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N  THE  CUSTODY  OF  THE 

BOSTON     PUBLIC   LIBRARY. 


SHELF    N° 

ADAMS 


\ 


I 


A 

R       E       V       I       E       W 

OF      THE 
LIFE,    CHARACTER    and  WRITINGS 

OF      THE 

Rev.    JOHN   B  I  D  D  L  £,    M.  A. 

WHO  WAS   BANISHED  TO  THE   ISLE   OF  SCILIiT,IN  THE 
PROTECTORATE   OF   OLIVER  CROMWELL. 

By    J  Q  S  II  U  A    TOULMIN,    A.M. 


Others  had  trial  of  cruel  mocking*  and  fcourgings  j  yea, 
moreover  cf  bonds  and  imprifonment  :.  of  *vjho7n  tbe 
'world  ixas  not  worthy. 


LONDON: 

printed  for    j.  johnson,    bookseller,    n°.  72, 
st.  Paul's  church-yard. 


MDCCLXXXIX. 


ADAMS 


\* 


PREFACE. 


THE  chara&er  brought  forward 
in  the  following  Memoirs  was> 
more  than  an  hundred  years  ago,  a 
chara&er  of  celebrity,  at  home  and 
abroad.  The  queftions  concerning 
the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  that  have 
been  lately  agitated,  properly  render 
it  an  object  of  curiofity  to  the  prefent 
age  ;  for  Mr.  Biddle  wras  the  Father  of 
the  Eng/i/Jj  Unitarians. 

But  his  hiftory  is  a  more  important 
fubject  of  attention,  on  account  of  the 
fevere  perfecutions  he  fuftained,  and 
the  amiable,  venerable  piety  he  ex- 
emplified.     Memoirs  of  fuch  as  have 

difplayed 


IV  P    R     E     F     A    C    E. 

difplayed  lingular  virtues,  and  ftp- 
ported  lingular  fufferings,  for  what 
they  deemed  divine  truth,  will  al- 
ways be  ufeful  ;  to  fhew  the  power  of 
religious  principle,  and  to  convince 
men,  that  true  piety  is-  not  peculiar 
to  thofe  who  embrace  a  particular 
Creedj  but  the  genuine  fruit  of  thole 
principles,  which  are  common  to  all 
Chriftiansn 

From  thefe  views  is  the  Author 
induced  to  lay  bcf» »re  the  public  the 
life  of  Mr.  BlDpLE,  which  he  pre- 
sumes cannot  iail  to  prove,  to  the 
candid  and  ferious  mind,  inftruclive 
and  edifying.  To  the  attention  of 
fuch,  and  to  the  blefling  of  God,  he 
would  humbly  commend  it. 

Taimton,  March  22,  1789. 


R        1         V        1        E       \Y 


O  f 


riHGi 


1     M    t 


fOHN    BIDDLE,    A.   I 


I  N     I. 

,    and    Firfi    Settle* 

mty  of   Mr.   John-  Bidule. 

EXCELLENC1    and  merit  of  charac- 
ter  are  independent  of  the  circum- 
:  and  |  lace  :  yet  the  mind  is 
itified  by  the  information*    that  ran  be 
,  cone'  mily  and   birth 

of  fuch  as  have  diftinguifhed  themfelves  by 
their  virtues,  or  gained  in  any  walk  of  life 
peculiar  reputation. 

B  The 


-    c  *  ) 

The  good  man,  whole  charaftef  and 
writings  will  be  reviewed  in  the  following 
pages,  derived  no  luftre  from  the  honours 
of  his  defcent;  nor  can  his  family  be  traced 
back  beyond  the  name  and  rank  of  his  im- 
mediate progenitor.  He  was  the  ion  of 
Mr.  Edward  Biddle,  a  woollen  draper,  at 
Wotton-under-edge,  in  the  county  of  Glou- 
cefter  \  a  perfon  whofe  circumftances  were 
not  affluent,  but  who  fupported  his  family 
with  virtuous  reputation,  and  a  credit  rather 
above  his  rank.  His  fon,  Mr.  John  Bid- 
die,  the  fubjecl  of  thefe  memoirs,  was  born 
in  that  town,  in  the  year  1615. 

He  received  his  claflical  education  at  the 
free-fchool,  in  the  fame  place.  He  was 
not  ten  years  of  age,  when  his  promifing 
abilities,  and  the  opening  bloflbms  of  genius 
and  probity,  drew  on  him  the  notice  of  his 
neighbours,  and  fpread  his  fame  through 
the  country.  George,  lord  Berkley,  who 
was  a  munificent  patron  of  genius  and 
learning,  conferred  on  him,  amongft  other 
fchohrs,*  an  exhibition  of  ten  pounds  per 
annum  5  but  with  this  mark  of  diftinclion, 

that 


(     3     ) 

that  he  beftowed  it  on  the  young  Biddle  at 
a  more  early  period  than  he  was  accuilom- 
ed  to  grant  this  donation. 

Our  youth,  animated  by  this  encourage- 
ment, purfued  his  ftudies  with  new  vigour. 
His  emulation  was  kindled  ;  fo  that,  with 
eafe,  he  not  only  furpalTed  his  fchool-fellows 
of  the  fame  rank ;  u  but,  in  time,  out-ran 
his  inftructions,  and  became  tutor  to  him- 
fclf." 

In  this  period  of  his  life,  he  gave  feveral 
particular  fpecimens  of  the  pregnancy  of 
his  parts,  and  his  proficiency  in  learning. 
On  the  death  of  a  fchool-fellow  of  high 
rank,  he  compofed  an  elaborate  oration  in 
Latin,  which  he  recited  before  a  full  audi- 
tory. He  alfo  tranflated  into  Englifh  verfe, 
the  Eclogues  of  Virgil,  and  the  two  firft 
Satires  of  Juvenal.  We  are  led  to  enter- 
tain an  high  opinion  of  the  execution  of 
thefe  juvenile  performances,  from  thiscir- 
cumftance,  that  they  were  afterwards  print- 
ed at  London  in  1634,  with  the  approba- 
tion of  fome  learned  men  ;  and  dedicated 
B  2  to 


(     4     ) 

to  John  Smith,    Efq.    of    Nibley-,    in    the 
county  of  Gloucefter. 

But  notwithstanding  the  rapid  and  Angu- 
lar progrefs  which  he  made  in  claflical 
learning,  he  was  through  different  caufes, 
detained  at  fchool  till  he  was  about  feven- 
teen  years  of  age.  In  1632  he  was  fent  to 
the  univerfityof  Oxford,  and  was  admitted 
a  ftudent  in  Magdalen  Hail.  Here  he  pro- 
fecuted  his  iludies  with  great  affiduity  and 
increafing  fame  :  and  was  efteemed  as  doing 
honour  to  that  feminary.  It  feems,  that  he 
now  discovered  not  only  a  brilliancy  of 
parts,  but  a  peculiar  liberality  and  inde- 
pendence of  mind  3  for  we  are  told,  "  he 
did  fo  philofophize,  that  it  might  be  ob- 
ferved,  he  was  determined  more  by  rea- 
fon,  than  authority  :  however,  in  divine 
"  things  he  did  not  difTent  much  from  the 
cc  common  doctrine."  Of  this,  it  feems, 
that  a  little  piece  he  wrote  againft  dancing 
furniihed  proof. 

On  the  23d  of  June,  1638,  he  took  the 
degree  of  Batchelor  of  Arts  ;  and  with  re- 
putation,  both  for  learning  and  prudence, 

filled 


(     5     ) 

filled  the  poft  of  a  tutor  in  the  Univerfity. 
On  the  20th  of  May,   1641,  the  degree  of 
Mailer  of  Arts  was  conferred  upon   him 
with  great  applaufe.     Before  this  he  had  re- 
ceived an  invitation  to  be  mailer  of  the 
fchool  in  his  native  town,  which  he  declin- 
ed.    But  the   reputation,    which  procured 
this  offer,  directed  the  views  cf  the  magi- 
strates of  Gloucefter  to  him  :  as  his  having 
refufed  it,  left  him  free  to  attend  to  other 
overtures.      In    1641,    in   confequence  of 
ample  recommendations,  from  the  princi- 
pal perfons  in  the  Univerfity,  he  was  elect- 
ed mailer  of  the  free-fchcol  of  Crifps^  in 
the  city  of  Gloucefter,     This  choice  was  ac- 
companied with  earned  importunities.    He 
accepted   the  invitation,  and  on  his  going 
to  fettle  in  this  poll,  he  was  met  at  his  ap- 
proach to  the  city,  by  the  magiflrates,  and 
was  received  with    honourable  expreffions 
of  joy  and  refpecl. 

In  this  department  he  anfwered  the  ex- 
pectations which  had  been  formed  of  him. 
His  (kill   and    faithfulriefs    were   eminent. 
They,  who  could  commit  their  fons  to  his 
B   3  tuition, 


(     6     ) 

tuition,  congratulated  themfelves  on  thmv 
felicity.  Hence,  though  the  fixed  falary 
was  not  great,  the  gratuities  of  parents 
made  the  emoluments  of  it  confiderable. 


SECTION 


i 


(     7     ) 


SECTION     II. 

The  Freedom  of  his   Religious  Enquiries. 

THE  circumftances  of  Mr.  Biddle** 
fituation  were  truly  inviting,  and 
opened  to  him  a  pleafing  profpcct  of  ufe- 
fulnefs  and  felicity.  But  his  happinefs  in 
it  was  of  fhort  continuance.  The  love  of 
money  had  not  corrupted  his  mind  :  nor 
could  the  views  of  intereft  divert  his  atten- 
tion from  objects  of  a  different  nature. 
That  freedom  of  enquiry  which  he  had  dis- 
covered in  his  philofophical  and  academical 
ftudieSj  was  now  directed  to  the  fubjetts  of 
religion.  fc  Having  laid  afide  the  impedi- 
"  merits  of  prejudice,  he  gave  himfelf  li- 
<c  bcrt/,  we  are  told,  to  try  all  things,  that 
"  he  might  hold  faft  that  which  is  good.'* 

To  adopt  the  obfervations  of  a  great 
writer,  as  pertinent  here,  as  they  are  juft 
in  themfelves.  cc  Since  the  underftandings 
of  men  are  (imilar  to  one  another,  (at  leaft 

B  4  fo 


(     8     ) 

io  much,  as  that  no  pcrfon  can  ferioufly 
maintain  that  two  and  two  makejfov;)  did 
they  actually  read  only  the  fame,  things, 
and  had  they  no  previous  knowledge  to 
miflead  them,  they  could  not  bur  draw  the 
fame  general  conciufiens  from  the  fame  ex- 
preffions.  But  one  man  having  formed  an 
hypothecs  from  reading  the  fcriptures,  ano- 
ther, who  follows  him,  ftudies  that  hypo- 
thefis,  and  refines  upon  it,  and  another 
again  refines  upon  him  -,  till  in  time,  the 
fcriptures  themfclves  are  little  read  by  any 
of  them  :  and  are  never  looked  into  but 
with  minds  prepoifeffed  with  the  notions,  of 
others  concerning  them.  At  the  fame  time 
feveral  other  original  readers  and  thinkers, 
having  formed  as  many  other  hypothefes, 
each  of  them  a  little  different  from  all  the 
reft,  and  all  of  them  being  improved  upon 
by  a  fuccefTion  of  partifans,  each  of  whom 
contributes  to  widen  the  difference  -y  at  laft 
no  religions  whatever,  the  fftoft  diftindt  ori- 
ginaly,  are  more  different  from  one  ano- 
ther, than  the  various  forms  of  one  and  the 
fame  religion. 

"  To 


(    9    > 

cc  To  remedy  this  inconvenience,  we 
mnft  go  back  to  fir  ft  principles.  We  muft 
begin  again,  each  of  us  carefully  ftudying 
the  fcriptures  for  ourfelves,  without  the 
help  of  commentators,  comparing  one  part 
with  another.  And  when  our  minds  mall, 
by  this  means,  have  been  expoied  to  the 
fame  influences,  we  mail  think  and  feel  in 
the  fame  manner. 

lt  Were  it  po.Tible  for  a  number  of  per-* 
fons  to  make  but  an  efiay  towards  comply- 
ing with  this  advice,  by  confining  them- 
felves  for  the  compafs  of  a  fingle  year,  to 
the  daily  reading  of  the  fcriptures,  without 
any  other  religious  books  whatever,  I  am 
perfuaded,  that,  notwithstanding  their  pre- 
vious differences,  they  would  think  much 
better  of  one  another  than  they  had  done 
before.  They  would  all  have  more  nearly 
the  fame  general  ideas  of  the  contents,  and 
of  the  chief  articles  of  chriftian  faith  and 
duty.  By  reading  the  whole  themfelv.s, 
they  could  hardly  avoid  receiving  the  deep- 
eft  impreilions  of  the  certainty,  and  impor- 
tance of  the  great  and  leading  principle} r; 
B  5  thofe 


thofe  which  they  would  find  moil  frequently 
and  earneftly  inculcated  :  and  their  parti- 
cular opinions  having  come  lefs  frequently 
in  view,  would  be  lefs  obftinately  retained. 
It  was  in  this  manner,  I  can  truly  fay,  that 
I  formed  the  moft  diftinguifhing  of  my  opi- 
nions in  religion  *.** 

In  this  manner  it  appears,  that  Mr.  Biddle 
formed  thofe  fentiments,  by  which  he  was 
afterwards  diflinguifhed.  He  gave  the 
Holy  Scriptures  a  diligent  reading  :  and 
made  ufe  of  no  other  rule  to  determine 
con  trove  rfies  about  religion,  than  the  Jcrip- 
tures  5  and  of  no  other  authentic  interpreter \ 
if  a  fcruple  arofe,  concerning  the  fenfe  of 
the  fcriptures,  than  re  of  on  f. 

This  method  of  fettling  the  mind  on 
points  of  religious  enquiry,  he  ftrongly  re- 
commended to  others.  Cf  If  thou,  Chriftiaa 
reader,  dofl  from  thy  heart  afpire  to  the 
knowledge  of  God,  and  his  fon  Jefus 
Chrift,  wherein,  as  Chrifb  himfelf  teflifieth^ 

*  Priestley's  Confederations  on  differences  of  Opi- 
nion in  Religion,  p.   25,   26. 

f  Life,  p.  4.  and  TefHmonies,  p.  82.   12 mo. 

eternal 


(   n   ) 

eternal  life  doth  confiiL  John  17.  3.  fetch 
not  the  beginning  thereof  either  from  So- 
cinus  (a  man  other  wife  of  great  under- 
Handing  in  the  myftery  of  the  Gofpel)  nor 
from  his  adverfaries ;  but  being  mindful 
of  thofe  words,  Luke  x.  22.  None  knoweth 
tvbo  the  Son  is  but  the  Father -y  and  who 
the  Father  is,  but  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom 
the  Son  will  reveal  him  :  lay  afide,  for  a 
while,  controverfial  writings,  together  with 
thofe  prejudicate  opinions  that  have  been 
inftilled  into  thine  unwary  understanding, 
and  clofely  applying  thyfelf  to  the  fearch 
of  the  New  Covenant,  moil  ardently  im- 
plore the  grace  of  Chrift,  that  he  would 
be  pleafed  to  manifeit  himfelf  and  the 
Father  to  thee  ;  and  make  no  doubt  but 
the  true  light  will  at  length  illuminate  the 
eyes  of  thy  mind,  that  thou  may  eft  walk 
in  the  way  that  leadexh  unto  life  *." 

So  faithfully  did  Mr.  Biddle  himfelf  pur- 
fue  this  plan  of  inyeftigating  divine  .truth, 
that  he  derived  all  his  learning  in  matters 

*  See  preface  to  aDifcourfe  concerning  the  peace 
and  concord  of  the  church,  p.  2,  3,  4, 

B  6  of 


(       «       ) 

of  religion  from  the  alTiduous  tody  of  the 
fcriptures,  efpecially  of  the  New  Tefta- 
mentj  with  which  he  was  fo  eonverfant, 
that  he  retained  it  all  in  his  memory  ver- 
batim5  not  only  in  Englifh  but  in  Greek; 
as  far  as  the  fourth  chapter  of  the  Revela- 
tions. The  natural  confequence  and  ad- 
vantage of  this  perfect  and  exact  knowledge 
of  the  New  Teftament,  it  is  obvious,  muft 
have  been  a  comprehenfive  view  of  its 
contents,  a  familiar  acquaintance  with  its 
language  and  phrafeology,  fo  as  readily  to 
compare  it  together  as  it  occurred  to  his 
recollection  from  different  places,  and  a 
command  of  the  full  connexion  in  which 
any  paffage  ftands* 

It  alfo  appears,  that  when  he  firfl  began 
to  purfue  religious  enquiries,  and  to  form 
his  fentiments  for  himfelf,  he  did  not,  as 
many  have,  immediately  read  the  firfl  writers 
of  the  Chriftian  Church.  For,  in  a  piece 
he  afterwards  published,  having  quoted  forne 
paffages  from  Eufebius,  he  adds,  "  How 
plainjy  now  doth  Eufebius,  by  the  paffages 
cited  out  of  him,  give  atteflation  to  what 

I  hold 


(    u    ) 

I  hold  touching  the  nature  of  the  Ho.y 
Spirit,  lb  that  one  would  think  I  learned  it 
from  him  -,  whereas  I  knew  not  either  of 
his  book,  or  of  what  was  delivered  therein, 
a  great  while  after  I  had  delivered  my 
opinion*." 

The  tract  where  he  thus  express  him- 
felf,  (hews  indeed,  that  he  afterwards  care- 
fully examined  the  fathers,  to  afcertain 
their  fentiments  concerning;  the  One  God: 
but  it  like  wife  proves,  that  he  had  a  low 
opinion  of  their  judgment,  or  of  the  weight 
of  their  teftimony,  which  he  ufed  merely  as 
an  argument um  ad  beminem. 

It  may  be  alledged,  as  a  clear  proof  of 
the  independence  of  Mr.  Biddies  mind, 
and  of  his  freedom  from  the  influence  of 
human  authority,  that  lie  had  read  no  So- 
cinian  writer  when  he  fettled  his  judgment 
concerning  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity; 
though  he  afterwards  looked  into  the  Polijh 
writers  of  that  clafs. 

*  The  Teflimonies,  p.  7.  or  the  fame  in   Uni- 
tarian Tra&s,  v.  1,  p.  27. 

it 


(      14     ) 

It  is  remarkable,  that  alio  the  candid  and 
excellent  Dr.  Lardner,  who  amongft  the 
writers  of  this  century,  takes  a  lead  on  the 
Unitarian  fide,  declares  the  fame  of  himfelf. 
u  I  mull  acknowledge  that  I  have  not  been 
greatly  converfant  with  the  writers  of  that 
denomination,  (i.  e.  the  Socinians.)  I 
have  never  read  Crellius  de  imo  Deo  Patre : 
though  I  believe  it  to  be  a  very  good  book. 
There  is  alfo  in  our  own  language  a  collec- 
tion of  Unitarian  Tracts  in  two  or  three 
quartos.  But  I  am  not  acquainted  with  it. 
Nor  can  I  remember  that  I  ever  looked  into 
it.  I  have  formed  my  fentiments  upon 
the  fcriptures,  and  by  reading  fuch  com- 
mentators, chiefly,  as  are  in  the  befl  re- 
pute. I  may  add,  that  the  reading  of  the 
antient  writers  of  the  church  has  been  of  ufe 
to  confirm  me,  and  to  aflift  me  in  clearing 

o 

difficulties*." 

Whether 

*  A  Letter  on  the  Logos,  written  in  the  year 
J73°>  P-  55-  Since  the  above  was  drawn  up,  the 
author  has  received  a  letter  from  a  learned  and  ju- 
dicious correfpondent,    a  Minifter  of  an  Unitarian 

Society 


(     »5     ) 

Whether  thefe  eminent  and  able  perfons, 
Blddle  and  hardner^  attained  to  the  know- 
ledge of  the  truth,,  every  one  mud  judge 
for  himfelf.  But  this  is  certain,  a  method 
more  proper  in  itfelf,  or  more  promifing 
of  fuccefs,  could  not  be  adopted,  than  a 
diligent  application  to  the  only  authoritative 
iburce  of  true  information  on  the  fubjeel:  of 
their  enquiry. 

To  return  to  Mr.  Biddle.  The  temper, 
with  which  he  profecuted  his  enquiries,  was 
fuitable  to  the  nature  and  importance  of 
his  refearches. 

Society  amongft  the  Bnftijh  in  Holland,  who  fays 
the  fame  of  himfelf.  <(  I  was  in  the  fame  cafe  with 
Dr.  Lardner,  and  could  ufe  his  words.  (See  Lind- 
sey's  T-ivo  DiJJ:r  tat  ions,  p.  48./  To  this  time,  I 
never  had  read  Socinus  or  Socinian  writers,  before 
the  works  of  Lindfey,  by  which  ray  own  fentiments 
are  enlarged.  I  read,  before  the  year  1775,,  no 
commentators,  no  antient  writers  of  the  church. 
A  year's  ftudying  the  Old  and  New  Teftament  led 
me  into  the  way  of  truth.  My  honoured  matter 
was  an  Arian,  rather  Clarkian.  More  than  one  of 
my  friends,  after  my  example,  found  the  truth  by 
reading  alone  the  fcriptures." 

As 


(     i6     ) 

As  the  lucrative  profpedb  of  his  fitua- 
tion  did  not  feduce  him  into  an  indifference 
to  the  knowledge  of  divine  truth ;  ib,  we 
are  told,  that  he  was  influenced  in  his  pur- 
fuit  of  it,  not  by  a  vain  curiofity,  but  by 
"  the  love  of  Chrift,  who  is  truth  and  life." 
His  diligent  reading  of  the  fcriptures  was 
accompanied  with  fervent  prayers  for  the 
divine  illumination.  The  manner  and  ftrain 
of  his  addrefs,  prefixed  to  his  Twelve  Ar- 
guments,  is  a  fpecimen  and  proof  of  that 
ferious  fpirit  which  he  pofftrTed ;  and  of 
the  pious  convictions  under  which  his  re- 
fearches  were  conducted. 

"  Chriilian  reader,  I  befeech  thee,"  he 
writes,  cc  as  thou  tendered  thy  falvation,  that 
thou  wouldft  thoroughly  examine  the  fol- 
lowing deputation  in  the  fear  of  God,  con- 
fidering  how  much  his  glory  is  concerned 
therein*." 

Thefe  arguments  were  not  offered  to  the 
public  with  a  decifive  tone,  and  as  the 
refult  of  a  fixed  determination  on  the  point, 

*  Twelve  Arguments.  The  preface,  or  Unitarian 
Tracts,  v.  I.  p.  16. 

which 


(     17     ) 

which  is  difeufied  in  them  ;  bm  with  the 
avowed  defign  of  calling  forth  fo:ne  able 
and  learned  perfons  to  inveftigate  the 
queftion,  and  reibive  his  doubts. 

(C  The  author,"  he  fays,  "  hath  a  long 
time  waited  upon  learned  men,  for  a  fatis- 
factory  aniwer  to  thele  arguments;  but  hath 
received  none.  His  hopes  are,  that  the 
publishing  of  them  will  be  a  means  to  pro- 
duce it;  that  he  may  receive  iatisfaction, 
and  ethers  may  be  held  no  longer  in  fuf- 
penfe,  who  are  in  travail  with  an  earneft 
expectation  as  well  as  he*." 

Upon  Mr,  Biddle's  examination  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  it  appeared  to  him,  that 
the  common  doctrine  concerning  the  Tri- 
nity was  not  well  founded  in  revelation,, 
much  lefs  in  reafon.  Being  as  communi- 
cative of  his  fentiments,  when  occafion 
offered,  as  he  was  free  in  his  enquiries,  he 
fpake  of  his  doubts  without  referve,  and 
opened  his  realons  for  calling  the  truth  of 
that  doctrine  into  qlieftion.  This  difco- 
very   of    his    thoughts    foon    alarmed    the 

*   Xwclye  Arguments,  the  preface,  p.  4,  5. 

fearsa 


(    is    ) 

fears.,  and  inflamed  the  fpirits  of  fome 
zealots.  The  charge  of  herefy  was  raifed 
againft  him,  and  he  was  fummoned  before 
the  magiftrates  ;  to  whom  he  exhibited,  on 
the  point  about  which  he  was  accufed,  the 
following  Confeffion  of  Faith,  viz. 

i.  I  believe  that  there  is  but  one  infi- 
nite and  almishtv  eifence,  called  God. 

2.  I  believe,  that  as  there  is  but  one 
infinite  and  almighty  effence,  fo  there  is 
but  one  perfon  in  that  effence. 

3.  I  believe  that  our  Saviour  Jelus 
Chrift  is  truly  God,  by  being  truly,  really 
and  properly  united  to  the  only  perfon  of 
the  infinite  and  almighty  effence. 

This  confeffion  was  made  May  2,  1644, 
It  failed  of  giving  fatisfadlion  to  the  tna- 
g'Pcrates,  who  urged  him  to  be  more  ex- 
plicit concerning  the  plurality  of  perfons  in 
the  divine  effence.  Accordingly,  about 
four  days  after,  knowing  that  the  word 
Perfon ,  when  afcribed  to  the  Divine  Being, 
was  u fed  in  various  fenfes,  both  by  the 
antient  fathers  and  modern  writers,  he  con- 

feffedj 


(     *9     ) 

felled,    that  there  were  three  in  that  one 
divine  eiTence,  commonly  termed  perfons. 

"  By  this  it  appears,  obferves  the  author 
of  his  life,  that  how  diftinct  foever  might 
be  his  conceptions  concerning  the  Trinity, 
yet  he  was  not  determinate  enough  in  his 
expreffing  of  that  matter,  as  he  became  not 
long  after."  Mr.  Biddle's  fecond  con- 
feflion  was  indeed  clearly  contradictory  to 
the  firft  which  he  exhibited.  But  candor 
will  make  every  aJlowance  for  a  man,  pro- 
bably intimidated  by  the  profpect  of  a 
prifon;  whofe  mind  was  not  fully  made  up 
on  a  queftion  involved  in  the  intricacies  of 
icholaftic  controver fy,  and  whofe  holy  for- 
titude was  as  yet  in  the  firft  feeble  ftage  of 
its  exercife. 


SECTION 


(     *P     ) 


SECTION    III. 

His  Traft  entitled  twelve  Arguments* 

IN  whatever  darknefs  or  ambiguity  the 
language  of  Mr.  Biddle  was  involved> 
When  he  was  fummoned  a  fecond  time,  to 
make  a  confefiion  of  his  faith 5  it  reflects 
honour  on  his  fincerity  and  fortitude,  that, 
afterwards,  he  expreffed  himfelf  with  greater 
clearneis  and  precifion.  Inftead  of  debit- 
ing from  enquiries  which  had  already  threat- 
ened, nay  endangered,  his  fecurity  and 
peace,  he  relumed  them  with  new  vigour, 
and  with  a  ferious  fpirit  of  piety  and  earneft 
prayer  to  Almighty  God  for  his  affiitance, 
he  purfued  his  examination  of  the  fcriptures, 
on  the  point  in  difpute,  with  greater  atten- 
tion and  care, 

iC  A  love  of  facred  truth  is  hardly  con- 
fident with  an  abiblute  indifference  about! 
its  reception  in  the  world."  The  mind 
of  Mr/  Biddle,  it  appears,  was  as  acYve  to 

impart^ 


(       21       ) 

impart,  as  it  was  folic i tons  to  gain  the 
knowledge  of  divine  things.  His  refolu- 
tion  to  aver  and  communicate  his  concep- 
tions kept  pace  with  the  convictions  which 
he  obrained  on  the  points  he  investigated. 
For  as  he  proceeded  in  his  rcfearches,  he 
conferred  with  his  friends  on  the  fubjecT: 
and  refult  of  his  enquiries,  and  freely  open- 
ed his  mind  on  the  qutftions  concerning 
one  God  and  three  peribns. 

Amongil  other  communications,  that 
he  made  to  his  acquaintance  was  a  paper, 
entitled,  e-c  T-zvehe  Arguments  drawn  out  of 
die  fcripture,  wherein  the  commonly  re- 
ceived opinion  touching  the  Deity  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  clearly  and  fully  refuted." 
Thefe  arguments  were  drawn  up  in  the 
form  of  fo  many  fyllogifms,  and  each  was 
illuftrated  and  fupported  by  diftincT:  expla- 
nations and  reafonings. 

To  many,  who  with  the  author  do  not 
embrace  the  common  doctrine  of  the  Tri- 
nity, his  arguments  under  thofe  logical 
propofitions,  will  appear  to  reft  more  on 
the  found  of  words,  than  to  be  derived  from 

a  liberal 


(  «  ) 

a  liberal  interpretation  of  fcripture,  and  an 
enlarged  acquaintance  with  its  idioms  and 
language. 

They  all  proceed  on  this  principle,  and 
are  meant  to  eftablifh  it,  viz.  that  the  holy- 
Spirit  is  a  perfon  or  intelligent  Being.  The 
fame  opinion  of  the  diftinct  perfonality 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  has  been  advanced  and 
defended  by  considerable  writers  *,  who 
have  denied  his  Deity.  But  the  moft  full 
and  candid  view  of  the  language  of  fcrip- 
ture,  on  this  head,  has  been  given  us  by 
the  excellent  Dr.  Lardnerf. 

The  point  elucidated  and  argued  in  this 
tract  is,  cc  that  by  the  words,  the  Spirit, 
"  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  the  Spirit  of  the 
<c  Lord,   which  occur  in  the  Old   Tefta- 

*  See  Dr.  Scott's  Demonftration  of  the  Scrip- 
ture Doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  and  an  Appeal  to 
the  Common  Senfe  of  Chriftian  People. 

f  A  Letter  concerning  the  Logos,  written  in  the 
year  1730,  the  firft  poftfcript.  The  point  has  been 
very  lately  difcuffrd,  and  clofely  argued  in  an  in- 
genious little  tracl,  entitled,  "  The  Imperfonality 
of    the    H61y    Spirit,     Printed    for    John    Maffom, 

"  ment* 


(       23       ) 

xe  merit,  is  meant,  not  a  being  or  an  intejli- 
lc  gent  agent;  but  a  power,  a  gift,  a  favour, 
cc  a  blefTing :  and  that  by  the  phrafes,  the 
"  Spirit,   the  Holy  Spirit,   the   Holy  Ghcft, 
"  the  Spirit  of  God,   the  Spirit  cf  Truth, 
cc  the  Comforter,  in  the  New  Teftarr.ent,  is 
"  alio  meant  a  gift,  or  the  plentiful   ef- 
fc  fufion  of  miraculous  and  fpiritual  gifts." 
Were  it  not  to  incur  the  cenfure  of  do*- 
matifing  and  ufing  too  decifive  a  tone,  one 
would  be  tempted  to  pronounce  this  piece  of 
Dr.  Lardner's  fatisfaclory  and  unanfwerable. 
One  remark  of  the  great  author  deferves 
particular  attention,  and  carries  great  force 
with  it.     It  is  this :    "  That  there  is  not  in 
the  Acts  of  the  Apoftles,  or  in  any  other 
book  of  the  New  Teftament,  any  account 
of  the  appearance  and  manifcftation  of  a 
great  agent  or  perfon,  after  our   Saviour's 
afcenfion  ;  therefore  no  fuch  thing  was  pro- 
mifed  or  intended  by  our   Saviour,  or  ex- 
pected by  the  Ar  ofbles,  who  could  not  but 
know  his  meaning." 

