NOt without exceeding just and most important cause did the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the Fountain and Foundation of Truth, yea, Truth itselfe, (by way of Premonition, Caution, and heavenly Counsell) tell us before hand: That in these latter dayes, false-Christs and false-Prophets would arise amongst us; saying, Lo, here is Christ, Mat. 24.23, 24.25, 26. or, Lo, there he is. And shall with lies, and deceiveable signes and wonders of pretended parts and piety, so craftily carry themselves, Mat. 13.21, 22 that (if it were possible) they shall deceive the very elect children of God. Behold (sayes our Saviour) I have told you of this before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you (see, here, how our Saviour inge­minates the caution, as a thing of serious consideration) Behold, he is in the desert, go not forth; behold, he is in the secret chambers, (marke here also, how neer our Saviour comes to our Sectaries practises, & rebellious Church-ways, as they call them, now adays; or, he is in shops, barns, and such like private Conventicles) believe it not. And, as the Apostle Paul sayes, so cunningly and craftily will they outwardly appear (in white, innocent, and silly lamb-skins) as, 2 Cor. 11, 13, 14. there­by to transform themselves into the Apostles of Christ. And no mar­vell (sayes he) for, even Satan can transform himselfe into an Angel of light. And, therefore, one, very wittily, and most worthily di­stinguishes these close Hypocrites from openly prophane men, Black Devils and White-Devils. and loose livers, into Black-Devils and White-Devils; John 6 70. And our blessed Sa­viour himselfe confirms the truth of this distinction, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a Devill? even Judas Iscariot, that sheepskin-Devill, who, so craftily and demurely demeaned him­selfe in an outward shew of parts and piety, as that none of the ho­nest and true hearted Disciples could discover him to be so, but thought him as honest and holy a man, as the best of them all; till Christ discovered and uncased him, and his own close sin, at last, found him out, and shewed him to them all to be a grand Hypocrite, [Page 2] indeed. White-Devils the most dan­gerous Decei­vers and Soul-destroyers. And therefore truly these White-Devils are so much the more desperate and dangerous destroyers of mens souls, by how­much the more slily and insinuatingly, they (with serpents subtilty) insensibly creepe into their bosomes and soules, and so most devilish­ly undoe them. Wherefore, the Lord Christ told the Pharisees, espe­cially, among the Jews, John 8.44. That they were of their father the Devill, and that they did his works, he was a lyer and a murtherer from the be­ginning; yea, and the Father of lies. And so, indeed, are all his hypocriticall Schismaticall sons, young White-Devils from their Grand-sire Satan, that old White-Devill; even such as cannot abide the Truth, no, nor abide in the Truth; but, by lying Errours, He­resies, and most damnable Opinions, become (like Satan himselfe) murtherers of mens most precious souls. And, have we not, here, now, found out a White-Devill, indeed, a Pharisaicall Hypocrite in grain, Mr. Iohn Good­win, a most no­torious White-Devil, indeed, and a Grand Impostor. a Grand Impostor, to purpose? I mean Mr. John Goodwin, that couzening Cajaphas, and monstrous Metropolitan of Coleman-street Conclave, a most sly and subtill Deceiver, and desperate Mur­therer of mens and womens precious souls, by his intolerable Pride, Self seeking Singularity, and plausible Popularity; but, all of them nauseously stincking most strongly in the intrals and reality of them, of the filthy snufs of rotten Pelagianisme, Socinianisme, Arminia­nisme, and almost of all sorts of Sects and Schismes, and most dan­gerous and damnable Opinions: But yet, all of them, so confidently and craftily gilded-over with specious shews and deep pretences of piety, and protestations of singlenesse of heart and sincerity, and with such studyed terms and rhetoricall phrases of artificiall Sophistry, (wherein, Prolicit ampul­las & Sesquipe­dalia verba. he is one of Satans most exquisitely documented Disci­ples) and interlaced or interlarded with such bumbasted six-footed, inchanting terms, and deep dissembled flourishes, vows, and attesta­tions of God, Horat. de arte Poeticâ. Angels and men, of nothing but simplicity of spirit, and Saint-like Sanctimonie in this good man; thus to puzle mens understandings, and to dazle their eyes, and delude the judgements, even, oftentimes, of deeply discerning spirits, who, on a sodain, peruse his works or writings, untill the file of second thoughts, and more serious consideration (by the helpe of Gods grace) comes upon them; and then they most palpably appear in their connative co­lours, and smell most unsavourily of abominable Collusions, dange­rous and damnable Heresies, Schismes and Blasphemies. And thus [Page 3] for these many years, he hath most boldly gone on to deceive the world, but especially his own miserable soule, and cauterized con­science; and is now become like the Smiths anvill, or a Nether­milstone, more and more obdurate, M. Goodwin like the Smiths anvill, or a nether­milstone. and inpenetrably hardned by often hammering and hatching his notorious Errours and Blas­phemies, even to this very day, in flatly denying Scripture funda­mentals, as, Gods eternall decree of predestination to reprobation; yea, the translated Scriptures, and Originals too, to be the ground of our faith. In justifying mans free will to supernaturall good; Uni­versall redemption of all both good and bad; Mans naturall reason to be the ground of faith; M. Goodwins damnable he­resies, briefly mentioned. And his naturall abilities to improve gifts of nature, and morall endowments, so, as to merit salvation. And such like most detestable and damnable Pelagean, Arminian, Papisticall and Socinian Heresies. And withall, he hath gotten one most notorious cheating Engine to help himself (as he hopes) at a dead lift, and to harden himself in these his wickednesses and de­ceivable practises, the smoothlyer to cheat his pittifully puzled Proselytes (beside the lying and flattering Encomtums and Elogies most unjustly bedawbing him over, even by these his own bewitch­ed Sycophanticall Followers, who magnifie and elevate to the clouds, his falsly pretended Piety and precious Parts, gifts and graces (for­sooth) Namely, That, when he is put, clostly, to it, by any of his solid sound and learned Opposites and Antagonists, M. Goodwins grand-Engine to cheat All that will be­lieve him. about these or any other his damnable Opinions: He most dissemblingly and deceitfully pro­fesses and protests to his Proselytes, and those that will beleive him: That (Goodman) tis his great Unhappinesse to be, still, mistaken both in his preaching and writings. And, this base and beggarly put-off is also, by him, most bouldly backt with that Scripture; Every day they wrest my words and all their thoughts are against me for evill. Psal. 56.5. And this hee hath done in print, in the front of his Pamphlets, Calumny arreigned and cast; Hagio-Mastix, and others, where­as the Lord of heaven knows, and all that read impartially can truly testifie, He does but cry whore first, as the Proverb is; he him­selfe being the most egregious Lyer and Slanderer; as anon in its more proper place, you shall see most truly and punctually proved under his own hand. And thus most audaciously, and with a bra­zen face, and (as the Prophet sayes) even with a Whores forehead, Jer. 3.3. [Page 4] he denyes and disclaims his own bastardly brats, his wicked hold­ing or maintaining of any such dogmaticall and dangerous tenets, or ever having preach'd or written any such impious or damnable heresies and destructive opinions, as are above, or besides, or contrary to Gods written Word; yea, though we have his own words under his own hand writing, or printed Pamphlets, most evidently and unde­nyably testifying the truth of what wee object against him; as if, because he is wilfully blinde himselfe, he could as easily or forcibly blinde our eyes and stop our mouthes, and befool our judgements, that we should neither be able to see, or say, or believe the visible and undenyable evidences we heare and see, read and have in his words and writings against him, which is such intolerable and unparallel'd impudencie, as hath hardly been heard or found in any Hereticks, or Schismaticks, before and besides him. But now to come to the matter, which I mainly intend in this little Treatise of the discovery of his most false and fallacious double-dealing with God and the world, and his bold and blasphemous opinions and errours frequently and most confidently brewed and broached by this Arts-Master, or Arch-Master of Impudencie and impiety, who yet most lyingly protests and professes the contrary, and that he (Good man) does all in the * integrity and sincerity of his soul. I having lately read (as oftentimes I, Simulata pie­tas est duplex, im [...] Diabolica iniquitas. heretofore, have done, many of Mr. John Goodwins other Works) a pretended rare Master-piece of his, now lately printed and published, entituled, The Authority of Divine Scriptures Asserted, gaudily garnished and pranked up with a flourishing Frontespiece, The Authori­ty of Divine Scriptures as­serted. and big-promising Ti­tle, and his Picture (forsooth) bravely set out by the side of it (like a Vimners brave Bush at the Tavern door) to grace (or rather disgrace) the porch of that stately structure, and un­derneath it, some of Mr. Daniel, Taylers, most abusive and flat­tering poetry, or Encomiastick lying lines besmearing it. And (as my custome is, in reading any mens labours) I first reading his Epistles, and after them, the ensuing Subject or Matter of his book, whereas, I most seriously expected to have met with an in­genuous and just recantation of his wicked and blasphemous dealings with the Translated-Scriptures, yea and the Originalls too, in his Hagio-Mastix, Hagio-Mastix. I contrary wise encountred a second scelerous en­counter [Page 5] of his, against the said sacred Scriptures, and a strong and strenuously strugling endeavour in him, most superciliously and proudly to maintain yea and magnifie what he had formerly said and held in his foresaid hellish Hagio-Mastix, pretending (in this second assault) only the use of his forementioned old Engine, viz: how He (good man) was miserably mistaken in his meaning and managing of that businesse; and now, in this last book, most persidi­ously and proudly pretending an Asserting of the Authority of the translated Scriptures, whereas he falls a fresh into a swaggering hu­mour of saucily tampering with, and temerariously contaminating of the Sacred Scriptures with his pernicious and polluted pen, even as desperately and deceiveably as he did before; and, as he had for­merly done, in a deluding half sheet of paper, M. Goodwins Candle to the Sun. which he called A Can­dle to the Sun. Which he printed and published immediately after the just hve and cry of Gods people against his felonious Hagio-Mastix, as if he would have made us beleive that he would have stopt that sacrilegious Theif for us, which, indeed was most worthy to have been apprehended and severely punisht by the hangman; But he did but therewith also more and more abuse us, by his, thus, jugling with us. But, because, I know, that Dolosus versatur in ge­neralibus, and that therefore tis not so fair play to deal too long in generalls, I will now, therefore, briefly and truely come to particulars; and first will shew the Reader the double-dealing of this notorious white-Deuills most deceiptfull heart, and tongue and pen (for they all go together, as our Saviour himselfe sayes; Mat. 12.34. Out of the abundance of the heart the tongue speakes) out of what I have seriously observed, even to admiration and amazement, in his Dedicatory Epistle of that foresaid book, to the Parliament; wherein, first, Divine Au­thority of the Scriptures as­serted, Epist. to the Parlc. I shall take notice (though it comes not first in order or place of his other sawn­ing expressions therein, yet because it so peculiarly concernes the Parliament and his vapouring love thereof and respect thereunto) of his most false and fallacious jugling and dissembling with Both those Houses, professing such obedience to their authority, and reve­rend assent and respect to their waighty employments; whereof and unto whom he useth these words. Pag. 2. line 21. and p. 4. l. 14. I am not conscious to myself of any refusall of subjection to any just law or imposition of men. And again; I reverence the great concernments of the Kingdome (and I hope Re­ligion [Page 6] and Reformation are two of the greatest of them all) in your hands, wherein, from the beginning, I have served you with all faith­fulnesse and simplicity of heart, hithereto. Now, then, whither Mr. Goodwin be a fair-dealing honestman; or, does not her play the no­torious jugling Jesuite with Equivocations, The first tryal of M. Good­wins honesty; and discovery of his notori­ous jugling & hypocrisie. and mentall reservation's with the Parliamet, and in all these expressions shew himself a noto­rious lyer and abhominable dissembler, let any discreet and imparti­all man judge. For, what greater rebellion and disobedience, or refusall of subjection to the Parliaments most just ordinances or impositions can there be, than, that now, when as they are, and long have been, about the work of Reformation in matters of Religion and