LIVES OF THE PURITANS. Although Mr. Johnson was a learned and religious man, he was rigid in his principles and his people entertaining discordant sentiments, it was not long before they split into parties. That which first occasioned this dissention was 11/Ir. Johnson's marriage to a widow of competent fortune, whom his brother George Johnson and his father thought an improper match in those times of persecution. George Johnson represents her as addicted to luxurious living, excess of finery in dress, and a lover of ease. Frequent disputes, therefore, took place from 1594, the time of marriage, till about 1598, when George Johnson, his father, and some other members who adhered to them, were cut off from the church, chiefly on account of their behaviour in this affair. The greater part, among whom was Mr. Ainsworth,+ took part with Francis the pastor. Much reproach has, by various writers, been cast upon them on account of this, censure.t. The excommunication of a brother and an aged father, appears an harsh and unnatural proceeding : however, the grounds, circumstances, and ends of it, should be examined before we condemn what was done. Most probably the censure was by the suffrage of the church, and appeared to a majority of its members, to be according to the will of God ; and, therefore, they preferred the will of God, more than any natural affection, and regarded the spiritual welfare of those whom they cast out, more than any temporal ease or advantage. Mr. Johnson, says, " Those whomwe have cast out, it hath been partly for revolting from the truth, to the corruptions of other churches, and partly for other sins."§ And Mr. Ainsworth says, 66 That George Johnson and his father were cast out for lying, slandering and contention."II Mr. Neal confounds this unhappy controversy with another which happened many years afterwards, between Mr. Johnson and Mr. Ainsworth, about matters of dis- cipline.s Mr. Johnson placed the government of the church in the eldership alone ; Ainsworth in the whole church, ofwhich,the elders are a part. Theevent, accord- * Bishop Hall charges him with saying, " That the ministry and worship Of the church of England 'were taken out of the whore's cup. He styles our church, the daughter of Babylon, the mother of whoredoms and abominations ; and says, that the constitution, worship, and govern- ment, are directly antichristian."-Apologie against Brownists, p. '742. Edit. 1614. + See Art. Ainsworth. l Bailie's Dissuasive, p. 15. § Ibid. p. 37. II Life of Ainsworth, p. 30. 4 Neal's Hist. of Puritans, vol. ii. p. 44, 45.
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