This  fad:  feems  to  have  efcaped  the  atten- 
tion of  thole,  who  have  argued  for  the  per- 

fonality 


C      24     ) 

fonality  of  the  Holy  Spirit :  nor  have  they 
made  due  allowance  for  the  ftyle  of  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  in  which  it  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  perfonify  many  things,  to  which  we 
do  not  afcribe  intelligence.  In  this  view 
the  expreflions  concerning  charity,  fin  and 
death,  are  as  explicit  and  ftrong,  as  any 
that  are  applied  to  the  Holy  Spirit. 

As  to  our  Lord's  language  in  particular, 
it  is  on  this  point,  a  very  pertinent  and  i'en- 
fible  obfervation  of  a  great  writer  :  "  That 
it  is  lefs  extraordinary  that  the  figure  called 
personification,  mould  be  made  life  of  by 
him  here,  as  the  peculiar  prefence  of  the 
ipirit  of  God,  which  was  to  be  evidenced 
by  the  power  of  working  miracles,  was  to 
fucceed  in  the  place  of  a  real  perfon,  viz. 
himfelf,  and  to  be  to  them  what  he  himfelf 
had  been,  viz.  their  advocate,  comforter, 
and  guide  *." 

It  was,  it  mould  feem,  a  long  time,  be- 
fore the  idea  of  the  perfonality  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  became  a  fixed  opinion,  and  an  arti- 

*  Priestley's  Hifbry    of    the    Corruptions  of 
Chriftianity,  vol.  i.  part' 2.  §  7.  p»  88. 

•  Te 


(     H    ) 

cle  of  faith.  For,  as  it  is  modeftly  expref- 
fed  by  Dr.  Lar  drier,  on  a  review  of  the 
chriitian  writers  of  the  firfl  three  centuries, 
<f  it  is  probable,  that  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity,  which  is  now  commonly  received, 
and  which  is  fo  much  difliked  by  many, 
was  not  formed  all  at  once,  but  was  the 
work  of  feveral  ages  V 

To  return  to  Mr.  Riddles  tract.  To  it 
are  fubjoined  expofitions  of  fome  particular 
texts,  the  elucidation  of  which  is  connected 
with  the  q  u  eft  ions  di  feu  lied  in  the  Twelve 
Arguments.  It  may  be  ufcful,  and  accept- 
able, if  we  felecl  one  or  two  of  thefe  < 
pofitions. 

For  inflance,  i  John  5,  7.  And  thefe 
three  are  one,  Mr.  Biddle  waves  fpeaking 
of  the  fufpectednefs  of  the  text,  but  ob- 
ferves  :  <c  That  it  would  have  been  hard,  if 
not  impoflible,  (had  not  men  been  precor- 
rupted)  that  it  fhould  ever  come  into  any 
one's  head  to  imagine,  that  this  phrafe,  are 

*  The  fame,  p.  90.    and  LarJner's  Letter  on  the 
Logos*  p.  107. 

C  one. 


(     26     ) 

one,  did  fignify,  have  one  ejfence:  fince  fuch 
an  expofition  is  not  only  contrary  to  com- 
mon fenfe,  but  alio  to  other  places  of  fcrip- 
ture,  wherein  this  kind  of  fpeaking  perpe- 
tually fignifieth  an  union  in  confent  and 
agreement,  or  the  like,  but  never  an  union 
in  efience.  To  omit  other  facred  writers, 
this  very  Apoftle  in  his  Gofpel,  ch.  xvii. 
verfe^  ii,  21,  22,  23,  ufeth  this  fame  ex- 
prcfiion  iix  times,  intimating  no  other  but 
an  union  of  agreement :  yea,  in  verfe  8. 
of  this  very  chapter  in  his  epiftle,  he  ufeth  it 
in  the  fame  fenfe.  For  though  the  exprefiion 
varieth  fomewhat  in  trie  ordinary  Greek 
Tefcament,  in  that  the  prepofition  -  is  pre- 
fixed, (although  the  Complutenfian  Bible 
readeth  it,  us  t0  t\  s/<ro,  in  both  verfis)  yet 
is  the  fenfe  the  fame  -,  this  latter  being 
fpoken  after  the  Hebrew  idiom,  the  former 
according  to  the  ordinary  phrafe  :  for  con- 
firmation whereof  fee  Matt.  xix.  ver.  5 
and  6.  together  in  the  original.  Where- 
fore this  exprefTion  ought  to  be  rendered 
alike  in  both  verfes  ;  as  the  former  interpre- 
ters did  -it,  though  the  latter  interpreters  in 

v.  8. 


(     V    ) 

v.  5.  have  rendered  it  dgrftf  *»  one,  putting 
the  giois  inftead  of  the  tranflation  *.*' 

On   JJaiah  vi.   9,    10.    Mr.   Biddle  ob- 
ferves,     that   it    is   argued   that   the    Holy- 
Spirit  is  the  Lord ;  becaufe  on  comparing 
this  text  with  Acts  xxviii.   25,  26,  27.   that 
which  in  IJaiah  is  attributed  to  the  Lord,  is 
in   the  Afts  afcribed   to  the   Holy  Spirit. 
Which  kind  of  arguing,  though  it  be  very- 
frequent  with  them,  is  yet  very  frivolous  : 
r   at  this  rate,  he  adds,  I  may  alio  con- 
clude, that  becaufe   what  is  attributed  to 
the  Lordy    Exod.  xxxii.  n.    is   in   the   7th 
verfe  of  the  feme  chapter  afcribed  to  Mofes: 
therefore  Mofes  is  the  Lord,     And  becaufe 
what   is  attributed  to  the  Lord   in   IJaiah 
lxv.  1.  is  in  the  xth  of  Romans,  verfe  20. 
afcribed  to  IJaiah  ±  therefore  IJaiah  is  the 
Lord,     And  becaufe  what  i>  attributed  to 
God,  2  Tim.    i.   8,    9.  is  by  Paul  attri- 
buted to  himfelf,    1   Cor.  ix.   22.  and  to 

•  Twelve  Arguments,  in  izmo.  1647.  p.  19,  20. 
tr,  Unitarian  Tradb,  v.  i.  p.  9. 

C  2  Timothy, 


(  rt  ) 

Timothy,  i  Tim.  iv.  16.  therefore  Paul, 
yea,  Timothy,  is  God  J. 

Thefe  remarks  are  capable  of  an  exten- 
five  application  in  the  difpute  concerning 
the  eflence  of  Chrift,  and  his  equality  with 
the  Father.  The  lad  obfervation  in  parti- 
cular, affects  almoft  the  whole  ferles  of 
arguments  in  vindication  of  that  opinion. 

The  tract,  of  which  we  are  now  fpeak- 
ing,  though  originally  drawn  up  for  the 
perufal  of  his  friends,  and  for  private  ufe, 
was  followed  with  the  moil  ferious  confe- 
quences  to  the  author,  and  with  a  great 
revolution  in  his  condition. 

I  As  before,   p.   26,  27.    or,    Unitarian  Traces, 
v.  i.  p.  12. 


SECTION 


(      29       ) 


SECTION    IV. 

Proceedings  again]}  Mr,  Biddlc. 

THERE  is  no  aft  of  iniquity,  to  which 
falfe  zeal  hath  not  prompted  men.  It 
hath  not  only  drawn  the  fword,  and  kindled 
the  fire,  io  reftrain  and  punifh  what  has 
been  deemed  heretical  pravity,  but,  when 
open  and  obvious  proofs  of  it  have  not 
lain  againft  a  perfon,  by  interrogatories  and 
tortures,  it  hath  extorted  contortions  on 
which  to  ground  a  conviction.  It  hath 
conftrued  fufpicions  into  proofs.  It  hath 
invited  or  difpofed  men  to  violate  the  con- 
fidence of  fiien.lfhip,  and  given  a  fan:tion 
to  perfidy.  Of  this  the  hiftory  of  Mr. 
Biddle  furnifhes  a  melancholy  proof. 

The  Twelve  Arguments,  noticed  in  the 
la  It  lection,  were  communicated  among 
others,  to  one,  who,  while  Mr.  Biddle 
mod  probably  thought  him  a  fincere  en- 
quirer after  truth,  fhewed  himfelf  unworthy 

C  3  of 


(     3°     ) 

of  any  confidence.  For,  inftead  of  weigh- 
ing the  force  of  the  reafoning,  or  endea- 
vouring in  the  intercourfes  of  private  friend- 
ship, to  convince  Mr.  Biddle  of  its  fallacy, 
he  was  ungenerous  enough  to  betray  him  to 
the  magiftrates  of  Glouccfter,  and  to  the 
committee  of  the  parliament,  that  then  re- 
folded there. 

The  confequencc  of  this  information  be- 
ing lodged  againft  him  was,  that  he  wai 
committed  to  the  common  goal,  December 
c }  1645.  This  commitment  was  cruel  and 
peculiarly  afflictive  to  him:  for  he  was,  at 
the  time,  ill  of  a  dangerous  fever.     The 

Sgn  eff  his  imprifonment  was  to  fecure 
his  ptrfon,  till  the  parliament  fhould  take 
cognizance  of  the  affair.  The  feverity  of 
this  proceeding,  happily,  was  foon  mitigated 
by  the  interpolation  of  a  companionate 
friend,  a  perfon  of  eminence  in  Gloucejler, 
who  procured  his  enlargement,  by  giving 
bail  for  his  appearance,  when  the  parlia- 
ment fhould  fee  fit  to  call  him  to  their 
bar. 

About 


(  3'  ) 

About  June,  16465  Archbifhop  Ujbery 
palTing  through  Gloucefter,  in  his  way  to 
L.  tdoUy  had  a  conference  with  Mr  •, 

reipe&ing   his    :  lents    concerning   the 

Trinity,     and     -  . oured     to     convince 

him  that  he  was   in   an  error,   but  without 
effect. 

Six  months  after  he  was   fit  at  liberty, 
Mr.    EiddU  was    fummoned  to   appear   ac 
Wejlrn'mjler^    and    the   parliament    imme- 
diately chofe  a  committee,   to  whom  the 
cognizance  of  his  caufe  was  referred.    U  pon 
his  examination,  lie  freely  and  candidly  con- 
fefle.l,  <c   that  he  did  deny  the  commonly 
received  opin'on    concerning  the  Deity  of 
the  Holy  Ghoft,  as  he  was  accufedj  but 
that  he  was  ready  to   hear   what  could  be 
oppofed  to  him,  and  if  he  could  not  make 
out  his  opinion  to  be  true,  honcftly  to  ac- 
knowledge his  error. 

1 1'   v  d   to  declare   his  fentiments 

concerning  tlu  J ).  ity  of  Cbrifty  but  he  pru- 
dently waved  the  qucftion,  as  not  being 
to  the  point  on  which  he  was  accufed,  and 
as  it  was  a  fubjedl  which  he  had  not  fuffi- 

C  4  ciently 


(     3*     ) 

ciendy  ftudied,  publickly  to  engage  himfcil 
on  it. 

Though  he  endeavoured  to  have  his 
affair  brought  to  a  concluiion  on  the  Tingle 
queftion,  which  alone  was  properly  before 
his  judges,  no  decifion  was  palled;  but  he 
was  wearied  out  by  tedious  and  expenfive  de- 
lays, i  his  induced  him,  at  the  diftance  of 
fixtcen  months  from  his  firft  commitment, 
to  addiels  one  of  the  committee,  Sir  Henry 
Vaney  in  a  letter  dated  April  I,  1647,  in 
which  he  folicirs  and  befeeches  that  gen- 
tleman, if  he  had  any  bowels  towards  the 
difhefTed,  either  to  procure  his  difcharge,  or 
at  1  c aft  to  make  a  report  to  the  houfe, 
touching  his  denial  of  the  iuppofed  Deity 
of  die  Holy  Spirit. 

In  this  letter  he  plainly  and  fully  ex- 
preifed  his  ideas  concerning  the  nature  and 
offices  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  "  As  for  my 
opinion  touching  the  Holy  Spirit,  it  is 
that  I  believe  the  Holy  Spirit  to  be  the 
chief  of  all  miniftering  fpirits,  peculiarly 
fent  out  from  Heaven  to  minifler  on  their 
behalf  that  mall  inherit  falvation  ;   and  I  do, 

place 


~T' 


(    33     ) 

place  him,   both  according  to  the  fcriptures 

I  the  primitive  Christians,   and  by  name 

Jufiin  Martyr i  in  his  apology,  in  the  third 

rank  after  God  and  Chriit,   giving  him   a 

pre-heminence   above   all   the   reit  of  the 

Heavenly  I  loft.     So  that  as  there  is  one 

principal   ipirit    amongit    the   evil    angels, 

known  in  fcripture  by  the  name  of  Satan, 

or  the  *,  or  the  unclean  -J-  Spirit , 

or  the  evil  Spirit  of  God\,  or  the  Spirit  of 

God J,  or  tli  it  J  by  way  of  eminence  ; 

even    li>    there    is   one  principal   Spirit    (I 

borrow   this  appellation    from   the  Sepuu- 

gint,    who  render  the  lait  claufe  of  the  I2th 

vcrfe  ofPfalm  li.  in  this  manner,  -v^ukti 

■   !■'  5  Jpiritu  principali  fulci 

\  ftablijh   me  with  thy  principal   fpirit) 

re  is,   I  lay,  one  principal  fpirit  amongft 

gooJ   angels,  called    by   the  name   of 

icatey  or  the   Holy  Spirit,  or  the 

•    i  Pet.  5.   8.  1    Zech.    15.  2. 

I    In  fupport  of  the  application  of  thefe  terms  to 
Satan,    Mr.    B.    refers   to    1  Sam.  xvi.   15,    16,    and 
/trfc,  and  1  Kings,  xxii.  21.     See  the  original. 

C  5  Spirit  *, 


(     34     ) 

.Spirit  *,  by  way  of  eminence.  This  opi- 
nion of  mine  is  attefted  by  the  whole  te- 
nour  of  the  fcripture,  which  perpetually 
ipeaketh  of  him  as  differing  from  God,  and 
inferior  to  him  j\" 

Then  after  an  enumeration  of  many 
texts  which,  in  his  apprehenfion,  decidedly 
fupported  his  fentiments,  he  adds  fome 
pertinent  reflections  on  the  importance  of 
the  quefiion,  and  the  nature  of  the  pro- 
ceedings againft  him. 

"  Behold  now/'  fays  he,  *  the  caufe  for 
which  I  have  lien  under  perfecution,  raifed 
againft  me  by  my  adverfaries,  who  being 
unable  to  juftify  by  argument  their  prac- 
tice of  giving  glory  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  as 
God,  in  the  end  of  their  prayers,  fince  there 
is  neither  precept  nor  example  for  it  in  all 
the  fcripture,  and  being  taxed  by  me  for 
giving  the  glory  of  God  to  another,   and 

*  John  xvi.  7.  Ephef.  iv.  30.  Neh.  ix.  20.  1 
Cor.  vii.  40.   Ads  x.  19. 

f  Twelve  Arguments.  Letter  to  a  Member  of 
Parliament,  p.  or  Unitarian  Trafts,  Vol.  1.  p.  12. 

worfhipping 


(    35     ) 

worfhipping  what  he  hath  not  commanded, 
nor  ever  came  into  his  heart,  have  in  a 
en,  i  unchriftian  manner,  reforted  to 

the   arm  of  rlefli,  and   mitigated  the   ma- 
rrate  againft  me,  hoping  by  his  (word 
(not  that  of  the  fpirit)  to  uphold  their  will- 
rfhip;    but    in   vain,    fince   every   plant 
:  the  Hea  ither  hath  not  let  ihall 

rooted  up.  And  that  the  practice  of  wor- 
fhipping the  1  I  irit  of  God,  as  God, 
is   I                    it   as   God   never  let  in  his 

to  the  honourable 
houfe,  raih  1  with, 

as  ha         lad  ;  udice,  (erioufly 

to  f  the  m  id  (olid  proofs  that  I 

proJu  r    i  y  opinion  out  of  the  fcrip- 

tun  th   the   Qight,    or  rather 

no     r  Iverfe   party  for  their 

opinion  j  which  they  themfelves  know  not 

avour 
to  delude  bo  mfelves  and  others  with 

perfo;;  bflatices,   and   fuch 

like   brain- fie k  notions,  that  have  neither 
)  nor  fenfe  in  them,  and  were  nrft  hatched 
by   the  fubtilty  of  Satan  in   the  heads  of 
C  6  Flatonifts, 


(    36    ) 

PlatcniftS)  to  pervert  the  worfhip  of  trie 
true  God. 

Cf  Neither  could  this  controverfy  be  fet 
on  foot  in  a  fitter  juncture  of  time  than  this, 
wherein  the  Parliament  and  the  Kingdom 
have  folemnly  engaged  themfelves  to  re- 
form religion  both  in  difcipline  and  doc- 
trine. For  amongft  all  the  corruptions 
in  doctrine,  which  certainly  are  many, 
there  is  none  that  more  deferveth  to  be 
amended  than  this,  that  fo  palpably  thwart- 
eth  the  whole  tenour  of  the  fcripture,  and 
trencheth  to  the  very  objeclrof  our  worfhip, 
and  therefore  ought  not  to  be  lightly  pafTed 
over  by  a  man  that  profefTeth  himfelf  a 
Chriflian,  much  more  a  Reformer.  God 
is  jealous  of  his  honour,  and  will  not  give 
it  to  another ;  we  therefore,  as  beloved 
children,  fhould  imitate  our  Heavenly  Fa- 
ther therein,  and  not  upon  any  pretence 
whatfoever  depart  from  his  exprefs  com- 
mand, and  give  the  worfhip  of  the  Supreme 
Lord  of  Heaven  and  Earth  to  him  whom 
the  fcripture  no  where  affirmeth  to  be 
God, 

Cf  For 


(     J7     ) 

w  For  my  own  particular,  after  a  long 
impartial  inquiry  of  the  truth,  in  this  con- 
troverfy,  and  after  much  and  earned  calling 
upon  God,  to  give  unto  me  the  fpirit  of 
wifdom  and  revelation  in  the  knowledge  of 
him  -,  I  find  myfelf  obliged,  bo:h  by  the 
principles  ofreafon  and  icripture,  to  em- 
brace the  opinion  I  now  hold  forth,  and 
as  much  as  in  me  lyeth,  to  endeavour  that 
the  honour  of  Almighty  God  be  not  trans- 
ferred to  another,  not  only  to  the  offence 
of  God  himfelf,  but  alio  of  his  Holy  Spirit, 
who  can  not  but  be  grieved  to  have  that 
ignorantly  afcribed  to  himfelf,  which  is 
proper  to  God  that  fends  him,  and  which 
he  no  where  challenged!  to  himfelf  in  fcrip- 
ture. 

"  What  fhall  befall  me  in  the  purfuance 
of  this  work,  I  refer  to  the  difpofal  of 
Almighty  God,  whofe  glory  is  dearer  to 
me,  not  only  than  my  liberty,  but  than  my 
life.  It  will  be  your  parr,  Honored  Sir, 
into  whofe  hands  God  hach  put  fuch  an 
opportunity,  to  examine  the  bufinefs  im- 
partially, and  to  be  an  helper  to  the  truth, 

confidering 


(     38     ) 

confidering  that  this  controverfy  is  of  the 
greateft  importance  in  the  world,  and  that 
the  divine  truth  fuffers  heffelf  not  to  be 
defpifed  foot-free. 

"  Neither  let  the  meannefs  of  my  out- 
ward prefence  deter  you  from  ftirring,  fince 
it  is  the  part  of  a  wife  man,  as  in  all  things, 
fo  efpecially  in  matters  of  religion,  not  to 
regard  fo  much  who  it  is  that  fpeaketh, 
as  what  it  is  that  is  fpoken ;  remembering 
how  our  Saviour  in  the  Gofpel  faith,  that 
God  is  wont  to  hide  his  fee  rets  from  the 
wife  and  prudent,  and  to  reveal  them  unto 
children.  In  which  number  I  willingly 
reckon  myfelf,  being  confeious  of  my  own 
perfonal  weaknefs,  but  well  affured  of  the 
evidence  and  ftrength  of  the  fcripture  to 
bear  me  out  in  this  caufe  V 

The  effect  of  this  pious  and  humble  re- 
monftrance  was,  that  Sir  Henry  Vane-  to 
whom  it  v/as  addrefTed,  fhewed  himfelf  a 
friend  to  Mr.  Biddle,  and  reported  his  cafe 

*  Twelve  Arguments.  The  Letter  written  to  a 
certain  K.night,  p.  6,  7,  8.  or  Unitarian  Tracts, 
v.  1.  p.  14,  15,  16. 

to 


(    39    ) 

to  the  houfe.  The  refult  was  not  favour- 
able to  Mr.  Riddle's  comfort  and  liberty, 
for  he  was  committed  to  the  cuftody  of  one 
of  the  officers  of  the  Houfe  of  Commons, 
and  he  was  continued  under  this  reflraint 
for  the  five  following  years.  In  the  mean 
time  the  matter  was  referred  to  the  confi- 
deration  of  the  AfTembly  of  Divines,  then 
fitting  at  V/eftminfter,  before  fome  of  whom 
he  often  appeared,  and  gave  them,  in 
writing,  his  twelve  arguments  againit  the 
Deity  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

The  aniwer  to  his  arguments,  which  he 
received  at  any  of  thefe  interviews  was  not 
fatisficlory  or  convincing  to  his  mind. 
This  induced  him  to  print  them  in  the  year 
1647,  in  hopes  that  the  publication  of 
them  would  not  only  give  the  world  a  fair 
ftate  of  his  cafe,  but  excite  attention  to  th& 
queftion.  It  was  accompanied  with  an  ad- 
drefs  to  the  impartial  reader,  figned  J,  H. 
in  which  the  writer  exprefTed  his  own  and 
the  author's  earneft  hope,  that  the  publica- 
tion of  thefe  arguments  would  engage  fome 
one  to  attempt  a  folid  reply  to  them;  fuch 

a  reply, 


(     40     ) 

a  reply,  as  would  not  merely  tax  his  argu- 
ments with  being  weak  and  invalid,  but, 
by  clear  and  ftrong  reaibnings,  would  refute 
them,  and  carry  conviction  to  inquifitive 
and  doubting  minds.  A  reply  that  did 
not  fubftitute  railing  for  argument,  and 
fupply  the  deficiency  of  its  proofs  by  the  bit- 
ternefs  of  its  invectives.  "  At  thefe  rates," 
he  obferved,  "  the  weakefl  man  might 
eafily  fubvert  the  ftrongeft  controversy." 

This  preface  alfo  befpoke  and  in- 
treated  the  reader's  very  ferious  attention 
to  the  arguments  laid  before  him  -,  *f  as  to 
a  matter  which  affected  the  divine  glory, 
and  his  own  falvationj"  the  author  re- 
quelled  him,  "  at  any  hand  to  forbear 
condemning  his  opinion  as  erroneous,  til! 
he  was  able  to  bring  pertinent  and  folid 
anfwers  to  all  his  arguments." 

To  fupprefs  the  piece,  and  to  prohibit 
the  progrefs  of  enquiry,  it  was  juftly  ob- 
ferved, could  <c  no  ways  unfcruple  doubt- 
ing fpirits :"  amongft  whom  for  the  prefent 
the  writer  numbered  himfelf,  expecting  art 
anfwer  to  thefe  enfuing  arguments,  adding, 

in 


(     41      ) 

in  the  language  of  a  pious  and  ingenuous 
mind  ;  and  that  "  God  will  be  with  him 
that  undertaketh  it,  and  write  in  a  fpirit  of 
meeknefs,  and  of  wifdom,  in  the  revelation 
and  knowledge  of  truth,  (hall  be  the  matter 
of  his  prayers,  who  defires  the  truth  may 
be  cleared  up,  and  fhine  like  the  noon-day, 
and  all  error  confounded,  and  vanifh  be- 
fore truth,  like  a  mill  before  the  IuihM 
J.  H.  * 

The  publication  of  this  tract  raifed  a 
great  alarm,  and  it  was  called  in  and  burnt 
by  the  common  hangman.  But  this  illi- 
beral mode  of  fuppreiling  the  work,  and 
ftifling  enquiry,  had  only  a  fhort  and 
temporary  effect.  This  piece,  with  two 
other  tracts,  was  reprinted  by  the  author 
in  1653,  and  it  was  publifhed  a  third  time, 
amongft  the  Unitarian  drafts  in  4to,  in  the 
year  1691.  To  which  the  life  of  the  au- 
thor was  prefixed. 

*  Twelve  Arguments,  in  i2ino.    1647. 


SECTION 


(     42     ) 


Section   v. 

Mr.  Biddle  publifnes  his  Confeffwn  of  Faith, 
and  Teftimonies  of  the  Fathers, 

MR.  Biddle  appears  to  have  pofiPefTed 
a  firmnefs  of  mind,  which  not  only 
fupported  him  under  the  dark  clouds  that 
gathered  round  him,  but  enabled  him  to 
purfue  his  enquiries,  and  to  publifh,  with 
fteadinefs  and  freedom,  his  fentiments  con- 
cerning the  points  for  which  he  fuffered. 
For,  being  yet  in  prifon,  he  printed,  in 
1648,  a  Confeffwn  of  Faith  concerning  the 
Holy  Trinity,  according  to  the  fcrip- 
tnre,  with  the  Teftimonies  of  fever  a  I  of  the 
Fathers  on  this  head. 

In  the  conclufion  of  the  preface  to  the 
Confeffwn  of  Faith,  he  frankly  exprefles 
himfelf  on  the  defign  of  this  publication, 
and  the  importance  of  its  object.  cc  I  have," 
fays  he,  Cf  here  prefented  you  with  a  Con- 
feffion  of  Faith  touching  the  Holy  Tri- 
nity, 


(     43     ) 

hity,  exactly  drawn  out  of  the  fcriptures, 
with  the  texts  alledged  at  large,  tha-t  fo 
you  may  the  better  judge  how  iui  table  the 
fame  is  to  the  word  of  God. 

"  Neither  have  I  other  aim  in  the  pub- 
lication thereof  than  to  reflore  that  pure 
and  genuine  knowledge  of  God  delivered 
in  the  fcripture,  and  which  hath  for  many 
hundred  years  been  hidden  from  the  eyes 
of  men,  by  the  corrupt  glofTes  and  tradi- 
tions of  Antichriftj  who  hath  inftead  thereof 
obtruded  upon  them  I  know  not  what 
abfurd  and  uncouth  notions,  bearing  them 
in  hand  that  ignorance  is  the  mother  of 
devotion,  and  that  they  then  think  and 
fpeak  befb  of  God,  when  their  conceits  and 
words  are  mofl  irrational  and  fenfelefs.  By 
which  means  having  renounced  thofe  quid- 
dities  and  ftrange  terms,  that  have  vitiated 
the  fimplicity  of  the  fcripture,  and  having 
laid  afleep  the  contentations  arifing  from 
them,  we  fhall  at  length  unanimoufly  with 
one  mouth  glorify  the  God  and  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jefus  Chrift  *." 

*  See  the  ConfeJJion  of  Faith,  121110.  1648,  or  Uni- 
tarian T  rafts,  4:0.   v.  1.    Traftii.    1691. 

The 


(     44     ) 

The  preface,  which  clofes  with  the  pre- 
ceding paragraphs,  is  occupied  with  a  full 
reprefentation  of  the  evils,  of  which  Mr. 
Biddle  conceived  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity 
had  been  productive,  having,  as  he  exprefTeth 
it,  Cf  not  only  made  way  for  the  idolatrous 
pollutions  of  the  Roman  Antichrift,  bur, 
lying  at  the  bottom,  corrupteth  almoft  our 
whole  religion. " 

To  illuflrate  and  confirm  this  afTertion, 
he  obferves  that  the  common  opinion  touch- 
ing three  Perfons  in  God,  fubverteth  the 
unity  of  God,  fo  frequently  inculcated  in 
the  fcripture;  and  that  it  hindcreth  men 
from  praying  according  to  the  prefcript  of 
the  Gofpel,  which  inflriicts  us  to  afk  of 
God  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  to  pray  to  him 
through  his  Son  Jefus  Chrift,  which  im- 
plieth  that  God  is  the  Father  only. 

He  alfo  confiders  the  tenet  of  three  Per- 
fons in  God  as  incompatible  with  the  love 
and  honour  which  we  owe  to  the  molt  High 
God ;  this  is  the  high  eft  love  and  honour 
that  it  is  in  our  power  to  exercife,  and  of 
which  'one  perfon  only   can  be  the  object, 

who 


(     45     ) 

who  can  be  the  Father  only,  for  the  Son 
and  Spirit,  as  the  names  import,  deriving 
from  him,  can  be  only  fecondary  objects 
of  honour  and  love;  in  fubordination  to 
the  Father,  and  with  reference  to  the  powers 
and  characters  received  from  him. 

He  reprefents  it  as  another  confequence 
of  the  common  opinion,  that  it  thwarteth 
the  idea,  which  men  naturally  entertain  of 
God,  as  the  Being  who  is  the  firft  caule 
of  all  things,  exilting  of  himfelf  only,  and 
all  others  from  him.  It  looks  therefore 
like  an  attempt  to  deprive  men  of  their 
underftanding,  and  in  a  point  of  the  greateft 
importance,  to  afcribe  Supreme  Deity,  to 
two  other  perfons  befides  the  Father,  i.  e. 
to  afcribe  the  character  of  the  firft  caufe, 
of  felf-exiftence,  to  beings  who  are  caufed ; 
or,  according  to  the  orthodox  ftyle,  to  the 
Son,  who  is  begotten  of  the  Father,  and  to 
the  Holy  Spirit,  which  proceedeth  from 
both. 

