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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85394	Hagiomastix, or The scourge of the saints displayed in his colours of ignorance & blood: or, a vindication of some printed queries published some moneths since by authority, in way of answer to certaine anti-papers of syllogismes, entituled a Vindication of a printed paper, &c. ... / By John Goodwin, pastor of a Church of Christ in Colemanstreet.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1647 (1647)	Wing G1169; Thomason E374_1; ESTC R201334; ESTC R201335	139,798	168

London pag. 11. of the Preface Onely this I shall take leave to observe and say that these Antiquerie-masters are their crafts-masters in this Pontificall artifice for oh how are they troubled how are they pained and afflicted in soule about the Queries not good men that themselves or their Interests in the cause of Presbytery are any wayes disturb'd struck at or in danger to suffer by them wee heare ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem not the least mutter or whisper of this sorrow or complaint throughout the whole discourse but the great anguish and vexation the amazement b page 5. of their devout soules is that the honour of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Authority of the Spirit c page 6. are blaspheme● in them that in stead of bringing the true Doctrine of the Father and the Sonne the Queries have brought all the Doctrines of God into so absolute an uncertainty O thou that searchest the reines and the hearts wilt tho●e not judge the hypocrisie of these men if yet they be hypocrites and give to every one of them according to their worke d Revel 2. 23. For what are the men so super-superiatively zealous for the honour of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ and for the Authority of the Spirit and yet all their Faith all their knowledge all the Doctrines they have received concerning God brought into an absolu●● uncertainty by one poore Querie or Question If a question hath so dangerously shaken the Religion of these men surely even a weake Argument would turne it upside downe O Church of England Sect. 7. whatsoever thou art tremble to build thy Faith upon the foundation of these thy Teachers for they confesse if they mean as they say that in all these Doctrines concerning God and Christ they are brought into an absolute uncertainty and that by the force of one Question onely It seemes that their beliefe of all they know of all they teach concerning God and Christ is suspended upon the hope they have of the goodnesse of the cause of High Presbytery so that when the goodnesse of this cause is any wayes made doubtfull or questionable unto them a pang of a proportionable uncertainty in those other things also seizeth on them They say that they perceive that which no man perceives besides themselves viz. that the Querist is in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity but the Querist perceives that which is of a farre cleerer vision viz. that ●f all the Doctrines of God and Christ be with them brought into an absolute uncertainty they are if not in yet very neere to that gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity whereof they speake But what strange accident befell the learning of these men that Sect. 7. intending to goe to Dothan they should take the way to Samaria that intending or at least pretending to Answer Questions they should gird their Logick to them and make Syllogismes and fall upon answering these Is Soul also among the Prophets Are the members of the Assembly come to their new lights too For to this day doubtlesse it was never knowne or heard that men should frame Arguments and Syllogismes of their owne and call their Answers unto these Answers to the Questions of another When they taught the late Catechisme of their present Church and asked the child What is your Name and who gave you this Name did they teach the child to answer first by framing Syllogismes out of or upon the Questions and then by answering these Syllogismes in stead of the Questions If they had meant fairely and nothing but what was upright in the sight of God and men in addressing themselves to Answer the Queries these being fairely and directly proposed why did they fetch about by the way of the fullers field by which Rabshekah came against Jerusalem a Esa 36. 2. I meane by the way of Syllogismes and Arguments by which the truth is wont to be opposed by her adversaries not the Questions of the friends of Truth answered why did they not answer to the particulars demanded immediately and directly Sect. 7. either by affirmation negation or distinction which is the way and method by which Christ and his Apostles answered all the Questions proposed to them which they thought meet to answer Or howsoever they never made Syllogismes calling their Answers to these Answers to the Questions proposed unto them by others Certainly these men would not have travelled out of the Kings high-way but to lie in waite to rob and steale from those who travell honestly and peaceably in it There was out of all doubt some Clergie-Classique fetch or reach in the projecture the men are better husbands of their Syllogismes and Logicke then to pursue or hunt after Truth or spirituall things with them these they still take and come by with as much ease and expedition as Jacob came by his Venison which he fetchd out of the stock b Gen. 27. 9. 