Stokes's Chronological events

In William Stokes' History of the Midland Association of Baptist Churches he has a list of chronological events. Here is the list up to the year of Beddome's death.

CHRONOLOGICAL EVENTS.

The following Remarks, &c. were intended for a column in the foregoing Chronological Table, but the want of space prevented that arrangement. The author was advised not to suppress them,—-he 

therefore gives them in the somewhat dissociated form below. 

1762 Middleton Cheney joined—John Pyne, pastor at Shrewsbury. 

1763 Cannon-street chapel, Birmingham, enlarged for the first time. 

1764 Mr. L. Butterworth came to Bengworth—Covenant adopted at Bromsgrove. 

1765 Dudley joined. - [John] MacGowan, [1726-1780] author of the “Dialogue of Devils," one  of the preachers this year. He was supplying at Bridgenorth.

1766 Eighteen associated churches—Association held at Hook Norton for the first time. 

1767 James Kettilby died, aged 71, preacher at Bewdley 50 years.

1768 Decrease 5.—-L. Butterworth ordained at Bengworth after four years' probation. 

1769 Mr. Poynting's Sermon printed by the Association, the first thus honoured

1770 Leicester left.— P. Jones died, 30 years pastor Upton on Severn

1771 Mr. J. Willis settled at Upton. Death of Dr. Gill, aged 73

1772 Sutton-in-the-Elms left to join the Northampton Association.

1773 Church members at Bewdley, l2.—-Mr. John Sandys pastor at Shrewsbury. 

1774 Members at Cannon-street, Birmingham, 112.—Second time of holding the Association at Bengworth. 

1775 Brettel Lane joined -— Association held at Dudley for the first time.

1776 Cannon-street, Birmingham, 140 members—Association held at Tewkesbury for the tenth time. 

1777 Cirencester joined—Association at Birmingham, the fourth time.

1778 Robert Hall entered at Bristol College, 15 years of age.

1779 Mr. J Stennet, minister at Warwick.—Association held at Cirencester for the first time. 

1780 Decrease 7. Died this year, aged 54, Mr. Turner, pastor of Cannon-street, Birmingham, for 25 years. 

1781 Mr. Stephens pastor at Upton. - Baptists in Birmingham as one to 385 of the whole population. 

1782 Middleth Cheney left — Agreed to have an Association Book, to be kept by L. Butterworth. 

1783 Darkhouse church formed — Mr. P. Reece settled at Warwick.

1784 .Darkhouse joined the Association — Preaching by Baptists commenced at Willenhall. 

1785 Church formed at Needless Alley, (now Bond-street) Birmingham.

1786 Needless Alley, with 50 members, joined the Association — Thomas Edmonds called to the ministry, at Cannon-St, Birmingham. 

1787 Cannon~Street members 235. — First Baptist meeting-house opened at Willenhall. 

1788 Byeford admitted — T. Smith, and Joshua Bissell, ordained joint pastors of the Darkhouse, Coseley. 

1789 B. Beddome’s last appearance at the Association.— Mr. [Henry] Taylor, pastor at Cannon-Street, Birmingham, resigned, and was succeeded by Samuel Pearce.

1790 S. Pearce ordained at Cannon-Street, Birmingham, August 18. - The6 Association resolved, that “No church to be admitted or retained, but such as agree with the doctrines of the Association."

1791 Robert Hall, of Arnsby, died March 13, aged 63.- Sermon on the oppressive, etc, tendency of the Test, etc, Acts, by Samuel Pearce, February 21.

1792 Willenhall admitted.— Baptist Mission formed at Kettering, Oct. 2. First Public collection ever made for the Baptist Mission, was made at Birmingham, £70 collected.

1793 The Coppice received — Day of fasting and prayer appointed on account of the alarming state of the nation — March 20, J. Thomas and W. Carey ordained missionaries to the East Indies.