Another  confequence  of  this  doctrine, 
he  alfo  remarks,  is,  that  it  is  a  (tumbling 
block  to  the  antient  people  of  God,  the 

Jews, 


(     46     ) 

Jews,  and  is  a  bar  to  their  reception  of 
Chriftianity.  cc  For  they,  having  formerly 
fmarted  for  their  idolatry,  are  now  grown 
exceeding  cautious  of  a  tenet  looking  that 
way."  He  concludes  with  remonftrating 
on  the  efFe6t  which  the  doctrine  of  the 
Trinity  has,  in  impeding  the  accomplifh- 
ment  of  the  prophecy  long  fince  delivered 
by  Zecbariah,  ch.  14.  9.  Cf  In  that  day 
the  Lord  fhall  be  one,  and  his  Name 
One."  Whereas,  the  partifans  of  this  doc- 
trine contend,  that  the  Lord  is  three, 
calling  him  Deum  Trinum,  and  that  his 
Name  is  not  One,  but  three  j  even  the 
Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghoft. 

Having  thus  freely  arraigned  the  com- 
mon doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  the  author, 
in  the  following  treatife,  ftates  and  endea- 
vours to  eftabliih  his  own  ideas  on  the 
fubjecl.  This  he  does  under  the  form  of 
fix  articles  or  propofitions,  each  of  which 
is  feparately  illuftrated  by  a  full  difcufTion 
of  the  principles  it  exhibits,  and  by  a 
copious'  difplay  of  reafonings  and  divine 
authorities  in  proof  of  its  truth. 

A 


(     47     ) 

A  fele&ion  cf  the  three  rlrft  articles 
may  be  entertaining  and  inftruclive,  as  well 
as  furnifh  a  fpecimen  of  this  performance. 

I.  "  I  believe  that  there  is  one  moil 
high  God,  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth, 
and  nrft  caufe  of  all  things  pertaining  to 
our  filvation,  and  confequently  the  ulti- 
mate object  of  our  faith  and  worfhip ;  and 
that  this  God  is  none  but  the  Father  of 
our  Lord  Jefiis  Chrift,  the  fir  ft  perfon  of 
the  Holy  Trinity. 

II.  "  I  believe  that  there  is  one  chief 
Son  of  the  moft  high  God,  or  fpiritual, 
heavenly,  and  perpetual  Lord  and  King, 
fet  over  the  church  by  God,  and  fecond 
caufe  of  all  things  pertaining  to  our  falvation, 
and  confequently  the  intermediate  objecl  of 
our  faith  and  worfhip  -,  and  that  this  Son  of 
the  moft  high  God  is  none  but  J  ejus  Chrift^ 
the  fecond  perfon  of  the  Holy  Trinity  *. 

III.  Cf  I  believe  that  J  ejus  Chrift  >  to  the 
intent  he  might  be  our  brother,  and  have 
a  fellow-feeling  of  our  infirmities,  and  fo 
become  the  more  ready   to  help  us  (the 

*  See  p.  5 1.  on  the  ufe  of  this  word  Trinity. 

consideration 


(     48     ) 

confideration  whereof  is  the  greateft  en- 
couragement to  piety  that  can  be  imagined) 
hath  no  other  than  a  human  nature,  and 
therefore  in  this  very  nature  is  not  only  a 
perfon,  (fince  none  but  an  human  perfon 
can  be  our  brother)  but  alio  our  Lord, 
yea,  our  God." 

Were  we  to  lay  before  the  reader  the 
illuftrations  and  proofs  brought  forward, 
under  every  article,  we  muft  re-publifh 
the  tracl:  at  full  length  -9  yet  it  may  be  ac- 
ceptable to  point  out  fome  remarks  which 
are  recommended  to  our  attention  by  their 
novelty,  or  importance,  or  force. 

Under  the  firft  article  he  confiders  the 
text,  Gen.  i.  26.  Let  us  make  man,  as  ad* 
drefTed  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  whom  he  con- 
ceives to  be  reprefented  in  verfe  2.  Pf.  104* 
jo»  and  Job  26*  13.  as  the  inflrument  of 
God  in  the  creation;  upon  which  he  Harts 
this  queftion ;  cc  Had  the  Son  of  God, 
Chrift  Jefus,  been  alfo  employed  in  creating 
Adam,  would  he  not  likewife  have  been 
mentioned  in  the  hiflory  of  the  creation  ? 
Was  it  not  as  material,  and  altogether  as 

of 


(     49     ) 

of  great  coniequence  for  Mofes  and  the 
Jews  to  have  known,  that  the  Son  of  God 
Chrift  Jefus  was  employed  by  God,  in 
creating  Adam  as  the  Holy  Spirit." 

He  grants  that  the  holy  fcripture  attri- 
buted! Creation  to  Chrift;  but  then  he 
remarks,  that  by  the  nature  of  the  thing 
itfelf,  by  the  circumflances  of  the  places, 
and  by  exprefs  words,  it  appears  that  not 
the  firft  but  fecond  Creation,  or  the  re- 
duction of  things  into  a  new  ftate  or  order, 
is  meant. 

He  argues,  that  Chrift  exprefsly  pre- 
cludes our  conceiving  of  him  as  the  Creator 
of  Adam,  when  he  afcribes  it  to  another 
Being,  Matt.  19.  14.  in  that  defcription. 
he  that  made  them.  He  confiders  this 
notion  as  totally  incompatible  with  the  lan- 
guage of  Peter  and  Paul  concerning  Chrift : 
the  former  fpeaking  of  him  as  fore-ordained 
or  fore-known  before  the  foundation  of  the 
world  •,  which  can  be  faid  only  of  things 
that  are  to  come,  and  are  not  already  in 
being.  The  latter,  Rom.  5.  14.  deferr- 
ing Adam  as  the  Type  of  Him  that  was  to 

D  come, 


(     So    ) 

come,  or  as  the  Greek,  was  to  be,  yahx-v^t* 
Could  Adam  be  a  type  of  a  being  already 
exifting  ?  or  was  the  Creator  of  Adam  yet 
to  be ;  as  yet  to  exift  ?  or  can  it  be  faid  of 
any  one,  that  be  is  to  be,  when  he  is  already 
in  being? 

Under  the  fecond  article,  he  argues  that 
Phil.  2.  5.  can  not  be  under ftood  to  lpeak 
of  what  is  called  the  Incarnation;  becauie 
the  Apoftle,  exhorting  the Pbilippians  to  hu- 
mility, from  the  example  of  Cbrift,  mud 
be  fuppofed  to  draw  his  argument  from 
fome  inftance,  that  was  confpicuous,  and 
had  been  vifible  to  fight  and  contemplation, 
which  the  incarnation  couid  not  be.  He 
further  urges,  that,  in  this  palTage,  the 
Apoftie  fpeaks  of  our  Lord  only  as  a  man. 

On  1  Cor.  8.6.  By  whom  are  all  things^ 
he  remarks,  by  all  things  are  not  here  meant 
all  things  fimply,  but  all  things  pertaining 
to  our  falvatioh,  as  is  evident  from  this, 
that  the  Apcftle  fpeaketh  of  Chriftians, 
and  putteth  an  article-  before  the  word  all 
.  in  the  Greek,  which  implieth  reftriction  *. 

*  ql  a  ru,  Travla. 

In 


5'     ) 

In  difcufiing  the  third  article  concerning 
the  ilrict  humanity  of  Chriit,  having  quoted 
2  Tim.  2.  5.  John  3.  13.  ch.  6.  62.  ch. 
8.  40;  ch.  3.  14,  15.  Matt.  9.  6,  7,  8. 
Matt.  16.  -7,  28.  Dan.  7.  13,  14.  he  ob- 
ierveth,  fC  that  the  mod  excellent  things 
which  are  in  the  fcripture  attributed  to 
Cbrift,  are  attributed  to  him  not  only  under 
the  notion,  but  alio  under  the  very  name 
of  a  Alan." 

In  the  title  of  the  Tract,  which  we  are 
reviewing  Hands  the  word  Trinity s  and  it 
frequently  occurs  in  the  following  pages, 
as  a  term  adopted  by  the  author  to  convey 
a  fcriptural  truth.  This,  confidering  the 
main  drift  and  tendency  of  the  Treatife, 
may  furprize  the  reader.  It  may,  certainly, 
be  concluded  from  hence,  that  he  had  no 
objection  to  the  ufe  of  the  word;  whether 
it  was  done  with  a  defign  more  eafily  to 
infinuate  his  ideas  of  the  fcripture  doctrine 
on  this  point,  viz.  that  it  confided  of  one 
God>  one  Lord,  and  one  Spirit  -,  or  whether 
it  proceedeth  from  the  mere  force  of  early 
habit,  which  often  lad  of  all  permits  us  to 

D  2  give 


(    5*    ) 

give  up  words,  though  we  may  long  before 
have  difcarded  the  ideas  generally  affixed 
to  them. 

But  it  is  not  duly  confidered  that  the  ufe 
of  words,  to  which  cuflom  has  long  affixed 
a  peculiar  fenfe,  will  continue  to  awaken 
m  the  mind  thofe  ideas  which  they  have  ge- 
nerally been  employed  to  exprefsj  and 
that  the  force  of  the  old  meaning  will  pre- 
vail over  any  glofs  or  interpretation,  with 
which  we  may  accompany  them.  Would 
we  get  rid  of  error,  we  muft  lay  afide  the 
terms  under  which  it  has  been  clothed,  as 
well  as  explode  the  ideas  themfelves.  At 
leaft  this  mould  be  done  with  refpect  to 
fuch  terms  as,  like  the  word  Trinity,  have 
no  fancYion  from  the  language  of  fcripture, 
but  are  furely  human  inventions. 

Mr.  Biddle's  Confeflion  of  Faith  was 
foonfucceeded  by  another"  Tracl,  entitled, 
The  Testimonies  of  Iren<eus,  Juftin  Mar- 
tyr >  Novatianus,  Tbeopbilus  (who  lived  the 
two  firft  centuries  after  Chrift  was  born,  or 
thereabouts)  as  alfo  Arnobius,  Laffantius, 
Eujebiusy,  Hilary,  and  Brightman-,  con- 
cerning 


(    53    ) 

cerning  that  one  God  ana  the  perfons  of 
Holy  Trinity.  Together  with  obferva^ 
tions,  on  the  fame,  printed  at  London. 

It  may  appear  inconfiftent  with  the 
avowed  principles  of  Mr.  Biddle,  who  pro- 
feiTed  to  derive  his  fentiments  folely  from 
the  fcriptures,  that  he  fhould  make  an  ap- 
peal to  human  teftimonies.  The  reafon 
and  propriety  of  his  adopting  this  mode 
of  arguing  are  Hated  by  himfelf  at  the  cloie 
of  this  piece. 

"  Thofe  human  teilimonies  above  writ- 
ten have  I  ailedged,  not  that  I  much  re- 
gard them  as  to  myfdf  (who  make  ufe  of 
no   other  rule  to  determine    controversies 
about  religion,  than  the  J 'crip lure-,  and  of 
no  other  authentic  interpreter >  if  a  fcruple 
arife  concerning  the  fenfe  of  fcripture,  than 
reafon)  but  for  the  fake  of  the  adverfaries> 
who    continually   crake    the    Fathers,    the 
Fathers.      And  though  fuch  of  them    as 
difTent  from  the  Church  of  Rome,  lay  afide 
this  plea,  when  they  have  to  do  with  Pa- 
pifts  about  fundry  points  of  controvert  y  £ 
yet  do  they  take  it  up  again,  in  a  manner 
D  3  waving 


(     54     ) 

waving   the   fcripture,    when   they    argue 
with  me. 

fc  For  it  is  apparent,  that  the  Fathers  of 
the   two   firft    centuries,    or    thereabouts, 
when   the  judgments  of    Chriftians  were 
yet  free,  and  not  enflaved  with  the  deter- 
minations of  Councils,  afTerted  the  Father 
only  to  be  that  one  God,  and  lb  were  in  the 
main  right  as  to  the  faith  concerning  the 
Holy  Trinity,  however  they  went  awry 
in  imagining  two  natures  in  Chrift,  which 
came  to  pafs  (as  we  before  hinted)  partly 
becaufe  they  were  great  admirers  of  Plato, 
and   accordingly   (as  Juftus  Lipfius  fome- 
where  faith)    did   in  outward  profejjion  fo 
put  on  Chrift)  as  that  in  heart  they  did  not 
put  off  Plato,  wittily  applying  his  high  no- 
tions touching  the  creation  of  the  world, 
to  what  was  fimply  and  plainly  fpoken  of 
the  man    Chrift  Jefus,    in  relation   to  the 
Gofpel   by  the  Apoflle  John-,  partly  that 
they    might    thereby    avoid    the    fcandal 
of  worfhipping   a   crucified  man,    a  thing 
then  very  odious   amongft  Jews  and  Pa- 
gans., 


(     55     ) 

gans,     and    now    amongft  deluded   Chris- 
tians*." 

Amongft  other  paflages  cited  by  Mr. 
Biddle  from  the  antient  Chriftian  writers, 
is  that  from  Juftin  Martyr >  lately  quoted 
by  Dr.  Prieftley,  whofe  inferences  from  it 
have  been  controverted  by  his  opponents. 
It  may  therefore  be  acceptable  to  the  rea- 
der, if  we  lay  before  him  Mr.  Biddle  s 
tranflation  of  the  paffage,  and  remarks 
on  it. 

<c  Never  thele/s,  O  Tryphon,  /aid  Iy 
this  remaineth  fafe,  that  fuch  a  one  is  the 
Chrifi  of  Gody  although  I  can  not  demon- 
strate that  he  was,  before,  the  Son  of  the 
maker  of  all  things,  being  a  God,  and  was 
born  a  man  by  the  Virgin,  it  being  every  way 
demcnflrated  that  he  is  the  Chrifi  of  Gody 
who/cever  other-wife  he  floall  be  found  to  be. 
But  if  I  jhall  not  demonftrate  that  he  did 

*  The  Teftimonies,  &c.  printed  in  i2mo.  p.  S^t 
84.  or  Unitarian  Trafts,  4to.  V.  1.  Tract  4, 
p.  30. 

D  4  pre-exifty 


(     56     ) 

pre-exift,  and  according  to  the  cqunfel  of 
the  Father,  endured  to  be  born  a  man  of  like 
affetlions  with  us,  being  endued  with  fteftjy 
it  is  juft  and  fit  to  Jay  that  1  am  mift alien 
in  this  only,  and  not  to  deny  that  he  is  the 
Chrift,  if  he  appear  to  be  a  'man  born 
of  men,  and  to  become  the  Chrift  by  elec- 
tion. 

"  For  there  are  Jome,  dear  friends,  faid 
/,  of  our  kind,  who   conffs  him  to   be  the 
Chrift,  yet  hold  him  to   be  a   man   born  of 
'To  whom  I  ajfent  not;    no,  though 
very    many  of  the  fame  opinion    with    me 
Jhould  fpeak  it,  flnce  we  are  commanded  by 
Chrift  himfelf  not  to  hearken  to  the  doclrines 
of  men,    but   to  Juch  things   as  have  been 
promulgated  by  the  Prophets  of  happy  me- 
mory, and  taught  by  himfelf. 

"  And  Thyphon  replied,  They  that  fay 
he  was  a  man,  and  according  to  eleclion 
anointed  and  made  Chrift,  methinks  fpeak 
more  probably,  than  you  who  fay  fuch  things 
as  you  relate.  For  all  we  expeel  that  the 
Chrift  /hall  be  a  man  of  men.1' 

On 


(     57     ) 

On  this  palTage  Mr.  Biddle  offers  fome 
ftriclures.  cc  Obferve  here,"  Chriitian 
Reader,  fC  that  J aft in  Ma rtyr  did  not  think 
it  inconfiftent  that  Jefus  fhould  be  the 
Chrift,  although  he  had  no  other  than 
the  humane  nature.  Secondly,  that  divers 
Chfiftians,  whom  JuJHn  himfelf  owned  for 
fiich,  for  he  faith  that  they  were  of  the 
fame  kind,  and  opinion  with  him,  did  then 
de  facto  affirm  that  Jefus,  whom  they 
counted  the  Chrift,  had  none  but  a  hu- 
mane nature.  Both  which  were  in  the 
fucceeding  age  by  Athanafius^  and  fince 
by  other  fuch  like  furious  Zealots,  ftiflly 
denied,  and  he  pronounced  utterly  incapa- 
ble of  eternal  life,  who  fhould  not  believe, 
not  only  that  Chrift  had  another  nature, 
but  (what  neither  Juftin  Martyr,  nor 
any  other  of  the  Chriftians,  who  lived  in 
the  two  firft  centuries,  and  whofe  works 
are  extant,  ever  did  affirm)  that  that 
other  nature  was  the  very  nature  of  the 
Mod  High  God.  Thirdly,  that  the  Jews 
(who   would'  be  happy,    were   their  opi- 

D  5  nion> 


(     58     ) 

nion,  concerning  the  kingdom  of  Chrift, 
as  true  as  that  they  hold  concerning  his 
nature,)  did  not  believe  that  the  Chrilt, 
who  was  to  come,  fhould  be  other  than 
a  man  *." 

*  Teftimonies.,  p.  24,  &c.  ed.  in  i2mo.  or>  Uni- 
tarian  Tra&s.  v.  i.  Tract  4..  p.  9.,  10.    iS. 


SECTION 


(     59     ) 


SECTION     VI. 

s/   cruel    Ordinance    c.  d   cigainfi    iW    . 

Biddle. 

IT  is  not  fuppofeable  that  thefe  pieces 
of  Mr.  Biddle  could  be  publifhed  with- 
out drawing  a  great  odium  on  their  author, 
or  that  this  attack,  on  prevailing  and  efta- 
blifhed  opinions,  could  be  made  without 
railing  indignation  againft  him.  At  that 
time  the  fupreme  rower  was  folely  in  the 
Lands  of  the  Parliament,  the  Epifcopalian 
Hierarchy  had  been  overturned,  and  in  the 
room  of  it  ha  J  fucceeded  a  Prefbyterian 
and  Ecclefuftical  Government,  the  high 
Court   of  which   fat   at  dnjhr,    and 

confifted  ofanAffembly  of  Divines.  Thefe 
took  the  alarm  at  the  appearance  of  Mr. 
Biddle\  writings  ;  and,  inftead  of  apply- 
ing themfelves  to  the  refutation  of  his  frn- 
timents  by  a  candid  and  folid  anfwer  to  his 
D  6  arguments^ 


(     6o     ) 

arguments,  they  applied  to  the  civil  power, 
and  fnpplied  the  defect  of  their  own  exer- 
tions by  recourfe  to  its  commanding  ter- 
rors. They  preferred  the  carnal  to  the 
fpiritual  weapon,  and  found  a  more  expe- 
ditious and  popular  remedy  againft  the  rife 
of  Herefy,  in  the  ufe  of  the  fword,  than  in 
that  of  the  pen. 

They  accordingly  folicited  the  inter- 
ference of  the  Parliament,  and  prevailed  with 
k  to  pafs  an  Ordinance  for  the  punifhing 
of  blafphemies  and  herefies ;  from  which 
Mr.  Biddle's  life  was  in  great  danger;  for 
though  it  took  a  wide  compafs,  and  was 
formed  to  reach  a  variety  of  opinions,  yet 
it  was  evidently  pointed,  in  particular, 
againil  the  notions  •which  he  had  ad- 
vanced. 

This  Ordinance  was  directly  pointed 
againft  fuch  as,  in  any  mode,  fhould  not 
only  deny  the  being,  omniprefence,  fore- 
knowledge, almighty  power,  holinefs  and 
eternity  of  God  -,  but  who  fhould,  by  preach- 
ing, printing  or  writing,  controvert  the 
Deity  of  the  Son^  or  of  tliQ  Holy  Spirit, 

or 


(     6.      ) 

or  z}\e  equality  of  Chrift  with  the  Father, 
or  the  diftfn&ion  of  two  natures,  the  God- 
head and  humanity,  or  the  finlefs  perfec- 
tion of  his  humanity,  the  meritorioufnefe 
of  his  death  in  behalf  of  believers  $  or  that 
any  of  the  books,  commonly  deemed  cano- 
nical, were  not  the  word  of  God.  It  pro- 
nounced thufe,  who  offended  in  any  of 
thofe  initances,  guilty  of  felony,  and  doom- 
ed them,  if  convicted  on  confeffion,  or 
on  the  oaths  of  two  witneffes,  before  two 
juitices,  to  im;  rifbnment  without  bail  or 
mainprize,  until  the  next  gaol- delivery, 
when  the  witneffes  were  bound  to  give 
evidence,  and  the  party  were  to  be  indLted 
for  felonious  publishing  and  maintaining 
luch  error.  It  then  enacted,  that  in  cafe 
the  indictment  mould  be  found,  and  the 
party  on  his  trial  mould  not  abjure  the 
fame  error,  and  maintenance  and  defence 
of  the  fame,  that  he  mould  fufFer  the  fains 
of  Death,  as  in  cafe  of  felony,  without  be- 
nefit of  clergy. 

It  appointed  the  fame  procefs,  and  de- 
creed the  fame  fentence  againfl  thofe  who 

i        had 


(     62     ) 

had  been  formerly  indicted  on  the  fame 
grounds,  and  after  having  abjured  their  error, 
mould  again  publifli  and  maintain  the 
fame. 

If  the  fanction  by  which  this  Ordinance 
enforced  other  determinations,  wore  a 
milder  afpecl,  what  was  wanting  in  the 
feverity  of  its  fentence,  was  counterbalanc- 
ed by  the  rigour  with  which  it  extended 
and  multiplied  its  decifions.  To  maintain 
and  publifli  that  all  men  mould  be  laved; 
that  man  hath  by  nature  free-will  to  turn 
to  God;  that  the  foul  tfieth  or  fleepeih  after 
the  body  is  dead  ;  that  revelations  or  work- 
ings of  the  fpirit  are  a  rule  of  faith;  that 
man  is  bound  to  believe  no  more  than  by 
his  reaibn  he  can  comprehend ;  that  the 
two  Sacraments  of  Baptifm  and  the  Lord's 
Supper,  are  not  ordinances  commanded  by 
the  word  of  God  ;  that  baptifing  Infants  is 
unlawful,  or  fuch  Baptifm  is  void,  and  that 
fuch  perfons  ought  to  be  baptifed  again, 
and  in  purfuance  thereof  fhall  baptife  any 
perfon  formerly  baptifed  3  that  the  obferva- 
tion  of  the  Lord's  day,  as  it  is   enjoined 

by 


(     &3     ) 

by  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  this  realm 
is  not  according  to,  or  is  contrary  to,  the 
word  of  God;  or  that  it  is  not  lawful  to 
join  in  public  prayer  or  family  i  raver,  or 
to  teach  children  to  pray;  or  that  the 
Churches  of  .  :nd  are  no  more  churches, 
nor  their  minifters  and  ordinances  true  mi- 
ni flers  and  ordinances  -,  or  that  the  church 
government  by^JP  ry  is  unlawful,  or 

antichrilVian ;    or   that   magihracy,    or   the 
.ver  of  the   civil  magiltrate  by  law  efta- 
ifhed  in  England   is  unlawful,  or" that  all 
■  of  arms,  though  for  the  public  defenc  •, 
(and   though   the  caufe   be  never  lb  juft) 
is  unlawful.     To  advance   or  maintain  any 
of  thefe  opinions,   incurred,   by  this  ordi- 
nance, imprifonment  till  the  party  fhould 
1     two     fufficient    fureties,     before    two 
juttices  of  the  peace,  one  of  them  to  be  of 
the   quorum,    that  he   would   not   publifh 
or  maintain  the  Mime  error  or  errors  any 
more  *. 

The 

#  See  Crosby's   IILtory  of  the  English  Bap- 
tists, vol.  i.  p.  199.  205.  or  British  Biogra- 
phy, 


(     <H     ) 

The  enumeration  of  the  opinions  con- 
demned by  this  ordinance  (fome  of  which 
are  omitted  in  this  review)  is  fo  minute, 
and  full  and  pointed,  as  plainly  to  fpeak 
this  language :  "Our  principles  form  an 
unerring  ftandard,  and  not  any  deviation 
from  it,  in  one  inflance,  is  or  fhail  be  ad-r 
mitted."  No  decree  of  any  Councils,  no 
Bull  of  any  Pope  could  be  more  dogmatical, 
or  authoritative  ;  few,  if  any,  have  been 
more  fanguinary. 

Befides  the  feverity  of  the  penalties, 
which  it  denounced,  the  mode  of  procefs 
which  it  appointed,  was  arbitrary  and  re- 
pugnant to  the  conftitution  of  this  country> 
in  particular,    as  well   as  oppofite  to  the 

phy,  vol.  6.  p.  82.  8.4.  This  Ordinance  Is  alfo 
preferved  in  "  A  Collection  of  Acls  and  Ordinances 
"  of  general  ufe,  made  in  the  Parliament  begun 
<c  and  held  at  Weftminrter,  the  3d  of  November, 
"  1648,  and  fince  unto  the  adjournment  of  the  Par- 
liament begun  and  holden  the  17th  of  September, 
iC  1656,  being  a  continuation  of  that  work  from 
Ct  the  end  of  Pulton's  Collection."  By  Henry 
Scobell,  Efq.  Clerk  of  the  Parliament.  .  Folio. 
1658. 

genera! 


(     65     ) 

general  principles  of  equity  and  juftice : 
for  ic  allowed  neither  the  privilege  of  a 
jury,  nor  the  liberty  of  an  appeal.  Such 
is  the  operation  of  religious  bigotry. 

The  truth;  indeed  is,  that  bigotry,  though 
never  amiable  or  reafonable,  is  compara- 
tively an  harmiefs  thing,  when  it  exifts 
only  in  individuals  who  are  not  armed 
with  the  power  of  the  fword,  nor  can  act 
with  an  united  and  combined  influence  and 
authority.  The  alliance  of  the  Church 
with  the  State,  gives  the  fiing  to  this  in- 
tolerant and  baneful  temper ;  and  it  mat- 
ters little,  whether  the  leaders  in  the 
Church  fupport  the  rank  of  Bifhops,  or 
move  only  in  the  humble  poft  of  Prefby- 
ters. 

Both  Epifcopacy  and  Prefbyterianifm 
"  adopt  one  grand  error,  productive  of 
two  great  evils,  which  generate  ten  thou- 
fand  more,  all  nefarious.  The  great  and 
fountain  error  is  the  confidering  of  Con- 
Jcknce\  as  a  iubject  of  human  government. 
This  notion  produces  two  great  evils,  i. 
Legislation  j  now  all  human  legiflation 

is 


(     66     ) 

is  oppreffive  to  confcience,  and  it  is  imma- 
terial where  this  power  is  lodged.  It  is 
Tyranny  any  where.  2.  Enforcing  laws 
made  by  Jefus  by  penal  fanclions.  In 
popery  and  epifcopacy  both  the  legiflative 
and  executive  power  are  lodged  in  the  lame 
perfon.  Prefbyterianifm  is  exactly  like 
them,  and  only  fwears  the  civil  magiftrate 
to  do  the  worfl:  part  of  the  work.  From 
thefe  two  evils,  making  laws  for  confeience 
and  then  executing  them,  or  executing 
laws  made  by  Jefus  Chrift^  by  coercive 
meafures,  proceed  confufion  and  every  evil 
work  *." 

The  conduct  of  the  PrefbyterianSy  during 
the  fhort  period,  when  they  were  in  alliance 
with  the  iupreme  powers  of  this  country, 
verifies  the  truth  of  thefe  remarks.  In  re- 
ference to  their  meafures  Milton  had  every 
reaibn  to  fay  with  fatirical  poignancy, 
"  New  Prefbycer  is  but  Old  Priefl  wrote 
large." 

*  Robinson's  Plan  of  Lectures  on  the  Principles 
q£  Nonconformity.   5th  ed.  1781.  p.  3^,  40^ 

For 


(     67     ) 

For  the  Ordinance,  now  before  us,  was 
only  one,  out  of  feveral  public  acts,  that 
breathed  the  feme  intolerant,  dogmatical 
fpirit  j  and  had  the  fame  baneful  afpect  on 
the  enquiries  of  the  candid,  and  on  the  rights 
of  confeience. 

The  fact  is,  that  the  queftion  concerning 
the  rights  of  confeience,  had  not  been 
brought  into  a  diicufiion ;  or,  at  lead,  the 
enquiry  was  only  in  its  infancy.  The  ob- 
ject of  coined,  between  the  Efifcopalians 
and  PreJbyterianS)  had  been  not  to  eitabliih 
and  enlarge  the  general  liberty;  but  to 
gain  power  to  themfelves,  and  to  give  fe- 
curity  to  their  own  profefiions  and  opinions, 
under  an  idea  that  their  own  Creed,  their 
own  mode  of  worfhip  alone  was  fcriptural; 
and,  when  eftablifhcd,  was  to  be  main- 
tained and  protected  by  all  die  efforts  of 
authority. 

In  the  courfe  of  the  conteft,  die  Pre/by- 
terianiy  for  a  few  years,  gained  the  fupe- 
riority.  All  thofe  meaiures  were  then 
right,  which  before  they  felt  to  be  unjuft 
and  oppreffive  ->  becaufe  now  they  were  ufed 

-  in 


(     68     ) 

in  the  caufe  of  God  and  Truth.  Power 
blinded  and  corrupted  them,  as  it  had  done 
before  the  Epifcopalians.  An  Ecclefiaftical 
Hierarchy,  in  every  nation,  in  every  age,, 
under  all  civil  revolutions,  has  been  ini- 
mical to  truth,  and  a  bar  to  reformation. 

In  Sect  laud  the  Prefbyterian  Hierarchy 
is  meliorated  bv  its  neighbourhood  to  this 
country,  and  its  union  with  the  Epifcopa- 
lian  Hierarchy  under  the  fame  King.  But 
in  Geneva,  and  in  Holland,  where  it  reigns 
exempt  from  the  influence  and  controul  of 
a  different  and  powerful  body  of  men,  it 
is  by  no  means  favourable  to  liberty  and 
free  enquiry.  The  feventy  of  the  Placarts, 
in  the  latter  of  thefe  countries,  has  been 
a  bar  to  the  translation  of  the  Memoirs  of 
the  Life  and  Writings  of  Fauftus  Sjcinus, 
into  Dutch.  No  bookfeller  there  having 
the  courage  to  appear  as  the  publifher  of 
ir.  At  Dort  the  translation  of  Dr.  Pri°ft~ 
ley's  Hiftory  of  the  Corruptions  of  Chriftia- 
nity  has  been  Ariel  ly  prohibited.  And  it 
may,,  on  good  information,  be  aiTerted, 
that  the  fermons  of  the  eftablifhed  Clergy 

of 


(    h    ) 

of Holland  have,  in  general,  little  of  any 
moral  inftruction  -,  but  the  (train  of  them 
is  dogmatical  and  intolerant. 

It  is  an  honour  to  the  Englifo  Proteftani 
Dljfenters  of  this  day,  and  a  ground  of  de- 
vout thankfulneis,  that  Prejl,yterianifm  hath 
no  exiitence  amongft  them.  They  who, 
very  improperly,  are  called  Prefbyteria'as^ 
as  confident  Protellants,  and  as  genuine 
advocates  for  liberty,  have  no  rivals,  and  but 
few  equals  *. 