Church-Government, wherein they have fixedly resolved to setle the Presby­terian-way, for Mr. J.G. (with others his Schismaticall Companions, and brothers in iniquity) of his own giddy head and head strong hu­mour, not only without, but contrary unto Parliamentary-authority; or any other lawfull power given unto him, to set up a Church-Way of his own, and most rebelliously and Schismatically; with unbend­ing boldnesse and obstinacie, to this very day to persist in it? A­gain, How hath this obedient Gentleman scoffed and jeered at, yea, reviled and abused the Ordinances of Parliament, especially, that, a­bout the preventing and restraining of the spreading of Heresies, Errours, and blasphemous opinions, in an anonimous Pamphlet con­teining 38 Queries against that Ordinance, which was printed by one Symmons for Overton (two of Master Goodwins prime and most pernicious Pandours to all his printed and published spurious Brats, Anno 1646) and Master J. G. being indubitably beleeved, yea assured to be the bold broacher and impious Author of those blasphemous Queries. Together with his 12 subtile and most de­ceiveable Cautions, full fraught with sly insinuations, and most a­busive expressions against the work and way of Reformation, in­tended by the Parliament; These 12 Cautions also being printed by, and for these two foresaid base Brokers, who, for filthy lucre, set forth all, or most of his bould botcheries and blasphemies. Thus you see how obedient Master Goodwin is and hath been to yeild subjection to the just and lawfull impositions of men in lawfull, yea supream au­thority, in his practises thus far. And now let us see how he reve­renceth them in their great concernments of the Kingdome, and with [Page 7] what faithfulnesse and simplicity of heart this good and meek-minded man hath observed and respected the Parliament in his judgement and reverend opinion of them; And this cannot be better seen and shown than under his own hand writing (herein also) in his proud and pernicitus piece, entituled, Innocencies Triumph, and in his lavish and licentious preaching in Coleman-street, where also he hath notoriously endeavoured to blend and blemish (if not quite extinguish, as much as in him was,) the Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction of Parliaments; printing and professing, That the generality and promiscuous multitude of the World, who have aright in nominating persons to Parliamentary trust and power, are but a secular root, out of which (the Independents conceive, and Master J. G. with them, Mr. Iohn Good­wins radicall reverence un­to, and pious Opinion of the Parl [...]. that) there is an impossibility that a spirituall extraction should be made; and that a man may as well bring a clean thing out of an un­clean (in Jobs expression) as make a spirituall extraction out of this secular-root which hath no authority (no authority, marke his words) from Christ to nominate or appoint who shall order the affairs of Christs Kingdom, or institute the government of his Church, &c. Thus, Mr. Goodwin, in sum, insinuating, that, on this ground, the Parliament hath no authority or power to enact Laws or Statutes in matters of Religion, &c. as learned, religious, and ever to be ho­noured Master Prin, in his Truth tri­umphing over Falshood, and Antiquity o­ver Novelty, p. 106, 107, 108 &c. excellent answer to Mr. J. G. hath at large related, and judiciously and truly dilated to Mr. Goodwins eternall shame (if, at least, he had any in him, for he outfaceth all, with most bold lying, and subtill denying All, as if he (poor man) were still mistaken, and misinterpreted, in all he speaks or writes, yea, notwithstanding that Mr. Prin affirms (and I am most confi­dent his testimony is true) that Mr. Goodwin voluntarily confessed these things before the Parliaments Committee) and for which his so unsufferably, audacious, Oportet menda­cem es [...]e memo­rem & auda­tem. and presumptuous affronting and under­mining the Parliaments undoubted priviledges, he was most wor­thily sequestred from his living in Coleman-street, and should have been farther proceeded against to imprisonment, &c. had he not been favoured by some, far more than he deserved. Yea, and as Mr. Prin testifies in that foresaid place, this most notorious Lyer, who (as you heard before) did pretend such reverence and obsequi­ous observance to the great concernments of the Kingdom in the Par­liaments [Page 8] hands, and who (in this his tother dayes Epistle to the Lords and Commons in Parliament, professed, like an immarbled Dissembler that he had from the beginning, thitherto, served them with all faithfulnesse and simplicity of heart) did in a most daring man­ner, even whilst he was under examination, most boldly preach over the same things, in substance, again, in his pulpit, on a solemn Fast day, and published them with additions, in two severall printed Pamphlets; yea, and after his censure for this his foule delinquen­cie and obstinate insolencie, he did once more in a higher strain than before, (like an incorrigible Delinquent or Malignant indeed) preach these notorious slanders against the Parliament; shewing himselfe most palpably a man most desperately despising Govern­ment 1 Pet. 2.10. & 1 Tim. 3.2, 4, 5 (at least any Gouernment that the Parliament should esta­blish, not sutable to his fancie) stifly selfe wild, and boldly speaking evill of dignities, notwithstanding those his most false and fallacious brags and boastings of himself, like a proud Pharisee, indeed, to the contrary.

Again, this notorious White-Devill or fly Hypocrite, and most arrogant Pharisaicall justiciary of himselfe, in the foresaid Epistle to the Lords and Commons in Parliament, 2 The second triall. Epistle to the Lords and Commons, pag. 1. l. 25. & pag. 2. l. 5. hath these words. I speak the truth, and lye not to your honours; It is more easie to me to suffer than to complain. And so tender am I of the reputation of those that have mistaken me (to qualifie a hard action with a soft expression) that I can hardly desire a perusall of my vindication, lest thereby, they also may possibly suffer. And again, (for these his expressions are all of them to render himselfe a most milde, patient, tender-hearted Saint, to All, in All, that is done unto him, or said or writ­ten against him.) I am not conscious to my selfe of the least wrong I have ever done (marke these words, good Reader, I beseech thee) either to man, Pag. 2. l, 21. M. Goodwins big boast of his own innocen­cy and meek­nes of Spirit. woman, or childe, in word or deed. Now, how honestly, holily, and uprightly, he hath dealt in all these, let these following particulars (faithfully taken out of his own writings and expressi­ons, extant in print under his own hand, which I will but briefly touch upon) abundantly manifest and declare to God and Men. And first, I shall pray the honest and religious Reader to take notice how Mr. Goodwin hath made good these his so seeming serious protestations of his piety and probity, his mildenesse and sweetnesse of [Page 9] spirit, in his answering of reverend, religious, and learned Master George Walker, a most eminent and ancient Minister of Gods Word in London; who had, formerly, most soundly, gravely, and godlily convinced him to be a notorious Socinian, Pelagian, and Arminian: To whom, in his bold reply thereunto, Mr. Goodwin uses these words, and most uncivill and unseemly terms. ‘That Mr. Wal­ker a Minister of Jesus Christ, should transform himself into the likenesse of an Angel of darknesse, and besmear the brightnesse of his face with the greace and soot of hell, 1 M. Goodwins meek spirit to reverend M. Walker. is the most unnaturall and unreasonable Netamorphosis that ever was heard of. Again, five sober words (of Mr. Walkers) would have gone farther with me, (and see here what sober words this molde-man himselfe useth to a grave and godly Minister) than a thousand crackers, or the raging reasonlesse roaring of ten thousand Beelzebubs. Again, I regard no more, the rage or rubbidge of any mans tongue (though, in many degrees of outward greatnesse and power, Mr. Walkers superiours) than I doe the dung that passeth from him; therefore Mr. Walker might have kept his Earthquakes, and Whirlwinds, and fires, M. Ricrafts Nosegay of such ranke smelling flow­ers as grow in M. [...]. Goodwins garden, p. 6.7. and have sold them for bug-bears to scare children.’ And again, a heap of Mr. Walkers errours, absurdittes false and forged cavilla­tions whereby he has laid a new dunghill before my door. These with very many more such like (yea and worse if it were possible) most base, sordid, and scurrillous expressions, hath Mr. Goodwin, that meek man used against that godly, grave, and faithfull servant of the Lord, as may, more at large be seen in Mr. Ricrafts Nosegay collected together; or in Mr. Goodwins own answer, which here for brevities sake I omit to recite. And thus you see whither this man speaks the truth and lies not, and is so moderate, temperate, 2 M. Goodwins meek spirit to­ward ever to be honoured M. Prynne. and ten­derly affected, touching the reputation of other men, as before he most falsly brag'd and boasted of? But, Secondly, see again I pray you, what a patient, and easie-sufferer of the (pretended) indigni­ties done unto him by others, this man is, as he would make the Parliament, and all people else believe, in his most base and abusive dealing with ever to be honoured, learned, and religious Mr. Prin, Calumny ar­raigned and cast. in his Book entituled, Calumny arraigned (to omit his false and foul-mouth'd standers of this said Gentleman, in his other book also most falsly entituled, Innocency and Truth, triumphing together, [Page 10] which I my selfe (I thinke) did pretty well tell him of, not long since, in my Letter, to him) which was immediately after printed, but, Innocency and Truth-triumphing together. God knows, unknown to me, till it was printed) wherein how remarkably he hath given himselfe, and his own conscience the lye, by that most dissembling and lying vapour of his innocen­cy in his Epistle to the Parliament, from having done the least wrong to man, woman, or childe, by word or deed, and how apt he is qualifie a hard action with a soft expression, yea, and how tender he is of other mens reputations; That most slanderous and scurrillous pamphlet of his (without any other witnesse) will most abundantly testifie a­gainst him, even under his own hand-writing, to his indelible shame, and everlasting infamie, considering these his loud and proud boastings of innocency therein. In which his said most scurrillous pamphlet, called Calumnie arraigned and cast, he deales just like a Theif. who being pursued with a hue and cry, stop theif, stop theif, he runs before and cries aloud, stop theif, stop theif, whereas he is the theif himselfe: just so, crafty Mr. Goodwin runs fast before, and with a full mouth, yea, a foul mouth, cries out, Calumnie arraigned, Calumnie arraigned, whereas himselfe is the grand Calumniator and slanderer indeed. And that the Reader may take the more se­rious notice of his most vile and abusive dealing with Mr. Prin, in that his Calumnie arraigned and cast, and may see, and know, also what wicked use is made of that his Booke, by others that are the Malignant enemies of Truth, and of a sound Reformation, against Mr. Prin (just, it seems, as Mr. John Goodwin in his heart desired, though his lying tongue, hath in his foresaid Epistle to the Parlia­ment, pretended and protested the contrary) know, good Reader, That one Symmons a most desperate Prelaticall Priest, in a late printed and published Treatise of his, which (without shame or honesty) he calls A Vindication of King Charles; Vindication of K. Charles, p. 129. being, it seems, very angry with Mr. Prin, for writing a famous History of the infamous lives of the Arch-Prelates and Bishops of England, with a most vindicative spirit, took occasion from Mr. Goodwins most lying and slanderous pen, in that his said Calumny ar. p. 12, 13, 14, &c. Calumny arraigned and cast, most vilely to rail and be revenged on Mr. Prin, only with Mr. Goodwins pen, and most wicked reviling phrases and lewd lan­guage, of that base book of his, in the page mentioned in the mar­gine [Page 11] before, calling Mr. Prins style, or manner of writing, The Dialect of Dragons, and telling his Readers, that Mr. Goodwin solemnly protested (as there indeed he does) that he could hardly refrain from taking a solemne Vow and Protestation in the sight of God, Angels, and Men, never more to have to doe with Mr. Prin in word or deed, untill he were turned Christian. M. Goodwins most unchri­stian Charity toward Mr. Prin. (See here good Reader, and admire the most mercilesse, and wicked uncharitable charity of this notorious dissembling Saint, in pretended meeknesse and innocencie, thus to un-christian such a truly religious Gentle­man, and to make a Turk or Infidell of him! Tantaene animis coe­lestibus irae! These, together with many other such like rotten rubbish of his rancorous pen, did that Prelaticall Priest cite and re­citeout of Mr. Goodwins said base Book, too tedious and irksome here to relate, thus to abase and abuse that most pious and precious Gentleman Mr. Prin. And, tell me, now good Reader, is not this a temperate, moderate, and meek spirited Saint, thus to abse a man far more righteous than himselfe? a man whom God himselfe hath most highly honoured, not only to believe, but gloriously also to suf­fer, and beare about with him on his body, the most honorable marks of