The Leominster Association 1772

 BREVIATES

The Meeting house being to be opened here the day preceding the Association, and having previous notice thereof, most of us met safely and comfortably on Monday evening.

Tuesday morning, at the opening of the new place of worship, the public service was begun by our brother [John] Ash; and then a Sermon preached on the occasion by our brother C.[aleb] Evans from Hag. ii. 7. I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. There was a publick meeting also in the afternoon, introduced by our brother [James] Turner, and a Sermon preached by our brother [Benjamin] Francis, from 1 Kings viii. 27. But will God indeed dwell on the earth?

In the evening of the same day, the Messengers of the Churches met, and after some time spent in prayer, our brother [John] Ash was chosen Moderator The Letters were read, wherein we found that the Churches are in peace, and have the means of grace plenty among them, and some signs of the divine blessing. Herein we would acknowledge the goodness of God. That meeting was closed by prayer.

We met Wednesday morning at six When time was improved in prayer, the circular Letter drawn up by brother [Joshua] Thomas, was approv'd and sign'd. Other particulars proposed were seriously considered, and all the private Business of the Association concluded by prayer. At 10 the public meeting was opened by our brother [William] Wills [Eversholt, Beds], a Sermon was preached by our brother [Thomas] Skinner from Acts xx. 21. Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ: and the morning exercise ended by our brother [Benjamin] Francis. The afternoon service was begun by our brother [Thomas] Hiller, a Sermon preached by our brother [James] Turner from Acts xv 11. But we believe, that thro' the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they; - and the solemnity concluded by our brother C. Evans. There was a Sermon in the evening by our brother Hiller, from Rom. viii. 14. For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

The Church at Sutton sent us a friendly and respectful Letter, bidding us farewel, another Association being lately set up in the neighbourhood, to which it is more convenient for them to join, They conclude their Letter thus “We thank you for all the benefit we have received, by your prayers and letters, of which the first that we know of was dated, Worcester, June 3rd. and 4th 1707“ now 65 years ago. We pray the Lord to be with you and bless you, and make you eminent blessings. May the interest of CHRIST flourish under your hands. Desiring a continued interest in your prayers and affections, we subscribe ourselves, your loving brethren in Christ."

The next Association to be at Pershore. To meet on Tuesday evening in the Whitsun-week. Our brethren Beddome and Hiller to preach. In case of failure of either, our brother [William] Wills

Put up at the Angel.

The state of the associated Churches. 

The Addition this year

Baptized 38

Received by Letters 6

                                44

Diminution

Dead 27

Dismissed 1

                                28

Increase 26

Letter to the Association 1772

FROM BOURTON-ON-THE-WATER AND STOW CHURCHES,

TO THE ASOCIATION, IN 1772

To the Elders and Messengers of the several Baptized Churches, maintaining the Doctrines of a Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the divine Essence-Original Sin-Eternal Personal Election-Particular Redemption-Effectual Calling-Free Justification by the Righteousness of Christ, and the Saints' final Perseverance in Grace to Glory; together with the absolute necessity of good works, as honourable to God and profitable to men; designed to meet in Association at Leominster, on the 29th instant. 

The Church of Christ of the same Faith and Order, meeting at Bourton-on-the Water and Stow, sendeth christian salutations, 

Grace, Mercy, and Peace, be with you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour. 