14. Therefore when they take their Bo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their quiver when they come to Syllogismes and painefull reasonings and debates it is a great signe they have some secular game or other in chase which for the most part is not so tame nor so easily brought to hand as the other But is it lawfull for me upon this occasion to doe as these men frequently doe in their preaching I meane conjecture Reader with thy leave I shall take the boldnesse to present thee with my notion upon the case These contraquerists prudently considering that in the Queries as they came from the Author there was nothing at all either affirmed or denyed so that whatsoever the tenour or purport of them was they could not with any tolerable colour or pretext fasten any opinion either 〈…〉 〈…〉 negative or affirmative upon him that framed them wherewith to blast either the reputation of his person or his Queries therefore to blind vulgar eyes and to set a face upon a backsidebusinesse they judg'd it of best comport with the Classique cause presumptuously to conclude that whatsoever the Querist questions in the negative he holds and asserts in the affirmative as on the contrary that whatsoever he querieth in the affirmative he holds in the negative and so to take of these affirmatives and negatives and digest them into Syllogismes as they please which Syllogismes forsooth the simple Presbyterian for his better edification in the delusions of his Teachers must compell his fan●●● to believe to be mine and the Answers given to them to be theirs and these insoluble at least and more sacred then to be Sect. 8. 9. touch'd with the least finger of an Examination But ô● all you that are the Sonnes and daughters of God Sect. 8. whether in the way of Presbytery or in a better stand still and behold your Heavenly Father at this day in the same posture of working wonders wherein he stood in the yesterday

with silver base metall of lead brasse yron and so carried it into the Tower in great Ingots c b Gangr 3d. p. 192. This man as I understand is by this time knowne not to have been a great Independent as Gangrena blazoneth but of more affinitie both in judgement practise with one Mr. Edwards So that Sectary who snatched the mans band and tore it in pieces before his face if Sectarie he was or is it is of that Order sirnamed Presbyterian The like may be said of the Baptizers of Ball-Esau c Gangr 3d. p. 18. with many others But for Gangrena and that service which she hath done unto Satan against the Saints by reproaching calumniating aspersing traducing them in the sight of the Sunne I shall leave them from henceforth unto him who judgeth righteously not intending to rake in this dunghill any more which begins to be very noysome and offensive even in Presbyterian nosthrills themselves So little cause have either I or my partie to feare her writings more then any other mans who hath yet appeared as she most vainly but so much the more like unto her selfe boasteth though it were no great honour to a thiefe that useth to rob on the high-way to be more feared by travailers then an hundred honest men For the present I shall adde that as some Great Benefactor to the Popish Religion bestowed a Legend of lies upon it which they call Legenda aurea the golden Legend for a prop or pillar to support it because it was crazie so hath Gangrena's master out of his tender affections bountifull respects to the cause of high-Presbytery being extremely jealous as it seemes that it will never stand strong upon foundations of Truth been at the cost and charge to compose a great body of the same kinde of materialls which we may very truly and properly call Legenda plumbea or the Leaden Legend to supply that which is wanting in the Truth for the supportment thereof But certainly it will be more tolerable for the Golden then for the Leaden Legend in the day of judgement First because the Golden Legend belies onely or for the most part Saints of her own or her friends making and secondly belies them still on the right hand whereas our Leaden Legend advances onely stories on the left hand and with these dishonours either only or for the most part Saints made such by God In so much that had Gangrena pretended to plead the cause of that Government by Presbyterie which the Parliament hath established and not that so importunely desired by her self and her friends which is opposite to it she had been a notorious Trespasser against the late Ordinance of Parliament which prohibiteth any thing to be either preached or written in derogation of that Government which they have established For as be that should come under prop or apply to a strong and new-built house a company of crooked and ill-shapen shoares or pieces of old worme-eaten tymber should derogate from the strength of the building and notoriously disparage the Architect so whosoever shall goe about to confirme strengthen or uphold the Government setled by the Parliament by any base unworthy and indirect means cannot reasonably be judged but by such practises to act in derogation thereof and that in an high degree And so Gangrena farewell Res Tuas historias tuas habeto tibi They shall from henceforth be to me as things which are not excepting onely my promise of a further addition unto my Answer to the Antapologie whereunto God willing I shall apply my selfe when I see the times in a state of convalescencie and likely to gather strength to beare such a subject In the meane time thy preferment which it seemes is to be Principi Tenebrarum ab historiâ I shall lament not envie Persecute the Saints reproach the righteous traduce the friends of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement a Eccles 11. 