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A64889 Coleman-street conclave visited, and, that grand imposter, the schismaticks cheater in chief (who hath long, slily lurked therein) truly and duly discovered containing a most palpable and plain display of Mr. John Goodwin's self-conviction (under his own hand-writing) and of the notorious heresies, errours, malice, pride, and hypocrisie of his most huge garagantua, in falsly pretended piety, to the lamentable misleading of his too-too credulous soul-murthered proselytes of Coleman-street & elsewhere : collected, principally, out of his own big-bragadochio and wavelike-swelling and swaggering writings, full-fraught with six-footed terms, and flashie rhetoricall phrases, far more than solid and sacred truths, and may fitly serve (if it be the Lords will) like Belshazzars hand-writing, on the wall of his conscience, to strike terrour and shame into his own soul, and shamelesse face, and to un-deceive his most miserably cheated and inchanted, or bewitched followers / by John Vicars. Vicars, John, 1579 or 80-1652. 1648 (1648) Wing V297; ESTC R1674 42,759 52

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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 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 * Enemy he is to all Errours and Heresies yea most shamefully and audaciously calling God Angels 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 viz. 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 * 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 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 in the 4th 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 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 even the severe infliction of all the curses and plagues that are written in the Book of God 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 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 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 mad-brain in halfe a sheet of paper which he most vainly and slashily call'd A Candle to the Sun hoping but in vain therewith 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 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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 t is 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 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 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 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 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 I contrary wise encountred a second scelerous encounter 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 which he called A Candle to the
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 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 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 to justifie That a naturall man hath free will and power to doe supernaturall good 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 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 't is 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 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 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 Divine Authority of the Scriptures asserted 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 't is 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 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 't is 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 wch him to be of exēplary life
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 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 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. 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 That the Scriptures translated as touching the matter substance and things generally contained 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 written by himselfe
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 * 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 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 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 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 And 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 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 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 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
