Chapter II

Joseph Stennnett

A. Life - The London Baptist Association

Meanwhile, the Baptists of London because somewhat interested in a denominational organization in the city. On April 17, 1704, the London Association of Baptist churches was formed. It was comprised of thirteen or fourteen churches. Stennett and two lay messengers represented Pinners' Hall Seventh Day Particular Baptist Church at this meeting. Rev. John Piggott, minister of the Little Wild-street Baptist Church preached that day.162 Piggott will be remembered as one of the men who with Stennett, in 1696 signed an essay in favor of Psalm singing in churches. Some of the others who attended the meeting were Benjamin Keach, Benjamin Stinton, and Joseph Waisters.163

The next meeting of the London Association of Baptist Churches was on March 25, 1705 at Joiners' Hall. This time the sermon was by Joseph Stennett, who preached on Philippians 2: 21.Among his published works there is a sermon on the text "preached before an assembly of ministers at Joiners' Hall, on March 25, 1706."164

This seems to me to be the same occasion, but which year is correct? On Sunday March 24, 1705,'06,165 which is ecclesiastical year 1705 but civil year 1706, Stennett preached two sermons at Joiners-Hall.166 (I suggest these were for morning and afternoon, or morning and evening church services.) As to the Joiners' Hall Baptist Church, Joseph Maisters was their regular minister,167 but perhaps he was sick or out of town, so Stennett preached for him on Sunday and the next day became host at the Baptist Association meeting. On that evidence I have, I trust the datings on the sermons themselves (1706) in preference to the date reported by Crosby and Ivimey.168 Apparently the regular Baptist ministers trusted Stennett's sincerity in his church's membership in the Baptist Association; they were not in it to gain converts to the seventh day Sabbath, but truly wanted their church to express itself in broad Christian Fellowship. If my guess is right, that he was the host of the meeting and trusted as a Baptist, it follows easily to the fact that he was selected as the moderator for the occasion.

At this association meeting, Joseph Stennett's sermon to the church representatives is on the text, "For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's"

Philippians 2: 21).

Charity [said Stennett] . . . is a virtue which makes men . . . prefer the publick good to any particular interest of their own. . . . we must extend it not only to our persons and our families, but to the particular communities or societies to which we belong.169

Stennett lists "superstition and bigotry" among the things we have which are not Christian.

Some persons are so superstitiously concerned about lesser matters of religion, that they do not seem to care much what becomes of things of greater importance and as all their warmth in religion is spent about those things wherein differences may be easily borne; so they have no zeal to spare for matters of the highest consequence.170

I would consider this to be Stennett's criticism of religious controversy. I think it is also a valid judgment on Seventh Day Baptists of today, that they are often so interested in the Sabbath and the keeping of it, that they miss most of the gospel as it applies to personal living and community problems.

Stennett is preaching for altruistic Christianity.

Shall not reason, gratitude, and our own solemn promises an covenants, wherein we are engaged to God, oblige us to deny ourselves, not to seek our own things: but the profit of others, and the honour of our Lord Jesus Christ?171

Also at this meeting, the Barbican church, which had dismissed Stennett several years earlier, proposed that Stennett be asked to write a "General History of Baptism, in defense of this practice of baptized churches."172 we recall that Stennett's reply to Russen had been in print about two years.

Acceding to the desire of the Baptist Association, Stennett outlined a plan for the book. Stennett's biographer of 1732 describes the plan in part:

A particular collection should be made out of the authentic writers of the first, second, and third centuries, of every thing . . . relating to baptism; and a like collection from the authors of the following centuries, down to the time of the Reformation . . . all christian liturgies and councils, antient or modern should be examined with relation both to the mode and subjects of baptism . . . .

Finally there should be a section about Reformation and contemporary opinions on baptism.173 Stennett, however, said he thought his health and many activities would not permit him to produce the proposed book. Accordingly, the other ministers pledged their help in gathering material. As it turned out, no one had time for the project, so nothing permanent was accomplished.

In the early eighteenth century, as far as anyone knows, the London Association gradually died out Iviney thinks that a final blow to it may have been the deaths in 1713 of both Piggott and Stennett. "There no ministers of equal talent and celebrity to unite the energies and direct the energies and measures of the churches."174

Whitley the twentieth century Baptist historian, says that materials which Stennett gathered went into Thomas Crosby's 1738 History of the English Baptists.175 Crosby Writes that a great deal of his material comes from Benjamin Stinton's "Repository of Divers Historical Matters relating to English Baptists."176 However, he does not mention using any of Stennett's material. I point out, as to the Transactions of the Baptist Historical Society,177 that Stennett's plan was a history of baptism, covering seventeen centuries, while Crosby's work is a history of Baptists: and of only the Baptists in England. I conclude that there is no relation between the two works and that the Baptist Association plan, to be led by Stennett, did not materialize.

The Baptists were active, however, in relationship to the government. I have already mentioned that in 1696, there was an unsuccessful assassination plot against the Protestant King William. Many groups congratulated the King on "his deliverance." For the Baptists, it was Stennett who delivered congratulations to the King in person.178 When Louis XIV proclaimed the son of the late James II, "the pretender," the king of England, Stennett again delivered to King William a message of loyalty from "ye Baptist Ministers in and about the City of London . "179 Then on June 17, 1706, he wrote the Baptist message to Queen Anne to encourage her in the defeat of France and the relief of Protestants on the Continent.180

Chapter II - Joseph Stennett I
           A.      Life:                                             .......................................................................................
                     Hymns:                                         ......................................................................................
                     Controversy:                                ......................................................................................
                     National Concern:                       .......................................................................................
                     London Baptist Association:       ......................................................................................
                     National Concern - Continued:   ......................................................................................
           B.      Family:                                         .......................................................................................
                     New Family Information since the Thesis:    ...................................................................
           C.      Thought:                                       ......................................................................................
           D.      Ode to King William III                 ....................................................................................

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