directly led to separate from M. Iohnson Being thus separate againe the contention grew so extreame betwixt these two parts that so many members on either side as submitted vnto the other were by the rest giuen to Sathan and cut off by excommunication In this estate both of them boast against the other each side glorieth they haue killed the other dach exalt themselues and each cast downe and condemne the other When two harlots came before King Salomon pleading earnestly against one another for the liuing childe both laying clayme vnto it Salomon called for a sword and commaunded to diuide the liuing child and to giue the one halfe to the one and the other halfe to the other And vpon this sentence the King marking the compassion of the one to be kindled and seeing the other hardened and content to haue the child diuided did thereby find out the compassionat mother to whom he gaue the liuing child But these two contentious women of the Separation these two companies of M. Iohnson and M. Ainsworth when they striue for a member going from one to another haue not their compassion kindled toward their children like that tender and pitifull mother that got her right before Salomon but both of them are hardened both of them doe rather chuse to slay and diuide any of their children with the sharpe sword of their excommunication than that they should lye in the bosome of the others communion What sentence should Salomon giue now in this case Surely neither of these women are the right mothers of those children whom they doe so diuide and hew asunder it appeares they neuer trauailed in paine of them they neuer begot them by their Ministerie but hauing seduced and stolne these children from the sides of other true Churches the right mothers in whose wombes they were regenerate and borne anew they are now become hard-hearted and more cruell vnto them than Ostriches vnto their young What then remaineth to be done for the changelings of the Separation Let them open their eyes and looke about them let them learne to discerne their owne mother from whom they were taken and changed in their cradle let them forsake their separation and sucke the milke of Schisme no longer let them returne to the communion of the faithfull both in England and in these reformed Churches whom they haue reiected as well as England I was once halfe persuaded that M. Iohnson and M. Ainsworth had beene those two witnesses that should prophesie in sackcloth Reu. 11.3.4 c. but now finding that the fire which proceedeth out of their mouthes is to deuoure themselues finding that they vse their power to shut heauen one against another esteeming one another Apostataes Schismatikes one binding the sinners which another looseth and binding that which God doth not binde finding that these two witnesses doe not agree in their testimonie but beare witnesse one against another laboring to restraine the raine and deaw from one another and to turne the waters of their separation into bloud seeing the spirit of the beast is in them to make warre ouercome and kill one another insomuch also as their corps doe lye as it were vnburied and not in the streets of Rome but in the street of the separation seeing also that the disciples of these two Prophets do reioyce and congratulate one another in their owne vexation and lastly seeing they haue thus layne not three daies and a halfe but more than three hundred and a halfe and yet no spirit of life comes into them to set them on their feet againe therefore can I not esteeme them as those two Oliue trees and two Candlestickes that stand before the God of the earth Yea further I do desire those that yet follow them that they would in the feare of God be stirred vp by these considerations a little better to examine the grounds of their vnsound separation As for my selfe I doe now by this writing vnfainedly acknowledge my sinne to be great in renouncing the communion of so many faithfull seruants of God with whom I once liued in the Church of England I sinned against God and dishonoured his name in refusing to heare the word of Life preached in those assemblies the life comfort and saluation that I expect and hope for in the kingdome of heauen is by the faith of the Gospell preached in that Church and preached there with more power fruit and efficacie than I euer yet heard in the Churches of the separation the faithfull in that Church whose fellowship in the worship of God I did once reiect are those with whom I hope to reioyce in heauen whom I do now also long after in the Lord. I sinned against them in disclayming their communion and thereby haue giuen euill example vnto many and haue beene a stumbling blocke vnto the weake whom I now desire not to be offended nor scandalized by me I heare of late that