More on Richard Haines

Mr Pickles points out that Beddome's protégé Richard Haines (d 1767) who became the minister at Bradford on Avon, unlike Beddome and other protégés did not do any formal study in preparation for the ministry as far as we know. He points out that this is probably true also of Haines' own protégés, Charles Cole (1733-1814) pastor at Whitchurch, Hampshire, for over fifty years; Robert Marshman (1735-1806) pastor at Westbury Leigh for over forty years and John Matthew. Further, Robert Parsons (1717-1790), the stone mason and pastor at Bath, though from Broadmead, was decidedly against formal ministerial training. Haines was present at meeting in 1752 and 1755 at the beginning of the history of the church in Bath. He also draws attention to something found here. There it says of Cole that

He was baptized in February 1756 and became a member of the church at Bradford. Soon after this it was apparent he possessed ministerial talents and having opportunity to exercise them in two or three villages in the neighbourhood with acceptance he was called to the work of the ministry in 1758.

Providence now opened the way for his removal from Bradford in the following manner: his Pastor having occasion to go to Devizes accidentally met with two worthy individuals who were on their way to Bristol with a view to procure a student from the academy for the church at Whitchurch. In conversation with Mr Hains the object of their journey was mentioned when Mr H suggested that Mr Cole might possibly suit the people at Whitchurch. The small pox prevailing greatly at that time at Bristol and Mr Hain's account of Mr Cole induced them to relinquish their journey on the promise of Mr H to influence Mr Cole to pay the church at Whitchurch a visit. With this engagement Mr Cole's diffidence and modesty made it difficult to comply; at length he assented and in May 1758 preached his first sermon among them and tarried six weeks which issued in an invitation to supply them a twelve month with a view to the pastoral office which he accepted; at the close of the period he was unanimously invited to take the oversight of them in the Lord and notwithstanding the low state of the church which was reduced to 13 members he undertook the charge and was ordained by Messrs Hains of Bradford, Phillips of Salisbury and Kent of Broughton June 6 1759.

Two new books on Beddome

Readers of this blog will be pleased to know that two new books on Beddome have recently appeared or are about to appear. Firsty, a second volume and final volume by Stephen Pickles completes the record of his extensive research into Beddome's life and testimony. The first part of the book I have read and it uncontroversially ransacks Beddome's works to piece together a theology, something I have longed to do myself. The second part of the book gets into Huntington, Fuller, etc, and the more controversial matters among Particular Baptists. I have not yet read that part but hope to do so in the near future.

Meanwhile, Yuta Seki has put his PhD on Beddome into popular form. “Long May Thy Servant Feed Thy Sheep” looks at Beddome's pastoral theology, making use of letters, sermons and other materials. I am not sure when this volume will appear but I have seen it and it looks excellent. “Long May Thy Servant Feed Thy Sheep” is a quote from a Beddome hymn.

New Festschrift including essays on Beddome

“A deep spiritual well”: eighteenth-century Evangelicals & their legacy has just appeared. It is a collection of essays celebrating the academic achievements of historian Grant Gordon, whose research on key eighteenth-century Evangelicals such as John Newton, John Ryland Jr, David George, George Whitefield and John Wesley has opened up fresh avenues for understanding these men and their times. The essays especially focus on Ryland and his family and the English Particular Baptist community to which he belonged. A number of essays deal with slavery, the impact of the American Revolution on British North America, pastoral vision and race and touch on key issues of concern to the Rylands and to Newton. I noted in oparticular two essays on Beddome, one by Dr Haykin and one by Dr Yuta Seki. Both appear elsewhere in different forms but it is good to see our friend's name out there.

10 works by Particular Baptists against Priestley's unitarianism

1. John Butterworth (1727-1803) A serious address to the Rev Dr Priestley 1790
2. Lawrence Butterworth Thoughts on mora government and agency 1792
3. Caleb Evans (1737-1791) An Address to the Serious and Candid Professors of Christianity 1772, 1773
4. Caleb Evans (1737-1791) Christ Crucified: Or the Scripture Doctrine of the Atonement 1789
5. John Fawcett (1740-1817) The Christian's humble plea for his God and Saviour, a poem in answer to several pamphlets latey published by Dr Priestley 1772
6. Benjamin Francis (1734-1799) The Socinian Champion or Priestleyan divinity 1788
7. Andrew Fuller (1754–1815) The Calvinistic and Socinian Systems examined and compared, as to their Moral Tendency 1793
8. John MacGowan (1726-1780) Socinianism brought to the test 1773
9. Samuel Rowles (1743-1820) Remaks on Dr Priestley's Letters 1784
10. Samuel Rowles (1743-1820) Revealed religion asserted 1786

Medical References in Sermons 24

In a sermon on 1 Timothy 1:8 he says

It is implied however in our text that the divine law, though good in itself, is liable to abuse by being improperly applied, as the same medicine may either be efficacious or pernicious by being skilfully or unskilfully administered. 

