A Fiery Flying Roll

[Sulkdodds]

Stone walls do not a Prison make,
Nor Iron bars a Cage;
Minsd innocent and quiet take
That for an Hermitage;
If I have freedom in my Love,
And in my soul am free;
Angels alone that soar above,
Enjoy such Liberty.

Abiezer Coppe (1619-1672)

Coppe left the royalist town of Oxford at the outbreak of the Civil War and became a very active Anabaptist preacher in the Midlands: he boasted of having baptized 7,000 born-again souls. Before 1650 he joined the Society of Ranters, an extreme sect whose faith in the unviersal immanence of God's holy spirit led them to reject conventional morality. Coppe seems to have demonstrated his freedom from mere law - civil as well as Mosaic - by preaching naked, openly espousing adultery and cursing, and by having some sort of sexual relations in public with gypsies or street people. He was imprisoned for publishing his Fiery Flying Roll (1649), and the work was ordered to be seized and burned by the hangman. Coppe recanted in 1651 and began leading a less conspicuous public life. After the Restoration he changed his infamous name and practiced medicine as Dr Higham.

The prose style of his pamphlets is as incendiary as their asseverations. Although Coppe was extreme in every way, elements of his thinking (or feeling) appear in the works of several writers of the period. Bunyan and Blake, as well as the more conservative Smart and Collins, felt some of the enthusiasm so evident in Coppe; even Milton, though his conviction of revelation led to moral rigidity rather than looseness, evinces a confidence in the accuracy of his personal vision that resembles Coppe's. The following passages are based on the 1650 edition of the first and second Fiery Roll, which is reprinted in A Collection of Ranter Writings from the 17th Century, edited by Nigel Smith (Junction Books, 1983).

It shall be posted in several stages. Amen.

 

[Sulkdodds]

from A Fiery Flying Roll:
A
Word from the Lord to all the Great Ones of the Earth, whom this may concern: Being the last WARNING PIECE at the dreadful day of JUDGEMENT
For now the LORD is come (1650)

to
1 Inform
2 Advise and warn
3 Charge
4 Judge and sentence
the Great Ones

As also most compassionately informing, and most lovingly and pathetically advising and warning
London.

With a terrible Word, and fatal Blow from the LORD, upon the Gathered CHURCHES.

And all by his most excellent MAJESTY, dwelling in, and shining through AUXILIAUM PATRIS [aid of this country], alias, Coppe.

With another FLYING ROLL ensuing (to all the Inhabitants of the Earth) The Contents of both following.

Isa(iah) 23.9 The Lord of Hosts (is) staining the pride of all glory, and bringing into contempt all the honourable (persons and things) of the Earth.
O London, London, how I would gather thee, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, &c.
Know thou (in this they day_ the things that belong to Peace -
I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the Synagogue of Satan,
Rev[elation] 2.9
Imprinted at London, in the beginning of that notable day, wherein the sectrets of all hearts are laid open; and wherein the worst and foulest of villaines, are discovered, under the best and fairest outsides. 1649​

To be continued.

 

[Jintor]

Oh, Sulkdodds, how I do love your quaint ads in the news paper. I do hope to see more, good sir.

 

[Sulkdodds]

THE
PREFACE​

An inlet into the Land of Promise, the new Jerusalem, and a gate into the ensuing Discourse, worthy of serious consideration.​

My Dear One.

All or None.

Every one under the Sun.

Mine own.

My most excellent Majesty (in me) hath strangely and variously transformed this form.

And behold, by mine own Almightiness (in me) I have been changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the sound of the Trump.

And now the Lord is descended from Heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the Trump of God.

And the sea, the earth, yea, all things are now giving up their dead. And all things that ever were, are, or shall be visible ― are the Grave wherein the King of glory (the eternal, invisible Almightiness) hath lain as it were dead and buried.

