the Name of Christ to censure the proceedings of Princes and reprove or smite the Potentates Rulers great men of the Earth they being in their Actions subject to his Judgement and Correction he being the man out of all the Tribes and Kindreds of the People separated and set apart in his own conceit for the exercise of this Pontifical Authority over his Highness as if he meant to usurp the Papal Chair and turn out Pope Alexander the seventh And yet this is not all for as if he meant also to be no less than Alexander the great it was well observed lately by a Gentleman in my hearing that as King Alexander having conquer'd the world is said to have sighed because there were no more worlds to conquer so he having in his own Opinion triumphed over a world of Penmen and Powers wanting work elsewhere hath now turned his Arms against a greater in his own eyes than all these put together even against his sacred self most shamefully contradicting himself in many places and thereby hath given the world to understand what a Shuttle-cock this Mr Goodwin is who hath so set out himself with his own Pen and in Print too that the Nation may know he careth not to have his wit and reason and honesty and all obscured together rather then his sparkling Phantsie should not shine in its brightness And these things he hath done not in Anonymous small Kites and Pamphlets but in grave and as he thinks goodly Treatises which he hath set his name to in Capital Letters and out of which I shall give you three or four Instances of the Combats he hath had with himself upon the open Stage One while you have him for the King as in that Book of his called Anticavalierism page 10 11. where you may read this following Passage As for offering violence to the person of a King or attempting to take away his life we leave the proof of the lawfulness of this to those profound disputers the Jesuites who stand engaged by the tenure of their professed Doctrine and Practice either to make good the lawfulnes thereof or else to leave themselves and their Religion and abhorring and hissing to the world As for us who never travelled with desires or thoughts that way but abhor both Mother and Daughter Doctrine and Practice together we conceive it to be the just Prerogative of the persons of Kings in what case soever to be secure from the violence of men and their lives to be as consecrated Corn meet to be reaped and gathered onely by the hand of God himself David's Conscience smote him when he came but so neer the life of a King as the cutting off of the lap of his Garment Not long after contrary to all this he wrote that Book entituled A Defence of the Honourable Sentence passed upon the late King by the High Court of Justice In the 73 Page whereof writing against such as would not have had the King put to death he adviseth them to retract that Inhumane Tenet of exempting Kings from Punishment whereby they encourage Kings to turn Tyrants commit murthers and all abominations that Tenet of theirs saith he I mean wherein they deny unto Kings the help of that Bridle for the ruling of their lusts more needfull for them than for any other sort of men the fear of death by the Sword of Civil Justice upon any occasion whatsoever At the latter end of the same Book he concludes thus The late wars wherein the King by the sword of those men of blood who cast in their lot with him shed so much innocent blood in the land being causelesly and contrary to the frequent obtestations earnest sollicitations grave advisements of his Great Council the Parliament commenced by himself are so far from mediating on his behalf for the bloodshed that they open the mouth of it the wider and cause it to cry so much the louder for vengeance upon Him and His both unto God and men Sic idem jungat vulpes mulgeat hircos A second Instance may be taken out of a certain Letter of his written to T. G. against Independencie which was printed Anno 1643. condemning Separate Congregations so he terms them in his Preface I am saith he as confident as Confidence it self can make me that their way of a Covenant is a mere humane Invention and a strain of that wisdom that desires to exalt it self not only against men but against God himself p. 1. And p. 10. saith he If you have the Truth with you woe to my Wits Reason and Vnderstanding never poor man so strangely misused by such Friends in this world Again p. 13. he hath these words I do profess in the sight of God and in as great singleness and simplicity of heart as ever man in this world spake word unto you that I do as clearly apprehend Error and Mistake throughout the greatest part of your way that is Independencie as I do truth in this Conclusion That twice Two makes Four A lusty Confidence indeed Yet notwithstanding now his twice Two doth not make Four For within a few moneths after he changed his Judgment from the Presbyterian way wherein he then stood and professed himself for this way which he had