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Copyright © 2021 Jesse Franklin Owens All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. THE SALTERS’ HALL CONTROVERSY OF 1719 __________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________________ by Jesse Franklin Owens May 2021 APPROVAL SHEET THE SALTERS’ HALL CONTROVERSY OF 1719 Jesse Franklin Owens Read and Approved by: __________________________________________ Michael A. G. Haykin (Chair) __________________________________________ Shawn D. Wright __________________________________________ Thomas J. Nettles Date______________________________ For my beloved Tiffany TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE ..................................................................................................................... vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 History of Research ........................................................................................ 2 A Taxonomy for Salters’ Hall ...................................................................... 12 Methodology ................................................................................................ 14 Thesis .......................................................................................................... 14 2. PRELUDES TO SALTERS’ HALL .................................................................. 16 Chillingworth and Locke .............................................................................. 16 Richard Baxter, Creeds, and Subscription .................................................... 20 The “Happy Union” ..................................................................................... 24 Samuel Clarke and William Whiston ............................................................ 29 The Bangorian Controversy .......................................................................... 34 James Peirce, Joseph Hallet, and the Exeter Controversy ............................. 40 Conclusion ................................................................................................... 47 3. RECONSTRUCTING SALTERS’ HALL ......................................................... 49 The Dates ..................................................................................................... 53 The Advices .................................................................................................. 55 A “Scandalous Majority”: Salters’ Hall by the Numbers ............................... 58 Early Accounts of Salters’ Hall .................................................................... 60 The Non-Subscribers’ Account ............................................................ 61 Two Subscribers: Edward Wallin and John Barker ............................... 64 iv Chapter Page Onlookers: Edmund Calamy, Isaac Watts, and Thomas Lewis ............. 68 The Complexities of Interpreting the Salters’ Hall Controversy ..................... 74 John Conder: Signer on Both Sides ...................................................... 75 Henry Read and Daniel Wilcox ............................................................ 76 Benjamin Stinton and His General Baptist Friends ............................... 78 An Orthodox, Nonsubscribing Tradition........................................................ 80 Thomas Grantham ................................................................................ 80 Richard Baxter ..................................................................................... 82 Conclusion ................................................................................................... 83 4. THE “VERY SOUND” ..................................................................................... 84 Thomas Bradbury (1676/7–1759) ................................................................. 86 Daniel Wilcox (1676–1733) ........................................................................ 95 John Cumming (1685–1729) ....................................................................... 102 Abraham Mulliner (1671–1739) ................................................................. 109 David Rees (1683–1748) ............................................................................ 111 Abnormalities among the Subscribers ........................................................ 116 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 117 5. THE HETERODOX ........................................................................................ 119 Nathaniel Lardner (1684–1768)................................................................... 122 Benjamin Avery (1684–1764) ..................................................................... 134 Jeremiah Hunt (1678–1744) ....................................................................... 140 Samuel Chandler (1693–1766) .................................................................. 146 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 155 6. A MIDDLE SORT .......................................................................................... 157 Joshua Oldfield (1656–1729) ..................................................................... 160 v Chapter Page John Gale (1680–1721) .............................................................................. 169 John Hughes (1668–1729) .......................................................................... 174 Benjamin Grosvenor (1676–1758) .............................................................. 183 John Evans (1679/80–1730) ........................................................................ 189 Abnormalities among the Middle Sort ....................................................... 195 Jabez Earle ......................................................................................... 195 Richard Parkes ................................................................................... 196 Conformers ........................................................................................ 197 The Dutch Influence and the Role of Dissenting Academies ...................... 197 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 199 7. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................... 201 Appendix 1. WHITEHALL EVENING POST, SATURDAY, MARCH 14, 1719 ................. 207 2. FLYING POST, SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 1719 ........................................... 209 3. FLYING POST, THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1719 ........................................... 213 4. WHITEHALL EVENING POST, SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 1719 ..................... 214 5. LIST OF MINISTERS WHO WERE SUBSCRIBERS OR NON-SUBSCRIBERS AT SALTERS’ HALL ......................................... 215 BIBLIOGRAPHY ....................................................................................................... 217 vi PREFACE I am indebted to Dr. Gregory A. Wills for his recommendation that I consider the Salters’ Hall Controversy for my dissertation, and his insight, which greatly aided my research. I am further indebted to Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin for his willingness to supervise my dissertation. Dr. Haykin’s wisdom and mentorship throughout the writing process has been invaluable. I have admired his work on the English Baptists for years, and am delighted to have received his guidance on this project. I doubt that I would have ever completed this project without his help. I would also like to thank Dr. Shawn Wright and Dr. Tom Nettles for their willingness to serve on my committee. I would also like to thank Dr. John Coffey for serving as my external reader. My dear wife, Tiffany, has been by my side throughout this entire project. She has faithfully encouraged and supported me through what often seemed like an insurmountable task. I cannot thank her enough for her persistent encouragement and the sacrifices she has made over the past few years. I would be remiss if I did not also thank my family for their continued support. My father and mother in particular were a steady source of support and encouragement. Jesse Owens Gallatin, Tennessee May 2021 vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Suspicion abounded among dissenting ministers in and around London in the days leading up to March 3, 1719. One of Edmund Calamy’s friends pleaded with him to be present at the upcoming meeting at Salters’ Hall, but Calamy (1671–1732) respectfully declined the invitation.1 Just one week prior, February 24, 1719, a slim majority of the ministers present at a meeting of the Three Denominations at Salters’ Hall voted “that a Declaration concerning the Trinity should not be inserted in the Paper of Advices” being sent to the concerned citizens of Exeter.2 As Joseph Jekyl colorfully described the matter, “The Bible carried it by four.”3 The 57 to 53 vote in opposition to inserting a declaration of faith on the doctrine of the Trinity into the advices being considered set the stage for the March 3 meeting. When the ministers met again that Friday at Salters’ Hall, the defeated measure of inserting a declaration