London was greatly agitated.  The Presbyterians and the orthodox generally were eager for Biddle’s conviction; but a very considerable number of persons, including not only Biddle’s own followers and free-thinkers of other sorts, but also some Independent and Baptist ministers, whose orthodoxy was beyond suspicion, bestirred themselves in his behalf.  Pamphlets appeared in that interest, one entitled The Spirit of Persecution again broken loose against Mr. John Biddle, and a numerously signed petition was addressed to Cromwell, requesting his merciful interference.  The Petition, as we learn from Mercurius Politicus, was very badly managed.  “The persons who presented a petition some few days since to his Highness on the behalf of Biddle,” says that paper under date Sept. 28, “came this day in expectation of an answer.  They had access, and divers godly ministers were present.  And, the Petition being read in the hearing of divers of those under whose countenance it was presented, many of them disowned it, as being altered both in the matter and title of it since they signed it, and so looked upon it as a forged thing, wherein both his Highness and they were greatly abused, and desired that the original which they signed might be produced; which Mr. Ives and some others of the contrivers and presenters of it were not able to do, nor had they anything to say in excuse of so foul a miscarriage.  Whereupon they were dismissed, his Highness having opened to them the evil of such a practice [tampering with petitions after they had been signed], as also how inconsistent it was for them, who professed to be members of the Churches of Christ and to worship him with the worship due to God, to give any countenance to one who reproached themselves and all the Christian Churches in the world as being guilty of idolatry:  showing that, if it be true which Mr. Biddle holds, to wit that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is but a creature, then all those who worship him with the worship due to God are idolaters.  His Highness showed moreover that the maintainers of this opinion of Mr. Biddle’s are guilty of great blasphemy against Christ, who is God equal with the Father; and he referred it to them to consider whether any who loved the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity could give any countenance to such a person as he is.”  But, while the petitioners were thus dismissed with a severe lecture, Cromwell had made up his mind to save Mr. Biddle.  On the 5th of October it was resolved by the Council that he should be removed to the Isle of Scilly and there shut up; and Cromwell’s warrant to that effect was at once issued.  In no other way could the trial have been quashed, and it was the kindest thing that could have been done for Biddle in the circumstances.  He lived comfortably enough in his seclusion in the distant Island for the next two years and a half, receiving an allowance of a hundred crowns per annum from Cromwell, and employing his leisure in the deep study of the Apocalypse and the preparation of a treatise against the Doctrine of the Fifth Monarchy.[1]