for the rest unto the perusal of Doctor Cosin his Book intituled Conspiracy for Pretended Reformation Conspiracy for pretended Reformation wrote by Dr. Cosin Where he shall find their Purposes Plots and Designments with many other markable things at large discoursed and taken truly out of their Conference and Writings under their own hands with their Confessions and Examinations subscribed by themselves before sundry honourable and worshipful Personages of great gravity and wisdom employed in those Affairs By all which together with their temperate direct and pertinent Speech and congruity of Phrase and Matter both before and after their Apprehension it will clearly appear that the said Conspirators were not Mad-men unless it be a kind of Madness to be a violent * Promoters Prosecutor of This Reformation as indeed it is howsoever some of that Fraternity and Sect have so given it out chusing thereby rather to accuse the honourable Justice of the Realm and all the Ministers thereof than that any professing desire of pretended Reformation should be noted with deep Disloyalty as they were charged withal 66. When the Queen and State saw the incredible height of these audacious Attempts so dangerous to the Commonwealth thus knotted and countenanced under pretence of reforming the Church they found it necessary to stop the Fountains of these Proceedings lest it might grow to the like outrage Amongst whom there were very forward to the like presumption Henry Barrow Gentleman and John Greenwood Clerk who were convented before the High Commissioners for Causes Ecclesiastical in November 1587. for 1587. Barrow and Greenwood their Schismatical and Seditious Positions their Schismatical and Seditious Opinions viz. That our Church is no Church or at the least no true Church yielding these Reasons therefore First That the Worship of the English Church is flat Idolatry Secondly That we admit into our Church Persons unsanctified Thirdly That our Preachers have no lawful Calling Fourthly That our Government is ungodly Fifthly That no Bishop or Preacher preacheth Christ sincerely and truly Sixthly That the People of every Parish ought to chuse their Bishop and that every Elder though he be no Doctor nor Pastor is a Bishop Seventhly That all the Precise which refuse the Ceremonies of the Church and yet preach in the same Church strain at a Gnat and swallow a Cammel and are close Hypocrites and walk in a left-handed Policy as Master Cartwright Wiggington c. Also in Norwich Master Moare Pawmone and Burges that all which make Catechisms or teach and expound printed and written Catechisms are Idol Shepherds as Calvin Ursin Nowell c. That the Child of ungodly Parents ought not to be baptized as of Usurers Drunkards c. nor any Bastards That Set-Prayer is blasphemous 67. The fore said Brochers of these The Ring-leaders on being convened make shew of Conformity but afterwards go back Opinions at this their first Convention made shew of their conformity upon conference with some Divines and in hope thereof were enlarged upon bonds but all in vain For after their liberty they burst forth into further Extremities and were again committed to the Were re-committed July 1588. and proceeded against March 1592. Fleet July 20. 1588. where they pub lished their Scandalous and Seditious Writings for which they were proceeded withal at Justice-Hall near Newgate in London March 21. 1592. 68. For suppressing this kind of People which as you see were grown unto a great height of violence and outrage the State held it fit at the next Parliament An Act of Abjuration and Banishment made against Schismaticks following to make a Law of Abjuration or Banishment of such as should either persuade others or be present themselves at these their Conventicles or Meetings which Law is entituled An Act to restrain the Queen's Majesty's Subjects in their due obedience 69 LET the Reader now consider with what Contagion and Leprosy many poor Souls had like to have been infected through the divulging of their wicked Libels and dangerous Positions tending to Innovation and Rebellion had not the stroke of Justice and providence of the State wisely prevented the same selecting as out of an hundred thousand seditious Mutineers for so many they confessed were ready for that purpose only four Only four Persons prosecuted of a very great Number Persons as the chief Ring-leaders whose lot it was to be proceeded withal for the quenching of the fiery outrage of the rest kindled already to the like Attempts as those in Germany of the Great Troubles in Germany just cause of sears here from like Principles and Pretences of Reformation Cabinet-teachers and Reformers both at Mulhusin and Munster in Westphalia Which Seditions could not be appeased till Fifty thousand of them were killed and cut in pieces by the united Forces of most of the Princes of the Empire And though some not of the greatest foresight may think that the fear which our Archbishop conceived of Dangers to ensue out of these Sectaries Attempts was far greater than there was just cause yet the Examples of those foreign Pretenders of like Reformation as is aforesaid compared with these our Reformers Designs taught him not to be without fear or care for preventing these dangerous Events at home For all their Intendments sorted to one end viz. Reformation and to be brought to pass by one and the self-same means viz. by commotion of the unbridled multitude 70. For was it not in their Assemblies The Discipline decreed in their Assemblies to be put in Practice Classical and Synodical concluded That the Discipline should within a time limited be put in practice and erected all in one day by the Ministers together with the People whom these Disciplinarians bragged to be already enflamed with Zeal to lend so many thousand hands for the advancement of their Cause by whom they hoped and said such Reformation must be brought in And how I pray you did they incense the common People not only in their private Conventicles decreeing that the Queen's Authority The Queen's Authority Ecclesiastical to be restrain'd ought to be restrained in Causes Ecclesiastical but in their publick Sermons and Exhortations alienating the hearts of their Auditors from all obedience of the Ecclesiastical Magistrates As namely Master Cartwright who saith That no obedience Cartwright ' s seditious Doctrines ought to be given unto them either in doing that which they command or abstaining from that which they prohibit And that it should not be lawful for any one of the Brother-hood to take an Oath whereby he may discover any thing prejudicial to himself or his Brother especially if he be persuaded the matter to be lawful for which the punishment is like to be inflicted or having taken it he need not discover the very truth And in his Prayer before his Sermons he used thus to say Because they Cartwright ' s charitable Prayer for the Bishops in his Sermons at Banbury 1589. Penry '
a great Contemner of others that were not of his mind And although the Learning and Qualities of any were never so mean yet if he affected Master Cartwright and his Opinions he should be in great estimation with him according to the saying of the Poet Praecipui sunto sitque illis aurea barba But if he were against him in his fanciful Conceits though he were never so good a Scholar or so good a Man he could not brook or like of him as of Dr. Whitaker and others And although in their Elections of Scholars into that College they made as good choise as any other either before or in their time yet could he never afford the Electors nor Parties elected a good word unless they sided with him in his Fancies 20. And that he might the better Cartwright went to Geneva affected the Discipline of that Church feed his Humour with these conceited Novelties he travailed to Geneva where observing the Government and Discipline of that Church to be by certain Ecclesiastical Superintendents and Lay-Elders or Presbyters as they called them he was so far carried away with an affection of that new devised Discipline as that he thought all Churches and Congregations for Government Ecclesiastical were to be measured and squared by the practice of Geneva 21. Therefore when he returned His opposition to the Established Church-Government in England home he took many exceptions against the Established Government of our Church disallowing the Vocation of our Archbishops Bishops Archdeacons and other Ecclesiastical Officers the Administration of our Holy Sacraments and observation of our Rites and Ceremonies and buzzing these Conceits into the Heads of divers young Preachers and Scholars of the University he drew after him a great number of Disciples and Followers And upon a Sunday Doctor Whitgift being from home Master Cartwright with some of his Adherents made three Sermons in that one day wherein they so vehemently inveighed amongst other Ceremonies of our Church against the Surpless as those of Trinity College Preacheth against the Surpless were so moved therewith that at Evening Prayer they cast off their Surplesses though against the Statutes of the House and were all placed in the Chappel without Surplesses three only excepted Doctor Legge Mr. West and the Chaplain By reason of which Stirs both that private College was greatly distracted and the whole University much perplexed and troubled 22. For these his Opinions were now broached not only at home in their College Sermons and Domestical Common-Places but by Master Cartwright himself and his Adherents in the publick Church of the whole University wherein they mightily declamed against the Ordination of