But behold, behold, he is now risen with a witness, to save Zion with vengeance, or to confound and plague all things into himself; who by his mighty Angel is proclaiming (with a loud voice) that Sin and Transgression is finished and ended, and everlasting righteousness brought in; and the everlasting Gospel preaching; Which everlasting Gospel is brought in with most terrible earth-quakes and heaven-quakes, and with signs and wonders following.
Amen.

And it hath pleased my most excellent Majesty (who is universal love, and whose service is perfect freedom) to set this form (the writer of this Roll) as no small sign and wonder in fleshly Israel; as you may partly see in the ensuing Discourse.

And now (my dear ones!) every one under the Sun, I will only point at the gate; through which I was led into that new City, new Jerusalem, and to the Spirits of just men, made perfect, and to God the Judge of all.

First, all my strength, my forces were utterly routed, my house I dwelt in fired; my father and mother forsook me, the wife of my bosom loathed me; mine old name was rotted, perished; and I was utterly plagued, consumed, damned, rammed, and sunk into nothing, into the bowels of the still Eternity (my mother's womb) out of which I came naked, and where hereto I returned again naked. And lying a while there, rapt up in silence, at length (the body or outward form being awake all this while) I heard with my outward ear (to my apprehension) a most terrible thunder-clap, and after that a second. And upon the second thunderclap, which was exceeding terrible, I saw a great body of light, like the light of the Sun, and red as fire, in the form of a drum (as it were) whereupon with exceeding trembling and amazement on the flesh, and with joy unspeakable in the spirit, I clapped my hands, and cried out, 'Amen, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen'. And so lay trembling, sweating, and smoking (for the space of half an hour) at length with a loud voice (I inwardly) cried out, 'Lord, what wilt thou do with me?' my most excellent majesty and eternal glory (in me) answered & said, 'Fear Not, I will take thee up into mine everlasting Kingdom. But thou shalt (first) drink a bitter cup, a bitter cup, a bitter cup'; whereupon (being filled with exceeding amazement) I was thrown into the belly of hell (and take what you can of it in these expressions, though the matter is beyond expression) I was among all the Devils in hell, even in their most hideous hue.

And under all this terror, and amazement, there was a little spark of transcendent, transplendent, unspeakable glory, which survived, and sustained itself, triumphing, exulting, and exalting it self above all the Fiends. And, confounding all the blackness of darkness (you must take it in these terms, for it is infinitely beyond expression.) Upon this the life was taken out of the body (for a season) and it was thus resembled, as if a man with a great brush dipped in whiting, should with one stroke wipe out, or sweep off a picture upon a wall, &c. After a while, breath and life was returned into the form again; whereupon I saw various streams of light (in the night) which appeared to the outward eye, and immediately I saw three hearts (or three appearances) in the form of hearts, of exceeding brightness; and immediately an innumerable company of hearts, and yet most strangely and unexpressibly complicated or folded up in unity. I clearly saw distinction, variety, and as clear saw all swallowed up into unity. And it hath been my song many times since, within and without, unity, universality, universality, unity, Eternal Majesty, &c. And at this vision, a most strong, glorious voice uttered these words, The spirits of just men made perfect. The spirits, &c. with whom I had as absolute, clear, full communion, and in a twofold more familiar way, than ever I had outwardly with my dearest friends and nearest relations. The visions and revelations of God and the strong hand of eternal invisible almightiness was stretched out upon me, within me, for the space of four days and nights without intermission.

The time would fail if I would tell you all, but it is not the good will and pleasure of my most excellent Majesty in me, to declare any more (as yet) than thus* much further. That amongst those various voices that were then uttered within, these were some, 'Blood, blood, Where, where? upon the hypocritical holy heart &c'. Another thus: Vengeance, vengeance, vengeance, Plagues, plagues, upon the Inhabitants of the Earth; Fire, fire, fire, Sword, sword &c. upon all that bow not down to eternal Majesty, universal love; I'll recover, recover, my wool, my flax, my money. Declare, declare, fear thou not the faces of any; I am (in thee) a munition of rocks &c'. [Hosea 2.9]

Go up to London, to London, that great City, write, write, write. And behold I writ, and lo a hand was sent to me, and a roll of a book was within, which this fleshly hand would have put wings to, before the time. Whereupon it was snatched out of my hand, & the Roll thrust into my mouth, and I eat it up, and filled my bowels with it, (Ezekiel 2:8, &. ch. 3:1,2,3) where it was bitter as worm-wood; and it lay broiling, and burning in my stomach, till I brought it forth in this form.

