Richard Coppin
Encyclopedia
Richard Coppin was a seventeenth century English political and religious writer, and prolific radical pamphleteer and preacher.
with little formal education. He is known as an associate of Abiezer Coppe
, who wrote an introduction to Coppin's 1649 Divine Teachings. Christopher Hill
considers that Coppe took most of his theology from Coppin. After the suppression of episcopacy (9 October 1646) he had attached himself for a short time to the presbyterians in London. He afterwards was an Independent. Based on an inward experience in 1648 he was not to exercise a settled ministry. He began to preach in Berkshire.
He was constantly in trouble, well documented in pamphlets, arising from the 1650 Blasphemy Act. The authorities treated him leniently in the period 1651 to 1655.
He first got into serious trouble by preaching on four successive days in the parish church of Evenlode, Worcestershire
. He had been invited by parishioners, with the consent of the rector, Ralph Nevil. Nevil, however, brought neighbouring clergy to discuss matters with Coppin in the church, and eventually got a warrant against him for blasphemy. Coppin was tried before Chief Baron John Wilde
at the Worcester assizes on 23 March 1652. The jury found him guilty of denying heaven and hell; but Wilde reproved them for their verdict, and bound over Coppin to appear for judgment at the next assize. By that time his accusers had fresh evidence, relating to Coppin's proceedings at Enstone, Oxfordshire, whereupon Judge Nicholes bound him to appear at the next Oxford assize.
A debate he had at Burford
, Oxfordshire
in 1651 was recorded by his counterpart on the side of orthodoxy, John Osborne, vicar of Bampton
. Osborne was a presbyterian, east vicar at Bampton from 1648 to 1662.
On 10 March 1653 he was tried at Oxford before Serjeant Green; the jury at first disagreed, but eventually found him guilty. Green bound him over to the next assize, when Judge Hutton gave him his discharge. Preaching at Stow-on-the-Wold
, Gloucestershire
, on 19 March 1654, Coppin was again apprehended and brought for trial at Gloucester on informations before Serjeant Glyn
on 22 July. Glyn would not receive the informations, and so the matter ended.
About 1650, Joseph Salmon
, minister in Kent
, had set up a course of Sunday preaching in Rochester Cathedral
. Salmon was an allegorist, and is said to have 'sowed the seeds of ranting familism.' In midsummer 1655 Salmon went abroad, and his followers brought Coppin from London to fill his place. It is probable that his acquaintance with Abiezer Coppe introduced him to the sectaries of Rochester. At the end of September or beginning of October 1655, Walter Rosewell, incumbent of Chatham, went to hear Coppin preach, and gained the impression that he affirmed the peccability of Christ and denied the resurrection of the flesh. Rosewell, with other presbyterians, agreed to conduct a Tuesday lecture in the cathedral to counteract Coppin's heresies. A public discussion was held in the cathedral (from 3 to 13 December) between Coppin and Rosewell, assisted by Daniel French, minister of Stroud, the mayor presiding; before it ended, Gaman, an anabaptist, put himself forward to oppose both parties. On Saturday night, 22 December, Coppin was served with a warrant forbidding him to preach next day, and requiring his attendance before the magistrates on Monday. He preached, not in the cathedral, where a guard of soldiers was set, but in the college-yard, and in the fields.
He was imprisoned on 24 December 1655 as a Ranter
, a term which is now contested in historiography. Thomas Kelsey
, one of Cromwell's major-generals then based at Dover
, took a harder line with Coppin than previously, imposing six months in jail. He defended himself, writing from Maidstone Prison a pamphlet A Blow at the Serpent. Another account was that of Walter Rosewell, pushed out as vicar at Chatham, Kent in 1649, in The serpents subtilty discovered. Before 26 June 1656 he had been set free by habeas corpus.
Coppin's work provoked Edward Garland, vicar at Hartclip (Hartlip
, Kent), to reply in kind in 1657, accusing Coppin of heresies. The pamphlet exchange was extended by Coppin's Michael opposing the dragon (1659).
, were not published till 1712. Coppin deals moderately with his opponents. His followers seem to have formed a sect; the tenets of 'the Copinists' were later given by S. Rogers (The Post-Boy robb'd of His Mail, 2nd ed. 1706, p. 428). Later he found an admirer in Cornelius Cayley, and a critic in James Relly
, a universalist of another type (see his 'The Sadducee detected,' &c. 1764).
as allegories, and was dismissive of the established church and universities.
