my opposite's occasion, in Mr. Richard Clyfton's " Advertisement,'a and myAnimadversion'b thereto. The former of these two points, Mr. Johnson hath left unanswered; so the prudent may judge of the strife by that which we both have said: the latter, he hath sought to maintain by a colourable Plea' for the Roman Church, chiefly underpropped by two reasons; first, Because Antichrist should sit in the temple of God; second, And because apostate Israel, the figure of this antichristian church, was the church of God,—as he pretendeth. These, with his other like reasons, I have laboured to refel in this treatise following. His order of handling them I have altered; beginning with the Church of Rome, then with the baptism of that church... His bold and bitter taunts, I pass over; being not willing to answer any man, and least of all the dead, to such things. As also, his marching us among the Anabaptists, for our more disgrace; his dissembling of his own former judgment and accord with us in the things now controverted, imputing them to us and others, when himself hath formerly spoken and written for the things which he now would pull down, but hath not taken away his own grounds! Only whereas, in his preface, he intimateth sundry manifest untruths' published in the Animadversion,' but nameth none, I signify, in a good conscience, that to my knowledge I published not any one untruth, but rather spared him than pressed things in extremity. That which I suppose he aimeth at, I set down from the report of honest faithful witnesses.".. Ainsworth complains, in his introductory paragraph, thus,-" My opposite hath inveighed much against me in his last book, called A Christian Plea: wherein, though in many things he deserved sharp blame, yet having ended his life with his work, and not being now to answer for himself, or make use of that which is written, I will omit the just reproofs which might, through God's mercy, have been a benefit unto him; and will address myself to remove the stumbling blocks out of others' way, and to clear the truth which is darkened with the cloud of error." Adverting to the accomplishment of prophecies in the church of Rome, Ainsworth shows that Johnson had prayed "all to take knowledge, that his mind and desire, in himself, is to plead against the present estate of that church, and not for it; acknowledging it to be fallen into most sinful and deep defection and apostacy."e And Ainsworth remarks, elsewhere,f" Though the church of Rome be the temple of God' which Paul speaketh of, yet followeth it not that it is God's true temple, or true church; which is the point that should be concluded : seeing, the Scriptures often speak of things as once they were, though so they continue not still; as also, they speak of things according to the outward pretence and show that is made of them, though indeed and in truth they be nothing less;" or, as he writes in the next page, "though they be indeed false." A little lower in this latter page he proceeds to remark, "Now mine opposite hath given us a good rule,.. he saith, The Word of God is not the bare letter or outward syllables, but the intendment and meaning of the Holy Ghost by whom it was b Ib. 245. c Psal. exli. 5. d P. 3. e Plea, p. 120, a Ib. 241. ! P. 21. 2 Thess. ii. 4. given which should carefully be observed by the due consideration of the Scriptures, with the circumstances thereof... Which, while the Anabaptists neglect, they look on the Scriptures partially, and press the letter extremely, without consideration of the true and right meaning thereof. These words of his are true; the more it is to be lamented that he himself would so " press the letter' against me, and not weigh the meaning of the same, by itself, and other Scriptures, and the proportion of faith, laid together.' "There can no church be called the true temple of God, but in respect of Christ, the chief corner-stone' and foundation of the building; for he is called the living stone,' and his people are living stones, built up a spiritual house' in him, and so grow up to a 'holy temple in the Lord.' If, therefore, Antichrist sitteth in the true temple of God, he sitteth first in Christ the head; and, secondarily, in his body and people: but Antichrist is no otherwise in Christ, than in a feigned profession of him, whom indeed he denieth; therefore he is not in the temple of God, but in respect of his profession of Christianity and of the Christian society in his people, both which are false and deceitful, after the working of Satan,-and in all deceivableness of unrighteousness.' Now it followeth, that I defend my former writings against which he excepteth: as for the reproaches which he layeth upon myself, and his trifling exceptions against words and phrases, I will omit [them] as fruitless."e g 'd h "Christ's kingdom beginneth in the kingdom of Satan, and is perfected in the kingdom of God; and Antichrist's kingdom beginneth in the kingdom of God, and is perfected in the kingdom of Satan." — "This thing not being observed, How Christ beginneth in the world, and draweth men out of it into his church; and Antichrist beginneth in the church, and draweth men out of it into the world again, as the dragon's tail draweth the stars of