The Schismatics Cheater in Chief Discovered, Title page – Postscript
Coleman-street Conclave Visited. AND, That Grand Impostor, 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 this most huge Garagantua, in falsly pretended Piety; to the lamentable misleading of his too-too credulous Soul-murthered Proselytes of Coleman-steet & elswhere.
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.
Genes. 34.31.
Should He deal with our Brethren, as with Varlets? or vile Men?
1 Sam. 17.29.
What (therefore) have I, now, done? Is there not a Cause?
Pro. 19.25.
Smite a Scorner, and the Simple will beware.
Psal. 120.3, 4.
What shall be given to thee, or, what shall be done unto thee, O, thou false Tongue? Sharp arrows of the mighty, with fierce coals of Iuniper.
Psal. 139.21, 22.
Do I not hate them, O Lord, that hate Thee (and thy Truth?) and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with a perfect hatred, yea, I count them my very enemies.
London: Printed for Nathanael Webb, and William Grantham, at the Grey-hound in Pauls Church-yard, 1648.
To the READER.
CHristian Reader, (whither Presbyterian, Prelaticall, or Independent) I have thought fit, briefly, to premise unto thee three or four Considerations, both for Thy better satisfaction, and the cleering of mine-own integrity and ingenuity, as also by way of anticipation of some objections which perhaps may arise in thee touching the manner of my penning and publishing of this ensuing Treatise. viz: That, whereas, first of all, it may, peradventure, be imputed unto me for levity or indecencie, in thus prefixing Mr. Goodwin's picture to this my Treatise: I answer, in breif (though I could say much more in justification of what I have, herein, done) That when I considered the excessive Pride of the man, to be so shamelessely (Narcissus-like) in love with his own picture, as to have it (or to suffer it to be) prefixed before, at least, three or foure of his formerly published hereticall and most poysonous Pamphlets, I therefore resolved so far to indulge his own humour and tumour of Pride, as to set him forth in his proper posture, with an Ecce Homo-, Her's the man, That is the Patron of Heresie, and Shame of Divinity. As for the Embleme over his head, of the Winde-Mill and Weather-Cock; Certainly, tis no more than his Vanity and Vitiosity of minde have justly merited, which is continually Coyning and Contriving, in his busie-brain and hereticall-heart, one blasphemous Errour or another (Still) to pollute and poyson the Soules of his miserably Seduced Proselytes. For the Motto out of his mouth, Tis but his own fraudulent and fallacious Engine, whereby he (Still) hopes to help himself, at a dead lift, when he is closly put to it; Namely, to print and protest to his Proselytes, That he (Poore innocent Man) is evermore (herein) unhappy, to be continually mistaken in what he writes or Speakes, and to have his words daily wrested, and taken alwayes in the worst Sense: By that Motto, therefore, I thought fit to minde him of his own Machivillian-Machination, wherewith he familiarly abuses his too credulus Coleman-street Companions. As for Moro-Mastix, A whip for a Fool, (which, you see, He scornfully puts away with his hand, as a too-stinging Noli me tangere); tis but in a just requitall of his most hereticall Hagio-Mastix, his lashing and lying against Truth and her pious Presbyterian Servants. And, as for that notorious lying-Elogie, penn'd by (it seems) one of his prime and most precious Proselytes, under his picture; I was (I confesse) so transported (at the first sight thereof) with holy indignation against it, that I could not forbear to retort those blasphemous untruths into the teeth of the Malepart Master & his daubing-Disciple; & to let the world see (more truely) the insolent Arrogancie of the One, and the lying-Vanity of the Other. And whereas, yet again; 'tis like it will be objected by Some; That surely, notwithstanding all you have hitherto said; yet this making his picture, especially in such a posture, will but exasperate and provoke more and more wrath and discontent, both in their writing and speaking against us for it. To which I answer; Truly, my Brethren, in my judgement, It is most fit it should do so, yea, and vex, and sting them to the very quick: You know (Deare Friends) who it was that said.Num. 25.17, 18. Vex the Midianites and smite them. And why must this be so? The Lord himself gives the answer and reason. Because they vex you with their wiles, and gull and beguile you. And, I beseech you, tell me; what have we gotten, all this while, by our so tender handling these angry-Nettles? Have they not, thereby, stung us the more foundly? Whereas, had wee, at the first, handled these thistles, brambles and bryers (like the plain Plowman) with roughly-grasping hedging-cuffs of just and lawfull severity; VVe had (I doubt not) long ere this, made them bend and bow: VVhereas, now, by most unseemly and sinfull sufferance, they are become unto us (like Israels Canaanites) thorns in our eyes and goads to our sides, to prick and spoil