JOHNSON (Samuel), an English divine, remarkable for his learning, and steadiness in suffering for the principles of the revolution in 1688. He was born in 1649; and, entering into orders, obtained in 1670 the rectory of Corringham in the hundreds of Essex, worth no more than £. 80 a-year; which was the only church-preference he ever had. The air of this place not agreeing with him, he was obliged to place a curate on the spot, at the expense of half his income, while he settled at London; a situation much more to his liking, as he had a strong propensity to politics. The times were turbulent: the duke of York declaring himself a Papist, his succession to the crown began to be warmly opposed; and Mr Johnson, who was naturally of no submissive temper, being made chaplain to lord William Russell, engaged the ecclesiastical champion for passive obedience Dr Hicks, in a treatise intitled Julian the apostate, &c. published in 1682. He was answered by Dr Hicks in a piece intitled Jovian, &c. To which he drew up, and printed, a reply, under the title of Julian's arts to undermine and extirpate Christianity, &c.; but by the advice of his friends suppressed the publication. For this unpublished work he was committed to prison; but not being able to procure a copy, the court prosecuted him for writing the first tract, condemned him to a fine of 500 marks, and to lie in prison until it was paid. By the assistance of Mr Hambden, who was his fellow-prisoner, he was enabled to run into farther troubles; for on the encampment of the army on
Hounslow-heath, in 1686, he printed and dispersed, An humble and hearty address to all the Protestants in the present army; for this he was sentenced to a second fine of 500 marks, to be degraded from the priesthood, to stand twice in the pillory, and to be whipped from Newgate to Tyburn. It happened luckily, that, in the degradation, they omitted to strip him of his cassock; which circumstance, slight as it may appear, rendered his degradation imperfect, and afterwards preserved his living to him. Intercession was made to get the whipping omitted; but James replied, "That since Mr Johnson had the spirit of martyrdom, it was fit he should suffer:" and he bore it with firmness, and even with alacrity. On the Revolution, the parliament resolved the proceedings against him to be null and illegal; and recommended him to the king, who offered him the rich deanery of Durham: but this he refused, as inadequate to his services and sufferings, which he thought to merit a bishopric. The truth was, he was passionate, self-opiniated, and turbulent; and though, through Dr Tillotson's means, he obtained a pension of 300 l. a-year, with other gratifications, he remained discontented; pouring forth all his uneasiness against a standing army, and the great favours shewn to the Dutch. He died in 1703, and his works were afterwards collected in one volume folio.