heaven, and casteth them to the earth; my opposite thought it absurdity and contradiction in me for writing thus, When the apostle therefore telleth us, that Antichrist sitteth as God in the temple of God,' it is to be understood, first, of their invading and destroying of God's church and people, as the heathen of old dealt with Jerusalem and dwellers therein; secondly, of their own vain ostentation, while they will have it called the 'Christian catholic church,' and the pope the 'head' of the same!'i Upon this, he thus inveigheth, What have we here? Doth himself now by the temple of God' understand God's church and people; yea, such as was answerable to Jerusalem and the dwellers therein of old? Why, then, hath he so eagerly oppugned us hereabout?'k Answer, I oppugn the present Church of Rome, which Antichrist destroyeth not, but buildeth and adorneth as an alluring harlot. The Christian church which was in Rome, of old, that hath he invaded and destroyed long since; for they then were saints,' such as he hateth. These now, are worshippers of him, and of idols, and devils, and are a Plea, p. 8. b 1 Pet. ii. 4, 5. d 2 Thess. ii. 9, 10. Eph. ii. 20, 21. c 1 John ii. 22. a habitation of devils.' a So there is as much difference between the Church of Rome now and the church then, as between the bishop of Rome now and the bishops then! They were Christ's ministers; this now, is 'Antichrist,' as my opposite himself confesseth. And what cause hath he to insult, as if he had got the victory, let wise men judge." b с "As in the new man,' the true Christian church, Christ the head hath in all things the pre-eminence; so in the man of sin,'d the antichristian church, the pope, Christ's pretended Vicar, hath in all things the pre-eminence,-exalted for power and pretended holiness. As the 'new man,' the true Christian church, is to be esteemed in the state of salvation, though some secret hypocrites and reprobates closely creep in among them here on earth; so the man of sin,' the antichristian church, is to be esteemed in the state of dainnation, though some of God's elect and hidden ones are in the same." "To reason, therefore, from the creatures and ordinances, unto men which abuse them; and, to gather, because the creature or ordinance abideth good in itself, therefore the person that abuseth it abideth good also; or, to wrest a type, as mine opposite doth, from a creature or ordinance of old, to a most sinful people now, and make them alike holy, is a high abuse of God's ordinances, and a taking of his name in vain." g "When God calleth his 'people' out of Babylon," it is not meant out of Rome only, or Italy, but Spain also, and all other places, where popery reigneth. Neither is it meant in regard of Civil Polity, as if the subjects in Italy, Spain, and other lands, might not remain in those commonwealths still; but they are called out from the heresies, idolatries, and extravagant jurisdiction of the Romish church. So the civil bondage of the Jews, in the old Babylon, typed the spiritual bondage of God's people' in this new Babylon, the Church of Rome; and out of it are men called, not out of the Civil State, or material place. For, who will deny, but Christian churches may dwell in Spain, Italy, yea and Rome itself, if the magistrates will suffer them, and yet not disobey this precept, Come out of her, my people.' It is a doctrine of grace, and necessary unto salvation, to come out' of the church estate of this Romish Babylon; but to understand it of the commonwealth's estate, and to call men out of it, were a doctrine of rebellion; contrary to Rom. xiii. 1. 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14." i "All Civil States, though governed by popish, yea or heathenish magistrates, are sanctified to God's people;' they may lawfully continue under them; have the use and benefit of them; they are all of God, and none of them from the bottomless pit,' or of the devil, as is the Beast,' the empire of Antichrist, from which God calleth all his people.'" m 1 Ainsworth agreed in much that Johnson advanced concerning Baptism in the Church of Rome; but he felt obliged to help his " opposite" to distinctions of importance in the discussion pending between themselves. Remarking, accordingly, on the place where Robinson a Rev. ix. 20; xviii. 2. b P. 37. P. 69. d 2 Thess. ii. 3; c Eph. ii. 15. h Rev. xviii. 4. 1 Rev. xvii. 8. m P. 71. and himself are accused by Johnson of saying-" The outward washing need not to be repeated, &c.," "a Ainsworth replies, "I have formerly showed the shift and contradiction to be in himself, who pleaded against the Anabaptists, that there is but one baptism,' and now, against us, would have two. I have also showed, that God's ordinance turned into an idol, or lie, the lie, the idol, is to be renounced,— the truth of the ordinance retained: so do we:.. the Scripture, in itself, is always pure; yet popish heresies falsely gathered from the Scriptures, are most impure; these we reject, but hold fast the Scripture! Water, in popish baptism, is God's good creature; Antichrist hath turned it, and the action with it, into an abominable idol, as if it gave grace, and washed away sin, by the work done of a sacrilegious priest: this abomination we