ditions of any people in the kingdom. The hellish impieties in the city of Amsterdam' do no more prejudice our heavenly communion in the Church of Christ, than the frogs, lice, flies, murrain, and other plagues overspreading Egypt, did the Israelites, when Goshen, the portion of their inheritance, was free; nor than the deluge, wherewith the whole world was covered, did Noah, when he and his family were safe in the ark; nor than Satan's throne' did the Church of Pergamos, being established in the same city with it.d b "Conversation with the World: It is the will of God and of Christ, that his Church should abide in the World, and converse with it in the affairs thereof, which are common to both. But it is the apostacy of Antichrist to have communion with the world in the holy things of God, which are the peculiars of the Church, and cannot, without great sacrilege, be so prostituted and profaned. "The Impure Mixtures of the Church of England: The air of the Gospel which you draw in, is nothing so free and clear as you make show. It is only because you are used to it, that makes you so judge. The thick smoke of your Canons, especially of such as are planted against the Kingdom of Christ, the visible church and the administration of it, do both obscure and poison the air which you all draw in, and wherein you breathe. The plaguy spiritual leprosy of sin rising up in the foreheads of so many thousands in the Church, unshut up, uncovered, infects all, both persons and things, amongst you. The blasting Hierarchy suffers no good thing to grow or prosper, but withers all, both bud and branch. The daily sacrifice of the Service Book, which, instead of spiritual prayer sweet as incense,-you offer up, morning and evening, smells so strong of the Pope's portuis, as it makes many hundreds, amongst yourselves, stop their noses at it; and yet you boast of the free and clear air of the Gospel' wherein you breathe! “The Judgment of the Church of England by Herself and her Neighbours: That all Christendom should so magnify' your happiness,' as you say, is much; and yet yourselves, and the best amongst you, complain so much, both in word and writing, of your miserable condition under the imperious and superstitious Impositions of the Prelates; yea, and suffer so much also, under them, as at this day you do, for seeking the same Church Government and Ministry which is in use in all other churches, save your own! The truth is, you are best liked where you are worst known. Your next neighbours of Scotland know your Bishops' Government so well as they rather choose to undergo all the misery of bonds and banishment, than to partake with you in your happiness' this way: so highly do they magnify' "The Church and State, if they be two, yet they are twins; and that so as either's evil proves mutual. The sins of the city not reformed blemish the Church; where the Church hath power, and, in a sort, comprehends the State, she cannot wash her hands of tolerated disorders in the commonwealth. Hence is my comparison of the Church-if you could have seen it, not the kingdom--of England, with that of Amsterdam." Hall, p. 127. d Rev. ii. 13. b Exod. viii. 22. and applaud' the same! Which choice, I doubt not, other Churches also, would make, if the same Necessity were laid upon them! And for your graces,' we 'despise' them not, nor any good thing amongst you; no more than you do such graces and good things as are to be found in the Church of Rome, from which you separate notwithstanding. We have, by God's mercy, the pure and right use of the good gifts and graces of God in Christ's Ordinance, which you want. Neither the Lord's people, nor the holy vessels, could make Babylon Sion; though both the one and the other were captived for a time. "The Issue of Separation: Where the Truth is a gainer, the Lord, -which is TRUTH,-cannot be a loser.' Neither is the thanks' of ancient favours lost,' amongst them which still press on towards new mercies. Unthankful are they unto the blessed Majesty of God, and unfaithful also, which, knowing the will of their Master, do it not, but go on presumptuously, in disobedience to many-the holy ordinances of the Lord and of his Christ-which they know, and in word also acknowledge, he hath given to his Church to be observed; and not for idle speculation, and disputation, without obedience. It is not by our sequestration,' but by your confusion, that Rome and Hell gains.' Your odious commixture of all sorts of people in the body of your Church, in whose lap the vilest miscreants are dandled; sucking her breasts, as her natural children; and are be-blest by her-as having right thereunto-with all her holy things, as prayer, sacraments, and other ceremonies; is that which advantageth Hell,' in the final obduration and perdition of the wicked, whom, by these means, you flatter and deceive. The Romish Prelacy and Priesthood amongst you, with the appurtenances for their maintenance and ministrations, are Rome's advantage which, therefore, she challengeth as her own; and by which, she also still holds possession amongst you, under the hope of regaining her full inheritance, at one time or other. And, if the Papists take advantage' at our condemnation of you, and separation from you; it concerns you, well to see where the blame is, and there to lay it; c lest, through light and inconsiderate judgment, you justify the wicked, and condemn the righteous. And, for the suspicion of the 'rude multitude,' you need not much fear it. They will suspect nothing that comes under the King's Broad Seal: they are ignorant of this fault! Though it were the Mass that came with authority of the Magistrate, they, for the most part, would be without suspicion of it; so ignorant and profane are they, in the most places. It is the wise-hearted, amongst you, that suspect your dealings; who will also suspect you yet more, as your unsound dealing shall be further discovered. с "The conclusion: Lastly; The terrible threat you utter against us, a "Yet even this Government, which you would have them resist to 'bonds and banishment,'-who knows not?