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rate the stigma affixed to them by the unprincipled advocates of national churches, whose own entire history presents, notwithstanding all their anathemas against seceders, an unbroken series of internal dissensions, with unceasing exhibitions of the impracticability of state establishments for accomplishing the diffusion throughout the world of pure and undefiled Christianity.

In what state the question of the Eldership was, among some of those who had fled from the oppressions of Hierarchical “ governance,"b may be inferred in part from "A Short Treatise Concerning the Exposition of those words of Christ'Tell the Church, &c.' Matt. xviii. 17.Written by Francis Johnson, Pastor of the English Exiled Church at Amsterdam in the Low Countries.-Psal. cxix. 59.-Printed in the year of our Lord 1611." 4to. pp. [26.]

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Nothing more can be gathered from the contents of this book, respecting its origin, than what the following extracts convey. In his address to the Reader, Johnson writes, "The occasions that have moved me hereunto, are not unknown to many others besides myself;.. only two things there are which for some causes I think needful to be mentioned and observed. The first is, That as the Papists, by insisting upon the letter of the Scripture, have misunderstood and perverted the meaning of those words of Christ, This is my body, &c.' Matt. xxvi. 26; and, as the Anabaptists, pressing the letter, have erred in like manner, about other words of Christ recorded by the same Evangelist, where it is said Teach all nations, and baptize them,' 'Swear not at all,''Resist not evil,' &c Matt. xxviii. 19., v. 34. 39; so have many of us done likewise about these words of Christ, Tell the church, &c.' Matt. xviii. 17. The other is, That the misunderstanding hereof, and the practice ensuing thereupon, have been a great means and special occasion of strange opinions and aberrations, of lamentable contentions and divisions, of opposing and despising the Elders' Government, of emulation and debate among the people; with sundry other evils arising and spreading themselves daily, to the great dishonour of God, and our own continual grief and trouble, and much reproach from others abroad. Whereupon I was drawn and bound by duty to God and his Church, both to consider with myself, and to manifest to others what I could, as it pleased the Lord by his Word to show unto me hereabout. Which, while I have endeavoured to do, there are that know what opposition and dealing I have found, and what things further are befallen us, which I had rather should be buried and amended, than published by me, or continued and increased by any. My care and desire, I thank God, have been, and, I trust, shall be alway, to receive and follow the Truth in love, with peace and holiness; and to that end, as our age and times occasion us,—to search out, and discover to others, what in me is, both the apostacy of Antichrist on the one hand, and the erroneous confused courses of the Anabaptists on the other hand; that we may, by the mercy of God, stand free and

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See particularly Baillie's Dissuasive, 1646, p. 54, where an impression is Endeavoured to be made, at variance with known facts. b 2 Esd. xi. 32. Cha

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"For which, see Master Smyth's Differences;' Parallels ;' racters,' &c."

safe from both, and grow up daily in the sound knowledge and holy obedience of the truth of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This, indeed, I have done with much weakness; and have, in some things, been overtaken, both in my writings and in our practice, divers ways: but my righteousness and salvation are of the Lord, whose grace is sufficient for me."

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The leaf following, in Johnson, contains "The allegation of Matt. xviii. 17, in our Apology' against the D[octors of Oxford], p. 63." And, on the next page the Treatise is commenced with this heading, "The Examination and Further Consideration of the alleging and exposition of Matt. xviii. 17, which is in the Apology,' p. 63," and referring immediately to those words, the first sentence of the first paragraph runs thus, "Where it is said, that by those words 'Tell the Church,' Christ meant not the Presbytery,'a-that is, the Congregation of Elders, it is unsound, and cannot be warranted by the Scriptures."