But  it  is  time  to  drop  this  fubject,  and  to 
return  to  Mr.  Biddle,  to  whom,  it  was  ex- 
pected that  the  Ordinance,  which  has  led  us 
into  thefc  reflexions,  would  have  proved 
fatal.  Had  it  been  more  confined  in  its 
direction,  it  could  fcarcely  have  failed  of 
being  deftructive  to  him.  But  its  force 
was  directed  to  fo  many  objects,  and  fo 
various,  that  it  would  have  involved,  in  the 
execution  of  its  fentence,  many  whom  not 

*  See  to  this  effect,  the  animated  and  eloquent 
Difcourfes  delivered  before  the  friends  of  the  New 
Academy  at  Manchefter,  in  1786,  p.  25,  &c.  of 
Mr.  Harrifon's  Sermon. 

only 


(     7o    ) 

only  policy  taught,  but  necefilty  conftrained 
them,  to  fpare.  For  in  the  army,  from 
which  quarter  the  authority  of  Parliament 
met  with  confiderable  oppofition,  numbers, 
both  of  foldiers  and  officers,  were  liable  to 
the  feverities  of  this  act.  On  this  account, 
and  becaufe  there  was  a  diffenfion  in  the 
Parliament  itielf,  it  laid  unregarded  for 
feveral  years. 


SECTION 


(     7i     ) 


SECTION     VII. 

Mr.  BiddleV  Sufferings  from  1648  to  165 1. 

His  fubfequent  enlargement  and  improve- 
:nt  of  it, 

THOUGH  the  circumftances  noticed 
in  the  ciole  of  the  lad  Section,  ener- 
vated to  a  great  d.g  ee  the  force  of  that 
Shocking  Ordinance,  which  was  aimed  at 
Mr.  Biddle\  life,  yet  he  differed,  for  fe- 
veral  years,  the  miferies  of  a  ftvere  im- 
prifonment.  It  derived,  however,  fome 
mitigation,  and  indeed,  enlargement  through 
the  death  of  Charles  I. 

In  the  fubfequent  confufion  of  the  times 
arifing  from  the  oppofition  that  the  Com- 
monwealth met  with  from  the  Royalifts, 
the  Scots  and  the  Irifh,  and  from  the  con- 
duct of  the  Prefbyterians  towards  the  New 
Government,  the  attention  of  the  Parlia- 
ment and  of  the  Prefbyterians  was  na- 
turally 


(     7*     ) 

turally  drawn  off  from  religious  difputes  to 
the  eftablifhment  of  their  power  and  in- 
fluence in  the  political  fcale.  The  Parlia- 
ment alio  interfered  with  explicit  and 
direct  exertions  in  favour  of  Toleration. 

For  Cromwell>  before  he  embarked  for 
Ireland^  which  he  was  appointed  to  reduce, 
fent  letters  to  the  Parliament,  urging  the 
repeal  of  all  the  penal  laws  relating  to 
religion.  His  application  was  fupported 
by  a  petition  from  General  Fairfax,  and 
his  Council  of  Officers,  praying  that  all 
penal  fhatutes  formerly  made,  whereby 
many  confcientious  people  were  molefted, 
might  be  removed.  This  petition  was 
favourably  received,  and  after  fome  time 
pafTed  into  a  law. 

Though  it  does  not  appear  that  Mr. 
BiddUy  in  confequence  of  this,  was  dif- 
mifTed  from  prifon  by  a  legal  and  official 
difcharge,  yet,  for  the  prefent,  thefe 
meafures  were  favourable  to  him.  His 
keeper  allowed  him  more  liberty,  and  per- 
mitted him,  upon  fecurity  being  given,  even 
to  go  into  Staffordjbire.     Here  the  obloquy 

and 


(     73     ) 

+nd  confinement,  which  he  had  iuffered, 
were,  in  fome  degree,  ibothed  and  coun- 
terbalanced by  the  patronage  and  kindnefs 
of  a  Juftice  of  the  Peace,  who  received 
him  into  his  houfe,  courteouily  entertained 
him,  made  him  his  Chaplain,  and  appointed 
him  to  be  Preacher  of  a  Church  in  that 
county,  and  at  his  death  left  him  a  le- 
gacy ;  which  was  a  very  feafbnable  fupply 
to  him,  as  he  had  already  fpent  nearly  all 
his  fubftance  in  about  four  years  charge- 
able reftraint*.  One  regrets,  that  the 
Memoirs  of  Mr.  Biddle  have  not  perpe- 
tuated the  name  of  the  gentleman  who 
acted  this  excellent  part.  He  evidenced 
a  laudable  fuperiority  to  vulgar  prejudices, 
in  not  being  alhamed  of  this  perfecuted 
man;  and  he  manifefted  a  chriflian  bene- 
volence and  fortitude,  in  affording  to  him 
his  patronage,  and  in  miniftring  to  his 
wants.  It  is  a  pleafing  thought,  that 
though  the  names  of  thofe  who  perform 
fuch  good  deeds,    fhould  be  loft  to   the 

*  Britifh  Biography,  v.  6.  p.  85, 

E  world, 


(     74     ) 

world,  they  are  on  everlafting  record  in 
the  books  of  Heaven. 

Mr,  BJddle  was  not  long  permitted  to 
enjoy  the  eafe  and  comfort  of  his  friendly 
afylum,  for  Sir  John  Bradjhaw,  Preiident 
of  the  Council   of  State,  being  informed 
of  his   retreat,    hTued   out  orders  for  his 
being  recalled,  and  more  ftrictly  confined. 
In  this   long  confinement,  which  lafted  to 
February,  1651,    what  proved   mofl  grie- 
vous   to   him,  was   that   by  reafon  of  his 
lying  under  the  imputation  of  blafphemy 
and    herefy,    the    minds    of   people   were, 
either  fo  alienated  from  him,  or  ib  inti- 
midated with  an  apprehenfion  of  incurring 
the  fame  odium,  ihould  they  fhew  him  any 
kind  and  refpedriul  attention,  that  he  was 
cut  off  from  all   the  intercourfes  of  life, 
and  could  hardly  have  any  one  to  converfe 
with.      In    particular,    no  divine,    except 
Mr.  Peter  Gunning,  afterwards  Bifhop  of 
Ely,  during  his  feven  years  confinement, 
ever  paid  him  a  vifit,  not  even  to  attempt 
to  convince  him  of  his  errors.     A  good 
man,  'differing  for  confcience  and  his  love 

of 


(    75     ) 

of  truth,  muft  be  very  fenfibly  affecTied 
with  a  treatments  which  expreifes  not  only 
neglect,  but  contempt  and  hatred. 

A  worthy  fuccelTor  to  Mr.  Biddle,  in 
the  like  iufferings,  and  for  the  fame  caufe, 
the  excellent  Mr.  Etnlyn,  felt  the  full  force 
of  this  trial.  "  During  this  more  than 
two  whole  years  imprifonment,5'  fays  he, 
"  my  former  acquaintance  (how  intimate 
foever  before)  were  altogether  eftranged 
from  me,  and  all  offices  of  civility  in  a 
manner  ceafed  -,  eipecially  among  them  of 
iliperior  rank,  though  a  few  of  the  plainer 
tradefmen  of  my  own  people  were  more 
companionate  and  kind.  O !  my  God, 
what  a  change  haft  thou  made  in  my  out- 
ward condition  !  I  had  a  tolerable  efceem, 
and  a  multitude  of  friends,  but  am  now 
become  their  fcorn  and  bye-word,  and 
my  acquaintance  and  friends  Hand  afar 
off*." 

Thus  bigotry  cancels  the  bonds  of  life, 
and  heretical  pravity  is  looked  on  as  more 

*  Emfyn's  Works,  vol.  i.    p.   36.  4th  ed.     1746. 
Memoirs  of  his  Life,  p.  32. 

E  2  criminal 


(    76     ) 

criminal  than  the  moft  heinous  acts  of 
immorality.  A  robber  and  a  murderer  is 
treated  according  to  the  rights  of  huma- 
nity, and  is  indulged  with  the  vifit  of 
fympathy  and  friendfhip,  which  is  denied 
to  the  man  who  deviates  from  the  pre- 
vailing faith,  though  his  character  in  every 
other  refpcct,  is  blamelefs  and  excellent; 
denied  by  thofe,  who  profefs  a  religion 
which  inculcates  vifiting  the  Pri/oner,  as 
an  expreflion  of  rcfpecT,  of  attachment  and 
gratitude  to  its  great  author.  But  fo  it 
pleafeth  providence,  that  the  cup  of  which 
the  furYerer  for  righteoufnefs  fake  partaketh, 
fhould  be  mingled  with  every  bitter  ingre- 
dient, to  try  his  faith,  to  exalt  his  virtue, 
and  to  fhew  the  power  of  truth,  furmount- 
ing,  in  the  end,  every  evil  and  difficulty. 

In  the  experience  of  Mr.  Biddle>  poverty 
was  added  to  imprifonment  and  the  neglect 
of  mankind.  Notwithftanding  the  recruit 
which  his  fortune  had  received  from  the 
legacy  juft  mentioned,  his  fubftance,  in 
the  courfe  of  feven  years  confinement,  was 
ail  fpent,  and  he  was  reduced  to  fuch  in- 
digence^ 


('  77     ) 

digence,  that,  unable  to  pay  for  the  ordinary 
repair,  of  the  table,  he  was  glad,  fays  his 
Biog  apher,  <f  of  the  cheaper  ilipport  of 
drinking  a  draught  of  milk  from  the  cow, 
morning  and  evening." 

When  he  was  reduced  to  this  fituation, 
and  had  been  fo  long  precluded  from  all 
the  means  of  fupport,  which   the   benevo- 
lence of  others,  ^or  his  own  induftry  might 
fuppiy,  Divine  Providence  did   not  leave 
him   to  perifh  through  want,   but  opened 
for    him    an   unexpected    refo   rce.      Mr. 
Roger  Daniel,  a  Printer  of  London,  formed 
at  that  time  the  defign  of  publifhing  a  new 
and   moft    accurate  edition  of   the   Greek 
Verfion  of  the  Old  Teftament,   called  the 
Septuagint.     At  the  recommendation  of  a 
learned  man,   he  employed  Mr.  Blddle  to 
correct   the   imprcflion,  knowing   full  well, 
fays  Mr.  Woody  that  Bid  die  was  ;.n  exact 
Grecian,  and  had  time  enough  to  follow 
it.     This  was  an  employment  not  only  fea- 
fonable,  but  mod  acceptable  to  Mr.  Bid- 
die,  fc  whole  delight,"  obferves  the  writer 
of  his   life,    fc   was  in    the   law    of  God. 

E  3  This 


(     7«     ) 

This  and  another  employment  of  a  more 
private  nature,  did,  for  fome  time,  fur- 
nifh  him  with  a  comfortable  fubfiflence  *." 

In  the  year  1651,  fuch  public  meafures 
were  taken,  as,  by  their  operation  were 
favourable  to  our  virtuous  fufferer;  for 
the  Parliament  publilhed  an  Act  of  In- 
demnity for  ail  crimes,  with  a  few  excep- 
tions j  which  did  not  reach  the  cafe  of  thofc 
who  were  confined  for  advancing  and  dif- 
feminating  what  were  deemed  heretical 
opinions.  This  act  reflored,  among  others, 
Mr.  Biddle  to  full  liberty. 

In  confequence  of  the  pieces  he  had  pub- 
lished, and  of  the  fevere  proceedings  againft 
him,  it  appears,  that  an  attention  to  the 
general  queftion  was  awakened  ;  and  fome 
had  been  made  converts  to  his  principles, 
particularly  in  London.  The  liberty  which 
he  now  obtained,  was  improved  by  his 
meeting,  on  every  Lord's  day,  with  thofe 
friends  he  had  gained  in  the  city,  for  the 
purpofe  of  expounding  the  fcriptures,  and 
difcournng  thereon. 

*  Wood's  Athena  Omnienfh:    Art,  Biddle. 

Til   OK 


(     79     ) 

The  principle,  on  whicji  Mr.  Btddle 
and  his  adherents,  firft  formed  themfeives 
into  a  diftinct  and  feparate  fociety  was, 
that  the  Unity  of  God  is  an  Unity  cf  Per/on 
as  well  as  Nature  -,  that  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  indeed  a  perfon,  but  not  God.  The 
object  of  their  religious  aflbciation  was  to 
exert  their  endeavours,  that  the  honour  of 
Almighty  God  fhould  not  be  transferred 
to  another.  For,  as  Mr.  Btddle  urges, 
in  a  piece  before  quoted,  Cf  God  is  jea- 
lous of  his  honour,  and  will  not  give  it  to 

other  j  we  therefore,  as  beloved  children, 
fhouid  imitate  our  Heavenly  Father  herein, 
and  not  upon  any  pretence  whatfoever  de- 
part from  his  exprefs  command,  and  give 
the  worihip  of  the  Supreme  Lord  of  hea- 
ven and  earth  to  him  whom  the  fcripture 
no  where  affirmeth  to  be  God." 

Mr.  Biddle's  fociety,  emancipated  from 
the  reflraints  of  an  eftablifnment,  and  affem- 
bling  together,  not  only  for  the  purpofe 
of  divine  worfbip,  but,  for  freely  inveftigat- 
ing    theological  queflions,    adopted    fome 

E  4  other 


(     *o     ) 

other  difcriminating  notions.  Such  as 
thefe  j  <c  that  the  Fathers  under  the  Old 
Covenant  had  only  temporal  proinifes  j 
that  laving  faith  confided  in  univerfal  obe- 
dience performed  to  the  commands  of  God 
and  Chrift  j  that  Chrift  rofe  again  only  by 
the  power  of  his  Father,  not  his  own  -,  that 
jiftifying  faith  is  not  the  pure  gift  of  God, 
but  may  be  acquired  by  mens'  natural 
abilities ;  that  faith  cannot  believe  any  thing 
contrary  to,  or  above  reafon ;  that  there  is 
no  original  Sin ;  that  Chrift  hath  not  the 
fame  body  now  in  glory,  in  which  he  fuf- 
fered  and  rofe  again  -,  that  the  faints  (hall 
not  have  the  fame  body  in  heaven  which 
they  had  on  earth ;  that  Chrift  was  net 
Lord  or  King  before  his  refurrection,  or 
Prieft  before  his  afcenfion ;  that  the  faints 
fhall  not,  before  the  day  of  judgment, 
enjoy  the  blifs  of  heaven ;  that  God  doth 
not  certainly  know  future  contingencies  -y 
that  there  is  not  any  authority  of  Fathers 
or  general  Councils  in  determining  matters 
of  faith  3  that  Chrift  before  his  death  had 

not 


(     Si     ) 

not  any  dominion  over  the  Angels,  and 
that  Chrifi  by  dying  made  no  fa  as  faction 
for  us*." 

The  members  of  this  fociety  were  called, 
from  Mr.  Biddle,  their  head  and  paftor, 
Bidellians  -,  and  from  their  agreement  in 
opinion,  concerning  the  Unity  of  God  and 
the  humanity  of  Cbrijl,  with  the  followers 
of  Socinus,    they  were   denominated   Soci- 

ans.  s*  They  followed  indeed,  at  firfb, 
Mr.  Biddle  (as  he  efpoufed  the  tenets  of 
Soc'inus}  but  fo,  that  as  ibon  as  there  ap- 
peared better  light,  (to  ufe  a  fcripture 
phrafe)  they  rejoiced  in  it"  The  name,  which 
rooft  properly  chara&erifed  their  leading 
fentiment  and  detachment  from  an  implicit 
adherence  to  any  teacher,  was  that  of  Uhi- 
tarianr. 

This  was  the  rife  of  the  Englifh  Urn- 
tartans,  to  whole  honour  it  was   laid,  that 

befides    an    acutenefs   and   dexterity    of 

^*  Sec  the  Preface  to  Sir  Peter  Pett's  Happy 
Future  State  of  England,  as  quoted  by  Mcjkcims 
Tranflator.  Moshe  i  m's  Ecdejiajhcal  Hiftory,  vol.  v.. 
p.  56.  note  (rr)  of  the  2d  edition  in  8vo.  1767. 

E  $  thought,. 


(       82       ) 

thought,  they  were  excellently  learned, 
efpecially  in  facred  Criticifm."  But  <c  that 
which  mod  commended  them,  was  the 
freedom  and  imcerity,  which  they  all  along 
practifed,  in  judging  of  the  controverted 
Articles  of  Religion. " 

It  is  juftice  to  the  worthy  perfons  them- 
felves,  and  jicful  to  pofterity  and  the  caufe 
of  truth,  to  perpetuate,  if  pofiible,  the 
names  of  thofe  who  have  been  its  Patrons 
and  Advocates,  or  Sufferers  for  it ;  and 
who,  by  their  exertions,  though  not  by 
their  pen,  have  contributed  to  the  fpread 
of  religious  knowledge  and  free  enquiry. 
We  regret  it,  that  of  thofe  who  were  Mr. 
Biddies  friends,  and  members  of  the 
church  which  he  raifed,  only  two  names 
have  been  preferved  to  us,  thofe  of  Mr. 
Nathaniel  Stuckey  and  Mr.  Thomas  Fir- 
m  in. 

The  fir  ft  wac  i  young  gentleman,  emi- 
nent for  his  dil  nguifhed  parts  and  early 
piety.  He  w«3  born  in  1649.  At  the 
age  of  fifteen  he  publifhed  a  Latin  tranfla- 
tion  of  Mr.  Biddies  Scripture  Catechifm> 

for 


(     Sj     ) 

the  ufc  of  Foreigners ;  and  in  the  next 
it    1665,  he  printed  a  Latin  Verfion  of 
Mr.  B  Brief  Catecbi        "  r  Children  -, 

to   which   he   annexed    an    Oration   of  his 
own,    in  :         ame   language,  on  the   fuf- 
ferings  and  death  of  Chriit*.     This  young 
.1  died  at  the  age  of  feventeen  j-. 

#   To   thi?   edition   of    Mr.    B.\:  ale's   Catethetical 
pieces  was    alfo  fubjoincd,    a  letter  addreiTcd  to  him 

•.a  zealous    Unitarian,  who 

born  in  Siltfta,  but  having  been   obliged   oltcn 

ige   his  refidence,  on   account  of  his   ienti- 

merr  ,    where  he  fupported   him- 

■    care   of  a    School,    and  correcting   the 

•  purport  of  the  letter,  ju:l  mentioned, 
was  to  t  iiio  joy  in  the  acquilition  of  fuch  a 
man  to  the  party  of  the  Antitrinitariam\  and  to 
con-  rncft  willies,  fupported  by  various 
arg'  .              that    he   would   go  on    to  exert   himfelf 

•  caufc,  and  would  dilTcminate  the  fen- 
timents  he  J,  not  only  in  England  y  bat  in 
the  new  work  Vide  Fr.  Sam.  Bock  Hiitoria 
Ant:  i$rum,  vol.  1.  8vo.  1776.  Art.  Fel- 
linger:  us, 

t  Sandii    Bibliotbcca   Antitrinitaricrurn,    Art.  Bi- 
dellius  &  Felbingcrius. 

E  6  But 


(     8+     ) 

But  the  greateft  honour  and  fuppOFt 
were  derived  to  Mr.  Riddle  and  his  caufe 
from  the  friendfhip  and  exertions  of  Mr. 
Thomas  Firmin,  the  friend  and  intimate  of 
the  Doctors  Outram,  Whichcote  and  // "<?;'- 
tbingtoti)  and  of  the  Bifhops  Wilkins^ 
'Tillotfon   and  1  ,    a   man   of  eminent 

piety  arid  fuperior  virtue ;  who,  for  active 
and  generous  benevolence,  has  had  few 
equals  in  any  age.  Biihop  Burnet  fays  of 
him,  that  "  he  was  in  great  eiteem  for 
promoting  many  charitable  defigns,  for 
looking  after  the  poor  of  the  city,  and 
fetting  them  to  work  :  for  raifng  great 
fums  for  fchocrls  and  hofpitals,  and  indeed 
for  charities  of  all  forts,  private  and  public. 
He  had  fuch  credit  with  the  richelt  Ci- 
tizens, that  he  had  the  command  of  great 
wealth  as  often  as  there  was  occafion  for 
it*."  His  time  was  devoted  to  benevolent 
exertions  -,  his  fortune  was  laid  out  in  li- 
beral,   munificent  deeds.     The  Hofpitals 

*  Bp.  Burnet's  Hiftory  of  his   own  Times,   v.  3. 
8vo.  p.  292. 

of 


(     »5     ) 

St.    !■  and    ot  parricidal 

I  the  in  flue  n  .d  continue  to  enjoy 

the    good    c  of    his    generofity   and 

In   the         fter  ot*  the  latter,  a 

marble  records  and  perpetu  ites  the  praifea 

:s  wonder  fill  zed  and  charity  \, 

Mr.  Firmin,  b  being  the  perfonal 

friend  of  Mr.  £  ,    continued,  after  his 

deeeafe,  and  until  after  the  revolution,  with 
much  vigour  ifliduity,  to  promote  the 

reception  of  his  opinions.      I  It  encouraged 
many  publications  in  defence  of  the  Ui. 
of  ,   he  difperfed  over  the  na- 

tion,  diftributing  them  freely  to  all   who 

uld  accept  of  them.  I  le  Ind  a  parti- 
cular concern  in  the  publication  of  ieveral 
volumes  of  E  .    I  rafts  in  4:0.  which. 

i  tilled  forth  from  the  prefs  about   the   time 
of  the  Revolution. 

Mr.  Firmin  was  a  very  young  man  when. 
Mr.  Riddle's  fociety  was  firft  formed  ;  and 
it  does  not   appear,   that  it  fubillted  after 

f  For  a  full  account  of  his  moft   ufeful  and   ge- 
icrous  decJs,  fee  bu  Life  by  Mr.  Cormjb. 

the 


(     36     ) 

the  death  of  its  founder,  who  did  not  at- 
tempt to  bring  his  friends  into  inch  cloie 
bonds  of  union,  as  would  preferve  them 
a  diltinct  community  afcer  his  removal. 
The  force  of  the  tcllimonv,  which  was 
borne  to  the  doctrine  of  the  divine  unity 
by  the  writings  of  the  Unitarians  could  not 
but  be  greatly  diminifhed  by  the  ditto- 
lution    ol    Mr.  v.      It   is   to 

be  la:  I,  that  Mr.  n>  in  parti- 

cular) did  not  exert  himillf  to  keep  toge- 
ther this  body  of  Unitarians,  or  that,  if,  as 
one  would  hope,  he  did  take  Ibmc  Heps 
with  this  d(  were  not  fucgefs- 

ful. 


SECTION 


(     17     ) 


SEC         i  0  N    VIII. 
Ilc'j  D  D  \  i        ing, 

Willi  J  and  his  friends 

fed  the  lil  erty  of  holding  re- 
Dr.  rwards 

D 
.  Bid  i  had  I   Mr. 

fdle  ii  lent  as  a 

1  man,  and  as  a  readya  Difpn- 

:,  came,  on   a   I  .or,:'  in   the 

:4,  ro  their  i       ting,   accoir 

'     loon 

;cd    his    :  ,    that 

the;  not  ro  be   an  hearer  of  Mr. 

Wfe,  and  a  witnefs  of  the  order  of  his 

rflupj  but  publicly  and  before  his  o 

adherents,  to   confound   and   confute  him. 

For  he  commenced  a  >n  with  him, 

on  the  firil  time,  concerning  the  Deity  of 

the 


(     83     ) 

the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  then,  on  the  next 
Lord's  day,  concerning  the  fupreme  Deity 
of  Chrift.  The  difputation  was  carried 
on  in  the  fyllogrftic  mode,  and  they  took, 
their  turns  of  refponding  and  oppofing. 

Mr.   Biddle   was    evidently   taken    at   a 
great   difadvantage,    as    he   was   fuddenly 
furprifed   into   a  debate  without    any   de- 
jfrgned  preparation   for  it.      But  this  cir- 
cumftance  contributed   to  difplay  both  his 
furniture  and  abilities,   and   to  fhew  how 
much  he  had  ftudied  the  queftions,  and  was 
mailer  of  the  argument.     For  his  Biogra- 
pher informs  us,  that  Mr.  Biddle  acquitted 
himfelf  with  fo   much  learning,  judgment 
and   knowledge   in  the  f^nft  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures,   that  inftead  of  lofmg,  he  gained 
much  credit  both  to  himfelf  and  his  caufe, 
as   even  fome  of    the  gentlemen    of  Dr, 
Gunning's  party  had   the  ingenuity  to  ac- 
knowledge *." 

But  the  Doctor,  unwilling  to  fet  down 
as  foiled,   or  prefuming  on  his  own  fupe- 

*  Unitarian  Tra&s.     Biddle's  Life,  -p,  6,  y. 

riority. 


(     89     )      ^ 

riority  in  another  queftion  ;  after  this,  fur- 
prifed  Mr.  Biddle  a  third  time  -,  and  finding 
him  in  the  difcuflion  of  the  argument 
again  ft  the  fatisfaction  of  punitive  juftice 
by  the  death  of  Cbrifi,  he  defended  that 
fentiment  with  great  vigour.  But  on  this, 
as  on  the  former  occafions,  he  met  with 
a  fkilful  and  dexterous  opponent ;  which 
he  had  the  generofity,  after  wards,  to  con- 
fels. 

This  method  of  attack,  by  intruding-, 
unawares,  upon  a  religious  fociety,  and 
interrupting  their  worfhip,  or  by  difcurTing 
controverted  points  in  a  public  difputation, 
hath,  very  properly,  been  laid  afide,  and 
given  way,  in  our  more  liberal  age,  to 
the  ufe  of  the  pen.  There  was  a  rudenefs 
and  violence  in  it,  from  which  modern 
politenefs  is  juftly  averfe;  and  it  favoured 
more  of  the  ipirit  of  contention,  and  an 
eagernefs  for  victory,  than  of  the  love  of 
truth.  Yet  public  deputation  was  a  mode 
of  oppofing  fuppofed  error,  generally 
pra£tifed,  through  Europe,  from  the  time 

of 


(     9°     ) 

of  the  Reformation  till  the  clofe  of  the  laffc 
century.       What    ever    advantage    might 
ftrile  from   fifch  public  difcuflion  of  theo- 
logical queftions,   by  awakening  the  atten- 
tion of  men,   and   exciting  them   to  think 
and  enquire  on  fubje&s,   to  which  perhaps 
they   would    not,    o.herwife,    hive    turned 
their   thoughts  \  yet  they   were  productive 
of  much  evil,   by   inflaming  the  fpirits  of 
men.     They  thus  tended  to  beget  in  fomc 
a  diflike,    and   in  others   a    contempt   of 
religious  debate  j  whUe  the  prevailing  ■party 
took  occafian  to  triumph  with  all  the  inib- 
lence  of  power. 

But  to  return  -  this  year  of  Mr.  Biddh\ 
life  was  diftinguifhed  more  by  the  publica- 
tion of  two  Catethetical  pieces,  than  by 
his  public  difputations  with  Dr.  Gunning* 
They  were  entitled,  <f  A  Two-fold  Cate- 
cc  chiim  \  the  one  fimply  called  A  Scrip- 
ture Catechifm  \  the-other  ^  Brief 'Scrip »- 
ture  Catechifm  for  Children ;  wherein 
the  chiefeft  points  of  the  Chriftian  Reli- 
gion, being  quernon-wife  propoled,  re- 
tc  folve  themielves   by   pertinent    anfwers 

cc  taken 


.. 


(   f1    ) 

taken  word  for  word  out  of  the  Scrip- 
"  tur.e,  without  cither  confequences  or 
t(  comments.  Compo&d  for  their  fakes, 
that  would  fain  be  mere  Cbrijl/ans,  and 
not  of  this  or  that  lc:r,  inafmuch  as  all 
the  feels  of  Chriftians,  by  what  names 
"  foever  diftinguifhed,  have  more  or  Ids 
M  departed  from  the  (implicity  and  truth 
N  of  the  fcripture."  The  difcriminating 
title  of  the  other  runs,  A  Brief  Scripture 
Cat echifm  for  Children  \  wherein,  notwith- 
standing the  brevity  thereof,  all  things  ne- 
ceffary  unto  life  and  godlinefs  are  contained. 
By  John  Biddle,  Mafler  of  Arts,  of  the 
Univerfity  of  Oxford. 

In  the  preface  to  the  fir  ft  of  thefe,  Mr. 
Biddle  complains,  that  all  Catechifms  were 
generally  fo  filled  with  trie  fuppofitions  and 
traditions  of  men  j  that  cc  the  lead  part  of 
them  was  derived  from  the  word  of  God." 
For,  fays  he,  cc  when  Councils,  Convoca- 
tions and  AiTemblies  of  Divines,  juftling 
the  (acred  writers  out  of  their  place  in  the 
church,     had    once    framed   Articles    and 

Confefiions 


(     9*    ) 

ConfefTions  of  Faith  according  to  their  own* 
fancies   and  interefts,   and  the   Civil  Ma- 
giftrate  had  by  his   authority  ratified   the 
fame,  all  Catechifms  were  afterwards  fitted, 
to  thofe  Articles  and  Confeflions,  and  the 
Scripture  either  wholly  omitted,  or  brought 
in    only    for   a    fhew,    not   one   quotation 
amonglt  many  being  a  whit  to  the  purpoi  • 
as  will  appear  to  any  man  of  judgment,  who 
taking  into  his  hands  the  faid  Catecinfms,, 
fliall  examine  the  texts  alledged  in  them  -, 
for  if  he  do  this  diligently  and  impartially, 
he  will  find  the  Scripture  and  thofe  Cate- 
chifms to  be  <c  at  fo  wide  a  diftance  from 
one  another,  that  he  will  begin  to  queftion* 
whether  the  Catechifts  gave  any  heed   at 
all  to  what  they  wrote,  and  did   not  only 
themfelves  refuie  to  make  ufe  of  their  rea- 
fon,   but  prefume    that  their  readers   alfo 
would  do  the  fame.'* 

To  prevent  the  evils  of  this  method, 
Mr.  Biddle  profeiTes,  that,  according  to 
the  understanding  he  had  obtained  by  con- 
tinual meditation  on  the  word  of  God,  he 
had  'compiled   his    Scripture   Catechifm  j, 


X     93     ) 

in  which  he  himfelt"  after ted  nothing,  but 
only  introduced  the  Scripture  faithfully 
uttering  its  own  aftertions,  which  all 
Christians  confefs  to  be  of  undoubted 
truth. 

