The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 3

VII. Historian Johnson-Rome (he “Seat and Center” of Beast

Historians add their bit as will be seen of EDWARD JOHNSON (1598-1672), early colonial chronicler, who was born in Herne Hill, Kent, England. In 1630 he emigrated from Kent to Massachusetts Bay Colony, bringing the dominant religious conceptions of England with him. In 1636 he settled in Charlestown, Massachusetts, during the midst of the antinomian controversies. Getting his theological bearings from Thomas Shepard, he found his perplexities over this issue vanishing. A man of property, in 1643 he became one of the founders of Woburn, and for thirty-two years identified himself with its public activities. He was entrusted with every office within the gift of his fellow townsmen-proprietor, clerk, selectman, captain of militia, deputy to the Cieneral Court, and inspector. He kept his head in the witchcraft excitement.” ⁵⁵ Johnson’s fame rests on the reliability of his realistic History o New-England (1628-52), begun in 1650, and commonly called Wonder-working Providence of Sions Saviour. It was a defense of New England and of God’s planting of His church here. This was his simple objective. But into this also were wrought his views of prophecy. PFF3 92.1

1. LONGING FOR OVERTHROW OF MAN OF SIN

Historian Johnson looked upon Anglican ritualism as harking back to paganism. To deliver from this, he maintained that God had raised up a New England that the people might engage in “the service of the King of Kings.” ⁵⁶ He discusses the “time of Antichrists fall,” refers to Antichrist as “Babylon,” stresses the call to come out of her, ⁵⁷ and tells how she is to be burnt up root and branch. ⁵⁸ He states as a commonplace that “it hath been the longing expectation of many, to see that notable and wonderful 1 worke of the Lord Christ, in casting down that man of sin who hath held the whole world (of those that profess any Christ) under his Lordly power.” ⁵⁹ PFF3 92.2

2. ITALY THE SEAT AND CENTER OF BEAST

Early in his history Johnson utters these remarkable words: “Listen a while, hear what his herauld proclaimes, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, both her Doctrine & Lordly rabble of Popes, Cardinalls, Lordly-Bishops.” ⁶⁰ Then to Italy he exclaims pointedly, “Oh Italy! the Seat and Center of the Beast, Christ will pick out a People from among you for himself.” And to Spain he says, “Oh! Yee Spaniards and Portugalls, Christ will shew you all abominations of that beastly Whore, who hath made your Nations drunke with the Wine of her Fornication.” ⁶¹ Such is the ideology of prophecy and its very terms, employed by Historian Johnson. Whatever the vocation or religious persuasion, the language of prophecy was understood by all. PFF3 93.1