our Priests and Deacons and greatly traduced the Heads and Governors of the Colleges because they attended the Service of those Places The Reverend Bishops and Fathers of the Church for their due observing Ecclesiastical Rules and Constitutions were by them much perstringed the Established Church paralling as they termed it the Romish Hierarchy was also much reproached and disgraced 23. Dr. Whitgift after that Master Whitgift preacheth against Cartwright ' s Opinions Cartwright and his Complices had broached this his dangerous Doctrine would always the Sunday following in the same Church answer and confute their Opinions with such commendation and applause as thereby he much quieted and setled the judgment of many that otherwise were enclining to this Innovation and gained a singular opinion of the most Learned and Judicious throughout the whole University 24. When by this course he had Cartwright and his Followers oppose Whitgist somewhat appeased these Stirs Master Cartwright did not yet cease but by secret Instigations set on others of his own humour to continue them who in their College Exercises which they call Common-places and also in their open Sermons would prick at him with the Swords of their Tongues and otherwhiles uncharitably through the Sides of others pierce and wound him sometimes furiously without regard of duty shame or modesty would strike downright at him For it then was and I pray God it still be not a thing too frequent with that Generation to tax their Superiors and to accuse their Government as also to asperse them and it with many unjust Calumniations 25. Notwithstanding so far was he from entring into any rigorous course of proceeding against them as justly he might have done by the Statutes of the College and publick Laws of the State as that with great sufferance he winked at and passed by many of Whitgift ' s gentleness these Wrongs and Enormities and instead of revenge he by gentleness and goodness heaped coals upon the Adversaries heads as also for rough and unseemly Speeches he breathed nothing but sweet breath of love and peace often exhorting them to call to God for Grace that they might have more sober consideration and better judgment of Orders established which then they mistook to be amiss For as a Learned man truly saith of them those fervent Hooker ' s Eccles Policy lib. 5. reprehenders of things established by publick Authority are always confident and bold spirited men but their confidence for the most part riseth from too much credit given to their own Wits for which cause they are seldom free from Errors 26. The state of the University being The State of the University disturb'd by Cartwright in this sort mervailously disquieted by Master Cartwright and his Abettors Doctor Whitgift wisely foresaw that these sparks of Sedition if in time they were not quenched would grow to a great flame to the endangering not only of the University but of the whole Church as every one knoweth it afterward fell out and therefore to cure this Evil if it might be in the beginning he oftentimes sent to Master Cartwright Whitgift adviseth him to be quiet and in friendly and kind manner advised him to surcease from those Courses But finding him always wilfully bent and finally obstinate to prevent further mischief he with the Seniors of the House called him in question Calls him in question and having sufficient matter of Expulsion against him for uttering some Errors in his Lectures and not recanting nor expounding them being by the Master and Seniors so appointed and for exercising the Function of a Minister having no Letters of Orders which he had either torn or suppressed for that he thought it not lawful by his own Doctrine to use them and for transgressing the Statutes of the House in divers other Points he expelled him the House Expells him the House and deprives him of the Lady Margaret's Lecture and being Vice-Chancellor caused him likewise to be deprived of the Lady Margaret's Lecture which then he read 27. Before which course of proceeding with him Doctor Whitgift understanding that Master Cartwright had given it out that his dangerous Assertions were rather repressed by Authority than refelled by Truth and strength of Reason wished him to forbear such disturbance of the publick
Peace of the Church and often offered him to enter a quieter course for trial of the truth of Offers him a Conference which Cartwright refuseth his Cause by Conference and Writing which he always refused to accept as may appear by an Act recorded in the Registry Book of the University of Cambridge under the Testimony and Subscription of the chief Heads bearing date the 18th of March 1570. in these words WHereas it is reported that Master This Recorded in the Register of the University Cartwright offering Disputations and Conference touching the Assertions uttered by him and subscribed with his Hand and that he could not obtain his request therein This is to testify that in the presence of Us whose Names are here-under written and in our hearing the said Master Cartwright was offered conference of divers and namely of M. Doctor Whitgift who offered that if the said Master Cartwright would set down his Assertions in writing and his Reasons unto them he would answer the same in writing also The which Master Cartwright refused to do Further the said Doctor Whitgift at such time as Master Cartwright was deprived of his Lecture did in our presence ask the said Master Cartwright whether he had both publickly and privately divers times offered the same Conference unto him by writing or not To which Master Cartwright answered that he had been so offered and that he refused the same Moreover the said Master Cartwright did never offer any Disputation but upon these Conditions viz. That he might know who should be his Adversaries and who should be his Judges meaning such Judges as he himself could best like of Neither was this kind of Disputation denied unto him but only he was required to obtain licence of the Queen's Majesty or the Counsel because his Assertions be repugnant to the state of the Commonwealth which may not be called into question by publick disputation without licence of the Prince or her Highness's Counsel John Whitgift Vice-Chancellour Andrew Pearne John Mey Edward Hawford William Chadderton Henry Harvy Thomas Ithell Thomas Bing ET ego Matthaeus Stokis Sarum Dioces in Artibus Magister publicus Authoritate legitima Notarius quia interfui deprivationi dicti Cartwright factae undecimo die Decembris Anno 1570. tunc ibidem audivi Doctorem Whitgift interrogantem eum Cartwright de praemissis allegatis M. Cartwright eadem confitentem Ideo in fidem testimonium praemissorum nomen meum requisitus superscripsi Anno Domini 1570. 28. Not long after at which time her Highness had summoned a Parliament some of principal note amongst these Disciplinarians thought that the fittest time either to effect their desires by some Abettors in that high Assembly or at least to disperse their Opinions into all the parts of the Kingdom To which end they then published a Seditious Treatise entituled An Admonition The Disciplinarians publish An Admonition to the Parliament to the Parliament being indeed the very Summary both of their Opinions touching Church matters and of their shameless Slanders against the Governors thereof 29. And albeit Doctor Whitgift considered that this Libel was unworthy any serious confutation yet in regard of the great applause it found among the green Heads of the University who were greedy of Novelties and to stop the current of so dangerous Positions he spared not his pains in writing a learned Whitgift answers it 1572. Answer therein laying open the weakness of that Cause and the strength of their Malice who so hotly pursued the same which being published upon the Year 1572. won him no less reputation with the learneder sort than the former had with the young and weaker Brains yea even those who had formerly thought the Admonition unanswerable found the rashness of their Censures by the soundness of that Refutation 30. Whereupon Master Cartwright notwithstanding his former refusal to enter into the list with Doctor Whitgift as is aforesaid seeing both the walls and foundation of his new-founded Church-government already shaken and tottering endeavoured to underprop the same with a Reply The weakness Cartwright replies Whitgift defends his Answer whereof Doctor Whitgift displayed in his Defence of the Answer to the Admonition against the Reply 30. But Master Cartwright glorying belike to have the last word published a second Reply fraught with no other Cartwright's Second Reply stuff than had been before refuted yet Doctor Whitgift addressing himself to answer it was by the advice of some whose Judgments he much esteemed dissuaded from troubling himself in refuting that which he had already overthrown Amongst others who dissuaded him the learned Doctor Whitaker was one against whose Judgment the Adversary can no way justly except His words in his Letter to Doctor Whitgift are these Quem Cartwright us Mr. Whitaker's Letters concerning Mr. Cartwright's Reply and his censure of him nuper emisit libellum ejus magnam partem perlegi Ne vivam si quid unquam viderim dissolutius ac penè puerilius Verborum satis ille quidem lautam ac novam supellectilem habet rerum omnino nullam quantum ego judicare possum Deinde non modò perversè de Principis in rebus sacris atque Ecclesiasticis aucthoritate sentit sed in Papistarum etiam castra transfugit à quibus tamen videri vult odio capitali dissidere Verum nec in hac causa ferendus aliis etiam in partibus tela à Papistis mutuatur Denique ut de Ambrosio dixit Hieronimus verbis ludit sententiis dormitat planè indignus est qui à quopiam docto refutetur I have read over saith he a great part of the Book which Master Cartwright hath lately set forth Let me not live if I ever saw any thing more loose and almost more childish As for words indeed he hath store of them both trim and fresh enough but as for matter he hath none at all Besides this he hath not only peevish Assertions touching the Princes Authority in matters Sacred and Ecclesiastical but he also flatly revolteth from us to the Camp of the Papists from whom he would seem to fly with deadly hatred And not in this Cause only is he unsufferable but in other Points also he borroweth his Weapons and Arguments from the Papists And in a word as Hierome sometime said of Ambrose he is in his words but a trifler and for his matter but a dreamer and altogether unworthy to be refuted by any man of Learning 32. Master Cartwright after these Controversies thus begun and continued by himself as you see lived sometimes beyond the Seas now in one place and then in another without attaining any eminent or certain Place in the Commonwealth save only the Mastership of an Hospital in Warwick 33. But Doctor Whitgift having continued Master of Trinity College ten years and being twice Vice-chancellor was by her Majesty preferred also to the Deanry of Lincoln which he held for Whitgift made Dean of