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For this change of sentiment, Johnson assigns five reasons: "First, because sundry times in the Scriptures.. this word 'Church,' or 'Congregation,' is used for the Assembly of Elders: . . consider, and compare together, Psal. lxxxii. 1, Josh. xx. 4-6; and Num. xxxv. 12, 24, 25, 29, with Deut. xix. 11, 12, 16, 17; 1 Sam. ii. 25, Matt. xviii. 17, with v. 22: as also, Deut. xxxi. 28, 30, 1 Chron. xxix. 1, 6, with xxviii. 1, 2, Prov. xxvi. 26, comparing the Septuagint with the original. Secondly, because Christ now spake to such as were Jews, and according to their phrase and manner of speech and dealing; as may appear by all the circumstances of the place... The Church,' or Congregation,' Matt. xviii. 17; the Synedrion, or sitting of Elders,' v. 22, must be all one, or else, how should his hearers then understand him. . . Thirdly,.. the Scripture still layeth it upon the Governors, as a duty of their office, and not upon the private members, to hear the causes between the brethren, and to judge between a man and his brother. To what end God. . requireth, that choice be made of such as are qualified; .. and that they be hearkened unto, and obeyed of all, in the Lord; [consult] Matt. v. 22, and xviii. 17, with 1 Sam. ii. 25; Psal. lxxxii. 1; Num. xxxv. 12, 24, 25; Deut. xix. 11, 12; Exod. xviii. 13-26; Deut. i. 9, 13, 16, 17; and xvi. 18; xix. 16-18; xxi. 18, 19; and xxii. 13-21; and xxv. 7-9; with Ruth iv. 1, 2, &c.; 2 Chron. xix. 5-11; where note also, that the church' spoken of Matt. xviii. 17, is such an assembly where women may speak and be heard, in their cases and pleas, as well as inen. And this they may do in the congregation of Elders, sitting to hear and judge the causes of the people, Deut. xxi. 19, 20; and xxii. 13-27; and xxv. 7—9; 1 Kings iii. 16, 17, &c.: whereas, by the Apostle's doctrine from the Law, it is not permitted to women to speak in the churches of the saints, where the whole church cometh together

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"Else, by the Church, in the speech of Christ concerning it, Matt. xviii. 17, should not be understood the body of the Church, but only some members thereof, as the Presbytery, or Bishop, &c. Now that Christ doth not there so mean, but speaketh of the body of the Church, may thus be gathered: First, &c." Apol. Poss. VIII. Reas. 6. p. 63. See back, p. 114.

for the worship of God, and edifying of themselves by doctrine and exhortation, &c.; 1 Cor. xiv. 23, 33-35; 1 Tim. ii. 11, 14; with Gen. iii. 16. Fourthly; because, if the multitude of men, women, and children of years, be here understood,.. then . . the Master should be brought and complained of to his servants; the Father, to his children the Husband, to his wife; yea, Rulers and Governors, to such as have no authority or government committed unto them by the Lord... [Compare Matt. xviii. 17, with 2 Chron. xix. 10; 1 Thess. v. 12.] Moreover, according to that understanding, in all cases of question and difference, the judginent should go out, and matters be ended by the more voices of the People,-as being the voice of the 'church,'--though without and against the Elders and other Brethren, being fewer in number. . . Fifthly; because the Exposition of the precepts and rules mentioned in the New Testament; which accordeth not with the doctrine and rules given in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, but is strange, and such as departeth therefrom; that is an erroneous Exposition, not to be admitted. And, therefore, the Exposition of Matt. xviii. 15-17, which maketh it a rule, which the Jews could not keep in Israel when Christ spake it, and teacheth that the words of telling the church,' or 'congregation,' are not to be understood of the Assembly of Elders, but of all the people and whole church of saints-as some do urge it-must be held erroneous: unless it could be showed to accord with the doctrine and rules given in the Scripture of the Old Testament, and not to be strange or departing therefrom.

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'Albeit, therefore, the Positions touching the Church's rights and power, spoken of in the Apology,' pp. 43, 44, 46, 60, &c., be true, according to that which is written, both of the Israelites,' that theirs was the law-giving' and 'service,' &c., Rom. ix. 4, and of us now, under the Gospel, that all things' are ours, 1 Cor. iii. 21-23; as also may appear by divers reasons and the grounds of them, mentioned in the same Apology;' yet will it not, thereupon, follow, that Christ's speech, of telling the church,' or congregation,' may not be understood of the Presbytery and Assembly of Elders: as by these reasons here before set down may be observed. And, seeing it is undeniable that it did not, any way, hinder the right and power of the Church heretofore; when, in Israel, by this word church,' or 'congregation,* was understood the Assembly of Elders,' in speeches concerning question and controversy, about sin, obtaining of right, &c. why should we now, think it any hinderance thereunto so to understand it still; according to the Scriptures hereafore noted, and other the like ?" We pass over, of necessity, several pages, where Johnson speaks “somewhat more concerning those reasons severally;" and proceed with his remark, "That if Christ now had given a new rule of government that Israel had not, the disciples to whom it was spoken, could not have understood it by these words, which were according to the Jews' received phrase and practice and the Pharisees, and other adversaries of Christ, would have been glad if they could have had such an exception against Christ, That he had taught contrary to Moses! ..

"I might also," he says, " note here, touching ourselves, that otherwise, as our estate is, we could hear no matters of controversy between the Brethren but on the Lord's day; and, that we have done amiss in that very practice-which is still, by some, so much approved-when we heard matters on the Week day, as we have been wont: at which time, there was seldom half the Church together. For, by the reason aforesaid, there may be a further proceeding beyond it; when the whole church is met together, as on the Lord's day. But who can show such an Ordinance of God, That the Church should meet together on the Lord's day, to hear the Brethren's controversies that they have one with another? Find we such a course of dealing and proceeding under Israel on the Sabbath day? .. And, did not the Elders of old sit in the gates, and afterward [under the Romans] in the synagogues, on the week days, to hear their Brethren's controversies ?"