He is sometimes presented as a ‘moderate’ Ranter, or philosopher of Ranterism. Christopher Hill shaded his opinion to ‘near-Ranter’.
Late 1640s to late 1650s
He was an Anglican clergyman, until 1648, or possibly a lay preacher from BerkshireBerkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
with little formal education. He is known as an associate of Abiezer Coppe
Abiezer Coppe
Abiezer Coppe was one of the English Ranters and a writer of prophetic religious pamphlets.He was born in Warwick on May 20, 1619, and was a pupil of Thomas Dugard at The King's School, Warwick. From there he went to All Souls College, Oxford and also Merton College, Oxford...
, who wrote an introduction to Coppin's 1649 Divine Teachings. Christopher Hill
Christopher Hill
Christopher Hill may refer to:*Christopher Hill , English bishop*Christopher J. Hill, International Relations scholar, Professor and Director of the Cambridge Centre of International Studies*Christopher R. Hill, U.S. Ambassador in Iraq...
considers that Coppe took most of his theology from Coppin. After the suppression of episcopacy (9 October 1646) he had attached himself for a short time to the presbyterians in London. He afterwards was an Independent. Based on an inward experience in 1648 he was not to exercise a settled ministry. He began to preach in Berkshire.
He was constantly in trouble, well documented in pamphlets, arising from the 1650 Blasphemy Act. The authorities treated him leniently in the period 1651 to 1655.
He first got into serious trouble by preaching on four successive days in the parish church of Evenlode, Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
. He had been invited by parishioners, with the consent of the rector, Ralph Nevil. Nevil, however, brought neighbouring clergy to discuss matters with Coppin in the church, and eventually got a warrant against him for blasphemy. Coppin was tried before Chief Baron John Wilde
John Wilde (jurist)
John Wilde was an English lawyer and politician. As a serjeant-at-law he was referred to as Serjeant Wilde before he was appointed judge...
at the Worcester assizes on 23 March 1652. The jury found him guilty of denying heaven and hell; but Wilde reproved them for their verdict, and bound over Coppin to appear for judgment at the next assize. By that time his accusers had fresh evidence, relating to Coppin's proceedings at Enstone, Oxfordshire, whereupon Judge Nicholes bound him to appear at the next Oxford assize.
A debate he had at Burford
Burford
Burford is a small town on the River Windrush in the Cotswold hills in west Oxfordshire, England, about west of Oxford, southeast of Cheltenham and only from the Gloucestershire boundary...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
in 1651 was recorded by his counterpart on the side of orthodoxy, John Osborne, vicar of Bampton
Bampton, Oxfordshire
Bampton, also called Bampton-in-the-Bush, is a village and civil parish in the Thames Valley about southwest of Witney in Oxfordshire. The parish includes the hamlet of Weald....
. Osborne was a presbyterian, east vicar at Bampton from 1648 to 1662.
On 10 March 1653 he was tried at Oxford before Serjeant Green; the jury at first disagreed, but eventually found him guilty. Green bound him over to the next assize, when Judge Hutton gave him his discharge. Preaching at Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold
Stow-on-the-Wold is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is situated on top of an 800 ft hill, at the convergence of a number of major roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way . The town was founded as a planned market place by Norman lords to take...
, Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean....
, on 19 March 1654, Coppin was again apprehended and brought for trial at Gloucester on informations before Serjeant Glyn
John Glynne (judge)
Sir John Glynne KS was a Welsh lawyer of the Commonwealth and Restoration periods, who rose to become Lord Chief Justice of the Upper Bench, under Oliver Cromwell...
on 22 July. Glyn would not receive the informations, and so the matter ended.
About 1650, Joseph Salmon
Joseph Salmon
Joseph Salmon was a significant English religious and political writer of the middle of the seventeenth century.-Life:He served in the New Model Army, leaving it in 1649. A Rout, A Rout contained criticism of the Parliamentary leadership...
, minister in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, had set up a course of Sunday preaching in Rochester Cathedral
Rochester Cathedral
Rochester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a Norman church in Rochester, Kent. The bishopric is second oldest in England after Canterbury...