the Ladie C. a woman of great estimation though liuing still in England hath yet desired to be receiued as a member of M. Iohnsons Church and it is reported by some of them that in her sicknesse she hath wished to die as one of them and to end her dayes in that profession but for my part hauing now had sufficient experience of their wayes I doe freely acknowledge and professe in this bed of my sicknesse from which I know not whether euer I shall arise vnto my former health That it shou'd be my great comfort to die in the communion of those Churches whom they haue now reiected and to renounce my separation before I be separated out of this world And I doubt not but if that seduced Ladie had in like manner with her owne eyes seene the bitter fruits of this miserable separation she would then account it her comfort to be free from such a snare 1 There be at this present hanging ouer my head two swords of Separation the one is the sword of the Lord who by this grieuous disease doth threaten to separate my soule from my bodie and to bring me vnto the dust of death if this sword fall vpon me my hope is that it shal make way for me into heauen into a glorious Communion with the Lord and innumerable Saints and Angels Christ Iesus being the Lambe of God to take away my sinnes and being entred as a fore-runner within the vaile to prepare a place for mee by the bloud of the euerlasting couenant 2 The other is the sword of the Separatists whereby they threaten to excommunicate and cut me off if I liue and rise againe to come among them and testifie against their Schisme If this sword fall vpon me my hope is that it shall make way for me into an heauen vpon earth into a gracious communion with the faithfull seruants of God in his visible Churches there to reioyce with the ioy of Gods people yea whether they cut me off or not my resolution is if the Lord prolong my daies
example the distressed person beginning to sing Ps 51. O Lord consider my distresse c. hee would then in derision speak vnto them Oh you are in great distresse sure c. Ps 137.1.2.3.4 As the cruell scoffing Babylonians of old required songs and mirth of the Iewes in their captiuitie saying vnto them Sing vs one of the songs of Zion euen then when the Iewes sate weeping by the riuers of Babell and had hanged vp their Harps vpon the Willowes so this cruell scoffing Brownist did then require songs and mirth of his captiue maides when they had hanged vp the Harpes of their mirth and had rather to haue fit weeping than singing yea and constrained thē to sing so as the Babylonians could not do the Iews 9 By alledging Scripture after the manner of the Brownists to defend maintaine the crueltie which hee vsed towards his maides as namely That if a man smite his seruant or his maid with a rod and they die not vnder his hand but continue a day or two dayes he should not be punished because they are his money Exod. 21.20 21. Whereas this Scripture can be no warrant for his crueltie both because his maids were no bondslaues vnto him bought with his money as also because that law was in peculiar to the Iewes and euen then was a iudiciall Statute and did not free the offendour from all guilt of sinne but onely from the punishment of the ciuile Magistrate 10 By his carnall securitie in the middest of all his impietie by his vsuall sleeping in the time of Gods worship and this not onely when M. Iohnson preached for then he plainely professed that hee did settle himselfe to sleepe accounting M. Iohnson a false Teacher and vnworthie to be hearkened vnto but thus also hee slept when M. Ainsworth taught And yet further which is more strange hee did not onely sleepe whiles other preached and prayed but euen when himselfe hath beene praying at home with his familie his manner hath beene to fall asleepe in the middest of his prayer as diuers then present haue testified 11 By his notable hypocrisie in the middest of all his iniquitie and this not onely in his generall Seperation according to which together with the rest of his companions hee sayth vnto all the reformed Churches in the world Stand apart I am purer and holier than you Nor yet onely by separating from other Franciscan separatists and namely from Dan. Studley whom in speciall manner hee condemneth and sayth vnto him Stand apart Studley for I am holier than thou But further euen aboue many other of M. Ainsworths companie wherein he resteth he pretendeth more puritie is more smooth in his words stricter in the separation and makes greater shew of holinesse and pietie The iniquitie of Daniel Studley appeares notable 1 By his oppression and preuenting of Iustice thorow the whole tenour of his administration as hee himselfe being pressed and prosecuted by some of master Ainsworths people hath beene