so confidently decried and took up the practice of it gathered a Separate Church in Coleman street and wrote divers Books in defence of this way and with as much confidence as before as may be seen in his Books against A. Steward Mr. Edwards and other Presbyterians A Third Instance and which is most pertinent to our purpose is in reference to these two Commissions which he flies out against with so much fury the one for Approving and the other for Ejecting and which he in this Pamphlet of his makes the abhorring of his soul and is angry with his Governers about them and tells us he ought to be angry and to smite them with as much shame and reproach before the World as his Pen is able to load upon them Nevertheless both these Commissions are no other not only for substance but also in each material circumstance then what was laid down in certain Proposals for propagation of the Gospel and there distinctly commended one after the other to a Committee of Parliament appointed to receive such Proposals Febr. 8. 1651. as may be seen in Mr Scobels Office in these Words We whose Names are subscribed do with others humbly desire that these Proposals be presented to the Honourable Parliament c. To all which Mr. John Goodwins own self and Mr John Price one of the Elders of his Church together with divers others then subscribed And yet the Tenor of his present Book is against the Magistrate for granting such Commissions as having in his opinion nothing to do with propagating the Gospel and extream severe he is in his language against the Commissioners though the purport of their Commissions to be act according to such Instructions as Mr G.
wherein Old men are twice Boys because he trifleth like any young Lad priding himself all along from page to page Ludere par impar equitare in arundine longa his whole Work being but a kind of Boys-play Insomuch as I must profess in dealing with his Arguments I was possessed with an equal Temperature of Indignation and Pity Pity to see him an antient Minister of the Gospel and one who a good while ago had a reputation of being Consciencious so plainly to prevaricate in point of Conscience to the reviling of Authority and abuse of his Brethren even while he is as it were sounding the trumpet to his own final dissolution or the great day of Account how little these things were in his thoughts when he penn'd his Book you are left to judge by his carriage and this my Answer On the other side my Indignation arose to observe that a man whose Writings shew him to be a Scholar should yet write so unlike a Scholar as he hath done observing neither Rule nor Mood in matter of Argument but rambling through a wilderness of Talsities Tautologies Slanders Self-contradictions and malicious Declamations instead of Reasons or Instances to make proof of what he pretends to he loseth himself and leads the unwary Reader quite out of the Road of Commons Sense and Honesty I would not willingly be tedious but I must needs have you a little more intimately acquainted with the Man and his Character He is worse than a Common Nusance for he doth not only stink and annoy savoury Christians by his rotten Opinions but by plain Lyes pardon the expression and Slanders endeavoureth to make others of all sorts as unsavoury as himself His Scribling Faculty is his disease which he labors under continually and happy it were for him if it would turn to the Hand-gout His Reason usually rides post with pride or passion and so is the more easily over-ridden by a vaporing Phant'sie this is it which gives Law to his Understanding cuts out work for all the other Faculties makes his Pen a ready writer and the Windmill in the Brain keeps the Press always going as if it were his Handmill for rather than it shall stand still he travels through all Shops like a Knight-errant to find out the Gyants in Print making Adversaries rather than want them that he may grinde them to powder Of a very Paper-worm there never was a verier Tyrant in the world He hath a Tool betwixt the Fore-finger and Thumb with which he scrues all things to his purpose he hath made crooked things strait and strait things crooked at pleasure killed all men of same with as little remorse as Domitian didFlies and Nebuchadnezzar like those whom he would he slew and whom he would he kept alive and whom he would he set up and whom he would he put down It hath been the wretched imployment of these his latter days and is still to go forth in the glory of this his strength and either to take or make an occasion to conflict with whatsoever persons or things he lights upon especially if the men be in any repute or acceptation above himself Then it is he bends his Bow makes ready bitter Arrows and feathers them at the Press that he may take them down a pin lower There is not an Instance to be found in this Age of such another Hector a man so full of Quarrels and Contests with men of Conscience and worth as this Mr. G. not sparing