Abiezer Coppe
Encyclopedia
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
. One of Coppe's major works is the Fiery Flying Roll of 1649, a (highly heretical
) tirade against inequality and hypocrisy which vividly evokes the charged and visionary atmosphere that swept over England during the civil war and interregnum
.
While Coppe's views were unpopular with Royalists, they were equally disliked by Parliamentarians, and shortly after the Fiery Flying Roll was published he was imprisoned at Newgate Prison
and the book burned.
Coppe was later released and celebrated by publishing Coppe's return to the ways of righteousness, in which he retracted his previous heresies, while adding a few more. Like Lodowick Muggleton and the Diggers' leader Gerrard Winstanley
, Coppe combined an egalitarian social vision with an apocalyptic religious one.
In 1657 he apparently changed his name to Dr Higham, and was buried under that name at Barnes church on August 23, 1672.
Coppe has been written about by Norman Cohn
, M.A. Poultney and the Marxist historians A. L. Morton
and Christopher Hill
.
He has also been celebrated in modern folk music; there is a folk song about him with the eponymous title Abiezer Coppe on the Leon Rosselson
album Love, Loneliness, Laundry, which has since been released on CD on Rosselson's compilation Guess What They're Selling At The Happiness Counter.
He was born in Warwick
Warwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
on May 20, 1619, and was a pupil of Thomas Dugard at The King's School, Warwick
Warwick School
Warwick School is an independent school with boarding facilities for boys in Warwick, England, and is reputed to be the third-oldest surviving school in the country after King's School, Canterbury and St Peter's School, York; and the oldest boy's school in England...
. From there he went to All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
and also Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
. One of Coppe's major works is the Fiery Flying Roll of 1649, a (highly heretical
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
) tirade against inequality and hypocrisy which vividly evokes the charged and visionary atmosphere that swept over England during the civil war and interregnum
English Interregnum
The English Interregnum was the period of parliamentary and military rule by the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell under the Commonwealth of England after the English Civil War...
.
While Coppe's views were unpopular with Royalists, they were equally disliked by Parliamentarians, and shortly after the Fiery Flying Roll was published he was imprisoned at Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison
Newgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished in 1777...
and the book burned.
Coppe was later released and celebrated by publishing Coppe's return to the ways of righteousness, in which he retracted his previous heresies, while adding a few more. Like Lodowick Muggleton and the Diggers' leader Gerrard Winstanley
Gerrard Winstanley
Gerrard Winstanley was an English Protestant religious reformer and political activist during the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell...
, Coppe combined an egalitarian social vision with an apocalyptic religious one.
In 1657 he apparently changed his name to Dr Higham, and was buried under that name at Barnes church on August 23, 1672.
Coppe has been written about by Norman Cohn
Norman Cohn
Norman Rufus Colin Cohn FBA was a British academic, historian and writer who spent fourteen years as a professorial fellow and as Astor-Wolfson Professor at the University of Sussex.-Life:...
, M.A. Poultney and the Marxist historians A. L. Morton
A. L. Morton
Leslie Morton was a prolific English Marxist historian. He worked as an independent scholar; from 1946 onwards he was the Chair of the Historians Group of the Communist Party of Great Britain...
and Christopher Hill
Christopher Hill (historian)
John Edward Christopher Hill , usually known simply as Christopher Hill, was an English Marxist historian and author of textbooks....
.
He has also been celebrated in modern folk music; there is a folk song about him with the eponymous title Abiezer Coppe on the Leon Rosselson
Leon Rosselson
Leon Rosselson is an English songwriter and writer of children's books. After his early involvement in the folk music revival in Britain, he came to prominence, singing his own satirical songs, in the BBC's topical TV programme of the early 1960s, That Was The Week That Was...
album Love, Loneliness, Laundry, which has since been released on CD on Rosselson's compilation Guess What They're Selling At The Happiness Counter.