Mr.  Biddle,  aware  that  his  Catechifm 
would  exhibit  fentiments  contrary  to  the 
current  opinions  of  the  age,  cautions  his 
reader  againft  taking  offence  at  them, 
cc  Take  heed,  that  thou  fall  not  foul  upon 
them,  for  thou  canft  not  do  lb,  without 
falling  upon  the  holy  Scripture  itfelf,  in- 
afmuch  as  all  the  anfvvers  throughout 
the  whole  Catechifm  are  faithfully  tranf-. 
cribed  out  of  it,  and  rightly  applied  to  the 
queftions,  as  thou  thyfelf  may  eft  perceive, 
if  thou  (halt  make  a  diligent  inlpe&ion 
into  the  feveral  texts  with  all  their  circum- 
ftances." 

To  the  objection,  that  he  was  apprehen- 
live  would  be  made  to  the  defign  for  which 
fome  texts  were  cited,  viz.  that  they 
ought  to  be  underftood  figuratively :  he 
protefts  againft  putting  figurative  interpre- 
tations 


(     94     ) 

rations  on  the  Scripture,  without  exprcfs 
warrant  of  the  Scripture  itfelfj  as  a  method 
of  interpretation  fubjecr.  to  no  certain  rule, 
and  which  might  be  applied  to  the  fupport 
of  any  abfurdity.  cc  Certainly  might  we 
of  our  own  heads,  argues  he,  figuratively 
interpret  the  fcripture;  when  the  letter  is 
neither  repugnant  to  our  fenfes,  nor  to 
the  fcope  of  refpective  texts,  nor  to  a 
greater  number  of  plain  texts  to  the  con- 
trary, (for  in  fuch  cafes  we  muft  of  ne- 
ceflity  admit  figures  in  the  facred  volume, 
as  well  as  we  do  in  profane  ones,  otherwife 
both  they  and  it  will  clafh  either  with 
themfelves,  or  with  our  fenfes,  which  the 
fcripture  itfelf  intimates  to  be  of  infallible 
certainty,  fee  i  John  i,  2,  3.)  might  we, 
I  fay,  at  our  pleafure,  impoie  our  figures 
and  allegories  on  the  plain  words  of  God, 
the  fcripture  would  in  very  deed  be,  what 
fome  blaiphemouily  affert  it  to  be,  a  nofe 
cf  wax. 

His  reflexions  on  the  confufion  of  lan- 
guage introduced  into  the  Chriftian  Re- 
ligion, by  the  invention  of  intricate  and 

unfcriptural 


(     95     ) 

unfcriptural  terms   and  phrafes,  which  arc 
not  underftood,    either  by  the  people,   or 
by    thole  that  invented  them,  deierve  at- 
tention.    Wherefore,  lays  he,   there   is   no 
pofiibility  to   reduce  the  Chrittian  religion 
to   its    primitive   integrity,    (a    thing,    he 
oblerves,    never  fincerely  attempted,  even 
in  the  reformed  Churches,   fince  men  hive, 
by   fevere    penalties,    been   hindered   from 
proceeding    further    than    did   Luther    or 
Calvin)  but  by  cafhiering  thofe  many  in- 
tricate terms  and  deviled  forms  of  (peak- 
ing impofcd  on  our  religion,   and  by  wholly 
betaking  ourfelves  to   the  plainnefs  of  the 
(capture.     For  I  have  long  fince  oblerved 
(and  find  my  obfervation   to   be  true  and 
certain)    that  when   to  exprefs   matters  of 
religion,  men  make  ufe  of  words  and  phrafes 
unheard    of   in     the    Icripture,    they    (lily 
under  them  couch  falfe  doctrines,  and  ob- 
trude them  on  us  -,  for  without  queftion  the 
doctrines  of  the  fcripture  can  be  fo   aptly 
explained  in  no  language,  as  that  of  fcr'ip- 
*ure  itfelf." 

After 


(     96     ) 

mm 

_  After  a  full  enumeration  of  various  terms, 
introduced  into  Theology,  Mr.  Biddle 
remarks :  <f  After  Conftantlne  the  Great, 
together  with  the  Council  of  Nice,  had 
once  deviated  from  the  language  of  the 
Scripture  in  the  bufinefs  touching  the  Son 
of  God,  calling  him  co-erTential  with  the 
Father ;  this  opened  a  gap  for  others  after- 
wards, under  a  pretence  of  guarding  the 
truth  from  Heretics,  to  devife  new  terms 
at  pleafure,  which  did  by  degrees  fo  vi- 
tiate the  chaftity  and  fimplicity  of  our 
faith  delivered  in  the  Scripture,  that  there 
hardly  remained  fo  much  as  one  point 
thereof  found  and  entire.  So  that  as  it 
was  wont  to  be  difputed  in  the  fchools, 
whether  the  old  fhip  of  Thefeus  (which  had 
in  a  manner  been  wholly  altered  at  fundry 
times,  by  the  acceflion  of  new  pieces  of 
timber  upon  the  decay  of  the  old)  were 
the  fame  fhip  it  had  been  at  firft,  and  not 
rather  another  by  degrees  fubflituted  in 
the  ftead  thereof.  In  like  manner,  there 
was  fo  much  of  the  primitive  truth  worn 

away 


(     97     ) 

iway  by  the  corruption,  that  did  by  little 
and  little  overfpread  the  generality  of 
Chriftians,  and  fo  many  errors  inftead 
thereof  tacked  to  our  religion  at  feveral 
times,  that  one  might  juftly  queftion,  whe- 
ther it  were  the  fame  religion  with  that 
which  Chrift  and  his  Apoftles  taught,  and 
not  another  fince  deviled  by  men,  and  put 
in  the  room  thereof. 

But  thanks  be  to  God,  through  our 
Lord  J  ejus  Cbrifl,  who  amidfl  the  uni- 
verfal  corruption  of  our  religion,  hath  pre- 
ferved  his  written  word  entire,  (for  had 
men  corrupted  it,  they  would  have  made 
it  fpeak  more  favourably  in  behalf  of  their 
lulls  and  worldly  interefts,  than  it  doth) 
which  word,  if  we  with  diligence  and  fin- 
cerity  pry  into,  refolving  to  embrace  the 
doctrine  that  is  there  plainly  delivered, 
though  all  the  world  mould  fet  itfelf  againft 
us  for  fo  doing,  we  fliall  eafily  difcern  the 
truth,  and  fo  be  able  to  reduce  our  reli- 
gion to  its  firft  principles. 

cc  For  thus  much  I  perceive  by  my  own 
experience,    who    being  otherwife  of   no 

F  great 


(     98     ) 

great  abilities,  yet  letting  myfelf  with  the 
aforefaid  refolution,   for  fundry  years  toge- 
ther,   upon    an    impartial    iearch    of    the 
Scripture,    have   not   only   detected   many 
errors,    but  prefented   the  readers  with  a 
body  of  Religion,   exactly  tranfcribed   out 
of  the  word  of  God  ;  which  body,  whofo- 
ever  fhal]    well  ruminate  and  digeft  in  his 
mind,   may  by  the  fame  method,   wherein 
I   have   gone   before   him,   make  a  further 
enquiry  into  the  Oracles  of  God,   and  draw 
forth  whatfoevcr  yet  lies   hid,    and    being 
brought  to  light,  will  tend  to  the   accom- 
plishment  of    godlinefs    amongft   us,    for 
at  this   only   all   the   Scripture   aimeth :    I 
fay   the    Scripture,    which    all    men,    who 
have   thoroughly  ftudied    the    fame,    muft 
of  necefiity  be  enamoured  with,  as  breath- 
ing  out  the   mere   wifdom  of  God,    and 
being   the    exacteft    rule    of    a    holy    life 
(which  all  religions  whatfoever  confefs  to 
be  the  way  unto  happinefs)  that  can  be 
imagined,    and   whofe  divinity  will  never, 
even  to  the  world's  end,  be  queftioned  by 
#ny   but  fuch  as  are  unwilling    to    deny 

their 


(    9y    ) 

their  wordly  lulls,  and  obey  the  pure 
and  pei  feet  precepts.  Which  obedience 
whoibever  in  all  perform,  he  fhall  not  only 
in  the  life  to  come,  but  even  in  this  life, 
be  equal  to  the  angels." 

Mr.  Bid  J.  lis  Scrip!  are  C  iff,   which 

is  introduced  by  thefe  reflexions,  is  di- 
vided into  twenty-tour  chapters;  com- 
priling  a  fyftem  of  Speculative  and  prac- 
tical Theology.  The  Subjects  are,  of 
the  Holy  Scripture,  or  word  of  God ;  of 
God;  of  the  Creation  ;  of  Chrill  J  ejus ; 
of  the  Holy  Ghoft  ;  of  Salvation  by  Chrift  ; 
of  Cbrifl's  mediation ;  of  Cbrijl's  pro- 
phetic office;  of  remifiion  of  fins  by 
Chrift  \  of  Cbrijfs  kingly  office;  o(  Cbrijl's 
prieitly  office  ;  of  Cbrife's  death ;  of  the 
universality  of  God's  love  ;  of  Cbrifl's  re- 
fj  r reel: ion  ;  of  J  unification  and  Faith  ;  of 
keeping  the  commandments,  and  having 
an  eye  to  the  reward;  of  perfection  in 
virtue  and  godlinefs  to  be  attained,  and 
of  departing  from  righteoufnefs  and  faith ; 
of  the  duty  of  Subjects  and  Magiftrates ; 
Wives  and  Hufbands,   Children  and  Pa- 

F  2  rents, 


(       109      ) 

rents,  Servants  and  Matters  ;  of  the  be- 
haviour of  men  and  women  in  general, 
and,  in  fpecial,  of  aged  men,  aged  wo- 
men, young  women  and  young  men;  of 
Prayer ;  of  the  Church  ;  of  the  Govern- 
ment and  Difcipline  of  the  Church ;  of 
Baptifm;  of  the  Lord's  Supper;  of  the 
Refurre&ion  of  the  dead  and  the  laft  judge- 
ment ;  and  what  fhall  be  the  final  condi- 
tion of  the  righteous  and  the  wicked 
thereupon. 

This  piece,  though  drawn  up  purely 
in  the  words  of  Scripture,  was  formed  with 
a  pointed  reference  to  the  opinions,  which 
he  conceived  had  no  foundation  in  the 
Scriptures ;  and  many  of  his  quotations 
were  fo  conftructed  as  to  introduce  the 
texts  which  appeared,  explicitly  and  plainly, 
to  fland  in  contrail  with  thofe  fentiments. 
For  inftance, 

In  the  chapter  of  God,  there  is  this 
general  queflion  concerning  the  love  of 
the  Divine  Being:  Could  we  love  him 
with  all ,  the  heart ,  if  he  were  three?  Or 

15 


(      lOl      ) 

is  his  Qnentfs  the  caufe  hinted  by  MoJ'es> 
why  we  fhould  love  him  thus  ?  How- 
found  the  words  according  to  the  truth  of 
the  Hebrew  text  ?  See  Jin/wort  h\  tranfla- 
tion. 

Anfwer. — "  Hear,  O  Ifrael,  the  Lord 
our  God,  the  Lord  is  One."  Deut.  vi.  4. 

In  the  chapter  on  the  Kingly  Office  of 
Chrift,  there  is  another  example  of  this 
pointed  reference,  viz.  "  Ought  men  to 
honour  the  Son  as  they  honour  the  Fa- 
ther, becaufe  he  hath  the  fame  Effence 
with  the  Father,  or  becaufe  he  hath  the 
fame  judiciary  power  ?  What  is  the  deci- 
fion  of  the  Son  himfelf  concerning  this 
point  ?  Anf.  "  The  Father  judgeth  no 
man,  but  hath  committed  all  judgement 
unto  the  Son  ;  that  all  men  JJjould  honour 
the  Son,  even  as  they  honour  the  Father,'* 
John  v.  22,  23.  2.  Did  the  F^her  give 
judiciary  power  to  the  Son  becaufe  he  had 
in  him  the  divine  nature  perfonally  united 
to  the  human ;  or  becaufe  he  was  the  Son 
of  Man?  What  is  the  decifion  of  the 
Son    concerning  this    point    alfo  ?     Anf. 

F  3  "  He 


(       102       ) 

"  He  hath  given  him  authority  to  exe- 
cute judgement,  becaufe  he  is  the  Son  of 
Man." 

On  the  head  of  Juftification  we  meet 
alfo  with  fome  qutftions,  clofe  and  pointed, 
after  the  fame  manner.  E.  g.  2.  In  the 
Juftification  of  a  believer  is  the  righteouf- 
nefs  of  Chrift  imputed  to  him,  or  his  own 
faith  for  righteouiheis  ?  Anf.  "  To  him 
that  worketh  not,  but  believcth  on  him 
that  juftirieth  the  ungodly,  his  faith  is 
counted  for  right  eoufnefs"  2.  Doth  not 
God  juftify  men,  becaufe  of  the  full  price 
that  Chrift  paid  to  him  in  their  ftead,  fo 
that  he  abated  nothing  of  his  right,  in 
that  one  drop  of  Chrift's  blood  is  fuffi- 
cient  to  fatisfy  for  a  thoufand  worlds  ?  If 
not,  how  are  they  faved  ?  Anf.  fC  Being 
jufiifkd  freely  by  his  grace,  through  the 
redemption,  that  is  in  Chrift  Jefus  \  in 
whom  we  have  redemption  through  his 
blood,  the  forgivenefs  of  fin,  according  to 
the  riches  of  his  grace ,  Rom.  3.  24.  Eph. 

i.y.'*- 

Should 


(     *°3     ) 

Should  it  be  thought  that  this  mode  of 
introducing  and  refuting  the  ientiments  of 
others,  has  too .  much  the  air  of  contro- 
verfy,  perfe&ly  to  (bit  the  defign  of  a 
Catechifm  profeffedly  fcriptural  ;  it  mud 
be  allowed  to    be   a  pertinent  and  forcible 

ly  u:  bringing  into  view  texts  that  feem- 
ed  to  be  overlooked  ;  and  of  fhewing  that 
the  language  of  the  other  party  was  totally 
unfcriptural,  and  their  conclufuns  from 
fome  particular  paffages  abfolutely  repug- 
nant to  the  plain  declarations  of  other 
texts. 

The  Catechifm  which  we  have  reviewed, 
was  too  prolix  for  the  attention  and  me- 
mory of  Children  ■>  of  this  Mr.  Biddle  ap- 
pears to  have  been  fully  fenfible ;  for  as 
it  has  been  noticed,  he  connected  with  it 
another  catethetical  compofition  called  cc  A 
Brief  Catechifm  for  Children:"  "  Whe- 
ther, he  fays  in  the  preface,  in  years  or 
understanding;  that  they  might  receive 
true  and  folid  information  concerning  the 
chief  articles  of  the  Chriftian  faith." 

F  4  «  Yea/* 


(     *°4     ) 

u  Yea/'  he  adds,  <(  perhaps  it  may 
--(as  well  as  the  larger  Catechifm  going 
before)  give  further  light  and  infl.ru  (51  ion 
even  to  them,  who  feem  '  to  have  attained 
a  full  ftature  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
Gofpel.  For,  though  all  the  things,  whe- 
ther of  belief  or  practice  that  are  either 
necefiary  or  very  profitable  to  the  attain- 
ment of  eternal  life,  be  plainly  delivered 
in  the  Scripture,  yet  confidering  in  what 
principles  Chriftians  are  generally  edu- 
cated, it  would  perhaps  have  been  impofll- 
ble  for  them,  having  the  eyes  of  their 
imderftanding  fo  veiled  with  prejudicate 
opinions,  to  fee  what  is  clearly  held  forth 
in  the  Scripture,  and  accordingly  with 
eafe  fetched  out  from  hence  by  me,  who 
have  long  fince  difcarded  prejudices,  and 
am  (through  the  fpecial  favour  of  J  ejus 
Chrift  towards  me)  addicted  to  none  of 
thofe  many  factions  in  Religion,  where- 
into  the  Chriftian  world  hath,  to  its  infi- 
nite hurt,  been  divided,  but  rejoice  to  be 
a  mere  Chriftian^    admitting    (as   I   have 

elfewhere 


(     «05     ) 

clicwhere  declared)  no  other  rule  of  faith 
than  the  Holy  Scripture,  (which  all  Chrii- 
tians,  though  otherwife  at  infinite  va- 
riance amongft  themfelves  in  their  opinions 
about  Religion,  unanimoufly  acknowledge 
to  be  the  word  of  God)  nor  any  other  in- 
terpreter, if  a  doubt  arife  about  the  mean- 
ing of  the  Scripture,  than  reafon  $  which 
all  fober  men  confefs  to  be  the  only  prin- 
ciple that  God  hath  implanted  in  us  to 
judge  between  right  and  wrong,  good  and 
bad,  and  whereby  we  excel  all  other  living 
creatures  whatfoever." 

cc  The  Lord  Jefus  grant,  that  this  and 
the  foregoing  larger  Catechifm  may  by 
the  Readers  be  perufed  as  profitably,  as  I 
have  willingly  to  that  end  communicated 
the  fame  unto  them." 

The  Brief  Catechifm  is  divided  into  ten 
Chapters;  treating,  in  fucceffion,  of  the 
Scripture,  or  word  of  God ;  of  God $  of 
Jefus  Chrift  y  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  of 
the  Trinity ;  of  the  Death,  Refurreclion, 
Afcenfion   and   Exaltation   of  Chrift  >    of 

F  5  Mort  5 


/ 


(     io6     ) 

Mortification  and  Holinefs ;  of  the  Com- 
mandments, and  fo  of  love  to  God  and 
Men  -,  of  Faith ;  of  the  Church ;  of  the 
Refurrection  of  the  dead,  and  of  the  laft 
Judgement.  - 

Thefe  Catechifms  alarmed  the  advocates 
for  the  orthodox  Faith  -,  and  the  authority 
of  die  fcripture  language  and  declarations, 
under  which  the  writers  took  fhelter,  was 
infufficient  to  protect  him  from  a  profecu- 
tion,  and  his  book  from  an  ignominious 
cenfure. 

The  Parliament  condemned,  in  parti- 
cular, thofe  Propofitions :  (i.)  "  That 
God  is  confined  to  a  certain  place.  (2.) 
That  he  has.  a  bodily  fhape.  (3.)  That 
he  has  paffions.  (4.)  That  he  is  neither 
omnipotent  nor  unchangeable.  (5.)  That 
we  are  not  to  believe  three  perfons  in  the 
Godhead.  (6.)  That  Jefus  Chrift  has 
not  the  nature  of  God,  but  only  a  divine 
JLordfhip.  (7.)  That  he  was  not  a  prieft 
while  .upon  earth,  nor  did  reconcile  men 

ta 


(    *°7    ) 

ro  God.     And  (8.)  That  there  is  no  Deity 
in  the  Holy  Ghoft*. 

Confidering  the  very  limited  ftate  of 
Free-Enquiry,  at  that  time,  it  is  rather 
furprifing  that  a  ninth  propofition,  or 
ground  of  charge  againft  Mr.  Biddle  had 
not  been  added ;  viz.  the  future  annihila- 
tion of  the  wicked,  or  that  they  would 
not,  as  the  godly  and  faithful,  (C  live  for 
ever,"  but  be  "  deftroyed,  corrupted,- 
burnt  up,  devoured,  (lain,  pafs  away  and 
perifh."  For  he  produced  many  texts 
to  exhibit  this  view  of  future  punifri- 
ments. 

The  Proportions,  which  they  did  de- 
duce from  thefe  catechetical  pieces,  were 
deemed  fufficient  grounds  for  proceeding, 
with  feverity,  againft  Mr.  Biddle.  A 
learned,  modern  writer,  who  does  not  a- 
dopt  the  author's  peculiar  fentiments,  has" 
obferved  of  "  the  Scripture  Catechifm  j"% 
that  it  discovers  an  enlargement  of  mind, 

*  Neal's   Hiftory  of  the   Puritans,    V.   4.  p. 
135.    8vo. 

F  d  alibe- 


(     108     ) 

a  liberality  of  fentiment,  and  a  fincerity  in 
freely  publifhing  what  he  apprehended  to 
be  truth,  which  do  honour  to  his  me- 
mory *."  But  the  age  in  which  it  was 
publifhed,  as  we  have  {ccn,  was  by  no 
means  difpofed  to  treat  thofe  compofitions 
or  writers,  that  dilcarded  or  oppofed  the 
prevailing  faith,  with  candor  or  equity.  Of 
which  Mr.  Bid  die,  on  this  occafion,  had 
new  experience. 

He  was  brought  to  the  bar  of  the  Houfe 
of  Commons,  which  the  Protector  Crom- 
well had  convened;  and  was  examined 
whether  he  was  the  author  of  that  two-fold 
Strip ture  Catecbifw,  wherein  all  the  ques- 
tions are  anfwered  in  the  words  of  Scrip- 
ture at  large.  Mr.  Biddle,  to  thefe  in- 
terrogatories, wifely  made  a  reply,  which, 
at  once  conveyed  an  appeal  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  equity,  and  expreffed  his  juft 
expectations  from  the  genius  of  the  Englifh 
conflitution.  For  he  anfwered  by  afking, 
"  Whether  it  feemed  reafonable  that  one 

*  Hap.w  ood,  of  the  Socinian  Scheme,  p.  21. 

brought 


(     109     ) 

brought  before  a  judgment  feat  as  a  Cri- 
minal, fhould  accufe  himfelf?"  The  rea- 
fon,  which  this  anfvver  carried  in  it,  was 
not  admitted  as  a  bar  to  the  proceedings 
againft  him ;  but  on  the  3d  of  December^. 
lie  was  committed  clofe  prifoner  to  the 
Gate-Houfe,  and  forbidden  the  ufe  of  pen, 
ink  and  paper,  and  denied  the  accefs  of 
any  vifitant. 

In  this  cafe,  nothing  lefs  than  a  capital 
judgement  was  to  be  expected ;  a  Bill 
was  accordingly  brought  in  for  punifhing 
him.  In  this  fituation  Mr.  Biddle  pre- 
ferved  a  compofed  and  cheerful  mind,  and 
maintained  his  hope  of  an  happy  event 
from  the  providence  of  God,  in  whofe 
caufe  he  (offered.  His  hope  did  not  fail 
him  i  for  the  Protector,  induced  by  rea- 
fons  drawn  from  his  own  intereft,  difTolved 
the  Parliament,  and  the  prifoner,  after 
ten  months  imprifonment,  obtained  his  li- 
berty, May  28,  by  due  courfe  of  law*. 

*  Unitarian  Tradls,  V.  1.  4to.  The  Life  of 
Biddle,  p.  7.  and  British  Biography,  V.  6. 
8vo,   p.  86. 

The 


(     no     ) 

The    refentment    of    government   pur- 
fued  the  book  as  well  as  the  author,  for 
an   order  was   iiTued  out,    that   the   Cate- 
chilm   fhould   be    burnt    by  the  hands  of 
the  Common  Hangman  3    which  was   ac- 
cordingly done   on   the    \J\.th  of  December. 
This  mode  of  calling  an  odium  upon  par- 
ticular writings,    hath   been   practifed    by 
all  governments,  and  in  all  ages*.     The 
difgrace    ultimately    falls    on    thofe    who 
adopt  this  meafure.     For   it  indicates  the 
weakneis  of  their  caufe,  or  the  indolence 
of  its   partiians.       They  either    have    not 
the  ability,  or  will  not  be  at  die  pains  to 
difcufs  and  refute  the  opinions  they  would 
fupprefs.       It   is    a  method  of    difmi fling 
as  much  within    the  power  of  the  ignorant 
as  the  learned ;  and   of  the   fool  as  of  the 
wife  man.     And,  after  all,  though  a  book 
may  be    burnt,    an   impreiTion  cannot    be 
annihilated    in  one  fire.      Copies  will  be 

*  Cicero  de  natura  Deorum,  cura  Davifiii,  L. 
I.  c.  23.  Minutius  Felix,  cura  Davifu,  cap.  8. 
Taciti  Annales,  L.  4. 'cap.  35. 

fecretly 


(     ni     ) 

fecretly  preierved  and  read  j  and  will,  in 
a  future  unprejudiced  age,  bring  forward 
the  queftion,  if  it  Hath  been  judicioufly 
Rated,  and  clofely  argued,  to  difgrace  the 
memory  of  thole  who  would  have  ftifled 
enquiry. 

It  is  however  but  juftice  to  the  times 
of  which  we  write  to  lay,  that  while  the 
ruling  powers  profecuted  and  imprilbned 
Mr.  Biddle,  and  burnt  his  Catechifms, 
fume  puriued  a  more  fair  and  rational 
mode  of  exp  jfing  the  fuppofed  weaknefs 
of  his  arguments,  and  invelligating  the 
truth  of  his  opinions.  Mr.  Nicholas  Eft- 
wick,  of  //  'dktoiy  in  I  mptonfljire,  and 

fome  time  Fellow  of  Chrift's  College,  in 
Cambridge,  publifhed  a  profefTed  Exa- 
mination and  Confutation  of  Mr.  BiddlSs 
Confeffion  of  Faith  concerning  the  Holy 
Trinity.  And  to  the  honour  of  the  lead- 
ing men  in  the  date,  it  fhould  be  men- 
tioned, that  they  availed  themfelves  of  the 
learning  and  abilities  of  the  celebrated  Dr. 
Owen  toxlifcufs,  from  the  prefs,  the  po- 
rtions of  Mr.  Biddk\  Catechifms.     For 

at 


(    »a    ) 

at  the  command  of  the  Right  Honourable 
the  Council  of  State,  he  drew  up  and 
publihhed  his  Vindici/e  Evangelic^  j 
or  the  Myftery  of  the  Gofpel  vindicated, 
and  Socinianifm  examined  in  the  Confi- 
deration  and  Confutation  of  a  Catechifm, 
called  a  Scripture  Catechifm,  written  by  J. 
Bidd/e,  A.  M.  Mr.  Neal  has  called  this 
work  a  learned  and  elaborate  Treatiie. 
The  celebrity  of  Mr.  Biddies  writings  was 
not  confined  to  England,  they  were  attend- 
ed to  abroad,  and  fever al  Foreigners  pub- 
lished Refutations  of  his  fentiments  *. 

Another  effea  of  Mr.  Biddle's  Cateche- 
tical publication  was,  that  to  guard  the 
minds  of  people,  efpecially  of  the  riling 
generation,  from  what  were  deemed  here- 
tical fentiments,  the  provincial  AfTembly 
at  London,  pubhihed  an  Exhortation  to 
Catech.Qng,  with  directions  for  the  more 
regular  conducting  of  it.  Thefe  lnitruc- 
tions  were  lent  to  the  feveral  Claflls  of 
London,    a*nd  after  their  example  the  affo- 

*  Bock  HLioria  Antitriiutanorum,  Tom.  i.  Par. 
I.  p.  54. 

ciated 


(     "3     ) 

.:ed  Minifters  in  the  feveral  Counties  of 

.England,  publifhed  the  like  exhortation  to 
their  Brethren  *. 

This  meafure  originated  from  zeal  for 
a  particular  fyftem,  and  certainly  tended 
to  fix  in  young  minds  ftrong  prejudices  in 
its  favour  -,  yet  it  was  worthy  of  true  piety 

i  zealj  and  may  be  fupppfed  to  have 
greatly  contributed  to  prevent  a  pernicious 
and  total  ignorance  of  all  religious  prin- 
ciples. 

•  N'EAi'iHiAory  of  the  Puritans,  V,  4.  p.  135,  6, 
•to, 


SECTION 


(      114     ) 


SECTION     IX. 

A  new  frojecution  commenced  ngainft  Mr. 
Biddle. 

IT   may   be   thought,    that   after   having 
experienced   fucli  evils   and  fufferings 

for  tne  open  avowal  and  defence  of  his 
religious  opinions,  Mr.  Biddle  mould  have 
withdrawn  from  public  notice,  and  have 
filcntly  enjoyed  his  own  view  of  things  in 
private.  The  loveofeafe  and  fa fety  would 
certainly  have  dictated  this  conduct,  and 
worldly  prudence  would  have  approved 
it.  But  Mr.  Biddle  feems  to  have  en- 
tertained other  fentiments,  and  to  have 
thought,  that  perfonal  comfort  and  fafety 
ought  to  be  facrirked  to  truth  and  our 
duty  to  God.  Socrates^  the- Grecian  Sage,, 
thought  fo   before   him  *.     When  he  was 

pleading 


(     U5    ) 

pleading  before  his  judges:  cc  Perhaps/' 
lavs  he,  "  fome  one  will  aik,  why  can  you 

(t  not,  Socrates i  withdraw,    and  banifhing 

<(  yourfelf   from    us,     lpend    your   life    in 

"  filent  and  retired  leifure  I  It  would  be 

lf  a  moft  difficult  matter   to  convince  you 

c<  that  I  cannot  do  this.     Should    I  urge, 

rc  that  this  would   be  to  dilbbey  God,   and 

<l  that    therefore  I  cannot    be  filent,    you 

i(  would    difcredit   rr.e,    as   a   DifTembler. 

M  Were    I    to  alledge,  that  to  hold  daily 

M  converfations  on  virtue  and  other  topics, 

li  which    you    have    heard    that    I    canvas 

C(  and  inveftigate  with  others>  is  the  greateft 

Wctilvt    ;  -;nrxi    r.va;     upm.    tx,n    yxp   }\iywy 

ri    'j-cj    a.TTn'j:>.    r.-.r      fc»,     xxi    d,x    toi>T     u^v.ztw 

%cvy\a.t    ay  >  ,     n     ~  •"  H-'Aj    *<    f '^'^ivoy.v.u}'    ixv    r 

.;  Xiyv,    cl»    tcl    Tt  )  %yxvot    at^ureu  rov%9 

Uaf?     r.(JL.;u.q     in;^     n.-..r,;     i    i.     }.   ,  •  ■„       ~:..iz:\juiy     kJ    tup 

a\A-    ,     "•'•    ■     '~*    PfMft(    tt/.:v     •>.  ■  y.y.;iy    x^    i^xvlw 

tC     aX>.,-.,-     i;<TiC.:ros'      (,->c    u....~:-r^;    £>'''.,     cv     murci 

)     rat/la    ^^ri    utToi   tniceabt    y,-A    Xiyorft.     to.   $* 

tyti  (/.it  r*"'^1*    w   a-'VE'»    WW"  ^s   ct"    ^<xl*u. 

