GOODWIN

goodwin, john (c. 1594-1665), english nonconformist divine, was born in norfolk and educated at queens' college, cambridge, where he was elected fellow in 1617. he was vicar of st stephen's, coleman street, london, from 1633 to 1645, when he was ejected by parliament for his attacks on presbyterianism, especially in his [greek: theomachia](1644). he thereupon established an independent congregation, and put his literary gifts at oliver cromwell's service. in 1648 he justified the proceedings of the army against the parliament ("pride's purge") in a pamphlet _might and right well met_, and in 1649 defended the proceedings against charles i. (to whom he had offered spiritual advice) in [greek: hubristodikai]. at the restoration this tract, with some that milton had written to monk in favour of a republic, was publicly burnt, and goodwin was ordered into custody, though finally indemnified. he died in 1665. among his other writings are _anti-cavalierisme_ (1642), a translation of the _stratagemata satanae_ of giacomo aconcio, the elizabethan advocate of toleration, tracts against fifth-monarchy men, cromwell's "triers" and baptists, and _redemption redeemed, containing a thorough discussion of ... election, reprobation and the perseverance of the saints_ (1651, reprinted 1840). goodwin's strongly arminian tendencies brought him into conflict with robert baillie, professor of divinity of glasgow, george kendall, the calvinist prebendary of exeter, and john owen (q.v.), who replied to _redemption redeemed_ in _the doctrine of the saints' perseverance_, paying a high tribute to his opponent's learning and controversial skill. goodwin answered all three in the _triumviri_ (1658). john wesley in later days held him in much esteem and published an abridged edition of his _imputatio fidei_, a work on justification that had originally appeared in 1642. _life_ by t. jackson (london, 1839).