Biddle, JOHN, sometimes called the founder of English Unitarianism, was born in 1615, at Wotton-under-Edge, in Gloucestershire, and in 1634 entered Magdalen Hall, Oxford, where he took his degree of M.A. In 1641 he was elected master of the free school in the town of Gloucester; but having embraced certain opinions in regard to the personality of the Holy Spirit, at variance with those held by the majority of Christians, he was thrown into gaol, December 1645. He was summoned before the parliament at Westminster, tried, and thrown into prison. The famous Westminster Assembly of Divines undertook to 'settle' Biddle's case, but their arguments had only the effect of strengthening his previous convictions. His work on the Holy Spirit, issued in 1647, was burnt by the hangman as blasphemous. In 1648 he published a Confession of Faith concerning the Holy Trinity, which was followed by another tract containing the opinions of the Fathers on the same question. Parliament had passed an act declaring the denial of the Trinity a crime punishable by death, and the Westminster Assembly besought parliament to have Biddle executed. Parliament did not respond to this appeal, he never was brought to trial, and personal friends secured his liberation by becoming surety for his appearance when wanted. Cromwell's Act of Oblivion gave him full liberty. He now commenced to gather a congregation of those whom he had converted to his opinions. Twice during the Commonwealth Biddle suffered severely for his creed, and in 1655 was banished to one of the Scilly Isles. In 1658 he was released, and continued to preach in London till the death of Cromwell, and also after the Restoration, until June 1662, when he was again apprehended and fined in £100.
He could not pay it, so was committed to gaol, where he died 22d September of the same year. See UNITARIANS.