practised and agreed upon by all parties, till it should please the God of wisdom and Father of lights, by further consideration and discussion, to manifest otherwise for their joint accord."* This recommendation was very imperfectly carried out on both sides, and the discussion instead of leading to unanimity, terminated in the separation already referred to. The testimony of Robinson and Brewster, signed with their names, appears to implicate some members of the Johnsonian party, as having acted an insincere part, and concludes with the following sentence:- "How much better had it been had they admitted of a peaceable parting, all things considered, than through extreme straitness in themselves, thus to have made their brethren their adversaries; and themselves, yea, and us all, a bye-word to the whole world." According to Ainsworth, who appears to have been "loth to come to any professed and public opposition" to Johnson, it was impossible to prevent the division. which took place. The strife was too violent; the war became an open one; and for the sake of peace it was necessary to separate. From this time the discussions on the subject of the eldership were made public, and were continued for a long period. Johnson appears to have been the last to adhere to the consistorial view. His last work on the subject was a treatise "Touching the Reformed Churches, with whom myself agree in the Faith of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ."+ *Hanbury. i. 243. This was one of the "Three Treatises" included in "A Christian Plea," to which Ainsworth replied. In the first of these treatises, Johnson presents a petition to King James for a Toleration in England. A few additional facts may here be inserted respecting Johnson, more especially as from this time he seems to depart from the ranks of Independency. The following passage, from "Governor Bradford's Dialogue," shews in how remarkable a manner he had been converted to the principles of the Barrowists. "Mr. Johnson was a preacher to the company of English of the Staple at Middleburg, in Zealand, and had great and certain maintenance allowed him by them, and was highly respected of them, and so zealous against this way as that (when) Mr. Barrow's and Mr. Greenwood's Refutation of Gifford was privately in printing in this city, he not only was a means to discover it, but was made the ambassador's instrument to intercept them at the press, and see them burnt; the which charge he did so well perform, as he let them go on until they were wholly finished, and then surprised the whole impression, not suffering any to escape; and then, by the magistrate's authority, caused them all to be openly burnt, himself standing by until they were all consumed to ashes. Only he took up two of them, one to keep in his own study, that he might see their errors, and the other to bestow on a special friend for the like use. But mark the sequel. When he had done this work, he went home, and being set down in his study, he began to turn over some pages of this book, and superficially to read some things here and there as his fancy led him. At length he met with something that began to work upon his spirit, which so wrought with him as drew him to this resolution, seriously to read over the whole book; the which he did once and again. In the end he was so taken, and his conscience was troubled so, as he could have no rest in himself until he crossed the seas and came to London to confer with the authors, who were then in prison, and shortly after executed. After which conference he was so satisfied and confirmed in the truth, as he never returned to his place any more at Middleburg, but adjoined himself to their society at London, and was afterwards committed to prison, and then banished; and, in conclusion, coming to live at Amsterdam, he caused the same books, wh.ch he had been an instrument to burn, to be new printed and set out at his own charge. And some of us here present testify this to be a true relation, which we heard from his own mouth before many witnesses." * Again, farther on in the same Dialogue, it is added:"A very grave man he was, and an able teacher, and was the most solemn in all his administrations that we have seen any, and especially in dispensing the seals of the covenant, both baptism and the Lord's supper. And a good disputant he was. We heard Mr. Smith upon occasion say, that he was persuaded no men living were able to maintain a cause against those two men, meaning Mr. Johnson and Mr. Ainsworth, if they had not the truth on their side. He, by reason of many dissensions that fell out in the church, and the subtilty of one of the elders of the same, came after many years to alter his judgment about the government of the church, and his practice thereupon, which caused a division amongst them. But he lived not many years after, and died at Amsterdam, after his return from Embden."+ It may here be observed, that the Independents generally at this time entertained what would now be * Young's Chronicles, p. 424. † Ibid. p. 445. considered, by their successors, erroneous views respecting the composition of the eldership. Browne, Barrowe, Johnson, Ainsworth, and even Robinson, regarded the offices of pastor, teacher, and elder, as distinct offices. It is not difficult to perceive how this opinion originated, neither is it a matter of very great importance except as affecting the internal independency of the church. Smyth appears to have been the first to have had a clear conception of the erroneousness of the views entertained in common, both by puritans and independents, on this point. "The triformed presbytery," he says, "consisting of three kinds of elders, namely, pastors, teachers, rulers, is none of God's ordinance, but man's device; and the lay-elders, so called, are anti-christian."* In another passage, however, Smyth seems to resolve all offices into one. Commenting on Romans xii. 6-8, where the apostle was thought by some to speak of pastors, teachers, rulers, deacons, and widows, as distinct officers, Smyth observes, "That is denied to be the true resolution of the place; for although there be five several actions repeated, yet doth it not follow that there are five several officers to perform those actions; for one person may perform them all, and yet be no officer, namely, teach, exhort, rule, distribute, show mercy. 1 Cor. xiv. 3, 26, 31; Rom. xii. 13; 1 Cor. v. 5." To this Ainsworth replies, with his accustomed ability, "Behemoth is so big that he trusteth he can draw up Jordan into his mouth,' etc. ” His explication, however, is not satisfactory. Smyth's * A Defence of the Holy Scriptures, Worship, and Ministry used in the Christian Churches separated from Antichrist, &c., by H. Ainsworth (1609). † Ibid. main points remained untouched. In successive periods they elicited further discussion, and were at last received by the Independents generally as correct. Jacob was the first to limit the officers of the church to two classes, bishops and deacons ; but the "triformed presbytery" retained its hold on the Independent churches generally, until the close of the seventeenth century. * Other controversies besides these arose amongst the exiles in these unsettled times; but as they were of minor and temporary importance we pass them over. Those we have mentioned deserve a place in the records of Independency, inasmuch as they had great influence in modifying the views of the Independents of later times, and are still worthy of the serious study of all parties, who would understand the principles of a scriptural church polity. * See Harmer's Miscellaneous Works, pp. 193-197. This matter is not of much importance in relation to a church's independency, however important in other respects. In relation to a church's independency, the question is-Have the officers power to act without or against the church's consent; not How many kinds of officers are there. Some have thoughtlessly said that Robinson and the Independents of this period were presbyterians, because of their practice in relation to this subject. Such parties forget the adage, verba valent nummi-words are like coin, and bear value according to the stamp. Presbyterianism gives power to presbyteries over churches. |