-begins to find both favour and place!" Hall, p. 138. "They are unfaithful' to God and his Deputy, which, knowing themselves made to obey, presume to overrule; and, upon their Private Authority, obtrude, to the Church, those ordinances to be observed, which never had being but in their own idle speculation." Hall, p. 140. "We know well, where the 'blame' is; our deservings can be no protection to you; you went from us, not we from you." Hall, p. 142.. That even whoredoms and murders shall abide an easier answer, than Separation,' would certainly fall heavy upon us, if this answer were to be made in your Consistory Courts, or before any of your Ecclesias tical Judges; but because we know that not Antichrist, but Christ, shall be our Judge, we are bold upon the Warrant of His Word and Testament-which being sealed with His blood, may not be altered— to proclaim to all the world, Separation from whatsoever riseth up rebelliously against the sceptre of His Kingdom; as we are undoubtedly persuaded the Communion, Government, Ministry, and Worship of the Church of England do!"a a "Before that God, and his blessed Angels and Saints, we fear not to protest, that we are undoubtedly persuaded,' that whosoever wilfully forsakes 'the Communion, Government, Ministry, or Worship of the Church of England,' are enemies to the sceptre' of Christ, and rebels against His Church and Anointed! Neither doubt we to say, that a Mastership of the Hospital at Norwich; or, a Lease from that City,-sued for with repulse,-might have procured that this Separation from the Communion, Government, and Worship of the Church of England,' should not have been made by John Robinson!” Hall, p. ult. [In p. 154, we have introduced a portion of Ben Jonson; here we present another. While the former, exposes one manner in which facts are treated, it gives historical information of the ordinary way, with an idea of the expense, of obtaining intelligence in that age, when no public journals existed; this latter extract, affords an opportunity of exposing alike play-wrights and their annotators. We gather from Jonson's admirers, that the object of their adoration was, from his early life to its close, a reveller in jakes and stews. This man, gifted as he was, perverted his intellects under the patronage of "the most learned fool in Europe;" said to be so called, by the accomplished Sully. And what this pedant-father bestowed to pension the minion, his martyr-son increased. What, too, Jonson's genius had thus extorted from love, vice, to which he was addicted, prompted him to extort from several of the nobility and gentry what they gave from fear. He had been a soldier in the Low Countries, was afterwards matriculated at Cambridge, frequented play-houses, killed an opponent in a duel, and, while in prison, was converted to the Papists, but after twelve years, was reconciled to the Church of England! The noblest effort of Jonson's genius, says his latest editor, who acknowledges his obligation to The Very Reverend the Dean of Westminster, without whose "anxious revision," he adds, "no part of the present work has passed the press," was the Alchemist, first acted in 1610; but which, we are told, by another, "could not secure him the general applauses of the people," though he had racked his wits to ridicule such as "rail against plays!" The exhibition of this disgusting olio was, however, permitted by Authority; ribaldry and obscenity being of no consideration, when the object was to stimulate vicious propensities, Rhymed in rules of stewish ribaldry, (Hall's Satires, 1597. Bk. I. Sat. ix.) -and to defame whoever would not be allowed, had their principles warranted it, to retaliate by availing themselves of the thousandfold follies peculiar to their filthy assailants: a resort which was thus amply in the power of those who were uppermost when the scene had changed, and plays and their licensers were alike dispensed with; but for which exemplary abstinence no meed of praise has ever been awarded by advocates of histrionic exhibitions; who, on the contrary, revile their contemners, and argue the propriety of those exhibitions as main props of their respective causes. We copy from the piece last named, as follows:Act iii. Scene 2. "Subtle. Nor shall you need to libel 'gainst the Prelates, And shorten so your ears against the hearing Of the next wire-drawn grace. Nor of necessity Rail against plays, to please the Alderman Whose daily custard you devour: nor lie Restraint, Long-patience, and such-like, affected Tribulation. Truly, sir, they are Ways that the godly brethren have invented As very notable means, and whereby also Themselves grow soon, and profitably famous." The term "wood," annotators say, signifies any miscellaneous collection: of the "names," Camden, the learned antiquary, in his "Remains," 1605, chap. ii., having remarked on some who named their children after another way, continues, "I know some will think it more than a vanity; as they do but little better of the new names, Free-gift, Reformation, Earth, Dust, Ashes, Delivery, More-fruit, Tribulation, The-Lord-is-near, More-trials, Discipline, Joy-again, From-above;' which