Learn about the dissident groups in Britain in the 17th and 18th centuries, including the Puritans, Baptists, Quakers, and Unitarians. In addition, Sean Kelly presents a vignette of John Biddle’s life and influence.
This is lecture 10 of a history of Christianity class called Five Hundred: From Martin Luther to Joel Osteen.
All the notes are available here as a pdf.
—— Notes ——
Puritans
- Robert Browne (1550-1633)
- Treatise of Reformation without Tarrying for Any, and of the Wickedness of those Preachers which will not Reform…till the Magistrate Command and Compel Them
- Reformation needed to take place whether or not the king wanted it or not
- Congressionalist rather than Presbyterian
- A group of Dutch Brownists were the ones who came to the New World in 1620s
English Baptists
- Not related to continental Anabaptists
- Founded by John Smyth in 1609, an Englishman from Cambridge who fled to Amsterdam
- General [Arminian] vs. Particular [Calvinist] are two types of Baptists
- Reject role of the state in matters of conscience (church should be independent of the state)
- John Bunyan (1628-88), Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666)
- Wrote autobiography Grace Abounding to Chief of Sinners
- Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), second part appeared in 1684
- Roger Williams (1603?-1683) brought Baptist faith to America
Quakers (“Society of Friends”)
- Founded by George Fox (1624-1691)
- “Inner Light” written in 1647: The word of God is not confined to the Bible but rather came directly to each person (inner light or inner voice)
- He rejected social distinctions, allowed women to preach
- Pacifists and egalitarians (worked against slavery in the US using underground railway)
- No sacraments at all b/c they were physical
- Total silence during meetings until someone is inspired to speak
British Unitarians
- John Biddle (1615-1662), the father of English Unitarianism
- brilliant man
- 1634 his anthology he published his translations from classics into English
- at university he “outran his instructors and became tutor to himself” (Protesters, 131)
- 1634 he went to Magdalen Hall at Oxford
- 1641 he was headmaster of the Crypt Grammar School in Gloucester
- immersed himself in Scripture for years
- knew entire NT by heart in English and most in Greek, though about Rev. 4 his memory got fuzzy
- claimed he never read Socinian literature before coming to his own opinions
- wrote a pamphlet, Twelve Arguments against the Deity of the Holy Spirit
- 1646 summoned to London’s parliament and imprisoned for 5 years
- 1648 Publishes two anti-Trinitarian documents
- A Confession of Faith Toughing the Holy Trinity According to Scripture
- The Testimonies of Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Novatianus, Theophilus, Origen. As Also of Arnobius, Lactanius, Easebius, Hilary and Brightman Concerning the One God and the Persons of the Holy Trinity
- 1652 Biddle released and remained in London where he found fellowship
- 1654 Biddle published his Twofold Catechism
- when Oliver Cromwell got in power Biddle was released
- returned to quiet active work in a church
- two months later he was imprisoned in Newgate prison
- remained at St Mary’s for 3 years<