And now I send it flying to thee, with my heart, And all,
Per AUXILIUM PATRIS


* It not being shown to me, what I should do, more than preach and print something, et cetera, very little expecting I should be so strangely acted, as to (my exceeding joy an delight) I have been, though to the utter cracking of my credit, and the rotting of my old name which is damned, and cast out (as a toad to the dunghill) that I might have a new name, with me, upon me, within me, which is, "I am - " [Coppe's marginal note]

To be continued.

 

[Sulkdodds]

CHAPTER V​

The Author's strange and lofty carriage towards great ones, and his most lowly carriate towards the Beggars, Rogues, and Gypsies: together with a large declaration what glory shall rise up from under all this ashes. The most strange, secret, terrible, yet most glorious design of God, in choosing base things to confound things that are. And how. A most terrible vial poured out upon the well-favoured Harlot [city or people - ed], and how the Lord is bringing into contempt not only honourable persons, with a vengeance, but all honourable, holy things also. WHolesome advice, with a terrible threat to the Formalists [surface-believers - ed]. How base things have confounded base things; and how base things have been a fiery Chariot to mount the Author up into divine glory, &c. And how his wife is, and his life is in, that beauty which makes all visible beauty seem mere deformity.


1. And because I am found of those that sought me not. And because some say, wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou dost do?

Wherefore waving my charging so many Coaches, so many hundreds of men and women of the greater rank, in the open streets, with my hand stretched out, my hat cock't up, staring on them as if I would look through them; gnashing my teeth at some of them, and day and night with a huge loud voice proclaiming the day of the Lord throughout London and Southwark, and leaving divers other exploits, &c. It is my good will and pleasure (only) to single out the former story with its Parallels.

2. (Viz) in clipping, hugging, embracing, kissing a poor deformed wretch in London, who had no more nose on his face, than I have on the back of my hand (but only two little holes in the place where his nose used to stand).

And no more eyes to be seen than on the back of my hand, and afterwards running back with him in a strange manner, with my money giving it to him, to the joy of some, to the afrightment and wonderment of other Spectators.

3. As also in falling down flat upon the ground before rogues, beggars, cripples, halt, maimed; blind, &c. kissing the feet of many, rising up again, and giving them money, &c. Besides that notorious business with the Gypsies and Gaolbirds (mine own bretren and sisters, flesh of my flesh, and as good as the greatest Lord in England) at the prison in Southwark near St. George's Church.

Now that which rises up from under all this heap of ashes, will fire both heaven and earth - the one's ashamed, and blushes already, the other reels to and fro, like a drunken man.

4. Wherefore thus saith the Lord, 'Hear, O heavens, and harken O earth, I'll overturn overturn, I am now [sta]ining the pride of all glory, and bringing into contempt all the honourable of the earth' (Isaih 23.9), not only honourable persons (who shall come down with a vengeance, if they bow not to the universal love the eternal God, whose service is perfect freedom) but honourable things, as Elderships, Pastorships, Fellowships, Churches, Ordinances, Prayers, &c. Holinesses, Righteousnesses, Religions of all sorts, of the highest strains, yea, Mysterians, and Spiritualists, who scorn carnal Ordinances, &c.

I am about my act, my strange act, my work, my strange work, that whosoever hears of it, both his ears shall tingle.

To be continued...

 

[Sulkdodds]

You thought I was dead? YOU THOUGHT WRONG!