brought to acknowledge in generall The terrour and feare of Studley haue bin heauier thā weights of lead vppon the fainting armes of the poore people that they durst not deale against him Though the Pharisies laid heauy burthens vpon other mens shoulders Mat. 23. yet among them al we read of none called Studley nor yet of any one whose manifold oppressions are so often witnessed 2 By a shamefull and vile manner of dealing with one euen of the same maids who comming out of the hands of Mansfield fell into the hands of Studley was saine to cry out of Studley as well as shee had done of Māsfield before 3 By his cruel nipping and pinching euen of his owne wife as she her selfe hath testified vnto diuers and is in part noted before Many people talke of Fairies nippes and of the blew arms they make but it is hard to say whether Fairies of the separation doe nip harder 4 Studley indeed in this point dealt more gently with the d Eli. Ap. maid whom though he drew and haled violently at the first yet did he not hang her vp so cruelly but laid her and threw her vpon his bed in more easie maner And yet in matters of suite and question by the threeds of his substill shifts hee doth as it were tye and bind the hāds of many both men and women which stand hanging in the cords of doubt and feare waiting long for an issue and yet put off with delayes And yet not so but that he himself also hath now long time hung in feare with the cord of de position as it were about his neck waiting whē he should be turned off from the ladder of his dignitie 5 By executing iudgement vpon himselfe before the Iudges of the Congregation had pronoūced the sentence of cōdemnation against him For as Achitophel and Iudas that hanged themselues before the time and as those theeues that murther themselues before the time to preuent the sentence of the law cannot be defended therein so Daniel Studley deposing himselfe and leauing his office before sentence whether of despaire to keepe it seeing the people so against him or whether in hypocrisie policie to moue the people vnto commiseration alwaies his vntimely and vnorderly executing of himselfe cannot bee iustified howsoeuer the cause of his condemnation might be ten times more iust then the cause that Mansfield had against his maid 6 By vsing such rigor towards his wife in threatning beating her cōtrary to that of the Apostle Col. 3.19 in so much that by his cruelty she hath sought though not to eat her wooll yet to eate her word by labouring that shee might not be called to speak those things which she knew of her husband had alreadie told in secret yea hath charged some to whom shee complained of her miseries that they should not vtter the same during her life for feare of his rage against her And yet the greatnes of her misery hath made her to opē her grief the regard of her word would not suffer her to deny the same when she was called to account for it 7 By his tyrannie common vnto him with other of the separation in drawing those that had forsaken their error to returne vnto their vomit againe and to eate vp though not the excrements of their bodies yet the excrements of their error It is most ordinary with the Brownists to charge those that leaue their schisme and returne vnto the cōmunion of the true Churches to be as dogs returned to their vomit as though the fellowship of the Saints in the holy things of God in other true Churches were but as the vomit of dogges whereas indeed their separation is but as the excrements and dung of schismatikes vnto which dung notwithstanding they are often drawne to returne and to eate vp the same As for example Edward Benet hauing begun to purge out some of the excrements first by entertaining ciuill cōmunion with the Church of England
and curses against one an other fol. 70. This Booke is diuided into two Sections THE first containeth such matters as passed betweene these foure persons Christopher Lawne c. and the Sect of Maister Iohnson The second Section containeth a true relation of the Schisme Dissensions Blasphemies Heresie and horrible Crimes practised by these Brownists or Separatists ¶ THE PROPHANE SCHISME OF THE BROWNISTS OR SEPARATISTS The first Section CHAP. I. A declaration of our proceedings with master Iohnson and the Elders in publike in their meeting-house HAuing formerly refused to come vnto their Consistorie in master Iohnsons house in respect of the manifold abuse scorne and other iniury which there they offered vnto vs at length they consented to send for vs vnto their publike Assemblie although they had long denyed the same vnto vs who many times had sought it of them that there we might make a publike renunciation of our vnchristian separation which we with them had vndertaken from all the Churches of Christ to trie