even such as he himself owneth for such I mean the Commissioners for Approbation as you may see in his Epistle and tells the world before hand he esteems them such yet as if it were because they are such or at least because they are esteemed by others as such he lifts up his Pen with all his might against them 'T were pitty such a Champion should lose the glory of his Atchievements and therefore to do him right I shall give you a short Story of his Duels and his other publick Engagements wherein I am to inlarge a little and yet no more than needs must The single persons he hath been in the Field with i. e in Print as his Adversaries and whom he used accordingly when he got them under the Presse are these Viz. Mr Gataker Mr Walker Mr Roborough Dr Williams Bishop of Ossory Mr Pryn Sir Francis Nethersole Mr John Geree Mr Herbert Palmer Dr Thomas Goodwin Mr Resbury Dr Hammond Dr Burgess Dr Hill Mr Jenkins Mr Edwards Mr Barlow Mr A. Steward in particular Books printed besides several Members of his own Church that he hath written against and divers others Thus you see what a notable Duellist he hath been But this is not all for this Tenth Worthy hath been so adventurous as to engage also with whole Troops and Regiments in the confidence of his own personal and single valour viz. The Parliament the Assembly of Divines the Ministers of the Province of London the Ministers of Sion-Colledge those Ministers that subscribed a Petition to the Lord Fairfax part of the Company of Stationers the Assembly of Dort and in this Treatise he challengeth forth the Commissioners for Approving and those for Ejecting of Ministers men of the greatest Eminency and worth His Highness with the Advice of his Council could pitch upon in and about the City and in every Shire throughout the Nation Nay he goes further yet and ventureth hereupon to provoke his Highness and Council in a most uncivil and unchristian manner causing them to undergo the Ordeal of his fiery flying Pamphlet turning the edge of his Pen against them and shamefully reproaching them in the eyes of the People as he himself in his Postscript to the Reader acknowledgeth his words may bear such a Construction viz. as savouring of an undue liberty and want of reverence to those that are in Authority yet instead of excusing the matter he goeth on in the same Postscript to justifie and exalt himself above all Authority and undertakes to give several Reasons for it As 1. Because the great men of the Earth might he in danger if he should not give them seasonable smitings 2. That these smitings are more the Reproofs of Jesus Christ than of man by which you see how he spares not even Christ himself but endeavours to entitle him as Patron of his lewd extravagancies against our Rulers 3. Because Kings Princes and Rulers are liable to these Reproofs or smitings as well as meaner men 4. Because Reprovers or Smiters in the Name of Christ are not in this to respect persons 5. Lastly Because the Author viz. himself stands particularly and publickly engaged to this for he boasts he hath formerly defended their Authority and therefore ought now to have a License to smite them Excellent good He in the pride of his heart looks upon himself as the man that is and ought to be exalted above all that is called God on earth being no less than the Pope or Christ's Vicar in
then approved under his hand To these give me leave to add a fourth Instance and I have done it being such a one as hath many Instances in the belly of it First in his Epistle you have him giving the Commissioners what indeed is their due declaring himself concerning them in these Words I beleeve them to be men of Conscience and worth fearing God and lovers of Truth Now let us take these Particulars in pieces and see how he agreeth with himself in his Book 1. Lovers of Truth And yet p. 9. he intimates a bloody dominion exercised by them over men for holding the Truth and saith a little after That they make the simple owning and professing of the great and important Truths of God a Bar against Preferment p 12. He calls them Heterodox insinuating as if they held Errors against their inward conviction of the contrary p 17. he makes them Counter-workers against God in the work of sending out Labourers to preach the Truth p 20. he saith That what the Names of some of the Commission of Triers presaged they have effected reducing the said Commission in the execution of it to a neer affinity with the Spanish Inquisition which accuseth the Romish Religion of cruelty and blood and so of a pregnant fiery Antipathy to the Genius and Spirit of the Gospel p 21. That they are such as grind the faces and break the bones of men of signal peity and worth who know more of God and his Gospel than themselves whom he calls a little after men of an erroneous and mis grounded Faith that use men so because they will not comply with them in Error p 15. That their judgements are erroneous and destructive