The editors wish to note that these words were Coppe's notes for a verbal sermon, and for best results, should be imagined spoken, with punctuation and syntax understood as working in that medium.

Continued.

5. I am confounding, plaguing, tormenting nice, demure, barren Michal, with David's unseemly carriage, by skipping, leaping, dancing, like one of the fools, vile, base fellows shamelessly, basely, and uncovered too before handmades -

Which thing was St Paul's Tutor, or else it prompted him to write, 'God hath chosen BASE things, and things that are despised, to confound - the things are -

Well! family duties are no base things: they are things that ARE: Churches, Ordinances, &c, are no BASE things, though in deed Presbyterian Churches begun to live i'th womb, but died there, and rot and stink there to the death of the mother and child. Amen. Not by the Devil, but (by* God) it's true.

Grace before meat and after meat, are no BASE things; these are things that ARE, But how long Lord, holy and true, &c.

Fasting for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness, - (and not for taking off heavy burthens, breaking every yoke, Isiah. 58 [4]) and Thanksgiving days for killing of men for money, are no BASE things, these are things that ARE.

-->Staring up into the notion of spirituals, scorning History, speaking nothing but Mystery, crying down carnal ordinances, &c. is a fine thing among many, it's no base thing (now adays) though it be a cloak for covetousness, yea, though it be to maintain pride and pomp; these are no base things.

6. These are things that ARE, and must be confounded by BASE things, which St Paul saith, not God hath connived at, winked at, permitted, tolerated, But God has CHOSEN &c BASE things.

What base things? Why Michal took David for a base fellow, and thought he had chosen BASE things, in dancing shamelessly uncovered before handmaids.

And barren, demure Michal thinks ('for I know her heart', saith the Lord) that I chose base things when I sat down, and eat and drank around on the ground with Gypsies, and clipped, hugged, and kissed them, putting my hand in their bosoms, loving the she-Gypsies dearly O base! saith mincing Michal, the least spark of modesty would be as red as crimson or scarlet to hear this.

I warrant me, Michal could better have borne this if I had done it to Ladies: so I can for a need, if it be my will, and that in the height of honour and majesty, without sin. But at that time when I was hugging the Gipsies, I abhorred the thoughts of Ladies, their beauty could not bewitch mine eyes, or snare my kips, or entangle my hands in their bosoms; yet I can if it be my will, kiss and hug Ladies, and love my neighbour's wife as my self, without sin.

6. But thou Precisian [One who is superstitiously rigorous - ed], by what name or title soever dignified, or distingyuished, do but blow a kiss to thy neighbour's wife, or dare to think of darting one glance of one of thine eyes towards her, if thou dar'st.

To be continued...

 

[Sulkdodds]

It's meat and drink to an Angel (who knows none evil, no sin) to swear a full-mouthed oath, Rev(elation) 10.6. It's joy to Nehemiah to come in like a mad-man, and pluck folks' hair off their beards; and curse like a devil – and make them swear by God – Nehem(iah) 13.[25]. Do thou O holy man (who knows evil) lift up thy finger against a Jew, a Church-member, cal they brother foool, and with a peasecods [a mock-curse – eds] on him; or swear I' faith, if thou dar'st, if thou dost, thou shalt howl in hell for it, and I will laugh at thy calamity, &c.

8. But once more hear O heavens, hearken O earth; Thus saith the Lord, I have chosen such base things, to confound things that are, that the ears of those (who scorn to be below independents, yea the ears of many who scorn to be so low as carnal Ordinances, &c) that hear thereof shall tingle.

9. Hear one word more (whom it hitteth it hitteth) give over thy base nasty stinking, formal grace before meat, and after meat (I call it so, though thou has rebaptized it - ) give over thy stinking family duties, and thy Gospel Ordinances as thou callest them; for under them all there lies snapping, snarling, biting, besides covetousness, horrid hypocrisy, envy, malice, evil surmising.