have lately been given by some to their children with no evil meaning, but upon some singular and precise conceit." It might be that this class of names had been "lately" introduced from the Continent, where they were, long before, in common use: Deodatus,' for instance, being found in records of most parts of Europe; and Grace, Mercy, Peace, Charity, Faith, Prudence,' &c. are common household appellations at home and abroad. Now, as if a fair representation of facts could not serve their purpose, what must be thought of such prominent annotators as Dr. Z. Grey, who, in his Exam. of the Third Vol. of Neal's Hist. p. 285, copies as genuine from another divine, in 1707, a list purporting to be the names of a Jury, which, with another similar list, is shown to have been invented designedly to impose upon weakness? See the first gravely adopted also by Hume, Hist. of Eng. chap. Ixi. an. 1653; but satisfactorily exposed in Godwin's Hist. of the Commonwealth, vol. iii. chap. xxx. p. 525, 526. These particulars concerning Jonson, are gathered from Whalley's Life of him, prefixed to the Dramatic Works. edit. 1811, 8vo. p. xxxix., vii., xxvi., xxvii., xxxii.; and Gifford's edition, 1816, 8vo. vol. i. p. xcvi., ccxlviii. "At his first communion," he told Drummond of Hawthornden, "in token of his true reconciliation, he drank out the full cup of wine!" Quoted in Chalmers' Gen. Biog. Dict. 1815. 8vo. vol. xix. p. 154.] CHAP. XII. ROBINSON AND BERNARD OPPONENTS.-JOHNSON. SUCH was the impression produced by the relapsed Bernard's attack upon the exiles, that they made it the occasion of defending their principles with renewed vigour and in various ways. Soon after his arrival at Amsterdam, Robinson must have commenced his bulky treatise of four hundred and seventy-nine pages, bearing the title of "A Justification of Separation from the Church of England. Against Mr. Richard Bernard, his invective, intituled The Separatists' Schism.' By John Robinson. Gen. i. 4. 2 Cor. vi. 14.-Anno D. 1610." 4to. He begins by telling the Christian Reader, that though two treatises had been published in answer to Bernard," "Yet have I thought it meet a Ainsworth's Counterpoison, sup., and Smyth's" Parallels, Censures, and Observations, in a Letter written to R. Bernard," &c. 1609. 4to. to add a third; not as able to speak more than they, but intending something further; namely, an examination of the particulars one by one, that so in all points the salve might be answerable unto the sore; applying myself therein to such a familiar and popular kind of defence as Mr. Bernard hath chosen for his accusations." And he writes below, "For myself, as I could much rather have desired to have built up myself, and that poor flock over which the Holy Ghost hath set me, in holy peace,-as becometh the house of God, wherein no sound of axe, or hammer, or other tool of iron, is to be heard, 1 Kings vi. 7,—than thus to enter the lists of contention; so being justly called to contend for the defence of that truth upon which this man, amongst others, lays violent hands, I will endeavour in all good conscience, as before God, so to free the same, as I will be nothing less than contentious in contention, but will count it a victory to be overcome in odious provocations and reproaches, both by him and others... It were no hard thing for our adversaries to oppress us with the multitude of books; considering both how few and how feeble we are in comparison, besides other outward difficulties; if the truth we hold, which is stronger than all, did not support itself."b 6 Touching "the proper subject" of the power of Christ, he tells Bernard, "Where the Papists plant it in the Pope;' the Protestants in the Bishops;' the Puritans, as you term the reformed churches and those of their mind, in the Presbytery;' we, whom you name 'Brownists,' put it in the body of the congregation, the multitude called the Church;' odiously insinuating against us, that we do exclude the Elders in the case of government, where, on the contrary, we profess the Bishops or Elders to be the only ordinary governors in the church, as in all other actions of the church's communion, so, also, in the censures. Only we may not acknowledge them for lords over God's heritage,' 1 Pet. v. 3, as you would make them,—' controlling all, but to be controlled by none;' much less essential unto the church, as though it could not be without them; least of all, the church itself, as you would expound Matt. xviii. But we hold the Eldership, as other ordinances, given unto the church for her service; and so, the Elders or Officers, the servants and ministers' of the church, 2 Cor. iv. 5. Col. i. 25; the wife, under Christ her husband. . . And where, further, you advise the reader to take from the jay other birds' feathers,' that is, as you expound yourself, to set us before him as we 'differ from all other churches;' therein you make a most inconsiderate and unseasonable motion. If a man should set the Church of England before his eyes, as it differeth but from the Reformed Churches, it would be no very beautiful bird! Yea, what could it in that colour afford but Egyptian bondage, Babylonish confusion, carnal pomp, and a company of Jewish, heathenish, and popish ceremonies? Whatsoever truth is in the world, it is from God; and from Him we have it, by what hand soever it be reached unto us. Came the word of God unto you only?' 1 Cor. xiv. 36. And, unto it, we have good right, as the Israel of God, unto whom he hath committed' his 'oracles.' Rom. iii. 2."c |