to the precious souls of men yet these are the men whom ere now he stiled lovers of truth 2. Men of Conscience Neverthelesse p 3. he tells them of famishing men with their wives and children onely because they will not professe a beleif contrary to their Consciences p 6. he saith They intrench upon the Spiritual Rights and Priviledges of the people of God keep asunder those whom God would have joyned together and reject men that are worthy p. 7. That they quarrel men presented and are not over-tender of the practice whether there be any Christian or reasonable cause for their acting so or no. Such as by their power and subtilty bring about their own ends and receive the tribute of thanks if not baser Metal from those who are preferred p 8. That they are worse in their power and proceedings than the Bishops Never such a rule-lesse law-less controul-lesse generation of men in this Nation p 9. Such as spread Snares and Temptations in the way of mens Consciences Page 10. A generation of men that spread snares of death and lay stumbling blocks in their Brethrens way And Page 16. That use their power to the wringing and straining of mens Consciences Yet these are the men whom he before owned as men of Conscience 3. Men of worth For all this page 5. he calls them an inconsiderable number of men Page 6. Such as disgracefully reject men though never so worthy Page 7. Such as use indirect practises for ends and self-advantage That Thieves and Murtherers may as soon or sooner purchase the Seal of their Approbation to any Benefice as some others though never so signally qualified for the Ministry P. 15. That they use their power to revenge themselves upon their enemies P. 16. That the day would fail him to insist upon all their erroneous and irregular deportments P. 22. That they were not conscious of any usefulness in themselves for the service either of God or man That they are but like the Bramble in Jotham 's Parable meer Brambles in power Insinuating also that they are men of unchristian principles of immodest and dis-ingenuous Spirits Page 23. Men of unhandsome and unhallowed doings in their way such as grant Pass-ports to the first-born of undeserving men but deny them to the deserving Page 28. English Inquisitors sirnamed Tryers Page 25. Who respect the vile many times more than the precious Yet these are the men whom professingly he said he beleeved to be men of Worth 4. Men fearing God Yet Page 2 and 3. Men who are Lords and Masters over other mens Faith and Consciences Page 9. Men that exercise a bloody dominion over them because of their consciences Men that frequently practise an unchristian demeanour Page 11. Men who reject such as God and Christ do recommend unto them Page 15. Such as are Papal in their power principles usurpations practises and spirits Treacherous and disloyal Makers and Maintainers of Parties and Factions to multiply disciples to themselves and revenge themselves upon their Enemies Page 17. Such who thrust forth Loiterers into the Lords Vineyard Pa. 22. Men who have consumed and undone persons of eminent growth in all Christian worth and excellency and are like to devour more And that they sell their brethren to poverty and misery Page 23. Premoters of a Faction and that it was none otherwise from the very beginning but that they would steer that crooked Course which they have steered Page 27. Men of politick reaches and subtil contrivances for the bringing about secular Projects or by ends Page 29. Such as can persecute the innocent and harmless with a good conscience Page 20 and 21. Brethren in Iniquity Grinders of men men of ignorance and ambition imbasing other mens Consciences Yet these very men whom in his virulent humor he thus stigmatizeth in the Book he in his Epistle before the Fit of passionate Phantsie was up seating himself as it were under the shadow of death before the great Tribunal durst not do otherwise while a Fit of Conscience was upon him but give them their due Character Men of Conscience and worth fearing God Lovers of Truth Pray see now how the man and his humor and these things suit together Quà m bene conveniunt in unâ sede morentur O Corydon Corydon quae te dementia cepit What ails the man that he should be thus possessed with an Evil Spirit of Self-contradiction So much for the Commissioners though it be not one half of the Filth that he vomited up against them Now Secondly as in his Epistle he speaks honor of the Commissioners so there also he professeth all Christian Loyalty and entireness of his Respects toward the Persons by whose Authority the said Commissions have issued and been established And yet before he hath done that very Epistle he cannot forbear slily intimating that their two Ordinances which he otherwhere calleth Commissions are Apocrythal Statutes or Decrees to vex the Consciences of good men in the Nation And to the end he may handle them roundly with Authority he in his Postscript to the Reader next after his Epistle tells them in effect as I have already shewn you that he hath a Commission from Christ to smite them for their mis doings which out of his great respect to
