CHristian Reader, my thoughts are not (God knows) against the Authour of these Sermons, in the least measure, but against his dangerous Doctrine, though intermingled with truths. To be silent in this businesse, I dare not, my Consci­ence forbidding me. To say all that might be said, I cannot, my imployments hindering me. There­fore I have thought good to offer thee, these few Animadversions, to make thee to be the more a­wake, and cautious. Beleeve not every Spirit, but try the Spirits, whether they be of God or not.

FIrst of all it is to be observed, he buildeth upon a rotten and unsound foundation, pag. 10. af­firming, that we may build upon what Gama­liel spake in the Counsel, as good, and from God. The [Page 4] principall end and scope of what he spake, being the rescuing of the Apostles, &c. And there being no­thing in all this speech (excepting onely the histori­call instances of Theudas and Judas) but what is ful­ly consonant with the Word of God, (unquestionably so acknowledged) elsewhere, the credit and authority of it, for matter of truth, is one and the same with those other Scriptures corresponding with it.

Ans. 1. I never heard so much good of Gamaliel, except from Popish Interpreters, who tell us out of the Traditions of Clemens, and out of the Ro­man Martyrologies, that Gamaliel was a godly man, and a Disciple of the Apostles. Sure I am, our best Interpreters judge of him, as an irreligious Polititi­an, adieophorit, neutralist, Nullifidian.

2. His principall end and scope was not the re­scuing of the Apostles, but the preservation of him­self Act. 5. 26. and the Councell from the wrath of the people of the Jewes, whom he feared, because they favour­ed and magnified the Apostles and from the wrath of the Romanes, which he well knew would fall upon Joh. 18 34. the Counsell, if they should presume to put any man to death, the liberty of capitall punishment, not be­ing permitted to them. And this was his meaning, when hee said, vers. 35. Yee men of Israel, take heed to your selves, what yee intend to doe. Beware of provoking the people. Beware of provo­king the Romancs. 3. Though there be some truths▪ in that which he spake in the Councell, yet there are there three exceeding great errours in it. One is, that he makes it an uncertaine and dubious thing, whe­ther the Gospel preached by the Apostles, and Mi­racles wrought by them, were from God, or from [Page 5] men: he puts an If, where he should have put a Sure­ly. Another is, that he judgeth himself, and would have others to judge what is of God, and what not, by the event, according as the thing prospers, or not, whereas he should have judged according to the truth, and the rule of the Word, let the event be what it may be. A third is, that whatsoever dam­nable and pernitious Heresies doe infest a Church, all men, even Magistrates, must refraine from the Authors and spreaders thereof, and let them alone, in confidence, that such wayes, if not of God, will come to nought of themselves.

Pag. 21. He maketh a most odious comparrison betwixt those Ministers who appeare for the Con­gregationall way (as he calleth it) and the Ministers who appeare for the Presbyteryall way, describing the Ministers of the former way thus, some Ambassa­dours and Messengers of his (Gods) of a very choice anointing, and indued with strength from on high. The Ministers that stand for the Presbytery, thus, some that would be thought Pillars, and prime men in the House and Temple of God. Surely they that would be thought so, are not worthy to have the smallest place in the Temple of God. Againe, he describ­eth the people, who adhere to the former sort of Mi­nisters, thus, many thousands more, and those (for the most part) of the best and choicest servants of God a­mongst us. The people who adhere to the Presby­terian Ministers, thus, the generality of people, who know little of God, or of his wayes. If this be suitable to a Spirit of Christian moderation, and humility, that men shall thus commend and magnifie them­selves, as having greater gifts and graces then others, [Page 6] and judge the Ministers to be presumptuous, and the people ignorant, who are of another opinion; let e­very one judge, whose understanding is not very much biassed with partiality. Nay, let us but judge him out of his own words. I would gladly know how he can reconcile these things with what himself saith, pag. 27. where he tells us what opinion the Gongregationall way holdeth of such as are contra­ry minded to it. It thinketh no evill (saith he) it spea­keth no evill of such: if it conceives them upright and faithfull, with God, and with Jesus Christ, it imbraceth them with all love, tendernesse and honour, as pertakers of the precious Faith with it self, and nothing doubts but that they serve and worship God with as much sin­cerity and singlenesse, of heart, and are accordingly ac­cepted by him in their way, as it self. In the tran­scribing of this Passage, I have some light, to recon­cile him with himself. There is a great If here, If Presbyterians be faithfull and upright with God, and not onely so, but If Independents conceive them to be such. He had said positively of the other way, many thousands are for it, of the best and choicest Servants of God. But of this way, hee greatly doubts whether he can say neere half so much, as if Godly Presbyterians were hardly to be found, and

