The Pershore Association 1773

BREVIATES

On Tuesday Evening the Messengers of the Churches, through the Kindness of Providence arrived in safety, and after a little Time improved in Prayer, Brother [Joshua] THOMAS was Chosen Moderator, and the Letters were read, and their Contents considered: Different causes of Joy and Sorrow, we hope, made correspondent Impressions on our Hearts. We thank the Fountain of all Goodness, the Churches are in Peace, are all provided with Ministers and Plenty of the Means. Complaints we have heard, and Complaints we shall continue to hear while in the Body. The most Pious Person: and purest Church in the Present State, will have daily cause to Cry, “My Leanness! my Leanness!”. This Opportunity was concluded by Prayer. 

We met again the next, Morning at Six o'Clock to spread your Wants and ours before the Lord: Brother [John] Ash was desired to produce the Circular Letter, which he did, and it was read and approved. At half past Ten the Public Service was introduced by our Brother [William] Wills [Eversholt, Beds] with Singing and Prayer: Brother [Thomas] SKINNER proceeded in Prayer; Brother BEDDOME Preached from James 1. 26. This Man's Religion is vain: Brother JAMES BUTTERWORTHI concluded the Morning Service.

At half past Two o'Clock Brother L. BUTTERWORTH opened the Public Meeting with Singing and Prayer; Brother [James] TURNER succeeded him; Brother [Thomas] HILLER Preached from 2 Cor. 2. 16. To the one we are the Savour of Death unto Death; and to the other, the Savour of Life unto Life: And who is sufficient for these Things? Brother [John] POYNTING concluded the Service by Prayer. The Messengers made a short Stay, and Brother Ash closed the whole Business of the Association by Prayer.

At half past Six in the Evening Brother [Joshua] THOMAS Preached a Sermon from Heb. 4.7. To Day if ye will hear his Voice:

The Present State of the Associated Churches,

The ADDITIONS this Year

Baptized 43 Received by Letter 7

                                                    50

DIMINUTION

Dead 25

Excluded 5

Dismissed 8

                38

Total INCREASE 12

The next Association to be at Bengworth, to meet on Tuesday Evening in the Whitsun Week: Put up at the UNICORN. Our Brethren [John] POYNTING and [Thomas?] [William] Wills to Preach; in Case of Failure Brother JAMES BUTTERWORTH.

AGREED, That the Messengers present their Sincerest Thanks to the Author of the "Address to the Serious and Candid Professors of Christianity,” &c. for his Noble and able Defence of some of the Fundamental Doctrines of Religion; and sincerely. With his Labours may be crowned with Success.

[Ambrose Serle 1742-1812]

AGREED, To hold a Day of Fasting and Prayer among all the Churches of this Association, the last whole Week in this Month, and that every Church observe that Day of the Week which is most Convenient: The Situation of the Poor, and of Trade in the Nation, loudly call for it.

Pershore Association 1759

(First published summary. Letter by Beddome)

The Elders and Messengers of the several Baptist churches at Aulcester, Bengeworth, Bromsgrove, Bourton on the Water, Bridgenorth, Hooknorton, Leicester and Sutton, Leominster, Pershore, Upton, Warwick, and Worcester, having Letters also from Bewdley and Tewkesbury, met in Association at Pershore, maintaining the great Doctrines of the Divine Personality of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in one most glorious, and immutable God, eternal and personal Election; the original Guilt, and universal Depravity of the human Nature; Justification by the imputed Righteousness of Christ; efficacious Grace in regeneration, and the certain Perseverance of the Saints.

To the Church of Christ of the same Faith, and Order meeting at

Grace, Mercy, and Peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Dearly beloved Brethren

WHAT will it profit a Man, if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own Soul? or what will a Man give in exchange for his Soul?* When we consider, that we arc possess'd of immaterial self-consciousness, and immortal Spirits. which must be either eternally happy, or everlastingly miserable; Spirits originally form'd, and professedly renewed after the Image of God, we have reason to be Ashamed that our Actions are so little agreeable to the Dignity of our Nature, or the Height of our Pretensions - Permit us therefore to stir up you, and ourselves to greater Activity in the Service of God; that instructed by his Word, and animated by his Spirit, we may approve those things that are most excellent; be steady in our Adherence to every important Truth, as well as Duty of the Christian religion.

Let not those secret Duties of Piety, which are necessary to maintain Communion with God, and promote the Peace, Comfort, and Spiritual Growth of our Souls, be formally attended, or slightly passed over: let that Eye, that all penetrating Eye, which saw Nathaniel under the Fig tree frequently behold us in our Closest Prayer, Meditation, and that much neglected Duty of Examination; and when we return into our Families, and the World, let others take Knowledge of us that we have been with Jesus.