Things we ought to suppose are all that Christ was appointed to do in reference to the ordering of the Church seeing we read of no more and therefore having fulfilled the appointment of God therein we ought to beleeve him as faithfull in his house as Moses was in his because he omitted nothing for the establishment of it which the Father thought necessary for him to do in his own person As for other things which were necessary to be made use of in after-time for the gathering and ordering of particular Churches in divers Cities Towns or Countries he left them to the ordering of his Apostles to whom before his Ascension he gave a promise of the Spirit for their Direction and Assistance which after his Ascension was performed for when he ascended up on high he gave Gifts unto men to that end and purpose and therefore he was faithfull in all his House as Moses was in his though he and his Apostles left not Rules and Direction at such a Latitude as to answer so many particularities of Affairs and occasions as Moses did Nor indeed was there the same Reason for it for if it may be lawfull to guess at the ground of Gods proceeding thus in this particular who transacts all things according to the best and most excellent dictates and proportions of wisedom there appears to be a great deal of Reason why Christ and his Apostles having left such Institutions Rules and Directions which are foundational and absolutely necessary for the Constituting of the Church in general should not descend to the inferiour points of Regulation touching particular Churches so as to leave Rules for it as amply as Moses did or to prescribe means and Expedients unto the use whereof all men should be tyed up who endeavour to propagate or promote the Gospel For that Christ did not mean to set down positive and particular Laws of so wide an extent for all things as Moses did the very different manner of the delivering of the Laws of Moses and the Laws of Christ doth plainly shew Moses had command to gather the Ordinances of God together distinctly that concerned the Jewish Church and orderly to set them down according to their several kinds for each publick duty and office the Laws that belong thereunto as appears in the Books themselves written of purpose to that end On the other side the Laws of Christ about the affairs of his Church we finde rather mentioned by occasion in the writings of the Apostles than any solemn Thing directly written to comprehend and Record them in a Legal method and form which I mention not and therefore let no envious eye make such a construction seeing it cannot be construed in diminution of the said Gospel-Laws which with a devout heart I reverence as of the most sacred and most transcendent Divine Authority but I hint this onely to intimate that the very different manner of the delivery of the Laws of Christ and Moses touching Church-affairs doth shew that the one had no intent to leave Laws which might answer the variety of Gospel-occasions in particulars of so large a compass as the other did to supply Church-occasions in the time of the Law Besides be pleased to consider that when Moses gave those positive Laws and Ordinances both Ceremonial and Judicial they were intended onely for that particular Nation who then were the sole People House or Church of God and accordingly God in the framing of those Laws had an eye and regard to the nature of that people for whom they were made and peculiar and proper Considerations were upon that account respected in the composure to answer most of the Occasions that might fall out in the administration of the Affairs of that Church and State which end might indeed easily be attained by prescribing Rules in and to a particular Nation But when Christ came the Case was much altered for whereas the House or Church of God in Moses time was confined to one single Nation now it was to be made up out of all Nations The Laws of the Common-wealth were then made conformable to the Order of Church But the Church under the Gospel being to spread through all States and Common-wealths was so formed as it might without prejudice to the Civil Peace be entertained in any Nation and therefore as the framing of positive Laws Rules or Directions of the same nature with those of Moses which might serve to fit the different Tempers and Constitutions the various necessities Affairs and Occasions of all the Nations of the World or of those Remnants which should be first converted in all Nations and oblige them to a very Puntilio as Mr. G. pretends was in the very nature of the thing altogether impracticable so it must have proved no less inconvenient then unnecessary For Christ himself having appointed the principal Ordinances before his departure such as might be conveniently