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CHRISTIAN PIONEER.

No. 11.

JULY, 1827.

Vol. I.

Unitarian Worthies.-No. 2, John Biddle.

Others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment-Of whom the world was not worthy.-HEBREWS.

JOHN BIDDLE was born at Wotton-under-edge, in the county of Gloucester, in the year 1615. His parents were respectable and pious. After he had received the rudiments of a good education at the Grammar School of his native town, he proceeded to the University of Oxford. Here he prosecuted his studies with so much assiduity and success, as greatly to promote his own reputation and the credit of the University. That liberal tone of thinking which led him, at a later period, to scrutinize and impugn popular errors, began to evince itself during the progress of his College studies; for we are told, that "he did so philosophise, that it might be observed he was determined more by reason than authority." This is at once the evidence and the just eulogium of an original mind; and in the days of Biddle, was a faculty as rare as it was invaluable. In 1638, he graduated B. A. and assumed the office of a tutor in the University, which he filled with singular efficiency. A short time after, he accepted an invitation to become the master of the Grammar School in the city of Gloucester, in which station, also, he acquitted himself so admirably of his duties, that parents who had the opportunity of committing their sons to his direction, congratulated themselves on their felicity.

In this situation, Mr. Biddle found leisure to follow the bent of his mind. He devoted himself with all his characteristic moral ardour, to the study of the Scriptures. These holy records, without any other aid than is afforded by purity of mind, and fervent prayer for divine illumination, and the dictates of a well disciplined understanding, he made the sole criterion and measure of his creed. This is the proper method of procedure. We fear that even men whose general principles are deserving of high respect, act erroneously in this matter. They denounce the authority of Popes, but they are enslaved by commenta

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tors. The decrees of councils, with them avail only as so much musty parchment, but the opinions of Grotius, or Priestley, or Cappe, are of paramount authority. The evils which result from this undue confidence in human judgments, are so numerous, that we cannot permit ourselves to enter upon the statement of them at present. We recommend the practice and the advice of John Biddle to all those who read a comment before they read the Bible, and who tremble to enunciate an opinion which a high or a low Dutch theologian does not sanction. thou, Christian Reader," says Biddle, "dost from thy heart aspire to the knowledge of God, and his son Jesus Christ, wherein eternal life doth consist, fetch not the beginnings thereof, either from Socinus, or from his adversaries; but closely apply thyself to the search of the New Covenant, and make no doubt but the true light will at length illuminate the eyes of thy mind." So faithfully did Mr. Biddle himself pursue this plan of investigating divine truth, that he derived all his learning in matters of religion, from the sole study of the Scriptures, with which he was so conversant, that he retained them all in his memory, word for word, not only in English, but in Greek, as far as the fourth chapter of the Revelation. The result of his Scriptural inquiries, was his disbelief in the doctrine of the Trinity. To this conclusion he came without having seen any Unitarian publication. This is not a solitary case. Instances might be multiplied, both of lettered and unlettered men, instances many are recorded, others that have come under the writer's own knowledge, in which the same results have attended the same process. The truth which Mr. Biddle had discovered, he deemed it his duty to communicate. Hence he was led to propound and defend his opinions, in the course of ordinary conversation. This disclosure of his thoughts soon inflamed the minds of some zealots. The cry of heresy was raised against him, and its voice sank not till its victim was laid in his tomb. He was summoned before the magistrates; but after some considerable harassment, was permitted to retire. By no means discouraged by the interference of insane zeal, nor intimidated by the storm which he saw gathering in the distance, he adopted further measures for the dissemination of his sentiments, and put into the hands of his friends, a paper, in which he clearly and fully refuted the opinion of the Deity of the Spirit. This paper

was communicated, among others, to one who betrayed the confidence which Mr. Biddle reposed in him, and who instead of admitting the cogency, or exposing the fallacy of the arguments which it propounded, was so ungenerous as to denounce him to the Magistrates of Gloucester, and to the Committee of the Parliament that then resided there. This specimen of the fruits of Orthodox zeal, however disgraceful, is not worthy to be mentioned, if contrasted with another instance, which we shall presently adduce. In consequence, however, of this information, Mr. Biddle was committed to the common gaol. The commitment was peculiarly cruel and afflictive, for he was at the time, ill of a dangerous fever. The design of this imprisonment was to secure his person till the Parliament should take cognizance of the affair; but the severity of this proceeding was mitigated by the compassion of a friend who procured his enlargement, by giving bail for his appearance whenever the Parliament should see fit to call him to their bar. About this time, the very learned Archbishop Usher passing through Gloucester, made a vain attempt to change the opinions of Mr. Biddle. Six months after he was set at liberty, he was summoned to appear at Westminster, and the Parliament immediately chose a Committee to whom the cognizance of his cause was referred. During the space of 16 months, he was harassed and wearied by tedious and expensive delays. Seeing no probability of procuring a decision from his judges, as a body, he addressed an affecting expostulation to one of the Committee, Sir Henry Vane. The result was, that Mr. Biddle was committed to the custody of an officer of the House of Commons, and was continued under restraint for the five following years. In the mean time, the matter was referred to the Assembly of Divines, then sitting at Westminster. He now published his arguments against the Deity of the Spirit, with the view of exciting inquiry and eliciting truth. The publication of this tract, raised a great alarm, and it was ordered to be burned by the common hangman. In 1653, however, our author reprinted this piece, with two other tracts, and whilst he was yet in prison, he published also a Confession of Faith, in which he disproves the doctrine of the Trinity, and exposes its baneful effects.