martyrdome. for the truths of the Lord Jesus Christ, and yet this Mr. Goodwin, (most like an impudent and notorious Whetstone-lyer, and prodigious hypocrite) to protest he never knew, or was not conscious to himselfe (ah brawney and cauterized conscience) that he had ever wronged man, woman, or childe; and how tender hee (good man) was of the reputation of his mistakers, lest they also might suffer therein by his means. O egregious dissimulation, of as unparal­lel'd an Impester, I thinke, as ever was read or heard of! But now to proceed; Thirdly, to instance no more, as I might many others, 3 M. Goodwins meeknesse, and tender-heart­edness toward reverend and religious Mr. Edwards. (even any that have written against him, or made any sound or solid discoveries of him and his rotten hereticall heart, and, who, to purpose have pinch'd his sore, & gangren'd gall'd-back) How most abominably and basely, unscholarly, yea, unchristianly hath he also abused learned, religious, pious, and painfull M. Edwards, of honorable memory, both in his most scurrillous Cretensis & also in his as weak as wicked-work and lying lines, in answer to M. Edwards his elaborate and learned Schismatick-stinging Antapologia; in both which base books, Cretensis. Reply to Mr. Edwards his Antapelogia. and most paultry pamphlets of his, because he was utterly unable to re­fute [Page 12] Mr. Edwards his invincible truths, against him and his Schis­maticall crew, with strong and convincing arguments: O! with what base and bitter terms, he falls a rayling, calumniating, and slandering of Mr. Edwards, his person and parts? just like a Billings-gate-brawler, or, a Turn-again-lain-Scold, most falsly (as all ingenuous and judicious Scholars know) and maliciously slande­ring this learned and religious Gentleman, and solid Divine, with familiar non-sence in his writings, want of Grammar-learning, yea of ability to write true-English, and most shamelesly calling and counting him, a man totally void of wit or understandeng, grace, goodnesse, and honesty, in such an uncivill and even bruitish manner, as if he himself, indeed, had dofft & quite thrown away all consci­ence, Religion, and honesty, yea even humanity, it self, or manly nature and nurture, and were fallen out of his wits and stark-mad, and all because worthy Mr. Edwards, had like a faithfull Physician and skilfull Chyrurgeon or exact Anatomist, The true cause of M. I. Good­wins rage and rancor against M. Edwards. curiously cut out, and launched to the quick, and found and laid open to the eyes and un­derstandings of all impartiall and unprejudic'd Ones, the most noy­some and odious Leprosie of Mr. Goodwins pestilent and pernicious rotten heart (both in Mr. Edwards his famous Antapologia, and in all the three parts of his gallant Gangrena) to Mr. Goodwins eternall indelible shame and deserved infamie, with all truly religious, judi­cious, and ingenuous, both Scholars and Christians; but, the parti­cularizing of all which Mr. Goodwins most base and unworthy dealing with M. Edwards (as, is above only most briefly touched) I have here purposely omitted to avoid prolixity, the rather because both those Mr. Goodwins base books, and most paultry pamphlets were so lately written, and those his abominable abuses therein scattered and bespattered are so fresh, or, rather stalely-stinking, I doubt not, in most mens memories.. And thus, as you see, hath this monstrous and most malignant Rabsheca railed on, and reviled these faithfull servants of the Lord (notwithstanding, yea, most contrary to his foresaid most false and fallacious profession of such a tender temper toward the reputation of other men, and of being so fair and facile a sufferer of (pretended) wrong done unto him, rather than a doer of wrong to man, woman, or child, in word or deed) And thus most like a mad man and one directly out of his wits, or like a swaggering [Page 13] Swashbuckler, crost in his humour, hath Mr. Goodwin, without fear, wit, or honesty, with his most licentious and pernicious pen, even most stupendiously abused such eminent and excellent, religi­ous, grave and godly Gentlemen, as I may confidently avouch, and easily justifie, have more true piety, honesty, conscience, and constan­cy, (in holy things) in either of their little fingers, than this puffie-Puck-fiste, Mr. John Goodwin, has in all his fat-fed body, hollow heart and all. And now in the fourth and last place, (though when I wrote the third instance immediately before this, I intended no more instances for the proof of this second tryall of Mr. Goodwins honesty, or rather the discovery of his notorious hypocrisie,, yet) there now, about this time, comming forth in print, another most paultry pamphlet of this our unblushing Cheater, and bouldest Champion for Schisme and Heresie, entituled Sion Colledge Visited, 4 Mr. Goodwins tender-heart­edness and meekness of spirit toward the reverend and religious Ministers of London. (whereas hee might have been better busied in having been (as he is) a vitious Visitor of his own Coleman-s [...]reet Conclave) and finding it so full of filthy weeds, of slander & calumnie against all the Religious & reve­rend Subscribers of a book of those our famous and faithfull London Ministers, entituled, A Testimony of the truth of Jesus Christ, &c. & too easily observing (the Lord knows with grief of heart) that M. I G. had therein also most fouly and falsly abused All of them, being about 52 in number, (at its first impression) with most scanda­lous terms and jeers; and all because they also had so neerly toucht his copy-hold of Heresie, and stung the gaul'd back and cauterized conscience of this most impious Impostor, and scelerous Schismatick; I, hence, therefore, perceived what store of matter he had administred more and more to shew and set forth his abominable hypocrisie and dissimulation, both with God and men; as, briefly, thus it shall now, most plainly appear. Whereas this notorious Dissembler had, as I mentioned before, most proudly, falsly, and fallaciously, protested and boasted, In his Epistle to the Lords and Commons in Parliament a­foresaid, How tender he was of the reputation of those that had mi­staken him in his words, or writings, as to qualifie their hard actions with his soft expressions, lest they might possibly suffer by ought he should write in his own vindication: professing also that he was not conscious to himselfe of the least wrong done by him to man, woman or childe, in word or deed. See now, good Reader, how he hath per­formed [Page 14] those protestations of his, even the clean contrary way, (just as he did with those other three most eminent, and well deserving Gentlemen aforesaid) to all those religious and reverend Ministers of London, the grave and godly Subscribers of the Testimony, a­foresaid, In which discovery I will be as brief as may be, and most faithfull (by Gods grace) in the relating of some of the most slande­rous terms, and impious scoffes and jeers, put upon those grave and godly Subscribers. In the very Title page of his Vitious visitation of Sion Colledge, he scornfully terms the Ministers Testimony; a Pamphlet pretended to be written by the Ministers of Christ in Lon­don Province, & in the same page he most falsly charges all the 52 Ministers with indirect and unchristian dealing. In the first page of the book it selfe, at line 8, he most proudly claims Dan. 5.19. The fair flow­ers of M. Good­wins garden, or rather, the stinking weeds growing on the dunghill of his Syon-Col. Visitation. Nebuchad­nezars prerogative (to retort, here, his own words most justly upon himselfe) over all the 52 servants of God, To slay whom he will, and whom he will to keep alive. To Saint his own Disciples, and make Scythians of the most pious Presbyterians, that stand in his way and oppose his most wicked and odious opinions, and thus, as he did, before, most abusively un-christian Mr. Prin, so here he doth most barbarously Anti-christian, at once, all those 52 most learned grave and godly Ministers that have faithfully attested against him. And in the same first page, he calls the said reverend Ministers re­ligious Testimony to the Truth of Christ Jesus, in most inferiour contempt and scorn. A few papers lately come out of the Presse, cal­ling themselve; A Testimony, &c. and there also taxes them with impudency and boldnesse. Page the third, he jeers the Ministers in these words, That those learned and pious men had so forgotten them­selves in the body of their booke, as to breake the head and Title of it. Page 4. he tels the Ministers, they have as imperiously sentenced Er­rours and Heresies, as if the Chair of Papall infallibility were, of late, translated from Rome to Sion Colledge. And in the very last line of this page, he tels a downright lye of the Ministers concerning the Co­venant. And in the fifth page, he jeers them with meerly and proud­ly tantologicall emptynes; and in the same page, slanders and jeers them about the Parliaments tolerating of Errours and Heresies. Page 6. He tels them they have prefixed a single-coloured Title, to a partie-coloured booke. Page 9. He most notoriously jeers the Mi­nisters, [Page 15] thus, 52 Church men in Conjunction with 60 Church livings. And in the same page, most wickedly belies & slanders them. Page, 11, He calls them dissemblers, shamelesse prevaricators, unconscionable dealers, and wicked men, whose hearts did not smite them, though they had (unjustly) drawn up a bloudie charge against him. Page 16, He slanders the London Ministers (and excepts not one of them, all along) with dissimulation and partiall connivence where they please, and charges them all with most unworthy, and contra-conscientious defaming of men; jeering them with their double diligence, together with the help of an evill eye. And page 18, in one and the same line, calls all the London Ministers, Lyons, and his brethren too; Then it seems he is a brother of Lyons by his own confession. Page 19, He slanders them to be stigmatizers of Gods Truth, with the odious names of infamous and pernicious Errours and Heresies; and most wickedly tels them, that he findes the best of them all no better than bryers, to their deep shame and confusion of faces. And page 24, He most jee­ringly tels the Reader, he is arraigned at the Tribunall of Synon Col­ledge (mark the jeer) for an Heretick; and, hopes to help this lame dog over the style, by a note in the marg. as he (he says) was informed. These good Reader, and such like, are the fairest flowers in that Mr. Good­wins garden, or rather, the most stinking weeds on his Sion Colledge Visiting dunghill; And at the conclusion of all, on the back side of his Book, or paultrey pamphlet, he thinks to put off the Reader with two or three lines of litterall or verball faults, or, errata pusilla, whereas, from the Title page to the last line of the pamphlet, 'tis full fraught and all over staind and bespotted with, little, or nothing else than grosse and base abuses, or, ingentia menda & mendacia. And, are these the fruits and effects of this pious and patient Gen­tlemans professions and protestations, of such a tender temper, and soft expressions, to qualifie hard actions, lest he harme the reputation of his Antagonists. O intollerable jugling and dissimulation! O abo­minable, and even formidable white-Devill, indeed, thus to hope to gull and beguile the world with such gilded pils of hypocrisie, and mischievous conzening! We have an old adagie; Ne Hercules adversus duos. Ne Hercules ad­versus duos. But this great Goliah scorning a single-duell with a little David, as Mr. Walker, Mr. Prin, or Mr. Edwards, must boldly and blasphemously bicker with the whole Army of the Lords [Page 16] Prophets, 50, or 100 at once, are nothing for this Garagantua to en­counter and scuffle with. Nay, in his pride and cruelty to those 52 reverend Ministers, that dare oppose his pernicious lying wayes, he fears not, M. Goodwin fitly compared to Nero. and cares not to imitate, yea transcend, bloudy Nero, that Roman Tyrant, who wisht that all Rome had but one head, that he might smite it off at one blow: Nero's was but a wish, but M. John Goodwins a reall wicked act, who (as much as in him was) set all the heads of the reverend London Ministers precious reputation, upon the shoulder of his pernicious pamphlet, & with the sword of his lyes and slanders, smites and strives to cut them all off at one blow of his scandalous Calumniations. And therefore to close up this passage, and to passe to the rest that follows, I will here make bold to make use of Mr. Goodwins own terms in his vile Visitation of Sion Colledge, page 22, and retort his own Rhetorick into his own face, in these words, with a little addition: Let the Sun of Christian ingenuity be ashamed, and the Moon of humane candor be abashed; for, (questionlesse) such a sly and subtill Sophister, such a grosse and grand impostor, such a bold and un-blushing blasphemer, hath not been found or heard of among the sons of nature, or of God, for many Generations. O what a losse hath the Church of Rome sustained that Mr. John Goodwin turned not Jesuite all this while! certainly had it been so (but, God be praised, it is not so, 3 The third try­all of M. Good­wins pure Pie­ty. I think, yet, somwhat fear it) ô what a fruitfull servant would he have been to have purloyned Proselites to that Antichri­stian Synagogue! But now to proceed to a third tryall of this im­pious and and impudent Impostors integrity and simplicity of heart, in the things which more immediately concern God and true god­linesse.

