"Never did the human mind attain such a magnificent height of self-assertiveness as in England about the year 1650," wrote Lytton Strachey in his essay on Lodowick Muggleton. "Then it was that the disintegration of religious authority which had begun with Luther reached its culminating point. The Bible, containing the absolute truth as to the nature and the workings of the Universe, lay open to all; it was only necessary to interpret its assertions; and to do so all that was wanted was the decision of the individual conscience. In those days the individual conscience decided with extraordinary facility. Prophets and prophetesses ranged in crowds through the streets of London, proclaiming, with complete certainty, the explanation of everything. The explanations were extremely varied: so much the betterŅone could pick and choose. One could become a Behmenist, a Bidellian, a Coppinist, a Salmonist, a Dipper, a Traskite, a Tryonist, a Philadelphian, a Christadelphian, or a Seventh Day Baptist, just as one pleased. Samuel Butler might fleer and flout at 'petulant, capricious sects/The maggots of corrupted texts,' but he, too, was deciding according to the light of his individual conscience." Such was the social context of Abiezer Coppe.
Coppe was born in Warwick in 1619, and made his way to Oxford University, where his behavior was infamous. Anthony Wood recalled: "And it was then notoriously known, that he would several times entertain for one night, or more, a wanton huswife in his chamber to whom carrying several times meat, at the hour of refection, he would make answer, when being asked by the way what he would do with it, that 'it was a bit for his cat.'" Unlike students today, those in 17th century Oxford were expected to live semi- monastic lives. At the beginning of the Civil War, Coppe left Oxford and began preaching through the countryside, baptizing thousands of people, and pleading "for Community, and against Propriety."
In 1649, he published a pamphlet, Some Sweet Sips of some Spirituall Wine, followed the next year by his most famous work, A Fiery Flying Roll: A Word from the Lord to all the Great Ones of the Earth, whom this may concerne: Being the last WARNING PIECE at the dreadfull day of JUDGEMENT. This book is full of remarkably intense visions and fierce denunciations of "The Great Ones." Parliament ordered Coppe's arrest, and burnt the book as well.
Here's a sample: "Wherefore be it knowne to all Tongues, Kinreds, Nations, and languages upon earth, That my most Excellent Majesty, the King of glory, the Eternall God, who dwelleth in the forme of the Writer of this Roll (among many other strange and great exploits) hath i'th open streets, with his hand fiercely stretcht out, his hat cockt up, his eyes set as if they would sparkle out; and with a mighty loud voyce charged 100. of Coaches, 100. of men and women of the greater ranke, and many notorious, deboist, swearing, roystering, roaring Cavalliers (so called) and other wide sparks of the Gentry: And have proclaimed the notable day of the Lord to them, and that through the streets of the great Citie, and in Southwark; Many times great multitudes following him up and down, and this for the space of 12. or 13. dayes: And yet (all this while) not one of them lifting up one finger, not touching one haire of his head, or laying one hand on his garment." Coppe then relates how "The Devil roared out" from these Gentry, "crying out, a Blasphemer, a Blasphemer, away with him...making a great uproar in a great congregation of people." Shortly thereafter, he was jailed.
In Newgate, where he was confined, Coppe seems to have feigned insanity, and was finally released in 1651. He changed his name to Dr. Higham, and continued to preach in small conventicles. Anthony Wood, already quoted, relates that "At length being brought low by certain infirmities which he had contracted in his rambles by drinking and whoring, died in the month of August in 1672."
Now, several of Coppe's works have been gathered in a volume of Selected Writings, ed. by Andrew Hopton (Aporia Press, 308 Camberwell New Road, London SE5 ORW; 1987; distributed in the U.K. by Counter Productions, Box 556, London SE5 ORL, and in the U.S. by AK Distribution, Box 40682, San Francisco, CA 94140). Two later works are reprinted here for the first time.
Hopton's introduction ably gathers most of the known facts about Coppe's life, including the relevant scholarship. In recent years, several important works have shed light on Coppe's milieu; one scholar contends that he was not actually a member of the Ranters group, though contemporaries believed that he was. The noted historian Christopher Hill, one of the pioneer modern authorities on the period, has written that the Fiery Flying Roll is "a powerful piece of writing, in a prose style unlike anything else in the seventeenth century." If, however, we consider that Ezekiel was obviously an inspiration for Coppe (and the source of the "roll" imagery), he seems at least a little less bizarre.
In issue #12 of this newsletter, I reviewed Edward Thompson's book about the English visionary poet and artist William Blake. Historians like Hill and A.L. Morton have noted similarities between Coppe and Blake, not least their extravagant visions, their hatred of "The Great Ones," and their many heresies. One problem I have with much "rationalist" literature is that it is dry, brittle, and often just boring. Coppe and Blake are, in contrast, full of the sufferings and the glories of the Flesh. In that light, it's good to have wild old Abiezer among us again.