direct themselves by the Rule of Geneva would learn thus to discipline their Tongues with him and imitate his Modesty 91. The Archbishop as from Master Beza so from other famous Men beyond the Seas received many Letters arguing their great love and due respect of him At their request and recommendation he relieved and entertained into his House for many years The Archbishop's kindness and charity to Foreign Divines of the Reformation together divers distressed Ministers out of Germany and France who were enforced to forsake their own Countries some by Banishment others by reason of Wars and extremity which they were put unto And at their departure he dealt bountifully with them as namely Drusius Renicherus Frigevill and Monsieur Buse a French Minister who read weekly a Lecture in Latin in his Chappel And although his French pronunciation and want of good delivery did somewhat blemish the goodness of the matter which he handled yet the Archbishop's property ever was to cherish and encourage him and all others that preached before him and was never heard to give the Preacher distaste but rather would commend or excuse him against other mens Censures saying If he were young better experience would correct his defaults and if he were in years he was in that respect to be born withal alledging for both that some would take exceptions sometimes rather to satisfy their own too much curiosity than for any just cause of dislike in the Preacher 92. Wherein he shewed a Disposition very rarely to be found in that having himself an excellent gift in that Faculty his modesty in prizing himself and his mildness in censuring others was extraordinary and very singular His backwardness to censure other mens Gifts and Performances so that thereby he gave great encouragement unto some whom otherwise his exquisite Judgment might have daunted 93. Neither herein did he as in service of War the Trumpeters use to do who encourage others to fight never taking Weapon in hand themselves or as Plutarch noteth in Aristogiton who Plutarch in vita Phocionis animated others to take Arms but himself in excuse pleaded lameness and came halting to the Musters in pretence thereof But as his continual Endeavours were to reward those of best Gifts and to encourage those of meaner so as often as Church and State-affairs gave him leave he was industrious in propounding wholesome Doctrine unto the People and a worthy Pattern of true Divinity and Diligence unto all others of the Clergy to follow him therein When he was Bishop of Worcester unless The Archbishop a constant Preacher when publick Affairs would admit extraordinary businesses of the Marches of Wales hindred him he never failed to preach upon every Sabbath-day many times riding five or six Miles to a Parish Church and after Sermon came home to Dinner The like he did also when he was Archbishop and lay at Croydon the Queen being in her Progress No Sunday escaped him in Kent as the Gentlemen there can well witness who would exceedingly resort unto him And he would oftentimes preach so early in the Morning in some Parish-Church both in Worcester and Canterbury that he came afterwards to the Sermon in the Cathedral Church 94. His Gift that way was excellent Had an excellent Tallent in Preaching Learned eloquent and judicious His Gesture grave and decent without affectation as if you had heard Saint Augustin himself or some of the ancient Bishops in the Primitive Church His Gesture and Action in the Pulpit so grave and decent his words coming from him so fatherly and comely and though plainly for the most part and without affectation yet always elegantly with special choice and substantial matter full of good and sound Learning plentiful in Authorities out of Scripture Fathers and School-men so singularly applied that he much affected his Auditory therewith Thus he oftentimes stirred and moved mens minds and affections and that not by the force of Eloquence only but by his pious Life answerable to his religious Sentences the opinion and confidence which the People had of his Integrity being very Of great Integrity and unspotted Life great because he did live unspotted of the world and would not any way be corrupted 95. He never preached but he first He wrote the Notes of his Sermons wrote his Notes in Latin and afterwards kept them during his life For he would say That whosoever took that pains before his preaching the elder he waxed the better he should discharge that Duty but if he trusted only to his memory his preaching in time Disapproved trusting only to Memory would become pratling Wherein out of a true religious care and divine wisdom he did express the grave and prudent Counsel that Demosthenes held in his Orations and pleadings in the Court. For as Plutarch saith He would never Plutarch in vit Demosth offer to speak unto the People before he had made briefs of that which he had to deliver alledging that he loved the People well that would be careful before-hand what to say unto them And this preparation saith he doth shew that a man honoureth and reverenceth them too Contrariwise he that passeth not how the People taketh his words it is a plain token that he despiseth them and their Authority and that he lacketh no good-will to use force against them if he could rather than reason or persuasion 96. When he was Bishop of Worcester When at Worcester he treated the Recusants mildly and won many of them over and Vice-president of the Marches he did exceeding good by that his continual preaching as also by his often conference and conventing of the Papists whom he used with mild and temperate speeches and thereby got many of them to conform themselves both Gentlemen and others whereby as at his first coming unto the See of Worcester he found many Recusants so he left very few at his coming thence 97. Immediately after he came to be When he came to be Archbishop he dealt with the Learnedst of them by Authority Ecclesiastical Archbishop he convented before him the chiefest and most learned Recusants throughout all England He also wrote Letters to the Bishops his Brethren within the Province of Canterbury to proceed with the Recusants by their Authority Ecclesiastical and Censures of the Church and called yearly upon them for an account of their doings He sent forth also many Warrants by vertue of her Highness's Commission for Causes Ecclesiastical and thereby had daily brought before him both Recusants and Priests who according to the quality of their Offences were restrained and proceeded against or delivered over unto the Civil Magistrate to be dealt withal as to Justice appertained after the Laws were enacted against Recusants and Seminary Priests 98. Thus this grave and prudent He kept a straight hand over the Seminary Priests and subtle Papists Archbishop always carried a most vigilant eye and straight hand over the subtle-headed
