Christopher Goodman

was born in Cheshire, particularly, as I conceive, within the City of Chester, became a Student in Brasnose coll. 1536. aged seventeen or thereabouts, took one degree in Arts, but was never, as I can yet find, Fellow of that House. In 1544. he proceeded in that faculty, and three years after was constituted one of the Senior Students of Ch. Church, being then newly founded by K. Hen. 8. In the year 1551. or thereabouts, he was admitted to the reading of the Sentences, at which time he was (as ’tis said) Reader of the Divinity Lesson in the Vniversity, but whether of that founded by the Lady Margaret, or by K. H. 8. seems as yet doubtful. In the beginning of Q. Mary he left the University, and went with several Academians beyond the Sea for Religion sake, but dissenting from the chief body of them assembled at Frankfort, he did with Whittyngham, Knox, Gilby, &c. retire to Geneva, as may be farther seen in a book intit. A brief discourse of the troubles began at Frankfort, &c. printed 1575. qu. wherein, as in other places, the turbulent spirit of this person may be discern’d. A noted (b)(b) Rob. Persons in his second Vol. of Three conversions of England, &c. printed 1604. p. 220. author tells us that he was a most pernicious fellow, for that he not only practiced against the life of Q. Mary, but wrote also that most seditious known Libel against the regiment of Women, &c. This Goodman (I say) being a furious hot spirit, and guilty in conscience of wicked attempts (but especially as was thought, of the conspiracy with Will. Thomas, that would have killed Q. Mary) ran out of England to Geneva, in the beginning of Q. Maries reign, and there joined with Joh. Knox (as quiet a spirit as himself) that was the firebrand of his country of Scotland, &c. The truth is, Goodman was a most violent Nonconformist, and for rigidness in opinion, he went beyond his friend Calvin, who remembers, (c)(c) Lib. Epist. Jo. Calv. num. 306. and mentions, him in his Epistles, 1561. There was no man more ready than he, (as Knox was for Scotland) to oppose in the beginning of Q. Eliz. the settlement of the Ch. of England according to the way used in the time of K. Ed. 6. What his preferments were, when the said Queen came to the crown, and where (if any) they were, unless at Chester, or in the county, I know not. Sure I am that when Sir Hen. Sydney was Deputy of Ireland, and had much to do with the popish rebels there, Goodman shewed his faithful diligence in that service. His works are these:

How superiour powers ought to be obey’d of their subjects, and wherein they may be lawfully by Gods word, be disobey’d and resisted. Genev. 1558. in tw. &c. W. Whittyngham hath a preface to it.

The first blast of the trumpet against the monstrous regiment of Women—Printed beyond Sea 1558. oct. wherein Qu. Mary is called a wicked woman, traitress, bastard, Proserpine, &c. But most of his doctrines in the said two books, being destructive to the sacred persons of princes, and their state and government, were not only (d)(d) See Dangerous positions, &c. Lond. 1591. lib. 2. cap. 1. condemned by the Episcopal Clergy of England in the time of Q. Elizab. and after, but also by the judgment and decree of the University of Oxon, past in their convocation held 21. Jul. 1683. Nay, The first blast of the trumpet, &c. was esteemed by all, especially the R. Catholicks, a wicked, seditious and base book, and not fit to be taken into the hands of a Christian, and the rather for this reason, because as a (e)(e) See at the end of Pet. Frarins Oration against the unlawful insurrections of the Protestants, &c. Antw. 1566. Poet of that time saith, No Queen in her Kingdom, can or ought to sit fast, If Knocks or Goodmans books blow any true blast. He hath also written,

A commentary on Amos—This I have not yet seen: Nor can I say any thing else of him, only that when he laid on his Death-bed at Chester, 1602 in sixteen hundred and two, he was visited by Mr. Jam. Vsher (afterwards Archb. of Armagh) at what time he came from Ireland into England to buy books for Dublin Library; several of whose stories he heard with great delight, which he would afterwards, when an ancient man, repeat to his friends. He the said Goodman died that year, and was, as I have been informed by some of his relations, buried in the Church of St. Werberg in Chester. His sometimes friend and crony Job. Parkhurst hath an (f)(f) In Epigram. Juvenil. Lond. 1573. p. 57. Epigram upon him, which you may take instead of an Epitaph.

Nemo bonus, Servator ait, sed solus Olympum Qui regit, is bonus est: Gudmane, nemo bonus.

Yet an English Presbyterian (g)(g) Edw. Leigh in his Treatise of religion and learning. lib. 4. cap. 2. who saith that Goodman was a learned Scotch Divine; was according to his name good and holy.