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Public Worship and Practical Theology in the Work of Benjamin Keach (1640-1704)

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Public Worship and Practical Theology in the Work of Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) PUBLIC WORSHIP AND PRACTICAL THEOLOGY IN THE WORK OF BENJAMIN KEACH (1640-1704) James Barry Vaughn A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St. Andrews 1990 Full metadata for this item is available in Research@StAndrews:FullText at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/2781 This item is protected by original copyright This item is licensed under a Creative Commons License PUBLIC WORSHIP AND PRACTICAL THEOLOGY IN THE WORK OF BENJAMIN KEACH (1640-1704 A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of St. Mary's College University of St. Andrews In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by James Barry Vaughn May 1989 "Public Worship and Practical Theology in the Work of Benjamin Keach (1640-1704)" Abstract The late seventeenth century was a critical and fruitful period for the Particular Baptists of England. Severely persecuted following the Restoration, toleration in 1689 brought its own perils. Particular Baptists were fortunate in having several strong leaders, especially the London trio of Hanserd Knollys, William Kiffin, and Benjamin Keach. Such a small and severely persecuted group as the Baptists could afford little time for academic pursuits, thus of necessity most of their theology was practical in nature. Benjamin Keach (1640-1704) was the most outstanding practical theologian among the English Particular Baptists of the late seventeenth century. This dissertation is a study of Keach, in particular his writings on public worship and practical theology. Although Keach was a prolific author, he has been almost completely neglected by scholars. After a biographical sketch of Keach, this study considers his writings on public worship and practical theology. In the area of worship, Keach made two outstanding contributions: First, he was the most vocal apologist for Baptist views on Baptism of his period. Secondly, and more importantly, his hymn writing and defense of hymn singing broke new ground, not just for Baptists, but for English Protestantism, in general. In addition to his contributions in these areas, he also dealt with the laying on of hands and the sabbath day worship controversy. Keach's contributions to practical theology fall into two main groups: his writings that concern religious education and those that deal with polity. In addition to these, Keach's vigorous advocacy of a high Calvinist soteriology are also considered under the rubric of practical theology. Keach's most important (although not his most positive) contribution in this area were his soteriological writings. Although well within the bounds of orthodoxy, some of the tendencies in Keach's soteriology were taken up by the following generation of Baptist leaders and developed into a stultifying hyper-Calvinism that handicapped Baptist evangelism and missions. In the conclusion, Keach's contributions to a theory of practical theology are considered. Acknowledgements First of all, I must gratefully acknowledge a graduate fellowship from the Rotary International Foundation which funded the first year of my Ph.D. studies at the University of St. Andrews. That year became three years and a half, thus fulfilling a long-held dream to study in Great Britain. I am particularly grateful to the members of the Rotary Club of St. Andrews for their hospitality, and to Mr. and Mrs. Alan Munro for being my sponsors. I was fortunate in having a sympathetic supervisor who endured much. The Rt. Revd Prof. James A. Whyte offered help and encouragement when needed. For his wisdom and kindness I offer thanks. For exceptional assistance as I was finishing my dissertation, I am grateful to the Revd Michael Keeling. Although a scholar is at the mercy of libraries and their staffs, if my experience is reliable, the "quality of mercy" possessed by librarians is exceptionally high. I can report with enthusiasm that I met with unfailing helpfulness from all the libraries and librarians I consulted. The list is long: I want to thank the staff of the University Library of St. Andrews, the British Library, the Houghton Library of Harvard University, the American Antiquarian Society Library, the Huntington Library of Pasadena, California, and the library of Samford University (especially Diane McArthur and Elizabeth Wells) in Birmingham, Alabama. For help offered by the Public Records Office in London and the county records office in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, I am grateful. Finally, I must offer special thanks to the staffs of the Bodleian Library of Oxford University and to the Angus Library of Regent's Park College, Oxford. The Revd Dr. Paul Fiddes, librarian (now principal) of Regent's Park, and his assistant, Sue Mills, offered help far