made use of by the Church Universal and his Apostles having left divers Rules and Directions which are of the same general concernment and which may indifferently serve to the principal parts of Oeconomy in the Churches in all the Nations of the world it s to be supposed he hath by himself and his Apostles done all that the Father judged necessary for him to do on the behalf of the Gospel and thereby approved himself faithfull in all his House as Moses was in his And whereas I maintain that in particular matters of lesser Importance concerning the way of carrying on the Gospel there are no positive Laws or Rules to be found of so vast a Latitude and comprehension as to reach all Purposes Occasions Accidents and Emergencies in all succeeding times all over the world so as for ever to exclude altogether the use of humane Reason and discretion from assisting about the way and means of publishing the Gospel this Assertion of mine is so far from occasioning any man thereupon to infer or imagine any defect of wisdom and providence on the part of our Lord and Saviour that it is rather a clear Evidence he hath as becomes his Divine wisdom and faithfulness therein so ordered the matter as was most agreeable to right Reason which is a ray of the Divinity and to the nature and scope of His and his Fathers own great design and intendment which was and is To gather unto him self a People out of all Nations upon the face of the Earth So there is an end of his fourth Argument in the confutation whereof it was necessary to enlarge thus a little more than ordinary because as 't is a supposition too much rooted in the conceptions of men in these times so he seems to build much upon it and with many flashes of Ostentation to dazle the eyes of the Reader The residue of his Arguments which follow import little else but matter of scandal to which though there be no other Answer due than what Michael the Archangel gave the Devil yet somewhat must be
Passion though it be an Affect common to all men likewise more or lesse yet being an infirmity of nature which either clouds reason or suspends the use of it in the man or men so affected transporting them to do things unjust it appears so unlovely in the eies of others who observe it that instead of consenting with it other men unconcerned in the causes and occasions of the same Passion are all ready to passe a sentence of Condemnation upon it and therefore as touching matters carried by the Commissioners here impeached who are many put case that one or two among them should bear such a grudge as is here insinuated by Mr Goodwin or be froward because of some private Passion how will he or they do to prevail over the common Principles of Reason and Justice which are in their fellow Commissioners who being unconcerned in the private passion of those one or two as it will be a hard matter for these to perswade them to concur with them so those one or two will be ashamed to presse them upon such a consideration to joyn with them in suffrage to do injustice one way or other What think ye then Is it likely indeed that all the Triers as he is pleased to term them or that the whole nine who are to be of the Quorum in case of disapprovement should concur in Spleen against a whole Parish yet upon this extream improbability he placeth the force of this part of his Argument to prove that the entrusting of the Commissioners for Approbation is an Unchristian Prodigie By this way of Arguing I will overthrow all the Deputations Delegations and Commissions of men under heaven that act in any kind and subvert the power of Patrons too into the bargain if you will admit me to make use of Ifs and And 's and from an Hypothetical Insinuation that they may behave themselves ill in their Trusts permit me Categorically to infer this positive Conclusion That therefore they are unlawful or that it were better to have none at all trusted in any employment upon any occasion whatsoever But this is the transcendent Goodwinian way of Argumentation well known at the Divinity-School in Coleman-University Moreover to prove that the entrusting of the said Commissioners is an unchristian unheard of Prodigie he tells us They may judge a man unsound in the Faith whom the Congregation shall desire for their Minister because of some special Opinion one or more for-which it is possible the Congregation may in special manner desire him and can desire and admit of none that is contrary-minded and so a Congregation may never be permitted to enjoy a Minister by whom they can edifie The Commissioners are unchristian because they may judge a man unsound in the Faith This is rare stuff both in Reason and Religion is it not Suppose the man whom a Congregation or Parish for they are Parochial Congregations only which have maintenance by Law that the Commissioners are concerned to take notice of should hold some execrable blasphemous Opinion or some other Opinion dangerous to the