1794 Shifnal received — Derby spoken of as an “infant interest."

1795 Beddome, for 55 years pastor at Bourton, died September 3 aged 79. - A day of fasting and prayer appointed.-—A meeting of the Committee of the Baptist Mission in Birmingham, when 

Messrs. [Jacob] Grigg and [John] Rodway were designated Missionaries to Africa, September 16. 

1796 Wolverhampton received. - J[ohn] Palmer ordained at Shrewsbury.- J[ohn] Wilson ordained at Warwick.

Beddome Library Calvin's Institutes

In the volume The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon Volume II: A Critical Edition of His Earliest Outlines and Sermons between 1851 and 1854 by Christian T George a footnote is found, It says

"The human mind is, so to speak, a perpetual forge of idols" (Henry Beveridge, trans., Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, Volume 1 [London: James Clarke & Co., Limited, n.d.], 97). Charles later acquired Benjamin Beddome's copy of Calvin's Institutes in which is found, "Wherby we may gather that the wit of man is, as I may so call it, a continuall worship of idols" (The Institution of Christian Religion, Written in Latine by Master John Calvine, and Translated into English Accordyng to the Authors Last Edition, by T N. Wherunto Is Added a Table, to Fynde the Principal! Matters Entreated of in Thy Boke, Conteyning by Order of Common Places, the Summe of the Whole Doctrine Taught in the Same, Seen and Allowed According to the Order Appointed in the Queenes Maiesties Injunctions [imprinted at London in White Crosse Strete by Richard Harrison, 1562, The Spurgeon Library], 25). The Latin reads, "Unde colligere licit hominis ingenium perpetuam, ut its loquar, ase idolorum fabricam" (A. Tholuck, trans., loannis Calvini, Institutio Christianae Religionis: Cum Brevi Annotatione Atque Indicibus Locupletissimis ad Editionem Amstelodamensem Accuratissime Excribi Curavit, Pars Prior [Berolini: Apud Gustanum Eichler, 1834], 79).

Another missing tome from Beddome's Library

Boston 1722

We have already noted that in 1839 in Lumley's Bibliographical Advertiser there is a reference to a two volume set of Pool's Annotations that once belonged to Beddome. In the same catalogue is also this listing

Webb (Rev. John, of Boston, New England) Practical Discourses on Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell, in 24 Sermons, cr. 8vo. clf. (B. Beddome's Autograph,) 3s. Boston, U. S. 1726

Review of a sermon collection

This is from The Eclectic Review 14:78

Sermons printed from the MSS. of the late Rev. Benjamin Beddome, A.M. With a Brief Memoir of the Author. London: Ward and Co. 8vo. 467.

These sermons, sixty-seven in number, are by the author of a large number of some of the most beautiful hymns contained in our various selections of devotional poetry. They are evidently not what he preached, from the texts which are placed at their head, but rather the subject-matter on which he expatiated more at large. They are, however very beautiful, and eminently instructive. It cannot be said of this book, as of many modern publications, that it contains 'a rill of letter-press and a meadow of margin!'

It is a very honest volume, and that is no small praise. The memoir which is prefixed is short and interesting. Mr. Beddome's life was too retired and uniform to admit of much incident, or any striking events. But it was a very holy and useful life; and no intelligent and pious person can read it without interest and profit. It appropriately closes with the graphic sketch, by the late Rev. Robert Hall, from a preface by that master hand, to a volume of Mr. Beddome’s Hymns, from which we take the following sentences:—

‘Mr. Beddome was, on many accounts, an extraordinary person; his mind was cast in an original mould; his conceptions on every subject were eminently his own. Favoured with the advantages of a learned education, he continued to the last to cultivate an acquaintance with the best writers of antiquity. As a preacher, he was universally admired for the piety and unction of his sentiments, the felicity of his arrangement, the purity, force, and simplicity of his language, all which were recommended by a delivery perfectly natural and graceful.'

After such a testimony from such a quarter, what more can we say to recommend this volume!