Let us seek after an Evenness in our Conduct, and endeavour to balance the Inequalities of our Temper by the Dictatees of Prudence: an ungovernable or an ungovern'd Spirit is like a City in Confusion and without Walls, open to every Assault and Exposed to every Invader.

'Tis still a matter of Complaint, that the Catechism, that excellent Form of sound Words is so seldom put into the Hands of our Children, tho' it may be a Preservative from Error, when it is not the Means of conveying Grace; and many of them being well instructed in their Childhood, may not only retain a strong Attachment to a set of good Principles, but likewise, by the Influences of divine Grace, talk their Spiritual Sweetness, and feel their Spiritual Power.

Give us leave also with a Mixture of Tenderness and Authority to remind you of the Necessity of public and private Meetings of Prayer: which are, alas! too little attended; as likewise of the great Importance of Family Worship, a Duty to our Shame, to our Grief be it spoken, less neglected by nominal Christians a hundred Years ago, than it is now by real Saints.

Well might one of our Ministering Brethren complain this Day, in the Words of the Prophet "Jacob is small!'** How small is the Number of the truly Godly? How small the Experience, the Gifts and Graces of God's professing People. Does not this call upon us to lay our Mouths in the Dust, and continually to cry Wilt thou revive us again? Lord, strengthen the Things that remain, and are ready to Die. Let the Salvation of JERUSALEM go forth like a Lamp that burneth, and every Inhabitant partake of her Joy.

Some of the Things we have now mention'd have been, indeed, often repeated, yet to inculcate them afresh to us is not grievous, and we hope to you profitable and safe; God forbid therefore that they should be treated as customary things or disregarded as we fear they have be in Years past.

Finally Brethren, our Hearts desire and Prayer to God for you is that you may be saved, that your Conduct may be uniform, your Conversation Spiritual, your whole Walk as becometh the Gospel of Christ that your Zeal may provoke many, and that being nothing terrified by you this World, and in the World to come Life eve Adversaries, you may poffefs the Peace of God i thus pray

Your Ministers your Bretheren, and your Servants for Jesus Sake

PHILIP JONES Moderator

P. S. We think it proper to inform you, that all the churches, which we represent, are in Peace amongst themselves, enjoy the stated Means of Grace, have had 29 Persons added by Baptism 24 removed by death, and 2 excluded for Irregular behaviour.

The next Association to be at Leominster, to meet on Tuesday evening in the Whitsun Week at the Unicorn in Broad-Street. Messers Beddome and Ash are appointed to preach, and in Case of Failure, Mr James Butterworth to supply the place of either.

Pershore, June 6th, 1759.

* Matt XVI.16 The Words explained this day by our brother Mr John Ryland.

** Amos 7:5 Words explained by our brother Mr John Overbury.

Diary Timothy Thomas

In The Baptist Magazine in 1817 a review appeared of a reprint of the book referred to by Beddome in his third letter. See here. Beddome would have known the Pershore congregation. The review was as follows