DEARLY BELOVED BRETHREN, 

We congratulate you on this your annual assembling together; may you be honoured with the Divine Presence in it. The glory of God be your aim and His blessing be your reward. No doubt but your minds have been affected with those extraordinary bankruptcies which have given a great shock to national credit and caused a considerable stagnation in trade. The difficulties also that attend the poor, on account of the extravagant price of almost all kinds of provisions, call for your earnest cries to, and deep humiliation before, the Lord. But, above all, as you cannot but be apprized of, may you be deeply concerned for the languishing state of religion throughout the land, some few churches excepted who, in this respect, are distinguishingly honoured by God. Remember that you are God's watchmen, set upon the walls of Jerusalem, who are to cry to Him day and night, giving Him no rest till He establish and make it a praise in the earth. Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, spare thy people O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach. As our invaluable liberties are still continued to us, may they be religiously and fruitfully improved by us. Thanks be to the God of all grace, we are at peace among ourselves, and are favoured with uninterrupted opportunities of hearing the blessed truths of the gospel, but with respect to their quickening, enlivening power upon our hearts, their purifying practical influence in our lives and conversations, this we are too much strangers to; we think it is not enough to hold fast the form of sound words, and express some zeal for the peculiar doctrines of christianity, but we want to drink into their spirit, be cast into them as a mould, and to have such an inward sense of their weight and importance as might, beyond all outward evidences, engage us to set our seal to them as a sure and faithful testimony. Our meetings are well attended, but few, alas very few, are enquiring the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, whilst some who, we doubt not have believed with the heart unto righteousness, neglect to make confession with the mouth unto salvation. This is our present melancholy state. O for a plentiful effusion of the Divine Spirit, that the desert might blossom as the rose, and the wilderness be turned into a fruitful field. Brethren, pray for us, as we do for you, that you may have a comfortable meeting, be directed and assisted in everything that lies before you, and return to your respective charges with hearts considerably quickened for the important service in which as ministers you are engaged.

And now we commend you to God and the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified, and think it an honour to subscribe ourselves, 

Your very affectionate brethren in the endearing bonds of the gospel. 

Sigu'd at our church meeting this 19th day of July, 1772. 

Benjamin Beddome, Pastor. 

Richard Boswell, John Collett, William Bailey, James Ashwin, 

Thomas Kite, Robert Hanks, Richard Dalby, William Fox, 

One baptized, not received in, Two dead. Numbers about 158.

(This is reproduced in Stokes book on the Midland Association)

Calendar of Letters 01

A Calendar of Letters 1742-1831 apparently exists in the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. It was owned by Isaac Mann (1785-1831). He  was a member of a church at Bridlington, under Robert Harness from Hull and when the Northern Education Society was established, he was the first student admitted, in April 1805, to the Academy at Horton. After short pastorates at Steep Lane, Burslem, Shipley, he returned to Horton as classical tutor in 1816, and became joint secretary to the Society in 1822. Four years later he went south to Maze Pond, London, retaining a close connection with the Society till his death. Most of the letters he collected had to do with one or other of these places.

The transmission of the collection is obscure for 50 years but in 1885 the letters were owned by W Thomas Lewis of Aberdare who sorted them into two groups, relating to Ministers and to Missionaries, arranging each group alphabetically, evidently valuing them as Autographs, and not concerned with the facts. One of his kindred was ennobled as Lord Merthyr and he, during the war, sold them for the benefit of the Red Cross. They were bought by the National Library of Wales (NLW MS 1207). The Rev F G Hastings, then pastor of Alfred Place Baptist Church, Aberystwyth calendared the 201 documents by order of date. Apart from one of 1711 they range from 1742 to 1831. The Baptist Quarterly (vi and vii) printed his remarks along with notes by W T Whitley in the 1930s.

Some few of the letters have a Beddome reference. This is the first:

Letter 17

On (Monday) September 14, 1772 (sic, it was actually Saturday, November 14, 1772) Beddome wrote a letter to Henry Keen of Southwark. The letter was intended to "cheer, refresh, and quicken" commending "My grace is sufficient for thee." It mentions that "Mr Clark, of Oxford, formerly your neighbour, preached at the Meeting House built by Madame Gin for Mr Rudd," but "apprehend not the most settled in his sentiments or direct in his conduct" and "appears to have acted weak." It mentions "Mr Wall" from whom "I have not heard for a long time." After his signature Beddome quotes three verses of a hymn "When sorrows rise and sins prevail." He says "They are a short hymn which I composed (I do every Sabbath)."

[Sayer Rudd was expelled from Baptist circles for Unitarian views and in 1736 Mrs Elizabeth Ginn built him a meeting-house in Snow's Fields, Southwark. However, he joined the Church of England in 1742. That a "Mr. Clark of Oxford" preached here was not known to Walter Wilson when he wrote the story of dissenting meeting-houses in and near London.]