Years past These two made semblance and so were Both zealous Professors of the Gospel and hot for Innovation holden to be Professors of the Gospel neither of the coldest or lewk-warm sort as such do untruly term others who be indeed godly wise with a sober moderation but rather of those that more justly may be said to be scalding hot in desire of Innovation which they falsely call Reformation They therefore standing thus affected most willingly They consort with such who spend their zeal in reproaching the Government Ecclesiastical sorted themselves in familiarity with such as by their demeanor may seem to repose a great part of their Christian Profession and Zeal in the only reproacing and odious traducing of Governors and Government Ecclesiastical These two having itching Ears most usually They hear and follow chiefly such Preachers as inveigh against and deprave the Established Ecclesiastical Polity and are for advancing that they call the Discipline heaped to themselves and made choice to hear and follow such Preachers as were thought fittest to feed their humour Which Preachers with their sad looks frequent sighs abroad long and vehement conceived Prayers bitter and plain Invectives in private and privy depraving in publick of the Laws and Policy Ecclesiastical joined with their usual Speeches besides sundry infamous Libels and other Pamphlets spread already for advancing that Government which they strangely term The Discipline may seem so to have inflamed these two Persons as that they thought this Discipline a worthy Subject whereupon they should spend most of their Actions and Cogitations Their minds being thus prepared it happened Some Preachers of the Discipline prosecuted in the Star-chamber that some Preachers of this Discipline were begun to be proceeded with in the most honourable Court of Star-chamber about the same time that this Coppinger by means of one Giles Wigginton came acquainted Coppinger brought acquainted with Hacket by Wigginton a Puritanical Minister of Northamptonshire with William Hacket the third Actor and chief Setter forth of this Tragedy Concerning the said Wigginton because this also tendeth to the better understanding of the whole Action he was born or bred up in Oundel in Northamptonshire where Hacket dwelt and he often resorted into that Country by that occasion He was not long since a Minister and Vicar of Sedberghe and Dent in the North parts but for Wigginton some time Vicar in the North for his insolences and contempt against the Laws and Peace of the Church deprived ex Officio Beneficio Hacket lived at Oundle Servant to Mr. Hussey afterwards to Sir Thomas Tresham a quarrelsome Fellow his intolerable Insolences and Contempts against Laws and the Peace of the Church was both deprived of chat his Benefice and deposed from his Ministry by Authority of her Majesty's Commission for Causes Ecclesiastical a man by report of such as know him best and favour him not a little whose zeal never came behind knowledge nor bold-hardy forwardness at any time went after discretion in him This Hacket had dwelt also by a long space in Oundel where first he served one Master Hussey an Esquire by the space of ten Years and after for some time he served Sir Thomas Tresham Knight He was a notable bragging and quarelsome Fellow yet thought in truth to be but a very recreant Dastard He long together used one lewd and ungodly practice which was to resort unto He frequently resorted to Sermons to mock and carp at them Sermons of purpose to gibe mock and carp at them And having a good Memory which was the only commendable part in him he used in scoffing manner to preach over again in Alehouses the Sermons that he had heard most insisting and sporting himself and others at such Passages thereof which pleased him least or whereat he imagined any likely matter of deriding might be gathered Whilst thus he served Master Hussey he Married a Widow with Substance but wasted it by Idleness and Lewdness obtained by his Master's countenance the marriage of one Moreton's Widow of reasonable Substance having also a good Farm in that Town But he following loose and licentious Company and an idle course of life without labour or industry either to get or save lewdly and riotously mispent and wasted in short space all her Goods It fell so out that at length he pretended Pretended from a Papist or Atheist to be converted to the Truth got intimately acquainted with Wigginton from a Papist or an Atheist to be converted to Religion and knowledge of the truth At what time he grew to be of familiar and inward acquaintance with the said Giles Wigginton and was an especial Follower and Disciple of his both at publick Sermons and private Conventicles Of late times he was also consorted in Partnership of Malt-making with Wigginton Their great acquaintance and familiarity may appear by a Letter sent from Hacket unto him the third of March last and by his lending unto Hacket of ten Pounds The Superscription is To the Worshipful Minister of God's Word M. Giles Wigginton at Newgate In the Letter thus he writeth M. Wigginton I desire to communicate my Spirit at large with you but I know not your Keeper And in the end thereof thus Good M. Wigginton make my sound heart known to Master Cartwright Master Snape Master Udall Master Lord c. By his and such others like affected mens Grew a forward Professor and great Railer against the Laws and Orders of the Church Instructions and Example of life and behaviour he so profited that in short space he proved one that professed with the forwardest and practised with the frowardest For falling as Fools do from one extremity to another Qui dum vitant vitia in contraria currunt he grew to a most insolent proud and contemptuous disdain of all Preachers and others whomsoever that flew not his pitch or lay not to the level of his pretended zeal But most gladly and with greatest felicity that might be he used to spend his mouth largely in Invectives Railings and Contumelies against Bishops and other Governors of the Church and also against the Laws Orders and whole Government Ecclesiastical not sticking as was probably suspected to procure also sundry lewd infamous Libels against them and other Preachers c. to be framed and set up thereabouts His detestation of Ecclesiastical Orders Despised the Town-Minister for his Conformity commanded was so great that he could not endure to frequent the Sermons which Ray the Minister of that Town did preach because he seemed to him a little more conformable in some few matters by Authority established than Hacket liked of Wherefore on Sabboth days Hacket usually did resort to a Place a Mile off called Stoke where the Minister fitted his Humour better in company of some of like strain to himself and of certain light idle Gossips whereof some of the sincerest were said to love and like him so
to be bridled When he was brought to the place of Execution and saw no hope of Escape which before he hoped for he grew to be At his Execution is dejected and poplexed very much dejected and perplexed in Mind insomuch as without help of a Godly Prince which then stood by he could not repeat so much as the Articles of his Christian faith I shall not need to dwell long in the application The Story applied to our Disciplinarians and the Parallel alike in all particulars and resemblance of these points unto this late Tragedy the very reading of them over giving sufficient Light unto the same For the sharp and angry Zeal of some unadvised Preachers which pretend neither to like of the Pope nor of the present state of the Church for want of some purity as they fansy Hath it not incensed and made to boil over not only the foul Mouths of Martinists but also the traiterous actions of these Conspirators And albeit the common multitude whom the Disciplinarians brag to be already inflamed with Zeal ready to lend a hundred thousand hands for the advancement of their Cause and by whom they hope and say such Reformation must at last be brought in did better keep themselves out of this Action than was expected Yet the danger thereof was as great and if it had once taken head would happily as hardly as the other have been subdued Were not the Treaties of these men also in private Houses at Night-Fasts and the Consultations concerning it at Classical Conventicles and like Assemblies Did not these likewise shoot at the Overthrow of the whole State Ecclesiastical and at the displacing of her Majesty's most Honourable Council and that under pretence of Reformation and to advance the preaching of the Gospel in every Congregation throughout this Land Made not these the like Complaints of wicked Counsellors Noblemen and Magistrates for keeping out the Discipline for persecuting sincere Preachers and afflicting God's People like Lyons and Dragons And do they not pretend this to be a special Grievance of theirs That the common people of every Congregation may not elect their own Ministers That the People are brought under the Yoak of the Law Ceremonial by paying Tythes c. and is not the hand and head of Satan as plainly in this Action to seek the overthrow of sound Professors by others of the same Profession under pretence of greater Sincerity Do not these likewise almost appropriate to themselves and their Favourites the Terms of God's Church of Christian Brethren and of true and reformed Preachers Is any Speech more rise in their mouths than that they will only be tried and judged by God's Book and by his Spirit Do they not tax all other men not so far gone as themselves of loose Lives of Antichristianism of Hypocrisy and Idolatry in the mean time never looking at their own Treasons Disloyalties and other Vices Make they not great Ostentation of Love and Fidelity to her Majesty's Person and of Care of her Safety even when they secretly nourished a fancy of Forfeiture of her Crown and sought to over-rule her by Hacket their imagined Sovereign King of Europe Had they not their Cabinet Preachers their Table-end Teachers their Guides of Fasts c. that teach pray for and attend extraordinary Callings by Visions Dreams Revelations and Enlightnings Was not Giles Wigginton and some others unto them as Thomas Muncer and Phifer were to the Germans men of supposed great Austerity of Life Holiness Favour with God Resoluteness in his Cause Singleness and Uprightness of heart Did not Wigginton resolve them by Examples he gathered touching Extraordinary Callings in these days by reason of the great Waste of this Church of England Had not he and they likewise learned of the same Devil in the Prayers at Fasts to ask Signs and Seals of God for their extraordinary Callings Doth not Arthington say that he importuned God in his Prayers And Coppinger That he had leave given to talk more familiarly with God than afore Did not Hacket in praying for the pretended possessed Gentlewoman sawcily expostulate with God and charge him with his Promise as if he dealt not