us, if the Lord, in merciemercy, prevent it not. But, whereas, in the last place, it is more than probable, that Some (yea, many) will be too apt to taxe me with too-much rigidnesse and austerity of my Style, in writing too-roughly and bitterly against him: To these I reply, That I cannot but wonder, that any (especially Independents) should, herein, reprove or reprehend me, since, even this their great pretended Master of Moderation, himself, doth so frequently and familiarly use this manner of writing, even as if it were connative and genuine unto him; yea, in his most impious answer to ever to be honored Mr. Edwards his famous Antapologia, he hath written a peice of a Treatise in justification of this manner of writing: But, what need I? (nay, I even disdain) his pattern or practise (as tis his) to apologize for me, herein? Since the whole-stream and Current of the Sacred Scripture, it Self (whose Copy to write by, cannot but be, above all, most Comely and Canonicall) doth so amply authorize, and so abundantly justifie this manner of writing (which the world calls rough and rigid) in a narrative or historicall way of most sharply reproving the Works and obstinate Workers of iniquity, impiety, and blasphemy against precious and unspotted Truth; yea, and that, with such ironicall-jeerings and scoffings of them, such bitter and biting taunts and termes (with holy reverence to Gods word be it spoken) most justly cast upon them, as it is hardly possible for any other pen to doe more, or more sharply or cuttingly, as the Apostle Paul pertinently expresseth it. Titus. 1.13. And, truely, my Christian Brethren, if ever any incorrigible-Worker of iniquity, any bould and blasphemous-Heretick (together with his brother Paul Best) in this our age, deserved to be soundly & severely lasht (even by that most just law of Like for Like, Judg. 1.5. and, by that right rule of wise King Solomon, of answering a fool according to his folly. Pro. 26.5.) then, certainly, this proud, this presumptuous Fool most worthily meriteth to be met with all, and measured by his own bushell (as, I hope, ere long, he will, by a far better and abler pen than mine is) and to be most soundly and severly whipt and scourged, that, if it be possible, he may become sound in the faith; which, the Lord, knows, is my souls desire for him. These things, good Reader, I have, here, thought fit, I say, to premise to thee; thus (if it may be) to take off all unjust prejudice from thee touching my self, and my manner of writing, in this ensuing Treatise; Wherein, if I may prevail with thee, and obtain acceptance of …y poore labours from thee, I have all I expect, and shall blesse God for it; If not, I will not (yet) be daunted nor disheartned in so warrantable a work and way: But, however, shall (by Gods gracious assistance) in all Christian Charity to thee, and godly resolution in my selfe, rest,
Thine, in the Truth, as it is in Jesus, to serve and love thee, J. VICARS.
A Postscript to the Reader.
Courteous Reader:
PRovidence having occasionally brought this ensuing Letter of my very Venerable, Learned, and Religious freind unto my hands, and, It in no little measure concerning, Me, and this my Treatise (though not in a positive approbation or allowance of it, as not being by him perused, by reason of his bodily infirmity: yet in respect of his fair and freindly esteem, opinion, and perswasion of me, Its unworthy Author, and of my former Labours heretofore seen and esteemed by him; viz. my Parliamentary Chronicle, my Schismatick sifted, and others of these Kindes: And especially considering that this Reverend and Religious Gentleman, does in this his Letter, manifest and declare (like an impregnable and immoveable Rock) his Christian courage and constancie, his faithfulnesse and fervour to hate and oppose all the illegitimate and spurious Errours and Heresies, of these backsliding and apostatizing times) I therefore have made humbly bold (as conceiving, it not a little concerned his own ever most duly deserved honour) thus to make it publike to the World, that all may see, that (blessed be our God) Truth wants not valiant Champions to vindicate her pure and spotlesse honour, if occasion be offered, which Letter (in briefe) is as followeth.
To my much esteemed freind Master John Vicars.
My worthy freind,
IT is my Losse as well as Greif, that I am not able to peruse your Manuscript; Surely, I should have found in it, that Zeal and Wisdome, that Quicknesse and Meeknesse, that Conviction and Cleernesse, that Piety and Reason, that candid ingenuity in relating, and that solid modesty in confuting, which would have well become your selfe, advanced Truth, and have enervated specious Errours. But I am not well, and have been enforced (lately) to omit preaching in my place, and am still indisposed to study, pray for me. Get the view to be supplyed by a better eye, and be confident that I joyn with you and all good men, for the Truth of Christ against all Heresies and Blasphemies.
Feb. 29. 1647. Sir, Your truly assured freind is, Obadiah Sedgewick.