Christian verity though not so formidable at first sight as the other and that a Congregation should desire him especially for that Opinion should not the Commissioners reject such a one whom they find to be so upon examination Or were it fit to gratifie the desires of a Parish by permitting such a man to be their Minister who would be a means of confirming them in the same condemnable Opinion Let Christians judge who are most unchristian and prodigious the Commissioners by disapproving such a man or Mr. G. by recommending him in reference to this particular But for a more full Answer Mr. G. may please to consider 1. That it never was heretofore nor is it now agreeable to the purpose or conveniencie of this State to imploy the Publick Maintenance for the encouraging of this that or the other particular Opinion but it was first intended and setled for the upholding of a Publick profession of Religion in the Nation and for the support of those Ministers that agree with the Magistrate in the same Publick profession And upon this ground it was that the Statute of Queen Elizabeth required a Subscription to the XXXIX Articles of Religion which then were established as the Publick Profession otherwise no man was to be admitted to a Benefice with Cure of Souls it being most reasonable that the State should do what they would with their own and accordingly dispose of the State-maintenance for the maintaining of such a Publick Profession as they in Conscience believed to be most agreeable to the Word of God 2. Suppose that both Patrons and Approvers were removed and all left to Parish-choice yet I cannot understand that the generality of Parishes are such Opinionists as to be indeared to some one or two special Opinions whenas the truth is they are led by other Considerations when they have a mind to receieve or refuse a Minister Of all men living Mr. G. hath least reason to plead for Parishes in this respect Was he chosen Vicar of Coleman street Parish heretofore for his one or two special and singular Opinions Nay rather did not the Parish when they had a season and occasion to feel their own strength and after he had been a painful Labourer among them many years take the opportunity because of such Opinions to eject him and place another in his Bishoprick The truth is and that Mr. Goodwin's own Conscience tells him if there might be no other supply made for Parishes throughout England but such as the Parishioners or a major part of them can cordially reverence and affect the man so chosen in most Parishes would be a man in a Surplice with the common-prayer-Common-Prayer-Book devoutly observing all the Ceremonies and Festivals and giving Bread and Wine round the Parish respectively These are the special Opinions and Practices one or more for which 't is possible most Parishes in England and Wales may in special manner desire such a man and can desire and admit of none that is contrary-minded Yet perhaps Mr. G. his Arminian special Opinions one or more may go far with the Common people who have a mind to live as they list and to live so long as they list because according to those Opinions of Mr. G. so pleasing to flesh and blood they may when they please set themselves on work to mend their condition But yet those special Opinions though pleasing enough would not please half so well and open but a few Parish-doors in this Nation in comparison of those that would be opened to Superstition and Malignancie and one or more of such special Opinions Nevertheless provided the door may be large enough so large is this dying mans Conscience or the dying Conscience of this man to let in Arminians into a few Parishes then though Popery Superstition Profaneness and the Devil himself should by that means get into the rest of the Parishes he takes no
Malignancie they be enclined to Treat the State contumeliously That is a small matter in the eye of Mr G. because therein himself may shake hands with them as a brother having in this Book made as bold that way as any of them and therefore 't is contumeliously done of the State to animadvert upon their Malignancy and a crime in the Commissioners because they will not break their Trust by giving an Approbation to enable them to Treat the State with contumelie in publick before all the People This is the Inference and the sum of his Discourse about the matter amounts to this When Preachers are enclined to the highest mischief that may be in a Nation if the State or their Officers do take a reasonable Course to prevent the mischief they thereby contumeliously handle those Preachers and it were better to let them be actually doing mischief than irritate their malignant Inclinations by depriving them of the opportunity to rob the State of the hearts of the People This would make an Argument to prove as well that Robbers should be let alone upon the Rode and Cut-throats in the City rather than the Inclinations of them and their Companions should