministration of wrath death the curse hell and condemnation 2 Cor. 3. because under it sin appears to men unpardoned Secondly that of the Gospel is a ministration of love joy peace life light heaven and salvation for under that sin appeared to men pardoned And those who from Christ preach the Gospel of Christ as Paul did bring tidings of good things when they preach the love of God in Christ to all people that they appear to be good messengers and so good Angels sent of God and such ought to be heard and believed as it is written Rom. 10.15 How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things but though we or an angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached Gal. 1.1 4.14 let him be accursed saith Paul And you saith he to the Galathians received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus when I preached unto you the Gospel of Christ freely when the other who preach up sin unpardoned to any people after the coming of Christ whose coming is to fulfil all righteousness and overcome all sin for all people are not Ministers of the Gospel but of the Law and so bring not tidings of good things but of evil things wherefore they appear to be evil messengers and so evil angels reserved under chains of darkness so long and such men and doctrines ought not to be heard or believed who believe not themselves John 14 1 6 45. Acts 7.37 But hear and believe in me saith Christ for you shall be all taught of me and Him shall you hear in all things saith Moses And so much of the answer to the first Article to prove them evil angels even as devils who preach up sin unpardoned and hold forth damnation belonging to any people any longer then while they believe not and therefore I affirm that such ought not to be heard or believed who themselves believe not this to be true Secondly That all men whatsoever should be saved Answ 2 Sam 14.14 God hath declared in Scripture both by the mouth of the Prophets and Apostles the salvation of all men without respect of persons who saith He will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth 1 Tim. 2.4 5 6 7. and There is one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time And doth God will and desire the salvation of all men Then may we say Lord

Highness in his humble Appeal My Lord ACcording to the Declaration of Scripture we find that whatsoever of truth hath at any time been held forth or declared by any to whom God hath made himself known that the publishers thereof were sufferers therein This we find in the truth it self the Lord Jesus for declaring himself in love to men was always a sufferer by men who understood him not Mat 2. for from the first day of his birth that he was but reported to be the Son of God did Herod together with the chief Priests and Pharises send forth after him to destroy him and the more of God or that divine life there appeared in him the more did they seek to take his life away from him not for the envy they had to his person onely but to that life which was indeed the life of God manifested in him which life they knew not For had they known him they would not have crucified the Lord of glory but they knew him not neither would they own his life and power to be of God but rather of the Devil for said they He casteth out Devils through the Prince of Devils Mat. 9 34. c. and Christ himself tells us that so they did by his Prophets that were before him some they stoned and put to death Mat. 5.11.12 others they persecuted even so is it now The like appeared in his Apostles who after their conversion that they were called to the preaching of the Gospel what sufferings stripes bonds and imprisonments did they undergo for their faithfulness therein and thus hath it been ever since to this day with those that have been faithful 1 Cor. 4.9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 in holding forth any thing of the love of God manifest in them by Jesus Christ for the glory of God and peace of all men And now since the day that the Lord Jesus had made himself known to me and I by the power of his living in me as the least and worst of all Saints have been made to go forth proclaim publish and declare freel● to the world and sinners the unchangeable love of the Lord Jesus according to that measure of the gift given me by him I have uffered with Christ in exercising the gifts of Christ which according to the manifestation of that life and power in me I have published and declared not for price nor reward of men● but freely and in love to the Lord Jesus and his people as can be witnessed by the people of those parts into which I have come And to satisfie any that shall question the truth of what I hold concerning God and the things of God and that have not at all heard me speak thereof and now have any desire to know my principle Of the several Books written by me judgement or doctrine therein I shall direct them to several Books of my writing now extant the one is called Devine Teachings in which there are three together the other Mans Righteousness examined and wherein found too light reproved a third Saul smitten for not smiting Amaleck c. a fourth A Man Childe born or God man fest in flesh And what is therein written is the same that I still am in judgement and for which I have hitherto suffered been indicted falsly accused slandered reproached and reviled and for several Assizes kept bound by a party of the Ministers of England and enemies of Christ who live by the gain they make of the people and who have appeared to be the chief instruments and agents for the promoting of wars and divisions amongst men to advance their own interests with whom I have also had several disputes contentions and controversies about Religion I being ingaged by them who sought thereby the overthrow both of me and the things of God revealed in me but they not prevailing against me have much abused me and several times charged me with blasphemy brought me before Rulers Counsels and Judges of Assizes twice at Worcester and twice at Oxford where they laid their several accusations of blasphemy as they said against me but could never be proved by any Law to