9. Having dispatcht with Gangrena I have onely a word Sect. 16. or two to speake with some of her friends about another businesse There are of this Generation who it seemes having a facultie to make verball victories of reall disasters importunely applaud their Champions which were foure if not five to two and congratulate their great successe in a disputation lately held in Christ-Church-Parish about the lawfulnesse not so much of the payment as of the demand of tithes by the Minister By meanes of which dispute though there was nothing said but had tantum for quantum answer for argument in full returne not so much as any one man that I can heare of who came scrupul'd in the point that went away satisfied except it were in the justnesse of the ground of his scruple and of the unlawfulnesse of that which could not by all that was there said be justified yet some of the partie as if they were bound by their Covenant to provide perfas nefas that Presbyterians may in all things have the preheminence or were acted by that Maxime of the Consistory Quod non potest fieri per viam justiciae fiat per modū expedientiae of Rome That which cannot be done in a way of right let it be done by way of expediency have as I understand from severall hands fill'd the Citie with this vapour that Mr. Goodwin and his Colleague in the dispute had their mouths stopt and were not able to answer a word to those who opposed them I was once under some thoughts of penning and publishing the contents of the said Disputation looking for this puffe of winde from that point of the Compasse from whence it now bloweth and may yet upon the occasion given do it if I could cleere my hands of some other work which as yet sticks close to them In the mean time Reader thou maist please to understand that there were onely two arguments produc'd and insisted upon by the Patrons of Tithes which I speak unfeignedly being thoroughly examin'd and look'd into are of no more strength to carry the cause of demanding tiths then a couple of silly Lambs yok'd in a teame are able to draw a Western waine of twentie hundred weight thorough the deepest waies or up the steepest hils I had not touch'd upon this string had not others plaid too loud upon the base One thing amongst many others seemes very unreasonable Sect. 17. unto me in the way of High Presbyterie which I judge worthy advertisement in this place The Sons of this judgement way judge it Christian and meet as they have reason in abundance to doe mutually to tolerate one another in lesser differences as they use to call thē that is in such differences about such opinions which lie off at some distance from the fundamental Doctrines or Principles of Christian Religion which are deducible from these by processe of rational discourse

the throne of God and fit and judge the reines and secret intentions of the hearts of men I will notasperse Sect. 3. him with the filth of his owne kennell or aske him whether he be an Atheist or a Devill to write thus but certaine I am that the tenour and straine of this accusation is purely Satanicall being drawne to the life according to that patterne Job 1. 9. Doth Job serve God for nought For as the Devill seeketh here to traduce and imbase that externall course of sanctitie and uprightnesse which Job held by falsly charging it with sinister ends and motives so doth the Syllogizer be he one or be he more or be he Legion in the words tendered most unworthily calumniate and deprave the Christian and candid intentions of him who advanc'd that honest paper of the modest and humble Queries his ends therein being neither to stop whether possible or impossible the Houses proceedings in it nor yet to blast what they should doe in the pursuance of it as this angry Dreamer surmiseth but onely to minister occasion unto the members of both the Honourable Houses religiously to consider how they might proceed and walk with a streight foot in the pursuance of it and keep off at a due distance from the importune and violent counsels and suggestions of Presbyterian Interests which without all peradventure are of the most sad and threatning portendence amongst all our dangers to this State and Kingdome if they be not reduced by the wisdome and courage of both Houses of Parliament Lord make thy servants in both Houses wiser then their enemies Lord make them wiser then their teachers Lord keep them from such Teachers who are their enemies But as for the Querist he in his both intentions and desires in order to the Parliament proceedings for the suppressing of errours and Heresies is so farre from seeking to make a stop of them or to blast whatsoever they shall doe in this kind that his soule longeth as for summer fruit to see the methods of Heaven the wisdome and will of God for so blessed a purpose as the suppression of errours and Heresies is first discovered and then vigorously prosecuted and pursued by the Parliament or whoever otherwise shall be found lawfully interessed therein Yea he is so farre from intending to blast any thing the Parliament shall doe according to the will of God for this end that if any such course as this shall be effectually advanced by them before the terme of his breath be expired he professeth as in