well with him Did he not at his Arraignment and Execution shew such Anger in his Prayers against God thinking belike as those did to be excused by his Fervency of Zeal Did not both he and Coppinger pretend Conference with God by sundry Revelations and Dreams Do not they and the rest of the Disciplinarian Humour Fenneritheol exact and seek to square out even in Hypothesi all Civil Policies and Judgments in Causes Criminal especially unto the Judicials of Moses given for the People of the Jews Is there any thing they stand more upon or condemn the contrary deeper than to have an Equality among all Persons Ecclesiastical Do they not inveigh sharply against Prince and Nobles for upholding the State Ecclesiastical and in this respect intended to have them brought to Repentance when their Opinions grew to a Ripeness Was not this their principal pretended purpose to plant the Gospel and their Reformation by rooting out wicked Magistrates and Counsellors as they judged and by setting others in their places Did Hacket's fancied Fan instead of Christ to sever the good from the bad import any thing else or should it have served any other turn than for the killing up of all that thought not well of their Discipline and Reformation Did they not pretend the Will of the Lord so to be And was it not plainly meant this to be effected by tumult of the common people Did not these likewise bear one another in hand that all things should succeed and prosper with them that no violence could harm them nor any man had power to hurt them as having Angelical Spirits and being in most high favour with God And Hacket accordingly even in going to execution did he not call for and expect a miraculous deliverance from heaven out of the hands of those whom he called his enemies Did he not likewise for a certain sign of his favour with God make Coppinger believe that he could and did obtain rain and could stay it at his pleasure Was not the chiefest of their plots and conspiracies detected by their letters found with them Did not they likewise when they were convented before the Magistrate stoutly and resolutely defend their dealings and maintain that the Princess had for seited her right and was now to be bridled and over-ruled by others and lastly Was not that impious Wrech Hacket as irresolute dejected and base-minded towards his death as Muncer or any man either could be or as so bad a cause might procure Not long after those former Rebellions in Another like Commotion of the Anabaptist's in Munster Germany another strange and memorable Commotion happened in Munster the principal City of Westphalia a Province also of Germany which is not unmeet to be in some points also touched in this place for the
he opened his mouth blasphemously against Heaven and against the Majesty of the Eternal God And concerning certain opinions of the Anabaptists do not many of the Disciplinarian humour come far nearer unto them than were to be wished for though they deny not the Civil Magistrates superiority altogether yet in Causes Ecclesiastical though they admit it in words they allow unto him nothing else but execution of their Orders without attributing any superior preheminence of commandment in Church-causes for retaining of good order and of soundness of Doctrine in the Church Likewise though they take not the sovereignty from the chief Magistrate in causes of the Common-wealth do they not so abridge and bound his Authority in causes Ecclesiastical that the very Papists do attribute as much in this behalf unto him as they do And albeit they will not absolutely in judgment deny the lawfulness of an Oath before a Magistrate yet if their sundry and variable Positions in this point be marked they do in effect wholly repeal the use of it For do not some of them plainly refuse to take an Oath whereby they may be urged to discover any thing which may either be penal to themselves or to their Christian Brother and so in effect deny it altogether Do not others of them refuse to tell any thing that is criminal concerning any other person though perhaps they will do it against themselves especially when they think it is afore discovered and known Do not some of them refuse an Oath simply yea and to answer without Oath either affirmatively or negatively but do will their accusers to stand forth Do not others deny to take an Oath except every particular question be afore made known unto them a matter impossible because sundry Questions that shall be asked do arise forth of the matter of the Answer And do not sundry of them albeit they yield to detect by Oath both their own and others offences yet deny to reveal any thing whereof they are asked if themselves be persuaded the matter demanded of be none offence And so they do hang obedience to Laws Allegiance and Duty of Subjects upon every particular mans conceit even as he by circumstances or his own fond persuasion shall list to measure matters Do they not resolutely hold that summa potestas the Chief and Sovereign Power in all Church-causes belongs to a Presbytery who though they may consult yet may not determine matter of any moment without the allowance of the People Had not these Conspirators a like opinion to those of Munster that the principal spirit of Christ being in Hacket he was come with his Fan to sever and dispatch out of the way all the wicked and ungodly from the good and godly Hath it not been set down by an English subject and twice printed with singular allowance of the English Arch-Prophet of discipline for Sound and Holy Divinity that it is God's ordinance to have in every Kingdom certain chief Officers like Ephori in Lacedoemon who should have authority to depose Kings though they come unto it by lawful Succession if they shall judge them to be Tyrants Did not Wigginton deliver for sound Doctrine That if the Magistrates did not govern well the people might draw themselves together and to see a Reformation Do not these kind of persons likewise slander the Prince and State with persecution of the Saints and of innocent men because they are a little restrained from running on in their Seditious courses Did not these Conspirators also hold That now in these latter times Christ by his principal spirit imparted unto Hacket should reign and erect an external kingdom on earth and in the world And did they not fancy that even at that time the Gospel with their discipline should be universally established and all the ungodly abolished Do not all of the Disciplinarian Sect hold that to the very being of Baptism and without which it is of no more force in any case than the Nurses washing it is required that it be administred by a lawful Minister thereby derogating not only from the true Baptism of Thousands but also of all whomsoever that were Baptized by Popish Sacrificing Priests themselves and from all that have received Baptism of such as were Baptized by them whereupon must needs follow necessity of Rebaptization or else that it were lawful to neglect and contemn that Sacrament and high Mystery of our Salvation Lastly Do they not make great shews and many pretences for all their unsound and absurd Opinions that they are taken from the holy and sacred written word of God which by this means they make to be of private interpretation and do not reduce their senses unto it when they read but do wickedly captivate the Scripture unto their own senses and meanings even as in this behalf Coppinger or Arthington did first take upon them an extraordinary calling Scripturas ad suum non suum sensum ad Scripturas adducunt and were afterwards charged by Hacket to read over the whole Bible there to find an approbation of it God of his infinite mercy forgive and turn the hearts of all that trouble his Church fromrunning well or that impugne his Ordinance and such as are set over them and restrain or root out all Phantastical Errors and Fanatical spirits which the envious man from time to time doth sow among the good Wheat that holding the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace we may all meet together in the unity of faith and knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect man and unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ and so speedily and joyfully meet him our Bridegroom in the Clouds with our heads lifted up and full of Comfort and so reign with him for ever through the same Jesus Christ our Lord To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost one Eternal Immortal Invisible and only wise God be all Honour Praise Glory and Dominion now and for ever Amen FINIS Books Sold by R. Chiswell DAngerous Positions and Proceedings published and Practised within this Island of Britain under pretence of Reformation and for the Presbyterial Discipline Written in 1593. by Dr. Riohard Bancrofe afterwards Lord Archbishop of Canterbury 4o. His Survey of the pretended Holy Discipline Containing an Historical Narration of the Beginnings Success Parts Proceedings Authority and Doctrine of it with some of the Manifold and Material Repugnancies Varieties and Uncertainties in that behalf Faithfully gathered out of the Writings of the Principal Favourers of that Platform Written 1593. 4o. An Apology for Sundry Proceedings by Jurisdiction Ecclesiastical in 3 Parts Written 1593. By Richard Cosin L. L. D. Dean of the Arches and Official-Principal to Archbishop Whitgift 4o. The Sum of a Conference held by King James the First at Hampton-Court 1603. with the Bishops and Clergy and some Chief of the Puritan Ministers about sundry Church-Matters 4o. Mr. Richard Hookers Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity in 8 Books Fol.