be provoked by a contumelious sending them to Gaol to keep them from doing further mischief It would be every jot as wise a Conclusion for the toleration of them and all other Offenders as that of Mr G. on the behalf of Malignant Preachers Nevertheless he breathes the utmost of his Conclusion in these words ERGO Therefore the Politick Consideration suggested in the Argument in Countenance of the Triers and their Constitution is clearly anti-politick and frowns rather than smiles upon their Consistory And so saith he if Policy having weighed them in her Balance finde them wanting and Religion having weighed them in the Balance of the Sanctuary hath found them yet wanâ—ing more let their Kingdom be divided and given to the Congregations of the Land That is to say to the Parishes for these are the Congregations he intends in this Place By which it is evident that as many of the former Passages of his Book are contradictory to each other so what pretences soever he made before on the behalf of Patrons the Gather'd Churches Presbyteries and others he contradicteth all now 't was not out of any respect to them but onely to colour his corrupt design of exasperating all sorts of men for an overthrowing the present Establishment of Commissioners for Approbation seeing after all he looks over the left shoulder with Scorn and Contempt upon the other Parties and in opposition to them all concludeth on the behalf of Parishes whom in gross he would prefer as the most competent Approvers But notwithstanding all that ever he hath said the foregoing Argument or Objection raised by himself on the behalf of the Commissioners stands yet far more considerable than all his pretended Answers thereunto which being found so mean surely no man will look so low as to frown at them though many may smile but especially at his Eighteen Arguments in the managing whereof he hath you see proved himself no less scandalous than vain in reference to Religion and carried the matter as illogically in this as in most of his other Scripts which whosoever reads with a judicious eye will hardly beleeve the man was ever acquainted with the Schools of Reason and will I dare say readily subscribe to this Censure That they are Thus Piper Scombros metuentia Scripta Such a sort of writings which might be most Politickly preferred if they were duly divided betwixt the Grocers and the Tipling-Schools of the Land A Postscript to the learned Reader concerning Mr J. Goodwin's Temper Mart. l. 5. Ep. 59. In Mamercum UT bene loquatur sentiatque Mamercus Efficere nullis Aule moribus possis Pietate fratres Curios licèt vincas Quiete Nervas comitate Rufones Probitate Marcos aequitate Mauricos Oratione Regulos jocis Paulos Rubiginosis cuncta dentibus rodit Hominem Malignum forsan esse tu credas Ego esse miserum credo cui placet nemo FINIS * 2 Pet. 2. 18. Dan. 5 9. Mr. G. his first Argument Mr. Goodwin's first Argument reduced into Form The Answer Mr Goodwin his first false Supposition His second false Supposition A Thesis in opposition to his first false Hypothesis * Asturam vapich servat sub pector ulpem Mr Goodwin his second Supposition refused Mr. G. his second Argument Answer Answ 2 Tim. 2. 2. 1 Tim. 3. 10. * These are the words of the Ordinance for ejecting * Projicit ampullas sesquipedalia verba Mr. G. his third Argument Mr. G. his Fourth Argument Mr. G. his fifth Argument b Entituled A Voice from Heaven against the Triers Mr. G. his eighth Argument Mr. G. his own expression Mr. G. his Ninth Argument A true State of the design and purport of the Ordinance for Approbation Mr. G. his Tenth Argument Mr. G. his Arminian Tenets Gospel Truths in opposition to Mr G his Arminian Teâ—ers Chap. 1. sect 11. Miserable Absurdities which Mr. G. hath been necessitated to broach to bottles up his Arminian Tenets Chap. 2. sect 1. Ibid sect 2 Chap 2 sect 12. ibid. Chap. 3 sect 1. Chap. 3. sect 3 Ibid. sect 7. Chap 4. sect 23. Ibid. sect 21. Sect 18. Sect. 17. Chap 16. s 14. Chap. 4. sect 8. Chap. 18. sec 37. Chap. 4. sect 30. Chap. 16. sec 15. Chap. 16. sect ult Ibid. Chap 9 sect 16. Chap. 13. sec 33 Mr. G. his eleventh Argument Mr. G. his 12th Argument Mr G. hâ—s 13th Argument Mr. G. his 14th Argument * Mat. 9 38. Luc. 10. 2. 1 Cor. 9. 27. Mr. G. his fifteenth Argument * Touching the truth of this I refer you to a Book written by my self entitulâ—d The State of the Case of the Commonwealth Anno 1650. wherein this 〈◊〉 is made evident by all the great Instances out 〈…〉 Mr G. his 16th Argument The Testimony of his Highness touching the Commissioners for Approbation and Ejection Mr G. his 17th Argument Mr G. his 18th Argument * Offa Cerbero An Objection on the behalf of the Commissioners starâ—ed by Mr. G. A Survey of the Answers brought by Mr. G. against the Objection raised by himself A reply to Mr G. his second Answer A Reply to Mr G. his third Answer A Reply to Mr. G. his fourth Answer Mr G. his pleadings for Malignant Pâ—â—achers