Platonis  Dialog.  V.  cura  Forfter,  p.  in,  112,  & 
Opera  Platonis,  quoted  by  Dr.  Doddridge.  Fa- 
mily Ex  poll  tor,  vol.  3.  on  Atts  iv.  19.  note  (n). 

cc  human, 


(   "6  y 

u  human  felicity  j  for  a  life  fpent  without 
cc  enquiry  is  no:  a  life  for  man :  you  would 
"  be  as  far  from  believing  me.  But 
"  .things  are  as  I  reprefent  them,  though 
<c  it  is  not  eafy  to  perfuade  you  of  it, 
<c  If  ye  would  difmlfs  me  and  {pare  my 
"  life,  on  condition  that  I  fhould  leave  off 
to  teach  my  fellow-citizens,  I  would  ra- 
ther die  a  thoufand  times  than  accept 
the  propofal." 
Mr.  BiddWs  conduct  had  &  fuperior 
fandtion  in  that  of  the  Apoflles ;  who, 
when  commanded  by  the  Jewifh  Sanhe- 
drim, not  to  fpeak  at  all,  nor  teach  in  the 
name  of  J  ejus,  anfwered,  "  Whether  it 
(i  be  right  in  the  fight  of  God,  to  hearken 
cc  unto  you  more  than  unto  God,  judge 
cc  ye."  Acts  4.  19.  A  Chriitian  has  more 
powerful  reafons  for  a  ftrict,  open  and  firm 
attachment  to  truth  than  has  an  heathen 
philofopher ;  for  he  has  the  word  of  God 
to  direct  his  enquiries,  and  authorife  his 
conduct,  and  he  has  the  hope  of  immor- 
tality to  fupport  and  animate  his  Iteady 

zeal. 

Mr* 


(     ii7     ) 

Mr.  Biddle,  influenced  by  thefe  consi- 
derations, io  far  from  withdrawing  from 
the  fcene  of  exertion  and  fuffenng,  betook 
himfeif  to  his  former  exercifes  for  propa- 
gating, what  appeared  to  his  mind,  divine 
truth,  as  clofely  connected  with  the  honour 
of  Almighty  God.  Scarcely  therefore  had 
a  year  expired,  after  he  was  releafed  from 
the  profecution  on  account  of  his  Scrip- 
ture Catecbifm,  than  a  new  danger,  not 
lefs  formidable,  overtook  him. 

Notwithftanding  the  odium,  under  which 
his  fentiments  laid,  and  the  offence  they 
gave  to  the  governing  power,  they  began 
to  be  embraced  by  a  considerable  part  of 
a  Baptift  Congregation  under  the  pafloral 
care  of  Mr,  Griffin ;  who  took  alarm  at 
this  infection,  and  to  flop  its  fpread,  chal- 
lenged Mr.  Biddle  to  a  public  difputation 
in  his  Meeting- houfe  at  St.  Paul's.  Mr. 
Neal  has,  to  whatever  caufe  it  was  owing, 
given  a  repreientation  of  this  matter  not 
quite  fo  honourable  to  Mr.  Biddle,  as  the 
truth  ©f  the  fad  requires^    for  he  fays, 

that 


(     "«     ) 

that  Mr.  Biddle,  being  of  a  reftlefs  fpirit, 
challenged  Mr.  Griffin  ;  thus  not  only 
miftating  the  proceedings,  as  originating 
from  Mr.  Biddle,  but  uncandidly  afcribing 
them  to  a  wrong  caufe.  It  appears  from 
Mr.  Biddies  Biographer,  that  lie  not  only 
was  not  firft  in  this  bufinefs,  but  waved 
the  challenge,  and  declined  the  difputa- 
tion  for  fome  time.  At  length  he  met 
Mr.  Griffin,  amidft  a  numerous  auditory, 
among  whom  were  many  of  his  bitter  and 
fiery  Adverfaries,  efpecially  fome  Book- 
fellers,  notorioufly  known  for  their  falfe 
zeal  and  former  oppofition  to  Chriilian 
liberty,  under  the  name  of  Beacon  Friers  *. 
To  introduce  the  debate,  Mr.  Griffin 
aiked,  tc  If  any  man  there  did  deny,  that 
Chrift  was  God  Moil:  High  ?"  The  event 
gave  too  much  reafon  to  apprehend,  that 
the  matter  was  thus  opened,  infidioufly 
to  draw  from  Mr.  Biddle's  own  mouth, 

*  Neal's  Hiftory  of  the  Puritans,  V.  4.  p.  137. 
8vo.  Their  names  were  Thomas  Underhill,  Luke 
Fawn  and  Nathaniel  Webb.  See  Crojby's  Hi/lory 
of  the  EngUJb  Baftifts,  V.  I.  p.  209. 

grounds 


(     "9     ) 

grounds  of  accusation.  Mr.  Biddle,  with 
Sincerity  and  tirmn,-fs,  replied,  <f  I  do 
deny  it."  Mr.  Grifjin,  on  this,  it  fhould 
fecm,  entered  into  a  proof  of  the  affirma- 
tive;  but,  in  the  judgement  of  judicious 
hearers,  was  not  able  to  Support  his  caufe 
again!!  Mr.  Biddle  ;  and  the  disputation 
was  adjourned  to  another  day,  when  Mr. 
Biddle,  it  was  agreed,  fhould  take  his 
turn  of  eftablifliing  the  negative  fide  of  the 
queftion  between  them. 

Before  that  day  came,  other  meafures 
of  confutation,  befides  fa  r  difcufllon  and 
argument,  were  adopted.  The  Adver- 
saries of  Mr.  Biddle  laid  held  of  the  open 
and  generous  profeffion  he  had  made  of 
his  fentiments  :  information  was  lodged 
againft  him.  He  was  apprehended  and 
committed  to  the  Compter,  July  3,  16555 
from  thence  he  was  removed  to  Nezvge'e, 
and  was  at  the  next  Seffions  called  to  trial 
for  his  life,  on  the  Ordinance  againfl  Blas- 
phemy and  Herefy,  which  we  have  before 
mentioned.  The  iniquity  of  this  proceed- 
ing was  aggravated   by  its  being  founded 

on 


(       120       ) 

on  an  act,  which  had  never  properly  re- 
ceived the  force  of  a  law,  and  had,  for 
feveral  years,  lain  obfolete.  But  the  in- 
veterate zeal  of  perfecutors  admits  no  mea- 
fures  of  kindnefs  or  equity.  The  manner 
of  conducting  this  prolecution  againft  Mr. 
BiddU,  as  well  as  the  grounds  on  which 
it  was  commenced,  afforded  a  proof  of 
this.  For  when  he  prayed,  that  Counfel 
might  be  allowed  him  to  plead  the  ille- 
gality of  the  indictment,  it  was  denied 
him  by  the  judges,  and  the  fentence  of  a 
mute  threatened.  Upon  this  he  gave  into 
Court  his  exceptions  engroflcd  on  parch- 
ment, and  with  much  ftmggling  had  Coun- 
fel  allowed  him  5  but  the  trial  was  deferred 
to  the  next  da  v. 

In  this  emergency,  the  principles  and 
policy  of  Oliver  Cromwell  operated  in  fa- 
vour of  Mr.  Bidd/e.  The  P  rot  eft  or  was 
an  enemy  to  perfecution ;  and  among  the 
capital  articles,  on  which  his  government, 
was  formed,  were  thefe  liberal  ones,  viz. 
cc  That  fuch  as  profefs  faith  in  God  by 
J  ejus  Cbriftj  (though  differing  in  judge- 
ment 


(  1*1   ) 

ment  from  the  do-ftrine,  worfhip  or  difci- 

piine   publicly    held    torch)    Hull    not   be 

retrained   from,   but  fhall  be  protected  in 

iion  of  the  faith,   and  exerciie  of 

their  religion  j  and  that  all  law*,  ttatutes 

and  ordinance    ,  8ec«  to  the  contrary  of  the 

aforefaid  liberty,   fhall  be  elleemed  null  and 

void.      Il    was    alio  his    arc,  by   dexterous 

RU  ,   to  keep   the  oppofite  parties 

then  in  the  nation   in  a  kind  of  equipoii'*, 

which  he  found   n         .  y  for  his  own  fe- 

curity.      He  law  ;  not  for  the  intereil 

of    his    government    to    \..\vc    Mr.    Biddlc 

either  condemned  or  ablblved.     He  there- 

.  him  out  of  the  hands  of  the  law, 

and  detained  him   in   prifon.      His  relcafe 

would  have  offended  the  Prffyterians  and 

all    the    enemies    to    religious     liberty,     of 

whom    tiure    appeared   a   great  number  at 

trial.      On  the  contrary,   the  proceed - 

togs  againft   Mr,  B  were  oppokd   by 

ds  of  liberty;    they  were  cenl'ured 

and    reprobated    by  different    publications 

n  the  prefs.     And  while  pe:itions  were, 

One   party  prefented    a^ainft    him,   the 

G  other 


(       1*2      ) 

other  did  not  lie  dormant,  but  folicited 
his  difcharge,  and  urged  their  fuit  by 
poiiited  remonflrances  againfl  that  Ordi- 
nance, as  threatening  all  their  liberties,  and 
infringing  the  fundamental  Articles  of 
the  Prot£5lor\  government.  Many  Con- 
gregations of  Baptijls  appeared,  on  this 
occaiion,  as  Friends  to  Mr.  Biddle,  and 
Advocates  for  the  rights  of  Conscience. 
At  length  Cromwell,  wearied  with  peti- 
tions, for  and  againfl,  to  terminate  the 
affair,  and,  in  fome  degree  meet  the 
willies  of  each  party,  banifhed  Mr.  Biddle 
to  the  Ifle  of  Scilly,  whither  he  was  fent 
Ottober  5,   1655  *. 

Difagreeable  and  afflictive,  as  muft  be  this 
flate  of  Exile,  it  was  rather  a  fhelter  from 
the  vindictive  fpirit  of  his  enemies  and 
was  a  means  of  preventing  another  Parlia- 
ment, under  the  Protector,  from  decree- 
ing any  thing  more  rigid  againfl  him,  as 

*  Short  Account  of  the  Life  of  John  Biddle,  p.  7, 
8.  and  Crosby's  Hiitory  of  the  Engliih  Baptiits, 
vOjl.  I.  p.  206.  215. 

I  he 


(  m  ) 

he  was  abfent  and  out  of  their  way.  The 
inconveniences  and  wants  of  his  fituation 
were  alio  relieved  by  the  kindnefs  of  the 
Proteftor  himfelfj  who,  after  fome  time, 
allowed  him  in  his  Exile  an  hundred  crowns 
per  annum  for  his  fubfiftence;  which,  as 
an  act  of  pure  generofity,  (hewn  to  a  per- 
fected man,  whofe  tenets  could  not  be 
agreeable  to  Cromwell,  reflects  honour  on 
his  name. 

The  evils  of  Mr.  Biddies  banifhment 
were,  in  other  relpects,  alleviated ;  efpe- 
cially  by  the  ftate  of  his  mind,  and  the 
employment  of  his  thoughts.  "  Here,  his 
Biographer  informs  us,  he  enjoyed  much 
divine  comfort  from  the  heavenly  con- 
templations, for  which  his  retirement  gave 
him  opportunty.  Here  he  had  fvveet 
communion  with  the  Father  and  his  Son 
Jejus  Graft,  and  attained,  in  many  par- 
ticulars, a  clearer  un  ierftanding  of  the 
divine  Oracles.  Here,  whiift  he  was  more 
abundantly  confirmed  in  tne  doctrines  of 
his  Confeffion  of  Faith,  &c.  yet  he  feems,  . 
.     G  z  notwich- 


(      124     ) 

aotwithftanding,  to  have  become  more 
doubtful  about  fbme  other  points  which 
he  formerly  held  -,  as  appears  from  his 
■Effhy  to  explaining  the  Revelation,  which 
he  wrote  after  his  return  thence ;  which 
ihews  that  he  Hill  maintained  a  free  and 
unprejudiced  mind  *. 

Though  Mr.  Biddle\  banimment  laded 
three  years,  his  friends  were  not  reg  rd- 
lefs  of  his  intereil  and  liberty  \  but  were 
active  in  their  em  rs   to  procure  his 

releafr.  He  himfelf  wrote  letters,  both 
to  the  Protector  and  to  Mr.  Calamy>  an 
eminent  Prcfbyterian  Miniftcr,  to  reafon 
them  into  c ompaffion,  but  without  imme- 
diate fiiccefs.  It  may,  perhaps,  be  of- 
fered in  extenuation  of  Mr.  Calamys  ap- 
parent neglect  of  Mr.  Biddle's  applications, 
that  in  Oliver's  time  he  kept  himfelf  as 
private  as  he  could.  At  length,  the  foli- 
citations  of  friends,  favoured  by  the  opera- 

•  A  fhort  Account,  &c.  p.  8.  Palmer's  Noncon- 
formift's  Memorial,  v.  I.  p.  74. 

tion 


(    &5    ) 

a  of  other  occurences,  prevailed,  and 
the  Protedcor  permitted  a  writ  of  Habeas 
Corpus  to  be  granted  out  of  the  Upper- 
Bench  Court,  whereby  Mr.  B'uidle  wras 
brought  back,  and  by  that  Court  fet  at 
liberty,  as  finding  no  legal  caufe  o(  de- 
taining him. 


G  j  SECTION 


(  *rf  } 


SECTION    X. 

■Bis  renewal  of  his  public  Miniftrations— 
his  laft  imprifonment — and  Death. 

THE  reflexions  with  which  we  opened 
the  preceding  chapter,  are  equally- 
pertinent  to  the  conduct  of  Mr,  Biddle, 
which  we  are  to  review  in  this.  He  {till 
prefer ved  the  firmnefs  of  his  mind.  He 
flill  felt  the  ardor  of  zeal.  Notwithftand-- 
ing  the  dangers,  fufFerings,  and  perfec- 
tions, which  he  had  fuftained,  he  was  not 
terrified  from  what  he  counted  his  duty  to 
Chrift,  in  propagating  the  true  know- 
ledge of  the  only  True  God,  and  of  J  ejus 
Chrift,  whom  he  had  fent.  Upon  his 
return  to  London,  he  refumed  his  religious 
.  exercifes  among  his  friends,  and  acted  as 
Paitor    to   a   Congregation   in   the  City, 

farmed 


(     **7     ) 

formed  on  the  principles  of  the  Indepen- 
dents *. 

The  national  affairs  foon  took  a  turn 
unfavourable  to  Mr.  Biddle's  profecution 
of  his  delightful  work.  For,  about  five 
months  after,  the  Proteffor  died,  and 
Richard  fucceeding,  called  a  Parliament, 
which,  it  was  fuppofed,  would  be  parti- 
cularly inimical  to  him.  At  the  importu- 
nity of  a  noble  friend,  he  reluctantly  re- 
tired into  the  Country,  during;  their  feffiom 
On  the  dirTohkion  of  that  Parliament,  he 
returned  to  his  former  ftation. 

This  period  of  tranquillity,  and  of  his 
minifterial  fer vices,  was  but  of  fhort  dura- 
tion. The  enjoyment  of  religious  liberty 
Was,  in  thofe  times,  fluctuating  and  pre- 
carious, dependent  upon  the  flate  of  po- 
litical affairs,  and  changing  with  the  na- 
tional revolutions.  Of  this  Mr.  Biddle 
had  repeated  experience.  And  though 
the  reign  of  his  enemies,  the  Prefbyterians> 
was  now  drawing  to  its  clofe,   its  termirta- 

*  Britiih  Biography,  8vo.  v.  6.  p.  87* 

G  4  tzon 


(     «•     ) 

tjon  afforded  htm  no  fecurityj  but,  by  the 
change  of  government,  he  was  involved  in 
new  difficulties  and  dangers  -}  and  became 
a  fufferer  in  common  with  thofe,  from 
whofe  hands  he  had  a  little  before  1  uf- 
fered.  With  the  fettlement  of  Charles 
II.  on  the  throne  of  his  anceiiors,  the^ 
antient  government  in  the  Church  and 
$tate  was  reftored.  The  Prejbyterians  fooa 
felt  the  iron  hand  of  power,  and  all  Dif- 
fenters  from  the  Efijcopal  worihip  were 
treated  on  the  fame  intolerant  principles. 
Their  liberty  was  taken  away,  and  their 
meetings  were  punifhed  as  feditious. 

Mr.  Biddle  endeavoured  to  avoid  the 
threatening  ftorm,  by  reftraining  himfelf 
from  public  to  more  private  affemblies. 
But  his  prudence  and  caution  were  in- 
effectual. The  retired  and  peaceable  affo*. 
ciations  of  himfelf  and  his  adherents  could 
not  elude  the  jealous^  eye  of  magiftracy 
by  their  fecrecy,  nor  difarm.  its  rage  by 
their  harmleflhefs.  For  on  the  firft  of 
June*  1662,  he  was  haled  from  his  lodg- 
ings^ where  he  and  fome  few  of  his  friends 


(     **9    ) 

were  met  for  divine  worfhip,  and  carried 
before   Sir  Richard  Brow??,    a   Juflice   of 
Peace,  who  committed  them  all  to  prifon, 
without    admitting  them    to   bail.      Mr. 
Biddle  was  doomed  to  the  dungeon,  where 
he    lay  for  five    hours.      The   Recorder* 
actuated  by  more  reverence  for  the  law, 
releafed  them  on   giving  fecurity  for  an- 
fwering,  at  the  next  feffions,  to  the  charge 
brought  againft  them..    They  accordingly 
performed  this.     But  the  Court  not  being 
able  ta  find  any  ftatute  whereon  to  form: 
a  criminal  indictment,  they  were  referred 
to  the  following  feffions,    and  then  were 
proceeded  againft,    under  pretence  of   arv 
offence  at  Common  Law ;  a  mode  of  con- 
viction  which  leaves  much  to  the  breaft 
of  the  judge.     The  decifion,  in  this  cafey 
was,-  that  every  one  of  the  Hearers  fhoukt 
be  fined  in  the  penalty  of  twenty  pounds, 
and  Mr.  Biddle  himfelf  in  one  hundred  -% 
and  they  were  ordered  to  lie  in  prifon  till 
thefe  mulcts  were  paid. 

The  Sheriff  was  difpofed  to  have   re- 
mitted the  greateft  part  of  Mr.   Biddle 's 

G  5  ._    pmijtyj 


(     *3°     ) 

penalty,  and  to  have  accepted?  eVen  ten 
pounds,  which  he  would  have  paid.  Sir 
Richard  Browne  rigoroufly  infifted  upon 
the  payment  of  the  full  fum,  and  even,  in 
that  cafe,  threatened  him  with  a  {even 
years  imprifonment,  which  occafioned  his 
continuing  in  prifon. 

But  in  lefs  than  five  weeks,  through 
the  noifomenefs  of  the  place,  and  the 
want  of  air,  which  was  peculiarly  difgree- 
able  and  pernicious  to  him,  whofe  only 
recreation  and  exercife  had  been,  for  many 
years,  to  walk  daily  in  the  frefh  air,  he 
contracted  a  difeafe  which  was  attended 
with  immediate  danger  to  his  life.  So 
unrelenting,  fo  unpitying  is  bigotry,  Sir 
R.  Brown  could  not  be  moved,  in  this 
extremity,  to  grant  the  fick  prifoner  the 
comfort  of  a  removal,  in  order  to  reco- 
very. The  Sheriff,  whofe  name  was  Mey~ 
%el,  acted  on  the  principles  of  humanity, 
and  granted  it.  But,  on  the  fecond  day 
***ter,  between  five  and  fix  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  the  2  2d  of  September,  1662, 
he  died,  in-  the  47  th  year  of  his  age.. 

He 


(  IJI  ) 

He  had  formerly  aflured  his  friends,  that 
he  had  brought  himfelf,  by  frequent  rnedi*. 
tations  on  the  refurrection  and  future  hap- 
pinefs,  to  look  on  death  with  contempt. 
The  manner  with  which  he  met  his  diflb- 
lution,  evinced  to  them  the  truth  of  thefe 
declarations.  For,  when  by  the  difeafe 
more  violently  affecting  his  head,  he  per- 
ceived a  great  alteration,  he  fignified  it  to 
his  friends,  and  abfolutely  declined  any 
further  difcourfe;  but  compofed  himfelf, 
as  it  were  to  fleep,  for  eight  hours  before 
he  expired,  being  very  fparing  of  words, 
or  even  of  groans,  that  might  argue  any 
impatience.  When  a  pious  perfon,  who 
attended  him,  broke  forth  into  this  vale- 
dictory wifh,  God  grant  that  we  may  fee 
one  another  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  +  his 
fpeech  failing  him,  he  fhewed  how  plea- 
fing  that  wifh  was  to  him,  by  lifting 
up  his  quivering  hand.  He  had,  before 
this  illnefs,  frequently  dropt  expreflions, 
that  indicated  an  expectation  of  his  ap- 
proaching end;  often  faying,  that  if  he 
fhould  be  once  more  caft  into  prifon,  he 

G  6  ihould 


(     132     ) 

jhould  never  be  reftored  to  liberty;  and 
moreover,  That  the  work  was  done,  mean- 
ing, that  the  Truth  which  he  apprehended 
God  had  raifed  him  up  to  profefs,  was 
iufficiently  brought  to  light,  and  that  there 
only  wanted  ingenuoufnefs  in  men,  for  the 
embracing  and  acknowledging  it  *. 

*  Short  Account  of  his  Life,  p.  9* 


SECTION 


(    iM    ) 


SECTION    XL 

His  JVorks,  not  noticed  before, 

[T   has   been  our   defign,    in  the    pre- 

-■-    ceding  Sections,    to    bring    into   view 

only  thofe   works   of   Mr.  Biddle,    which 

raifed  the   public   attention,    or   drew    on* 

himfelf  fevere  profecutions.     But,  befides 

thefe,  there  were  other  publications  of  his, 

which  were  fpecimens  of  his  learning  and 

genius,  or  exprefiive  of  his  zeal  to  pro* 

mote  religious  enquiry   and  truth.       His 

juvenile    performances    have    been  before 

mentioned. 

During   his  banifhment  to  the    Ifle    of 
Scilly,  as  we  have  faid,  he  drew  up  an  Eflay 
to  the   explaining  of  the  Revelations..     In 
which  he  treated  of  the  beaft  in  the  Apo- 
calypfe,    Antichrifty    the  perfonal  reign  of 

2  Chrift 


(     134    ) 

Chtifi  on  the  earthy  &c.  *  His  prefent 
Biographer  not  having  been  able  to  pro- 
cure a  fight  of  this  piece,  can  fay  nothing 
more  concerning  it. 

In  the  year  1653,  Mr.  Biddle  publifhed 
feveral  fmall  pieces,  which  were  transla- 
tions of  Tracts  written  by  fome  of  the 
Polijh  Unitarians,  Among  thefe  was  one 
entitled  Brevis  Difcujfto  ;  or  a  Brief  Enquiry 
touching  a  better  way  than  is  commonly 
made  ufe  of  to  refute  Papists,  and  reducte 
Protestants  to  a  Certainty  and  Unity  in 
religion.  The  Author  of  this  Tracl  was 
"Joachim  Siegman,  a  German,  who,  on  ac- 
count of  his  attachment  to  the  Socinian 
fentiments,  was  difmifTed  from  the  paftoral 
office  in  two  Churches  of  the  Reformed ; 
on  which  he  went  into  Poland,  and  was 
firft  chofen  Principal  of  the  Univerfity  at 
Racow,  and  was  then  fent,  by  the  Synod 
of  Racow,  to  fucceed  Valentinus  Radecius, 

*  Short  Account  of  his  Life,  p.  4.  and  Bri- 
tish Biography,  8vo,  v.  6.  p.  79,  note(l)  and 
p.  87. 

as 


(    135    ) 

as  Paftor  of  the  Unitarian  Church  at  Clan- 
diopolisy  or,  as  it  is  called  in  German, 
Claujenburgy  in  Saxony,  where  he  died  m 

This  'work  was  printed  in  1633,  a 
tranflation  of  it  is  preferred  in  the  Phcenix. 
It  incurred  cenfure,  as  containing  fun- 
dry  Socinian  and  Pelagian  tenets,  and  was 
afcribed  to  Mr,  John  Hales ,  of  Eton. 

"  The  fcope  of  it  is  to  fhew,  that  the 
Proteftants,  by  adhering  to  the  peculiar 
fyftem  of  Luther,  Brentius,  Calvin>  Beza, 
&c.  &c.  had,  in  many  inftances,  offered 
weak  and  improper  arguments  againft  Po- 
pery, which  had  laid  them  under  needlefs 
difficulties.  His  advice  is  therefore  to 
difcard  all  human  authority,  and  to  flick 
to  the  fcripture  only,  as  explained  and 
underftood  by  right  reafon,  without  having 
any  regard  to  tradition,  or  the  authority  of 
Fathers,  Councils,  &c. 

*  Bock  Hiftoria  Antitrinitariorum,  Tom.  1.  p.  II* 
p.  94.9,  950,  et  Sandii  Bibliotheca  Antitrin.  p 
132. 

"Mr, 


C     IS*    ) 

ff  Mr.  Bayle,  we  are  told,  fays  this 
book  did  more  hurt  than  good,  not  be- 
cau£e  it  was  not  well  written,  but  becaufe 
it  tended  to  difparage  the  reputation  of 
the  firft  Reformers,  broke  in  upon  their 
feveral  fyftems,  and,  what  was  worfe  than 
all  the  reft,  was  manifeftly  the  work  of 
fomebody  tainted  with  the  herefies  of  So- 
cinus  and  Arminius  *." 

We  fuppofe  that  Mr.  Bayle  fpeaks  here 
not  his  own  opinion,  but  the  fentiments 
of  thofe  who  prefer  the  party  they  have 
once  efpoufcd  to  good  fenfe  and  truth. 
The  piece  opens  with  this  principle ;  cc  He 
that  will  refute  an  error,  muft  neither 
be  entangled  in  the  fame,  nor  reject  the 
true  grounds  of  Refutations.  In  the  fuc- 
ceeding  chapters  it  treats  of  Fathers  and 
.  Doctors  ;  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ;  of  the  true 
Opinion  touching  the  Judge;  of  Tradi- 
tions; of  Philofophical  Principles;  of  the 
true  Opinion  touching  the  Rule;  whether 

*  An-  Hiftorical   View  of  the  Controvprfy   con- 
cerning an  Intermediate  State.  2d  ed.  p.  64. 

the 


(     ^37     ) 

the  dead  do  properly  live ;  whether  Chrifl 
in  heaven  hath  yet  ftefh  and  blood;  whe- 
ther it  be  poiTible  to  obey  the  precepts 
olChrift-y  and  whether  it  be  neceffary  to 
obey  the  precepts  of  Chrift. 

The  eighth  chapter  of  this  work  may 
be  deemed  curious,  not  only  for  the  exan>- 
ple  it  gives  of  the  fupport  which  Popery 
derives  from  fome  doctrines  embraced  by 
Proteftants,  but  for  the  full  and  yet  con- 
cife  view  which  it  exhibits  of  the  argu>- 
ments  againft  an  eftablifhed  doctrine,  on 
which  few,  even  in  the  prefent  day,  ven- 
ture to  think  with  freedom.  <c  Luther  and 
Calvin"  he  obferves,  <c  teach  fuch  things 
as  are  injurioufly  defended  not  only  againft 
the  Papifts,  but  alfo  againft  the  very  life 
of  the  Chriftian  religion,  true  piety.  Of 
the  former  fort  is  that  opinion  wherein 
they  hold  that  the  dead  live.  It  will 
feem  abfurd,  and  indeed  the  thing  itfelf  is 
very  abfurd;  yet  they  believe  it. 

u  For  they  fuppofe  that  the  fouls  of 
men,  in  that  very  moment  wherein  they 
*re  parted  from   their    bodies    by  death, 

am 


(     i3»     ) 

are  carried  either  to  heaven,  and  do  there 
feel  heavenly  joy,  and  poflefs  all  kinds  of 
happinefs  which  God  hath  promifed  to  his 
people  i  or  to  Hell,  and  are  there  tor- 
mented, and  excruciated  with  unquench- 
able fire.  And  this,  as  was  faid  before, 
they  attribute  to  die  mere  fouls  feparated 
from  the  bodies,  even  before  the  refur- 
rection  of  the  men  themfelves,  that  is  to 
fay,  while  they  are  yet  dead.  But  thefe 
things  cannot  happen  to  any  thing  which 
is  not  alive,  for  that  which  doth  not  live, 
doth  not  feel ;  and  confequently  neither  en- 
joyeth  pleafure,  nor  endureth  pain.  Where- 
fore they  believe,  in  effect,  that  the  dead 
live;  namely,  in  the  fame  manner  that 
they  affirm  Peter,  Paul,  and  other  dead 
men,  to  live  in  heaven. 

cf  Now  this  is  the  foundation  not  only 
of  Purgatory,  but  alfo  of  that  horrible 
Idolatry  praclifed  amongft  the  Papifts, 
whilfl  they  invocate  the  Saints  that  are 
dead.  Take  this  away,  and  there  will  be 
no  place  left  for  the  others.  To  what 
ptirpofe  is  the  fire  of  Purgatory,  if  fouls 

feparated 


(     iJ9    ) 

Separated  from  the  body  feel  nothing  ? 
To  what  purpofe  are  prayers  to  the  Virgin 
Mary,  to  Peter,  and  to  Paul,  and  other 
dead  men,  if  they  can  neither  hear  prayers 
nor  intercede  for  you  ?  On  the  contrary, 
if  you  admit  this,  you  cannot  eafiiy  over- 
throw the  invocation  of  Saints.  Now 
though  the  thing  be  fuch  of  itfelf  as  de- 
fer ves  to  feem  abfurd  to  every  one,  yet 
will  we  fee,  whether  the  contrary  thereof 
be  not  fet  down  in  the  Scripture. 

cc  Nor  need  we  go  far  for  an  example, 
fince  we  have  a  pregnant  one  in  the  argu- 
ment of  Chrift,  wherein  he  proveth  the 
future  refurrection  of  the  dead  from  thence; 
that  God  is  the  God  of  Abraham,  Ifaac 
and  Jacob,  but  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead, 
but  of  the  living  -t  whence  he  concludeth 
that  they  live  to  God,  that  is,  fhall  be 
recalled  to  life  by  God,  that  he  may  ma- 
nifefl  himfelf  to  be  their  God,  or  Bene- 
factor. This  argument  would  be  falla- 
cious, if  before  the  Refurrection  they  felt 
heavenly  joy.  For  then  God  would  be 
their  God  or  Benefactor,  namely,  accord- 
ing 


(     14°     ) 

ing  to  their  fouls,  although  their  bodies 
fhould  never  rile  again. 

cc  In  like  manner,  the  reafoning  of  the 
Apoftle  would  be  fallacious,  i  Cor.  15. 
3°}  31*  3->  wherein  he  proveth  the  Re- 
furreclion  by  that  argument;  becaufe, 
othei  wife,  thofe  that  believe  in  Chrift  would 
in  vain  ftek  hazards  every  hour ;  in  vain 
fuffer  fo  many  calamities  for  Chrift>  which 
he  teacheth  by  his  own  example.  Again, 
becaufe  otherwife  it  would  be  better  to 
fing  the  fong  of  the  Epicureans,  Let  us 
eat  and  drink,  for  to-morrow  we  fhall  die. 
In  fhort,  of  all  men  Christians- would  be 
moft  miferable.  Certainly  this  would  be 
falie,  if  the  godly  prefently  after  death  did 
in  their  fouls  mjoy  celeftial  happinefs,  and 
the  wicked  feel  torment.  For  they  would 
not  in  vain  fuffer  calamities,  nor  thefe 
follow  the  pleafures  of  the  flefh  fcotfree. 
And  the  godly  would  be  far  happier  tharr 
t-he  wicked. 

cc  Since>  therefore,  it  is  the  abfurdeffc 
thing  in  the  world,  to  fay  that  Chrift  and; 


(     Htf     ) 

the  Apoftle  P#a/  did  not  argue  rightly; 
is  it  not  clear  that  the  doctrine  is  falfe, 
which  being  granted,  Jo  great  an  abiurdity 
would  be  charged  on  Chrift  and  the  Apoftle 
PauL 

cc  Farthermore,    why  ihould  Peter  de- 
fer the  falvation  of  fouls  to  the  laft  day, 
i   Pet.    i.   5.   who   are  kept  by  the  -power 
of  God,  through  faith  unto  Salvation,  ready 
to  be  revealed  in  the  laft  time-,  and  Paul 
the  crown  of  righteoufnefs  to  the  day  of 
judgement;  1  Tim.  4.  8.  Henceforth  there 
is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteoufnefs, 
.  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  fhall 
give  to  me  at  that  day,  &c.  .?      To  what 
purpofe  mould  the  judgement  be  appointed? 
How  could  it  be  faid  of  the  godly  under 
the  old   Covenant,  that  they  received  not 
.the  promife,  God  providing  Ibme  better 
things  for  us,  that  they  might  not  without 
us  be  made  perfect.  Heb.  n.  40.  if  the 
foul  of  every  one    prefently    after  death, 
even  without  the  body,  felt  celeftial  hap- 
pinefs, 

"But 


(     14*     ) 

f f  But  the  very  nature  of  the  thing 
itfelf  refufeth  it.  Is  not  living,  dying, 
feeling,  hearing,  acting,  proper  to  the  whole 
man,  or  the  compound  of  foul  and  body  ? 
Is  not  the  body  the  inftrument  of  the 
foul,  without  which  it  cannot  perform  her 
functions ;  as  an  artift  knoweth  indeed  the 
art  of  working,  but  unlefs  he  have  inftru- 
ments  at  hand,  he  cannot  produce  any 
effect  ?  Let  the  eye  be  fhut,  the  foul  will 
not  fee,  though  the  power  of  feeing  be 
not  taken  away  from  it.  For  as  foon  as 
you  fhall  reftore  the  inftruments,  a  man 
will  prefently  fee.  Wherefore  fouls  fe- 
parated  from  bodies,  are  neither  dead 
nor  live,  and  confequently  enjoy  no  plea-* 
fure,  and  feel  no  pain.  For  thofe  things 
are  proper  to  the  whole  compound. 

cc  But  the  fcripture  faith,  that  the  dead 
are  not,  that  the  fpirit  returneth  to  him 
that  gave  it  j  and  of  the  fpirits  of  the 
godly,  that  diey  are  in  the  hand  of  God* 
but  at  the  Refurrectiori  they  fhall  be  joined 
with  the  bodies  i  and  then  having-  gotten 

inftru* 


(     143     ) 

inftruments,  they  will  put  forth  their  opera* 


tions." 


