 His disciple Thomas Firmin (1632–1697), mercer and philanthropist, and friend of John Tillotson, adopted the more Sabellian views of Stephen Nye (1648–1719), a clergyman.Firmin promoted a remarkable series of controversial tracts (1690–1699).In England the Socinian controversy, initiated by Biddle, preceded the Arian controversy initiated by Samuel Clarke's "Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity" (1712), although John Knowles was an Arian lay preacher at Chester in 1650.