The hidden Life of a Christian, exemplified in the Diary, Meditations, and Letters, of a young Minister, published from authentic Manuscripts, by Thomas Gibbons; with a recommendatory Preface, by the Rev W B Crathern, Dedham, Essex. Sold by Manden, Colchester; Simpkin and Marshall, London, &c. 1816
These memoirs were first published by Dr Gibbons, in 1752, from manuscripts delivered to him by the sister of the deceased, in his own hand, with an injunction to conceal his name.* A great part of the Diary was drawn up at a very early period of life. He was the subject of serious impressions when very young; and, at twelve years of age, he made a solemn dedication of himself to the Lord. "I am resolved," says he, "in God's strength, otherwise of myself I can do nothing, for the future, to make the glory of God my aim and end in every thing I go about. I have ventured my soul on Christ, and given up my all to him. I cannot, but abhor the thought of going back. He giveth more grace. The Lord give me more as 1 need it. I would not forget this day, wherefore I date it June 3,1711."
When he was fourteen he joined his father's church. While he felt the deepest sense of unworthiness, he rested his hope with firmness on the sure foundation. "On thee," says he, "О Jesus, who art almighty to save, whom God hath made strong for himself, but no venture at all on such a sure foundation. Here I rest, and stay my whole soul, a sinking soul, under whose weight the shoulders of an archangel would bow." When he was about eighteen, he was desired by some friends to tum his thoughts to the work of the ministry, for which his father had designed him, if God so inclined his heart; in reference to which, he observes, "By reason of some conversation with my friends, my thoughts were this evening especially led to what my relations have desired I might be, if it were the will of God, even and with awe do I speak it, (trembling at my own unworthiness) a minister of Jesus Christ. Though unworthy of so great an office, and high calling, yet in an humble manner, I am willing, if God would touch my lips with a coal from the altar, to say, Here am I, send me. And when God sends, he gives qualifications, which I humbly and entirely expect from him. Here is learning of divers kinds, in the prosecution of which, I rise up early, and sit up late; yet I hope I can say with my whole heart, that ray dependence is ten thousand times more upon the teaching of the Spirit, than all this learning."**
We regret that our limits will not allow of more extracts, highly interesting, from this valuable work; for the Diary, Meditations and Letters, are all excellent. They are adapted to the young, and especially to those who in the bloom of life are sinking into the grave - and young ministers will find much to edify and improve them. We can only notice the happy manner in which he finished his short course. The day before he died, he tuned, as far as he was able, an anthem, and said, "My soul doth rejoice, and therefore I sing." About four o'clock the next morning, having turned his eyes to one of his friends, he whispered, in a feeble, interrupted voice, but yet distinct enough to he heard, "Peace - Praise - I have peace," and so expired.
*It may gratify some of our readers to be informed, that the worthy young minister was Mr Timothy Thomas, the son of the Rev Timothy Thomas, Baptist minister, at Pershore, in Worcestershire. The father was grandson of the Rev John Evans, of Wrexham, whose son was Dr John Evans, the author of two volumes of sermons on the Christian Temper. Mr. Timothy Thomas, (the father) was very popular and useful at Pershore, for 20 years. He died January 10, 1716, aged 40 years. The son survived him but about four years, and died of a decline, in his 22d year, 1720. Both father and son were buried in the parish church-yard at Pershore, where a handsome tomb-stone records their names. The worthy sister, to whom Dr. Gibbons dedicated the work, was Mrs Gillam, the mother of the late Mr Gillam, of Worcester, whose widow, and some of his children, now reside in that city; a family well known, and highly respected.
**In the preface, Dr Gibbons intimates,"that he finished his course quickly, after his entrance upon the ministerial office." It appears that he preached at Pershore, more or less, as his state of declining health would allow, for two or three years.

Thomas Gibbons (1720-1785) was a Calvinistic dissenting minister in Haberdasher's Hall, London and a tutor at the Dissenting Academy at Mile End. He wrote a life of Isaac Watts.

Letter 03

From the Evangelical Magazine again

May 19, 1760

“________ When you lent Sister H_______ Mr Thomas’s diary*, she promised not to let it go from her, and she scrupulously fulfilled her promise, so that I could not get a sight of it. Since that I borrowed it of Mr S and read it with great delight, and indeed amazement, that a person about the age of twelve or thirteen should be able to write with such propriety.
‘Peace! - Praise! I have peace.’ That there is peace procured, though we should have no personal interest in it, is matter of praise. That we have peace, peace with God, peace within, that peace that passeth all understanding, and which the world cannot give nor take away, lays a foundation for loftier praises still; and peace in a dying hour should raise our notes to the highest pitch: then one dram of true peace is worth all the world; the one we leave behind us, the other we take with us. ‘The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and of assurance for ever.’ That we might often meet at the throne of grace in this world, remembering each other there, and finally meet before the throne of glory above, is the earnest desire and I would hope, fervent prayer of

“Yours affectionately BB”

*A young minister who died at Pershore. I have discovered that the minister in question was a Timothy Thomas (c 1700-1720). Beddome quotes Thomas's dying words at the beginning of his final paragraph. Thomas was preceded in the Pershore pastorate by his father, also Timothy Thomas, pastor from 1696/7 until his death in 1716. Thomas senior and his wife Anne were Welsh. She tried to procure Philip Doddridge as pastor of the open communion church, following her son's death. By 1760 John Ash was pastor (he came in 1746). Thomas junior died prematurely in 1720, only three years into the pastorate and no more than twenty years of age. His personality continued to speak, in his diary and letters, which, a generation later were handed by his sister to Thomas Gibbons (1720-1785), minister of the Independent Church at Haberdashers Hall, London, who in 1752 published them anonymously as The Hidden Life of a Christian. It is interesting that the young man's eager, devout spirit evidently made an instant appeal to those caught up in th Evangelical Revival (a second edition was soon called for and it was translated into Welsh) even though he wrote in the years 1710-1720, a time when religion in England is often supposed to have been at a low ebb. See also my blog entry here.