11/10/2024

Beddome Sound on the Trinity


In an essay on Particular Baptist at the Salters Hall debates Stephen McKay notes
The Baptist Catechism and Benjamin Keach's The Child's Delight were republished throughout the 18th century, while Benjamin Beddome's A Scriptural Exposition of the Baptist Catechism (1752, second edition 1776) and John Sutcliff's The first principles of the oracles of God (1795) communicated the Trinitarian theology of the Confession. Besides Stinton's catechism, which was an attempt to use only Scripture verses to answer catechism questions, the others emphasize the oneness of God and the equality of three distinct persons. Keach's catechism for children stated that there is one eternal, holy and true God and that there are three persons in the Godhead. The Baptism Catechism used the terms 'three persons in the godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory. Beddomeemployed the term 'being' to express that he is an infinite, eternal and unchangeable being. Within this one being there are 'three persons in the godhead ... these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory.' Additionally, Beddome expressed the distinct personhood of each divine subsistence and that each person is eternal with no superiority or inferiority. Sutcliff's catechism agreed with Beddome, stating in answer 11 '[T]he one living and true God does subsist in three distinct persons, bearing the names of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.'

He also has a footnote saying

These catechisms were advertised and promoted in many of the association letters. The Western Association circular letter for 1771, 1775, 1776, 1777, 1780 and 1781 advertised the Baptist Catechism and/or |Beddome's Catechism. The Northampton Association circular letter for 1777 stated that the doctrines in the Baptist Confession and Catechism are of utmost importance to being churches of Christ. The Northampton Association circular letter for 1779 promoted the Baptist Catechism and Beddome's Catechism encouraging them to chatechise their children and to print the articles of the association. The Midland Association Circular Letter of 1783 exhorted churches to use Beddome's Catechism and read it once every month. The full title of the Baptist Catechism claimed that it is agreeable to the second London Baptist Confession.

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