Majesty's Commandment had notwithstanding much ado and many conflicts with them For they had gotten such strength by his Predecessor's connivency that many of them were then planted both within his Province and particular Diocess In whose favour sundry Gentlemen of the chiefest account there came to entreat the Archbishop and some of the younger sort would needs argue and dispute matters in controversy on their behalf But he gave so good satisfaction unto them all by his mild and temperate Answers albeit he yielded not unto their Requests that they loved him after some of the chiefest of them preferring their Sons unto him and the rest performing many kind Offices and Services towards him 55. The next Year following for Decem. 1584. For satisfaction of some great Persons he with two other Bishops receive the Reasons of some Ministers for their Non-conformity They sufficiently answer the same farther satisfaction of some of the greatest and most honourable Counsellors of State in these Points the two Archbishops and the Bishop of Winchester were pleased to hear the Reasons of some Ministers that refused to conform themselves unto the Orders of the Church established At which time albeit the said learned Prelates sufficiently cleared all their Doubts and Exceptions yet after this these honourable Personages affying much in the Sufficiency and Scholarship of some others not yet dealt withal and supposing that they had been able to have said much more in defence of themselves and the impeaching of the Ecclesiastical Government established for so they were born in hand were desirous to hear at Lambeth the Controversies A Conference at Lambeth and a further debate of the Controversy to the seeming satisfaction of those Great Personages further debated on both Sides Whereunto the Archbishop for their satisfaction yielded and after four hours Conference spent these Honourable Personages professed that they would not have believed that the Archbishops Grounds and Reasons had been so good and strong and the Others so weak and trivial but that they heard them once and again with their own Ears and so they said they would inform her Majesty seeming to be there well resolved and also persuaded the Ministers to Conformity 56. Howbeit afterwards when those Honourable Personages saw that they might not sway as formerly in the restraint of Archibishop Grindall and prefer The Archbishop perplexed with Oppositions is grieved whom they listed unto Ecclesiastical Promotions they with some others linked themselves against the Archbishop and gave him being yet no Counsellor of State many thwarts at the Council board wherewith he was so much perplexed and grieved to see things thus carried as thereupon advising with some of his Honourable Friends whose assistance he knew might avail him if their Affections were not otherwise overswayed by the potency of so great Personages he thus imparted his mind in several Letters Writes his mind as followeth GOD knoweth how desirous I have been from time to time to have my Doings approved by my ancient and honourable Friends For which cause since my coming to this Place I have done nothing of importance against these Sectaries without good Advice I have risen up early and sate up late to yield Reasons and make answer to their Contentions and their Seditious Objections And shall I now say I have lost my labour Or shall my just dealing with disobedient and irregular Persons cause my former professed and ancient Friends to hinder my just Proceedings and make them speak of my Doings yea and of my Self what they list Solomon saith that an old Friend is better than a new I trust those that love me indeed will not so lightly cast off their old Friends for any of these new fangled and Factious Sectaries whose fruits are to make division and to separate old and assured Friends In mine own private Affairs I know I shall stand in need of Friends but in these publick Actions I see no cause why I should seek Friends seeing they to whom the care of the Common-wealth is committed ought of duty therein to join with me And if my honourable Friends should for sake me especially in so good a Cause and not put their helping hand to the redress of these Enormities being indeed a matter of State and not of the least moment I shall think my coming unto this Place to have been for my punishment and my hap very hard that when I think to deserve best and in a manner consume my self to satisfy that which God her Majesty and the Church requireth of me I should be evilly rewarded Sed meliora spero It is objected by some that my desire of Uniformity by way of Subscription is for the better maintenance of my Book They are mine Enemies that say so but I trust my Friends have a better opinion of me Why should I seek for any confirmation of my Book after twelve years approbation or what shall I get thereby more than already I have And yet if Subscription may confirm it it is confirmed long ago by the Subscription almost of all the Clergy of England before my time Mine Enemies likewise and the slanderous Tongues of this uncharitable Sect report that I am revolted become a Papist and I know not what But it proceedeth from their lewdness and not from any desert of mine I am further burthened with Wilfulness I hope my Friends are better persuaded of me to whose Consciences I appeal It is strange that a man of my Place dealing by so good warrant as I do should be so encountred and for not yielding be counted wilful But I must be content Vincit qui patitur There is a difference betwixt Wilfulness and Constancy I have taken upon me by the Place which I hold under her Majesty the defence of the Religion and the Rites of the Church of England to appease the Schisms and Sects therein to reduce all the Ministers thereof to Uniformity and to due obedience and not to waver with every wind which also my Place my Person my Duty the Laws her Majesty and the goodness of the Cause do require of me and wherein the Lords of her Highness's most Honourable Privy Council all things considered ought in duty to assist and countenance me But how is it possible that I should perform the Charge which I have undertaken after so long liberty and lack of Discipline if a few Persons so meanly qualified as most of these Factions Sectaries are should be countenanced against the whole State of the Clergy of greatest account both for Learning Years Staidness Wisdom Religion and Honesty and open Breakers and Impugners of the Law young in Years proud in Conceipt contentious in Disposition should be maintained against their Governors seeking to reduce them to Order and to Obedience Haec sunt initia Haereticorum ortus atque conatus Schismaticorum malè cogitantium ut sibi placeant ut praepositum superbo tumore contemnat Sic de Ecclesia receditur sic Altare profanum
make herein shall be upon thorns and therefore I am to fear pricking Yet for all this I am not without hope neither is the same grounded but by good warrant The end why I write unto you is this to intreat you to give thanks to those holy men all on my behalf who are now in question I have reaped much benefit from them by their carriage towards me though they know it not For I durst not in regard of danger which might grow Note to them visit any of them since I found my self carried with a zeal to do somewhat in the same Cause for which they suffer If by some effects hereafter I may shew it that is it which I desire to do and in the mean time do what I can to persuade the Saints that in this Action I seek God's glory and not mine own I have been heretofore put back and dissuaded from attempting any thing lest I marred all by the wisest the learnedest the zealousest and holiest Preachers of this City gene Causes and weighty Reasons moving thereunto But yet this will not make me leave it but still I am enforced by little and little to labour to make my self fit to take upon me the managing of it Wherefore if it please you to shew the other Letter and this and beseech them from me to lay them before the Lord when they shall meet and join together in prayer And if the Lord's Spirit shall assure their Spirits that he hath been is and will be with me in this Action how hard soever it seemeth to be let me by their means be vouchsafed this favour that I may be allowed conference with the Preachers of the City which Sute I make not for that I would seek to have approbation from them or any other living Creature but from God himself Or that I purpose to do that which heretofore I have been advised unto namely acquaint them with the Courses which I purpose by God's assistance to Note take in hand whereby great danger might grow to them and little good to me But that my carriage towards them may witness unto them the humility of my mind and lowliness of my spirit and care and conscience not to enter into the matter without offer to have my Gifts examined and if they shall be supposed to be such as the Church may have use of then let all holy means be used which shall be advised to be