also whether it might please the Lord to touch the hearts of some others and to giue them repentance likewise by our example And thus the ninth of Iuly 1611. being accompanied with diuers strangers and members of the English Church vnto which wee haue now ioyned our selues wee came vnto them in their meeting-house after their euening exercise was ended Being come vnto them and standing in the middest of them the notorious Daniell Studley master Iohnsons chiefe Standard bearer beeing for that day the Proloquutâ—r of their Company beganne first to make a Speech to the people and to relate vnto them How we had charged them to be Schismatikes in the separation from England and to be a profane people and that we had nominated one woman to be profane and that we refused to prooue the same that we had refused to come vnto their Eldership that wee had giuen diuers Articles against them which we refused to proue c. And that now therefore they required answer for these things Daniel Studley hauing ended his Speech we in the next place desired leaue to speake some things vnto the people before wee gaue answere in particular vnto the Speech of Daniell Studley eyther for iustifying of those things that were truely spoken or for the reproofe of those things that were false And so in the first place wee acknowledged our sinne in the separation which we had made from the Churches of Christ wee acknowledged the great mercy of the Lord that had so graciously giuen vnto vs to see our errors into which we had bin led by the false doctrines of M. Iohnson and others wee acknowledged the mercy of God that had giuen vs hearts carefull in some measure to manifest and shew forth the fruits of our repentance both to the Lord to his people and that both by word and writing as occasion should be offered We signified vnto them that as wee had done it more priuatly before their Elders so now in the presence of them all with whome together we had beene so deepely plunged into the gulfe of schisme wee did openly renounce our couenant and profession of separation which at our first entrance among them we had made with them we renounced it as being a most abhominable and profane thing against which the Lord had manifested his anger from heauen as agenst a Babilonious tower which the Lord would haue to bee brought to naught as appeared by the manifold confusions and dissipations among them we professed further vnto them that as we had bin instruments for the strengthening and vpholding of that Tower of Separation so we did purpose by Gods assistance to vse our best indeuours to bring downe the same into the dust And lastly we testified vnto them that we came not vnto them at this time by virtue of power or authority that they had to command vs but in the bowels of mercie tender compassion towards them hoping God would be gracious vnto some of them at the least to plucke theÌ„ forth as firebrands out of this fire as the Lord had therein dealt mercifully with vs. In the next place touching that which was obiected by Da. Studley we answered That he had not rightly repeated our charge Our charge was that they were schismatiks that they were profane in their schisme that it led them to the breach of all Gods commaundements And that thus they had it in writing vnder our hands And that these things being proued their separation from England would hereupon appeare to be vnlawfull Againe as for that particular woman nominated by vs for a profane person we refuse not to proue the same yet desire we that first of al this foule leprosie of profane schisme imputed vnto you all may be cleered by you if you can According to the counsell you gaue others we require you first to plucke this great beame out of your eies then shal you the better see to help this poore woman Vnto this answer made by vs Dan. Studley replied not but then flew in vpon vs M. Francis Iohnson himselfe The first word he spake was a reproch the second railing also the third was a lie the fourth was a word of tyranny The first title he gaue was Hypocrite the second was railing Rabshakites the third he said our charge was for England in particular and fourthly he said he would hold vs to that charge And for the matter of profanenesse he would first haue that particular woman to be so proued If his power had bin so great as his impotent passion what would he not haue done to vs M. Iohnson would not yet in any sort meddle with the defence of his doctrine but instead thereof he turned aside entred into a long discourse touching the estate of diuerse Churches in seueral ages The summe of his speech was this Hauing shewed how all the world was drowned in Antichristianisme he then told them how it pleased God in the first place to raise vp Iohn Husse and such like to witnesse