the presence of God that he shall rejoyce over it as the characteristicall felicitie of his dayes Sect. 4. Which Christian and cleere Intentions of the Querist in putting Sect. 4. forth the said Queries considered it had been no such supererogating act of Charity in the Syllogizers for being in the way of my Reply tidings are brought unto me that they are certain striplings of the Assembly that have laid their Logick together to advance that summe of Syllogismes with their Answers which must as it seemes serve in stead of a sufficient Answer to the Queries but be they sonnes of this or of what other Interest soever it had been no such supererogating act or worke of Charity as to have drawne the suspicion of Popery upon them in case they had not for a word suppose unproper or lesse considerate arraign'd the Author at the barre of their Tribunall as a man guilty of impudence wickednesse blasphemy Atheisme yea and Devillisme it selfe yea and besides all this have so devoutly solemnly and Apostle-like commanded and charged that he be delivered up unto Satan by his owne Church or Congregation a Pag. 5. and 6. of the Vindication If this be the spirit that rules in the aire of Presbytery it is like to be an element agreeing onely with the constitution of Iim and Ojim of Owles and Satyrs and dolefull creatures and not for Christian sober or peaceable men But the Church or Congregation he speakes of know well I question not that the wrath of man neither worketh nor adviseth the righteousnesse of God and that the zeale of Presbytery hath so farre eaten up the reasons Judgements Consciences of many of her children that they have not so much of any of these left as wherewith to discerne any thing from Blasphemy or what deserveth casting out unto Satan which courteth not the Classique cause It is no hard matter either for them or any other men to see thus farre into the chambers of high Presbyterian secrets by the glasse-window of the Antapologie in the light whereof the children of that way can hardly give over rejoycing to this day the Author hereof requiring of the Churches of Christ as they would vindicate the glory and honour of Christ to call their Pastors to an account and admonish them and bring them to publick Repentance for their publick sinne the emphasis whereof is their anti-presbyterializing or else upon impenitencie and obstinacie to cast them out of their Churches b Antapol p. 307. as if the power of Excommunication and delivering up unto Satan were given by Christ unto his Churches chiefly to take vengeance upon the enemies of High-Presbyterie as Blasphemers and Sect. 5. the grand enemies of the honour and glory of Christ himselfe Though I conceive that my Anti-querie-men ploughed with Mr. Edwards heyfer in drawing that long furrow upon the back of the Querist which hath been complained of and have learnd of him to charge Churches as they regard the honour of God and our Lord Jesus Christ with that super christian duty of delivering up their Pastors unto Satan yet reflecting upon themselves it seemes as men of a more Apostolicall sublime and sacred investiture then he whose merits were never as yet crowned with Assemblian glory they think it not worthy their grandure or Authority to talke or take notice of the little finger I meane of calling to an account and admonishing before Excommunication as the Author of the Antapologie decently enough to the tenuity of his Interest doth but the first word they speake is the weight of the loynes of this Dreadfull sentence it selfe he that shall aske as question which by the interpretation of their jealousie may possibly tend to the disservice of High-Presbyterie deserves ipso facto to be posted away to the Devill and not to have the favour of so much respit from the shame and torment as the time of being called to an account or admonished doth amount unto Reader if thou beest not amazed Heaven and Earth and whatsoever is capable of the impression in either will be astonished at the insufferable height the prodigious insolencies of these men But it may be the occasion of this un-manlike impotencie and Sect. 5. extravagancie of passion will balance it the provocation or offence given was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so hideous and horrid that the nature of man was no more able to beare it then the

thing more strange to suppose this then it is to suppose that all men are not Kings nor all Princes nor all Nobles nor all wise nor all rich with the like Surely these men through the abundance of their zeale will shortly vote it wickednesse blasphemie impudence Atheisme Devillisme an impiety calling for an Anathema a delivering up unto Satan c. for a man to suppose or intimate that light is not darknesse or that darknesse is not light that sweet is not bitter or that bitter is not sweet that a mans feet are not his hands or that his head is not his feet The most cleere and pregnant truth is that the intimation wherewith they charge the Querie now in Sanctuarie and this undeservedly too and against which they rise up in the might of their indignation is of no more demerit no more worthy censure then one of these yea and that the most innocent of them if any be suspected Deare English soules take heed of putting a Scepter into the hands of these men For they can be angry and become Lyons and call eares hornes when they please By the way before wee leave this point I desire by occasion of the ground lately mentioned as