zeal and unfeigned fervour the Lord knows for God his most pure precious Truth 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 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 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. FINIS Trin-Uni Deo sit omnis Honor Gloria Num. 25.17 18. Mat. 24.23 24.25 26. Mat. 13.21 22 2 Cor. 11 13 14. Black Devils and White-Devils John 6 70. White-Devils the most dangerous Deceivers and Soul-destroyers John 8.44 Mr. Iohn Goodwin a most notorious White-Devil indeed and a Grand Impostor Prolicit ampullas Sesquipedalia verba Horat. de arte Poeticâ M. Goodwin like the Smiths anvill or a nethermilstone M. Goodwins damnable heresies briefly mentioned M. Goodwins grand-Engine to cheat All that will believe him Psal. 56.5 Jer. 3.3 Simulata pietas est duplex im● Diabolica iniquitas The Authority of Divine Scriptures asserted Hagio-Mastix M. Goodwins Candle to the Sun Mat. 12.34 Divine Authority of the Scriptures asserted Epist. to the Parlc Pag. 2. line 21. and p. 4. l. 14. The first tryal of M. Goodwins honesty and discovery of his notorious jugling hypocrisie Mr. Iohn Goodwins radicall reverence unto and pious Opinion of the Parl● * Truth triumphing over Falshood and Antiquity over Novelty p. 106 107 108 c. Oportet mendacem es●e memorem audatem 1 Pet. 2.10 1 Tim. 3.2 4 5 2 The second triall Epistle to the Lords and Commons pag. 1. l. 25. pag. 2. l. 5. Pag. 2. l 21. M. Goodwins big boast of his own innocency and meeknes of Spirit 1 M. Goodwins meek spirit to reverend M. Walker M. Ricrafts Nosegay of such ranke smelling flowers as grow in M. ● Goodwins garden p. 6.7 2 M. Goodwins meek spirit toward ever to be honoured M. Prynne Calumny arraigned and cast Innocency and Truth-triumphing together Vindication of K. Charles p. 129. * Calumny ar p. 12 13 14 c. M. Goodwins most unchristian Charity toward Mr. Prin. 3 M. Goodwins meeknesse and tender-heartedness toward reverend and religious Mr. Edwards Cretensis Reply to Mr. Edwards his Antapelogia The true cause of M. I. Goodwins rage and rancor against M. Edwards 4 Mr. Goodwins tender-heartedness and meekness of spirit toward the reverend and religious Ministers of London * Dan. 5.19 The fair flowers of M. Goodwins garden or rather the stinking weeds growing on the dunghill of his Syon-Col Visitation Ne Hercules adversus duos M. Goodwin fitly compared to Nero 3 The third tryall of M. Goodwins pure Piety * Authority of Scriptures asserted p. 3. l. 6. p. 4. l. 3. * 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 1 M.I. Goodwins fly insinuation of a Toleration of all opinions by that engine of h●s his Theomachia 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 Syon-Colledge Visited r. 29. Jer. 17.9 2 M. Iohn Goodwin maintains mans free-will to supernaturall good The divine Authority of Scriptures asserted p. 168 169. 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. Ibid. p. 202. Testim. p. 14 15. 3 M. I. Goodwins dangerous opinion concerning the nature ground of Faith The Divine Authority of Scriptures asserted p. 182. 189. Isaiah 64.6 Faith must be grounded upon mans reason sayes Mr. Goodwin Justifying faith by Christs righteousness imputed to us denied by M. Goodwin M. H. B. Protested against Mr Iohn Goodwin touching this point of justifying faith M.I.G. proved a most impudent Lyer for the whetstone Universall-Redemption taught and maintain'd by M. Goodwin in his Conclave in Coleman-street 1 John 5.7 * Syon-Colledge Visited p. 23. Predestination unto reprobation of the wicked utterly denyed by Mr. I. Goodwin Synod of Dort c. 1. Artic. 6. p. 5 * Contra negantem principia non est disput andum 2 Kings 3.14 4 M. I. Goodwin abuseth the Authority of Sacred Scriptures in his Hagio-mastix Sect. 28. p. 57. Deut. 4 12. Revel. 22.18 19. A Testimony to the Truth of Jesus Christ p. 5. M. Goodwin complain'd of to the Parliament about his Hagio-Mastix A Candle to the Sun Authority of sacred Scriptures asserted p. 2.7 l. 21. Ibid p. 7. l. 19. Testimony to the Truth of Jesus Christ c. p. 5. So Hagio-mastix p. 35 36. M. I. Goodwins Sensus sanus insanus to know the Scriptures discovering his gross folly and fraud thereby Magna est veritas valebit Authority of the Scriptures c. p. 17. Luke 10.26 Mat. 4.6 7 10. John 5.39 7.52 Syril Colledge Visited p. 2. 1 Cor. 3.11 Ephes. 2.20 1 Cor. 3.10 * M. I. Goodwins bold and base abusing of the sacred Scriptures cleerly discovered Jer. 50.38 M. I. Goodwins most desperate dissimulation with God and men M. I. Goodwin is expert at the Jesuits gin mutatis solum modo terminis M. I. Goodwins proud vain-glorious boasting of his most miserably misled Proselytes Epistle to his besotted Sons and Daughters of Coleman-street Conclave p. 3. l. 6. 20 21. M. Quarterman one of M. Goodwins Disciples his most blasphemous and atheisticall speeches and opinion touching the sacred Scriptures Malus Corvus malum Ovum Epistle to his besotted and poysoned Proselytes p. 3. l. 24 p. 4. l. 2. Sic mulus ●●●lum scabie Hosea 4.14 M.I. Goodwins the great Metrapolitan of Coleman-street Conclave Rom. 10.15 Heb. 5.4 Jerem. 14.14 Jerem. 23.21 An Objection in justification of the preaching of gifted men Answer Church Members set in joynt p. 13. Psal. 50.21 Gen. 10.9 Gal. 6.7 Good counsell to M. I. Goodwin if he be not by hardness of heart and pride of spirit uncapable of it 1 Sam. 17.28 Isa. 50.6 7.