JOHNSON, 227' 
the Promotion of the Prince of Orange' in his Stead, was tied, The Clergyman’s Vade-mecum: containing, an Ac- 
according to the Confutation of the Engiilh Government, count of the ancient and prefent Church of England, 
and prefcribed by it.” This was written with much the Duties and Rights of the Clergy, and of their Privi- 
ftrength of reafon, but with an acrimony and rudenefs leges and Hardlhips, &c. ismo. This, book, whi.ch. firft 
towards thofe who held different opinions that gave great appeared in 1705 or 1706, was fo well received by the 
offence, and was apparently the caufe of a perfonal vio- public, particularly the clergy, that a fecond irnpreffion 
fence perpetrated upon him which nearly coft him his of it was called for in the year 1707; and, in 1709, the 
life. Seven ruffians broke into his houfe early one morn- author was encouraged to publifh a fccond volume, con¬ 
ing, affembled round his bed, and gave him a wound on taining The Canonical Codes of the Primitive, Univerfal, 
the Tread with a fword, with other injuries. One of Eaftern and Weftern Church, down to the Year of our 
them urged the reft to “ piftol him for the book he Lord 787, &c. In the preface to the laft-mentioned vo- 
wrote;” and, in conclufion,.they left him without rifting lume, the author firft advanced the notion of the eucna- 
the houfe. He was not a man, however, to be lilenced rift’s being juftly called a facrifice; which was cenfured 
by terror; and he continued to addrefs the public upon by Dr. Trimmell, biftrop of Norwich, in a charge/’eli- 
political topics. Notwithftanding his attachment to the vered to his clergy during the fame year, 
new government, he.found in its afts fufftcient ground of When Mr. Johnfon had removed to Appledore, he 
cenfure, which he freely uttered. He complained of the was for fome time well pleaied with his fitoation, parti- 
duration of parliaments, which he thought could not con- cularly as it enabled him to purfue his ftudies without 
ftitutionally be other than annual; and his jealoufy of interruption. In a few years, however, the marfhy air 
ftanding armies rendered him adverfe to the continental of the place brought a fevere illnefs on himfelf and his 
■wars which made them necelfary. If his oppofition was whole family, from the effect's of which he never entirely 
lharpened by perfonal difcontent, it cannot be faid that recovered. This made him defirous of removing from 
it betrayed him into inconfiftency with his original prin- Appledore as foon as an opportunity fhould offer; and 
ciples. He appeared laft as an author in 1697, when he the vicarage of Cranbrook becoming vacant in the year 
laboured under a gradual decline, which carried him off 1707, upon an application to his good patron the arch- 
El 1703. His'works, collected into one volume folio, bifhop, he was collated to it. In the year 1710 he pnb- 
were publidled in 1710, and were re-edited in 1713. Be- lidied, but without his name, a fmall treatife, entitled 
fides political trafls, they contain feveral pulpit-difcourfes. The propitiatory Obligation in the Holy Eucharift, Itrictly 
Mr. Johnfon, with great firmnefs of mind, and unremit- ftated from Scripture, Antiquity, and the Communion 
ting zeal, was free from all tinifture of enthufiafm. That Service of the Church of England; to which he added a 
he was regarded as of a turbulent and meddling difpo- poftfcript, in ailfwer to the cenfures in the bifhop of Nor- 
fition, was the natural confequence of the mode of con- wich’s charge, already mentioned. Though the author 
duft his temper and principles led him to purfue. endeavoured to lie concealed, the work was foon known 
JOHN'S ON (John), a learned divine of the church of to be his, and is faid to have loft him the favour of arch- 
England, was born at Friendlbury, near Rochester in bifhop Tenifon. In the year 1713, he publilhed, The 
Kent, of which place his father was vicar, in the year unbloody Sacrifice and Altar unveiled and fupported : in 
s66z. Being ordained prieft in i 6 ' 26 , he was collated" by which the Nature of the Eucharift is explained according 
archbilhop Bancroft to the vicarages of Bofton l'ubtus le to the Sentiments .of the Chriftian Church in the four 
