HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. 369 



cializing dogmas of Calvinism, was attacked with a characteristic 

 and native fury; and he did not fail to defend himself with spirit. 

 But when the factious turbulence of the times had succeeded in 

 destroying for a season, the episcopal government, he hoped to 

 have met with more favour from the Presbyterians. By indulging 

 this expectation, honest John Goodwin by no means shewed 

 the strength of his understanding. 



Bishop Burnet accuses Goodwin as a zealous Fifth Monarchy 

 Man; but with what justice we know not; he was certainly a 

 friend of CromwelPs, and that is almost sufficient to stamp him a 

 friend to any enthusiastic vagary. The late Mr. Toplady, in his 

 detestation of Goodwin's Arminianism, was glad to have this flaw 

 in his character ; and Mr. Wilson observes, of this furious Calvi- 

 nist, that " he has heaped together whatever he could find to vilify 

 the character of Mr. Goodwin, and stated them with all the acri- 

 mony of a party bigot." The author of the Gangrasna, however, 

 has not enumerated this among the vices of Goodwin. 



On the restoration of monarchy under Charles II. it was naturally 

 expected that Goodwin would meet a severe chastisement ; but, as 

 Burnet observes, both " John Goodwin and Milton did escape all 

 censure, to the surprise of all people." All that was done was to 

 call in his book intituled the "Obstructors of Justice/' and Mil- 

 ton's celebrated "Defensiopropopulo Anglicano contra Salmasium" 

 and his Answer to " The Portraiture of his Sacred Majesty in his 

 Solitude and Sufferings," and have them burnt by the hands of the 

 common hangman, which was accordingly done, on the 27th of Au- 

 gust. The recommendation of the Commons that the king should 

 direct his attorney-general to proceed against the authors of these 

 books was not regarded. It is thought by some that his Armi- 

 nianism was at length of some use to him. 



The Restoration, however, did not restore Goodwin to his former 

 living; and another presentation took place in 1661. The terms 

 of the Act of Uniformity not according with the free spirit of Mr. 

 Goodwin, he continued a nonconformist till his death in 1665, aged 

 72. He wrote a great number of books, and seems to have had a 

 ridiculous fondness for Greek titles. If our memory does not fail 

 us, some of the late Mr. Wesley's Calvinian opponents used to call 

 him Goodwin Redivivus. Wesley, however, was a much more sober 

 man : had every thing that was benevolent in Goodwin's religious 

 creed, without any of his dangerous political bias.* 



* Beauties of England and Wales, Vol. X. p. 1084. 