. Salmon was an allegorist, and is said to have 'sowed the seeds of ranting familism.' In midsummer 1655 Salmon went abroad, and his followers brought Coppin from London to fill his place. It is probable that his acquaintance with Abiezer Coppe introduced him to the sectaries of Rochester. At the end of September or beginning of October 1655, Walter Rosewell, incumbent of Chatham, went to hear Coppin preach, and gained the impression that he affirmed the peccability of Christ and denied the resurrection of the flesh. Rosewell, with other presbyterians, agreed to conduct a Tuesday lecture in the cathedral to counteract Coppin's heresies. A public discussion was held in the cathedral (from 3 to 13 December) between Coppin and Rosewell, assisted by Daniel French, minister of Stroud, the mayor presiding; before it ended, Gaman, an anabaptist, put himself forward to oppose both parties. On Saturday night, 22 December, Coppin was served with a warrant forbidding him to preach next day, and requiring his attendance before the magistrates on Monday. He preached, not in the cathedral, where a guard of soldiers was set, but in the college-yard, and in the fields.
He was imprisoned on 24 December 1655 as a Ranter
Ranter
The Ranters were an alleged sect in the time of the English Commonwealth who were regarded as heretical by the established Church of that period...
, a term which is now contested in historiography. Thomas Kelsey
Thomas Kelsey
Thomas Kelsey rose from obscurity as a "London tradesman" to become an important figure in the government of Oliver Cromwell.Kelsey enlisted in the New Model Army and fought on the side of Parliament during the English Civil War, displaying a zeal that led him to become a Major-General in 1645. He...
, one of Cromwell's major-generals then based at Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, took a harder line with Coppin than previously, imposing six months in jail. He defended himself, writing from Maidstone Prison a pamphlet A Blow at the Serpent. Another account was that of Walter Rosewell, pushed out as vicar at Chatham, Kent in 1649, in The serpents subtilty discovered. Before 26 June 1656 he had been set free by habeas corpus.
Coppin's work provoked Edward Garland, vicar at Hartclip (Hartlip
Hartlip
Hartlip is a village and civil parish in the borough of Swale, in the county of Kent, England. The population estimate was 680 in 1991, and in 2001 there were 566 registered voters...
, Kent), to reply in kind in 1657, accusing Coppin of heresies. The pamphlet exchange was extended by Coppin's Michael opposing the dragon (1659).
Legacy
Coppin and Gerard Winstanley both preached universal salvation; and both began to publish in the same year, 1649. The universalist views of their contemporary, Jeremy WhiteJeremy White
Jeremy White is an English bass, with an international career in opera, concerts and recording. He is noted for the wide range of his repertoire, which ranges from early to contemporary music....
, were not published till 1712. Coppin deals moderately with his opponents. His followers seem to have formed a sect; the tenets of 'the Copinists' were later given by S. Rogers (The Post-Boy robb'd of His Mail, 2nd ed. 1706, p. 428). Later he found an admirer in Cornelius Cayley, and a critic in James Relly
James Relly
James Relly was a Methodist minister and mentor of John Murray who spread Universalism in the United States.Relly was born at Jeffreston , Pembrokeshire, Wales...
, a universalist of another type (see his 'The Sadducee detected,' &c. 1764).
Works
- Divine Teachings (1649)
- The Exaltation of All Things in Christ (1649)
- Man's Righteousnesse Examined (1652)
- Saul Smitten for not Smiting Amalek (1653)
- A Man-Child Born (1654)
- Truths testimony and a testimony of truths (1655)
- A Blow at the Serpent (1656)
- Crux Christi (1657)
- Michael opposing the dragon (1659)
Views
He believed in universal salvation, the possibility of return to the state before the Fall of Man, and the equality of women.. He treated the Fall and Last JudgmentLast Judgment
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, or The Day of the Lord in Christian theology, is the final and eternal judgment by God of every nation. The concept is found in all the Canonical gospels, particularly the Gospel of Matthew. It will purportedly take place after the...
as allegories, and was dismissive of the established church and universities.
He is sometimes presented as a ‘moderate’ Ranter, or philosopher of Ranterism. Christopher Hill shaded his opinion to ‘near-Ranter’.