THE NEW S(
^IIAFF-TIERZOG
Presbyterian theory of Thomas C'artwright (q.\ .), that such control should be vested in a Ixi.iid of elders. Brow-ne's plan had included elders among church officers, but only meaning that such men, representing the " most forwarde in gifte," should do substantially the work of the church (or standing) committee in modern Congregationalism, A\ ithout dominating the church. Upon the Barrowist theory the elders were to rule. Tt offered a compromise, of which the Congregationalism was to promote reform of belief and life, while the Presbyterianism was to pre\-ent such errors as that which had ruined Browne's church at Middelburg. But the danger that the elders might assume excessive authoritj' was overlooked. This Barrowist system met with some approval.
There are proofs of the existence of a Barrowist church in London in l.'i92, which had existed informally since 15S9, or even 15S7, of which Francis Johnson (q.v.) became pastor in 1592. John Greenwood — probably at large on bail at his election— was chosen its " teacher." This, too, was
persecuted sharply and part of it es- 4. Johnson caped to Holland during that year, and Ains- The remainder, including the pastor, worth. remained imprisoned in London until
1597j but then the church was reunited at Anrsterdam, Henry Ainsworth (q.v.) succeeding Greenwood as " teacher." Although at first harmonious, later it was rent by divisions, of which the gravest was due to the determination of the pastor and one or two elders to exalt the elders in authority above the other members. Practically it became a Presbyterian church, and of an exaggerated type. By 16LS, when Johnson died, it was nearly extinct. In 1610 many members, under Ainsworth, withdrew, were given the church property by the courts, and thenceforth continued as a separate church and practised a more modest theory of the eldership, although still magnifying it, until Ainsworth's death in 1622 or 1623.
In 1602 a Congregational church was formed at Gainsborough, England. It was identified with John Smyth (q.v.), who became its pastor in 1606. He agreed with Browne rather than Barrowe, although emphasizing the fellowship of the churches less than Browne. This church also underwent persecution almost at once, and in 1606 it emigrated under Smyth's leadership to Amsterdam. But it had included members from a distance,
some of whom did not accompany 5. The Q£ ^jjggg number lived in, or
Cong-rega- village of Scrooby, Notting-
tion. hamshire, and they formed there, in
1606, the church which later became that of the Mayflower and of the Plymouth Colony in America. At that date one of them, William Brewster (q.v.), was bailiff of the archbishop of York and a royal postmaster, and occupied the Scrooby Palace, or Manor-house, which belonged to the see of York. Doubtless the church was formed in the chapel of the palace, and the manner of its organization is recorded (J. Murton, Description, etc., London?, 1G20, p. 169). Probably its original pastor waJ Richard Clifton (q.v.), formerly rector
of Bal >\\ orth (7 m. s.e.), and the famous John Robinson (q.v.) apparently was its " teacher," and certainly was its pastor afterward. Another member was William Bradford, who became the governor of the Plymouth Colony for many years and its first historian. His grapliic narrative portrays touchingly the oppression of the church by the government and its flight to Amsterdam in 1608.
Thus there were then three professedly Congregational churches in Amsterdam. The first was Francis Johnson's, called the Ancient Church because the oldest, which became practically Presbyterian. The second was Smyth's, which, because of his personal peculiarities, repeatedly dissolved and reorganized itself and soon disappeared. Neither afforded an example of true Congregationalism. The third was the Pilgrim 6. The church, under Robinson. This lived Pilgrim harmoniously but, after a year, in *^^in'^'^ order to avoid involvement in the Holland, troubles of the others, it removed to Leyden. There it remained eleven years. It was distinctly Congregational. Although it retained the eldership, its elders were merely leaders among equals, and had little authority, excepting that of high character and ability. The church was not precisely like a modern Congregational church, but the differences were slight and did not relate to essentials.
Ecclesiastically it was peaceful and prosperous, but its members suffered severely from the inevitable hardships of their life in a:;foreign land. Finally, appreciating the impossijpility of attracting other English people in stifficient mmabers and fearing absorption into the Dutch commimity, hoping for greater material prosperity elsewhere, distrusting the influence of Dutch 1' rationTo ®^^™Pl® upon its young people, dread- America the renewal of the Dutch war with Spain, and animated by an earnest missionary spirit, the Pilgrim church resolved to emigrate again, and this time to America. In the end a part, including Robinson, remained, intending to follow as soon as possible. The others, including Brewster and Bradford, sailed from Delfshaven on July 22 (Aug. 1), 1620, and after various detentions left Plymouth, England, on Sept. 6 (16) and reached Cape Cod, Mass., on Nov 11 (21) and the site of the future Plymouth on Dec. 11 (21).
^ In 1616Henry Jacob organizedinSouthwark, London, the earliest of the surviving English churches (see Baptists, I., 2, § 1), and in 1621, also in Southwark, another church was formed by a Mr. Hubbard. Allusions also occur in the corporation records of Yarmouth in 1630 to aBrownist church there, consisting chiefly of persons recently returned from Holland. But Congregationalism made 8. Congre- noteworthy progress in England sa^sts^u another ten years. Then history England to repeated itself. In the days of Laud 1660. many Puritans had exiled themselves to the Continent because of the popish ceremonies in the State Church, the silencing and suspension of devout ministers, ami the persecution of all who disputed the demands of the ecclesiastical