Reverend Sir,  
HAving lately received from you, by the hands of my loving Neighbour and Friend Mris. Ducker, a book undeserved and unexpected favour, one of your last books, entitled, Innocence and Truth triumphing together; I acknowledge it a just engagement of obliged gratitude, and therefore, accordingly, I do here return you deserved and most humble thanks for the same, by the same friendly hand. And because (worthy Sir) I conceived and considered with myself, that you sent it by way of love and desire to give me (who am, as I acknowledge, a poor and unworthy Presbyterian) satisfaction, if it might be, touching your Independent Churchway: I having now perused it all over, even à capite ad calcem (and I hope with that piety and impartiality, as my God hath enabled me, which becomes a Christian and fellow-servant to the same Lord Jesus Christ with you) I therefore hope you will, not so much pardon (which I pray not) as accept (which I hearty desire) with Christian Candour, mine ingenuity and plain dealing with you, in now giving you an account, briefly, as I thought it most fit, of what light or content and satisfaction I have received from it. Truly Sir, I having read your Epistle to the Reader, found therein very full and fair promise of your ingenuous aim and intention in the subsequent discourse, viz. that you projected four things therein, Brevity, Perspicuity, Moderation and Satisfaction. But having, I say, purused your Book, truly Sir, (if I am not mistaken, as I believe I am not) you have come extreme short of your promised project, in every of the four branches thereof. For first, if I found you short, I am sure I found you sharp and tart; For Perspicuity, I assure you I found much cloudy obscurity; Veri similitudinem multam, non ipsam veritatem; satisfaction, therefore none at all. But especially, in that of projected moderation, and promised temperature in writing, (the great defect, and foul fault, so cried out upon by Independents against all Presbyterian Writers or Speakers) in stead of moderation I found abundance of bitterness and unsavoury jerkes and jeers (the light issues, me thought, rather of a youthful green-head, than the solid expressions of a grave heart) sprinkled, almost, over all your whole discourse; which I must confess, much troubled and affected me with wonder to meet with, after such a seeming promise of moderation: Some few of very many whereof (because I knew, Dolosus versatur in generalibus) I have here particularised with their pages where they are evidently and easily to be seen. As first, (to omit your Via Sanguinea, with all its most bitter and biting, yea sorely wounding expositions of that term, in your Theomachia, etc.) Pag. 13. you compare Mr. Prynne in his Reply, to the two false witnesses, who falsely accused our blessed Saviour. And in the same Page you tell the Reader, Here Mr. Prynne vapours in his Reply; and immediately after, in the same page how notably do you jeer and scoff him about three Tabernacles? And with what an elated spirit do you answer him, page 16. line 4. together with a downright jeer about a Nationall Church, some 12. lines after? You also grossly tax him with errors, Page 17. Sect. 21. And Page 18. and 19 you frequently jeer him, and among those jeers you tell him, that Acts 15. is only Mr. Prynnes Gospel; what a bitter and unchristian censure lay you upon him, and all Presbyterians, Page 24. Sect. 26. towards the end of it? And o how you jeer him with his quotations, Page 37. towards the bottom; as also Page 49. and Page 51. you slander him with want of Reason and Truth too; and Page 52. you tell him, his pen spits black reproaches in the face of Independents. You also accuse him (Page 65.) of much untruth; and the same also again most foully, Page 84. Together with a Notable jeer, exalting yourself, and vilifying Mr. Prynne, which I have noted at large in your book, Page 85. Together with very many other such like expressions, too tedious to be here recited; And yet (strange to consider) you conclude them all (with the conclusion of your book) Page 99 in a hortatory way to Mr. Prynne in these words: That he would put less Vinegar and Gall into his Ink, and more Wool and Cotten. And in the Apostles words, Ephes. 4. 