10. Give over, give over, or if nothing else will do it, I'll at a time, when thou least of all thinkest of it, make thine own child the fruit of thy loins, in whom thy soul delighted, lie with a whore -= before thine eyes: That that plaguey holiness and righteousness of thine might be confounded by that base thing. And thou be plagued back again into thy mother's womb, the womb of eternity: That thou may'st become a little child, and let the mother Eternity, Almightiness, who is universal love, and whose service is perfect freedom, dress thee, and undress thee, swaddle, unswaddle, bind, loose, lay thee down, take thee up, &c.

And to such a little child, undressing is as god as dressing, foul clothes, as good as fair clothes – he knows no evil, &c. - And shall see evil no more, - but he must first lose all his righteousness, every bit of his holiness, every crumb of his Religion, and be plagued, and confounded (by base things) into nothing.

By base things which God and I have chosen​

11. And yet I show you a more excellent way, when you have passed this. - In a word, my plaguey, filthy, nasty holiness hath been confounded by base things. And then (behold I show you a mystery, put forth a riddle to you) by base things, base things so called have been founded also; and thereby have I been confounded into eternal Majesty, unspeakable on my life, my self.

12. There's my riddle, but because neither all the Lords of the Philistines, no nor my Delilah her self can read it,

I'll read it my self, I'll (only) hint it thus.

To be concluded!

 

[Polaris]

Keep posting Sulk, this is seriously awesome.

Reminds me of Gerrard Winstanley writings or something like that. I bet you have that from some secret Oxford library.

 

[Sulkdodds]

You have it about right.

Kisses are numbered amongst transgressors – base things – well! By bare hellish swearing, and cursing, (as I have accounted it in the time of my fleshly holiness) and by base impudent kisses (as I then accounted them) my plaguey holiness hath been confounded, and thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone.

And then again, by wanton kisses, kissing hath been confounded: and external kisses, have been made the fiery chariots, to mount me swiftly into the bosom of him whom my soul loves (his excellent Majesty, the king of glory).

Where I have been, where I have been, where I have been, hugged, embraced, and kissed with the kisses of his mouth, whose loves are better than wine, and have been utterly overcome therewith, beyond expression, beyond admiration.

13. Again, Lust is numbered amongst transgressors – a base thing. -

Now fair objects attract Spectators' eyes.

And beauty is the father of lust or love.

Well! I have gone along the streets impregnant with that child (lust) which as particular beauty had begot: but coming to the place, where I expected to have been delivered, I have providentially met there a company of devils in appearance, though Angels with golden vials in reality, pouring out full vials, of such odious abominable words, that are not lawful to be uttered.

Words enough to deafen the ears of plaguey holinesse, and such horrid abominable actions, the sight whereof were enough to put out holy man's eyes, and to strike him stark dead, &c.

These base things (I saw) words and actions, have confounded and plagued to death, the child in the womb that I was so big of.

14. And by, and through these BASE things (as upon the wings of the wind) have I been carried up into the arms of my love, which is invisible glory, eternal Majesty, purity it self, unspotted beauty, even that beauty which maketh all other beauty but mere ugliness, whent set against it, &c.

Yea, could you imagine that the quintessence of all visible beauty, should be extracted and made up into one huge beauty, it would appear to be mere deformity to that beauty, which through BASE things I have been lifted up into.

Which transcendent, unspeakable, unspotted beauty, is my crown and joy, my life and love: and though I have chosen, and cannot be without BASE things, to confound some in mercy, some in judgement, Though I also have concubines without number, which I cannot be without, yet this is my spouse, my love, my dove, my fair one.

Now I proceed to that which follows.





THE END

 

[Sulkdodds]

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience in attending this recital - you have been a wonderful audience. Master Coppe will be signing prostitutes in the atrium until ten o'clock, and promotional booklets are available for a small fee. Thank you, and good night!

 

[kineaesth]

A firm and succinct round of applause is heard from the circle

Catcalls from the gods

 

[CrazyHarij]

I enjoy your writing style.