reject! The creature of God is, of his grace, sanctified unto us, and we retain it!" b It might afford additional gratification to minds capable of appreciating the skill and perseverance with which Ainsworth repels Johnson in polemic strife, did not other considerations induce to desist from an enlargement of particulars under this division, which Ainsworth closes thus," By his figure of repetition and multiplication, he hath added, from the former grounds, Contradictions,' 'Abuse of Scriptures,' 'Vain distinctions, and anabaptistical assertions;' all which being but the same things turned and repeated, and by me before cleared, I count it needless labour to make the same answers again to his empty calumniations." We pass over, also, the remaining portion of this treatise; and say of it and of Johnson's, that they could only have proceeded from men conversant, far more than ordinarily, with Scripture, so that the advanced Biblical student, if disposed to encounter, side by side, these productions alone of their respective authors, will find innuinerable illustrations of texts, with ingenious turns, and much also that a more complete theologian would have regretted he bad never seen. CHAP. XIX. PAGET AND AINSWORTH, OPPONENTS. No sooner was one " opposite" called to his rest, than another rose up, in the person of a captious Puritan, who, with his partisans, following the example of the "virgin queen," did what they could to prevent the Reformation from proceeding faster and further than they chose.d “July 12th, 1617, n. st.," an epistolary controversy was commenced by the compiler of the volume on which we are about to remark, who had addressed four Letters to Ainsworth, and received three in return, all dated the same year, and extending through three hundred and thirty-seven pages. The whole title is, "An Arrow against the Separation of the Brownists: Also, an Admonition touching Talmudique b P. 131, 132. c P. 158. a See back, p. 310. d Fuller's Church Hist. bk. xi. p. 51. and Rabbinical Allegations. By John Paget.-Printed at Amsterdam. Anno 1618." 4to. pp. 476. The advertisement, "To the Christian Reader," tells us that Of those that separate from the Church of God [!], there are many sorts; though the Brownists' assume unto themselves the title of Separation, and call themselves the Churches of the Separation;'a yet is not this title sufficient to distinguish them, separation being common to so many. "Of the Brownists also, there are sundry sects. Some separate from the Church of England for corruptions, and yet confess both it and Rome also to be a true, church; as the followers of Mr. Johnson. Some renounce the Church of England as a false church, and yet allow private communion with the godly therein; as Mr. Robinson and his followers. Some renounce all religious communion, both public and private, with any members of that church, whosoever; as Mr. Ainsworth, and such as hearken unto him, being deepest and stiffest in their schism. The evil of this Separation is great. First, the minds of many are troubled and distracted hereby,—even of such as do not separate, but have some liking thereof,-especially if it be true which Mr. Robinson writes of them, to wit, that they seeing it not to be for their purposes, that the world should so esteem of them, do undoubtedly strain and wring the neck of their consciences and courses, to look the contrary way, &c. What can be more miserable than to have the necks of 'consciences' thus broken by the doctrine of Separation? Secondly, for those that separate, but do not yet join unto them,—or being joined do withhold actual communion, living alone, and hearing the Word of God in no church, as some do,-how great is their misery also? Mr. Robinson himself shows it at large, noting them to be idolmembers;' such as break the commandment of Christ, lose the fruit of his ascension, and fail their own edification and salvation many ways, &c.'s Thirdly, for those that being joined unto them do also live with them; seeing they have, in effect, excommunicated themselves from all other churches of Christ; and, consequently, from the fellowship of Christ Jesus himself, and from the participation of his grace and glory, so far as he reveals the same, by dwelling in those churches. It is, therefore, no wonder to hear Mr. Johnson complaining of the evils among them, as 'emulation, debate, and other sins, which daily arise, and spread themselves, to the great dishonour of God, &c.h Fourthly, for further and greater evils into which they are given up; it is apparent that three or four hundred of the Brownists have brought forth more apostate Anabaptists and Arians sometimes in one year, than ten thousand members of the Reformed Dutch Church, in this city, have done in ten years or more, though tempted and compassed about with "The differences of the Churches of the Separation," Title: See back, p. 178. "A Defence, &c." p. 1. See back p. sup. "A Christian Plea," p. 216, 217: See back p. 312. "A Justification of Separation," p. 339, 340, 347: See back, p. 204. "Of Religious Communion," p. 1, &c.: See back, p. 256. Counterpoison." p. 197: See back, p. 170. Of Relig. Com. Pref. p. iii. sup. h Treat. on Matt. xviii. Pref. p. ii. Ibid. p. 36-39. |