Againe, in the Third place, In that foresaid Epistle of his to the Lords and Commons in Parliament, before his said Authority of Scriptures as­serted, p. 3. l. 6. & p. 4. l. 3. Book, I could nor, but, even with astonishment of Spirit, take notice of another no­torious vapouring profession of his, backt and bound up with an attestation to heaven, even of God himself to beare record of those things he now speaks, which the Lord knows (in him) are appa­rent untruths, yea, down-right lyes; His words are these. Hear ô Hea­vens, and give care, ô earth: ô what a child hath the Lord brought up, thus, to rebell, and dissemble with him! Isay 1.2. I call God for a Record upon my soul, that I have not the least touch of a desire to be wise, in the things of God, eyther above or besides what is [Page 17] written in the Book of God. And again. For my self, my love is such to the precious souls of men, that I cannot, knowingly, suffer any suspi­cious Doctrine, or loose opinion, in the things of God, to passe through the World, neer unto me, unexamined; especially, when any considera­ble number of men are like to suffer. Mark, good Christian Reader, these words of Mr. John Goodwins, yea, mark and tremble at them, as most justly thou may'st, that a man should thus fearfully turn Atheist, so boldly to dare to call God, on his soul, to witnesse such a horrid and hideous lye against himself, as, I shall, ere I have done with this passage, (to my souls-sorrow, for his sake; and to his own just shame) make it most evident and apparent to God and all men, that read and heare it. And though I might, here, lanch out into an Ocean of notable discoveries of his deceive ablenesse in this particular; yet, I will confine my self to as succinct a relation of in­stances herein, as with all possible convenience I may; and by Gods assistance, but briefly touch some few discoveries of foul and fear­full contradictions of this his proud and perjurious Protestation, most wickedly giving himself the lye, and laying him open and naked to be a most hatefull Hypocrite and unsufferable Dissembler. And, first, I shall touch upon his notorious jugling and subtill insinuation for the scelerous and Serpentine working and winding in of a Tolerati­on of all Opinions among us, which you may finde in his Printed and publishd Theomachia, a Sermon preached by him to his Cole­manstreet Proselytes; In which Printed piece of his, in the Epistle to the Reader, and pag. 11.33. & 44. to 52. (as worthy Mr. Prin, 1 M.I. Goodwins fly insinuation of a Tolerati­on of all opi­nions by that engine of h [...]s, his Theomachia in his Animadversions on that Sermon, most judiciously and sound­ly observes, he hath most injuriously raised unjust jealousies on the Venerable Assembly of Divines at Westminster, viz. That they in their sitting and consulting, there, about the setling of Church Go­vernment, doe but increase our misery and bondage, reject the truth, conjure all mens gifts and parts into their Synodicall-Circle (as there he contemptuously calls it) and that the joy of our faith will be de­creased, and evill increased by them, &c. And, then, in the body of the Sermon, he struggles, and endeavours to maintain (from Ga­maliel, whose words, Act. 5. (though Gamaliel himselfe (as Mr. Prin excellently notes) was no Apostle, no, nor Christian neither, yet) Mr. Goodwin makes to be his Text to that Sermon, as if they [Page 18] were as true as Gospel, although it is exceeding clear from ver. 38, 39. that Gamaliel himselfe, in those words, doubted of the truth e­ven of the Gospel it self, yet) thence, I say, Mr. Goodwin strives to mayntain, That Toleration of all Religions and Opinions what­soever, is most just and lawfull, and in his Theomachia useth these words following in justification thereof; viz: That it is the greatest impudence (or folly) under heaven, for any, whomsoever, to appear, to oppose or lift up a hand or thought against any way, doctrine, or pra­ctice whatsoever (mark good Reader, his presumptuous expressions) clayming or pretending, Toleration of al religions ju­stified by Mr. Iohn Goodwin, from Gamaliels words, Acts 5. In his Theoma­chia, p. 18.22, & 52, & else­where in that said Pamph­let. its originall from God (which clayme or pretence as Mr. Goodwin will have it, all Hereticks and Schisma­ticks do most stoutly and stifly urge and lay hold on, for the justifi­cation of all their Heresies, Errours, Schismes, and Sects whatsoe­ver, be they ever so detestable, damnable, and pernicious) till men have security upon security (to use his own words) evidence upon evidence, yea, all the security that men in an ordinary way, are capa­ble of, and foundations as cleer as the noon-day that such wayes or do­ctrines and practices are only pretences: And, that wee ought not to act to the value of one haire of our heads against them, untill we see their condemnation written with a beam of the Sun by the finger of God himself. A brave piece of pernicious Doctrine, indeed, for Mr. John Goodwin, and all other his brother-hereticks to run head-long to Hell without controul, if it were as easily granted, as tis here most boldly, Syon-Colledge Visited, r. 29. but abominably claymed, and that, but from a hea­thenish authority. And yet notwithstanding this so plain and evi­dent demonstration of Mr. Goodwins eager and urgent (though as craftily as can be) desire to advance this wicked work of Toleration of all Religions and Opinions, yet, in his last and late published Pam­phlet, called Syon-Colledge Visited; hee most deceitfully and audaci­ously protests against the allowance of this or any other wicked or dangerous opinion, most impiously calling God to witnesse the same, though we have so many clouds of Witnesses to the contrary against him; And in these words hee boldly breaks forth. I heere solemnly professe in the sight of God, Angels and Men, that whosoever they are that beare the Errours and wicked Opinions of the times, as a burthen of sorrow upon their hearts and souls, I beare my part and share with them. Nor do I beleeve (says he) that any of the London [Page 19] Ministers, who seek to render me the hatred of men, by the imputati­on of Delinquency in the contrary, have run eyther faster or farther, in the way of God for the pulling up of those noysome weeds out of the fields of Christ among us, than I have done. And again, a little after, in the foresaid page, hee, thus, goes on; I have again and a­gain in severall of my Writings (I, indeed, Sir, if we had you not fast in your own Writings to testifie against you, you would, I see, baffle and abuse us all to the purpose, who thus, dare deny these things, notwithstanding that wee have your own hand-wri­tings to dash you in the face of your bold denyals) declared my sense (and juglingly too, yet plain enough to discover your naughty heart) and judgement to be, that no errour whatsoever ought to be tolerated; but that every errour sufficiently detected, (I here's the depth of the Deceit indeed) and evicted, ought to be proceeded a­gainst, &c. and then at last, hee gives you, forsooth, two Expositi­ons of the height of these his jugling interposals, viz: 1, lest in­tending to crucifie theeves, we crucifie Christ; therefore if they doe but onely pretend Christ (as all Hereticks doe) you must not once dare so much as to touch them. 2 Lest we make theeves of those who erre of infirmitie like men; therefore hold they ever so dange­rous or damnable opinions, and be ever so long or desperately hard­ned in them, and obstinately maintained by them, and are not, and will not be convinced of them; yet this must be accounted infirmity in them, and till God himselfe from heaven writes the foulnesse of their fact on their forehead, that he that runs may read it, we must not dare to touch them for it, & this is the most deceiveable sense of this Religious Gentlemens pleading against a Toleration, even as you have seen and read from his own hand-writing. See therefore, from hence, good Reader, and be astonished at the extream wickednesse, and most audacious deceiveablenesse of this mans heart, which, as the Prophet sayes, is desperately wicked, Jer. 17.9. that (thus) strugles to be wise (contrary to his own words before) above and besides the writ­ten word of God, in the things of God, whereof, I suppose, ye will all grant) this is one, and a most essentiall one to. Secondly, 2 M. Iohn Good­win maintains mans free-will to supernatu­rall good. Mr. J. G. (in his brave book, so beautified, as aforesaid, with his paultry picture (for sooth) at the portall or front, and with the addition of Don Taylers most false and flattering verses) most impiously endeovours [Page 20] to justifie That a naturall man hath free will and power to doe super­naturall good, The divine Authority of Scriptures as­serted, p. 168, 169. as our famous and faithfull, loyall, learned, and re­ligious London Ministers have in their late most excellent and zea­lous Testimony of the Truth of Jesus Christ, their great Lord and Master, discovered out of Mr. Goodwins foresaid Divine Autho­rity of Scripture Asserted, where he hath these very words. That if God should deprive men of all ability and power to repent and believe, and yet should still move, perswade, and beseech them with pathetic all­nesse of affection, wherein he expresseth himselfe in the Scriptures, even to those that perish, as well as to those that are saved; This would seem very hard yea, harder than injustice it selfe, but this (sayes Mr. J. G.) is not so. A palpable lye against God and his Word, for the Lord very frequently and earnestly (as M. G. himself, before, con­fesses, commands and urges that to be done by man (and that most justly) though man hath no ability to doe the thing commanded, nor is God bound to bestow ability on him thereunto, he having once had it, but most wilfully lost it; and then he there addes a most false and lying simile or example, to confirm his foresaid bold and blasphemous Charge thus laid on God, Here, Mr. I. Goodwin most blasphemously belies the Lord God, in this Simile, & like a Dunce in Di­vinity) mis­staking the thing attri­butes that to God which man absolute­ly did to him­self. And so he deals with God again. P. 202. l 6. &c. Ibid. p. 200. viz. If a King (sayes he) cutting off a mans legs, yea, though in a way of justice, and then commanding him, yea, and urgently perswading him with heart-melting expressions of love, and bowels of tender mercy, to run a race with one that hath his legs and limbs and is swift of foot, and to come as soon to the Goal, as he that so runs with him; this were (sayes M. Goodwin) a bloudy carriage in the King, and savouring of unmanly insolency over the poore wretch in his misery, &c. And so, he applyes all this to God, and insinuatingly and most blasphemous­ly makes God the Authour of mans infidelity and impossibility of doing Gods will. Marvellous strange it is, me thinks, and I cannot but wonder what was become of Mr. John Goodwins Divinity, when he wrote this, thus to slander God with cutting off mans legs, whereas 'tis well known to all that rightly know Gods Word, that God gave man perfect legs and limbs, but man only cut off his own legs himself, and so made himself wickedly and wilfully unable to do Gods will. Ibid. p. 202. Again, this wretched Truth-wresting man sayes; That if God should not make men capable of beleeving, that is, should not endue them with such principles and abilities of reason and under­standing, [Page 21] as by the diligent improvement thereof, they might come to be willing and readie to receive grace upon their repentance and belee­ving in God; wicked men would (and might) have their mouthes upon against Gods dealing with them, and be furnished with just ex­cuses for themselves: Thus, still, either making God a cruell Ma­ster, or a false Impostor, yea, and he is not ashamed, or affraid (as our loyall, learned, and religious Divines have noted in their excel­lent Book entituled, A Testimony, &c. pag. 13.) most falsly, and blasphemously, to make the blessed Apostles, Paul, and Peter, to be asserters, countenancers, and maintainers of this Arminian Doctrine of Free will; saying, assuredly they are so, (but tels us not where wee may see it is so) and that, therefore, the false Doctrine of free will, ought not to suffer any dispurag­ment for being found among the tenets of Arminius. And is not Mr. Goodwin (thinkest thou, good Christian Reader) most blas­phemously saucie with the sacred things of God in this particular also, Above and besides you, most crosse and contrary to the written Word of God? Again, in