The rancour of his enemies was now raised to a pitch beyond endurance. The Westminster Divines, instead of

applying themselves to the refutation of his sentiments, endeavoured to destroy him by an ex post facto law. Holding in their practice the expedient doctrine, that the end sanctifies the means, they applied to the civil power, and supplied the defect of their own intellectual insignificance, by recourse to its commanding terrors. Accordingly, they solicited the interference of the Parliament, and prevailed with it to pass an ordinance, which comprises the very essence of the mercies of Calvinism. Will the reader believe, that through their influence, the pains of death, as in case of felony, were denounced against any one who should presume to think differently from them on religious topics! Yet this was the case. In every discrepancy of opinion which they deemed material, death was the punishment: but in their great love and pity, if your heretical pravity related only to smaller matterssuch as maintaining the horrible doctrine, that all men should be saved; or, that the soul sleepeth after the body is dead; or, that baptizing infants is unlawful; or, that man is bound to believe no more than his reason can comprehend, then you were liable to imprisonment till you would give adequate surety that you would renounce any such abominable errors! The enumeration of the opinions condemned by this ordinance, is so minute, and full, and pointed, as no pretension to infallibility could make more explicit, no instrument of bigotry more vexatious, no decree of Councils, nor bull of Popes, more dogmatical and authoritative, and few more sanguinary. And as it were to put the finishing touch to this engine of ecclesiastical cruelty, the constitution of the country was violated, for the accused was allowed neither the liberty of appeal, nor the privilege of a jury! So true was the remark of Milton, that New Presbyter, is but Old Priest writ large." This ordinance, which was but one out of several public acts that breathed the same intolerant and cruel spirit, failed to effect all that was expected from it. For the army, both officers and soldiers, were, in considerable numbers, liable to the severities of this Act, through their heretical pravity in some one or other of its proscribed doctrines. This circumstance prevented the Parliament from putting their sanguinary enactments into execution. Nor were the Parliament themselves of "one heart and one mind.".

(To be Continued.)

On the Language of Scripture.
(Continued from page 371.)

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WE beg leave to subjoin to our remarks on Isaiah ix. 6. the following extract from the Rev. C. Wellbeloved's additional Letters to Archdeacon Wrangham, p. 129. "As the passage has been very differently rendered by different translators, from the time of the LXX. down to our own days, it becomes necessary to ascertain what is the true rendering, before we attempt to explain it; and especially, before we infer from it such a doctrine as you imagine it inculcates. For our views of the meaning of the passage will be very different, according to the version we adopt; whether that of the Jewish Targumist, 'And his name shall be called by the Wonderful in counsel, by the mighty God, by Him who endureth for ever, the Messiah, whose peace shall be multiplied upon us in his days,' or, in whose days prosperity shall be multiplied upon us;" or that of the LXX. And his name shall be called The Messenger of a great counsel, for I will bring peace upon the rulers, and health to him; or that of Grotius, Wonderful, Counsellor of the Mighty God, Father of the future age, Prince of Peace;' or that of Bishop Lowth, Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Father of the everlasting age, the Prince of Peace;' or that of the orthodox editor of Calmet, Admirable, Counsellor, Divine Interpreter, Mighty, Father of future time, Prince of Peace;' or that of Simpson, 'Wonderful, Excellent Ruler, Mighty, Father of the future age, Peaceful Prince;' or, to mention no more, that of Carpenter, Wonderful, Counsellor of God, Mighty, Father of the age, Prince of Peace. If any of these (excepting Lowth's) be the right version, the sense of the passage will be evidently very different from that which the common English translation seems intended to convey. I am not unreasonable, therefore, in withholding my assent to the doctrine which you would establish on the words of the Prophet, till it is determined how those words ought to be translated. But you will, no doubt, contend, that King James's translators have given us the true representation of the original; and as any new version by me, would, of course, be treated by you as a blunder, or a sophism,' I will consent for the present, to adopt their version of the whole verse:-'For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon

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