The  tranflation  of  this  piece  of  Steg- 
man's  is  attended  with  a  fhorc  preface,  in 
which  Mr.  Biddle,  befides  pafTing  enco- 
miums on  the  work,  chiefly  labours  to 
obviate  an  objection  that  might  be  urged 
againft  it,  from  the  ftrefs  it  lays  on  the 
ufe  of  Reafon  in  religion.  The  remarks, 
which  Mr.  Biddle  offers  on  this  point,  are 
worthy  of  attention. 

Speaking  of  thofe  who  would  be  dif- 
pleafed  with  it,  becaufe  Reafon  is  therein 
much  cried  up$  he  fays,  <c  My  defire 
therefore  is,  that  fuch  perfons  would  but 
confider  what  the  Holy  Scripture  itfelf 
faith  on  this  behalf -,  namely,  how  Paul, 
Rom.  12.  i.  calleth  the  fervice  which 
Chriflians  are  to  exhibit  unto  God,  a  Ra- 
tional or  reajonable  fervice.  And  Peter,  i 
Ep.  2.  2.  ftileth  the  word  of  the  Gofpel 
which  he  preached,  fvuere  Rational  Milk 
(for  fo  the  original  hath  it,  as  any  one  who 
is  fkilled  in  that  tongue,  and  looketh  into  the 
Greek  context,  may  perceive.)     And  ch. 

3- 15- 


(     H4     ) 

3.  15*  ne  faith*  Be  ready  always  to  make 
an  apology  unto  every  one  that  ajketh  you 
a  Reafon  concerning  the  hope  that  is  in  you, 
with  meeknefs  and  fear.  Which  pafTage 
clearly  intimateth,  that  as  there  is  no  in- 
congruity for  others  to  require  a  Reafon 
of  our  hope  in  Chrifl,  fo  we  Chriftians  are, 
above  all  other  Profeflbrs  whatfoever, 
obliged  to  be  very  Rational  -,  for  to  make 
an  apology  or  defence  in  the  behalf  of  fo 
abftrufe  and  fublime  a  doctrine  as  ours  is, 
requireth  a  more  than  ordinary  improve- 
ment of  Reafon. 

"  This  being  fo,  it  may  feem  ftrange 
why  fo  great  a  number  even  of  Protejlant 
Minifters,  mould  make  Retfon  a  common 
theme  to  difclaim  againft,  giving  to  it 
(without  warrant  of  Scripture)  the  name 
of  Corrupt  Reafon  and  Carnal  Reafon,  and 
others  the  like  eulogies.  But  the  truth 
is,  they  themfelves  hold  many  abfurd,  ri- 
diculous, and  unreafonable  opinions,  and 
fo  know  right  well,  that  if  men  once  begin 
to  make  uie  of  their  Reafon,  and  bring  the 
Doclrines   that  are  commonly  taught   to 

the 


(     «4J     ) 

Tonchftonc  of  t!ie  Scripture  ex- 
plained and  managed  in  a  rational  way, 
their  Tenets  and  Reputation  with  the  peo- 
ple will  be  foon  laid  in  the  dull.  Let 
fiich  Minifters  henceforward  either  leave 
oft  cla  nourirtg  againft  Rea/on,  or  no  more 
open  their  mouths  againli  Papilb,  and 
their  opinion  about  Tranfubftantiation ; 
for  whofoever  fhall  fift  the  controverfy  be- 
tween Papifts  and  Pro teft ants,  concerning 
it,  (hall  rind  that  the  principal,  if  not 
only  ground  why  we  reject  it,  is  becaufe 
it  is  repugnant  to  Reafin,  But  if  TYan- 
fubrtantiition  is  to  be  difclaimed,  becaufe 
contrary  to  Reafon,  why  (hall  not  all 
other  Unreajonablc  Doctrines  upon  the 
fame  account  be  exploded,  especially  fee- 
ing there  is  fcarce  any  one  of  them  can 
plead  fo  plaufible  a  colour  of  Scripture  for 
itfelf  as  that  can  F* 

Another  piece,  tranflated  by  Mr.  Biddle> 

was   Przipcovius1  Life  of  Fauftus  Socinus  ; 

with    the    preliminary    Difcourfe    prefixed 

by    that  writer    to    the   works   of  Socinus, 

!   tic   of  the  Tract  is,  "   The  Lifb 

Tl  of 


(     146     ) 

of  that  incomparable  Man,  Faustus  So- 
cinus  Senensis,  described  by  a  Polo- 
nian  Knight.  V/hereunto  is  added,  an 
excellent  "Difcourje  which  the  fame  Author 
would  have  had  fremifed  to  the  works  of 
Socinus  ;  together  with  a  Catalogue  of 
thofe  Works.  The  views  of  Mr.  Biddle, 
in  this  publication,  appear  to  have  been 
truly  laudable  and  liberal,  viz.  to  do 
juftice  to  a  character  wWch  had  been 
much  afperfed,  and  to  hold  up,  to  con- 
templation, a  great  example  -,  at  the  fame 
time  that  he  enters  a  caveat  againfc  an  im- 
plicit deference  to  the  judgement  of  his 
Hero. 

"  The  life  of  Socinus,  he  fays  in  his 
preface,  is  here  expofed  to  thy  view,  that 
by  the  perufal  thereof  thou  mayeft  receive 
certain  information  concerning  the  man, 
whom  Minifters  and  others  traduce  by 
cuilom ;  having  (for  the  mod  part)  never 
heard  any  thing  of  his  converfation,  nor 
feen  any  of  his  works ;  or  if  they  have, 
they  were  either  unable  or  unwilling  to 
i  make 


(      147     ) 

make  a  thorough  fcrutiny  into  them,  and 
fo  no  marvel,  if  they  fpeak  evil  of  him. 

"  To   fay   any  thing   of  him   here,   by 
way  of  eulogy,  as  that  he  was  one  of  the 
mo  ft  pregnant   wits   that    the   world  hath 
produced;    that    none  fince   the  Apoftles 
hath   deferved   better    of   our  Religion  in 
that   the  Lord    Chrifi  hath   chiefly   made 
ufe   of  his  miniftry  to   retrieve   fo   many 
precious   truths   of  the  Gofpel,   which  had 
a   long   time    been   hidden   from  the  eyes 
of  men  bv  the  artifice  of  Satan;  that  he 
ihewed   the    world   a   more   accurate  way 
to  difcufs  controverfies   in   Religion,    and 
to  fetch  out  the  very  marrow  of  the  Hjoly 
Scripture,  fo  that  a  man  may  more  avail 
himfelf  by  reading  his   works,   than  per- 
haps by  perufing  all  the  Fathers,  together 
witn   the  writings  of  more  modern  Au- 
diors;    that  the  virtues  of  his  will  were 
not  inferior  unto  thofe  of  his  underftand- 
ing,  he  being  every  way  furnifhed  to  die 
work  of  the.  Lord;    that  he  opened  the' 
right  way  to  bring  Chriftians  to  the  unity 
of  the  faith,  and  acknowledgment  of  the 

H  2  fori 


(      «4»     ) 

fon  of  God  -,  that  he  took  die  Time  courfe 
to  propagate  the  Gofpel,  that  Chriji  and 
the  Apoftles  had  done  before  hut),  for- 
iaking  his  eftate  and  his  nearcft  relations, 
and  undergoing  all  manner  of  labours  and 
hazards,  to  draw  men  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  truth  -t  that  he  had  no  other  tnd  of 
all  his  undertakings  than  the  glory  of  God 
and  drift,  and  the  falvation  of  himfelf 
and  others,  it  being  impoiTible  for  ca- 
lumny itfelf  with  any  colour  to  afperfe  him 
with  the  lead  iliipicion  of  worldly  intcreft ; 
that  he  of  all  Interpreters  explaineth  the 
precepts  of  Chriji  in  the  (Iridic ft  manner, 
and  windeth  up  the  lives  of  men  to  the 
higheft  drain  of  hoiinefs  ;  to  fay  the  other 
like  things  (though  in  themfclves  true 
and  certain)  would  notwithftanding,  here 
be  impertinent,  in  that  it  would  foreftall 
what  the  Polonian  Knight  hath  written  on 
this  fubject. 

"  To  him,  therefore,  I  refer  thee,  de- 
firing  thee  to  read  his  words  without 
prejudice,  and  then  the  works  of  Socinus 

himfelf, 


(      H9     ) 

(elfj   and  l ho ugh  thou  beefcnot  thereby 

all   which   Sccinus   taught 

is  true,  (for  neither  am  I  myfelf  of  that 

liefj  as  having  difeovered  that  in  fome 

fer  thinj  >,  as  a  man,  went  awrv, 

main  he  hi:  die  truth)  y^t 

to  much  o;"  C'//;.;.;   as   thou   muft  needs 

COnfefs    a  eth    in    him,   btrgin   to   have 

more  favourable   thought 8  01  him  and   his 

followers. 

In  addition  to  thefe  pieces,  which  were 
TraRflatiofiS  from  Poliflj  Unitarian  writers, 
we  ilioul-.l  a  Id  another  Traft  by  the  Knight 
who  was  tiie  author  of  the  former*,  viz. 
Dipytat io  d  ,   &e,  Ory  a  Discourse 

g  tic  Peacb  o.nd  Concord  of  the 
Church.     /.  ;;;  is  elegantly  and  acutely 

argued y    :  . ;/   jo   much    a    bad  opinion, 

as  a  bad  life*  excludes  a  Cbriftian  cut  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  \  and  that  the 
things   necejfary    to   be    known  for   the  at- 

*   For  an    Account    of    Przipcovius,  we   refer  to 

moirs  of  the  Lii   ,     :c.    of   Fauflui   oocinus,  p. 

H  j  -   tainmeni 


(     '5°    ) 

tainntent  of  fahation,  are  very  few  and 
tafy ;  and  finally  >  that  thofe  who  pafs 
timcngft  us  under  the  name  of  Heretieks,  are 
n6twitbftanding  to  be  tolerated.  This  piece, 
written  when  the  Author  was  little  more 
than  eighteen  years  old,  h:id  the  honour 
of  being  afcribed  to  Efifcopius.  The  com- 
pofition  is  irtfinuating  and  inatterly.  The 
defign  of  it  was  liberal,  and,  confidcring 
that  the  author  did  not  agree,  in  their 
discriminating  opinion,  with  thofe  on 
whofe  behalf  he  wrote,  it  was  peculiarly 
exprcffive  of  generofity  and  candor.  His 
view  was  to  moderate  the  zeal  and  bitter- 
nefs,  of  which  the  Socinians  were,  in  ge- 
neral, the  unmerited  objects.  To  effect 
this  purpofe,  it  was  introduced  with  fome 
reflexions  on  the  lot  of  truth  and  innocence 
in  this  world.  In  fome  following  chapters 
is  flitwn,  what  things  concerning  God 
and  Cbrift  are  neceffary  to  be  known  unto 
falvation,  and  what  are  the  parts  of  true 
Faith :  that  fincere  love  towards  God  and 
Cbrift  is  fufHcient  to  Salvation,  and  that 

the 


(    »5*    ) 

Ae  lame  may  be  in  thofe  who  err;  that 
though  faith   and  the  Holy  Spirit  be  the 
gifcs  of  God,  yet  erring  perfons  have  and 
may  have  them ;  that   nothing  but  difobe- 
dience  and  unbelief  exclude  a  man   from 
eternal    Salvation;    and   that  fuch   as   err, 
are    free  from  thefe  ;  that   the   things   ne- 
ceiliry  to  be  known  unto  falvation  are  few 
and  very  fimple,  and  eafy  to  be  underftooi 
by  the   fimpleft;  fuch  is  not  the  common 
doctrine  concerning  the  Trinity  ;  that  there 
is  not  in  this  life  a  perfect  knowledge  of 
God,  and  of  divine  Myfteries,  but  in  the 
other  life;  and  that  Faith,  Hope  and  Cha- 
rity are  fufficicnt   to  Salvation.     The  dif- 
cuflion  of  thefe  points   is  followed  with  a 
general  Apology  for  Socinians  on  this  prin- 
ciple, that  they  are  not  of  fuch  a  perfua- 
fion   out   of  ambition,    avarice,    pleafure, 
or    fuperftition,    nor    offend    out    of   any 
malice,  but  only  out  of  the  care  of  their 
Salvation.       Then    follows    an    anfwer    to 
the   objection,  drawn  from  their  rejecting 
the  confent  of  the  Church,  and  refting  the 

H  4  defence 


(    'i*  ■) 

defence  of  their  Opinion  upon  the  ant  ho? 
rity  of  Scripture  only.  This  is  fucceeded 
by  an  anfwer  to  three  other  objections, 
with  a  companion  of  Calvin's  Doctrine  on 
Predeftination,  with  the  doctrine  of  others. 
Then  forne  particular  reafons  for  tolerating 
Heretics  are  off  red  j  and  the  qucflion, 
Who  are  true  Heretic?,  is  confidered.  The 
Tract  concludes  with  an  enquiry,  what 
Heretics  sre  to  be  excommunicated,  and 
what  not,  and  with  a  fuller  Apology  for 
thofe  who  in  that  age  palTed  as  fuch. 

Mr.  Biddies  preface,  which  is  a  ihort 
one,  concludes  with  that  ftrious  and  juft 
exhortation,  formed  on  the  mod  enlarg- 
ed principles,  which   we   have   quoted,  p. 

10. 

Large  and  numerous  quotations  from 
this  woik  might  be  deemed  tedious,  and 
fuperfeded  by  modern  publications  on  the 
fide  of  candor  and  moderaticn.  But  a 
paflage  or  two,  it  is  hoped,  will  not  be 
unacceptable  to  the  reader.  To  a  preju- 
dice  imbibed    againtt   the  Socinian    fenti- 

m<°nt 


C     *53     ) 

ment  concerning  the  perfon  of  Chrift,  a3 
what  mu ft  be  highly  difpleafing  to  him, 
because  derogatory  from  his  glorv,  the 
Author  atifwers  thus  :  "  The  greateft  part 
of  them,  who  at  this  day  recede  from  the 
common  fenfe  of  the  Church  in  fo  great 
a  matter,  are  not  out  of  any  rafhnefs  lb 
petfuaded  touching  the  Son  of  God,  but 
rather  cut  of  a  pious  fear,  left  they  mould 
detract:  from  the  Father  fomewhat  of  his 
honour.  Wherein  if  they  unwittingly 
offend  againft  the  Son,  out  of  love  to  the 
Lather,  (lb  that  improbity  mingle  not  it- 
Iclfwith  their  error)  it  feemeth  very  cre- 
dible, tli at  the  Son  will,  for  the  very  love 
or  the  Father,  forgive  them  this  error.. 
For  he  gave  a  notable  proof  of  his  meek- 
nefs,  when  he  prayed  for  his  ignorant 
murderefs.  What,  think  we,  will  not  he 
do  for  the  love  of  the  Father,  who  for  the 
love  of  men  forgave  fo  great  an  injury  to 
his  enemies  ?  Now  if  he  out  of  love  to> 
mankind  doubted  not  to-  afllime  the  form 
of  a  fervantj  and  really  to  endure  extreme 

H.  £  difgraces,, 


(     154     ) 

dilgraces,  certainly  he  will  bear  with  the 
errors  of  men,  who  do  not  conceive  wor- 
thily enough  of  his  majefty  and  dignity, 
efpecially  that  which  is  paft.  Will  he, 
who  for  the  fake  of  men,  did  of  his  own 
accord  debafe  himfelf  to  the  lowefr  condi- 
tion, punifh  them  for  this  very  thing, 
namely,  becaufe  they  out  of  ignorance, 
think  more  meanly  of  his  condition  than 
is  lit  ?  Efpecially  when  he  himfelf,  by  his 
debafement,  did  in  a  manner  give  an  oc- 
cafion  of  fuch  ignorance.  Certainly  it  is 
incredible,  that  he  who  of  his  own  ac- 
cord underwent,  for  the  fins  of  men,  a 
reproachful  kind  of  death,  will  not  par- 
don to  human  weaknefs,  a  fimple  opinion 
that  derogates  ibmething  from  his  an- 
tient  excellence,  if  fo  be  the  error  be 
harmlefs^  and  be  removed  from  all  fin  of 
malice." 

Another  pafTage,  in  which  he  endea- 
vours to  remove  the  objection  againft  an 
indulgence  to  thofe  who  hold  certain  opi- 
nions, drawn  from  the   fear,  that  the  in- 

tereft, 


(     *55     ) 

tereft  of  truth  will  fuffer  by  the  favour 
fhown  to  the  erroneous,  deferves  to  be 
quoted.  £C  If,"  faith  he,  cc  we  be  afraid 
of  the  contagion  of  fuch  errors,  either  in 
behalf  of  ourfelves,  or  rather  of  the  weaker 
ones,  in  the  firfl:  place  we  may  not  there- 
upon renounce  brotherly  love,  which  we 
owe  to  them,  although  they  err.  For  we 
ought  not  to  forfake  a  certain  and  clear 
duty,  left  an  uncertain  evil  mould  happen, 
nor  to  purfue  even  the  mod  holy  ends  by 
unlawful  means.  But,  fecondlv,  that  fear 
is  vain.  For  if  we  have  not  the  truth, 
there  is  little  danger  to  be  feared  from 
them,  much  lefs  if  we  have  it.  For  fince 
they  maintain  their  tenets  with  no  arms, 
nor  with  any  force,  and  think  it  not  fo 
much  as  lawful  fo  to  do,  nor  lit  them  off 
with  any  carnal  allurements,  certainly  the 
truth  can  never  be  by  them  either  opprefTed 
with  force,  or  overthrown  with  fraud,  in- 
afmuch  as  the  nature  of  truth  is  fuch, 
t  like  to  eagles  feathers,  fhe  devoureth 
all  other  light  plumage  of  opinions,  never 

H   6  with- 


(    156    ) 

withdrawing  herfelf  from  us,  unlefs  fhe 
be  t'red  either  with  our  fervitude,  or  fins. 
Which  twain  being  not  to  be  feared  by 
us  in  a  modeft  liberty  of  difltnting,  and 
ftudy  of  true  charity,  what  caufe  is  there 
why  we  fhould  fo  wanly  fence  our  opinions 
from  their  tenets  ? 

"  Let  us  rather  be  pofTefTed  with  a 
certain  hope,  that  as  earthen  veffels  being 
joined  with  thofeof  tin  or  filver,  are  broken 
to  pieces  y  fo  alfo  if  God,  the  Author  of 
peace,  fhall  bring  back  into  the  Church 
that  happy  tolerance,  all  falfe  opinions 
fighting  hand  to  hand  with  the  true,  will  be 
daihed  to  fhivers,  and  perifh.  Other  wife  if 
we  fo  much  fear  that  mutual  patience  and 
friendly  conference,  we  do  not  think  well 
enough  concerning  the  goodnefs  of  our 
caufe. 

"  Heretofore,  when  the  dawning  of 
Gofpel-light  was  returned,  Luther  and  his 
followers  would  have  wifhed  that  they 
might  be  tolerated  in  the  communion  of 
the  Roman  Church.  But  it  concerned  the 
2  Pope 


C   157    ) 

Pope  to  fecure  his  darknefs  from  the  ap- 
proach of  the  morning.  Again,  when  a 
diffenfion  was  rifen  up  between  the  Lu- 
therans and  the  Reformed \  who  was  it  that 
refufed  the  form  of  agreement  that  was 
offered,  but  he  that  doubted  of  his  caufe  ? 
Now  alfo  in  the  very  reformed  Church 
kfelf,  upon  the  dlffcnlion  concerning  Fate, 
none  are  more  difpleafed  with  tolerance* 
than  they  that  fuipect  the  truth  of  this 
doctrine.  Would  error  were  fo  circum- 
fpect  in  the  cradle  of  its  infancy,  as.  it  is. 
provklent  being,  once  grown  up.  But  it. 
being  blind  when  it  is  born,  doth  after- 
ward become  fharp-  fighted,  foreleeing  its 
fate  afar  off,  arid  efchewing  it,  and  is  never 
more  ingenious  to  prolong  its  life,  than: 
when  it  is  prefled  with  the  confcieace  of 
its  own  weavers." 

In  aid  of  the  deMgn  and  reafonings  of 
this  Tract,  Mr.  Biddle  added  a  Poft- 
fcript;  in  which,  among  other  reflexions, 
are  the  following  pertinent  remarks  and 
clofe  appeals  to  thofe  who,  arrogating  to 

themfeives 


(     158     ) 

themfelves  the  character  of  the  Orthodox, 
cenfure  all  others  as  Heretics. 

Mr.  Biddle  granting,  that  he  who  con- 
tradicts the  divine  writings  of  the  Apoftles, 
iTiould   be   no  lefs    efteemcd    an   Heretic, 
than  lie  who  oppofed  the  Apoftles  preach- 
ing by  word  of  mouth,  adds,   fC  but  even 
thus   can  we  not  challenge   that   cenforian 
rod   again  11  Heretics,  (referring  to  certain 
particular   pafTages   in   the  Epiftlcs.)     For 
they  whom  ye  place  in  the  rank  of  Here- 
tics,   are    fo    far    from    contradicting    the 
Holy  Scripture,  that  they  wage  war  againfl 
you  out   of  the  lame,  and    appeal    to  the 
judgement  thereof,    not  without  a  certain 
hope  of    victory,    in    the    examination    of 
their  caufe,  inafmuch  as  they  embrace  the 
Scripture  in   all  things,  with   as  great  ve- 
neration of  mind   as  you  do ;  nor  amongfl 
all  the   Chriftian    Churches,  which   are  at 
this  day  extant,  mall  ye  fhew  any  one  (that 
I  know  of )  which  doth  not  religioufly,  and 
from  the  heart,  yield  an  undoubted   affent 
to  all  thofe  things,  that  are  propofed  and 

taught 


(     *59     ) 

taught  in  the  Holy  Scripture.  Where- 
fore there  is  no  caufe  why  ye  fhould  con- 
demn any  one  of  them  for  Hereiy,  fmce 
they  agree  with  you  in  giving  due  cre- 
dence to  the  facrcd  wi  And  there- 
fore whatfoever  pretence  ye  feck  for  your 
carnal  zeal  againft  fuch  as  you  call  He- 
retics,  yet  to  indifferent  judgements  can 
no  other  ground  hereof  appear,  than  their 
difient  from  your  interpretation  of  the 
I  f  ly  Scripture,  as  to  the  controverted 
doctrines. 

11  But  I  will  here  bountifully  grant  you, 
that  ye  have  in  all  things  hit  the  tiue 
Jenfe  of  the  Scripture,  and  defend  it.  Ne- 
verthekfs,  it  is  further  requifite,  that  ye 
ma  s  plain  to  them,  whom   ye  brand 

with  the  crime  of  Herefy.  But  what  here 
is  the  ilrefs  of  your  arguments  ?  Ye  ap- 
peal again  to  the  Holy  Scripture,  and  from 
thence  condemn  Heretics.  But  they  have 
already  ftricken  this  weapon  out  of  your 
hands,  (hewing  that  the  Holy  Scripture 
rr.aketh  for  you,  only  in  your  own  fen-fe 

and 


(     i  ffo     ) 

and  interpretation,,  and  that  they  are  ac- 
cordingly condemned  by  you,  not  from, 
the  facred  Scripture,  but  from  your  in- 
terpretation of  the  {acred  Scripture.  And 
this  is  the  circle  of  your  arguing,  which, 
they  defervediy  reject* 

ff  Draw  out  therefore  againfl  Heretics 
thofe  truly  apoftoiical  weapons,  not  the 
cIhrcJomcal  prating  of  the  Chair  in  the 
Univerficy,  but  the  pow^r  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  wherewith  the  Apoftles  being  in- 
dued, could  deliver  Blafphemevs  to  Satan* 
i  Tim.  i.  io.  and  flay  Hypocrites  with: 
the  fpeaking  of  a  word,  Acts  5.  If  ye 
want  the  powerful  efficacy  of  this  fpirit,. 
acknowledge  your  ralhnefs  .and  iniquity 
in  condemning  them,  to  whom  ye  are- 
not  able,  with  evident  and:  fufficient  argu- 
ments to  demonflrate  your  interpretation 
of  the  Holy  Scripture,  and  who  by  the 
fame  right,  and  from  the  fame  founda- 
tion object  to  you  not  only  errors,  but 
alio  herefles. 


« 


Yc 


M  Ye  know  that  of  Cbrift,  condenm 
. ,  and  ye  JJjciII  not  be  condemned.  What 
account  will  ye  give  to  this  juft  Judge, 
for  fo  often  violating  this  precept \  Your 
zeal  of  the  divine  glory  will  not  then 
excufe  yoiii  for  though  it  palliate  itfelf 
under  this  reverend  name,  yet  is  it  wholly 
of  the  fiefh,  and  odious  to  God.  But 
if  ye  affirm,  that  it  proceedeth  from  the 
Holy  Spirit,  produce  arguments  worthy 
of  fo  great  an  Author.  For  neither  is 
this  Spirit  fo  weak,  but  that  he  can  fhew 
forth  tokens  of  his  divine  authority  and 
prefence  in  his  Minifters,  and  by  them 
againft  his  enemies.  But  whither  am  I 
carried  away  ?  I  be  leech  thee,  good  rea- 
der, to  pardon  this  digrefllon  of  mine* 
and  having  liked  the  pious  counfel  of 
our  Author,  intreat  God  that  he  would 
infr.il  into  other  readers  alfo  a  mind  ftu- 
dious  of  peace  and  concord. 

Such   frn.ti  mentis   are   fo  important    and 

liberal,,  that  they  can    fcarcely   be  repeated 

:en,  or   be   prefenied  in   too  various 

forms* 


(   t4t  ) 

forms.  For  every  reprefentationj  whe- 
ther in  a  modern  or  antient  drefs,  carries 
&  recommendation  of  them  to  every  can-* 
did  mind3  and  h  may  be  prefumedj  will- 
not  be  wholly  without  effect  in  making 
them  to  be  known,  approved  and  felt. 


SECTION 


(     i«3    ) 


SECTION    XII. 

His  Character. 

WE  have  traced  Mr.  Biddle  through 
the  labours,  &c.  of  a  ftudious,  and 
the  events  of  an  afflicted  life,  His  fludies 
were  devoted  to  the  purfuit  of  religious 
knowledge,  and  his  fufFerings  were  incurred 
by  a  confcienrious  adherence  to  the  con-* 
victions  which  his  enquiries  produced. 
From  both  the  reader  will  form  his  own 
ideas  concerning  his  abilities,  learning 
and  character.  They  were  all  held  in 
high  eftimation  by  thofe  who  perfonally 
knew  him,  and  were  acknowledged  by  his 
enemies. 

His  acquaintance  with  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures, as  was  obferved  in  the  fecond  Sec- 
tion, was  Angularly  comprehenfive  and 
exact.      His  knowledge  of  them  "was  in- 

flead 


(     164    )      . 

(lead  of  a  Concordance,  for  no  part  could 
be  named,  but  he  would  prefently  cite  the 
bock,  chapter,  and  verfe.  This  perfect 
knowledge  in  the  Scriptures,  joined  with 
an  happy  and  ready  memory,  whereby  he 
had,  at  recollection,  what  he  had  read  in 
other  authors,  £ave  him  a  Rrcat  advan- 
tage  in  all  debates,  of  which,  Without  the 
lead  ofcentation,  he  availed  himfelf. 