fit to be done in such a dangerous time and weighty Action So beseeching God to govern us in all our ways and preserve us in all our dangers and supply us with whatsoever we stand in need of I humbly and heartily commend you to God this 21st day of May 1591. The effect of the Speeches which Coppinger Coppinger incourageth the said Gentleman to persevere in defence of the Cause He declares to him his Revelations and extraordinary Gifts and Calling touching the Reformation of the Church had with him at their Conference as the said Gentleman himself reported was to commend the Cause of the Preachers committed to incourage him to the defence of it adding that it was the truth of God and that in the end it would prevail Then the said Coppinger began to declare unto him his Revelations his great fasting and prayer and how God had indued him with an extraordinary grace of Prayer Persuasion or Prophecy And that God had appointed him as he was persuaded to reveal the will of God touching the reformation of his Church that he had an extraordinary Calling to do good to the Church and what several conflicts he had in himself before he yielded to this extraordinary motion or calling from God Therefore his Request was That by He desires that his Gifts and Calling may be tried and allowed by the Preachers the said Gentleman's means his Gifts and Calling might be tried and allowed by those godly Preachers c. What the Preachers and others that were conferred with answered to Coppinger herein and whether more dutifully to the Estate than warily so as they might neither as they thought endanger themselves nor kill or discourage the Zeal of that their Brother in so pretended holy a Cause may partly by that which is afore spoken appear and we may then believe them when they shall tell us the whole truth thereof But how slender and cold discouragement A cold Answer from some he found with some Preachers of London with whom he dealt touching his fantastical extraordinary Calling and dangerous Plots may also appear by these words found in a Letter of his viz. Good Master L. as Master E's former carriage in this Action which standeth me much upon to deal advisedly in did somewhat trouble me so his Christian and loving Answer delivered now by you from him unto me doth much comfort me though by reason of some particular business which I must necessarily follow I cannot attend till Friday in the Afternoon or Saturday any part of the day And after in the same Letter thus Satan by his Angelical wisdom which he still retaineth doth many times prevail with the holiest to make them fear good success in the best Causes in regard of the lets and hindrances which himself layeth in the way It cannot be denied but that the Cause is good which I desire to be an Actor in But it is said by some that it is impossible that I should be fit to meddle therein So that here a Christian A further Conference The Course not misliked but Success only doubted from his unfitness and loving Answer to his great comfort is given further conference by speech is offered and the Course not so much misliked as the Success only is doubted by reason of his unfitness that was to be an Actor in it But what Resolution herein was also returned from the Preachers of Foreign Parts to this Case of Conscience propounded by Coppinger may hereby not unprobably be gathered Arthington at one of his Examinations confessed that Penry sent a Letter unto him forth of Scotland wherein he signified Penry writes to A thington from Scotland that Reformation must be set up in England that Reformation for so they speak must shortly be erected in England And herein he said that he took Penry to be a Prophet Now it is sure that Penry conveyed himself privily into England and was lurking about London at the self-same time when these other Prophets arose in Cheapside attending as seemeth the fulfilling of this his Prophecy also by their means How dutifully and advisedly those that be Subjects have dealt which having intelligence hereof did conceal it till it burst forth of it self with apparent danger to her Majesty and the whole State may thus be The concealing of this Design dangerous to the State gathered For by this Conceit of Coppinger's you hear it is pretended and surmised that a commendable Cause a Cause to be defended yea the very truth of God which must prevail
of to bring them to pass which they hoped to stir up by their pretence of so great holiness with calling the Realm to repentance in the open Streets of London by offering joys and mercy to the Penitent and by their Proclamation also then made in Cheapside as hereafter cometh to be declared Now that these their two last Purposes were indeed the principal and main ends which they propounded to themselves besides that which by the way is noted already and that which comes hereafter to be mentioned let these few Proofs ensuing suffice First for the alteration of the whole Government Ecclesiastical and erecting of the new Discipline It is confessed that Coppinger Coppinger and Arthington two false Prophets their words to Wigginton the day before the Insurrection and Arthington the two Counterseit Prophets on the 16th of July last being Friday and the self-same day that they arose in Cheapside told Wigginton in the morning these words amongst many others viz. That Reformation and the Lord's Discipline should now forthwith be established and therefore charged Wigginton in the Lord's name to put all Christians in comfort that they should see a joyful alteration in the state of Church-Government shortly To which words Wigginton made no reply nor further demand as of any matter strange unto him how it was so shortly to be compassed Wherein may also be observed that these kind of Persons do reckon and term only those Christians that will take comfort and joy at such an Alteration So that by their Opinions it skilleth not what be attempted or done against all others being but as Heathens and Paynims or at least Idolaters Thus much with their seditious Purposes Their Seditious Purposes appear in Coppinger's Letter to Udal then condemned for writing the Demonstration of Discipline also is plainly implied in a dangerous Letter written by the said Coppinger since Easter last unto one John Udal a condemned man for Felony in the White Lyon in Surrey for writing of the Book termed the Demonstration of Discipline That Letter beginneth thus Right Reverend Sir my forbearing to visit you and the rest of the Saints who suffer for Righteousness sake do give you all cause to think that I have forsaken my first Love and have embraced the God of this World But my Conscience beareth me witness of the contrary The Reasons of my absence being so great and so weighty that hereafter when they shall be examined by your selves who are endued with the spirit of wisdom and discerning of Spirits I doubt not but Note you will allow of my not coming which might bring you into more trouble and danger than it would do me good or breed me comfort And afterward thus You have care and conscience to further the building of the Lord's House which lieth waste and to seek the final overthrow of Antichrist's Kingdom which being the Lord 's own work he will bless it and all the Actors in it And this I dare be bold of mine own knowledge to report that in this great Work he hath divers that lie hid and are yet at liberty who are hammering their heads busying their brains and spending their spirits in prayers to God as much as you or any of you that are in Prison Note and hope in short time to be brought forth into the sight of their and your Enemies to defend the Cause you stand for And again afterward in this wise I beseech you cheer up your selves in the Lord for the day of our Redemption is at hand and pray that the Hand of the Lord may be strengthened Note in them whom he hath appointed to take part with you in this Cause and beseech him that blessing may be upon Sion and confusion upon Babel Pardon my long Letter I beseech you and impart mine humble suit to all the rest to whom I neither dare write nor offer to see I neither put to my Name nor make Subscription The Bringer can report who sendeth the Letter and let that suffice Furthermore that they hated deadly and maligned her Majesty as a principal Obstacle to their Innovation and Kingdom and therefore sought to deprive her Highness of her Sovereignty and Life may be gathered by their own Words and Actions For Hacket confessed before the other two that They usually attend Egerton a Preacher in Black-Frairs at a Sermon of one Egerton's preach'd in the Black-Fryars whither they usually resort he the said Hacket remained uncovered all the Sermon time until the Preacher came to pray for her Majesty but then he said that he put on his Hat And when Arthington demanded why he did so Coppinger streightway answered thus There is a matter in that Likewise when as in their private Prayers amongst themselves Arthington used to pray for the Queen Coppinger Coppinger and Hacket forbear to pray for