[Footnote 1:  Thurloe, i. 668, 681, 685.  Whitelock, 607.  Journals, Nov. 30.  Though the house was daily occupied with the important question of the government, it found leisure to inquire into the theological opinions of John Biddle, who may be styled the father of the English Unitarians.  He had been thrice imprisoned by the long parliament, and was at last liberated by the act of oblivion in 1652.  The republication of his opinions attracted the notice of the present parliament:  to the questions put to him by the speaker, he replied, that he could nowhere find in Scripture that Christ or the Holy Ghost is called God; and it was resolved that he should be committed to the Gatehouse, and that a bill to punish him should be prepared.  The dissolution saved his life; and by application to the Upper Bench, he recovered his liberty; but was again arrested in 1655, and sent to the isle of Scilly, to remain for life in the castle of St. Mary.  Cromwell discharged him in 1658; but he was again sent to Newgate in 1662, where he died the same year.—­See Vita Bidelli, the short account; Journals, Dec. 12, 13, 1654; Wood, iii. 594; and Biog.  Brit.]

to break the designs of his adversaries.  They proceeded with the revision of “the instrument;” their labours were embodied in a bill,[a] and the bill was read a third time.  During two days the courtiers prolonged the debate by moving a variety of amendments; on the third Cromwell summoned[b] the house to meet him in the Painted Chamber.  Displeasure and contempt were marked on his countenance; and the high and criminatory tone which he assumed taught them to feel how inferior the representatives of the people were to the representative of the army.

They appeared there, he observed, with the speaker at their head, as a house of parliament.  Yet, what had they done as a parliament?  He never had played, he never would play, the orator; and therefore he would tell them frankly, they had done nothing.  For five months they had passed no bill, had made no address, had held no communication with him.  As far as concerned them, he had nothing to do but to pray that God would enlighten their minds and give a blessing to their labours.  But had they then done nothing?  Yes:  they had encouraged the Cavaliers to plot against the commonwealth, and the Levellers to intrigue with the Cavaliers.  By their dissension they had aided the fanatics to throw the nation into confusion, and by the slowness of their proceedings had compelled the soldiers to live at free quarters on the country.  They supposed that he sought to make the protectorship hereditary in his family.  It was not true; had they inserted such a provision in “the instrument,” on that ground alone he would have rejected it.  He spoke in the fear of the Lord, who would not be mocked, and with the satisfaction that his conscience did not belie his assertion.  The

[Sidenote a:  A.D. 1655.  Jan. 19.] [Sidenote b:  A.D. 1655.  Jan. 22.]