occupation article_title name nationality
theologian thomas bedford -lrb- theologian -rrb-
 thomas bedford english
thomas bedford -lrb- theologian -rrb-

thomas bedford -lrb- `` fl '' .
1650 -rrb- , theologian , was prominent in religious controversy between 1620 and 1650 , but little is known of his personal history .
he was educated at queens ' college , cambridge , took degrees in arts , and afterwards proceeded b.d. .
in a letter to baxter -lrb- 1650 -rrb- he says that `` he sat at the feet of bishop davenant '' , who was margaret professor of divinity from 1609 to 1621 , and master of queens from 1614 to 1621 .
davenant 's successor in the professorship was dr. samuel ward , and from these two bedford affirms that his own theology was mainly derived .
a latin letter from davenant to ward on baptismal regeneration was copied by bedford , and afterwards published by him , at ussher 's suggestion , as a preface to his thesis for the degree of b.d. held before dr. ward .
in the above-mentioned letter to baxter , bedford explains that he was convinced of `` the efficacy of the sacrament to the elect '' by reading a book of dr. burges .
this letter was written because baxter had appended to his `` plain scripture proof of infants ' church membership '' a refutation of what he considered bedford 's erroneous view of baptism , and bedford 's object was to show that their tenets were fundamentally the same .
this baxter admitted in a reply called `` a friendly accommodation with mr. bedford '' -lrb- 1656 -rrb- .
in 1647 bedford published an examination of antinomianism , the substance of which was taken from lectures he had given in the chapel of st. antholine 's parish , london .
he received the rectorship of st martin outwich in the city of london some short time before 1649 , for in that year he dedicated his `` sacramental instructions '' to the congregation as his `` first-fruits '' to them ; and thomas pierce , the former rector , had been sequestrated a little before .
how long bedford continued as rector is not certain , but matthew smalwood was appointed previously to the restoration -lrb- v. newcourt , ' `` rep '' . '
i. 420 -rrb- .
the only political sentiment bedford shows is when , in his `` examination of the compassionate samaritan '' , he urges the right and duty of the civil power to punish for heretical opinions .
his theological writings are marked by a temperance alien to his time , and show an extensive reading , especially in the fathers of the church and in the continental theology of his time .
