nestness. He was one of the boldest and most eloquent asserters of liberty of conscience, and few, if any, of his contemporaries were a match for him, in any of the many controversies in which he engaged.* The sincerity of Goodwin in avowing himself an Independent, has been called in question by some writers, in consequence of certain expressions reported to have been uttered by him.† The report, however, rests on a very narrow foundation, and is scarcely worthy of notice, in opposition to the unimpeachable testimony of his life. Neither should Goodwin's humourbe overlooked in a question of this nature. He was a perfect master of irony, and no doubt was often misunderstood by his more obtuse contemporaries, as well as by later readers. It should also be remembered, that although a Congregational Independent, he was something more. He would have separated altogether and for ever between church and state, while the more honored Independents of the assembly retained the theory and practice of a limited union. This circumstance in some measure prejudiced them against him, and at the same time led him to speak of himself as having little sympathy with them. Hence, when he found them rising in influence and power through the turn of affairs, he * The theological views of Goodwin do not come under notice in this work, which relates to polity, not doctrines. But no one versed in the subject can doubt that, Arminian though he was, his writings have thrown great light on the most momentous of all topics. If he erred respecting free-will, he furnished succeeding theological writers with their most efficient arguments against antinomianism, and in defence of the doctrine of universal atonement, in his "Redemption Redeemed." † Edward's Gangræna, pp. 25, 26. Hanbury, iii. 177. could write with perfect truth,-"My interest with these men, though it was never much considerable, yet was it much more whilst they were the tail, and the single presbyterian faction the head, than it hath been since the turning of the wheel."* The fullest and fairest account respecting his opinions and aims is afforded in the following remarkable passage, which exhibits his peculiar humour and catholicity of spirit, in a most felicitous manner.† "I know I am looked upon, by reason partly of my writings, partly of my practice, as a man very deeply engaged for the Independent's cause against presbytery. But the truth is, I am neither so whole for the former, nor yet against the latter, as I am, I believe, generally voted in the thoughts of men to be. For, to express myself with allusion to that of the apostle (Rom. vii. 25.), it is in my spirit or 'mind' only, that I'serve the law' of Independency; but in my 'flesh' I serve the law of presbytery. And if the cause of presbytery could be so pleaded and cleared, by any or all her patrons, as to legitimate her birth and pedigree, in my judgment and conscience, I profess, in the presence of the glorious God, who is ready to judge me, that it would be as a year of Jubilee, yea, as a resurrection from death unto life, unto my flesh; yea, my spirit, for my flesh's sake, would rejoice also that gain and godliness, the world and Christ, were so well agreed ! And if I apprehended nothing more, or more desirable, in the way of 'Independency' so called, than matter of accommodation for the outward man, I would presently cut all the cords of engagements by which I am any ways bound to her, and let *The Obstructers of Justice, &c., p. 102. Anapologesiastes Antapologias. Preface. myself and mine drive upon the providence of God for our maintenance and support in the world: so prepared am I to take the impression of any rational argument or plea, either for presbytery or against Independency, without prejudice. And, if I had liberty in my conscience to pass into the tents of the one, the tabernacles of the other should no longer be my habitation; yea, if I could meet with anything that had but strength or colour enough to stumble me, or make me doubt of my way, I would interdict my pen from dealing further in the controversy, and stand still upon the watch-tower of enquiry, until God shall clearly show me the way wherein he would have me go. Some things I have written in favour of the congregational way, and some things against presbytery; but I may truly and with a clear conscience in the sight of God say, that as well in the one as the other, my great and principal desire and end was, according to my covenant, the glory of God in bringing the churches of God,' that is, the saints or servants of God who are materially his 'churches in the three kingdoms,' to the nearest conjunction and uniformity in religion and form of church government; being fully assured, that if ever the generality of the people of God in these kingdoms be conjoined in either, it must be in the truth-not in error! "And therefore, being fully persuaded, resolved, and possest in my judgment, soul, and conscience, that the way of the congregation is the truth, I conceived a possibility at least, yea, and some degrees of a probability, that the churches of God in the three kingdoms,' in the sense declared, might be drawn into a near 'conjunction' in this, namely, when the beauty and truth of it should be fully manifested and made known unto them; but had no hope of procuring any such conjunction' of them in the other, and therefore endeavoured the dissolution of the engagements of those to it who were or might be entangled by a clear discovery of the insufficiency and inconsistency of it with the truth, that so they might be the better prepared for union and conjunction with those of the congregational way. As for those who, by the churches of God in the three kingdoms,' understand all the inhabitants of these kingdoms,' good and bad, sons of God, and sons of Belial, etc.; one with another; and 'swear unto the Most High God with their hands lifted up,' that 'they will endeavour to bring these into the nearest conjunction in religion and form of church government;' what do they in effect, but swear in that most sacred and tremendous manner, that they will endeavour' to bring day and night light and darkness, righteousness and unrighteousness, Christ and Belial into the nearest communication and conjunction they can." Such were the real aims of John Goodwin. Calumniated though he was, his writings were the means of enlightening many who would otherwise have been acquainted with only one side of the system of Independency; while by his "Plea for Liberty of Conscience," and his "Theomachia; or the grand imprudence of fighting against God,"-both published in 1644,- he prepared the public mind for rejecting the pretensions of the presbyterians, and assisted in the general cause of civil as well as religious liberty. Roger Williams, another courageous and eloquent expounder of the rights of conscience, was in England at this time, and must not be passed over without notice. The story of his life is replete with engaging incidents, and worthy of a place amongst the records of the most enlightened benefactors of that age. He was born in Wales in 1600. Although of humble parentage, he was sent at an early age to Oxford, by Sir Edward Coke, who discovered by a kind of happy accident his precocious genius. His classical attainments were of a high order for that day, and his knowledge of the law, to the practice of which it seems more than probable that his patron had destined him, was of great service in some of the most memorable portions of his career. His predilections were for the ministry, rather than the bar; and on leaving college, he was ordained, and settled over a parish. But from his childhood, as he informs us, he had learned to regard religion as a matter pertaining to the conscience and the heart. He therefore soon joined the puritans, and became conspicuous for his opposition to the formalism and fetters of the established church. Finding no liberty in England, he emigrated to Boston in 1630, and sought to join the congregational Independents in that place. But his peculiar views respecting communion not being reciprocated, he determined to proceed to Salem, and accepted the pastorate of the congregational church in that town. He had already, however, given offence by his decided opinions respecting the jurisdiction of the magistrate in religious matters. Even thus early, and probably before he left England, he had arrived at those convictions respecting the essential distinction between things civil and spiritual, which occassioned him so much trouble and persecution in his after life. Immediately after landing at Boston, he |