31. That all bitterness and evil speaking be put away, as becomes Brethren. And now any impartial person may judge whether you yourself have followed this brotherly exhortation; Nay, whether contrariwise, you have not with unbrotherly aspersions, endeavoured to besmear the face of that precious Gentleman, most worthy ever to be honoured both by you all and us all? Truly Sir, you Independent Gentlemen have dealt with this most worthy servant of the Lord, just as the people of Lystra did with the Apostle Paul, whom at first they so honoured and admired, as that they were ready to deify him and make him a God; but shortly after they furiously endeavoured to stone him to death: So ye, at the first, in the time of Mr. Prynnes first most elaborate and learned divine writings, yea and for his most glorious and Saintlike sufferings; O then, how ye all (with us) most highly (and that most justly too) honoured him, and brought him home from banishment, as it were in the triumphing Chariot of your love and praises! But now, since he hath piously and faithfully written against your Independent way, and only for this, O how have you and almost all of your way, endeavoured as much as in you is, to stone to death his illustrious reputation, by most unworthy and unchristian reviling and vilipending of him, both in words and writings! Even him I say, who for his piety, humility, incomparable constancy, fortitude and magnanimity in suffering for Gospel Truths, was not inferior to any of his most faithful fellow-sufferers, yea, whose soundness and sincerity, whose profound learning and indefatigable labours in writing upon deepest points of Divinity and controverted Gospel Truths (witness his Perpetuity of the estate of a regenerate man; his Anti-Arminianisme, Unbishoping of Timothy and Titus, his Histriomastix; and many other his later, most learned, orthodox and precious pieces) have made his neverdying name and fame most worthily renowned both in England and other parts of the world, beyond the Seas. And yet this noble Gentleman to be thus, I say, besmeared and bespattred with your unjust accusations, only I say again, for writing the Truth against Independent novelties; O! it is most sad and bad to consider. Truly Sir, you must here give me leave to be yet more plain with you, I profess in the sincerity of my soul, that I do most groundedly believe, that (had Mr. Prynne been such a Nonsense, Consciencelesse, Irrational, false and frivolous writer, as you and others of your way only have struggled (but all in vain) to make and demonstrate him by your lavish tongues and pens) that yet, I say certainly, Mr. John Goodwin was the most unfit man of all I know in London, to lay those undeserved criminations to Mr. Prynnes charge. For, you know good Sir, that Qui in alterum paratus est dicere, ipsum vitio carere oportet. For you therefore, Reverend Sir, to take upon you to tax Mr. Prynne of errors, untruths, and such like, as you have done, it was surely most absurd and unbeseeming you: for it is too well known, how deeply you yourself (before ever this most unhappy and unholy difference of Independency with Presbytery was dreamed of) have been censured both of Socinianism; (and how justly too, others have most learnedly in public declared) and more lately also how you have been discovered to hold a most dangerous, yea a most damnable opinion (as a learned Independent brother of yours termed it in my hearing, and who then said he would justify it against you) touching justifying Faith by Christ. And now also, how fiercely you are fallen on this unhappily disturbant new way of Independency. I beseech you therefore, Reverend Sir, seriously to consider these things, to muster up your saddest thoughts, and to see into what a Labyrinth you are strangely and strongly intricated. Sir, I do not, I cannot deny, but ingenuously confess that God hath given you much learning and eminent parts, but truly Sir, if I be not mistaken, I greatly fear, your Independent Proselytes do too much magnify, if not (almost) deify you for them, and as it was with Pythagoras his Scholars, an Ipse dixit is enough, I, fear for many, if not most of your disciples, jurare in verba Magistri; Whereby I pray God, your great parts and gifts be not (thus) a great Snare to your soul, which I much fear, if not timely and truly seen into and prevented by Cordial self-denial, and holy humility in your self, being more kindly affectioned with brotherly love, and in honour preferring others before your self, Rom. 12. 10. And thus (Reverend Sir) I have made humbly bold, by your own occasion, lovingly, and (I hope) fairly and friendly as a poor true Christian brother ought (Levit. 19 17.) Liberare animam meam, and thus to manifest my reciprocal love and gratitude unto you, praying our good God it may be accepted with the like right handed Christian Candour, and simplicity of heart with which it is sent and intended; I humbly take my leave and rest, Sir,  
Yours in our great Lord and Master. Christ Jesus, to be commanded. JOHN VICARS. jan. this 18. 1644.   

Imprimatur  
Ja. Cranford. Jan. 24. 1644.   

London Printed for Michael Spark Senior, at the Blue Bible in Green Arbour. 1645.   

To his Reverend and much respected good Friend, Mr. John Goodwin, be these I pray presented.