against the groffest euills in their times then hee tolde how Martin Luther came afterwards by whom a further reformation was obtained then in the next place he shewed how they of England had gone many degrees before eyther of the former Aboue all these hee shewed in the next place how M. Caluine had been an instrument of greater light and reformation in a higher degree than any of the forenamed though stil in many things corrupt but last of all and aboue all in the highest degree of perfection hee placed his owne company preferring the bright estate of his Church aboue al the golden Candle sticks that euer Christ walked amongst since the days of reformation He affirmed openly that they were by the mercie of God the purest Church and the freest from corruptions and set in a more excellent order than any Church that he knew this day in the world and therfore blamed vs for leauing them going into a
to cut off my selfe from that their schisme wherein I haue stood with them And though I cannot but expect much reproach and many hard sentences which they of the Separation will for this cause passe vpon me yet my hope is that the Lord which of his mercie hath giuen mee leaue to see my error and his truth will now also strengthen me by his grace to beare the euill speeches which in this case they vse to poure out vpon those that leaue them Surely I am readie to halt and my sorrow is euer before me When I declare my paine and am sorrie for my sinne Then mine enemies are aliue and are mightie and they that hate me wrongfully are many They also that reward euill for good are mine aduersaries because I follow goodnesse Forsake me not O Lord be not thou farre from me my God Hast thee to helpe me O my Lord my saluation WILL. GILGATE About a moneth or six weekes after this when by the mercie of God he was something recouered of his sicknesse he then by his practise confirmed further that which he had written before both by embracing the communion of the Churches which he refused before in hearing the Word and praying with them c. As also by going vnto M. Ainsworths Church with which he had ioyned himselfe before and there openly in the middest of their Congregation renounced his fellowship with them testifying that they were in Schisme and for further proofe hereof did afterwards giue vnto Master Ainsworth diuers Arguments in writing to proue them to be in manifold Schisme and so finally left them quite CHAP. VIII Letters that passed betwixt M. Ames and M. Robinson touching the bitternesse of the Separation ONe point of Schisme which M. Gilgate obiected vnto M. Ainsworth was for their separation in priuate from those particular persons which might be discerned to be true visible Christians euen by their owne confession This point because it is further discussed in diuers Arguments and Writings betwixt Master Ames and Master Robinson wee haue thought it meet to publish them as they came vnto our hands because they serue much for the declaration and manifestation of their Schisme herein G. M. and P. SIr I doe not desire to multiplie many Letters noâ— many words in this one Letter I will passe by therefore your censure Your manner of separation also I omit whether it be like or dislike to that of the first reformed Churches for you haue yrons ynow in the fire about that question Neither will I trouble you about my associates here whom you deeme euill of though they be vnknowne vnto you Onely that one point which containeth indeed the very bitternesse of Separation I would desire you againe to consider of as you doe me viz. Whether there be not a visible Communion euen out of a visible Church These reasons seeme to euince it 1 Whomsoeuer I can rightly discerne to haue communion with Iesus Christ with him may I haue visible communion the reason is because that from visible descrying of that inward communion doth necessarily follow externall communion Neither can other sufficient reason be giuen why we should communicate with visible Churches but only because wee visibly discerne that they haue communion with Christ Now quatenus ipsum de omni conuertuntur But we may discerne euen by your confession of some out of a visible Church that they haue communion with Christ Ergo 2 That which is lawfull for them to doe which are no members of a visible Church that is lawfull for others to ioyne with them in for that which is no sinne in the principall is none in the accessorie Cateris paribus And it cannot be simply vnlawfull to ioyne in any action that is lawfull Quatenus talis but it is lawfull for Christians conuerted euen before they ioyne in any Church perhaps wanting knowledge of the true Constitution perhaps oportunitie to worship God Therefore 3 It is necessarie that before the couenant making which you hold to