beyond that normally extended to scholars from outside Regent's Park. The Revd Dr. B.R. White, former principal of Regent's Park, offered exceptional advice and help, and I cannot thank him enough. While doing research in Oxford I was aided by many kind friends. At the risk of failing to mention some, I would like to offer special thanks to the Revd Phillip Ursell of Pusey House for his hospitality and to the Revd H.R. Smythe, librarian of Pusey House, for his kindness. For financial help at a critical moment I am grateful to the Lee Fund of the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin, and its administrator, Dr. Marjorie Reeves. In addition to Prof. Whyte of St. Andrews and Dr. White of Oxford, I am indebted to all my teachers and must mention a few whose help over the years led to this moment. First, I must thank my first and best teacher, my mother, teacher and principal of an elementary school for forty years. Secondly, two undergraduate teachers taught me to love church history and theology: the Revd Prof. Peter J. Gomes and Prof. Gordon Kaufman of Harvard University. Thirdly, among the many teachers at Yale Divinity School whom I remember with affection and gratitude I would like to single out Prof. George Lindbeck. Kevin and Maria Price of Gainesville, Georgia, have been staunch friends throughout this process. I offer them thanks. Spiritual, as well as financial, support made it possible for me to complete this dissertation. The two elements came together in a generous grant from the Board of Aid of the Alabama Baptist Convention. I am grateful to them. Aware that none of us stands alone, I must acknowledge the support, both financial and spiritual, offered during this process by my church, Vestavia Hills Baptist Church, and its pastor, the Revd C. Otis Brooks. Finally, I offer this dissertation to the glory of God and dedicate it to my parents, Henry and Vera Vaughn. Abbreviations. Baptist Quarterly. BQ. Thomas Crosby, The History of Crosby. the English Baptists, from the Reformation to the Beginning of the Reign of King George I. Four volumes (1738-1740) Dictionary of National Biography. DNB. William L. Lumpkin, Baptist Lumpkin. Confessions of Faith. Maze Pond Church Book. MP CE A Narrative of the Proceedings of Narrative of the the General Assembly of Divers Proceedings Pastors, Messengers and Ministring (1689) . Brethren of the Baptized Churches, met together in London, from Sep. 3-12 1689, from Divers Parts of England and Wales: Owning the Doctrine of Personal Election, and Final Perseverance. Sent from, and concerned for, more than one hundred congregations of the same faith with themselves (1689) Transactions of the Baptist TBHS. Historical Society. B.R. White, The English Baptists English Baptists. of the Seventeenth Century. B.R. White, ed. Association Records Association Records. of the Particular Baptists of England, Wales, and Ireland to 1660. 3 parts. *Proceedings for the general assemblies of 1690, 1691, and 1692 are identified in similar fashion. PUBLIC WORSHIP AND PRACTICAL THEOLOGY IN THE WORK OF BENJAMIN KEACH (1640-1704 SECTION I: INTRODUCTION 1 SECTION II: BENJAMIN KEACH (1640-1704): A BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY 1 i. Introduction. 1 ii. Background: Origins of the English Baptists. 3 iii. Keach's birth and early years. 6 iv. Keach and the "Great Persecution". 11 v. Keach moves: London and the Particular Baptists. 18 vi. Other events in 1689-1704. 26 SECTION III: PUBLIC WORSHIP IN THE THOUGHT OF BENJAMIN KEACH 29 CHAPTER ONE. "A LAMP WITHOUT OIL": KEACH'S CASE AGAINST INFANT BAPTISM 29 3-. Introduction. 29 ii. The baptism debate: Keach and his opponents. 31 iii. Early defenders of believers' baptism. 39 iv. Infant baptism: A "Yoke of Bondage" 42 v. Baptism as a vehicle of regeneration. 46 vi. Faith: Pre-requisite or product of baptism? 51 vii. The hermeneutics of baptism. 56 viii. The significance of baptismal form. 58 ix. The meaning and significance of baptism. 61 x. Conclusion. 63 CHAPTER TWO: TWO CONTROVERSIES: THE LAYING ON OF HANDS AND THE SEVENTH DAY SABBATH 65 I. THE LAYING ON OF HANDS .............. 65 i. Introduction. 68 ii. Keach's theology of the laying on of hands. 70 iii. Danvers' case against the laying on of hands. 73 II. SABBATH OR LORD'S DAY? KEACH ON THE SEVENTH DAY SABBATH 77 1 i. Introduction. 74 ii. Keach's argument in The Jewish Sabbath Abrogated 75 iii. Conclusion: Keach's attitude toward worship. 82 CHAPTER THREE. BENJAMIN KEACH AS PREACHER AND EXEGETE 85 :i. Introduction. 85 86 ii. Keach's published sermons. iii A Golden Mine and Gospel Mysteries: Contrasts and similarities. 87 iv. The origins of Gospel Mysteries. 91 V. The organization of Gospel Mysteries. 95 vi. Keach's choice of texts. 96 vii. Keach's style: Poetic language and the appeal to the "affections". 101 viii. Keach's place in the Puritan/Nonconformist tradition. 107 ix. Themes of Keach's sermons. 109 x. Keach's hermeneutical principles. 115 xi.
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