The HIS T 0 RY of the PuRITANS. VoL. II. Oliver 4· · " That the time of c;:atechifing be on the Lord's day in the aflerJ'r;~~~~r. " noon, before the fermon, to the end that the whole congregation maya ~- " receive benefit thereby. 5· '' That the catechifm may be explained briefly at the firft going '' over~ that the people may in a ihort time have a notion of the whole " body of divinity. 6. " That the parilh be defired at the common charge, to provide cate– « chifms for the poorer fort, who cannot well provide for them– ." felves, and that the diftribution of them be referred to the refpeetive · " minifters. 7· " 'Tis defired that an account in writing, what progrefs is made in · " the premifes, may be -returned from the claifes to the provincial af-: ·•• aifembly, within forty days after the receipt hereof. ~ · Signed in the name, and by the appointmentof the aifembly, Edmund Calamy, Moderator; William Harrifon, ~ S 'b •.u: 1 ·r B' k en es. rr t uam 1ac more, Thefe irrftruetions were fent to the feveral claifes of London ; and after their example, the aifociated minifters in the feveral counties of England publi{hed the like exhortations to their brethren. .lfccount of The occafion of this proceeding, was the publilhing two catechifms Mr.Biddle. of Mr. John Biddle, one called a flripture catechijin; and the other, a brief (cripture catechifm, for the ufl if children. Complaints of which being made to the !aft parliament, they were ordered to be burnt by the hands of the common hangman, and the author to be impri– foned in the Gate-Houft. Mr. Biddlehad been in cuftody for his opinions before the late king's death. While he was there, he had publilhed twelve ·quell:ions or arguments againft the deity of the holy fpiri t, in quarto, 1647, which were anfwered by Mr. Pool, and the book ordered to be burnt. Next year, being ftill in prifon, he publilhed feven articles againft the deity of Chrift, with the teilimonie.s of feverJ.l of the fathers on this head; upon which fome zealots in the aifembly movc;d, that he might be put to death as an heretic ; but he went on, and being fet at liberty in the year I 65r, he compofed and publilhed the catechifms abovementioned, in which he maintains, '' ( 1.) That God is confined to a certain place. (2.) That he " has a bodily lhape. (3·) That he has paffions. (4.) That he is " neither omnipotent nor unchangeable. (5.) That we are not to believe " .three petfons in the godhead. .( 6.) That };;[us Chrift has not the na- " ture
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=