be the forme of a Church they that are to make it should ioyne together in prayer for direction assistance and blessing yet they are not a Church vntill after Therefore it is not only lawfull but necessarie also that there be a communion out of a visible Church You may easily conceiue the forme and force of this Argument If you answere that they are a Church in desire that is to forsake your position for desire to be doth imply that as yet they are not A velle ad esse non sequitur ratio I will not be further tedious vnto you Fare you well Feb. 25. Your louing friend WILLIAM AMES Mercie and peace be with you Amen SIr because I doe vnderstand by many that you maruell I answer not your reasons hauing had your writing so long in mine hands I thought good to returne you a briefe answere Your reasons to prooue visible communion out of a visible Church follow Though that be not the question betweene you and mee But whether we which are or deeme our selues to be of a visible Church may lawfully communicate with such as be of no Church Reason 1 I deny that externall communion doth necessarily flowe from the discerning of inward communion with Christ which is your first reason for then I haue externall communion with the Angells and faithfull departed this life Externall communion is a matter of externall relation and order vnder which men out of the Church are not Acts 2.41,47 The order set by Christ and his Apostles is that such as receiue the word and are to be saued ioyne themselues foorthwith vnto the Church and a large remnant it is of the confusions which Antichrist hath brought into the worlde that men fearing God should remaine out of the true Church For the further cleering of these things If an innocent person in mine absence be excommunicated from the Church vpon the testimony of two or three yet will I for order sake and so am bound forbeare communion with him till I haue manifested his innocencie to the Church On the other side Though I know some great wickednesse by a brother which he denies and I can not prooue I must still for order sake keepe communion with him in the Church till God discouer him It is euident therfore that in cases I am both to forbeare communion with a godly man till we be orderly ioyned together and to keep communion with a wicked man till we be orderly dis-ioyned Adde vnto these things that vpon this ground I may also lawfully admit one out of the Church to the Lords Supper to the choise of Officers censuring of offendors And all other exercises of externall communion if by the iudgement of Charitie I deeme him holie in his person And how can I denie him one part of externall communion to whom I affoord an other but I make a schisme in the communion of Saints and this also may serue for answere to the latter part
regard the witnesse of M. Ainsworth which he bringeth against M. Iohnson And what cause hath M. Iohnson to be ashamed of his wayes that is accused of Apostasie Contention Error Falsehood Lying and Promise-breaking and all this by M. Ainsworth whom himselfe doth acknowledge to be so godly and vpright a walker towards all It is therefore as like that M. Ainsworth hath now walkt as vprightly towards Francis Iohnson as he did before towards Th. Wh. Againe the Ainsworthians scoffing at M. Iohnson now that they haue reiected him they say That M. Ainsworth hath long time wrought iourney-worke vnder M. Iohnson but that now he sets vp * The two shops of Error and Schisme shop for himselfe and this vnder M. Iohnsons nose their meeting-house being the next house but one vnto M. Iohnsons shop or meeting-house Nay further they say that M. Ainsworth seekes to take away M. Iohnsons shop from ouer his head while by their suit in law they contend for the meeting-house it selfe hoping that M. Ainsworth and his companie shall get the same Further to come vnto more hainous matters it is witnessed by some of M. Ainsworths companie That there is probable murder and approued whoredomes maintained or suffered in M. Iohnsons Church This hath bin testified by Iohn Trappes M. Iohnson and his Elders also do know that this is auouched against them for this hath Iohn Trap witnessed vnto their messengers solemnely * Septemb. 8. 