Bleyne, and Hearn-hill, near Canterbury. After the re- firft Centuries; proving that the Eucharift is a proper 
solution in 1688, he was one of the clergy who complied material Sacrifice, &c. This piece made a great noife in • 
tvith the new order of things, and preached a fermon in the world, and gave rife to much difcuffion among the 
favdur of it at Feverfham ; and another, in the fame fpi- Engiilh clergy. By many he was reprefented to advance 
rit, in the cathedral of Canterbury, againft hypocrify, notions favouring the corporal prefence, and facrifice of 
which gave offence to fome of the prebendaries, and oc- the mafs, while he confidered the Church of England as 
cafioned a fort of inhibition of that pulpit. In the year deficient in the adminiftration of the facrament; and we 
*689, he entered into the marriage iiate. In the year do not think that all his learning and ingenuity, with 
1694, as a reply to Wharton’s Defence of Pluralities, he thofe of his followers from that time to the prefent day, 
'publilhed The Cafe of Pluralities and Non-refiderice have been able to juftify his opinions againft the charge 
rightly ftated 5 which was written with great ability and of fuch a tendency. In this treatife the author paid a 
fpiritj and is faid to have been fo acceptable to queen Angular deference to the opinion of Dr. Hickes; and by 
Mary, that, had (he lived much longer, the author would his attachment to that gentleman he was led, not only to 
have received fome mark of her favour. It gave great concur with him in his theological, but alfo in his political, 
offence, however, to fome of the clergy; but he behaved notions, and to entertain unfavourable thoughts of the 
himfelf fo prudently under their reproaches, that he fe- proteftant fucceftion, for which he had been zealous at 
cured the good opinion and efteem of archbilhop Tenifon. the reformation. He even ventured to deny t!ie king’s- 
That prelate, in the year 1697, upon a vacancy taking fupremacy, and to refufe reading the prayers enjoined, on 
place in the large cure of St. John in the ille of Thanet, the acceffion of king George I. in 1715. This conduct 
to which Margate belongs, could think of no perfon in occafioned a complaint to be lodged againft him before 
his diocefe fo proper to fill it as Mr. Johnfon, and there- Dr. Green, archdeacon of Canterbury, who was his old 
fore prevailed upon him to undertake it. As the bene- and indulgent friend. When fummoned before him, 
ftce, however, was but fmall, for his further encourage- Mr. Johnfon endeavoured to defend himfelf by ftating it 
•snent he prefented him to the vicarage of Appledore, on to be his opinion, that every clergyman was left to his 
the borders of Romney-marlh. He went to rcfide at own difcretion, whether he would ufe that form or not; 
Appledore in the year 1703. While he was at Apple- . and, as Dr. Tenifon died about this time, the profecution 
dore, he publilhed a piece intended to vindicate the was dropped out of tendernefs. This gave confidence 
tranfiation of the Pfalter in the Liturgy of the Church of to Mr. Johnfon and his friends, who, out of their zeal for 
England, againft the exceptions of Mr. Baxter and others, promoting their caufe, circulated manufcript copies of 
entitled Holy David and his old Englilh Tranftators his defence, and at length printed it, with the title of 
cleared, &c. which, though highly commended by Dr. “ The Cafe of a Reftor’s refilling to preach a Vifitafiom 
Hickes, has not been confidered by able judges to afford Sermon at the Archdeacon’s Command.” The publi- 
latisfaftory evidence of the accuracy of his acquaintance cation of this piece was certainly no very grateful:return 
with the Hebrew language. At the fame place he com- for the lenity which Dr. Gfeen had Ihow.n. towards. tha 
pleted, and publilhed, without his name, the firft volume author, and determined the doctor’s fuccelfor. Dr. Bower,, 
of a work which difplayed confiderable Ikill in all ,the to commence anew the profecution of Mr. Johnfon. 
laws of the church, civil and ecclefiaftical : it was enti- But, with all Mr. Johnibn’s zeal, and his bold profeffion-s, 
4, wire a* 
* 