be so whereupon according to the will of God I was still delivered both by Law and Judges the Lord enabling me to speak for my self and also working upon the hearts and understandings of the Judges to understand the answer by me made and thereby free me from the cruelty of my enemies though still found guilty by the Juries who themselves understood it not being also prompt by my adversaries as several witnesses can testifie and for which the said Juries were reproved by the Judges in the open Court The particulars of which tryals I shall present to the world more at large hereafter Thus for my faithfulness to the truth have I suffered by my enemies who behind the backs of the Judges did accuse them for injustice concerning my deliverance when according to law and justice they did act and that these my enemies have since vowed by me Acts 23.12 as the Jews did by Paul they would follow me to death as can also be proved by several witnesses for the performance of which vow and to a further discovery of their malice towards me and the truth revealed in me they yet cease not to follow me with endeavours to make good this their evil intentions against me but rather then they will want something whereby to accuse me for which they have watched daily over me Luke 6.7 as the Scribes and Pharisees did over Christ Judge Green one of the former Judges being dead they reported they would again revive some of the former accusations against me and so again bring me to a tryal thereof Their illegal and unjust proceedings will appear in that which follows in the reading of which I shall humbly crave and desire your patience CHAP. XIV A further discovery to his Highness of the malitious practises ignorant censurs and illegal proceedings of two Justices and certain ministers at Stow on the Old in● locestershiere March 19. 1653. against the suffering Author My Lord VPon the ninteenth day of March last past being the Lords day I through the desire and earnest request of very many of the Town and Parish of Stow on the Old in the County of Glocester and by several other of the neighbour Parishes and Towns neer adjacent was at Stow where I was to preach to answer the desires of those people that were there and that desired me to come where and at which time I went to the Church or common me ting place in the morning and heard one Mr. Elmes then Minister of Winchcombe preach who there delivering something contrary to truth and having ended his Sermon that the people were departing I with his consent propounded to him a question as follows Sir Inasmuch as by the providence of God and the civil request of many people I am here this day and at this time

indict him for that proving first that he saw every line of the books printed But at this my accusers were much daunted knowing not how to prove any thing against me and so could not find any thing justly to accuse me Whereupon they desired longer time until Monday which time the Court granted them And now Monday being come I was again called into the Court before the Judge where the said Justices my accusers were present but no Minister with them for they were onely the setters on of the Justices who then proceeded as before and finding nothing more against me the foresaid informations were again read But the Judge perceiving them to be in malice and there being no proof to them he seem'd to slight them saying He did not like informations in such a nature to which my accusers answering not I then desired to speak my self though I might have chused there being nothing proved against me and the Judge giving me leave I declared unto him in open Court the substance of the whole business acted against me by the said Justices at Stow as is before written at large and thereby proved my accusers themselves to be guilty of what they informed against me and for the proof of which I would have produced several witnesses that were then present But the Judge answered he was already satisfied in what I had said that the wrong was done to me and therefore desired no further witness Then my accusers again urged the books To which I answered as before naming the several titles of the books I had written Out of which books my accusers had pick'd here and there some part of some particular sentences which they preferred to the Judge to examine me upon But the Judge after he had read it told them that they had given him that which was non-sense in taking part of a sentence and not the whole for in so doing said he you may wrong the sense of any mans words and you are not to do so but you are to take the words before and the words after and then the one might explain the other as said the Judge To which my accusers were silent so nothing at all being proved against me the Judge asked them what my life and conversation was against which they also had nothing to say Then they gave the Judge a note of my former accusations at Oxford declaring that I had since spoke the same things and so importuned the Judge to keep me bound till the next Assizes But the Judge told them he could do no such thing unless they could prove that I had transgressed the Law and said he for that which ye reckoned an offence already committed by him which for my part I cannot you have already punished him contrary to the Law in keeping him bound till now And said the Judge as touching the accusations at Oxford I understand he there answered them before my brother Green then Judge of that Assize and I am not to question him any more upon that therefore unless you have any thing against him he ought to be freed But nothing else could they find though they sought and tryed every way for it to the uttermost of their endeavours Whereupon I was freed to the shame of my enemies And now what an advantage might I take against those men for the wrong done unto me by them if I would proceed according to the Law but my principles lead me to no such thing as to seek revenge against any man but freely to forgive my enemies and to love them which hate me as Christ in me gives me Commandment and in so doing though in many things I suffer yet in God I find rest for my soul FINIS