Pag. 23. He would make us beleeve, that the Presbyterian Reformation, needs suffer nothing, nor lose an houres time, by the Congregationall way. For, saith he, What doth the poore flie, sitting on [Page 7] the top of the wheele to hinder the Waggoner from dri­ving on his way, &c. The irregularity of the Moun­taines and valleys in the surface of the earth troubles no mans opinion concerning the perfect roundnesse of it, be­cause it is swallowed up into Victory by the roundnesse of the Globe, &c. The gleanings of Independency (so cal­led, will not hinder the Vintage of the Presbytery. Would God hee could make these things good. Would God it were not as the Remora to the Ship. If it be as the flie on the top of the wheele, why hath it hindred us from driving on our way, not for an houres time, but for a yeeres time, and much more. If Independency be the irregularity of mountaines and valleys, it will at least trouble the opinion of many thousands who are not good Cosmographers concerning the roundnesse of the Globe. And what should hinder a full and perfect roundnesse, since every valley shall be filled, and every Luke 3. 5. mountaine and hill shall be brought low. And if Inde­pendency doth but gleane, why doth it glean before the Vintage. And when after, Is not the gleaning of Judg. 8. 2. the grapes of Ephraim, better then the vintage of Abi­ezer.

Pag. 23, 24, 25. J would gladly know, saith he, what or what manner of Reformation can reasonably be expe­cted, or hoped for without her, (the Congregationall way.) And here he enlargeth himself to shew, that without this their way, our Reformation is but a re­forming of Satan, a reforming of open loosenes and profanenesse into Pharysaicall hypocrysie; a taking of the members of an harlot, to make them the mem­bers of Christ, a quashing and crushing and break­ing of the hearts and bones of the one halfe of the [Page 8] most Religiously-affected, for trading in Apes and Peacocks (I wish he had told us where their Tarshish lies) for holding some erroneous opinions, perhaps erro­neously so called. That the Presbvterian Reformation is directly destructive to the edification of the Saints, and doth impede their growth in grace. More of this stuffe you have, pag. 29, 30. If matters, faith he, were duly and fairly examined between the two combitants in this case, the way we plead for, would be found via lactea, the candid, harmlesse and peaceable way: and her corrivall or competitresse, via sanguinea, the trouble and strife making way, &c. See also p. 33. 34 37. What no Reformation without the Independent way ex­cept a Satanicall Reformation, a Pharasaicall Re­formation, a Meritricious Reformation, a Persecu­ting Reformation, a bloody Reformation, a Grace-destroying-Reformation▪ Is this his so much plea­ded for Toleration of that way, that there can be no Reformation without it? Is this his so much boasted of Charity of that way, that it thinks so much evill, and speakes so much evill of any other Reforma­tion? Where is that Presbytery that doth imbrace the ungodly, or persecute the religiously affected, or hinder their edification? For my part I shall cast the first stone at it. The Lord rebuke this Spirit of belying and calumniating the way of Christ, by which God hath beene so much honoured, Satan so much foyled, true grace and knowledge so much propagated and advanced. And what is this but a Fighting against God, even that sinne which he him­selfe holds out as the Achan, the troubler of our Israel, and that which makes the Sunne of our Peace to goe so often backwards in the Heavens.

[Page 9] Page 34. 35. he speaketh thus: We suppose that the Lord Christ, so far tendred the spirituall felicity and peace of his Chur­ches, as to leave them sufficiently furnished, and every wayes ap­pointed with internall provisions for the effectuall procurement and preservation of them, without any concurrence of any heterogeneall or externall power, especially considering that he foresaw that these Churches of his for the space of 300 years together, & somwhat more, were not like to have any accommodation at all in this kinde, from any secular or civill power. Now let it be remembred that this doth quite overthrow one of the grounds, whereupon those that are for the Independent way, do usually justifie it. When it is objected, that, that way provideth no sufficient nor effectu­all remedy for reducing an Offending or Apostatizing Con­gregation: the answer we receive is this; Other Churches may admonish, rebuke, and (if that do it not) non-communi­cate such a Congregation. It is replyed, What if that Con­gregation slight all this, both reproof and non-communion. What say they for that cause?

The Apologeticall Narration, pag. 19. Tells us, If the Magi­strates power do but assist and back the sentence of non-communion, then it will be as effectuall, as the Pres­byterian way is supposed to be. To this I say no other thing but what John Goodwin saith, The Lord Christ hath provided for his Churches sufficient intrinsecall remedies, without the concurrence of any externall power. And so I leave it betwixt them to unty the knot.