the common if not the generall Tenet of our best and most Orthodoxe Writers that it be taken into serious consideration whether or how farre it is meet to punish or censute poore miserable men for not holding or not asserting the Truth of those things which they cannot come without much labour and contention of mind yea not without some good degree of reason and understanding too to judge so much as probable nor at al to come to believe or know them CERTAINLY but onely by an immediate and supernaturall work of the Spirit of God Are men to be punished because God hath not imparted unto them his Spirit of Grace and supernaturall illumination Seventhly and lastly Neither is it true as hath been prov'd at Sect. 26. large that all the opinions threatned with death in the Ordinance are either contrary to the manifest word of God or overthrowing the foundations of Christian Religion Therefore no such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or properties in them as these can be any reason to prove that the makers of the Ordinance must needs CERTAINLY know them to be damnable Sect. 27. heresies For non entis nulla est efficacia nulla operati● That which is not cannot be a reason or cause of that which i● A mans person cannot be protected by a Castle in the aire By the way I suppose that by the manifest word of God the Answerers meane Texts or passages first of such Scriptures which are manifestly i. unquestionably and without all dispute the word of God And secondly which are capable of no other exposition sense or meaning but what as plainly and directly as in the very termes themselves exhibit and give out the opinion whether one or more asserted by them If they intend or meane any thing lesse then this by their manifest word of God they speake snares and ambiguities therefore in this sense I understand them and counter-argue with them thus First that all the Opinions sentenced with death in the Ordinance are not contrary to the manifest word of God is evident by what hath been already argued concerning this which is one of them viz. that God is not one in three Persons a Sec Sect. 19 20 21. This how untrue or erroneous soever in a sense it may be is not contrary to any manifest word of God Nor have the Syllogismers proved so much as one jot or title of this and yet I believe they have proved as much of it as ever they will doe or can doe So againe That Christ is not God coequall with the Father which is another of these Opinions neither is this contrary to any manifest word of God in the sense declared though I judge it contrary to the Truth Probatio incumbit affirmanti Let the assertors of it to be so prove their assertion but to say much and prove little is one of the principall pillars in their Schoole So againe that Christs death is not meritorious in the behalfe of believers is another of these Opinions I marvell what manifest word of God they will finde unto which this is contrary That the Scriptures are not the word of God is another taking the word Scriptures for all the bookes of the Old and New Testament divifim and conjunctim as they are now received and acknowledged amongst us which is the onely sense the Ordinance can reasonably meane if they can find me any manifest word of God whereunto this is contrary I will in recompence of such a favour abate them three absurdities and foure in the sequell of my examination of their Vindication Againe Sect. 27. Secondly neither are all the said Opinions sentenced in the Ordinance with death overthrowing the very foundations of Christian Religion Sect. 27. Taking the word Scriptures in the sense even now declared viz. for all and every the bookes of the Old and New Testament this Opinion that the Scriptures are not the word of God doth not overthrow the foundations of Christian Religion The book of the Revelation is Scripture or a parcell of the Scriptures yet was this booke for a long time together denyed to be the word of God by far the greater part of Christians in the world who yet remain'd unshaken in the foundations of their Religion Luther denyed the Epistle of James to be the word of God and yet was built as strongly upon the foundations of Christian Religion as these severe Taxe-Masters themselves no disparagement to their Faith Musculus himselfe so farre professeth himselfe to reverence the judgement of some of the Canonicalnesse of the latter Epistle of Peter the two latter Epistles of John the Epistle of Jude the Epistle to the Herbrewes and the Apocalyps yea and of some later writers also for he speakes in the plurall number who discanon the Epistle of Jude that he judgeth himselfe lesse tyed or bound up in his judgement by these Scriptures then by other a Inter libros Novi Testamenti sunt nonnulli d● quibus etiam veterum sententiae variant utpote Epistola posterior Petri duae posteriores Johannis Epistola Judae Epistola ad Hebraeos Apocalypsis Iohannis quae in Concilio Laodiceno cap. 39. ultimo inter Canonicas Scripturas non recitatur quibus etiam eam quae Iacobo inscribitur quidam reccen●iores connumerant M●● modestiae non est ut de his pronunciem sintneeorum sub quorum nominibus extant vel secus ludicia tamen veterum hoc efficiunt ut minùs simillis quam coeteris Scripturis astrictus l●cèt haud facilè quaevis damnanda cens●am quae in illis leguntur Musculus Loc. De sacris Scripturis It were easie to adde more instances of like nature And though for my selfe I can and doe without sc●uple subscribe to the