The  diftinguiihing  point  of  view,  un- 
der which  the  preceding  account  exhibits 
him,  is  that  of  a  Reformer,  and  a  fuf- 
ferer  for  conlcience  fake  :  yet,  in  the  for- 
mer character,  he  appears  to  have  been 
modeft  and  candid,  and  in  the  latter  pa- 
tient and  refigned.  <c  It  was,"  fays  his 
Biographer,  who  appears  to  have  been  in- 
timately acquainted  with  him,  cc  in  his 
heart  to  promote  piety^  and  he  had  no 
defign  to  aggrandife  his  name  by  oppofi- 
tion  to  cornmon  do&rines.  Indeed,  he  was 
a  great  alTerter  of  common  doelrir.es  againfr. 
novel  opinions,  that  tended  either  to  fe- 
dltion,  libertinifm,   or  fuperftition.      And 

in 


(     i«S     ) 

in  what  he  held  contrary  to  the  current:, 
he  did  not  endeavour  to  tie  thofe  he  had 
won,  to  be  or'  his  rnind  in  fuch  a  ibciety, 
and  by  fuch  a  fociety,  anJ  by  fuch  bands, 
as  might  continue  them  a  fuccefii  ve  parr/, 
bearing  his  name  as  their  Founder ;  but 
left  them  to  all  that  liberty,  which  the 
duty  of  owning  the  truth  according  to 
their  confcience,  and  of  mutual  edification 
would  allow  them*.0 

Zealous  and  active  as  Mr.  Biddle  was 
in  promoting  what  he  deemed  great  and 
important  Truth,  he  was  ftill  more  zea- 
lous in  promoting  holinefs  of  life  and 
manners ;  for  this  was  always  his  end  and 
defign  in  what  he  taught.  tc  He  valued 
not  his  doctrines  for  fpeculation,  but  prac- 
tice, infomuch  that  he  would  not  dif- 
courfe  of  thofe  points  wherein  he  dif- 
fered from  others,  with  thofe  that  ap- 
peared not  religious  according  to  know- 
ledge.    Neither  could  he  bear  thofe  that 

*  Short  Account  of  his  Life,  p.  10. 

diiTembled 


(     i66     ) 

diffembled    in   profeffion  for  worldly  in- 
tercfts." 

His  own  life  was  pure  and  irreproach- 
able. Mr.  Anthony  IVocd  acknowledges, 
that,  "  except  his  opinions,  there  was 
little  or  nothing  blame-worthy  in  him." 
He  was  fo  free  from  being  questioned  for 
any  the  leaft  blemifh  in  his  life,  that  one 
of  his  Advocates  fays,  <f  the  Informers 
themfelves,  who  brought  on  the  lad  pro- 
fecution  againft  him,  had  been  heard  to 
admire  his  Uriel:  exemplary  life,"  full  of 
modefty,  fobriety,  and  forbearance,  no  ways 
contentious,  touching  the  great  things  of 
die  world,  but  altogether  taken  up  with 
die  great  things  of  God,  revealed  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures  *. 

Another  writer,  on  the  proceedings  a- 
gainft  him,  gives  this  teftimony  to  his 
converfation.  "  We  have,"  fays  he,  cc  had 
intimate  knowledge  thereof  for  fome  years; 
but  we  think  he  needs  not  us,  but  may 
appeal  even  to  his  enemies,  for  his  vin- 

*  Short  Account  of  his  Life,    p.    10. 

dication 


(     i<57     ) 

dication  therein.  Let  thofe  that  knew 
him  at  Oxford  for  the  fpace  of  feven  or 
eight  years,  thofe  that  knew  him  at  Gloit- 
cefter  about  three  years,  thofe  that  knew 
him  at  1.  thefe  eight  or  nine  years, 

(mod  of  which  he  hath  been   a  prifoner) 
(peak  what  they  know,  of  unrighteouihefs, 
uncleunnefs,  unpeaceablenefs,  malice,  pride, 
profanenefs,   drunkennefs,  or  any  the  like 
iniquity,    which  they  can   accufe  him  of, 
or  hath   he,    (as  the  manner  of  Heretics 
is)   2  Pet.  2.  3.  Through  covet  oufnefs  with 
feigned   words    made  merchandise   of  any  ? 
Hath  he  not  herein  walked  upon  fuch  true 
grounds  of  Christian   felf-denia],   that  none 
in    the   world    can   (land    more    clear  and 
blamelefs  herein  alio?  He  having  fhurned 
to    make   anv  of  thofe   advantages  which 
are   eafily  made   in   the  world,  by  men   of 
his   parts    and   breeding,    languages,    and 
learning,    that   (if  any   known   to   us)   he 
may  truly  fay  as  the  Apoftle,  /  have  coveted 
no  man  s  fiver,  or  gold,  or  apparel  -,  yea,  ye 
yourfelves    know,    that    thefe   hands   have 
miniftered  to  my  necejfties  -}  he  ever  account- 
ing 


(    i  to    ) 

ing  it  a  more  blejfed  thing  to  give  than  t» 
receive  j\" 

It  is  a  proof  of  the  great  and  feriou* 
regard  which  he  had  for  univerfal  righ- 
teoufnefs :  that  {C  he  would  often  tell  his 
friends,  that  no  religion  could  benefit  * 
bad  man ;  and  call  upon  them  to  refolve 
with  themfelves,  as  well  to  profefs  and 
practife  the  truth  that  is  according  to  god- 
linefs,  as  to  ftudy  to  find  it  out,  and  that 
againft  all  terrors  and  allurements  to  the 
contrary;  being  adured  that  nothing  dif- 
pleafing  to  Almighty  God,  would  be  any 
wife  profitable  to  them  *.  The  probity 
of  his  own  conduct  was  eminently  con- 
fpicuous :  lb  that  the  appeal  was  made 
to  many  perfons  of  worth  and  credit  in 
London,  on  the  juftice  and  integrity  of 
his  heart,  and  on  his  holy  care  not  to 
difTemble,  play  the  hypocrite,  or  deal  frau- 
dulently with  any,  not  even  to  fave  his  life  J. 

f  Crosby's    Hiflory    of   the    EngUfh    Eaptifts, 

TOl.  1.    p.    210,     II,    12. 

#  Short  Account  of  his  Life,  p.  io. 
%  Crofby's   Hiftory  of  the  Englifh  Baptifts.  V.  I. 
p.  210, 21  I. 

v  The 


(     *69     ) 

The  foundation  of  his  moral  excel- 
lencies was  laid,  where  the  foundation  of 
every  good  attainment  muft  be  laid,  in  the 
application  of  the  earlieft  years  to  the  pur- 
fuit  of  divine  wifdom.  Before  he  lefc 
fchool,  there  was  difcovered  in  him  "  a 
fingular  piety  of  mind,  and  contempt  of 
fecular  affairs :"  he  applied  himfelf  to  the 
ftudy  of  virtue,  together  with  the  fludy  of 
literature  and  fcience  :  and,  in  his  younger 
years,  was  an  amiable  example  of  filial 
affection  to  his  Mother,  to  whom,  becom- 
ing a  widow  by  the  death  of  his  Father, 
he,  with  great  diligence,  gave  dutiful 
afTiftance  *. 

The  events,  which  we  have  furveyed, 
furnifh  a  ftriking  proof  of  the  perfeverance 
and  fortitude,with  which  he  followed  truth, 
and  met  his  fufferings.  And,  though  he 
was  converfant  in  the  difcufiion  of  points, 
involved^  by  the  inventions  of  men,  and  a 
mixture  of  human  fcience,  in  great  dif- 
ficulties and    obfeurity,   yet    it   doth   not 

*  Short  Account  of  his  Life,  p,  4. 

I  appear, 


(     '7°     ) 

appear,  that  he  contended  therein  out 
curiofity,  vain-glory,  and  felf-conceit ; 
but  with  great  humility  and  courtefy : 
Cf  for  they  who  differed  from  him,  how 
mean  ibever,  could  not  oblige  him  more, 
than  by  pertinent  objections,  foberly  urged, 
to  give  him  the  opportunity  of  refolving 
them  :  which  he  always  did  with  great 
fnnplicity  and  plainnefs  of  fpeech,  without 
any  orientation  of  learning  *." 

His  converfation  was  as  remote  from 
covetoufnefs,  as  it  was  free  from  ambition. 
For,  when  he  was  capable  of  doing  it,  he 
fupported  himfelf  by  his  own  induftry,  and 
refufed  the  fup plies,  which  benevolence  and 
friendfhip  offered  him  ;  unlefs,  when  the 
neceflities,  brought  on  by  imprifonment, 
ficknefs,  and  the  like  calamities,  conftrained 
him  to  avail  himfelf  of  the  kindnefs  of 
others.  After  a  feven  years  confinement, 
he  was  prevailed  with  to  accept  of  a  bed 
and    board    from    a    friendly    Citizen  in 

*  Short  Account  of  his  Life,  p.  10.  and  Crofby's 
Hiftory  of  theBaptifts,  v.  i,  p.  214.. 

London  : 


(    !?*    > 

London*  :  and  the  importunities  of  another 
induced  him  to  do  the  fame,  after  his  return 
from  exile  in  the  Ifle  of  Stilly.  But  thefe 
were  exceptions  to  his  general  mode  of  mi- 
niftering  himielf  to  his  wants. 

He  had  learned  to  be  content  with  a 
little,  and  fought  not  more :  nay,  out  of 
that  little  he  would  contribute  to  the  necef- 
fities  of  others.  His  gratifications  were 
very  moderate,  for  he  was  remarkably  tem- 
perate in  eating,  as  well  as  in  drinking. 
The  purity  of  his  character  was  not 
only  mod  fair  and  unblameable  ;  but,  to 
avoid  the  leafi:  fufpicion,  he  carried  his 
referve  in  his  behaviour  to  the  fex,  to  an 
unufual  (it  may  be  called  an  extravagant) 
degree  of  delicacy  and  caution. 

He  was  careful  to  preferve  juftice  in  his 
dealings  towards  men,  and  was  felicitous  to 
enforce  and  exemplify  this  virtue  and  that  of 
charity,  as,  in  his  opinion,  eflentially  ne- 
ceiiary  to  falvation.  And  he  had  fuch  a 
liyfily  fenfe  of  the  obligations  of  humanity 

*  Mr.  Firmin, 

I   2  and 


(     m     ) 

and  kindnefs,  that  it  was  one  of  his  leflbns, 
which  Mr.  Firmin  learnt  of  him,  not  only 
to  relieve,  but  to  vtfU  the  fick  and  poor,  as 
the  bed  means  of  admin  iftering  comfort  to 
them,  and  of  gaining  an  exact  knowledge 
of  their  circumftances  -f  and  as  affording  an 
opportunity  to  afTift  them  by  our  counfel, 
or  our  intereft,  more  effectually  than  by  the 
charity  we  do  or  can  bellow  upon  them  *. 

There  is  another  ingredient  in  a  good 
and  excellent  character,  viz.  reverent, 
humble  piety,  which  deferves  particular 
mention  in  the  delineation  of  Mr.  Biddies. 
"  The  virtues  of  the  devotional  kind,  ob- 
ferves  a  great  writer,  may  be  fhewn  by  ar- 
guments independent  of  the  peculiar  doc- 
trines of  revelation,  to  be,  in  their  own 
nature,  the  mod  truly  valuable^  as  well  as 
the  mod  Jublime  of  all  others,  and  to  form 
what  may  be  called  the  key-ftone  of  every 
truly  great  and  heroic  character  j\"    The 

*  The  Life  of  Mr.  Thomas  Firmin,  1698.  p.  10. 

f  Prieftley's  Letters  to  a  Philosophical  Unbeliever, 
Port  1  r  p.  2 1 1 . 

,    Piety 


(     '73     ) 

piety  of  Mr.  Biddle  was  eminent.  u  He 
was,  his  Biographer  tells  us,  a  ftrict  ob- 
ferver  himfelf,  and  a  fever  e  exactor  in 
others,  of  reverence  in   (peaking  of  God 

and  Christ,  and  holy  things:  lb  that  he 
would  by  no  means  hear  their  names,  or 
any  fentence  of  Holy  Scripture,  ufed  vainly 
or  lightly,  much  leis  any  fooliih  talking,  or 
fcurrility/'  While  lie  treated  (acred  lub- 
jects  with  this  reverence  and  gravity,  he. 
aid  be  chearfui  and  pleafant,  and  like  well 
that  the  c  my  fhould  be  fo  too.     "  Ya 

even  in  his  common  con  verier,  he  always  re- 
tained an  awe  of  the  Divine  Prefence,  and 
was  fometimes  obferved  to  life  up  his  hand 
iuddenly  ;  which  thofe  that  were  intimate 
with  him,  knew  to  be  an  effect,  of  a  fecret 
ejaculation.  But  in  his  clofet  devotions, 
he  was  wont  often  to  proftrate  himfelf  upon 
the  ground,  after  the  manner  of  our  Saviour 
in  his  agony,  and  would  commend  that 
poflure  alio  to  his  mod  intimate  friends  V* 

"   SJiort  Account  of  his  Life,  p.  1 1. 

i  .-«  it 


(      1/4     ) 

It  is  a  pertinent  remark  made  on  the  ex- 
cellent character,  which  Mr.  Biddle  fup- 
ported,  that  the  Unitarians  who  differed  in 
our  country,  were  all  of  them  eminent  ex- 
amples of  pit*  ty  and  virtue*.  It  is  of  con- 
sequence, on  every  occafion  that  offers,  to 
point  out  this  •>  not  only,  as  a  good  example 
can  never  be  exhibited  to  view,  without 
doing  honour  to  religion,  and  leaving  iome 
good  imprcflions  on  the  mind  ;  —  but  alio  to 
obviate  the  prejudices  of  fome,  even  good 
men,  who  can  Scarcely  be  induced  to  fup- 
pofe  that  true  piety  can  exift,  wherej  what 
they  deem,  great  and  fundamental  errors, 
are  embraced.  They  have  been  fo  ac- 
cuftomed  to  blend  their  own  peculiar  ideas 
and  phrafeology,  with  all  their  meditations 
on  the  Divine  Being,  to  incorporate  them 
with  all  their  devout  addrefles  to  him,  that 
they  cannot  conceive,  how  devotion  can 
e  II  but  under  fuch  a  garb,  or  piety  be  felt 
but  with  the  aiTociations,  with  which  they 

*  Mr.  Lindfey's  Hiitorical  View  of  the  State  of 
the  Unitarian  Doctrine,  p.  3c  3 

sdwa\ 


(     i?5     ) 

always  feci  it.  But  Rich  pcrfons  only  prove- 
by  this,  how  limited  is  their  acquaintance 
with  human  characters,  and  how  narrow  are 
their  own  views  of  things.  The  principles 
which  are  the  great  grounds  of  devout  affec- 
tions, are  common  to  all  religious  fchemes  : 
11: ch  as  that  Gcd  is,  and  that  He  is  the  Rc- 
Jer  of  them  that  diligently  Jeek  him : 
:t  He  hath  given  us  eternal  life>  and  that 
s  life  is  in  or  by  his  Son  Christ  Jesus. 
Into  theft  principles  may,  and  im.it  all  the 
fentiments  and  exercifes  of  a  pious  mind  be 
relblved,  as  their  juft  caufe  and  animating 
motive.  To  a  benevolent  mind  it  is  a  fource 
of  joyful  reflection  to  believe,  that  the 
power  and  pleafure  of  theft  principles  are 
and  mud  be  felt  by  every  fincere  Chriftian, 
whether  Calvinijl  or  Arminian  \  whether 
AtbanafiaHy  /Irian ,  or  Socinian.  The  lover 
of  truth,  efpecially  of  feligtous  truth,  can- 
not but  poifeis  a  ferious  and  devout  mind  : 
for  he  is  converfant  with  the  moil  ferious 
fubjedts,  and  from  them  only  can  derive 
his  lupport  and  confolation  under  the  dif- 
I  4  courage- 


couragements  and  evils  to  which  his  en- 
quiries after  truth  may  expofe  him.  And  if 
Trinitarians  can  mention  a  Howe>  a  Baxter^ 
and  a  V/atts  -,  Antitrinitarians  can  boaft  an 
Emlyn>  d.njiber^ethyl  and  a  Lardwr* 


SECTION 


'<!  jP^* 


m 


// 


SECTION     XIII. 

Con  clufion— Some  general  reflections  on  Mr. 
Biddle'j  character — and  on  the  utility  of 
religious  controverfy. 

SOME  will  be  ready  to  hold  the  labours 
and  character  of  Mr.  Biddle>  which  we 
have  reprefented,  in  low  eftimation  :  as 
diftinguifhed  chiefly  by  an  exceflive  attach- 
ment to  religious  controverfy.  But  the 
neglect  or  indifference,  with  which  they 
themfelves  treat  the  difcufiion  of  theologi- 
cal queftions,  is  not  a  fair  and  juft  ftandard 
by  which  to  judge  of  thofe  whofe  attention, 
like  Mr.  Biddle's,  hath  been  directed  to 
them :  for  how  can  they  be  fuppofed  com- 
petent to  the  determination  of  a  point,  on 
which  they  have  bellowed  no  pains  ?  All 
that  their  opinion  of  its  value  proves,  is 
only  that  fuch  a  direction  of  the  thoughts 
and  ftudies  does  not  fuit  their  tafte.     But 

ftilL 


(     J78     ) 

ftill,  in  the  great  circle  of  human  actions 
and  purfuits,  it  may  have  its  peculiar  im- 
portance and  ufe. 

It  will  not  be  denied,  that  the  difcovery 
of  Truth,  mathematical  or  philofophica], 
is  a  fuitahle  and  valuable  employment  of 
the  rational  powers :  and  though  it  be  not 
neceffary  for  the  good  of  the  world,  that 
every  man  fliould  be  a  Philosopher  or  Ma- 
thematician, yet  mankind  are  greatly  in- 
debted to  the  labours,  and  ought  to  hold  in 
high  efteem,  the  names  of  thole  who  have 
devoted  their  time  and  thoughts  to  fuch 
inveftigations :  which,  in  innumerable  in- 
fiances,  are  capable  of  being  improved,  and 
have  been  actually  improved,  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  mankind. 

Why  fliould  its  due  value  and  praife 
be  denied  to  the  inveftigation  of  religious 
Truth  ?  This  hath  a  more  extenfive  in- 
fluence, than  Jcientific :  it  hath  a  more 
intimate  connexion  with  human  conduct,  in 
all  the  inrercourfe,  and  with  human  felicity,. 
under  all  the  events  of  life.  This  derives  a 
peculiar  importance,  from  the  energy  it  pof- 

feffeth, 


(     <79     ) 

lefTeth,  to  form  a  racral  character ;  to  me- 
liorate the  whole  human  race  in  this  world  ; 
and  to  train  up  individuals,  who  yield  to  its 
power,  for  eternal  perfection  and  hap- 
pinefs. 

The  revelation  of  religious  Truth,  firfl  by 
and  the  Prophets,  and  then  by  J  ejus 
ChriJ},  is  a  moll  linking  and  convincing 
argument  of  its  value  and  importance. 
Being  revealed  from  Heaven,  it  becomes 
an  object  of  facred  attention  to  all,  to  whom 
it  hath  been  communicated.  There  is  a 
merit  in  the  improvement  of  any  talent, 
in  the  fulfilling  of  any  obligation.  On  thefe 
plain  principles,  the  invelligation  of  re- 
ligious truth  hath  merit:  — the  merit  of  at- 
tending to  what  God  hath  imparted.  Dili- 
gence and  afliduity  heighten  this  merit ; 
but  fufferings  endured  in  the  purfuit  and 
profeflion  of  it,  add  flill  more  to  it. 
Probity  and  integrity  are  ineflimable  in  any 
courfe  of  life.  Can  they  lofe  their  value 
becauie  the  principle,  which  calls  them  into 

:  ~ion,  is  the  love  of  divine  Truth  ? 

Le 


(     l8o     ) 

Let  thefc  confiderations  be  weighed  ; 
they  will  aflift  ns  to  appreciate  the  excel- 
lence and  importance  of  fuch  characters  as 
Mr.  Bid  die.  Such  characters  have  been 
rendered  peculiarly  neceffary  and  ufeful, 
through  the  gro!s  corruptions,  in  which 
Chi  iltianity  hath  been,  for  ages,  almoft  loiL 
Without  Kich  exertions,  fuch  (ludies,  and 
flich  ill  ill  rings,  as  mark  the  life  of  Mr. 
Biddle,  no  reformation  from  ropery  could 
have  taken  place  :  or,  having  taken  place, 
could  have  been  lupported  and  carried  on. 
A  Biddle,  as  hath  been  feen,  calls  the  atten- 
tion to  important  queftions,  throws  light  by 
difcuffiun  on  interefting  points,  and  awakens 
the  fpirit  of  enquiry  and  zeal. 

In  aid  of  thefc  remarks,  I  am  induced  to 
produce  the  following  reflexions.  <(  Not- 
withstanding the  difrefpedt  which  is  occa- 
fionally  ihewn  towards  religious  contro- 
veriy,  by  little  and  illiberal  minds,  it  is  to 
fuch  controverfies  as  engaged  the  pens  of 
Clarke,  lioadley  and  Sykes,  that  we  owe 
much  of  what  is  moft  valuable  and  dear  to 

us. 


(      13,      ) 

u  .     An  affiled  difparagement  of  the  fe- 
ll controverfies  which  have  refpe&ed  re- 
ligious liberty,   and  the    improved   know- 
ledge of  the  Scriptures,  generally  indicates 
un    indifference   to  the    nature  and  obliga- 
tions of  religion  itlelf,  or  befpeaks  a  total 
ignorance    of  the   bleffingS  we    derive  and 
enjoy    from    free    inquiry   and    debate,    by 
means  of  the  prefs  ;  or   is   the   effect  of  a 
lamentable   prejudice    againlr.  every  defirc 
I  attempt  to  bring  all  profefTing  Chriftians 
to  abide    by  the  plain  and  artleis   Gofpel  of 
//?,  or,  when  fuch   averfion   to   contro- 
verfy    is    held   by  well-meaning  and   more 
candid  minds,   it  is  no  other  than  their  de- 
claring  their  earned   defire  to  eftablifh  the 
end,  while,  at  the  fame  time,   they  incon- 
fiilently    and   peremptorily   proteft   againft 
the  onlv  means  which  can  effect,  it  *." 

The  fentiments  of  the  learned  Bp.  Pearce 
are  very  pertinent  here,  and  deferve  to  be 
recited.     "  Let   it  be  further  confidered," 

*  See  the  very  in!>ruflivc  an  J  entertaining  Memoirs 
of   the    Life  and    Writings    of  Dr.   Arthur  Afhlcy 
kes,  by  Dr.  Difney,  p.  36$, 

fays 


(  Ift  ) 

fays  his  Lordfhip,  ff  that,  if  no  difputes 
had  ever  been  raifed  in  the  Ch'riftian  Church, 
there  is  great  reafon  to  think,  that  lefs  of 
truth  would  have  been  preferved  in  ity  than 
there  is  to  be  found  at  prefent.  Cicero  tells 
us  (Tufc.  Difput.  L.  2.  cap.  2.)  that  Phi- 
lofophy  would  not  have  arrived  at  that 
height  of  credit  to  which  it  arrived  in  Greece, 
if  it  had  not  received  force  and  vigour  from 
the  controverfies  and  difputes  which  were 
there  carried  on  among  the  learned.  And 
fo  it  fares  with  religion  :  however  good  men 
may  juftly  diflike  the  methods  by  which 
difputes  about  religious  points  are  too  often 
carried  on,  yet  we  fee,  that  in  fact  igno- 
rance of  religion  is  no  where  fo  grofs  as 
where  free  debates  about  it  are  not  allowed. 
And  it  is  obfervable  of  the  earlier  and 
better  ages  of  the  Church,  that  when  He- 
retics arofe,  and  carried  fome  doctrines  to 
one  extreme,  it  commonly  was  when  the 
Church  feemed  inclined  to  bear  too  much 
towards  the  other  extreme.  Thefe  Heretics 
then,  under  the  guidance  of  Providence, 
caufed  a  Revulfion  of  Humours,  as  it  were, 

'  in 


(     i3j     ) 

in  the  ecclefiaftical  body  :  it  brought  many 
back  again  into  the  right  channel,  and 
made  them  (lick  more  clofely  to  the  truth 
than  they  would  probably  have  done,  if  no 
oppofition  had  been  made.  So  that  diiputes 
about  the  Chriftian  Religion  feem  to  have 
contributed  as  much  to  the  preferving  it 
pure,  as  the  conftant  motion  of  waters  do 
to  the  keeping  them  fiveet :  and  if  fo, 
that  can  be  no  argument  againlt  believing 
Chriftianity,  which  has  been  one  great  caufe 
of  continuing  it  worthy  to  be  believed  *. 

After  all,  it  is  perhaps  more  accurate  to 
defcribe  Mr.  Br  dole,  after  his  Biographer, 
as  a  fincere  Reformer,  than  a  Controver- 
fialift  :  for,  befides  publifhing  but  a  few 
books,  he  did  not  reply  to  thofe  diverfe 
anfwers,  which  were  given  to  what  he  did 
publiih.  For  this  conduct  feveral  reafons 
have  been  given.  <c  Firlt,  that  he  was  ve- 
rily perfuaded,  that  truth  being  in  itfelf 
plain  and  fimple,  efpecially  what  is  necefTary 
and  very  ufeful,  is  eafy  to  be  apprehended 

*   Bp.  Pearce'b  Sermons,  V.  I.  p.  386,  387. 

by 


(     i  «4     ) 

by  few  words :  it  is  error  that  feeks  garnifh 
in  many  words  and  figures  of  ipeech. 
Again,  what  he  did  publifh,  he  well  deli- 
berated of;  fo  that  he  did  not  find  in  the 
adverfe  writings,  any  thing  of  moment, 
which  an  attentive  reader  might  not  per- 
ceive already  obviated  ;  and  they  that  attend 
not  to  the  firfl  propofitions,  will  not  receive 
benefit  by  replies  and  rejoinders.  We  add, 
that  he,  treading  in  a  path,  long  overgrown 
with  briars  and  thorns  of  error  and  fo* 
phiflry,  it  required  vaftly  greater  labour  and 
diligence  to  find  out  the  way  of  truth,  in 
which  no  Englifhman  had,  by  any  appear- 
ing footfteps,  gone  before  him  for  many 
ages  *. 

To  thofe  who  are  convinced  that,  not> 
withftanding  his  miftakes  in  fome  points, 
Mr.  Biddle  had  truth  on  his  fide  in  the 
great  queftions  he  difcufied,  concerning  the 
Unity  of  God,  and  the  Humanity  of 
Chrift,  it  will  be  a  painful  reflexion,  that 
his  opinions  have  made  but  a  very  flow 

*  Short  Account  of  his  Life,    p.  9,  10, 

2,  progress 


(   »s   ) 

progrefs  during  thefe  hundred  and  twenty 
years  :  at  leaf!  the  firft  hundred  years  of 
this  period.  The  progrefs  of  truth  is  ever 
flow  :  for  it  has  great  difficulties  to  encoun- 
ter from  the  indolence  and  interefts  of  man- 
kind ;  the  difcovery  of  it  is  attended  with  a 
painful  procefs  :  light  muft  be  let  into  the 
minds  of  men  by  degrees  :  and  many  ar- 
guments muft  be,  one  after  another,  laid 
before  them  ;  and  prefented  in  different 
forms,  and  repeatedly  renewed,  before  pre- 
judices are  fubdued  and  conviction  is  pro- 
duced. But  to  every  fincere  lover  of 
God's  truth  this  is  a  pleating  and  en- 
couraging thought  i  that  it  is  great,  and 

"WILL   in  THE  END   PREVAIL. 

In  the  mean  time,  it  is  the  duty  of  every 
one  to  ufe  his  own  belt  and  faithful  endea- 
vours to  come  at  the  knowledge  of  it*  and 
to  promote  it.  cc  Let  him,"  to  ufe  the 
words  of  the  prelate  juft  quoted,  tc  be  in- 
different, if  he  will,  to  the  knowledge  of 
the  feveral  curious  fciences,  with  which 
men  of  leifure  wifely  enough  fill  up  the  in- 
tervals of  their  time.     Let  him  flight,  if  he 

K  will* 


-      (     i86     ) 

will,  (though  I  commend  him  not  for  it) 
the  account  of  what  hiftory  records  concern- 
ing the  paffages  of  the  world,  or  what 
Travellers  or  Voyagers  fay  concerning  the 
diftant  parts  of  the  Earth.  In  all  thefe  things, 
his  indifference,  though  not  fraiJeworthy>  is 
not  criminal,  is  not  dangerous  to  the  health 
of  his  foul.  But  when  the  queftion  is,  "  How 
fhall  we  worlhip  God  aright/'  (it  may  be 
asjuftly  faid,  when  it  concerns  the  objeft  of 
our  worfhip)  "  How  fhall  we  pleafe  him  ? 
Upon  what  terms  will  he  receive  penitent 
finners  into  favour  ?  Can  it  be  wifdom  f 
Can  it  be  common  fenfe,  not  to  make  a  di- 
ligent and  impartial  inquiry?— No  man 
who  finds  his  mind  entangled  with  doubts 
and  difficulties  can  be  juftified,  if  he 
neglect,  as  Pilate  did,  to  know  what  the 
truth  is.  It  is  his  duty  to  fearch  :  it  is  his 
intereft  to  do  it  -3  for  the  safety  of  his  foul 
is  highly  concerned  in  it  **" 

*  Ut  fupra,  p.  388,  389. 

THE    END, 


JUST    PUBLISHED, 
By     JOSHUA     T  O  U  L  M  I  N. 

L 

The  Defign  of  the  Go/pel  Hijhry,  in  a  Ser- 
mon preached  at  Eflex  Chapel,  London,  May 
u,  1788. 

IL 

The  Conduct  of  the  firft  Converts  confidered, 
in  a  Sermon  preached  at  Bridport,  July  10,  1 788* 
at  the  Ordination  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Howe. 

III. 

A  Letter  to  the  Bifhops,  on  the  Application  of 
the  Proteftant  DifTenters,  for  the  Repeal  of  the 
Teft  and  Corporation  Acts. 

IV. 

Propofals  for  Printing   by  Subfcription,  Price 
6s.  in  Boards,  the  Hiftory  of  the  Town  of  Taun- 
ton, 


ton,  in  ihe   County  of  Somerfet  ■,   embellished 
with   a    Pi  an    of   the   Ton  Map    of   the 

County   I  round  it,   a  Perfpedive 

.  Mary  M  AC DA LI  n's  Church,  a n J 
of  the  I  Plan,  Eleva- 

i  ion,  and  Sbctj    \  of  the  Hospital. 


In  Prefi. 

A  X:  ■•.«.    E  principally   ;.d- 

tlrci      I  to  nal  Difcouri'cs, 
and  fbfl                   ,  . 

N.H.  AftertheC  I  Tor  are  delivered, 

the  :,->  'ff*  M. 


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