Brooks on an uncommon occurrence in 1764

It has featured in this blog previously but in Thomas Brooks history of the church he concludes Chapter 5 (pp 65, 66)

We must not however suppose that Mr Beddome was surrounded by none but sympathizing friends in the church and congregation. There were those who dared to oppose and openly withstand him. Before we pass from the period of his ministry we must give one other picture not of any common occurrence but of a scene which has no parallel in the history of this church and we fancy not in that of many others at least in modern times.

Feb 25th 1764 At the desire of one or two friends Mr Beddome preached from Rev i:10 I was in the spirit on the Lord's day. He meddled with the change of the Sabbath as little as he could to do justice to his text. He did not assert that the Christian Sabbath was intended but only said that it was generally supposed to be so, assigning some reasons for it. When he had done, before singing, Jonathan Hitchman of Notgrove stood up in the face of the whole congregation and opposed him. He asked several questions and made some objections to which Mr Beddome answered but finding there was no likelihood of being an end he at length told him that his conduct was both indecent and illegal and that it was no wonder that he who had so little regard to the Lord himself as to deny his divinity and set aside his righteousness should have as little regard to his day. He replied he knew no other righteousness of Christ than obedience to his gospel to which Mr Beddome answered that Christ's righteousness was not our obedience to the gospel but his own obedience to the law. And so the dispute ended.

Great excitement must have been occasioned by this incident. Strange tales would no doubt be told of the scene at the chapel. Had we looked in on that day we might have seen the village in an uproar. Now all have passed away, let us hope that Jonathan Hitchman did not retain his mistaken views of the righteousness of Christ. Some years after, Mr Beddome, recording the death of Mrs Hitchman, says 'She was a good woman, a savoury Christian, and not at all tainted with her husband's views.'

Notgrove is only four miles west of Bopurton. Who was Jonathan Hitchman? There was a William Hitchman c 1728-1802 at Hillesley, near Wotton under edge, Gloucestershire. He was the pastor of what was then a mixed Baptist church but that later became a Particular Baptist church. Hitchman came there in 1761. He was from the seventh day Baptist church in Natton, where Philip Jones was pastor. His assistant or co-pastor in his latter years was his long serving deacon Joseph Rodway (1742-1799), father of the ministers James Rodway (d 1841) and Joseph Rodway (d 1843). The three became ministers the same day. For eight years Rodway Senior would preach in the morning and Hitchman in the evening. Hitchman kept a school in Hillesley. One of his pupils was the Independent minister, Charles Buck (1771-1815). Was Jonathan his son or more likely brother. (William was only 34 in 1764).

Hymns for the sacraments

Mr Pickles points out, interestingly, that whereas Beddome's hymn book contains 38 hymns on baptism, there are only four on the Lord's Supper. I wonder if that is because of the way the hymns were prepared - as accompaniments to the sermon. Baptisms would part of the service ending with an appropriate hymn. When the Lord's Supper was celebrated once a month it usually took place after the main service and normally included no singing. (This is a guess).

Church Book Entry February 15 1778

Mr Beddome took Occasion last Sabbath to speak of the wretched and shameful Profanation of the Sabbath by the Children in the Village of Bourton and wish'd that someone would speak to the Curate and other Officers to join their Endeavours for the suppression of that Evil - the curate was advis'd of it and this day preached upon the 4th Commandment. The Clerk also read a paper (I suppose drawn up by the said Curate) the Purport of which was that those who were hereafter guilty of that offence should be prosecuted by the Church wardens and a similar Paper was stuck up at the Church meeting house doors and upon a Tree in the middle of the Town.

(Quoted in Stephen Pickles new book on Beddome - more of that anon)

May be like this (AI)

There is no portrait of Benjamin Beddome but may be he looked something like this, courtesy of chatgpt.

Did we mention ... ?

Sometimes it is hard to remember what is on this blog. We have certainly briefly mentioned that Beddome's father, John Beddome, was probably apprenticed as a tailor. A descendant called Mrs N suggests this because of an entry in the Bristol Poll Book of 1754 describing him as "John Bedham, Taylor, Anabaptist Teacher". A letter of 1795 from Joshua Thomas to John Rippon, says John "was not only designed for Trade in London but he actually set up in business there, and was in a promising way. Nevertheless being called to the ministry in Mr Keach's church, Horsley Down, in the Borough, he soon quitted the Trade".  The trade is not named but may well have been tailoring.

One other piece of evidence would be the way Beddome senior writes to his son in London in 1740 saying that he "may get Mr Rogers in Bartholomew Close to make it up for you" [ie cloth]. He then says "give my hearty services to him & his good wife & tell him I would desire him to put it into one of his best hands to make up for you & put a good Button upon it wh it is made.".