Pag. 43. 44. Whereas the Vote and suffrage of a Re­verend, Learned, and Pious Assembly, might be obje­cted against the Independency. He tells us for Answer the observation of Gregory Nazianzen, That he never saw good end, or desireable successe of any Councell, or that they procured any decrease, but rather increase of evills.

[Page 10] He farther lookes upon Synods as the Eclipsings of the glory of God, That there are too many learned and wise men in a great Councell, for God to reveale Truth, or to give truth Victory against errour by, Pag. 45. As exer­cising Dominion over our faith, Pag. 46. As swayed by one or few of predominant parts or authority, as you may read, Pag. 47.

Let him who pleaseth compare these Passages with the Arminians, their declamations against Synods, Exam. Cens. pag. 288. 289. and elsewhere in their writings: com­paring also what is written by Zepperius, Pareus, Whittaker, and divers other Protestant Divines of the most profita­ble, excellent, and (in some respects) necessary use of Councells or Synods, and then observe how neer Master Goodwin commeth to the former, and how far he rece­deth from the latter. Neither need we to stumble at that passage of Nazianzen to Procopius.

He had reason to say so, having seen so many Coun­cells of those Bishops who did so much favour the Ar­rians, that he was out of all hopes, ever in his days, to see a free and rightly-constituted Councell. Never­thelesse Nazianzen himself afterwards was present in the Generall Councell of Constantinople, and did subscribe the Decrees thereof, as is manifest by the Subscriptions. Therefore distingue tempora. If things had continued in this Kingdom as they were in the Prelates time, we had said of Councells even as Nazianzen did: But, Tempora mutantur, & nos mutamur in illis.

Pag. 50. He giveth a sore Blowe to the Parliaments Power. To hold, saith he, that the persons so elected (unto Parliamenta­ry Trust and Power) have a power, by vertue of such Nomination or Election, to enact Laws and Statutes in matters of Religion, and [Page 11] to order, under Mulcts or Penalties, how men shall worship and serve God; as it is a means to awaken the eye of Jealousie upon them and so is seven times more destructive, &c. Surely this is a means to [...] ­waken the Parliaments eye of Jealousie upon himself. Shall every one in Israel do in Religion what seemeth good in his own eyes? Shall the Covenant, how necessary soever for the good of the Kingdom, be left free, that every man may take it or refuse it, as he listeth? May the Civil Power inflict no punishment on those that do evil? and who do more evil then soul-destroying, and Church-disturbing Hereticks? Hath the Magistrate no coercive power in matters of Reli­gion? Let the five Apologists animadvert to this, and look how sweetly it agreeth with their solemn professing, that Apol▪Nar. p. 19. they give more to the Magistrate, then the Principles of Presbyteriall Government will yeeld.

Pag. 52, and pag. 18, he wisheth it may be the first-born of religious Advertisements and Cautions to us, That no man, or rank of men whatsoever, do appear, especially in any high handed Opposition or Contestation, nor so much as lift up an hard thought a­gainst Doctrine or Way, claiming Origination and Descent from God, till we have Security upon Security, Proof upon Proof, Demon­stration upon Demonstration, Evidence upon Evidence, that such Ways or Doctrines onely pretend unto God, as the Authors of them; and that in truth they are not at all from him. This is the sub­stance of those two Passages put together. Now I assume, The Presbyterian way claimeth Origination and Descent from God; yet Master Goodwin doth not onely lift up an hard thought against it, but in these Sermons extremely op­pose it, and contest against it, without Security upon Securi­ty, Proof upon Proof, Demonstration upon Demonstration, Evidence upon Evidence, that it onely pretends unto God as the author of it, and that in truth it is not at all from him: [Page 12] Therefore now let him give this his first-born for his transgres­sion, What if I have but one good Proof, Demonstration, Evidence, or Security, that this or that Doctrine is Heresie, which yet claims Origination from God and his Word, may I not appear in contestation against it, nor so much as lift up an hard thought against it, till I have multiplied Proofs, Demonstrations and Evidences, and all those as clear as the noon-day, as he preacheth? I fear, if the Genealogie of this same Doctrine of his were searched for, it should be found to have an Origination and Descent from Socinians and Ar­minians, which (I conceive) I could demonstraté, if I had leasure to turn over my Books. However, let him consider whether this Doctrine doth no ways fall upon the Excom­munication of Hereticks in the Congregationall Way: of which he himself speaketh thus, Pag. 34. If the errour be dangerous, amounting to, or neer an Heresie, after two or three admonitions (that is, according to her Warrant from heaven) she casts it out of the line of her Communication, to him who cast it in, I mean Satan.