Coming, at length, to distinguish between "a public judgment and a private," Johnson writes, "The public judgment cometh out from the Lord, or from his Ministers; . . and when there is such a ministerial judgment, we must alway remember, that the sovereign authority thereof resteth in God and his Word. . . The private judgment is to every particular person, touching their discerning, assenting, or dissenting, to or from the things spoken and done, according as every one is persuaded. And if this their judgment agree with the public, it is already signified by the officers; and so is one and the same with the public. If some disagree, it is the dissent of such particular persons' judgment from the public-of what sex or condition soever they be that so are diversely-minded,—and is to be regarded as there shall be cause; for which, see the Scriptures before alleged, and 1 Cor. x. 15, and xi. 13, and xiv. 37, 38, with ii. 15, Rom. xiv. 5."

Objections pressing themselves upon his mind, Johnson proceeds to say, under another section, "Here also it would be known,' How a Church, consisting of two or three Brethren,' as we understood it, 'could observe that rule: for, when one of them hath dealt with another in the first place, and taken the third for a witness, in the second place, where, then, is the Church; and, who are they to whom the offender is to be brought, in the third place; according to that Scripture? Nay, when they are very many, being all yet private people; which of them have authority over the whole, and over the particular persons among them? Or, if they be all Women; have they the like power among themselves also? Or, have private persons more authority in the public censures, than particular Churches have, one toward another? Either, may particular Churches excommunicate one another; or, but mutually exhort, admonish, and—after all means used separate one from another, if at any time there be just and needful occasion so to do?' If here it be asked, How then they may keep themselves from being leavened and corrupted by the other? It may be answered, That this may be done by Separation from such, though that Excommunication of them be not used: for thus, Separation from such implieth the power we have over ourselves; whereas excommunication implieth power and authority over others!.. But these things, and any other the like, concerning People without Offi

cers, and their estate and walking; as when they first came out of Apostacy, or in other such cases; they have been left to further consideration among us.

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"Some while since, when Thomas White objected, That we had altered many things which we held in our constitution;' this answer, among other things, was given, That we acknowledge and profess, before all men, that divers things heretofore observed among us at the first, we have since altered, and do from time to time alter and ainend, as God giveth us by his Word to discern better therein: yet, that this is the alteration-but of our judgment and practice, not of the Church's Constitution. Yea, that hereunto we are bound, and have power in Christ, even by the Constitution of our Church-which, by the calling of Christ and the Church's Covenant and Communion, requireth, at our hands, to walk together in the Truth of the Gospel, in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord: and, therefore, to forsake and avoid whatsoever is anyway repugnant thereunto. So free from all

false ways is the Constitution itself; and we, that are in it, subject to err notwithstanding, many ways. So far are we also from the strange opinion and impiety of them that having, in this latter age of the world, disclaimed the Pope's person, and received some truths of the Gospel, yet retaining many abominations of Antichrist withal, would now stand still, and admit of no further proceeding or alteration among them: as if they had, at the first, seen and received the whole truth and all the ordinances of Christ.' Thus have we written, professed, and practised heretofore. And if any shall show better hereabout, by the Word of God; I hope I shall, by His grace, hearken thereunto.-1610."

CHAP. XIII.

JACOB JOINS THE SEPARATISTS.-AINSWORTH.

WE turn here, to enlarge our account of him, relating to whom we have held our readers in suspense till the change in his personal history should have arrived when he appears no longer as the defender of "The Churches and Ministry of England," but like another Paul, the warm and successful advocate of those whom he had formerly despised for producing which event, some credit must be attributed to Francis Johnson's "Answer."

The sentiments and practice of HENRY JACOB, the Puritan, whose writings "speak him learned," had certainly suffered a transition, anterior to the date of his conference at Leyden with the judicious Robinson. His progress is apparent from the titles of successive fruits of his pen, as follow.e

a Ans. to T. White, p. 34, 36, with p. 13, 39. b See back p. 102.

c Wood, Ath. Ox. ed. Bliss, vol. ii. col. 308. We have not found the authority for this "conference," but it may be inferred from the imprint to his " Divine Beginning, &c." and from John Paget's Defence of Church Government, 1641. p. 105.

e Though what we give here as a Note were not written when its author thought favourably of the Separatists, yet as it serves somewhat to develope his

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