the third place, Mr. Goodwin (as out learn­ed and religious London Divines have farther discovered in their excellent Testimony to the Truth of Christ) in his foresaid, Testim. p. 14, 15. Divine Authority of the Scriptures asserted, 3 M. I. Goodwins dangerous o­pinion concer­ning the na­ture & ground of Faith. The Divine Authority of Scriptures as­serted, p. 182. & 189. hath these most dangerous words, and therein holds a most pernicious opinion against the true nature and ground of faith, viz. That those that are without the Go­spel written or preacht upon such terms, as we daily have it among us, have sufficient means (if not large and plentifull) for beleeving, namely, they who only have the heavens, the Sun, Moon and Stars, and Gods goodnesse in governing the World (thus only) to preach the Gospel unto them, That is to say, Heathen Philosophers, Turks, infidels, and such like, who never heard otherwise of Christ) they also have reason sufficient (if not in abundance) to thinke the same thought, and to judge the same judgement, even with us who have the letter of the Gospel, in the point in hand, that is, to believe the Go­spel as well as we, even by the preaching of those Apostles, (these are Mr. Goodwins own words) the Sun, Moon, and stars, Gods patience, goodnesse, and bounty on governing the world, &c. And that 'tis clear from the Scriptures, that all the world, even heathens, and unbelee­vers, who have not the letter of the Gospel, have sufficient means of beleeving, That God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that dili­gently [Page 22] seeke him which (sayes M. Goodwin; and heer's the marrow of the businesse) is all the faith which the Apostle makes simply ne­cessary to bring man into Gods love and favour; yea, and to prevent the wrath and indignation of God which is to come. And if this be so, (as 'tis most false, and unfound, to say and hold, the Scriptures being most plentifully against it) then, what need of Christ? without par­ticular applicatory faith in whom, and in whose righteousnesse imputed to us, it is impossible to please God; and out of whom, all the most glo­rious and glittering works of civill and morall righteousnesse of the most famous morall Philosophers, and heathens in the world (and, farther, they did not, they could not goe) were but as St. Augustine sayes, splendida peccata, specious, gay, and gaudy sins: yea, and without whom, Isaiah 64.6. as the holy Apostle sayes, All our righneousnesses are but as filthy cloathes, and menstruous rags. No marvell then, if this brazen-fac'd man, Mr. Goodwin, be yet more hold with God, and the holy things of God, both above and beyond the written Word of God, and dares thus to jest with such sharp edged tools, and thus to tamper and tincle by his subtile and Satanicall sophystry, with that most excellent grace of faith, in preaching publikely, in his seditious Conclave, or Conventicle in Coleman-street; That mans own reason must be the ground and foundation of faith; Faith must be grounded up­on mans rea­son; sayes Mr. Goodwin. yea, and that God did not care for that faith which was not (thus) botto­med and founded. This he both preached, and stoutly strugled to maintain in divers Sermons, as aforesaid, and this was assured and testified to me by a very honest, intelligent, and religious freind of mine, who purposely went to hear him on this subject, and the truth whereof was afterwards seconded, and confirmed unto me by the testimony of Mr. William Greenhill, preacher at Stepney, who himselfe told me (upon occasion of conference with him about these things) that he himselfe heard Mr. J. G. deliver this lying Do­ctrine, and said unto me, that it grieved him very much to have heard him deliver such a dangerous point, with such boldnesse and confidence as Mr. Goodwin did. Nay, more, my old loving, and well beloved freind, Mr. Henry Burton, lately deceased, told me, and my wife, at mine own house, in the presence and hearing also of Mr. Burtons own wife, and of one M. Carter, once a Perfumes of gloves in London, but now an Officer in Sir Thomas Fairfax [Page 23] Army, That Mr. John Goodwin had publikely delivered, both in preaching, and (as I remember) in print also, a most wicked and damnable doctrine (to use Mr. Burtons own words) touching justi­fying faith by Christs righteousnesse imputed unto us which he direct­ly denyed, and from which he most audaciously detracted; Justifying faith by Christs righteousness imputed to us, denied by M. Goodwin. and Mr. Burton vowed most seriously before us all, that he also would pub­likely preach against M. Goodwin touching this point, notwith­standing that the said Mr. Carter came to my house, with Master and Mistris Burton, at that same time, purposely to intreat, and, as he did, earnestly to perswade and beseech Mr. Burton, that, by any means, he would not clash with his brother Goodwin in a publike contestation in the pulpit, urging what a prejudice it would be to the (Independent) cause, if Mr. Burton should doe so, and what pitty it was, that two such ancient and eminent brethren should, thus, fall foule upon one another: But yet for all this, Mr. Burton protested most vehemently, and earnestly, that he would not be dis­swaded nor diverted from his said resolution; M. H. B. Prote­sted against Mr Iohn Goodwin touching this point of justi­fying faith. and yet (notwith­standing this huge seeming hubbub and noise herein) about a quar­ter of a year after, Mr. Burton coming again to my house, together with his wife, add I demanding a freindly reason why, in all that time, he had not performed his so serious promise and protestation of preaching against Mr. Goodwin, as aforesaid; Mr. Burton told me, That in that interim, his brother Goodwin (the Lord knows I speak nothing but the truth, and use his own words to me) and he had met together, and that Mr. Goodwin had promised him seriously to recant what he, therein, had delivered, and to give pub­like satisfaction to the world about the same, and that for this cause onely he had desisted from his purpose aforesaid. But no such matter was ever done by Mr. Goodwin, neither could I (nor I think, any else that knew Mr. Goadwins pride and high spirit) ever be­lieve he had so much honesty, humility, or selfe-denyall, to doe any such thing. But, however it was, here was notable double dealing somwhere, I forbeare to judge or say where. And about this very point, had my learned grave and godly freind, Mr. Walker, a nota­ble bickering to the purpose with Mr. Goodwin, and gave him a sore and sure foil therein, which (it seemed) was one of the great­est causes of Master Goodwins most irreligious and irrationall [Page 24] false and foulmouth'd dealing with that reverend Gentleman, as was fore-mentioned. And yet, this wretched man (this is one of his sore wretchednesses and miseries, indeed) hath divers times since, and now more lately in his most mischievous and horribly lying paultry Pamphlet, M.I.G. proved a most impu­dent Lyer for the whetstone. entituled, Syon Colledge Visited, (not out of any self-denyall, I beleeve, but, for very shame, utterly denyed that ever he printed or preached any such doctrine, but, rather, the contrary orthodox truth therein, and (as if this man were given over to a re­probate sense and benummed stupidity of soule and conscience, to lye for the Whetstone, as our Proverbe is) that he never held the [...] credere, to be the faith that saves us; and thus he playes in and out, and at bo-peep, fast and loose with Gods people, and Gods most [...]o­ly things without shame or honesty, when he is narrowly sifted and closely put to it. And now tell me, good Christian, and impartiall Reader, if this be not strange love to the precious souls of his soul-murthered Proselytes, who hold all these opinions most stifly, with him­self; yet so tender is he, as hee pretends, as not to suffer any suspitious doctrine, or loose opinion, in the things of God, to passe by him unexa­mined, to the prejudice of any: Or, rather, Is not Mr. John Goodwin a most notorious and nefarious lyer and dissembler herein also? And, as a yet farther (out most false, godlesse and ungrounded) testimony of his large (indeed too large) love to the souls of all men and women in the World, without exception, both good and bad; He presump­tuously preacheth (or rather prateth) with undaunted confidence and a most cankered conscience, That most wicked-opinion and false doctrine of Universall-Redemption; Universall-Re­demption taught and maintain'd by M. Goodwin, in his Conclave in Coleman-street. upon occasion of delive­ring which doctrine, he neither shames nor trembles blasphemously to call and count God an Impostor or Deceiver; as I was most cre­dibly informed by a very judicious and truly religious friend of mine, who purposely went to heare him on that point; and the truth whereof, I need not much struggle to justifie, he having prin­ted no lesse in his Divine Authority of Scriptures asserted. Yea, Mr. Goodwin accounts those to be Saints, and sayes they are holy and hea­venly men, who deny that there is one God in three Persons; & this he hath a vouched in a serious assertion of his, under his own hand, in his Hagio-Mastix; Take his own words (good Reader) and then thou wilt the more cleerly judge of his most bould and blas­phemous [Page 25] jugling and cheating, in this particular. ‘And though for my self (sayth Mr. Goodwin, here) I can and do without scruple, subscribe to the truth of this Doctrine, yea, and am ready, God assisting, to dye (observe this proud Cheaters words) for it; viz: That God is one in three Persons. Yet, I know some who deny it, whom, notwithstanding this Denyall, I know also, in part, by mine own experience and acquaintance, but more fully by the testimony of others (worthy credit in as great a matter as this (see here how this most wretched man seems to undervalue this tenet, in as great a matter, as this, saye he, as if this were but a smal matter w ^ch him) to be of exēplary life, fruitful in good works, holy, heavenly Christian in all their conversation, as far as men are able to judge & liscern; shal we (then) say (says this Orthodox man of Coleman- street) that such men as these hold not the foun­dation of Religion?’ (as if this were no foundation of Christian Religion; whereas it is plainly affirmed to be one, by the blessed Apostle S. John the Evangelist in these words. There are three that beare Record in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are One. See heer, what a wicked man is this, 1 John 5.7. to justifie them for sound, that deny this! ‘and so he goes on to jeere those our Presbyterian Brethren, that reprove such denyals, thus.) But it is none of the least or lowest of our Classick Intrusions (mark his jeers) to umpire among the Stars (I mean the doctrine of Christian Religion) and to determine positively, and above all possibility of mistake, which are of the first, which are of the se­cond, which of the third magnitude, and withall, to call them All by their names, as if they knew them as exactly as he that made them.’ And is not here a most bold blasphemer, and a most andacious dissembler, and out-facer of God and men? Nay more, this notorious hereticall man, is so impious and bold (notwith­standing all his deceiveable boastings, what an Syon-Colledge Visited, p. 23. Enemy he is to all Errours and Heresies, yea most shamefully and audaciously, calling God, Angels, Predestination unto reproba­tion of the wicked utterly denyed by Mr. I. Goodwin. and men to the witnesse thereof) as flatly and peremptorily to deny and utterly to overthrow (as much as in his rotten heart consisteth) another main pillar, and most essentiall fundamentall point of Christian Religion (just like his father Armi­nius) and teacheth his Disciples stifly and stubbornly to deny it also, [Page 26] viz. Synod of Dort, c. 1. Artic. 