the Queen would sundry times tell him that his so doing did much grieve Hacket adding that in the beginning himself did also pray for her but Hacket had now drawn him from it saying there was a cause why which Arthington knew not but should know hereafter For saith he you do not know this man meaning Hacket who is a greater Person than she and indeed above all the Princes in the World And whenas on the very Sunday before their rising for so themselves have since termed that Action it happened that Arthington prayed again for the preservation of the Queen's Majesty Hacket not digesting this suddenly with indignation turned his face away from him but when he prayed for other matters then Hacket cast his countenance towards him again which he perceiving that Arthington also marked by him and purposing as it seemeth to salve up this matter again left Arthington happily might yet have fallen from them therefore when they had ended their Prayers Hacket took him with his Arms about the middle in very kind sort affirming that he loved the Queen as well as either of them and desired him not to be offended for the Lord had commanded it Adding further that there was a matter in it that Arthington as yet knew not Hereupon Coppinger being in hearing thereof said that she might be prayed for in general terms but not so specially as Arthington did whereby Hacket was grieved nor yet to be prayed for as a Sovereign For said he she may not reign as Note Sovereign but this man Hacket and yet saith he she shall live better than ever she did albeit she must be governed by another thereby also meaning Hacket And to the intent they might the more assuredly retain Arthington without suspicion of their poisonful malice wherein they boiled against the Queen's Highness Hacket himself once after this time very subtilly prayed for her Majesty For proof that they also meant to deprive her of life the several Confessions of Arthington Arthington confesseth that Hacket and Coppinger design'd the Queen's deprivation of Government and Life at sundry Examinations may be
mutined The King proimseth them Deliverance before Easter It not coming he fains himself sick and puts a Cheat upon them by reason of the extremity of Famine their King promised them assured deliverance from God before Easter When Easter was come no sign or token of their deliverance appeared Then the King feigned himself to be sick for six days afterward assembling the people into the Market steed he told them that all that while he had ridden upon a blind Ass and that the Father had laid upon him the sins of the whole Multitude so that now they were cleansed and freed from all Vice which was the Deliverance which he promised unto them and therewith they were to hold themselves contented When the Bishop's Strength by common Supplies from the Princes of the Empire were much reenforced matters in the Town grew to that Extremity that by means of two Persons who conveyed themselves secretly forth of the Town it was at last surprized by the The City is surprized The King Knipperdolung and Crecliting taken alive Rotman is slam Assailants though with much ado and Bloodshed even after they were entred Their King with Knipperdoling and Crecliting their two false Prophets were taken alive But Rotman their Reformed Preacher seeing no hope to escape desperately ran in amongst the thickest of the Armed Companies and by them he was cut in pieces The three Persons aforenamed were carried about the Countrey as a Spectacle to sundry the Princes and others thereabouts and after were brought back again unto Munster The Bishop of Munster demanded of the King by what Authority he took upon him to rule in that City Who asked the said Bishop again by what Authority he the said Bishop claimed any Power there When he answered that he had it by means of Election of the Chapter and by Consent of the People the King replying said That himself had his Authority from God After two days had been bestowed with them to reduce them by godly Persuasions from their Errors Leyden their King confessed his Leyden repents Knipperdoling and Crecliting arc obstinate They are all three executed Sin and desired Forgiveness at Christ's hands But Knipperdoling and Crecliting would confess no fault but defended their course and Opinions with great Obstinacy So all Three being tied unto Posts were dismembred by piece meal and pulled in small pieces with hot burning Pincers and Tongs and afterward their Carkasses were hanged up there in Iron Cages but the King in the midst and much higher than the other two as his Place required Besides certain especial Opinions which Some of their Erroneous and Heretical Doctrines these Anabaptists held namely That Young Children were not to be baptized and touching Lawfulness of Poligamy or having many Wives Of Community of Goods and that Christ took not Flesh of the Virgin Mary c. they also taught and defended many other strange erroneous and heretical Positions And yet they shewed as much Devotion outward Holiness and Purity as might be As for example they held these following viz. That a perfect Christian might not exercise the Office of a Magistrate nor might take an Oath before him That God doth now oftentimes shew his Will by extraordinary Revelations Dreams and Visions That the common people have an especial Authority in determining and establishing of church-Church-causes That before the day of Judgment the Kingdom of Christ shall be such as that the Godly and Elect shall overthrow and subdue all the wicked and then they alone shall rule in the earth That it is lawful for the People to depose and put down the Prince or Magistrate That Ministers and others godly affected ought to establish though it were by Force a Reformation in all Countries That Princes and Magistrates ought not to pursue this kind of persons for that they are Innocents and the beloved People of God That the Seat of David which was fallen down must be reestablished and that Christ now in the latter end of the World shall reign externally upon the Earth That the time of besiege they then lived in was that where of Isaiah prophesied wherein the just and godly were afflicted and persecùted That the time of their deliverance and enlargement was at hand which should be like to that deliverance of the Israelites from the Thraldom under the Babylonians And that then the wicked and ungodly shall receive the guerdon and recompence of all their Impieties committed against the Saints all the ungodly being rid out of the way the seat of Righteousness should be prepared and advanced That there is none efficacy or force in that Baptism wherewith Infants are baptized All which they obstinately defended and yet whensoever they were charged they pretended that they would acknowledge and confess their Errors if they should be shewed unto them by the Scriptures to be Errors Now as I have done afore in the History A comparison of the Anabaptists in Munster with the Disciplinarians in England in Opinion and Practice of Thomas Muncer I must crave leave that with the Readers patience I may also briefly compare and resemble some of the Dealings and Errors of the Anabaptists of the City of Munster with the actions and opinions of these late Conspirators and of their Disciplinarian Schoolmasters from whom they have sucked like Poyson For did not Hacket the most ignorant of all the three being but an unlettered Maltster in like sort take upon him to rule the other and to mannage the whole Action and are not the most ignorant of such as be of this humour most presumptuous to direct all others and to discuss deepest doubts Have not their mutual cohortations and seditious instructions with their conceived Prayers and hypocritical Fasts that they practised in privy conventicles and assemblies given greatest strength to his faction to the seduction of numbers Have not the Magistrates now as great cause to look into these proceedings before they make head upon confidence of their multitudes Have not all the stayed and sound Preachers of this Land by sundry Maleperts and now again by Arthington been most insolently challenged unto disputation Hath not the cause of this pretended Discipline been nevertheless quashed oftentimes in Pulpits in publick disputations in the Universities and by learned treatises written whereby the weakness and meagerness of their childish collections have been fully displayed Will they make any hast or dare they to offer disputation if such conditions assistants and indifferent and learned Judges as are fit shall be set down and appointed and being beaten from their ordinary means have not these Conspirators and such as have animated them betaken themselves unto pretended extraordinary Callings ravishings in Spirit carryings into Heaven Revelations Dreams and Visions Have they not seditiously filled out Streets with their like hypocritical Outcries of Repent Repent c. and by gathering of Routs tending to Uproar and popular Tumult If their purposes had succeeded and their Prophecies of