1611. sent from their Church to enquire about this matter and hath also offered to proue this before the magistrates yea and hath prouoked them much to bring the matter into question It is witnessed also vnto the messengers of their Church That M. de Cluse hearing it spoken that there was approued murder maintained in M. Iohnsons Church should also graunt vnto the same saying Yea it is too true or it is too true indeed the more is the pitie or the more sorrie he was to like effect c. Are not the teeth of the Ainsworthians like kniues vnto the Franciscans Doe they not cut and bite deepe in such speeches and testimonies which they giue touching the euils that are tolerated or maintained among them Are they fit men to separate from all other true Churches for corruptions while the charge of such abhomination is tolerated among themselues To conclude this point let it be considered that euen then when M. Iohnson and M. Ainsworths companie were yet one long before any shew of this great diuision that is now amongst them it came to passe that Thomas Cocky and Iacob Iohnson two men of note amongst them both of them Prophets falling into variance one with another one of them brings in before the Church a List of fifteene lyes wherewith he charged the other the other againe to requite his paines brings in at the next turne against him a List of sixteene lyes betwixt them both they make vp the summe of 31 lyes Is it not a token that the father of that Companie is the father of lyes when as the children thereof are so fruitfull in lyes Is it probable that the truth of God should be tied and treasured vp onely among these lying companions whiles all the true Churches in the world beside are not able to comprehend the mysterie of that Separation which they say is reuealed vnto them What wonder is it that these men should raise many lies and slanders against others when as thus they heaped them vpon themselues mutually And what wonder if they bite one another now that they are rent in two seeing when they were vndiuided they spared not one another PART 3. M. Robinson writing in defence of the popular gouernment against M. Bernard doth therein vtter many hard speeches against the oppugners thereof Now M. Iohnson being an oppugner thereof as well as M. Bernard and vsing the same reasons that M. Bernard doth to that purpose it followes necessarily that those speeches and rebukes which M. Robinson layes vpon M. Bernard do through his side pierce and wound M. Iohnson also when he holds the same opinion and vseth the same arguments with M. Bernard And this is the rather to be obserued because M. Ainsworths people excusing M. Ainsworth for his not answering of M. Iohnsons a Expos of Mat. 18. booke they alledge and plead that M. Robinson hath answered him confuted his reasons in the confutation of M Bernard and therefore the rebukes which in that point and in that behalfe are layed vpon M. Bernard are many of them also to be as well applyed vnto M. Iohnson For example M. Robinson b Answer to M Bernard p. 124. writing That their practise is answerable to their profession and shewing their profession what it is from the confession of their faith Artic. 24. inferreth from thence that they cannot be charged with bastardly runagates But on the contrarie side M. Ainsworth as is noted in the former Section declaring that M. Iohnson is fallen from their faith euen in that very article it followeth hereupon from M. Robinsons speech that M. Iohnson and his companie forsaking that profession of faith are therefore to be deemed bastardly runagates M. Robinson affirming That they are c Pag. 152. miserable guides which teach that the power of the keyes is giuen to the chiefe officers shewing also that it is d Pag. 153. erronious and derogatorie to the nature of the Gospell and free donation of Christ thus to impropriate and ingrosse the keyes He doth hereby declare M. Iohnson and M. Clyfton to be miserable Guides yea that they are sacrilegious ingrossers of the keyes contrarie to the nature of the Gospel and free donation of Christ because they teach that doctrine aswell as master Barnard Answer to M. Bernard p. 160. M. Robinson reproouing the enuious dealing of them that oppugne popularitie for arrogating al the power of the people into their hands doth declare this by alleadging of 1. Ki. 22.24 and hereby it followes vpon his reproofe that master Iohnson and maister Clifton holding the point with maister Bernard are also like the arrogant and prowd Zidkiah that smote the Lords Prophet on the cheeke Thus is maister Iohnson noted as a cruell persecutor making himselfe to be a Pag. 162. thought all eie from top to bottome and making his people in the meane time to be a blinde beetle euen stone-blinde that cannot see one steppe before them M. Robinson reproouing maister Bernard for alleadging the charge of Princes and Ecclesiasticall Gouernours together doth blame him herein as though hee laiâ—… a b Pag. 164. Corner stone of Babylon hereby now maister Iohnson yoaking these Ciuill and Ecclesiasticall officers together in this c Exposit of Mat. 8. Reu. 3. allegation also doth hereby incurre the same rebuke and is heereupon in his account a builder of Babylon as well as maister Bernard M. Robinson imputeth vnto maister Bernard the occasion of a strange and new kinde of d Answer to