6. p. 5 Gods eternall decree of Predestination unto Reprobation, of all wicked and unbeleeving ones, notwithstanding that the whole fa­mous Synod of Dort and Arles asserted, but especially, the holy Scriptures themselves, do most evidently confirm the infallible truth thereof. And therefore, what a most unblushing cheater, and in­tolerable obdurate lyer is this? thus to dare, in the face of God, Angels and men, to protest himselfe to be so sound and orthodox, such a mourker for, and hater of Errours and Heresies, who flatly denies such a main and principall fundamentall point of Christian Religion, as Predestination. Truly, good Reader, I might most justly deny to have any thing to doe with such an one as Contra ne­gantem, princi­pia, non est di­sput andum. denies grounds and principles of faith and Religion. I will therefore herein plead for my selfe, in medling thus much with this wretched man M. J. Goodwin, as the holy Prophet Elisha did, for himselfe, in ano­ther case, in these his words. And Elisha said, As the Lord of Hosts liveth, 2 Kings 3.14. before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehosaphat the King of Judah, I would not look toward thee (meaning wicked Jehoram) nor see thee: so truly say I, I pro­fesse sincerely, were it not that I regard the sacred presence of pre­cious Truth, the blessed Son of the great Lord and King of heaven and earth; As mean and unworthy a poor-servant of the Lord as I am, I would disdain to have any thing to doe, in the least measure, with such a degenerous, and ignoble, and abominable Deceiver, as Mr. John Goodwin is: but I say, for precious Truths sake, and for Sions sake I could not hold my peace, nor withhold my zealous pen. Again, 4 in the 4 ^th. place, to shew that this good man is most tenderly affected with love to the precious souls of men (yea, and he calls God, upon his soul to record therein, M. I. Goodwin abuseth the Authority of Sacred Scrip­tures in his Hagio-mastix. Sect. 28. p. 57. ô transcendent boldnesse and impiety!) that he has not the least touch of desire to be wise in the things of God, either above or besides the written Word of God; This most egregi­ously unblushing deceiver having heretofore most abominably abused the Authority of the sacred Scriptures (and let him timely take heed, lest for this, and the rest of his abuses of Gods Word, for the upholding of his damnable opinions, that most fearfull curse of God fall upon him, which the Lord himselfe hath denounced against those that adde unto, or diminish from his holy Word, or wrest it to their own wicked wills, Deut. 4, 12. even the severe infliction of all [Page 27] the curses and plagues that are written in the Book of God, Revel. 22.18, 19. and to have his name blotted out of the Book of life) in his most bold and blasphemous book entituled Hagió-Mastix; which book (as is worthily noted by our learned and religious London Ministers, in their most excellent Testimony) hath these words, A Testimony to the Truth of Jesus Christ. p. 5. and this positive assertion, under Mr. John Goodwins own hand writing That it is no foundation of Christian Religion to believe that the English Scriptures, or that Book, or rather Volume of books, called the Bible, translated out of the Originall Hebrew and Greek Copies, into the English Tongue, are the Word of God. A horrid and hellish indignity offe­red to God in his Word, and a most intolerable and accursed injury offered to all Gods English people, to ruinate (as much as in him is) the ground of their faith and salvation. Now hereupon M. Goodwin having been by divers godly Christians, with Divines and others, much reproved for it, and as diligent endeavours, as could be, made by some faithfull and zealous Christians in London, and particular­ly by one Mr. Thomas Underhill, M. Goodwin complain'd of to the Parlia­ment, about his Hagio-Mastix. an honest and Religious Citizen and Stationer, who endeavoured to have him and his blasphemous Book to be called into question, and him severely to be punished, (as justly he deserved) by the Parliament, though all in vain (such potent props have these irreligious and rotten builders procured in Parliament, both against Gods and mans Laws, and all justice, both Divine and Civill) hereupon Mr. Goodwin begins to sweat and swagger, and (being rub'd upon his gall'd back) to kick and winch most notoriously in print. And first, most furiously (and therefore nonsensically) thrusts forth a little more foam and froth of his mad­brain, in halfe a sheet of paper, which, he most vainly and slashi­ly call'd A Candle to the Sun, hoping (but in vain) therewith, A Candle to the Sun. for the present, to have stopt the mouthes, blinded the eyes, and stifled the judgements of men; but indeed, thereby making the matter as bad or worse than it was before. Whereupon, hearing himselfe most justly, still cry'd out on, both in publike and private, for that his most irreligious slandering of Gods sacred Word, and most wickedly invalidating the divine authority of it (especially in such a time, when most impious and audacious Anti-Scrip [...]urists rose up among us, boldly and blasphemously denying the Sacred Scriptures to be the Word of God.) At last (the Lord, it seems, suffering him still to [Page 28] run himselfe out of breath, in his accustomed blasphemies, and damnable Errours; as a just punishment of adding one accursed errour to another, even unto his eternall perdition (if not timely and truly repented and recanted) he sets forth another hugely blustering book or rather paultry and pernicious Pamphlet, which like a most into­lerable cheater and dissembler, he calls or entitles, The Divine Au­thority of the sacred Scriptures asserted: Wherein I for my part (and I believe others also) expected, and verily hoped (but yet with no little reluctation of spirit, fearing the contrary) he would now have proved so ingenuous as to have honestly and humbly de­nyed himself, and recanted his former foul errour in his Hagio-mastix; but perusing the Book (as I did, I confesse, with no little sorrow and indignation at what I read and found therein, in his dis­course of the main businesse) I found him strongly begin to struggle (like a Wasp or Hornet over-whelmed in a honey-pot) to maintain and justifie Authority of sacred Scrip­tures asserted, p. 2.7. l. 21. (to his just shame and confusion of face, if possibly it could be) whatsoever he had formerly written in his hatefull Hagio-mastix; accounting us all either fools or franticks, that had so oppo­sed, that, his pious piece, forsooth, & single simplicity in all he had de­livered therein; yea calling us, in a most jeering malicious manner, Plowers who had made long furrows by our unjust accusations, upon his back; Ibid p. 7. l. 19. & thus proceeds from pag. 13 to pag. 17. where hee hath these words. That notwithstanding that he had the bush of abundant au­thority at his back (like the man in the Moon) yet he, good man, was abused with shamelesse outcries, both to Magistrates and people, as if he were one of strange opinions, an asserter of dangerous Do­ctrines, and a spreader of I know not what absurd (he might have said, and justly too, of damnable) Errours and Heresies. And so he runs on, like a subtill (I had almost said a Satanical) Sophister, with seven positions or conclusions, to prove this main matter, and impious position (which here he seems stifly to deny; and which, our learned and religious London Divines have truly cited out of his own foresaid Pamphlet pag. 18. l. 36.) viz. Testimony to the Truth of Jesus Christ, &c. p. 5. That, questionlesse (marke his impudent confidence) no writing whatsoever, whether Translation or Originall, are the foundation of Christian Religion. And yet pag. 13. himselfe confesseth, So, Hagio-ma­stix, p. 35, 36. That the Scriptures translated (as touching the matter, substance, and things generally contained [Page 29] in all the Books called Canonicall, (and who ever took them to be the word of God otherwise?) are of Divine authority, and the unquestionable Word of God. And then comes with this jugling distinction (thinking to cheat others as himselfe) viz. Sensu suno, forsooth, and then, also sensu insano (which must and does follow in this his own sense) he denies the authority of the Scriptures, M. I. Goodwins Sensus sanus & insanus, to know the Scri­ptures, disco­vering his gross folly and fraud, thereby. as afterward you shall see more clearly. O what a most strangely im­pudent gracelesse jugler, and wicked wrangler with the Truths of God is this? And so, at last, in his seventh Position, or Conclusion against Gods Word translated, (hoping to help his own lame dog over the style, as our Proverbe is) he most sottishly and foolishly concludes, (ô the wisdome that is from above, how it confounds and ensnares the wisdome of the carnally wise! and enforces them to confesse the Truth even against their wils and purposes, Magna est veri­tas & valebit. Authority of the Scriptures &c. p. 17. and catches the crafty in their own wilynesse) he concludes I say; That the true and proper foundation of Christian Religion is not inke and paper (see here the folly and madnesse of this man) not any book or books, not any writing or writings, whether Translations or Originalls; But that substance or matter, those gracious Counsels of God concerning the salvation of the World (of Believers, not of All, Good, and Bad, as Iohn Goodwin holds) by Jesus Christ, represented and declared, both in Translations and Originalls, are indeed, the Word of God, and foundation of our Faith and Religion. See, here (then) good Christi­an Reader, what an abominable dissembler and jugling Impostor, is here discovered out of his own words, thus strangely to say and un-say; Before to make it out of question, (as our learned and reli­gious London Divines testifie from his own words) That no wri­tings whatsoever, whether Translations or Originals, are the foun­dation of Christian Religion; And here again; That both Transla­tions and Originals, are the foundation of our Faith and Salvation. Onely, we must, I say, take his lame and beggarly distinction, of sensu sano and insano; his denyall to be the ink and paper, the bare book and books written, without the Sense and substance of the holy and divine matter in them contained, and most necessarily com­prehended and intended, which I wonder what Sot, but Mr. Good­win himselfe, otherwise takes it? And yet, this I will not be asha­med nor afraid to affirm (notwithstanding the subtil and sly di­stinctions [Page 30] of this jugling John) That even the Scriptures or Trans­lations written with inke and pen, the book or books called Canoni­call (to say no more) are the unquestionable Word of God, and foundation of our faith and Religion; otherwise, why did out blessed Saviour himselfe aske his Disciples and the rest of the Jews, continually, as in that most pertinent place of the Evangelist. Je­sus said unto the young man that desired to know the way to eternall life. Luke 10.26. Mat. 4.6, 7, 10. John 5.39. & 7.52. What is written in the Book of the Law? How readest thou? And frequently also, It is written, It is written: And so, Search the Scriptures, that is, the written Scriptures. O then the undaunted and deceiveable impudencie of this heart-hardned Hypocrite, this wicked White-Devill, indeed, that thus swaggers against the very written Word of Truth, with his base and blasphemous distincti­ons, and impious exceptions and evasions therein. And then also, he most basely and abusively wrangles with our avouching that the Scriptures Translated or Originals, Syril Colledge Visited. p. 2. 1 Cor. 3.11. are the foundation of our faith and Religion; and thereupon tels us, that thus we goe about to build upon two foundations, and then quotes that of the Apostle to the Corinths, Other foundation can no man Lay, than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ, and so goes jeeringly on (just, still, like himselfe) except (sayes he) Jesus Christ be transubstantiated into inke and pa­per; and so, most wickedly, and blasphemously concludes, That no kindes of books or writings whatsoever, either Translations or Ori­ginals, (these are his own Words) can be, in the Apostles sense, any foundation of Christian Religion. O intolerable deceiver, and abominable abuser of the Word of Truth. And thus he most impi­ously and impudently goes about to make Christ and his written Word two opposite and distinct things, and two materiall and con­tradictory confounding foundations, whereas this assertion of his is false, Ephes. 2.20. and a lying one: for, does not the same Apostle Paul, most cleerly and plainly say? Yee are built upon the foundation of the Apostles, and Prophets, (which must needs be the Scriptures writ­ten, Translations and Originals, how else should we come to know and believe them?) Jesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone. See, here, now, then, are not the written Scriptures called and counted most plainly, by the Apostle, the very foundation? Yea, and the same holy Apostle goes farther, and sayes thus of the Scrip­ture [Page 31] written by himselfe. 1 Cor. 3.10. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise Master builder (marke these words) I have laid the foundation (as a rule for others) and others build there­on. See then, ô thou false tongu'd, and rotten-wrangling-hearted Mr. John Goodwin, does not the Apostle plainly, here, professe him­selfe even a Master-builder, and to have laid the very declarative foundation, not the super-structure, as thou most lyingly sayest? But the super-structure is built upon this his foundation, by other men, as there thou seest the Apostle himselfe sayes, but, which thou only most boldly and blasphemously deniest. And thou thy selfe hast (thus) built hay and stubble upon this faithfull foundation of the Apostle, for the fire of Gods wrath to burne up, in his day of reck­oning and tryall. And where, now, then, is thy impious and brazen fac'd lying jeer? most falsly put upon the learned and religious Sub­scribers of the Province of London, who, thou most slanderously sayest, call and count thy denyall of the super-structure, onely, to be the foundation, an infamous and pernicious Errour against the Scrip­tures? And is not this M. I. Goodwins bold and base abusing of the sacred, Scrip­tures cleerly discovered. Jer. 50.38. mad-man in Errours and heresie, this desperate hereticall jugler (thinke you) quite and absolutely out of his wits, and starke drunk with heresie, thus to bluster with, and thus to abase and abuse the sacred Scriptures of God, and his grave and gracious Ministers thereof, yea, and all us English Christians also therein, so as to make us believe, that we are so silly and simple, as to hold and believe, that the bare or meer inke and paper, the written or translated book or books, the words or terms (and he might as well have added the very falsities and errata in the translating or printing of some words in the Bible) so barely and simply conside­red and separated from the substance, sense and matter of the whole frame of Gods counsels and contrivements, for the salvation of man by Jesus Christ, therein contained and promulgated to the world, are the Word of God, and the foundation of our faith and Christian Reli­gion? M. I. Goodwins most desperate dissimulation, with God and men. and that (as you heard before) the Sacred Scriptures Origi­nals Translations, or written, are but a superstructure, not the very foundation of our faith and Religion? If this, then, be not blasphe­mous malice or mischief, or (at best) palpable pride, to shew his flashie and frothy wit, or down right hereticall rottennesse of heart, against the Truth, in this wretched man, I know not what is; [Page 32] Thus, contrary to his own words before mentioned (yea, and to which, he most desperately and audaciously calls God to record upon his soul) That he has not the least touch of desire to be wise in the things of God, either above or besides what is written in the Book of God. Let God and man judge in this case, whether this man be sober or mad, in the things of God. Certainly, if I be not mightily mista­ken, this ungodly man hath most exactly acquired, and gotten the Jesuites gin to cheat and coozen poor credulous souls (only turning the terms a little) Theirs was, M. I. Goodwin, is expert at the Jesuits gin, mu­tatis solum mo­do terminis. Si, non Castè, tamen Cautè, and his is, Si, non Verè, tamen Vafrè. If not Conscienteously, yet as craftily as may be. And, thus, he can make, even the sacred Scriptures themselves, to speak what language he listeth, to be Orthodox, or Heterodox, true or false, valid, or invalid, even as he will, and where, and when he will.

M. I. Goodwins proud & vain­glorious boast­ing of his most miserably mis­led Proselytes.And, 5 now, in the fifth, and last place; In reading Mr. Goodwins foresaid paultry and pernicious pamphlet, which he falsly and frau­dulently calls, The Divine Authority of Scriptures asserted; I could not but with deep admiration take notice of another passage in his Epistle to the besotted Coleman- street Conclave sons and daughters of this their glastly Ghostly-father of Errour and Heresie; in which Epistle, Epistle to his besotted Sons and Daughters of Coleman-street Con­clave, p. 3. l. 6. & 20, 21. in the page, and lines noted in the margine, hee hath these words. I shall endeavour to leave as much of my spirit with you, as I know how, when my bodily presence shall be otherwise disposed of. And, again; You are (sayes Mr. Goodwin) my present joy, and will be (I hope) my future crown. Now, in reference to these proud & superci­lious self-stated expressions of this their holy-hearted Master, John Goodwin (who, it seems, hath a monstrous conceit of his own spi­rit, that (living or dead) he would gladly hae it, by a Pythagorean transmigration, to come tumbling into the brests of his beloved (or rather bewitched) Proselytes, M. Quarter­man one of M. Goodwins Dis­ciples, his most blasphemous and atheisticall speeches and opinion touch­ing the sacred Scriptures. I shall, here, therefore, give the Rea­der a remarkable testimony of the fruits and effects of the precious spirit, and deceitful desire of this hereticall Doctor of damnable O­pinions; in one of his tall. grown Disciples, and deare sons of his Coleman-street Conclave, vi [...]: bold and blustering Mr. Quarterman of Southwark lately deceased; who, since the printing and publi­cation of Mr. Goodwins hatefull Hagio-Mastix, had, it seems, sucked no little soul-murthering poyson from it and his other impi­ous [Page 33] printing and preaching on the falsly-pretended asserting (but, indeed assaulting) of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures; In­somuch that this foresaid wretched atheisticall fellow, M. Quarter­man, in the moneth of February last, 1647, being in company with one Mr. Bisco, an Independent Minister, in the Parish or Precinct of Thomas in Southwark, the said Mr. Bisco and he had private con­ference about the Scriptures, wherein, Quarterman took occasion to tell Mr. Bisco, that, indeed, heretofore, still before his reading of the Scriptures he used to put off his hat, but of late he would not, holding it meer Idolatry and Superstition: Why, sayes Mr. Bisco, do you not hold the Scriptures to be holy and worthy to be reverent­ly and religiously used and read, or words to this effect? No, re­plyed Quarterman, I hold and believe, That there is no more holy­nesse in them than is in a Dogs-tayle. Hereupon, Mr. Bisco began to be much grieved and moved, professing that he feared lest the house would presently fall on their heads, and very sharply reproved him for those words, but Quarterman (according to his accustomed bold and insolent manner of carriage) was as angry and testy as Mr. Bisco could be, and gave out among his neighbours and ac­quaintances of his one Schismaticall condition, that Mr. Bisco was a very frowards and passionate man, and had used him thus and thus, upon such an occasion; whereof Mr. Bisco understanding, on the Wednesday following (a day, of their accustomed set-meeting in their Church-way, as they call it) Mr. Bisco took occasion, in the presence and audience of about twenty or thirty of them, then met together, in a sad and patheticall manner, to acquaint his Congre­gation ( Quarterman also himself being then and there present a­mong them) to tell them the cause of his just displeasure at Mr. Quartermans wicked words against the Scriptures; whereupon Quarterman, again, most blasphemously brake out into these, or the like words; That he would maintayne and justifie, there was no more holynesse in the Scriptures than was in 20, in a 100 Dogs-tayls. And within a day or two after, speaking with a neighbour of his about these passages, and his said neighbour reproving him, he replyed a­gain, There was n more holynesse in the Scriptures than was in his Cats tayl. All this (besides the substance of it testified by many o­thers) I received from the mouth of one of Mr. Biscoes Congrega­tion, [Page 34] who was present, on that Wednesday, in the Assembly when Quarterman spake the words, and stood close by his [...]lbow and perfectly heard him, and the same party told me, that on the very same day seven-night following, Quarterman without any the least signe of repentance for what he had said, departed this life. And, another friend of mine speaking with one of Mr. Goodwins Con­gregation about these words on Quarterman, and telling him that that marvelled they did not excommunicate him out of their Church, the said party answered him, that indeed they did intend it, but that he dyed before they could doe it. And thus, good Reader, thou feest what a spirit of bold and blasphemous Atheisme this proud Priest of Coleman-street had most fearfully transmigrated into the brest of this wicked blasphemer, one of his dear Disciples, (accor­ding to that old adagie, Malus Corvus, malum Ovum. Malus Corvus, malum Ovum, an evill Bird, an evill Egg) and what a present joy and future Crown, such desperate Disciples are like to prove to this their hereticall Master, and most poysonfull Pastor. Again, I could not but take special no­tice of one more most notoriously false and fallacious expression of his, in the Epistle to his (more deluded, than) beloved Pro­selytes of Goose-Alley, alias, Swan-Alley, in Coleman- street, wherein, among divers other most fawning and flattering ex­pressions to befool their miserably blind folded eyes, and be­witched souls and understanding into a fools paradise, he hath these words. Epistle to his besotted and poysoned Pro­selytes, p. 3. l. 24 & p. 4. l. 2. You have not suffered your mindes to be corrup­ted from the simplicity of the Gospel, nor your selves to be bapti­zed into any other Spirit than that which speaketh [...], 1. expresly in the Scriptures, &c. Again, You have kept your selves out of the dint of that sore judgement of God, which the Scripture calls; A delivering up unto an unjudicious minde; together with a great deale more of such like notorious lying, and deluding stuffe, in those three or foure pages of that Epistle. Now were it not that this deceitfull man, proudly prizes all his Geese to be Swans, and most besottedly thinks, like the Ape, his own brats fairest, He, most falsly, admiring them, and they most flatteringly adoring him, as not ve­ry long since, divers of his Disciples did (upon occasion of his Hagio-Mastix, being reproved and reprehended by Gods people) setting out a whole Treatise in intolerable commendation [Page 35] of this abominable deceiver, as if he had been the most Scraphicall and superexcellent Saint that ever earth produced, and without any shame or honesty, subscribing their names unto it, Audactèr juran­tes in verba Magistri; he saying, and they swearing to what hee sayes, and thus both of them, interchangeably triumphing, and trumpeting out highest Eucomiums, elegantest Elogies, Sic mulus [...] ­lum scabie. and proud Panegericks of one anothers most ignoble names and shames, whereas, all this while, they and their most audacious Master, like Korab, Dathau, and Abiram, are but notorious obstinate Rebels, and run on in a bold rebellious course of resisting the su­pream authority of the Kingdom, and insolently despise all Dignities and Dominions, which their fanaticall and schismaticall spirits have not set up, and cannot pull down, as they Impiously desire. And, thus, heer's the good Prophets proverb, indeed, most rightly fulfilled, Like people, like Priest. Were it not thus, I say, Hosea, 4.14. how durst this man of impudence, thus boldly and unblestringly boast and brag that his Coleman-street jingling Cockleshels are such precious pearls, such so­lid and dainty Disciples, as will not suffer their mindes to be corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel, and that have kept themselves (ô braveselfe-bottom'd ones) out of the dint of that sore judgement of Gods fearfull delivering up to an un-judicious or unsound minde, or of Gods just sending them strong delusione to believe a lye, yea, a ve­ry many lyes, vented and invented, by their most deceitfull Master, whereas the Lord of heaven knows, and all truly godly over the whole City, yea and Countrey too (whose eyes the Lord hath opened and anoynted with eye-salve of truth and singlenesse of spi­rit) doe, alas, most evidently see the clean contrary, both in him, and his miserably blindfolded foolish Proselites, who are all of them (for the most part) most deeply dyed, even in grain, with all the foule and filthy Spots, (which are not the spots of Gods children, but) of all the dangerous and most damnable, heresies, errours, and most wicked opinions, before recited and demonstrated to be the deeply imprinted and impressed stains of their great High-Priest, their grand Cajaphas, Mr. John Goodwin, after whose pernicious pipe, they dance most delightfully? yea, and I say again how dares this even Whetssone Lyer, so audaciously lye, even in the face of God and men, in saying that his Proselytes of Coleman-street, suffer not [Page 36] themselves to be corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel, nor to be baptized into any other spirit than that which speaks, [...] , expresly the Scripture language; Whereas this grand Metrapolitan of Cole­man-street, under a false colour of gifted men, M.I. Goodwins the great Me­trapolitan of Coleman-street Conclave. forsooth, suffers di­vers of his Disciples, and especially, one of his prime Proselytes, one Mr. Tayler, a Mercer in Paternoster-row, and other such like Me­chanicall daubers with untempered morter (whom hee their great Master of misrule hath some other serious avocations, some jeering and quibling paultrie pamphlet to publish, and thereby ( sede vacan­te) in a ministeriall manner, to officiate and preach to his people; And this foresaid most tender-hearted Hen, must cluck his pretty chickens under his wings, must gather together his hee-Saints, and shee-Saints of Coleman-street, and all, this above and besides, yea, and most contrary to that Spirit which speaks, Rom. 10.15. [...], expresse Scripture Language, which sayes most directly, and clean against their practice; How shall they preach except they be sent? And again, No man taketh this honour to himselfe, Heb. 5.4. but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. Jerem. 