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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	know_v	name_n	write_v	5,306	5	5.6704	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

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

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

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

and of which if I would have recanted preferment by some was proffered me but there was one within me which resisted and said Get thee behind me Satan I will none of it neither is it Herod with all the chief of the Priests and Scribes of the people that he had gathered together that can destroy the childe Jesus after once he is born nor could these with all their subtilty destroy that which was born in me or bring me to a recantation of what I had declared that I immediately departed out of these coasts and saw much of God in it for I went strait abroad publishing the same things with boldness both in writing and speaking in several Countreys where I was desired to come And there living in that Countrey of Barkshire where I first began to publish these things a man of eminency in the world whom the Priests knew to be zealous for them and their ways and they having not prevailed with me to write a recantation of those things I held they then prevailed with him to joyn with them in buying up as many as they could get of the foresaid books entituled Divine Teachings in which those things were published that they might spread no farther amongst the people of which books they bought to the value of about ten pounds worth having no other way to stop them and which the Priests would have had him to have burned but he was wiser then so and said that he would rather keep them for waste paper and did not know but that they might yield him his money again if the things should after come in request but however these books are again reprinted and the things therein still maintained by me being the same in me Thus we see how some men out of zeal to their own opinions and others for lucre of gain not yet knowing the truth will endeavour to binder the spreading of truth and so through ignorance and blind zeal will turn persecutors of Christ his Kingdom and the Righteousness thereof This Kingdom of Christ and all things therein as love joy peace life light heaven and salvation in Christ alone I ever since I knew it and tasted of it have not ceased to write of publish and declare in several Countreys Acts 28.30 31. both in publique and private from house to house in their Churches Streets and Market places where the Lord hath been pleased to carry me and where people desired me to come and were assembled together to hear me I never desiring to be chargeable to any to hinder any from coming into the Kingdom of the Lord which is a free Kingdom 1 Cor. 9 12 18 19. neither would I ever yield to take any outward maintenance from any upon that account of preaching for that was but Antichrists hire in Antichrists Kingdom which most men yet have appeared to live in nay the purest Churches of Independents and Anabaptists as well as Prelates and Presbyterians which though they have not all took tythes they have took money or moneys worth and so cannot say as Paul did I have coveted no mans gold Acts 20.33 silver or apparel which is all but Antichrists pay in Antichrists Kingdom to Antichrists servants whose servants all are that preach for gain or hire and not for pure love to Christ and all people John 10.8.10 and Christ saith of the hirelings that they are but Thieves and Robbers and fly when he that is free cometh and this would quickly be maniefest were but tythes and the Priests hire put down and every one have freedom to preach that could I will warrant you that those Preachers that were sent from Oxford and Cambridge would quickly fly from you leave you and preach no more to you and yet you would have more Preachers then are now for then every one that had received any thing of God would freely declare it and this would be according to the Gospel rule which saith When thou art converted strengthen thy brother and As every man hath received the gift so let them administer one to another and not one to forbid another for let one that preaches freely come into the Church or Parish of him that preaches for hire and the hireling will presently forbid the freeman saying this is my house and my Parish or Foxes hole you shall not preach here Ma●th 8 20. and though the men of the Parish to wit the Master would have him yet the servant forbids him And doth not the servant here exalt himself above the Master the Priest above the people but surely he that exalts himself shal be brought low and he that humbles himself shall be exalted and it is enough that the servant be as his Master and not above his Master though it hath been so hitherto between the people and their Ministers What is the Church but the Town-house in which the Priest the Town-servant is to do the Towns work for which he receives the Towns wages And what if the Master be willing that the servant should sit still and set another to do his work notwithstanding the servant shall still have his wages O but here is a slavish fear in the servant that if another should do his work better then him it would be to his disgrace and more then that if the master should once find that he could have his work done freely he would then hire no more and what would then become of the hireling he must pack up and be gone and so saith Christ The hireling flyeth because he is an hireling John 10.13 14. and careth not for the sheep I am the good Shepherd saith he and know my sheep and am known of mine And sure Christ never preached for hire nor any that ever he sent that ever I read of in Scripture then those that do were never sent by him but by his enemy the Devil or Man of Sin to keep up a Kingdom contrary to his and it is very likely that the Man of Sin is their Master that sent them because they so much preach up sin unpardoned which is the keeping up of his Kingdom in which they live and without which they could not live as to keep up that trade of buying and selling the Word of God for they live by telling the people of their sins Jer. 5.30 31. and some people love to have it so who live in the same Kingdom with them and that love to pay them But in the Kingdom of Christ which is a free Kingdom there is no such thing there is no sin unpardoned therefore no telling the people so neither do the people there love to have it so but there is all sin pardoned for all men past present and to come and those that are sent by Christ and that live in that Kingdom come with that message in their mouthes That all sin is pardoned and all men forgiven Dan. 9.24 sin and transgression finished and everlasting Righteousness brought in

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