14.14. And therefore ô how neer doe they come to that condemnation or accusation of the Lord God himselfe by the holy Prophet Jeremie. The Prophets prophesie lyes in my name; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake I to them; they prophesie to you a false vision, (false new lights) and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their own hearts. See here, good Reader, Mr. Goodwin, and his deceiving and deceived Dis­ciples condition, Jerem. 23.21. most exactly, and, even, ad amuss [...], deciphred to us. And again, The same Prophet sayes most appositely to our pre­sent purpose, I have not sent these Prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. Thus, I say, how neer they come to this most just and severe accusation of the Lord himselfe to be called and counted pseudo-Apostles, and false Prophets; and how far both Mr. Goodwin himselfe, their great Master, and his scandalous Schollars of Coleman-street, are from that false and flattering Enco­mium which he most daringly and deceitfully attributes to them, of Not suffering themselves to be corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel, not to be baptized into any other spirit than that which speaks, [...], 1. c. expresly the Scripture language. And so, consequently, what a most notorious lyer and cheater of his soul-murthered poor [Page 37] proselytes, Mr. John Goodwin is, All that have impartiall and un­prejudiced eyes of understanding, and which look not with Master Goodwins false and fallacious spectacles, may, by Gods mercie, most easily see and discover. But, whereas, there is no doubt, An Objection, in justification of the preach­ing of gifted men. they will here object for themselves, that they conceive & believe gifts & able parts in men, of what rank or condition soever they be, are (together with their great Master and Metrapolitan Mr. Goodwins, and his holy Conclaves chamber-call, or authority) to be a very sufficient call for them to preach and exercise their parts and gifts, even in a Ministeriall way, and that they have the bush of Scripture-authority at their backs (to use Mr. Goodwins own fine phrase) to uphold and maintain them therein: Answer. I shall give no other answer to this most false and frivolous Objection, than to desire any impartiall and judicious Christian, to read that excellent Treatise, now lately come forth, entituled Church-Members set in joynt, by one Filodexter Transilvanus, and he shall therein, by Gods grace, receive abun­dance of most solid satisfaction and confutation of Mr. Goodwins, and his couzened, and couzening companions irreligious sawcinesse with Holy-Things in this way. And I shall here only give the Reader (as a small sip and taste of what he may more fully drinke with a full draught, out of the work it selfe, not as any digression, but, as a most pertinent addition to the truth of what I said before) one excellent passage; Church Mem­bers set in joynt. p. 13. which I have purposely extracted out of that foresaid Treatise, for the Readers better present satisfaction which is this. One Chillenden, the Authors Antagonist, a notable Schisma­tick, makes this objection in that foresaid place. ‘ Talents must not be hid in a napkin, What then? (answers the Author) There­fore you would have every man improve his Talent in a disorderly way. This is fine reasoning. Peradventure a Subject in some Kingdom may be everyway better qualified for the well manage­ing of the Scepter than the King himselfe, may that gifted man, therefore take upon him to dethrone his lawfull King, or, to rule in equall power and authority with him in his Kingdom? A woman also may possibly have more wisdome and fluencie of tongue and parts, than her husband in the family, or more knowledge and grace than a Minister in the Church: may she therefore usurp [Page 38] authority over her husband in the family, or over the Pastor in the Church? The truth is, this excellent Sciptore-principle (miserably perverted by self-will'd Schismaticks) hath been the dark collar wherein that powder hath been hid, which hath almost blown up all Government, both in the Church, State, and Army, and hurld all things into a black, and undigested chaos of confusion, all over the Kingdom, both in City and Countrey. And it is a most de­plorable and sad sight to see that such as pretend to Religion and the fear of God, should border so neer upon the Spirit of Korah, Dathan and Abiram, as to be of the same minde, and to speak the very same language with them; Thus this excellent Author.’ Of which said most pertinent allusion to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, I have, I hope, in the beginning of this my present Treatise, as a Preface unto it, made a pertinent parallel, fit, I thinke, to be seri­ously noted and observed.

Thus, good Reader, thou hast seen a small parcell of the most unparalell'd and unpattern'd unblushing impudency, and deceiveable impiety of this most hatefull Grand Impostor, and Schismaticks Cheater in Chief, the mischievous immoderate Moderator of the accursed Conclave of Coleman- street, Master John Goodwin, and the most of all these forementioned dreadfull discoveries undeny­able, under his own hand-writing, against him; To whom, now, I beseech thee, say (Good Reader) may not the Lord, the great and terrible God, the only dreadfull Searcher of the hearts and veins of all men, say and speake in his just displeasure, even as hee did to the wicked and deceitfull Trayn, by holy David. These things hast thou done, Psal. 50.21. and I kept silence, and therefore thou thoughtest I was altoge­ther such an one as thy self: But, I will reprove thee, and (in my due time) set them in order, before thine eyes. O, Mr. Goodwin, you that, thus, forget what a wise, all seeing and dreadfull God you have to deal with, in whose presence you have done all these things, like Nim­rod that mighty Hunter before the Lord, Gen. 10.9. to Gods great dishonour and the intolerable abuse of your Brethren; O consider these things, I beseech you (and the Lord give you grace and space so to do) lest he teare you in peeces, Gal. 6.7. when there is no hope of help, or deliverance, for you. Sir, be not deceived, God is not, cannot be mocked; whatso­ever [Page 39] you sowe, that you shall reap; for, unquestionably, Good counsell to M. I. Good­win, if he be not, by hard­ness of heart and pride of spirit, uncapa­ble of it. all things are naked and lye wide open unto the eyes of him with whom you have to do; And the subtilest Politician that ever was in the World hath ever had, to Gods all-seeing eyes, Corpus fenestratum, a heart and breast full of windows to discover most easily the Abditissima & penetralia Pectoris, the most intimate and deepest designes, even of Machiavils heart himself. Think not then (I pray Sir) in the pride of your heart and accustomed stubbornesse of your perverse spirit, That you can dance naked in a Net, and no man discover your nakednesse? and that, because you will not, therefore we cannot see your jugling and double-dealing with God and men: And be not herein, like a little foolish childe (as in truth, you hitherto have been all along) who because he blindes his own eyes, thinks no body else sees him. But, believe it, Sir, if you will, still, harden your heart, and pride your self in these your pestilent and pernicious deceiveable dealings, by your adulterate errours and spurious opinions, to infa­tuate, yea, fascinate and bewitch others and your self, and will not see these your most scelerous and sacrilegious sins, and foul enormi­ties, by the light of Gods Word and Christian counsell, you will, one day, (if not timely and truly repented and prevented) see them, and smart for them, and be made everlastingly miserable by them, by the flaming light of hel-fire.

And, now, to conclude, with a word to my moderate Presbyte­rian Brethren; If any Eliab, or Christian Elder Brother, whoso­ever, shall (as He did unjustly and unkindly blame his blessed youn­ger brother David) check this my cordiall zeal and unfeigned fer­vour (the Lord knows) for God, & his most pure & precious Truth, 1 Sam. 17.28. because I saw my most dearly beloved Presbyterian Brethren, both of the Ministry and others, most basely abused and scandalized and scorned by this ungodly great Goliah, for his big blustring pre­tended parts and gifts (mainly, if not meerly) of subtile sophistry and intolerable impudency, I mean, Master John Goodwin, who, thus, continues still, most boldly to out-brave and proudly to op­pose and defie or defile those Scripture Truths, and all Truths faith­full Champions, who, necessitously, and as they are justly bound, do oppugne him therein; And if they shall (which, God forbid) un­justly [Page 40] and unkindly count it pride or arrogancy, or any other naugh­tinesse of heart in mee, that I, a poore, mean, and despicable younger brother, in parts and gifts, in comparison of him, and thousands o­thers of my Presbyterian Brethren, have thus taken upon me to en­counter this great Goliah, this huge Garagantua, in meerly pre­tended piety, and this hungry Helluo Errorum, this greedy Helio­gabolus, and desperate devourer, and smooth digester of all kinde (almost) of horrid heresies, who hath so scornfully and contumeli­ously, all along defied the Presbyterian Army-royall of the living God? to any such I will only answer for my selfe (now at the last, as I briefly did at the first, in my Title-page) in holy Davids fervency, honesty, humility and brevity; What have I, now, done? Is there not a cause? Should I suffer such a wretched proud man to deal with my reverend, religious, grave and godly Presbyterian Brethren, as with Varlets or vile men? to ravish them of their reputation, their precious good name, for piety, probity, and sound learning? No, truly, my deare Brethren, For Syons sake, the Lord knows, I could not hold my peace, nor with-hold my pen; for precious Truths sake, and her faithfull servants sakes (whom I saw and observed to be conti­nually so baffled with, and so grosly abused by this bold and unblushing Mountebanke) I could not let him alone. And, because I have very good reason confidently to believe that hereby I have mightily mo­lested a humming Hornets-nest, I, therfore, undauntedly resolved, by the grace of my God, to prepare my back for the smiters, & my cheeks for them, Isa. 50.6, 7. that, I doubted not, would endevour to pluck off the haire (of my honest actions and intentions, if they could) and not to hide my face from their shamelesse spitting of calumny and slander upon it. For, I know the Lord my God will help mee, therefore shall I not be confounded; and therefore have I set my face like a flint, and know that I need not be ashamed of what I have, herein, done. All, therefore, good Christian Reader, which I desire of thee is that thou wilt, with Christian candor and ingenuity, accept my plain dealing labours herein, and courteously over-look and passe-by my humane infirmi­ties, and pray for the weak and unworthy Author, who in the Lord desires to love and serve thee. J.V.

Trin-Uni Deo sit omnis Honor & Gloria.